The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1915-12-10
LESSON FOR E NJ !:
JEHOVAH YEARNs OVER ISRAEL.

JEHOVAH YEARNs OVER ISRAEL.
LESSON TEXT-Hosea HILL.
TEXT drew them with
cords of a man. with bands Of love-
Hosea ia.
A contemporary of Isaiah and Amos,
Hosea continued to prophesy after
the first captivity of the northern
kingdom. His style is abrupt and fig
uratlve. Israel is Jehovah's adulter-
Gus wife, repudfated. but finally to be
purified and restored. This lesson is
a part of the second section of the
book (4:1-13:8), which is a descrip-
ton of the sinful people.
l.. 1.-THE Perverse Child" W.. ~.
h remnant" Och. 6:1-3) a 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.
10 understand this lesson read the
entire book repeatedly. In verse 1 OF
the lesson Jehovah recalls to the ma
ton the days of it's childhood. Be-
cause OF his great love (Deut. I'D
he called them out Of Egypt, the land
~ IN lkS ldllu vi
blessing and liberty. Yet Israel sensed
not it's duty nor it's obligation of graft
ude 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 acre calls
israel my SON" eek. 4:22); we have
the right to call ourselves sons John
liz: |. John 3:1-2). 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 in that he alone fully
realized Gods purpose in Israel (Matt.
2:15).
AS contrasted vita what a son is
or should be verse 2 gives a picture
of 1sraePs wandering. The whole his
tory Of the nation is one of going after
false gods. Il. Sam: S:7-9 and many
other references.) In those childhood
days ". 81 Jehovah taught them how
to walk, and healed their hurts, "but
they knew not"-God, as a tender Fa-
ther, had watched over, taught, guild
ed and healed (Ex. 1914; lisa. 46:3;
$500. Even so, in this present age
Noo A. " NoU VI w duu lOIlg SUI
fering tRom. 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 e~ndeavors to draw Israel to
him with cords Of love-" His cord
of love now is the mighty power of
Calvary (John 1880. Jehovah not
only drew but even sought to entice,
for he laid meat unto them"-Jesus
will deliver rs, for he bore our yoke
Matt. 11:2s-3o) and is for US the
Bread of Life John 6:35. $50. Love
does not mea that the backslider
shall be free from punishment. BE
they refused to return .
the sword shall abide" (v. Sc and Heb.
$3.50. Even so God did not permit
them to go back to Egyptian bond
". 81. Israel was " BEN to back
sliding" In spite Of the constant call
to worship and serve him none would
exalt him." Is not this a picture of
the mass of the people of s~o-called
Christian lands? II not why then "ad-
vertise the churches" or hold special
sampaigns?"
II. The Pleading Parent, w. s-12.
None can fathom the depths Of the
cry. How shall I give thee up, How
shall l deliver thee" ". 81. Israel
would persist and still Jehovah pleads
that perchance they would heed his
cry (Jer. OF; Lam. 1889. Admah
and Zeboim were irretrievably over
thrown with Sodom and Gomorrah
(Deut. 1888. shall Israel likewise
perish? No! ". 81 for Il am God, not
man" God does not, like man.
change-his covenants are not SCRAPS
of paper" his love is everlasting (Nu.
23:19). 1t is not God but man who is
responsible for his destruction. The
Holy One in h midst of thee" is
there to save, not as an avenger. God
has not come into our midst in wrath
Gods passionate desire is to save
not to destroy. His purposes are
those of love and redemption and as
with Israel of old, so in this age. he
will carry out these purposes in spite
of u backs1iding (Rom. 1~1:2S-29).
Verses 10 and IL are prophetic of the
ultimate repentance and restoration OF
1srael-judgment shall pass upon their
foes Joel 3:16} and those of the dis
persion (sce parallel lisa. Hills,
shall gather, as doves to their win
dows." and be once more lin their
houses" i. e.. set up as a nation in
their God-given land. Ephraim ". 12)
sought to rule without or by casting
Oft Jehovah Il. Cor. 4:8).
In Judah was the legal priesthood
and the legitimate king. but the apos.
tasy OF Israel was more culpable be-
cause of the example of Judah which
he had set at nought.
III. Promised Deliveranee. In a
most striking way Hosea flashes a
note of hope and love through the
cloud of gloom which hung over the
nation as it drew closer to it's 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
prophecy as the following: 6:1. 4:6.
11:4. l1:6, GA. Sc. 2:I5 and 1912.
which sound the message OF hope like