The Detroit times., 1915-12-09
The international Sunday School
Lesson for December ~ 10 "ood
Nszrns Over eseksildInS Israeli
Hoe. f1:t-tt.
= ~ WILLIAM r. ELLIS

~.
Last night at q banquet I watch
Cd nearly three hudred strong men
listening spsllbound 10 one lay
mans story OF his personal religious
experience. He was only . business
man. Innocent of theological
training. and I suspect also OF .
college course. he used none Of the
tricks Of the professional speaker.
yet No thrilled his hearers 20 few
skilled orators could DO. That com
pany Of alert and discriminating
men listened intsntly. - ont OF .
tall life the iayman related the spir-
itual signincancs Of his personal sX-
pssisnce. u was reality speaking
70 reality. life 70 life.
Something akin 70 That was tie
power OF the ancient lAyman w6o
became IN immortal voice: Hosea.
the only prophet who was . native
G the northern kingdom Of Israel:
and whose words are today's Sunday
School Lesson. We have no trace OF
Hossa's having ever attended .
school OF the prophsst. He was
merely q sensitive-souled layman
Who lived tremendously, and did not
miss the spiritual significance OF ex
psrience that would have blightsd
. lesser man.
His very name links Hosea with
the greatest OF prophets; for at It's
root the word Hosea n the same
- Joshua" and Jesus" and It
means a saviour. Both Hosea ana
Jesus are described by Isaiah in the
picture OF the suffering servant.
by the knowledge OF himself shall
my righteous servant justify many
Jereboam sat on the totterinE
throne of Israel at this time, and
Uzziah ruled In Judah. and doubt
less neither OF them reckoned seri
ously with the personal tragedy OF
this one man. Yet Hosea's lie story
u a deathiess message TO each new
generation OF humanity.
The Storm That Drives Home.
The higher use OF any life is as
an Interpretation OF the mind OF
God. Find out what God means by
what He 10 doing with you. Hosea
exemplifies the value OF discovering
the spiritual Significance Of q per
sonal experience. wha, says Brown
ing!-
II count life Just stun
To try the souls strength on"
Personal providences mean some
thing as they enter every life. Let
Us not miss the message. II am
In the mills OF God" said q man
who was passing through dark days.
II don't know what He IL trying 10
make out of my life. but ! want to
find out. should be sorry to have
to undergo these experiences with
out catching their meaning and
message" Every providence has
. purpose. Hosea's domestic dis
aster made him a prophet.
The story IL told OF a shepherd In
the northwest whom q traveller saw
driving his fock out into the teeth
of a heavy wind. they faced the
storm all the way to the pasture.
"Why don't you find a more shell.
tered feeding ground?" asked the
traveller.
Don't you see," said the shep-
herd, III a blizzard comes the storm
will drive the sheep homer
SO IL is with the storms OF per-
sonal experience. They are meant
TO drive the spirit home to God.
How else can we interpret the
world woe Of today? Is not the
growth OF the sacrincial spirit.
which the world world Is learning
In the red school house OF war. but
IN education In the university OF
God? Humanity today In entering
into a knowledge of Christ by L
0ethsemane experience. The storm
OF war is driving the suffering sheep
home TO the Shepherd and His fold.
We are unable to think OF the world
90 undergoing the present crucial
experience without the prospect OF
learning from II the supreme les
sion OF God as Refuge and a
Father.
The FaIthIess wife.
No bitterer experience can come
10 a man than that which befell
Hosea. His wife was faithless; yet
he remained faithful. The earlier
chapters Of the Book OF Hosea tell
the tremendous story. We should
read in It's tragic light the nippant
bales OF marital inndelity which are
daily aired In our divorce courts. In
some circles all sense OF the helm
pusness Of adultery has been lost.
The Book Of Hosea reveals 1t as
4 IL.
Dean Stanley has. with great dell
tacy. recounted the life tragedy OF
dosea:-.
''1n his own personal history. he
Bhared in the misery brought on his
country by the profiigacy OF the
kge. In early youth he had been
hnited in marriage with q woman
49, IA So,t~c toto tha vtroa which