Abbeville progress. (Abbeville, Vermilion Parish, La.) 1913-1944, 1917-09-01
LESSON FLOR SEPTEMBER z
THE sHEPHn ERD OF CAPTIVE Is
RAEL.
LESSON TE1,XT-Ezckiei "a.

With the y compete SVDNcrSlpn OF
he kingdom .Of Judah, the national
cuuSciuuSness;i was largely crushed and
the people W. ere without heart for the
common aft mira Of life. EErEiH,
though born ain Jerusalem. propl,r>iyd
in Babylon ntaar the River Kcbar. The
object oc his. prophcsying was to en-
courage the c1tptives by placing before
them Gods pLnomisc of their rctum 10
their own Ian d. Ills name signifies,
God will strengthen" which is very
appropriate To the mission which ia
the providence of God he was called
upon TO fill.
|. Israel's sFaithless Shepherds De-
nounced. (vvs 1-10). These false Shcp-
herds includked the kings, princes.
Judges and priests. Ezekiel points out
that the captivity was because of sin,
but he shows. that the greatest guilt
obtains with preference to these lead
ers. They wore placed in the position
| to care for and protect the sheep. The
| following indictments are brought
against theIui:
/. They fefl themselves instead of
the flock ". y. 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 areifound who are more con-
cerned about themselves, their pleas
ures and prdfits, than they are about
| the souls Of the people who support
them.
2. They we're cruel ". -. They
were not only mere hirelings, guilty Of
looking after themselves, but they act
uaiiy behaved Ike robbers. preying
upon the hocks. All are guilty of this
same sin whb use their influence and
power TO thd disadvantage of others.
In the theocrAtic kingdom such behav-
Tor was peculiarly obnoxious, as the
rulers and ministers were representa-
tives of Jehc 'ah 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 heaken his chief concern.
8. They Neglected the diseased,
wounded, waAward. and lost wv. 4-6).
AS q result - their selfish cruelty
the sheep VIZ without food; there
fore exposedId disease; had no bond
of unity, weN 7. posed to the ravages
af- -vli1h~hsc 80 eo<'S s41s~,<ExsE3 An
BECAUSE they pave not been fed. Gods
judgments are against such tvv. 7-10).
u. The Faithful Shepherd. wv. H.
f6). The Shepherd here Is none other
than Jesus Christ. The wonderful
blessings hero described will be real
lied by Israel In millenial times. This
blessed condition viii be ushered in
by the second coming Of Christ. How
sincerely all should pray, "Thy king
dom come" When the true Shepherd
comes;
1. He will seek his lost sheep ~. 11).
Though they have gone astray through
wilfulness on their part, and neglect
on the part of faithless shepherds,
Jesus wtll seek them out and save
: them. To save the lost was his pc.
culiar mission, duke 10 :10).
- AIC VIII ttcCuC lIlS
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
out of his hands" John 10 ;2s, 29).
8. He will bring them back to their
own land ". 13). Poor, scattered Is
rHel shall one day (may 1t be soonD
be brought back to their own land.
This is the one unmistakable sign by
which we may know the beginning Of
the end Of this dlspensatlon. Be as
sured that II lis not wars, nor pes
tilences that mark the sign OF the close
Of this age, but the movements of Is.
rael.
4. He will feed them wv. IA, 15).
II will feed my flock, and will cause
them to lie down, saith the Lord God.
win 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 ! will destroy the fat
and the strong; will feed them with
judgment"
5. He will seek that which was lost
". 1G). That which bos been driven
away he will seek and bring it back
again.
6, He will heal them from weak
ness and suffering ". 49,. All the
wounds which Israel has received
these many centuries shall be healed.
III. The Golden Age wv. 23-2O,
The vision of the world as Ii now Is,
is most dlsheartening. II 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
If better things flung across the sky.
Iris present order shall disappear be-
fore the new. In Tint new order:
/. Jesus Christ David's Son, shall
lie king wv. 90, 2i). This new era Of
blcssedness can ohly come into reall'
satioR when Gods Son shall establish
us kingdom upon the earth.
49,