Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1924-05-22
SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON
For May 25y1924-Ieremah and the Assyrian Crisis
BY DR. MARION McH. HULL

, thing that causes a wall often
note the deadening tendency of sin
nowadays, without any reason for
weeping). But this characteristic
| of jeremiah is one Of the most com
mendable traits. Would God we had
! more people today who could feel
| enough of the terribleness of sin
of our people to bring tears to THEN
eyes day and night. There is toe
much Indifference even in the hearts
of those who are true to God, in.
| difference to the terrible state of
| the people of America, indifference
. to thu I'm az the neapla of the
churches that stand for the truth,
indifference to the sin Of those who
stand in the places of leadership but
who, like the leaders of jeremiah s
time, are trusting in lying words.
Occasionally by Gods direction
jeremiah would change his method
of approach. What he would do
was necessary to get the ear of the
people. Often it was an object SER
mon he would preach--the broken
one of his most remarkable SER
,
could take the vessel that was mar
red and make it over again.
Once God gave him a very spec
ific message. He told the people
that they were going to be cap
tured by the resistless army of Baby
lon-well, the rationalists would say,
they might have guessed that with
out prophetic insight-and even told
them how many years they would
remain captive in Babylon, seventy
years. 1t took God to know that de-
tail beforehand; Daniel at close
of the seventy years captivity read
this in Jeremiah's prophecies, and
talked to God in prayer about it.
AS the time drew on for this cap
tivity to begin the priests, the pro-
phets, and the people gathered in
the house of Jehovah where Jere-
miah was speaking and said to him
on account of hose words. Thou
shalt surely die" The matter was
reported to the princes, and Jere-
miah was arrested and taken before
them. With boldness and aba.ld,
and yet yearning for his people he
replied: yes, l said it and said it be-
causes the Lord sent me to say all
the words you have heard. There
fore amend your ways and your do
1ngs and obey the voice of the Lord
your God; and maybe He will turn
away from the evil that He is sure
ly going to let come upon you unless
you do, AS for me, it makes very
little difference what you do with
me. l am in your hand Do as you
please; but remember that if you
put me to death, you will just add
to your already long list of sins thar
of shedding innocent blood; for it is
the truth -1at the Lord sent me to
say all these words in your ears.
That convinced the princes and
they delivered the prophet of God
from the hands of the false religious
leaders, the priests and the prophets
who had forgotten Jehovah an1
were turning away to other gods.
But this was only temporary. Not
long afterward he was put into
Prison by the king at the instigation
of the Egyptian party because he
urged them that their only safety
lay in their surrender to Babylon.
The dungeon filled with water and
he was drawn out of the mire by
an Ethiopian; but kept under guard
until the city fell. The Babylonian
king gave him the privilege of go
ing or staying; he elected to remain
with the scattered remnants of his
people for whom he had labored
and Wept in vain. He was forced
by them to go to Egypt with them
later, and took with him his faith
full stenographer, Baruch, and the
kings daughter-the only remnants
of the royal house Of David in Jeru-
SALEM for all of the kings sons had
been slain before his eyes. (Jeconiah
was still alive, however. and in cap
tiVlty in Babylon, so the oath of
God to David was being provided
for) What became of jeremiah aft
er this is all conjecture and tradi-
ton and very poorly authenticated
at that. His life was a sad one,
lonely one, misunderstood and mis-
judged. He loved his people. he
longed to save them from the inev-
liable ruin towards which they were
Fastening. He was under the urge
of the Spirit of God to say things
to them that nearly broke his heart.
He was so timid that he would
much preferred to remain totally
silent, but he had to speak. and he
did it even if it meant bitter heart
aches to himself and personal suf-
fering physically.
jeremiah was Gods man, raised
up and prepared by Him to speak
for Him in a time when the leaders
Of religious thought had lost sight
of Him entirely. 1t was this sense
of Gods call that urged him on,
that made him fearless. and bold,
and selfforgetful.
Gods cause needs men like Jere-
miah today. Are you hesitating
when He calls YOU as Jeremiah did?
Are you timd? Would you much
prefer to go quietly on your wav
and live your life unobserved In
Anatoth? But the Spirit urges.
God needs you to be His spokes
man. He will be with you to deliver
you! Will you abandon yourself to