t&rief Ot)ou$l)ts for ì&us? Oeac^ers
International Sunday School Lessons by J. H. Sammis.
EZEK I EL THE WATCHMAN. Lesson I—October 1. Ez. 3.
(2- and 10:); its vivid action, in t he acted prophecy: the m i m ic siege, t he m a ny days prostration in symbolically b e a r i ng his peo- ple's iniquity; picture t he p r o p h et weighing his hard f a m i ne fare, a nd m e a s u r i ng his drink all those months, vicariously suffering a l l - t he privations of t he coming seige, (4:); see h im burning, smiting, s c a t t e r i ng t he portions of his hair, and .binding some in his skirts, to signify t h a t n6t all shall p e r- ish in t he selge, or by t he sword, or exile, b ut t h at a reninant should be preserved (5:1-5). Again he is hurriedly moving his goods f r om place to place by day, or t h r o u gh a v e nt in t he wall by night, as a "sign" to t he behollefs (12:1-12); or writhing as one in pairi (21:6), a nd "sighing" "before their eyes"; or b r e w i ng a horrid b r o th in a caldron over b u r n i ng bones (24:3-6); a nd above all suppressing all signs of woe on t he d e a th of his "precious" wife (24:15-18), to show how n a t u r al affection will b e h a r d- ened into indifference in t he brutalities of seige and famine. T h us to t he eye as well as to t he ear t he w a t c h m an conveyed his w a r n i n g, and suffered affliction in t he dis- c h a r ge of his duty. W h a t t e a c h er cannot convey to y o u ng and old t he lesson t h r o u gh these stories, and s h ow how full of interest our Old- T e s t a m e nt is? Besides, we h a ve the Inkhorn man, and t he sword bearers, moving (invisible to the passers-by), t h r o u gh t he city streets, appointing some to d e a th a nd some to life (9:). S e e - t he p r o p h et dig- ging t h r o u gh t he temple wall and coming full upon t he sinners in t he act of "abom- ination," on which wickedness THE EYE OF THE LORD rested a l w a ys (8:); all t h is is as useful to t he w a t c h m an of today as to Ezekiel then. H a r d e n ed and i mp e n i t e nt backsliders and sinners a re here called "Im- pudent," "hard hearted" (3:7); "briers," "thorns," "scorpions" (2:6); "dross," "brass," "lead," "iron," "tin," in the cruc- ible, c o n t r a s t ed with the "silver" (22:17-22). W e a re not told to call h a rd names, b ut we m a y tenderly show to m en In peril of j u d g- m e n t w h a t God t h i n ks of t h em. Especially should t he w a t c h m an w a rn against t he op- timistic "lies" of false preachers, whose pre- s u m p t u o us and d a m n i ng conceits a re hère likened to "untempered mortar," and a wall melting a w ay in t he s t o rm flood and leaving m en defenseless (13:8-11). Of the wonderful Living River we shall l e a rn n e xt week (40: 48-35). III. EZEKIEL T HE WATCHMAN. 1. His call was special. "Not all have the same office" (Rom. 12:4); "Are all apostles? are all prophets?" a s ks P a ul (1 Cor. 12:28).
I.—EZEKIEL THE MAN. i. His descent. "The Son of Buzl" (1:3). "Buzi" m e a ns "contemned of Jehovah>" but Ezekiet w as honored of Jehovah, which s u g g e s ts t he falsity of t h e proverb, "The fathers have eaten sour grapes and the chil- dren's teeth are set on edge" (Eze. 18.2). 2 His birthright, a "priest" (1:3). H e could not use his office., for t he temple w as pol- luted by idolatry. God « ^ M w r a W ^ ^ him, for ministers deprived o r their pulpits can still serve s o m e w h e r e ' if t h ey will. A * His name, "Ezeklel" m e a ns "God strength- ens." So God's m e s s e n g e rs need G o d s s t r e n g t h; "Power from on high" ( L u ke 24. 49)? T he Holy Spirit is the "Comforter » t h a t is t he co-helper. H e baptises all H is ser- vants—' "Ezeklel," for t h ey h a ve H is s t r e n g th (3-8) and H e gives a "mouth and wisdom which their adversaries cannot gainsay ( L u ke 21:15; Eze. 2:5). 3. His Period. T he prophets a re divided into Pre-exile, Exile, a nd Post-exile prophets. Ezeklel prophe- sied d u r i ng t he Exile, or Captivity. T h o u gh t he Captivity h a d begun, t he throne, t he city, and t he temple w e re still s t a n d i ng w h en _he b e g an to prophesy. T h e re w e re t h r ee de- portations, w i th t w e n ty y e a rs . interval be- t w e en t he first a nd last. God is t h us long- suffering (Ex. 34:6). T h e .three sucessive strokes were chastisement, b ut also w a r n- ing and opportunity. T he delay w as to to repentance," b ut they "despised the lona-sufferlng and goodness of God (Bom. 2 4) as Ezekiel's portrayal of their wicked- n e ss «hows (8:6-17). T he final stroke c a me a t last for "he that being often reproved hardeneth his neck shall suddenly be cut Sff and "hat without remedy" (Proy. 29.1). 4 His Character. All t he prophets were " h o ^ men of God" (2 Pet. 1.21). Ezek.el II. EZEKIEL THE BOOK. 1 Its Outline. (a) t he Prophet' (11-3:2); (b) Prophecies Against Is- f4-2-24'7): (c) Prophecies Against t he GlSitiies (25 :l-35 :l-23); (d) Promises of R e s- toration of I f n d and People / ^ ¿ i v ( f j fe) T he Destruction of God w T he L a nd a nd Temple as Restored (40:1— 48-35) ' T h r ee words s u m up t he whole: T u r n (14-6) ; Overturn (21:27); Return (16:55, With 60-63) 2. Its Literary Characteristics. Note its m a j e s t ic a nd my s t e r i o us imagery T h e . Call of
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