Christian Nation Vol. 18 1893 - Rparchives.org

4. CHEISTIAN NATION. Volume 18.Sabbath School Lesson,LESSON II., SABBATH, APRIL 9, 1893.Afflictions Sanctified. Job 5:17-27.GOLDEN TEXT :" For whom the Lord loveth, he chasteneth." Heb.12:6.17 Behold, hnppy is the man whom God correoteth:therefore despise not thou the chaBtenlng of the Almighty :18 For he m«keth sore, and bindeth .up : he woundethand his hauds mate whole.19 He shall deliver thee in six troubles; yea, iu seventhere shall no evil touch thee.20 In famine he shall redeem thee (rom death : and inwar from the power of the sword.21 Thou shalt be hid from the scourge of the tongue:neither shalt thou be afraid of destructiou when it cometh.eth,and his bauds make whole," v. 18. Theprinciples laid down here are well illustratedin the fieldof surgery. A wound is healedupon the surface. The touch of the skilledphysician detects trouble that lies deep ; withhis lance he cuts tothe bone. "How cruel!"are the words that burst from the lips of theinexperienced. "How severe, but yet how tenderand kind," are the words of the convalescingsufferer. And how a patient comes to great," v. 25. One of the greatest blessings of3. A numerous family. "Thy seed shall be22 At destruction and famine thou shalt laugh : neither i love his surgeon. "He saved my life," God the olden days, was a numerous family. Thehalt thou be afraid of the beasts of the earth.I sometimes cuts deep, but when he once be- absence of children in a home was considered'' For thou shalt be in league with the stones of the field: I gins to remove the deadly disease, he ceases a great calamity. Job's offspring were all dead,and the beasts of the fieldshall be at peace with thee. I not until all the dread foe of our life is taken and to him these words of Eliphaz seemed like24 Aud thou saalt know that thy tabernacle shall he in : away.mockery. But they were not. Job lived topeace ; and thon shalt visit thy habitation, and shalt not sin, li. Sanctified Afflictions are AccompaniedBY Encoueaging and Steengthening erations. We are told in the close of the booksee his sons, and his son's sons, even four gen-25 Thou shalt know also that thy seed shall be great, andthine offspring as the grass of tne earth.Peomifes, 1. Safety in trouble, v. 19. Job that God gave Job twice as much as he had26 Thou phalt oome to thy grave in a full age, like as a had troubles not a few. But he is told that before, and for oxen, t nd sheep, and asses, andshock of oorn cometh in his full seasou.these may double in number, and yefc he be safe. camels, the number was just double. But he27 Lo this, we have searched it, so it is ; hear it, and Six and seven are here used in the sense of had seven sons and three daughters, just theknow thou it for thy good.many and increasing troubles. Trouble seldomcomes alone. Loss, sickness, disappointaster.Job's childreji were twice as many asnumber that made up his family before his dis-REJOICE IN TRIBULATION.By the Eev. T. P. Bobb.ment, sorrow, very often come together. before. What God takes is not lost. OarThip lesson is taken from the words of Eliphaz,Although these three men snid much but the Lord delivereth him out if them all." but we have them all in our memory, in affec­"Many are the affiictions of the righteous ; homes may not have all our children in tbem,that was good, some things that were commonplace,yet all that they uttered did not meet ance from all his troubles. If necessary he 4. Death, in a ripe age, v. 26. It is not allPs. 34 : 19. God promises the believer delivertion; may we not hope also, in covenant.the divine approval. But the lesson of to day will take him away from the evil to come. of God's people who die in old age. And yetis well spoken, and the thoughts are such as But in the 20fch verse he has the promise of a completing of life, a filling up of our days,will do good to one under affliction. Eliphaz life in the famine. This is fulfilled to the peopleof God. Nothing meets a more ready re­the things promised. It is certain that therall else being equal, is desirable, and one ofdid not interpret the providence of God correctly,but the fruit of affliction in Job was sponse than the call of the hungry. Starving time is nearing when death will usually waitgood fruit. He could say like David, " It hath humanity will be fed out of the world's storehouse.How much more will God supply his does uot take away a single one of his^ ownthe period of ripeness through age. But Godbeen very good for me that I was afflicted."I. Sanctified Afflictions Pbove Geeat people out of his fullness? Job had until that one is ripe so far as grace is concerned.The old man without grace may Blessings . ]. They come from a blessed source. dropped suddenly from a man of princelybe" Our light afflictions, which endure for a moment!"So spake Paul. The man of manytnsls, the mau of sore afflictions, says they areligbt, and soon over. It is only when we havebeen able to trace them up to their source,and look whence they came, that we cau so estimatethem. So it was with Job Eliphazwas right, more correct than he had any knowledgehimself. The man is happy when Godijorrecteth. God correcteth his children. W henthey go astray, aud wander from his path, hevisits their faults with rods, their sins withchastisement, but he does not take his love fromthem. God never punishes a child—he corrects—he chastises it. God never chastises thewicked, they are always punished. Punishmenthus in it the element of penalty, and contemplatesa part or the whole of the incurredpenalty inflicted. But Jesus Ohrist was madea curse for us, "for he was made sin for us, whoknew no sin." But "we are made the righteousnessof God in him." Then the man is mosthappy who is afflicted, for "whom the Lordloveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every sonwhom he receiveth. If we be without chastisement,whereof all are partakers, then are webaatftrds, and not sous." Heb. 12:6.8. In viewof these truths, we may well say, therefore despisenot thou the chastening of the Almighty.A man once said, " I am afraid that I am nota child of God." Why? His answer was, " Ihave so many years of unbroken prosperity,that it makes me afraid that I am enjoying mygood things in this life." Ps. 17 : 14. Notlong after this conversation, loss of propertywas followed by severe and long continuedsickness in that home, and the rod was to thatonetroubledBays,soul" Itaisblesseda pity ofsealtheofpersonsonship.on whomSomeGod will not spend a rod." A young womanapparently on tbe verge of the grave said, " Iprayed to be afflicted because I did so grtatlydesire to know that God loved me, and I neverwas so happy as since that sickness came."Though not fully restored, she rose from hersick bed and lives to glorify God, by living alife of devoted service. Yes, we must not despisethe chastening of the Lord.2, They are designed for our improvement." He maketh sore, and bindeth up ; he wound-wealth to a poor man, one who must for thepresent be dependent on charity. True religionsaid you will not starve, fle who hearsthe cry of the ravens, will he not feed hischildren ? " Ye are better than many sparrows."Again, he would be safe in war, v. 19. Hismen on whom he depended for defense wereall dead or in captivity, and yet the swordwould uot hurt him. " God is our refuge andstrength," Ps. 46 : 1. Further he was safe fromcalumny, v. 20. Tbe tongue of the calumniatoris more to be dreaded than the sword ofthe desperado. God can save frora both ofthese. Again, he is safe from foreign invasion,vs. 21 and 22. One of the dangers of aforeign foe Ly in the multitudes of his flocks,his great possessions. These gone, the fe&r ofbeing disturbed has gone away. It is true ofthe believer that he is not always taken out ofevil, but be kept in the time of ifc! He is tolaugh at the famine that accompanies the war.The beasts of the earth were to have no terrorfor Job. Thers seems to be a climax here. Inthe 19th verse there is confidence, in the 20thand 21st the assurance born of faith, in the22d triumph. Believers cannot have all theseat all times, but all believers may rise to eachof these, in due time.Once more Job has the promise of safetyfrom inanimate things, v. 23.league with the stones of the field. When Godcreated man he gave him dominion over allthe earth, and the entire earth was obedient tohim. When man rebelled againat God thenthe whole earth rebelled against man. But inthe restoration God brings man (snch as areredeemed) back into a relation of obedience,and gives man once more his control over theworld. It is wonderful today how manisstrengthening the league between himself andthe earth. Eliphaz spoke more than he knew.We are in the midst of great developments.The league is extending.2. Peace and prosperity. " Thou shalt knowthat thy tabernacle shall be iu peace ; and thoushalt visit thy habitation and shalt not sin."The home in peace shows two things : hrst,itwill not be molested by others ; second, it willbe without discord within itself. A peacefulhome is always a happy home, no matter howpoor its occupants may be. But " A stalledox, and hatred therewith," thet becomes a hellupon earth.withered, but age has done for him only whatthe autumn does for the leaf—fitted him forthe flames. But grace can so transform theyoung, that, though the form is but a bud carriedinto the presence of God,into a sheaf fully ripe.Lesson. Eejoice in tribulation.THE PRIMARY LESSON.it is transformedBy Grace Hamilton George.Many of us have been sick and we rememberhow we enjoyed the kindness of our friends.They seut us flowers,dainty dishes, books, anything that could add to our comfort. Thef;visited us, telling us bright interesting bits ofnews ; what our friends were about; how theyhoped we would soon be well once more. Theyprayed with us that God would restore onrhealth ; would bless this illness to our sonie;would make us better than we were before.We learned to love our friends more thronghour sickness than when in health. We cannotknow the value of kind friends until we areleftalone in trouble. We closed last Sabbath inthe midst of the. story of Job. We left himbereaved of children, his property gone, lyingin the ashes covered with boils, even his wifechiding bim. We wonder if it can be that sogreat a man as Job has no friends to comforthim. Today we find that three of his friendsHe is to be in have come from their distant homes to visithim. When they saw him they did not knoffhim. They were dumbfounded when they sawhis distressed condition. They sat down by