The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1915-12-09
INTERNATIONAL.
SUNDNS0lOOL
LESSON
LESSON FOR DECEMBER II
JEHOVAH YgARNs OVER ISRAEL.
thy E. o. SELLERS. Acting Director OF
Sunday School Course Of Moody Bibie
Institute OF Chicago)
Copyright 1918, western Newspaper UnionD

LESSON TExT-Hosea iisi-fi.
GOLDEN TEXT drew them with
cords OF man. with bands OF love-
Hosea 1it
A contemporary Of Isaiah and Amos.
Hosea continued to prophesy after
the first captivity OF the northern
Kingdom. His style is abrupt and ns-
urative. Israel IL Jehovah's adulter-
Gus wife. repudiated. but finally to be
purified and restored. This lesson Is
q part OF the second section Of the
book t;l.13:sD, which Is q descrip-
ton Of the sinful people.
Z. THE Psrverss Child" w. ~.
The remnant" (ch. GID had cried
out for relief (see Isa. l:9: Rom.
2:5). Jehovah's reply (begins $50 10
O severe arraignment Of lsraels back.
sliding as contrssted with his grace
To understand this lesson read the
entire book repeatedly. In verse I Of
the lesson Jehovah recalls to the na-
ton the days OF Its childhood. Be-
cause Of his great love (Deut TED
he called them out OF Egypt. the land
OF bondage, into Canaan, the land Of
blessing and liberty. Yet Israel sensed
not It's duty nor its obligation Of graft
tude. We are living under q 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" tEx. <:22); We have
the right to call ourselves sons John
1:12: l. John 3:i.2l. Matthews 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 I'm that he alone fully
realized Gods purpose In Israel Matt.
2:i5).
As contrasted with what Q son Ii
or should be verse 2 gives a picture
OF lsraers wandering The whole his
tory Of the nation Is one OF going after
false gods. Il. Sam; s:7-s and many
other referencesD In those childhood
days ". ~ Jehovah taught them how
to walk. and healed their hurts. but
they knew not"-God. as q tender Fa-
Their. had watched over. taught. guild
ed and healed LEI. 1914; lisa. <6:3;
63:s. Even so. In this present age
God IL q God OF mercy and long suf.
fering from. 2:D. yet the mass Of
men know not" what God Is doing
for them. In verse 4 the child has
grown older and rs mothers often
tether q child lest II run away. 30 10
hovah endeavors to draw Israel to
him with cords Of love" His cord
Of love now IL the mighty power Of
Calvary John 1852. Jehovah not
only drew but even sought TO entice.
for he laid meat unto them"-Jesus
will deliver US, for he bore our yoke
Matt. ii:2s30) and IL for us the
Bread Of Life John SIS. $50. Love
does not mean that the backslider
shall be free from punishment Be
cause they refused to return E.
the sword shall abide" ". Sc and Heb.
1880. Even so God did not permit
them to 60 back to Egyptian bond
age ". 81. Israel was bent to back.
sliding" In spite OF the constant can
to worship and serve him none would
exalt him
u. The Pleading Parent. w. lt2.
None can fathom the depths Of the
cry. How shall I give thee up. How
shall I deliver thee" ". 81. Israel
would persist and still Jehovah pleads
that perchance they would heed his
cry Tier. ST: Lam. 3:33. Admah
and zeboim were irretrievabiy over
thrown with Sodom and Gomorrah
(Deut. 20: 33). shall Israel likewise
perish' MOI ". 81 for Il am God. not
man" God does not. like man.
change-his covenants are not scraps
Of paper" his love 10 everlasting (Nu.
23:1s). II 10 not God but man who IL
responsible for his destruction. The
Holy One In the midst OF thee" n
there to save. not a. an avenger. God
has not come into our midst In wrath
Gods passionate desire IL to save
not to destroy. His purposes arc
those OF love and redemption and a.
with Israel OF old. 90 In this age. he
will carry out these purposes In spite
OF our backslidins from. 1l:2s-2O.
Verses 10 and IL are prophetic OF the
ultimate repentance and restoration OF
so'~Ss JeueahNht F&po uPon tnSss
foes (Joel $40 and those OF the dis
persion tsee parallel lisa. 1l:1l.16
shall gather. as doves TO their win
dows." and be once more I'm their
houses" I. O.. set up as a nation In
their God-given land. Ephraim ". l2)
sought to rule without or by casting
OF Jehovah q. Cor. t:S).
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.
~. Promised DeIlvsrancs. In .
most striking way Hosea flashes .
note Of hope and love through the
cloud OF gloom which hung over the
nation AZ Il drew closer to its doom.
because the people refused to repent.
Amos delivered his warning and re-
turned to Judah.
Hosea was Q part OF the nation
which emphasizes such verses OF his
prophecy a. the following: 81. as.
ll:+. ll:s. So. Sc. 2:lb and 1919.
which sound the message Of hope like
bulletins from the battles front