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July - August, 1934
T H E K I N G ' S B U S I N E S S
a sinner. When sin begins, the heart soon is black in the sight of God. In our Sunday-school lesson this morn ing, we learned that God loved us in our sinful condition, and that He gave His Son on the cross that we might have ever lasting life. W e will let this other jar with the red cross represent Jesus Christ and the cross on which He shed His precious blood: (Previously put a sufficient' quan tity of red ink in the water to give it a fed appearance. The lid should be screwed on firmly, allowing the jar to be set upside 'down, placing the cross in the right posi tion.) We will now place the cross over the heart filled with sin and see what hap pens when that heart is willing to receive Jesus Christ as Saviour. (Unscrew the lid, 1place the isinglass over the mouth o f the jar to keep the water from spilling, turn the jar upside down, and place on top o f the other jar. Pull out the isinglass suf ficiently to allow the oil and water to change positions.) The black in the heart leaves when the red which represents the blood o f Christ comes to the heart. Notice that the black goes to the cross. “He [God] hath made him [Christ] to be sin for us, who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.” This is what happens when a person takes Christ as Saviour. The cross o f Christ takes the sin, and the blood of Christ cleanses the heart.
The purpose of all these dealings was that God’s people might know the right eousness of the Lord (v. 5). In view of these dealings, the questions would arise: Is, or is not, the Lord true and righteous? Is there any ground for complaint against Him? The Lord’s people were invited to answer these questions, and the nations were invited to hear that answer and to judge between the Lord and His people. The very questions silenced backsliding Israel. n . T he R evelation of I srael ’ s C ondition (6-9). The people attempt to answer the Lord’s complaint, but they are so engrossed with their idols that they do not even knoto what will please God (vs. 6 ,7 ). They ask such questions as these: How shall we come before Him ? Shall we present offerings of animals, or gifts of wealth, or our first born? Such offerings were made to Baal. Would Jehovah be satisfied with these things? Their ignorance o f what would please Jehovah reveals the true condition o f the people. No outward show, no pre sentation o f sacrifices, no solemn rites and ceremonies, can please the Lord while the hearts o f the worshipers are far from Him. The people should have known what would please God, because He had already revealed it to them (v. 8). Verse 8 is not a text to quote to the unsaved person, but it may be used with those who are re deemed by blood, and who profess to be the Lord’s people. This text does not show the way of salvation, but it does declare what the saved person should do. The righteous God requires justice, mercy, and humility. Micah seems to summarize pre vious prophetic utterances; Amos had spoken of the importance o f justice in human relationships, Hosea had exhorted the Lord’s people to “love mercy,” and Isaiah had spoken o f the divine majesty which stirs profound humility on man’s part. These attributes—justice, mercy, and humility—the Lord requires in all His children. By their presence or absence in our lives, we may judge our condition be-
Object Lesson S in and th e S on
T h e S u m m o n s to H ear (1-5). T h e history o f the period o f the prophet occurs during the days o f Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings in Judah (Micah 1 :1; cf. 2 K i.15 to 18). The book o f Micah opens with a general announce ment of judgment (chapters 1, 2) ; then the prophet gives a special message to the na tion (chapters 3-5), and closes with a dis cussion o f Jehovah’s controversy and its results (chapters 6, 7). Our lesson occurs in the beginning o f this last section. , The “mountains” and the “hills” in Scripture represent governments and rulers. In this passage, they are called upon to witness the Lord’s controversy (vs. 1, 2) ; that is, they will form a jury, as it were, to decide upon the justice o f the Lord’s complaint against His people, Is rael. The Lord has a controversy with His people, and He means to plead with them concerning their ways, but He will deal with justice. Had the nations heark ened to God’s controversy with Israel, they would have escaped many troubles o f their own. God is no respecter o f persons. He gives to all the opportunity to know the right path, and He gives to all the privilege o f walking therein. Hence, while His controversy is chiefly with Israel, there is in it a lesson for all peoples. The Lord inquires o f His people what fault they have to find with Him (v. 3). He invites them to testify against Him, if they have any complaint concerning His dealings with them. The Lord reminds His people o f what He had done with and for Lesson Text: Micah 6:1-12. Golden Text: “He hath showed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?” (Micah 6:8 ). Outline and Exposition I. Objects: A pint jar filled with gasoline, a pint jar filled with water, a piece of isinglass or tin large enough to cover the mouth o f the jar, a small bottle of gasoline strongly colored with black oil color, a medicine dropper, and some red ink. (Paint the jar for gasoline with gray paint, leav ing one-third o f the back open to allow the light to shine in, and an open space in the front in the shape of a heart. Paint the jar for water the same as the other, with the exception that the open space in the front is the shape of. a cross. The foot of the cross should point toward the mouth of the jar.) Lesson: One drop o f this black fluid will discolor the heart. (Drop some of the colored gasoline into the jar which has gasoline.) It gets darker as I drop in more o f the fluid. It takes only one sin to make
SEPTEMBER 2, 1934 M ICAH CHAMPIONS TH E OPPRESSED M ic a h , C hapters 2, 3, 4, 6, an d 7 :l-6
them (vs. 4, 5). He had made them a free people by redeeming them from the bond age o f Egypt He had raised up leaders for them, such as Moses, Aaron, and Miriam, so that they might know the truth, even in the beginning of their ex istence as a free people. He had not aban doned them to the enethies whom they met outside the land of Egypt.
By LOUIS S. BAUMAN, D.D.
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