signs of spiritual sensibility it is a m e r cy to w a r n t h em o f , t he s u re a p p r o a ch of "the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men". (2 P e t. 3:7). 2. In the latter half of the captivity t he p r o p h e t 's w o r ds w e re full of "the comfort of hope.". T h e re w e re signs of r e p e n t a n ce a m o n g "the sinners of Zion," a n d w h en such a p p e ar it is t i me to p o ur in "the oil of grace," a n d t he full consolations of t he Gospel. M a ny I s r a e l i t es had, no doubt, b e g un to plead like Daniel, "We have sinned, and committed iniquity. O Lord, hear; O Lord, forgive; O Lord, hearken and do; defer not for thine own sake, O my God" (Dan. 9:5, 19). T he d e ar L o rd is all g e n t l e n e ss to t h e m w ho p r a y like t h a t, a n d s p e a ks t he good word of grace, .to t h e m. F o r this r e a s on t he b u r d en of t he Book b e- comes c o m i ng blessing. It is " b u t t e r n e s s" n e i t h er in t he "mouth," nor in t he "belly" (Rev. 10:9; Ezek. 3:3, 14); b ut " h o n ey out of t he r o c k" (Deut. 32:13), a n d " s w e e t e r" (Psa. 19:10), (1), In c h a p t er 36 we find a n a p o s t r o p hy to t he m o u n t a i n s: "But 1 ye, O mountains of Israel, ye shall shoot forth your branches, and yield your fruit to my people Israel* for they are at hand to come" (36:8). F or t he Lord h a d said, "Say unto the mountains, and to the hills, and to the valleys, 'Thus saith the Lord' " (36:6). P i c- t u r e t he desolations; t he stir to come a m o ng t h e exiles; t he a p p r o a c h i ng t r a n s f o r m a t i o n s; t he p r o p h et w i th f a ce t o w a rd " t he p l e a s a nt l a n d" t h us e n c o u r a g ed his c a p t i ve b r e t h r en on t he Chebar. So we m a y a p o s t r o p h i ze the/;.Earth today, f or t he L o rd a nd H is Is- rael, are at hand to come, a nd creation is a b o ut to rejoice a t "the manifestation of the sons of God" (2 T h e s. 4:15-18; R o m. 8:19; Isa. 62:1-4;),. (2) In t h e 37t'h c h a p t e r, a. Dead, disorganized Israel, slain, d i s m e m- bered. disjointed, its bones s c a t t e r e d, dried, ghastly, by t he W o rd of t he Lord, moving, g a t h e r e d, r e a r t i c u l a t e, clothed w i th nerve, muscle, flesh, b e a u t y, life, standing, a g r e at a r m y "proved to be the son of God with power according to the Spirit of Holiness by the resurrection from the dead" (Rom. 1:4). T h is is a national resurrection (Rom. 11:15), b ut it includes an individual a nd phvsical r e s u r r e c t i on f r om t he grave- (Dan. 12:2; Isa. 26:19; 1 Thes. 4:15). All this in 37:1-14. b. T h en follows t he s w e et pledge of u n i ty a nd p e a ce b e t w e en Judah a n d Jos- eph, divided in t he d a ys of Rehoboam (1 K g s. 12:16), to be r e u n i t ed in t h e d a ys of Immanuel (Matt. 1:23; L u k e 1:31, 32). vv. 16:22. c. T he r e g e n e r a t i on a nd sanctifica- tion of t he nation, v. 23. d. ( T he Son of) David to b e ' t h e ir S h e p h e rd King, vv. 23, 25. e. All this "in their own land" (v. 21) guar- a n t e ed forever by "an everlasting covenant," v. 26. f. God Himself to dwell " T a b e r n a c l e "- a m o ng t h em ("The Word w as made flesh and dwelt (Greek "Tabernacled") among us" (Jno. 1:14; Rev. 21:3; 22:3; A c ts 3:19-21; 15:15, 16), v. 27. H e will a g a i n, g. Through .'all t he "heathen"-"Gentiles"-"Nations," m a y k n o w J e h o v a h, seeing t h u s all t he "jots and tittles" of S c r i p t u re c ome t r ue w h i ch t h ey so oftpn derided (Isa. 43:8-13; 49:26; E z e k. 39:7; A c ts 15:15-17). H o w this m u s t h a ve , thrilled t he h e a r ts cf t he captives, a nd given
t h e m a g r e at h e a r t s i c k n e ss to r e t u rn a nd realize it all! Alas! t h e ir p e r v e r s i ty still d e f e rs it. (3) In 38 a n d 39, t h e patrio-t p r o p h et f o r s h o ws t he final o v e r t h r ow of Is- rael's e n e m i es a nd God's (see Rev. 19:11- 21; 20:7-10). (4) C h a p t e rs 40-48 f o r e - p i c- t u r e a glorious temple, a b r o ad t e r r i t o ry a nd its d i s t r i b u t i on a m o ng t he tribes, a nd a w o n d e r f ul river. III. T HE WO N D E R F UL RIVER. 1. It sprang from the interior of the t em- ple, issued f r om u n d er t he threshold, p a s s ed t h e g r e at a l t a r, flowed east, t h en south. N e a r its source it w a s a n k le deep, a n d a t last i m p a s s a b le s a ve to t he s w i mm e r. It is n o t a b le t h a t for all it d e e p e n ed a nd b r o a d- e n ed as it flowed, no t r i b u t a ry s t r e a ms a r e m e n t i o n ed nor a r e t h ey to be inferred. I t 's a m i r a c u l o us river and, like t he w i d o w 's m e al a nd .oil (1 Kgs. 17:8-16); t h e vessel of oil (2 Kgs. 4:1-7); t h e t w e n ty barley loaves (2 Kgs. 4:42-44); t he loaves a n d fishes (Jno. 6:5-14), it multiplied a s it w a s d i s t r i b u t e d! It w a s "living water" (Jno. 4:14; Rev. 22:17); a n d all lived w h i t h er it c a me (v. 9); even on to t he "dead" sea it flowed a nd it w a s quickened by b e i ng sweetened, a n d t e e m ed w i th fish, a nd En Geddi, a n d Eglaim, on its h i t h e r to b a r r en a nd f o r b i d d i ng c o a st b e -, c a m e fishing ports. 2. This river is to be a real river. C o mm e n t a t o rs a r e used to "spir- itualize" it. B ut S c r i p t u re gives it a geo- g r a p h i c al source, direction, a nd o u t l e t; a nd a v e ry m a t e r i al effect. Moreover, it is n ot Ezekiel only w ho p r e d i c ts it. W e find it in Z e c h a r i ah (14:8) w h e re it is a d d ed t h a t it divides n e ar its source a n d flows t o w a rd t he M e d i t e r r a n e an a s well as t he D e ad S e a; a nd "does n ot .dry up in t he rainless season. Joel s a ys t h a t it "shall w a t er the valley of Shittim" (Jo. 3:18). Z e c h a r i ah a nd o t h e rs describe t he direction of t he flow (Zee. 14:4, 5) of this a nd o t h er " s t r e a m s" (Isa. 35, etc.). Wo n d e r f ul c h a n g es a re doming to P a l e s t i ne a nd t he whole e a r th (Isa. 65: 17-25; Rev. 21:22; R o m. 8:10-22), a nd no t e a c h er should v a p or a w a y t h e se literal w o r ds of Scripture, b ut use t h e m, even w i th t h e youngest, to m a k e t h e m long to see t h a t d. THE RETURN OF T HE EXILES. Lesson III—October 15. Ezra 1:1-11; 2:64-70* I. T HE BOOK OF EZRA. count of t he r e t u rn rf t he c a p t i ve tribes- t he rebuilding of t h e citv a nd temple- t h e ' d i f - Acuities encountered f r om opposition w i t h o ut a nd p e r v e r s i ty w i t h i n— t he tribes w e re cured 1. Time of writing, about 400 B. C. 2. Author, E z r a, t h e G r e at Scribe. 3. Time covered, a b o ut 80 years. 4. Contents, sin stc-
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