The Climax-Madisonian. (Richmond, Madison County, Ky.) 1914-1917, 1915-12-08
SUNDAY SCHOOL,.
Lesson M.-Fourth Quarter, For
Dec. II, 1915.
THE INTERNATIONAL SERIES.

Text of the Lesson, Hos. XII, III. |
Memory Verses, 8, Golden Text,
Hos. XII, documentary Prepared by |
Rev. D. M. stearns.
Again we are reminded that the two |
great topics of the Bible are the love |
of God and the sinfulness of man. His |
love to Israel as a people is every
where set forth. and briefly summa-
rized in the first verse of our lesson.
In Elk. iv, %. He said. Israel is my
son. my firstborn." In Deut- vii, 6-S.
He said. THE Lord thy God hath
chosen thee to be a special people unto
Himself above all people, and the only
reason given is Because the Lord
loved YOU" OF course He expected
them to love Him in return tDeut. vi,
4. 81, and it was their failure to do SO,
and their loving idols in His stead that
grieyed Him. In Isaiah, who was con-
temporary with Hosea lisa. ], /; Hos. i,
II. He SAYS: what could have been
done more to my vineyard that l have
not done in it? Wherefore, when l
looked that it should bring forth grapes.
brought it forth wild grapes?" lisa.
V. ~ In our lesson chapter He not
only says, Il loved him." but He also
says. Il taught Ephraim to go: healed
them; | drew them with cords of a
man with bands of love; I laid meat
unto them lYerses Ia. He ever re-
minded them that He brought them out
of the land of Egypt and that He alone
was their Saviour xiii. A. lisa. xiii. 3,
III; but he had to say. My people are
bent to 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, Ephraim? How shall l deliver
thee. Israeli 20 Israel. return unto
the Lord thy God. = will heal
their backsliding: will love them free
! ly'' (verse s; chapter xiv. /, A.. Hear
Him in Ps. Xxi 10-16, as He again
reminds them that He brought them
out of Egypt: My people would not
hearken to 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
here in humiliation. How often would
/, and We would not" He was in the
world, and the world was made by
Him, and the world knew Him not
He came unto His own. and His own
received Him not CIatt. xiii, 81;
John i, 10. III. What an almost I'M
believable record it is that such God
of love should receive such treatment
from those whom He so lovingly and
patiently seeks to win to Himself that
/ a nd
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 a hearing and receives
only ingratitude from those for whom
He does so much. Why does He bear
with such q people and not blot US
| from off the earth, as He did in the
days of Noah? Because He is God
and not man. and not willing that any
should perish (verse o; IL 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 in His own body on the cross
that I might be delivered from the
wrath to come John fiji. 16; Gal. ii.
20; Pet. ii. "a; Thess l. 10).
What kind of a hard, ungrateful
heart must l have If 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 a
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. i. 2. 81.
We vainly think to please Him by sac.
rifice and offering, but we cannot until
we have first allowed Him to have
| ACLCy upOn Us NI1OS. VI. u ~,
49,. Our own doings beset us about
and keep us from turning to God CHos.
V. 4; vii. p. But when we cease from
our own doings, having seen the folly
of them. and turn helplessly to Him,
then He abundantly pardons and gives
Himself wholly to us. and such love
constrains us to wait on Him.
The first verse of our lesson had a
, fulfllment in 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 in
any way, in thought. word or deed
dispIeased His Father. but could say
truthfully, 81 do always those things
that please Him." Il delight to do Thy
will. o my Cod John viii. %; Ps. xI
81. His resurrection from the dead
: and His return from heaven in glory
are seen in Hos. vi. 10. including the
| rqsr1rracfion. of all His rat1aonnad