Greene County herald. (Leakesville, Miss.) 1898-current, 1922-06-09

GOLDEN TExT-Be not afraid of their
faces. for | am with thee to deliver thee,
saith the Lord -Jer. lis.
REFERENCE MATERIAL = Gen. 80:
is,23; Jer. 2ol-ls; Luke 3:lS-2O; Acts Il:
PRIMARY ToPIc-How God Cared for
jeremiah.
JUNIOR TOPIC-Jeremiat' Bold Truth
telling
INTERMEDIATE AND SENIOR TOPIC
Faithful in the Face of Danger.
YOUNG PEOPLE AND ADULT TOPIC
Lessons From Jeremiah's Character.
I. jeremiah Predicts the Capture Of
jerusalem (vv. 1-3).
/. To Whom-the People ". ~.
jeremiah had been taken out OF the
prison by the king (37 :17), and
ordered confined to the court of the
sprison (37 :21). The people seem to
have had free access to him in the
court (32 :12). From this place OF
lipited confinement jeremiah an
nounced TO the people their approach
ing captivity.
2. Counsel Given wv. 2. 81. ~ All,
that remaineth in the city shall die by
the sword, famine and pestilence (2)
He that goeth forth to the Chaldeans
shall live. "He shall have his life for
a prey doubtless means that he shall
escape with his life, though losing all
else.
II. jeremiah Accused by the Princes
wv. 4, 81.
d. HE weakeneth the hands Of the
men and all the people, (v. AZ. From
a human. standpoint what they said
was true, but since jeremiah was but
the interpreter of God to the nation
they ought to have needed his advices
to surrender.
2. "This man seeketh not the well
fare of this people, but the hurt" w..
~. This charge was utterly false
Jeremiah was the best friend of the
people, for he faithfully proclaimed
to them Gods judgment upon them for
their sins and advised them how to
make the best of their unfortunate
situation.
8. The Kings Cowardly Act ". 81.
jeremiah is abandoned by his coward
ly friend. The very one whom Jere-
miah was trying to help deserted him.
The king was afraid of the Chaldeans.
the princes, Jeremiah and God.
III. jeremiah Cast Into the Dungeon
". 81.
This was not regular prison, but
cistern which had doubtless been
emptied of it's water during the siege.
leaving only "mire." Into this mire
he sank. The purpose was to let
jeremiah die there. There was no
F., possible way to escape. In this situa-
tion jeremiah is a type of Christ
psalm 69). Jeremiah was one of the
bravest of Gods servants.
~. jeremiah Rescued From the
Dungeon tvv. 7-13).
/. By Whom-Ebed-melec an Afri-
can servant (vv. 7-9). The Jewish
prophet whom his own countrymen
tried to destroy is saved by Gentle.
shadowing the Gentiles' attitude to-
ward Christ. Though Ebed-melech
had colored skin he was the whitest
man in Jerusalem. He was not only
| sympathetic, but courageous. He went
to the king and boldly declared that
the princes had done evil in imprison-
| ing jeremiah.
2. The Method (vv. 1919. The king
| yielded to his request and furnished
guard to prevent Interference with the
work of rescue. He let down soft
rags and wOrn-out garments by ropes
and instructed jeremiah to put them
under his arms and under the ropes
so as to prevent injury to him as he
was lifted up. They lifted him out
of the dungeon and he was permitted
the freedom of the court of the prison.
Why did Jeremiah have such hard
time? Why do the purest and best
men and women have to suffer? Why
are Gods prophets unpopular? Jere-
miah, the prophet who declared Gods
power to deliver. goes to prison and
suffers. "Why do the righteous suf-
fer is an age-old question.
/. The power Of God is more strik-
ingly shown in deliyerance than hi
keeping from trials. This was so I'M
the case of the Hebrews in the fiery
furnace and Daniel in the den Of
lions.
2. Great gain accrues to the suffer-
ers; e. 6. the Hebrews In the fiery
furnace were not only kept from being
burned, but had walking with them
the San of God; Job through his
trials was brought to see himself.
& Suffering turns out to the further
ance of Gods cause; e. g. Dob be-
comes the priest through whose Inter-
cession his friends are pardoned =
Paul's sufferings furthered the preach-
Ing of the gozpel John through ban