Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1915-12-08
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL
LESSON FOR DEG. Il
SECURED EXCLUSIVELY By THE
BANNER FOR ITS MANY
READERS
ACCORDING TO THE
INTERNATIONAL SERIES
Text of the Lesson. Hos. XI, Ill.
Memory Verses, 8, 9-Golden Text,
Hos. XII. documentary Prepared
by Rev. ID. Nj. Stearns.


love to Israel as people Is every
where set forth, and briefly summa-
rlzed in the first verse OF our lesson.
In Ex. Nv, %. He said, Israel Is my
son. my frstborn" In Deut. vii, 6-S.
lie said. The Lord thy God hath
chosen thee 10 be Il special people unto
Himself above all people" and the only
reason given is Because the Lord
loved you" OF course lie expected
them to l0ve Him In return tDcut. vi
4, 81. and II was their failure IL do so.
and their loving idols In His stead that
grievcd linn ia Isaiah. who was con
temporary Wit, Hosea lisa. /. /; Hos. t.
| Il. He says What could have becu
7 done more 10 my vineyard that have
not done Ia II? Wherefore, when !
looked that il SHOULD bring forth grapes.
brought II forth wild grapes?' lisa.
V. ~ In our lesson chapter lie not
only says. Il loved him." but He also
says. II taught Ephraim to 20; healed
| them; | drew them with cords of
/ man with bands Of love: | laid meat
unto them" tverseS IA. He ever re-
minded them that He brought them out
of the land OF Egypt and that He alone
was their Saviour xiii. 4; Isa. Kill. 3,
IL; but he had to say, My people are
bent 10 backsliding from me o Israel,
thou hast destroyed thyself' verse Z;
chapter xiii o. The sin was all theirs.
His was the unchanging love. His
yearning for them and desire TO win
them back to Him is seen In such
words as these. How shall / give thee
up. Ephraimf How shall ! deliver
thee. Israeli 20 Israel. return unto
the Lord thy God. - will heal
their backsliding; will love them free
ly" Verse s; chapter xiv. /, 40 Hear
Him i'm Ps. Xxi. 10-16. as He again
reminds them that lie brought them
out Of Egypt: My people would not
/ hearken 10 my voice, and Israel would
none Of me. oh. that my people had
hearkened unto me and Israel had
walked in my ways"
1t was the same cry when He was
acre in humiliation. How often would
|, and sc would not" He was in the
world. and the world was made by
Him. and the world knew Him not.
lie came unto His own. and His own
received Him not Matt xiii. 81;
John /. 10. III. What an almost un.
believable record it is that such Col
of love should receive such treatment
from those whom lie so lovingly ami
patiently seeks to win to Himself thar
He may bless them and bestow upon
them His fullneSs. Those who have
this worlds wealth To bestow have no
difficulty in finding willing recipients.
but the great God. the Creator OF
heaven and earth. who giveth to all
life and breath and all things. in whom
we live and move and have our being
can scarce get hearing and receives
only ingratitude from those for whom
He does so much Why does He bear
with such people and not blot US
from off the earth. as He did I'm the
days Of Noah Because He Is God
and not man. and not willing that any
should perish (verse y: III Pet. iii. 81
He SO loved the world that He gave
His only begotten Son that we might
not perish. The Son Of God loved me
and gave Himself for me- He bore
my sins I'm His owl body on the cross
that ! might be delivered from the
wrath TO come John Iii. 16; Gal. ii.
20; Pet. ii, 81; | Thess. 1. 10.
What kind OF hard. ungrateful
heart must have II such love does
not constrain me TO live no longer unto
myself, but unto Him who so loved
me? Whether in Israel or in believers
now, the heart is always the same, de-
ceitful and desperately wicked. But
He is ever ready to receive and for
give all who truly turn to Him, and
when the backslider comes to himself
and returns To his Father. even
though In rags and filth. there Is
hearty welcome for him. with no up
braiding. Neither OF those sons In
Luke XIV knew their father. neither the
one that spent all on himself nor the
one who remained at home and
thought that he did his duty. The
wanderer knew him better after his
loving welcome home. The dumb
brutes know their masters better than
Gods people know Him Qsa. 1, 2, 81.
w Z Ahllih W IltaSG iilll w say
rifice and offering, but we cannot until
we have first allowed Him to have
mercy upon us Hos. vi G; Matt. tx,
49,. Our own doings beset us about
and keep us from turning to God (Hos.
V, 4; vii. y. But when we cease from
our own doings. having seen the folly
of them. and turn hclplessly 10 Him.
then He abundantly par,lons and gives
Himself wholly To us. and such love
constrains US TO wait on Him
The first verse Of our lesson had
fulillment I'm the Son OF God. the True
Israel. the Son Of Mary Matt II, 15),
and in Him alone of all the sons of
men did the Father find that which
He desired. He never pleased Him
self nor sought His own will nor I'm
any way, in thought, word or deed,
displeased His Father. but could say
truthfully. 81 do always those things