For the Children A mos , the F earless T eacher (A mos 1:1; 5:12-15; 7:10, 12, 16a; 8:4-6; 9:13, 15) M emory V erse : “Seek good, and not evil” (Amos 5:14). Amos, a simple herdman, was call ed from following his flocks and asked to bring a message from God to the Jewish people. Almost anyone would be willing to bring a mes sage of love and joy, but few would be willing to bring one that might anger their hearers and even en danger the lives of the messengers. God gave to Amos the courage to tell the Jewish people the truth about their sins. He reminded them about how they had cheated the poor, taken bribes, and been dis honest. Amos said, “Seek good, and not evil, that ye may live: and so the Lord, the God of hosts, shall be with you.” “Hate the evil, and love the good." A Jewish leader asked Amos to preach somewhere else, but he said that he must give God's mes sage where God told him to. Amos told the Jewish people how God wanted them to live. God promised to bless His people greatly in the future if they would come back to Him. God used, not a trained preacher, but a simple workingman, to bear His message to His chosen people. Today God uses boys and girls to take to others the message of salvation through the Lord Jesus Christ. Perhaps others may laugh at them, call them “queer” and “old- fashioned,” and refuse to .be their friends. But those who “make fun” of Christians, in their hearts really respect them for their willingness to stand up for their faith in the Saviour. The Lord Jesus is seeking boys and girls who will be His wit nesses today. Is He disappointed in you, or are you faithfully telling the Gospel message no matter what it may cost? Since He gave all that He had for you, can you give less than that for Him? If you are faithful in witnessing for Him, you will some day receive the greatest of all re wards, the words of Jesus: “Well done, thou good and faithful serv ant.” TRI-STATE BIBLE CONFERENCE A Christ-centered vacation conducted by the Old-Fashioned Gospel Hour.' Speakers have included: Armstrong, Bus- well, Conant, Gremmels, Keeney, McNeely, Massee, Melconian, Neighbour, Palmer, Pcttingill, Philpott, Shepherd, Zeoii and many others. Advantages ol Mountains, Seashore and Country. Restful, Beautiful, Wonderful Meals, Reasonable Rates. A great pro gram will shortly be announced for this season. Send for free illustrated folder. ELMO L BATEMAN. Director Irvington 11, Now Jersey Page Forty
MAY 25, 1947 WHY NATIONS PERISH 2 Ki. 17:5-12, 22,23; I sa . 28:1-4
Outline and Exposition T he S in of I srael
Points and Problems "The king of Assyria took Sama ria” (2 Ki. 17:6). Through reading the context of this passage, especial ly verse 3, one might easily gain the impression that the king referred to here was Shalmaneser. But archaeo logical discoveries clearly indicate that it was Sargon who finally took the city. What is the solutioh to the problem? It is this. Shalmane ser V (17:3, 5) besieged the city for three years. But it was .Sargon who actually took it, Shalmaneser having died before the conquest was com pleted. On the walls of Sargon’s pal ace at Khorsabad he has left this account of his victory: "The city of Samaria I besieged: 27,290 of its in habitants I took and carried into captivity, 50 of their chariots I seized. The city I rebuilt, and made greater than it was before. People of the lands I had conquered I settled there in. My official tartan I placed over them as governor.” As usual, there is no further contradiction by the critics of the Bible when all the his torical facts are uncovered. “For so it was, that the children of Israel had sinned” (17:7). How tragi cally the story before us today illus trates the fact that sin removes God’s people from the place of blessing! In Samaria Israel occupied one of the most beautiful spots in Pales tine. See Isaiah 28:l-4ff. for a de scription. Furthermore, Samaria was centrally located in a land which has often been called “the bridge of na tions,” with incomparable possibil ity for a wide influence. But sin spoiled it and so today as well, sin removes the child of God from bless ing in the home, in the church, in the community, in business, every where. Sometimes God even sees fit to remove from this world by death His erring children as a result of their sin (1 Cor. 11:30). "As did the heathen” (17:11). This suggests the fatal mistake of God’s people of that day. They were doing the same things that those who had no knowledge of the true God were doing. There was no difference in their conduct. Again and again in Israel’s history do we see the same failure. In the days of Saul, they wanted a king that “we also may be like all the nations” (1 Sam. 8:20). But this is exactly what God does not want in His people. He wants them to be different from, not like unto, the people of the world. His ideal for His people is set forth in such a passage as Second Corin thians 6:17. Only by meeting this standard will they be a real blessing to the world and a fulfillment of God's purpose in this world. T H E K I N G ' S B U S I N E S S
(2 Ki. 17:7-9; 10-12; I sa . 28:1-4) It was sin against love (2 Ki. 17:7-9). Filled with ingratitude, the people forgot the Lord who had chosen them, delivered them, and brought them out of Egypt: and they “feared other gods.” They were guilty of not only ingratitude but folly, adopting statutes of the heathen in stead of the laws of the Lord, and walking as did the heathen whom the Lord had cast out, implying thereby that God had shown par tiality in His dealings -with them. Moreover, they were hypocritical, do ing "secretly” things not right be fore God while professing to belong to God. It was heart idolatry which sooner or later would be revealed and practiced openly. It was sin against law (2 Ki. 17:10- 12). Denying God’s love, they soon denied God’s law. They fell into open disobedience, setting up groves and images, the instruments of idolatry. Then they went into sacrilege, burn ing incense as did the heathen, thus provoking the Lord to anger. Finally, they turned to open rebellion, doing what the Lord had definitely prohib ited, saying, “Ye shall not do this thing.” It was sin against light (Isa. 28:1- 4). The Lord had plainly declared what would be the outcome of their sin. He was to bring upon them a 'de stroyer, mighty and strong, who would be as a tempest and a flood, sweeping them away; “woe” would be their portion. But they despised the warning, continuing in their self- indulgence and pride, and finally the judgment threatened fell upon them (2 Ki. 17:13-16). T he C aptivity of I srael (2 Ki. 17:5,6, 22,23) Shalmaneser, king of Assyria, had conquered Hoshea, king of Israel, and was exacting tribute from him. Hoshea turned to Egypt for help, but Shalmaneser discovered the plot, and imprisoned Hoshea, besieged Sa maria and, after three years, finally captured it. Israel, as a nation, was then removed out of her land and scattered throughout Assyria, and disintegrated into the so-called lost ten tribes. Why do nations perish? This les son reveals that it is because they sell themselves by breaking God’s laws, despising His warnings, and rejecting His love, thus bringing upon themselves God’s righteous and certain judgment.
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