ness, and violence. Unless the Church does better, " T a ke heed" (Rom. 11:21).
pie of honoring the House of God, and giv- ing to His service. It is a shame to any community to let the material house of God fall into shabby disrepair; and such Is al- ways the sign and proof t h at the spiritual house Is defiled (1 Cor. 3:16, 17). So a liberal provision for God's house is a sign of spiritual wealth, if gifts are bestowed for His glory and not for the glory of ma n 's pride, and luxury, and art. It is better to give to fill the gospel fund t h an the build- ing fund (2 Kgs. 12:9, 10). V. J ONAH 'S PO I NTS (Jonah). Jonah is a prophecy of universal evangel- ization; a rebuke to the prejudice against Foreign Missions; a warning to t h em who shirk t h at duty; a pledge of God's pardon to all penitents; a lesson against race preju- dice, and an assurance of the infinite com- passion and longsuffering of God. King Uzzlah began well and by God's favor subdued his enemies, strengthened his country's defenses and brought it to a hgih degree of prosperity; yet he fell by fail- ing to glorify God, and proved t h at "man being in honor abideth not" (Psa. 49:12). He pressed into the Holy Place, setting him- self above the L aw (Num. 3:10; Est. 4:11, 16), and was smitten with leprosy in the face t h at would stand face to Face with the Holy One without the mediating priest (1 Tim. 2:5). VII. T HE CALL OF A P RO P H ET (Isa. 6). The prophet's mssage and hence his call is supernatural. One who bears God's mes- sage needs a vision of His immaculate holi- ness; an experience of his own pardon and purging. Such a soul will say, " H e re am I, send me !" VI. T HE PUN I SHMENT OF P RE SUMP TU- OUS PRIDE (2 Chro. 26). Isaiah sang a song about a vineyard. God planted a vineyard. He fenced it in and built a watch tower; and made a wine press for the grapes. But when the grapes were, ripe they were "wild" grapes. In fact, they were poisonous fruit. God's people were His vineyard; His protection their hedge and watch tower. The bad fruit was unrighteousness, wickedness, drunken- VIII. THE SONG OF T HE VINEYARD.
IX. T HE PROMISE OF P EACE (Mie. 4: 1-8). A day of universal and perpetual peace is yet to d awn on E a r t h. After six thou- sand years history, two thousand of which have been "Christian" history, men are still robbing and murdering one another by "law- ful" war. T h at m an has fallen lower t h an the brutes, is evident. It is natural t h at "dogs delight to bark and bite, for 'tis their n a t u re t o "; but it is contrary to n a t u re for men; as expediency, reason, and con- science testify. B ut peace will not come through unnatural "natural man," as many good men imagine, but by the return of the Prince of Peace in supernaturural power. "Even so come, Lord Jesus, come quickly" (Rev. 22:20). Hos. 14). The N. T. tells of The Prodigal Son, how he repented and came, to his father. T h e. O. T. shows the F a t h er pleading for the return of His. Prodigal People. He bids t h em " t a ke words" and come with conies-. sion, t h at He may "heal their backslidlngs" and "love them freely." And they will yet hear His voice and come,, and He will "fall on their neck and kiss t h em ." He "will be as the dew to Israel" (Eze. 37:26, 26), XI. A TYPICAL PASSOVER (2 Chro. 30). A great revival under Hezeklah swept idolatry from the land and restored the holy rites of the Lord. A joyous Passover fol- lowed, with a , constant feast for two sevens of days. It was typical of the restoration of the "Prodigal People" and the feast of f at things in the mountain of the Lord (Isa. 35: 26, 26). T HE FALL OF SAMARIA (2 Kgs. 17:1-18). Judah was gathered in the great paschal feast, but Samaria went into captivity. It serves to foreshadow t h em to whom it shall be said, "Depart from Me, ye t h at work Iniquity" (Matt. 7:23). X. T HE PRODIGAL P EO P LE RETURN XII.
M
M? <
Made with FlippingBook - Online Brochure Maker