Middletown transcript., 1922-06-10

LESSON TExT-Jeremiah 3s:1-13.
| GOLDEN TEXT-Be not afraid of theiI
faces: for l am with thee to deliver thee
saith the Lord.-Jer. is.
| REFERENCE MATERIAL - Gen. 39
Ill; 16:19-4
PRIMARY ToPIC-How God Cared for
Jeremiah.
JUNIOR TOPIC-Jeremiah Bold Truth.
telling
| INTERMEDIATE AND SENIOR TOPIC
| Faithful in the Face of Danger
| YOUNG PEOPLE AND ADULT TOPIC
Lessons From Jeremiahs Character.
l. Jeremiah Predicts the Capture ot
Jerusalem wv. 1-3).
l. To WhOm-the People (v. ~
Jeremiah had been taken out of the
prison by the king (37: ~, and
| ordered confined to the court of the
prison (37:2D. The people, seem to
| have had free access to him IN the
| court (32 :12). From this place of
limited confinement Jeremiah an
nounced to the people their approach
ing captivity.
=. Counsel Given wv. 2. 81. ~ All
that remaineth in the city shall die by
the sword, famine and pestilence. (2)
lie that gOeth forth to the Chaliea
Shall live. He Shall have his life Cor
prey doubtless means that he shall
Escape with his life, though losing all
| else.
u. Jeremiah Accused by the Prine -
| (vv. 4, -.
l. "He weakeneth the hands of the
men and all the people, ". ~. 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 advice
to surrender.
>. This man seeketh not the well
fare of this people. but the hurt" ".
~. This charge was utterly false.
Jeremiah was the best friend of the
people, for ne faithfully proclaimed
to them Gods Judgment upon them for
their sins and advised them how to
make the best of their unfortunate
situation.
3. 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
". @.
This was not regular prison, but
a cistern which had doubtless been
emptied of its water during the siege,
leaving only 'mire." Into this mre
he sank. The purpose was to let
Jeremiah die there. There was no
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.
w. jeremiah Rescued From the
Dungeon wv. 7-13).
l. BY Whom-Ebed-meec an Afri-
can servant wv. 7-9). The Jewish
prophet whom his own countrymen
tried to destroy is saved by GENTLE,
which may be thought of as fore
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.
.. The Method (vv. 1913. The king
yielded to his request and furnished q
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 lie
was lifted up. Th4y lifted him out
of the dungeon and he was permitted
the freedom of the court of the prison.
Why did jeremiah have such n 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. Cases in
point are many; e. g. Job perfect
man" is given over to Satan to take all
except his life three faithful Hebrew
children go into the fiery furnace:
Daniel goes into the den of lions
John the Baptist is beheaded at the
request of a dancing girl Stephen is
stoned and Paul is beaten and i'm
prisoned. The answer to these prob
lens may be given along the following
lines:
l. The power Of God is more strik-
ingly shown in deliverance than in
keeping from trials. This was so In
the case of the Hebrews in the fiery
furnace and Daniel in the den of
lions.
>. Great gain accrues to the suffer-
ers; g. 6. the Hebrews in the fiery
furnace were not only kept from being
burned, but had walking with them
the Son of God; Job through his
trials was brought to see. himself.
3. Suffering turns out to the further
ance of Gods cause; e. e. Job be-
comes the priest through whose inter-
cession his friends are pardoned:
Paurs sufferings furthered the preach
ing of the gospel; John through BAN
ishment on the Isle of Patmos was
given the vision of the Revelation