Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1923-10-23
SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON
For Oct. 28, 1928
BY DIR. MARION McH. HULL

cts have an entirely different
meaning from what we ordinarily
think of as missionary messages. All
the prophets were home missionaries
except Jonah, and he was a foreign
missionary under compulsion. He did
his best not to go, and when he went
and preached, he sulked under a
gourd because his message was sue
cessful. He wanted the Ninevites de-
stroyed because he was afraid they
would destroy Israel if they were
saved. SO his interest was primarily
in Israel, too.
With these facts in mind, let us
look again at the missionary verses
from the prophets which have veen
quoted above and at those selected
for the lesson passages today. We
must, of course, not take them as
isolated ssages-separated from
their context-there is no more
vicious way to handle the Scriptures
than that; it is of the devil, and
condemnable. Studying them there
fore in the light of the prophetic
office and in their setting in the
Scriptures, we shall discover:
1. That Gods love is not limited
to any land or language, His plan
contemplates that He shall be known
and honored from the rising of the
sun even unto the going down of the
same, that all the ends of the earth
shall look unto Him and be saved,
that all nations and tongues shall
see His glory, that He will call them
His people who were not then His
people. His love is not to be limited
to any one people. If the people of
Israel had read their prophecies right
they would have escaped that pride
and exclusiveness which character
lied them as a nation.
9. Then we discover that these
blessings which the prophets foretold
were undissolubly linked with their
nation. It was only through the
fuIlfllment of Gods covenants with
Israel that the blessings to nations
would come. Notice again the con-
text of these quotations and you
will constantly find such expressions
as "at that time" "in those days,
Gin the last days." etc. The prophets
are pointing the nations forward to
the time when God shall fulfill all
His promises to them, and speak OF
the results that follow on the other
nation with reference to Israel.
Israel, therefore, is the key to the
world-in the most strategic point
weeks studies that God had CHOSEN
Israel for a unique purpose, and hao
placed them in the middle OF the
world-in the most trateglc point
that they might the better carry
out His purposes. That land was
given to Israel, and Israel Will YET
come into, possession of 1t as ma
tion. 1t is in connection with this
event that the blessings to other
nations shall come; and only then'
for we must never make the mistake
of confusing Israel with the church:
Note the plain distinction which PauI
axes in 1 Cor. 1892: Give none Of
Tense. neither to the Jews, or to the
Gentiles, nor to the Church OF COD.
It would be just as right to make
the Jew and Gentle synonymous as
to make the Jew and the Church
synonymous. Paul makes three diS-
tinet classes. 1t was to the Jews
that these promises were given; II
is in connection with the Jews that
the Gentiles are to come into the
f,1lIness Of blessing. 1t is by the
church that the preparation is to
be made. but the prophets of ola
knew nothing whatever OF the
church, as we have already seen.
8. Again in studying these mis-
sionary messages of the prophets we
discover that the fulfillment of the
promise to Israel and therefore the
blessings to the Gentiles are depend
ent on their acceptance of the king.
It is the personal presence OF the
King that makes possible the estab-
lishment of the Kingdom promised
to the seed of David forever. 1t is
after the world kingdoms have been
DESTROYED that the son of man estao-
fishes his kingdom which shall be
an everlasting kingdom, that HIS
dominion shall be from sea to sea,
and from river unto the ends of the
earth.
The King delays His coming until
the bride (the church, hath made
herself ready. The coming OF the
King, foretold by everyone of the
prophets, first as the Suffering Ser
want of Jehovah, and later as the
reigning King of Israel and King OF
Kings. is to church "the Blessed
Hope;" to Israel it means eventually
the fulfillment of. all the glorious
promises spoken to her by GOO
through the mouth of all the proph
cts; to the Gentiles it means the
blessing of light and peace, and
glory. What are you doing to bring