THE KING’S BUSINESS-
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especially culpable and Utterly incapaci tated for his holy office. The use of wine and strong drink had made even their social gatherings filthy and disgust ing (v. 8 ). vs. 9-13. "Whom shall he teach knowl edge? and whom shall he make to under stand doctrine (the message)? them that are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts. For precept must be (For it is precept) upon precept, precept upon pre cept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and (omit, and) there a little. For with stammering (Nay, but by men of strange) lips, and (add, with) another tongue will he speaki to this people. To (.* to) whom he said, This is the rest wherewith ye may cause the weary to rest ( , give ye rest to him that is weary); and this is the refreshing: yet they would not hear. But the Word o f the LORD was unto them (Therefore shall the Word of the LORD be unto them) precept upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; that they may go, and fall backward, and be broken, and snared, and taken.’’ Verses 9 and 10 may he taken as giving us the mocking answer of the people to God’s prophet. If we take them this way the people are represented as say ing, “Whom will he teach knowledge, etc.? Does he take us for babies just weaned? It is precept upon precept, etc.” If the prophet himself is the speaker, then Jeho vah is represented as teaching knowledge to babies and not to the self-sufficient. We ( 1 ) T he C rown of Pride. Who wore this proud crown? Isa. 7:9. For what were the “drunkards” proud? Phil. 3:19. Being “full” of what were they empty? Hosea 4:6. Were they drunk merely? Isa. 29:9. Of what, then, is drunkenness a type? Rev. 17:2, 4; Hosea 7:1-16. LESSON
find this teaching elsewhere (cf. Matt. 11:25; 21:15, 16; Mark 10:15); these are the ones whom He “makes to understand the message” (R. V.). And the method of His teaching is “precept upon precept” (cf. Neh. 9:29, 30; 2 Chron. 36:15; Jer. 11:7). As they had not listened to Jehovah speaking to them through His prophets, He will now speak to them through for eign conquerors (v. 11, R. V., cf. Deut. 28:47-49). If we will not hear God’s lov ing and patient call to repentance, He will speak to us through cruel enemies. God had called them to rest, they would not hear that call, so He now sent them con flict and destruction. Just so our--Lord now calls us to “rest” (Matt. , 11 ¡28, 29), but if we will not hear that call He will send us destruction (2 Thess. 1:7-9). The whole secret of their trouble (and in fact of every man’s trouble today) was that they would not listen to God’s Word, t h e y w o u ld n o t h e a r .” The secret of any man’s ruin is that he will not hear God (cf. Ps. 81:11-13; Jer. 44:16; Zech. 7:11; Heb. 12:25; 2:2, 3). The teaching by for eign enemies was like the teaching at which they mocked, “precept upon precept, etc. (v. 13)', it was “perpetual iteration through the lips of hostile armies.” To this teaching they had to listen. The result of this teaching was destruction. If they had listened to God’s word it would have been salvation, and to us God’s teaching heeded brings salvation, unheeded, it brings death and destruction (2 Cor. 2:16; 1 Peter 2:7, 8 ; 2 Peter 3:16).
OUTLINE In what is the sinner wallowing, typically? v. 8 . Are we so befouled? 1 John 1 : 9 . What elements of society were “wet” ? Hosea 7 :3-5. How does alcoholism (sin) affect the body politic? Isa. 1: 5 , 6 . Were they ashamed of their booze, bes tiality and “belly god” ? Jer. 6:15.
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