May 1924
T H E K I N G ’ S B U S I N E S S
298
the throne; some of these kings disobeyed God and wor shipped idols, and of course led the people away from God. Dear old Jeremiah loved and obeyed God, and he knew the great sorrow and punishment that would come upon these people, so he told them of their great sin, and plead with them to turn away from their idols that could not help them, and come back to the true and living God. He told them if they would not obey God, the city of Jerusalem would be destroyed, and the people carried away into a strange country to serve a heathen king. Some of the peo ple were very angry with the prophet, and said he must die. Jeremiah told them he was just telling them what God had told him to say, and that if they killed him, he was ready to go, but the people would have to answer to God for their wickedness in killing God’s prophet. Jeremiah had been in hard and dangerous places before, and he had trusted God, and had found the words in our memory verse true every time. “ Thou, Lord, hast helped me.” After Jeremiah stood true to God, even though they were ready to kill him, there were a number of men, who stood for Jeremiah, and said he had not done anything wrong, and was not worthy of death. So God saved Jeremiah from death. Jeremiah’s words to the people were God’s words, and the people would not obey them. Have each one of us obeyed God’s word and let Jesus come into our hearts— If so we have turned away from sin and are saved, but if not we are lost. dosing Prayer. JUNE 1, 1924 THE BABYLON IAN EXILE OF JUDAH Golden Text: “ Righteousness exalteth a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people.” Proverbs 14:34. Lesson Text: 2 Chronicles 36:11-21 (Read 2 Kings, chap ters 21 to 25; 2 Chronicles, chapter 36). Devotional Read ing, Psalm, 80:1-7. EVIL Leaders Prov. 14:34 The last king of Judah was one of the worst. Zedekiah was the son of Josiah and the third brother to be king. He received the kingdom from Nebuchadnezzar and had sworn the vassal’s oath of fidelity and allegiance. Never theless he violated his oath and rebelled LESSON against his royal master. He was encour- EXPOS1TION aged in this rebellion by the false pro- F. W. Farr phets and the people. The downfall of Jerusalem deserves to rank with the fall of Rome and of Constantinople at a later day. It carried with it the overthrow of an empire and had a world-wide influence. It was a historic tragedy not only because of the holocaust of human beings but on account of its eclipse of religious hope. The last spark of its world-wide glory went out in darkness. The religious leaders were apostate. They scorned the warnings of the prophets and polluted the tem ple with idolatrous practices. This controversy and conflict are repeated in every age. It is the issue between good and evil, truth and falsehood. The lives and words of the prophets are for all time. The battle is fought over in every age. The work of those who labor on God’s side is never in vain. God was unwilling to destroy His people because He loved them. He did not leave
There was Uriah (vs. 20-23), who “ prophesied according to all the words of J e rem iah .W h en his life was threat ened, “ he was afraid, and fled, and went into Egypt,” hut was brought hack and slain. It is sometimes safer to face than to flee from danger. This proved to he true in the case of Jeremiah, the fear less, faithful messenger of God. How refreshing and heart ening to read such words as are found in verses 12 to 15! No trimming or hedging here! “ Then spake Jeremiah.” When? After the priests and prophets had said he was worthy to die. “ Then spake Jeremiah saying, The Lord sent me' to prophesy. Amend your ways and your doings. As for me, behold, I am in your hand: do with me as seem- eth good and meet unto you.” Kill me if you like, but I’ll neither run nor retreat. “ But know ye for certain, that if ye put me to death, ye shall surely bring innocent blood upon yourselves, and upon this cityii’; That is to say, you will suffer more than I. “ Then said the princes and all the people unto the priests and to the prophets: This man is not worthy to die.” And he didn’t! Thank God for the Jeremiahs in the world today. But we need more of them—men who will speak God’s word fearlessly and faithfully,- following these instructions: “ Speak all the words that I command thee to speak; dimin ish not a word” (v. 2), and withal “ speaking the truth in love,” remembering that back of Jeremiah’s faithful, fear less, fiery preaching was a weeping heart. Without love, the message, however true and eloquent, will be “ as sound ing brass, or a tinkling cymbal.” God Saves a Brave Prophet Jer. 26:8-16. Memory Verse.— “ Thou, Lord, hast helped me.” Psalm 86:17. Approach.— Oliver would you lay your hand on a stove with a good fire in it? Why not? Because it is hot. We have learned that stoves with fire in are hot and will burn our fingers, but when we were tiny little folk just able to crawl about on the floor, some of us ELEMENTARY had a hard time learning that hot Mabel L. Merrill stoves burn fingers. I know a little boy, who would always crawl just as fast as he could for the stove, even though his father and mother had pulled him away again and again, and tried to make him understand it would burn him. One day he got to the hot stove and put his hand on the stove, and burned his fingers, and of course he cried for it hurt. Do you think he put his hand on the stove again. No he would not go near, for he had learned his lesson. lie was like some people, they will not obey God’s word, until they get into trouble, or get hurt. Prayer. Lesson Story.— Paul can you tell me about a king who re ceived a letter with bad news in it, and what he did with it? The wicked king found out that God was stronger than his big army, and that He (God) could save his people and the city of Jerusalem from any harm. We want to remem ber that the same God watches over all those who put their trust in Him today just as he watched over his people long ago. We have heard how He saved a baby, a city, and to day we are to hear how He saved a brave prophet. This brave prophet of God was named Jeremiah, and he was very faithful and brave in telling the people of their sin, and of the punishment that would come upon them if they did not repent and turn to God. The good king Hezekiah had finished his work and gone home to heaven, and a number of other kings had been on
Made with FlippingBook flipbook maker