Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1915-12-18
LESSON FOR DECEMBER IL
JEHOVAH YEARNs OVER ISRAEL.

the first captivity of the northern
kingdom His style is abrupt and fig
urative- Israel is Jehovah's adulter-
Gus wife, repudiated, but finally to be
purified and restored. This lesson is
part of the second section of the
book (4:1-I3 80, which is a descrip-
ton Of the sinful people
!. THE Perverse Child" wv. II.
The remnant" (ch GLIB had cried
out for relief. (See lisa 1:9; Rom
2:5). Jehovah's reply (begins 6:4 is
a severe arraignment of Israel's back
sliding as contrasted with his grace.
To understand this lesson read the
entire book repeatedly. In verse / of
the lesson Jehovah recalls to the ma
ton the days of it's childhood Be
cause of his great love (Deut 7:D
he called them out of Egypt, the land
of bondage, into Canaan, the land of
blessing and liberty. Yet Israel sensed
not its duty nor its obligation of graft
tude. We are living under a greater
obligation because of the greater re-
demption God has provided for us in
the person of his Son. God here calls
Israel my son" lex. 4:22); we have
the right to can ourselves SONS (John
ZIP; 1. John BID. Matthew's Cos
pei applies these words to him who
alone was fully and in the true sense
Gods son. Jesus is the summary Of
the whole nation il that he alone fully
realized Gods purpose in Israel Matt
2.15).
As contrasted with what a son is
or should be verse 2 gives a picture
of Israeps wandering. The whole his
tory of the nation is one of going after
false gods. -Q. Sam: 8:7-9 and many
other references.) In those childhood
days (v. 81 Jehovah taught them how
to walk, and healed their hurts but
they knew not'-God, as a tender Fa-
Their, had watched over, taught guild
ed and healed eek. 1914; lisa. 46 81;
$3.50. Even SO, in this present age
God is God of mercy and long suf-
fering (Rom. 2:4), yet the mass of
men know not" what God is doing
for them. In verse 4 the child has
grown older and as mothers often
tether a child lest it run away, so Je-
hovah endeavors to draw Israel to
him with cords of love-" His cord
of love now is the mighty power of
Calvary (John 1899. Jehovah not
only drew but even sought to entice,
for he laid meat unto them"-Jesus
will deliver us, for he bore our yoke
N4hdbI- IL AC-OOJ anu Is lOT us the
Bread of Life (John 6:35, $50. Love
does not mean that the backslider
shall be free from punishment BE
cause they refused to return i
the sword shall abide" ". Sc and Heb
1870. Even so God did not permit
them to go back to Egyptian bond
age ". 50. Israel was bent to back
sliding" In spite of the constant call
to worship and serve him none would
exalt him.
H. The Pleading Parent, Wv. S-12.
None can fathom the depths of the
cry, How shall I give thee up, How
shall 1 deliver thee" " 81. Israel
would persist and still Jehovah pleads
that perchance they would heed his
cry Ger. 81; Lam. $3.50. Admah
end Zeboim were irretrievably over
thrown with So1om and Gomorrah
Deut- 29:33), shall Israel likewise
perish? MOI Nv. 81 for ''I am God, not
man" God does not, like man,
change-his covenants are not Scraps
OF paper" his love is everlasting CNu.
Z3:19). 1t is not God but man who is
responsible for his destruction. The |
Holy One in the midst of thee" is |
there to save, not as an avenger. God |
has not come into our midst in wrath |
N@O0 . pdSSlOLS1tc QGS1T6 Is 10 save |
not to destroy. His purposes are |
those Of love and redemption and as !
with Israel of old, SO in this age he |
VIII carry out these purposes in spite |
OF our backsliGing (Rom. 11:2S-29). !
Verses 10 and IL are prophetic of the |
ultimate repentance and restoration of |
Israel Judgment shah pass upon their |
foes tJoel 5 169 and those of the dis |
persion tsee PARALLEL lisa. 11:11-16) !
shall gather, as doves to their win |
dows," and be once more lin their /
houses" l. e., set gp as a nation in |
their God-given land. Ep41raizn w. 12) /
sought to rule Uf1hDgt or by casting |
on Jehovah q Ger. z:S1.
In Judah was the legal priesthood
and the legitimate king. but the apos-
tasy of Israel was more ca1fpable, be-
cause of the example of Judah which /
he had set at nought
III. Promised Delf~erance In a 1
most striking way Hosea flashes a
note of hope and love through the |
cloud of gloom which hung ever the
nation as it drew closer to its doom
because the people refused to repent
Amos delivered his warning and re-
turned to Judah.
Hosea was a part of the nation
which emphasizes such verses of his
as the following: Ell. 4:6,
liza. 11:s, Ga, &c, 2-15 and 1o:12
which sound the message of hope like