Arizona republican., 1922-06-11

exorably as Edipus or King Lear, the
prophet moves on his appointed
course, hated and misunderstood,
protected and guided, serving the
people whom he loved, and the Lord
God whom they worshiped but did
not obey.
Inc central lesson of his career APP
pears to be tina tone man who is right
far out weighs in the long perspec
tive Oh history a nation that is wrong.
Ihe established church may support
the nation, princes and leading citi-
zens may uphold its poIicits; but if
they are unsound policies, if they
rest on injustice. oppression. unright-
eousness, they lead to disaster, How
We're the people who lived in Jerusa-
lem to Know whether jeremiah or the
men IN power were right?
The diplomats, generals and bish-
ops were all down on him. Now
and then a person, even the king
himself. might intercede in his behalf
or show him temporary favor. or ex-
hlbit an uneasy feeling that there
might be something in his views on
foreign or domestic policy but such
favors and the consultations based
on such uneasiness were generally
secret and shamefaced. Jeremiah
was not Benedict Arnold, for al
though he was accused of falling
away to the Chaldeans he indignantly
denied it. We may rather compare
him to the Columbia College presi-
dent who took the English side on
the outbreak OF the Revolution, and
whom as good patriot as Alexander
Hamilton saved from the mob of his
hostile fellow townsmen. An Alsa-
tian preaching submission to Ger
many in 1870. a Korean advising ac-
ceptance of Japanese rule in 1910.
Haytian advocating the permanent
retention of American sovereignty
now. would be somewhat in the po-
sition of this strange prophet who
told the Judeans that no alliances, no
support from Egypt or elsewhere.
would save them from the Babyloni-
an domination; that the Lord in
tended it and there was no help for
it. tragic beyond all descriptions as
the destruction of the city and the
exile of the people would be. The
Alsatian. Korean, or Haytian would
perhaps be wrong as well as unpatri-
otic: but jeremiah was generally
right, not only as to what would hap
pen but as to the sources of internal
corruption and national disaster.
Except by the exercise of private
Judgment the people had no means of
knowing whether to accept jeremiah
or the people in authority. II they
were intelligent and of clear con
science. the prophets sayings would
appeal to them If they were in
volyed in the prevailing system of
unjust economics. corrupt admin
stration mixed. semi-idolatrous wor-
ship, civil feuds. they would put him
down as a reckless disturber of the
peace, as an unpatriotic agitator The
teachings of jeremiah were the test
of their clearness of vision of their
capacity for distinguishing between
good and evil. between the word of
the Lord and the sophistries of men
No wonder they failed in the test
1t comes down to us through the
ages: Let not the wise man glory in
his wisdom, neither let the mighty
man glory in his riches: but let him
that glorieth glory in this. that he
hath understanding, and knowetli me.
that | am Jehovah who exerciseth
loving kindness, justice and righteous
ness, in the earth" Whether we be-
lieve this or not-and act accordingly
lis the test for US as it was for that
generation which, six centuries be-
fore Christ, saw just such vast inter-
national revolutions and shiftings as
those with which we are familiar.
The Community Bible class meets
Sunday morning $3.50 to 10:30 at
Library park band stand. Mrs. Muir
ray II. Hall win sing Just for To-
day. accompanied by Miss Merta
Work The music. lesson and dis
cussion in the open viii all be re-
freshing. Come.