The Arvada enterprise., 1917-08-30
LESSON FOR SEPTEMBER Z
THE sHEPAERD OF CAPTIVE Is.
RAEu

RAEe.
LESSON TEXT-Esekiel "a.
GOLDEN TEXT-The Lord IL my shep.
herd. shall not want.-Psa. ISL
With the complete subversion Of
the kingdom of Judah. the national
consciousness was largely crushed and
the people were without heart for the
common affairs Of life. Ezekiel,
though born In Jerusalem, prophesied
In Babylon near the River Kebar. The
object Of his prophesying was to en-
courage the captives by placing before
their own land. His name signifies,
'God will strengthen" which is very
appropriate to the mission which in
the providence of God he was called
upon to ill.
!. lsraei's FaIthIess Shepherds Dc.
nounesd. wv. 1-1O). These false shep-
herds included the kings, princes,
Judges and priests. Ezekiel points out
that the captivity was because of sin.
but he shows shat the greatest gull:
obtains with reference to these leau-
ers. They were placed In the position
to care :1r and protect the sheep. The
following indictments are brought
against them:
1. They fed themselves instead Of
the flock ". p. They were essential
ly selfish. They ministered to them
selves instead Of the sheep. Too many
today are filling public Offices for the
sake of private gain. Sometimes even
ministers are found who are more con.
cerned about themselves. their pleas
ures and profits, than they are about
the souls Of the people who support
them.
2. They were cruel ". 81. They
were not only mere hirelings. guilty Of
looking after themselves, but they act
ually behaved like robbers, preying
upon the focks. All are guilty Of this
same sin who use their influence and
power to the disadvantage of others.
In the theocratic kingdom such behav.
for was peculiarly obnoxious, as the
rulers and ministers were representa-
tives Of Jehovah himself. The minis
ter and public officer today Is acting
in his capacity for God, not for him
self, therefore he should make the
cause Of heaven his chief concern.
8. They neglected the diseased.
wounded. wayward, and lost wv. 49,.
As q result Of their selfish cruelty
the sheep were without food: there
fore exposed to disease; had no bond
of tn th<
Of wild beasts. Gods hocks are In
many places thus suffering and dying
because they have not been fed. Gods
judgments are against such wv. 7.10).
II. The Faithful Shepherd. wv. II.
16). The Shepherd here il none other
than Jesus Christ. The wonderful
blessings here described will be real.
ICED BY Israel in millenial times. This
blessed coalition will be ushered In
by the second coming Of Christ. How
sincerely al should pray. Thy king.
dom come" When the true Shepherd
comes:
I. He will seek his lost sheep ". 11).
Though they have gone astray through
wilfulness % their part. and neglect
on the part Of faithless shepherds,
Jesus will seek them out and save
them. To save the lost was his pc.
culiar mission luke 9:1O).
9. He will rescue them from the
power Of their enemies ". 12). Gods
sheep have real enemies and they have
fallen into the enemies hands, but the
Faithful Shepherd Is able to deliver
them. mo one Is able to pluck them
cut of his hands" (John 1928. 29).
3. He will bring them back to their
own land ". 13). Poor. scattered Is.
rael shall one day (may 1t be soon y
be brought back to their own land.
This II the one unmistakable sign by
which we may know the beginning Of
the end Of this dlspensation. BeAs-
sured that It 10 not wars, nor pes.
tilences that mark the sign of the close
Of this age, but the movements of Is.
rnel.
4. He will feed them tvv. II. 15).
~ will feed my flock. and will cause
them to lie down, saith the Lord God.
I will seek that which was lost. and
bring again that which was driven
away. and will bind up that which was
broken. and will strengthen that which
was sick: but I will destroy the fat
and the strong: I will feed them with
judgment"
8. He will seek that which was lost
". 10). That which has been driven
away he will seek and bring 1t back
agnin.
6. He will heal them from weak.
ness and suffering ". 16). All tho
wounds which Israel has received
these many centuries shall be healed.
~. The Golden Age wv. 1920.
The vision Of the world as It now ID,
is most disheartening. It Is midnight
darkness. In this blackness We won.
der why God does not interpose. We
wonder how he can be silent. While
midnight Is upon US we are hopeful.
for We see the bow Of Gods promise