T H E K I N G ’ S B U S I N E S S
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MAY 27, 1923 ISAIAH, THE STATESMAN-PROPHET
Golden Text: “H ere am X; send me.” Is. 6:8. LESSON TEXT Is. 6:1-8. (Read 2 Ch. 26 :22 ;; 32:20, 32; Is. 1 :5 ; 7:1-17; 8:1-4, 16-18; 9: 1-7; 11:1-10; 28-31; 36:1 -39 :8 .) Devotional Reading.— Is. 12. Time.-sjA.bout B. C. 759. Place.— The Temple a t Jerusalem . (N o te: A s th e In te rn a tio n a l L esso n
passage given us for study th is week, and th e re is danger in an attem p t to teach them all. The seraphim are associated, bu t not identical w ith th e cherubim and the four living creatures. We find them first mentioned in Gen. 3:24: “A n d h e p la c e d a t th e e a s t o f th e g a r d en o f E d e n C h e ru h lm s, a n d a flam in g sw o rd , to k e e p th e w a y o f th e tr e e o f life .” Again, in Ex. 25:18-20, then in our lesson today and again in Rev. 4:6-8, where they are called ffi'beasts” but more properly, “living creatu res." T h e seraphim are always identified w ith the holiness of th e Lord, safe guarding approach to Him— in Eden, lest man should' seek to tak e th e fru it of th e tree of life; in th e Holy of holies, w ith eyes resting upon th e blood- sprinkled mercy-seat under which were th e Ten Commandments. God is a holy God. There is no ap proach to Him save through the blood- offering which necessitates a confession of sin, acknow ledgment of unworthi ness, recognition of the atoning sacri fice. So our Lord testifies in John 12: 41: . “T h e se th in g s sa id E sa la s , w h en h e s a w h is g lo ry , a n d s p a k e o f h im .” Out of Christ, th e Atoning One, God is a consuming fire. Through Christ alone we have access to God, as F ath er. Isaiah ’s vision was of th e Lord upon th e throne, H igh and lifted up. Such a vision is essential for every soul-—' sain t and sinner. Let every knee bow now and every tongue confess before it is too late, now while it is called to day, “Holy, holy, holy, is th e Lord of ho sts!” Stop while you teach, and press th e question upon every scholar, “Will you bow now or w ait un til you
C om m ittee h a v e s e le c te d th e sa m e p a s s a g e fo r th is le sso n w h ic h w a s u se d A p ril 30, 1922, w e a r e re p e a tin g th e e x p o sitio n w h ic h w a s g iv e n in T h e K in g ’s B u sin e ss fo r t h a t d a te .) Outline : ( 1 ) The Seraphic Vision (2) The Sincere Confession (3) The Sin-purging F ire (4> The Summons and Sentence. In trodu ction : Isaiah was one of the g reatest of God’s prophets and preachers, whose m inistry extended over a period of more th a n fifty years during th e reigns of Uzziah, Jotham , Ahaz LESSON and Hezekiah, kings EXPOSITION of Judah, and perhaps T. C. H orton beyond th a t period. He was th e son of Amoz, (not Amos, th e prophet) a Jew, Whose home was in Jerusalem . T radi tion says he lived to be a hundred years old and was sawn asunder by the o rder of King Manasseh. Isaiah was a princely preacher whose messages were of th e loftiest character. He was bold, uncomprom ising w ith erro r, sympathetic and ten d er toward individuals who had fallen under th e judgm ent of God and had forfeited all rig h t to mercy. Living in th e days of Israel’s apostasy, w ith wicked ru lers in au tho rity , he rang tru e to th e mes sage given him by Jehovah, demanding unconditional obedience to th e law of God on th e p art of th e ru lers, and yet currying no favor w ith th e people, — a tru e man of God who lived a life pleasing to God and paid th e penalty by th e sacrifice of his own life. (1) THE SERAPHIC VISION, vs. 1- 4. There are five distinct lessons in the
AND NIGHT. (See Inside Front Cover)
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