Belington progressive. [volume] (Belington, W. Va.) 1912-1927, 1922-06-08

| GOLDEN TExT-Be not afraid of their
i faces: for l am with thee to deliver thee,
saith the Lord.-Jer. 1:S.
| REFERENCE MATERIAL - Gen. 80:
1923 Jer. POLLS, Luke 1890; Acts II:
| Ill; 16:19-H.
PRIMARY TOPrC-How God Cared for
| jeremiah.
JUNIOR TOPIC-Jeremiah's Bold Truth
| telling
INTERMEDIATE AND SENIOR TOPIC
Faithful in the Face of Danger
| YOUNG PEOPLE AND ADULT TOPIC
Lessons From Jeremiah's Character
.E
!. Jeremiah Predicts the Capture Of
Jerusalem wv. 1-3).
1. To WhWm-the People ". ~.
Jeremiah had been taken out of the
prison by the king (37:17), and
ordered confined to the court of the
prison (37 :21). 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.
2. Counsel Given wv. 2, 81. az All
that ,remaineth in the city shall die by
the sword, famine and pestilence (2l
He that goeth forth to the Chaldeans
shall live. HE shall have his life for
prey" doubtless means that he Shall
escape with his life though losing all
else.
II. jeremiah Accused by the Princes
/ wv. 4, 81.
/. He weakeneth the hands Of the
men and all the people, ". ~. From
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.
2. This man seeketh not the wei
fare Of this people, but the hurt" "
| ~. 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
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
". G).
This was not regular prison, but
cistern which had doubtless been
emptled of its water during the SIEGE
leaving only '.mne." Into this mire
he sank The purpose was to let
Jeremiah die there There was no
possible way to escape. In this situa-
ton jeremiah is a type of Christ
! psalm 69). Jeremiah was one of the
bravest of Gods servants.
~. Jeremiah Rescued From the
Dungeon wv. 7-13).
l. BY m-Ebed-melech, an Afri-
can servant wv. 10y. The Jewish
prophet whom his own countrymen
tried to destroy is saved by a Gentle,
which may be thought of as fore
shadowing the Gentiles' attitude to-
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 i1nprison-
| ing jeremiah.
2 The Method wv. 1913. The king
| yielded to his request and furnished a
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 a 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.
l. The power of God is more strik-
/ lngly 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, e. g. 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. g. Job be-
comes the priest through whose inter-
cession his friends are pardoned !:
Paul's sufferings furthered the preach
ing of the gospel; John through ban
ishment on the Isle of Patmos was
given the vision of the Revelation.
Zion