The Mississippi enterprise. (Jackson, Miss.) 1938-current, 1960-07-23
Sunday school lesson
July "a, 1860

July "a, 1860
By Rev. George A. Harper.
5l1 Avenue G., Greenwood
GOD DESIRES STEADFAST
LOVE
Lesson Text: Hosea ID. 4:3:
5:l5-6:6. Print: Hosea Ala;
5: 1876; 6.
MEMORY SELECTIONS.
| desired mercy, and not sac
rlfice; and the knowledge of
God more than burnt offer
lngS. Hosea GO
Christ makes a good COM
ment on the fact that God de-
slrse love and mercy. Mark II:
1884. The people of Israel be-
came very formal external
and stern or cruel in their re-
igious beliefs and practices.
This defeated the very objec-
tive of salvation, which should
be experimental and an inward
heart work that will express
itself in outward manifesto
lions of love, mercy and kind
ness. A profession that does
not manifest itself in love and
deeds of mercy, but is stern
and calling is not what God
intended that profession
should be. God is more con-
cerned with our being than
our doing, and in being merci-
full than being rigid and cruel.
Gods judgement Against
ISraePS Sins:
Hear the word of the Lord.
We children of Israel; for the
Lord hath a controversy with
the inhabitants of the land,
because there is no truth. nor
mercy, nor knowledge of God
IN the land" - Something had
entered in that caused this
controversy to develop, and
the cause is clearly stated by
the prophet Hosea. Truth had
given place to falsehood, cruel
ty to mercy, heathenism had
supplanted a true knowledge
and worship of God. "By
swearing, and lying and kill
ing, and stealing and commit
ting adultery, they break out,
and blood toucheth blood =
Each of the sins of which Is
rael is accused here are strict
ly forbidden in the Ten Com
mandments. The act of com
hitting these sins constituted i
wilful disobedience and not a
lack of knowledge, for these |
things had been written in the
law from of old, and it was
the common knowledge of the
people. Therefore shall the
land mourn, and everyone
that dwelleth therein shall
languish, with the beasts of
the field, and with the fowls
OF the heaven; yea, and the
fishes of the sea also shall
be taken away - This pic
ture of complete destruction
and desolation. Mans expert
mentS with nuclear explosions
are also good examples of such
destruction. But Hosea had in
mind a type of destruction
which would be the direct re-
suit of Gods visitation of the
sins of Israel. The unfortu-
nate thing about such a stu
alton is the fact that the evils
OF some can bring destruction
or suffering to so many 9TH
ers.
ISraePS Alienation From God:
Il will go and return to nv
place, till they acknowledge
their offence, and seek my
face; in their affliction they
will seek me early" - Israel
had sinned so badly against
the Lord that he had determin.
ed to withdraw from them; he
would go as it were to his own
place and remain there until
the people repented and decid-
ed to be Obedlent. But when
God withdraws his presence
from men and calamity over
takes them because God had
departed from them, they soon
remember that the surest rem
edy for their affliction is to
return unto the Lord.
God ExhOrtS Israel
To Repentance
Come, and let us return I'M
to the Lrd; for her hath torn.
and he will heal us; he hath
smltten, and he will bind us
up After period of suffer
ing has been experienced the