April 1929
192
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them out of Egypt, to offer sacrifices but to hearken to His voice. This is a bold figure designed to place the emphasis where it should be. This method of speech was used by our Lord in His say ing that He came not to send peace but a sword. He did come to bring peace to the individual who accepts Him, but fre quently when one accepts Jesus, trouble arises. Again, Paul told the Corinthians that Christ sent him not to baptize but to preach the Gospel (1 Cor. 1). Paul did baptize some at Corinth, as appears in the context, but the emphasis was to be placed upon his preaching the Gospel. God did command them to offer sacrifices, but He did not want the ceremonial to overshadow nor to supersede faith and obedience, hence this strong statement. Golden T ext: “Thy word have I laid up in my heart, That I fhight not sin against thee” (Psa. 119:11). Lesson Text: Jer. 31:1-40; Jno. 1:17; Heb. 8:7-13. L esson in O utline I.. Promise of Rebuilding the Land. Vs. 1-6. II. Promise of Regathering Israel. Vs. 7-9. III. A View of Zion Redeemed. Vs. 10- 14. IV. Comfort for Rachel—-The Jewish Mothers. Vs. 15-20. V. A Second Vision of the Regather ing of Israel. Vs. 21-26. VI. Individual Responsibility. Vs. 27- 30. VII. The Spiritual Nature of the New Covenant. Vs. 31-34. VIII. The Unchangeable Character of God’s Covenant with Israel. Vs. 35- 37. IX. Jerusalem to be Rebuilt. Vs. 38-40. X. Contrast Between Law and Gospel. Jno. 1 :17. XI. The Church’s Anticipation of the Blessings of the New Covenant. Heb. 8:7-13. May 26, 1929 God’s Law In th e Heart I. Promise of Rebuilding the Land. Vs. 1 - 6 . I N these verses the Lord promises that He will be the God of all the families of Israel. Frequently the statement is made that ten of the tribes were lost at
loves Israel. Though she is in disobe dience, yet God loves her. “They are be loved for the fathers’ sake.” In verses 4-6 especially is a definite promise that the land shall be restored to its primeval fruitfulness. Compare the promise to this effect given in Ezekiel 36. II. Promise of Regathering Israel. Vs. 7-9. In these verses God promises to gather Israel “from the north country, and gath er them from the uttermost parts of the earth.” This prediction was not ful filled at the expiration of the Babylonian captivity, though often thus interpreted. While it is true that the approach from the west was by the way of the north, since the Arabian desert lay between the ancient kingdoms of Babylon and Assyria on the one hand and Palestine on the other, in those passages where God defi nitely speaks of the restoration after the seventy years He never uses such lan guage as this. Today the major part of the Jews are living in a country north of the Promised Land. This is a world re gathering. Isaiah spoke of the same na tional regathering in 11:11, 12. Jeremiah also spoke of it in 23 :7, 8. This prophecy will be fulfilled at the end of the time of Jacob’s trouble. III. A View, of Zion Redeemed. Vs. 10- , 14. This section begins with the words: “Hear the word o f Jehovah, O ye na tions, and declare it in the isles afar off; and say, He that scattered Israel will gather him, and keep him as a shepherd doth his flock.” In verse 11 the prophet sees Israel regathered and ransomed and dwelling in his own land under the sover eignty of the God of Jacob—King Mes siah, the Lord Jesus Christ. In vision he sees the people with joy going to Zion and flowing “unto the goodness of Je hovah, to the grain, and to the new wine, and to the oil, and to the young of the flock and of the herd: and their soul shall be as a watered garden; and they shall not sorroiv any more at all.” Sighing and sor row will be a thing of the past; joy and rejoicing will be the order of the day. The heart cravings, according to verse 14, of the people will be satisfied. IV. Comfort for Rachel—the Jewish Mothers. Vs. 15-20. In view' of the sorrow that would be occasioned by the exile, the prophet spoke to the Jewish mothers words of comfort and cheer. The content of his message was that though they were experiencing bitter trials on account of their sons being snatched away from the home circle and exiled in a foreign land, there was hope for them in the latter end, for God could not give up His chosen people. V. A Second Vision of the Regathering of Israel. Vs. 21-26. In verses 21 and 22 the prophet sees the pilgrims on their way traveling Zionward. Thus he gives commands, in a very vivid, graphic way, that guide-posts and way- marks, which give the direction to Zion, be put up in order that the returning pil grims may return to the Holy Land. With a heart full of distress and grief the prophet asked Israel, “How long wilt thou go hither and thither, O thou backslid ing daughter?” Israel has been going hither and thither for the last nineteen centuries, but it is to be hoped that her weary wanderings will soon end. In verses 23-26 the prophet sees Zion
FRED S. SHEPARD ’S BLACKBOARD OUTL INE P LEADING ARDON UNISHMENT Obey my voice—I will be thy God. —Jer. 11 -A. had done with the Northern Kingdom, which calamity occurred in the year 722 B.C. IV. Certainty of the Impending Judg ment. Vs. 16-20. 1. Jeremiah Prohibited from Praying for the Nation. V. 16. Jeremiah, whose heart was very tender, was constantly in prayer for his people. Prayer was not the only factor entering into the situation. Jeremiah had been faithful in prayer, but, though “prayer changes things,” the faithful prayers of God’s people will not force the rebellious will of the sinner. It is true in answer to prayer God will work providentially to break down the stubborn will, but He will never force anyone’s will. These things being true, God prohibited Jere miah from continuing in prayer for them. 2. Condition of the People Renders Judgment Imperative. Vs. 17-20. In verses 17 and 18 occurs the statement of the habitual practice of the people of Judah. In the last clause of the verse, namely, “that they may provoke me to anger,” God states the result of their sin fulness as if the people of Judah engaged in idolatry in order to provoke Him to anger. In verse 19 he shows that they do not simply provoke God to anger but it is to their own hurt—to the confusion of their own faces. In verse 20 is stated the judgment of God which will shortly fall upon the un repentant nation. V. Perverseness of the Nation from its Beginning. Vs. 21-26. 1. Permission to Continue in Wicked ness. V. 21. "Add your burnt-offerings unto your sacrifices, and eat ye flesh.” When peo ple are determined to go in their own way God permits them. Balaam, for the sake of money, contrary to his conscience, wished to curse Israel. God finally per mitted him to go but limited him in his utterances. Amos (4 :4) urged the people of the Northern Kingdom to continue in their idolatrous practices because it pleased them. It was not God’s will that they should, but since they were deter mined to go in that way He allowed them to do so. In the parable of the Prodigal Son (more properly the Father’s Love) the father permitted the wayward boy to do that which he was bent on doing. Such a course, however, is always punished. 2. The Rebelliousness of the Nation. Vs. 22-26. Moses declared to Israel that she was a stiff-necked and hard-hearted people. The history of Israel throughput its entire course has verified Moses’ assertion. In verses 22 and 23 appears a very strong statement concerning God’s not commanding Israel, when He brought
the time of the As sy r i a n captivity. This statement is incorrect. B o t h Paul and J a m e s speak of the twelve tribes of Israel. In verse 3 God speaks of His hav ing appeared to Is rael “from a fa r "
(margin R. V.). At Sinai this occurred. It is an everlasting love with which God
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