The Mississippi enterprise. (Jackson, Miss.) 1938-current, 1960-08-06

511 Avenue G., Greenwood,
Mississippi
GODS LOVE FOR HIS
CHILDREN
Lesson text - Hosea IL -
Print: Hosea IL: 1-9.
MEMORY SELECTION:
Behold what manner of love
the Father hath bestowed up
on us, that we should be call
ed the sons of God. - Il John
BID The Christian life is rep
resented as the result of a
divine birth. The believers en-
joy fellowship with God be-
cause they are born of God,
begotten of Him, have par
taken of the divine nature,
are children of God and are
designated as sons of God.
This is an expression of the
love of God and could only
come about through the death
of Christ. In Christ we are
beloved by the Father even
as He loved His own Son. 1t
was the love of God that led
Him to give His Son and He
should become the son of man
that sinful sons of man could
become holy sons of God.
ISRAEL'S SPIRITUAL
ADOPTION:
''When Israel was a child,
then / loved him, and called
my son out of Egypt" = God
loved Israel when he was a
child in innocence and willing
to be obedient unto the God
of his fathers. The Scriptures
do not give a single instance
of any of the idols of Egypt
or any of the religious prac-
tees of that country being
taken out when the Hebrews
departed for the land of Can
aan., but they were over
whelmed by the gods of the
Canaanites and by the reli-
gious Sytem of Canaan.
GAS they called them, so
they went from them: they
sacrificed unto Baalim, and
burned incense to craven inn
ages" The more ! called them
the more they went from me.
This is an exact description
of how the Lord dealt with
Israel in the days of their
backsliding and how they re-
acted to the mercieS of the
Lord. From the time of their
entry into Canaan until they
were taken captive finally by
the AsSyrians, the people of
Israel were almost continual
ly provoking the Lord to an
ger by their wickedneSS and
rebellious spirit. They wor-
shipped craven images, a
thing which they were forbid
den by the second command
ment to do, and they also
burned incense to idols, and
in some cases offered their
children up in human sacrifi-
ces. 81 taught Ephraim also
to go, taking them by their
arms; but they knew not that
/ healed them" This is how
the Lord led Israel by the
hand, holding them up to keep
them from falling down. Al
though the people were eau
toned never to forget the
Lord or ignore his goodness
in delivering them from Egyp-
tan slavery, they forsook the
Lord and went after other
gods that had never done any
thing to deliver them from
their enemies or to give them
food and security in distress.
ST drew them with cords of a
man, with bands of love: and
/ was to them as they that
take off the yoke on their
jaws, and l laid meat unto
them" He performed for their
deliverance the work of one
who takes the yoke from off
the jaws or necks of slaves
in order that they might be
free. And when he had freed
them from the bondage which
their enemies imposed upon
them he stopped down and fed
them, first with mamma from
heaven, and later on with a
bundant crops and fruitful
vineyards in a new land.
PUNISHMENT of Israel Is
Threatend. ''He shall not re-
turn into the land of Egypt,
hfTf fhn Accvr.ian cho1I he bic