The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1929-04-18
Lesson for April 81
COMFORT FOR GODS PEOPLE

ACSSOII AOA HPAi "a
COMFORT FOR GODS PEOPLE
LESSON TEXT-Isaiah 4O:1-1L
GOLDEN TEXT-As one whom his
mother comforteth, so will / comfort
you.
PRIMARY TOPIC-God's Love for
Us.
JUNIOR ToPIC-God's Love for Us.
INTERMEDIARY AND SENIOR TOP
IC-The Secret of True Happiness.
YOUNG PEOPLE AND ADULT TOP
IC-The Source of True Comfort.
I. Gods Message of Comfort wv
1, p.
1. 1t was addressed to Isaiah and his
successors in office ". u.
He, as Gods spokesman, was to
make known the very heart of God to
the people who were in great need of
comfort. They were in a strange
land, In captivity because of their
sins. In spite of their apOstasy from
God-the breaking of their covenant
with Him-His favor was about to re-
turn.
2. The mutual relation of God and
His people ". y.
This is expressed in the phrases
"my people" and your Cod" The
believer belongs to God, and God be-
longs to him. How blessed it is to
be thus related to Him. Observe,
this was said concerning people
who had sinned and backslidden.
8. Pardon received ". p.
In spite of their gross iniquity, their
pardon was declared. The receiving
of double at the Lords hands does
not mean that there had been undue
inliction of punishment, but that the
divine pardon exceeded the guilt. The
period of the captivity was at an end.
Their blessing was not through their
own merit but was to be realized
through the sin Offering of Jehovah.
II. The Preparation Required wv.
3-5.
IN order to secure the salvation
which was to be theirs through the
vicarious offering of Jehovah, it was
necessary that certain preparation
should be made. Observe:
L. The voice in the wilderness ". 81.
This voice was that of John the
Baptist, and actually was heard ut
the time of the coming of Jesus Christ
Matt. 3:1-3).
2. Prepare ye the way of the Lord.
". 81. 1t was the custom on state &C.
ociOnS for tn in advance
of the king or ruler and make prepa
ration for his coming. This prepare
ton consisted of the actual depres-
sion of hills, the elevation of valleys
and the Strengthening of crooked
places, so that the monarch could
move forward with ease and facility.
In its moral bearing, the meaning is
that preparation for the coming of
the Lord into the hearts and lives of
the people consists of the subjuga-
ton of pride and selfish ambition, and
the Strengthening of the crooked and
perverse things of this life.
3. The glory of the Lord revealed
". 81.
When there is proper preparation
of heart, the Lord will enter, and His
glory will be revealed in the life. 1t
primarily refers to the manifestation
of the divine glory in the person of
the Messiah
I'll. The FraiIty of Man in Contrast
With Gods Word wv. 6-S).
"All flesh is grass and all the good
illness thereof is as the flower of the
field. The grass withereth, the flower
fadeth, because the Spirit Of the Lord
bIoweth upon it. Surely the people is
grass. The grass withereth, the flower
fadeth, but the word of our God shall
stand forever" Just as the blast of
the hot wind scOrches the grass and
destroys the crops, so everything
loved and priced by the natural man
will wither and die under the blast
of Gods judgment, but His Word
shall stand forever. The Word of God
abides from age to age with peren-
NAL freshness. Gods promise of ulti-
mate triumph should steady us be-
cause no matter through what stress
and strain we may be called to pass,
when the Lord comes there will be
victory.
w. The Lord God Coming to Zion
wv. OLD.
/. Behold Your God. ". 81.
When He comes to Zion there will
be no need of fear. This blessed truth
can be proclaimed aloud to the cities
of Judah.
2. The Lord God will come with a
strong hand. ". 10y.
The hope of the world is in the
coming of Jesus Christ in power and
great glory to establish His blessed
rule over the earth. Righteousness
and peace can come only with the
Messianic rule.
3. He shall feed His flock like a
shepherd ". ~.
The Good Shepherd will search out
and provide for His own.