Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-12-17

Our review lesson for the quarter
calls for us to recall the work Of five
/ prophets whose ministry helped to
/ determine the destiny of both Israel
| and Judah. The men, who responded
! to the call of God during the $50
years covered by our studies for the
last three months and who declared
! Ills message to the chosen people diff
! fered considerably from one another
in appearance, personality and char
acter. We found in studying the
message of Elijah, Amos, Hosea,
Isaiah and Micah that the history of
the divided kingdom was closely con-
nected with that of the surrounding
nations.
The political institutions, the inn
perial ambitions and the colonial poll
cies Of Phoenicia and Damascus, of
Egypt and Assyria, of Babylon and
Assyria, and of Egypt and Babylon
registered themselves as clearly in the
history of the Hebrew nations, record
ed in the Old Testament, as the
leagues formed by Germany with Aus
tria and Turkey were seen in the
history Of Great Britain, France, Bel
GUM and Russia at the opening of
the World War. Both Israel and
Judah had their moral, religious and
economic life influenced by the com
mercial treaties and political alliances
made with the surrounding nations.
1t was to Counteract the pernicious
religious influence Of these nations
and of the Canaanites, whose influ-
ence survived long after the Hebrews
succeeded them in the control of Pal
estine, that the prophets had to wage
a warfare against idOlatry and i'm
morality. 1t was due to the work OF
the prophets that the once virile faith
Of the Hebrews, that was about to be
| submerged in the surrounding tide
Of heathenism, was saved and Je
| hovah's cause carried on to triumph.
The Prophets Power.
Although the prophets differed in
| vincible courage. Men with deep
convictions are apt to speak with an
assurance, but the power Of the
| prophets was due to the fact that
| they spoke with the authority of
men who had a call of the Lord to
make known His will. Elijah's name,
Jehovah is my God" is the key to
| his character and conduct. The man
who dared to abruptly enter the court
of Ahab, whose conquests indicated
| that he was apt to revive the great
ness of David and the glory of Solo,
mon, was moved without doubt by the
assurance that he was chosen to be
the speaker Of Jehovah. Amos gives
us two different illusions to his call
| God called the herdsman of Tekoa by
.divinely given insight to leave his
| valuable sheep and sycamore trees
and carry his message to Bethel, the
sanctuary Of Israel, at an hour when
| the naughty rulers Of the northern
! kingdom had forgotten Jehovah in
| the intoXication of success that had
come to Jeroboam II. He went be-
cause Jehovah told him to "go."
Elijah on armel, Amos at Bethel
and the gentle, loving Hosea. chal-
longing and confounding the priests.
all spake with the authority of God.
! The source Of their power was that
| they could say and did proclaim the
Word of God. Isaiah was summoned
/ by a vision of God seen in the tenn
Pile in an hour Of death, just as Hosea
heard the call by his domestic Attic
| ton to be His spokesman. Micah.
the prophet Of democracy, heard
! Gods voice in the suffernCs Of his
unhappy neiGhbors The prophets
call was the secret of their individual
power. They were strong and coura-
geous men because they We're true.
! Loyalty TO the deepest convictions of
their soul caused them to say, Thus
sayeth the Lord" with persuasive
! power.
Religious Patriots.
They lived in constant and continu-
ous fellowship with Jehovah. He
spake 10 them and the people knew
! that they were Gods messengers.
They learned from Him His will con-
| corning the problems of the hour. He
gave them vision To understand the
cause of the trend of the political, ma
tional and interna tional affairs of the
moment and to detect the signs of
danger, so that they invariably showed
the Hebrew nation the way TO success,
stability and security.
While the prophets voice was heard
in the affairs of politics. they did not
enter the arena of public life unless
religious issue or principle was at
stake. Whenever a great moral issue
| was involved they took their stand
without fear. Elijah faced Ahab and
forced the King 10 summon the nation
10 an assembly 10 decide whom they
would serve, Haal or Jehovah. Elijah
faced the priests Of Raal alone ana Sc.
cured n Triumph for the Lord because
Of The pcrniCiOuS influence of that
lt'H tiitu cunt upon lHt' ia FlOl pOIitl-
cal and religious life. Amos made n
similar attack. Isaiah pointed out
the perils that the nation faced be-
cause of idolatry in worship and Inn
morality in life
In tho disruption of the nation Zero
hoam had tho support of the prophets
because he had been a champion of
popular rights. The prophets were
defenders of the oppressed and spokes-
men of Jehovah in their demand of
Justice. Elijah called Ahab to account
for his injustice to Naboth. Amos ap.
peared as a champion of justice and a
prophet of judgment, condemning an
apostate people. Hosea the prophet
of love. revealed Gods tender compass
sion and pointed out that His chas.
tening was the divine way of correc-
ton, Micah was pre-eminently the
friend of the oppressed masses. His
message was one that combined judg-
ment and mercy. He recognized that
Jehovah's judgments and purposes in
cluded not only the Hebrews but all
nations,
The Statesman Seer.
Ranking first among the prophets
was the religious refoTmer and states
man ISainb He is the most nuOt cd