Middletown transcript., 1917-09-01
INTERNATIONAL.
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LESSON
(By REV. P. B. FITZWATER, D. D..
Teacher of English Bible in the Moody
Bible Institute of ChicaPo)
Copyright 1917, Western Newspaper Union.)
LESSON FOR September I
THE SHEPHERD OF CAPTIVE Is
RAEI.
LESSON TEXT-Ezekiel "a.

LESSON TEXT-Ezekiel "a.
! GOLDEN TEXT-The Lord is my shep
herd, I shall not want.-Psa 23:1.
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
them Gods promise of their return to
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 fill.
!. IsraeI's FaithIess Shepherds De-
nounced. (vv. 1-10). These false shep-
herds included 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 reference to these lead
ers. They were placed In the position
to care for 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 flocks. All are guilty of this
same sin who use their influence and
power to the disadvantage of others.
In the theocratic kingdom such behav-
ior 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.
3. They neglected the diseased,
wayward, and lost wv. 4-6).
AS a result of their selfish cruelty
the sheep were without food; there
fore exposed to disease; had no bond
of unity, were exposed to the ravages
Of wild beasts. Gods flocks 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. IL
l6). The Shepherd here is none other |
than Jesus Christ. The wonderful
blessings here described will be real
zed by Israel in millenial times. This
blessed condition will be ushered in i
~ the second coming of Christ. How
sincerely all should pray, "Thy king
lom come." When the true Shepherd
comes:
1. He will seek his lost sheep ". 11).
Though they have gone astray through
vilfulness on their part, and neglect
IN the part Of faithless shepherds,
[esus will seek them out and save
hem. To save the lost was his Pc
uliar mission Uuke 1910.
2. He will rescue them from the
'ower of their enemies ". 12). Gods
heep have real enemies and they have
allen into the enemies hands, but the
faithful Shepherd is able to deliver
hem. mo one is able to pluck them
ut Of his hands" John 10 :28, 29).
3. He will bring them back to their
wn land ". 13). Poor, scattered Is
ael shall one day (may it be soonD
e brought back to their own land.
his is the one unmistakable sign by
7hich we may know the beginning Of
he end Of this dispensation. Be as
ured that it is not wars, nor pes
lenceS that mark the sign of the close
this age, but the movements of Is
ael.
4. He will feed them wv. II, 15).
will feed my flock, and will cause
lem to lie down, saith the Lord God.
will seek that which was lost, and
ring again that which was driven :
way, and will bind up that which was !
roken, and will strengthen that which
as sick; but I will destroy the fat +.
nd the strong; will feed them with s
ldgment." !
5. He will seek that which was lost 9
7. 16). That which has been driven +
way he will seek and bring it back :
gain.
6. He will heal them from weak .
,ss and suffering ". 16). All the I
ounds which Israel has received 7
ese many centuries shall be healed. I
Ill. The Golden Age wv. 23-2O.
ne vision of the world as it now is,
most disheartening. 1t is midnight
rkness. In this blackness we won h
r why God does not interpose. We n
onder how he can be silent. While
ldnight is upon us we are hopeful, r.
r we see the bow of Gods promise q,
better things flung across the sky.
lis present order shall disappear be- al
re the new. In that new order: m
Jesus Christ, David's Son, shall ~,
king wv. %, 24). This new era Of =
essedness can only come into reali- o.,
ton when Gods Son shall establish o,
Kingdom upon the earth. r,
The Ump Gets His.
The French haze discovered that
lerican baseball fits men for throw
, hand grenades with precision and