The Winslow mail., 1923-10-12
IMPROVED UNIFORM INTERNATIONAL
Sll1nldaySe]nool. .
' LESSON v
By REV. P. B. FITZWATER, D. D.,
Teacher of English Bible in the Moody
Bible Institute of Chicago)
o. 1928. Western Newspaper Union.)
LESSON FOR OCTOBER IA
ISRAEL, A MISSIONARY NATION

LESSON TEXT-Exod. 1916; Isa.
| 43:911; lisa. 45:2O-22.
GOLDEN TEXT-"Ye shall be unto
me kingdom of priests and an holy
on."-Exod 1876.
PRIMARY TOPIC-God's Kindness to
His People.
JUNIOR TOPIC-Why God Chose Is
rael.
INTERMEDIATE AND SENIOR TOP
IC-The Mission of the Chosen People.
YOUNG PEOPLE AND ADULT TOPIC
-IsraePs Missionary Call.
IsraePs Exalted Position (Exod.
10 :1-6).
The descendants Of Abraham had
now become a multitude and the time
had come to organize them into a
nation. In order to enable them to see
what wonderful privilege was theirs,
God displayed His majesty on Mount
Sinai. In His message to them, He
gave them a look backward and for.
ward.
1. A Review of Their Past History
". ~. He reminds them of what He
had done to the Egyptians when He
brought them out of their cruel bond
age, and that His divine care over them
had been as that of an eagle over her
young. He had not merely brought
them out of Egyptian bondage, but
unto Himself Gods salvation is not
merely deliverance from sin, but a
union with Himself.
2. Promises of Future Greatness
(vv 5, g.. On condition of obedience
to His voice, and faithfulness to their
covenant obligations, He promised
them peculiar relationship to Him.
This relationship is three-fold:
(1) The Lords Peculiar Treasure
Above All People. This is the treasure
of Matt. 13 IA. If this is recognized,
the parable is quite clear. Failure to
allow Scripture to interpret Scripture
results in confusion.
(2) A Kingdom of Priests. "a King
dom whose citizens are all priests liv-
ing wholly in Gods service and ever
enjoying the right Of access to Him."
In this kingdom there is united sacer-
dotal privilege and royal dignity.
(3) A Holy Nation. A nation set
apart for the work of Cod Realizing
this, they would be impelled to
standard of living which would be
worthy Of their high calling. Separa-
tion from sin and positive stand for
the right would always be demanded.
The failure of this chosen nation is
largely the explanation of the worlds
distress. Had Israel shown the nations
the way to go, they would not have
gone so far into sin.
IL. Israel's Pressing Obligation
lisa. 43 ;9-1D.
1. Gods Challenge to the Heather
Nations ". 81. They were asked to
assemble their witnesses to see if they
were able to make known the future
as God had done through the prophets
of Israel. They are either to make
good their predictions or to acknowl-
edge the truth as declared by Gods
prophets, namely, that God is the
only God.
2. Israel, Gods Witness ". 10). This
nation had been brought so clearly into
touch with God, had so many times ex-
perienced His mighty hand to deliver,
that they were competent witnesses.
Not only the nation was a witness, but
the prophets from that nation had so
many times witnessed and their pre-
dictions were so completely fulfilled
that the whole world knew that God
was the one and only God and Savior.
The only way the world can know that
God is forgiving God is through the
witnessing of His redeemed people.
How sorely this testimony is needed
How miserable has been Israels fail
ure!
III. IsraeI's Message lisa. 40 20
22).
The message which Israel was to
give was that God was the Savior of
all the nations. Israel misinterpreted
and misapplied this message. They
claimed Him as their God and denied
Him to the heather. Though they have
thus failed and the world is in dark
ness because of it, one day they shall
go to the ends Of the earth with it, and
the result will be the ushering in Of the
Golden Age Of which men Of all ages
| have dreamed. e.
1. The Idolatrous Nations Are In
vited to Draw In. 49,.
2. They Are Challenged to Bring
Their Reasons for Worshiping Idols
in the Light Of the Fact That God the
Savior Was the Only God.
8. They Are Given an Invitation to
Look Unto God. They were not asked
to do something to be saved, but to
look to the Savior, Sinners today
need only to look to Christ. What a
wonderful day when Israel shall de-
clare this message to all nations in the
| power of the Holy Spirit!