Covenanter Witness Vol. 86 - Rparchives.org

Lesson Helps for the Week of May 9iSabbath SchoolLessonFor May 9,1971God's Controversy With Israel's LeadersHosea 4:1-6; 7:5-10Comments by John K.GaultHosea and Joshua mean the sameand they have for their Greek equivalentthe name lesus which means "Jehovah issalvation." Hosea prophesied against thenorthern kingdom of Israel during thereign of Jereboam II about 785 B.C. Goddirected and arranged a domestic tragedyin Hosea's home as an object lesson of themoral degeneracy of Israel. God said tohim, "Go, take unto thee a wife ofwhoredoms and children of whoredoms:for the land hath committed greatwhoredom, departing ' from the Lord."Hosea did as God had directed and he tookGomer to be his wife; she proved to be anunfaithful spouse. The first three chaptersof the book of Hosea recount his experiencewith his unfaithful wife, and theefforts which he made to win her back tohimself. Israel had been a whorish nationin departing from the Lord her God, towhom she had been espoused: yet Godloved her and pleaded wiith her to comeback, which her remnant finally did whenJesus came to establish His kingdom.There is no other way for people to havetheir true kingdom than through KingJesus.1: God Has a Lawsuit with RebelliousSinners.This is the meaning of 4:1 as Hoseasaid, "The Lord hath a controversy withthe inhabitants of the land because there isno truth nor mercy, nor knowledge of Godin the land." Israel had violated bothtables of the law of God, His rights hadbeen trampled under foot. In a wellorderedsociety there is what is called asystem of jurisprudence in which thecourts function. If one party violates therights of another party it is the privilege ofwould contend with the priest and wouldthe offended one to bring suit before thecivil court and to demand reparation. Inthe case of a felony the officer of the lawapprehends the guilty party and there is thetrial in the criminal court. God has apprehendedthe sinning culprits of the worldand has brought them to trial. He has acontroversy" with the inhabitants of theland. There have been no extenuatingcircumstances, whereby people might say,"I am not guilty."2: The Offenses of Israel WereParticularly Violent.Hosea said for God, "There is notruth, nor mercy, nor knowledge of God inthe land. By swearing, and lying, andkilling, and stealing, and committingadultery, they break out and bloodtoucheth blood." The people sinnedagainst God and against one another. Itnever fails to happen that when peoplerenounce God they then begin to preyupon one another. It is the Spirit of Godwho prevents people from resorting tosavagery. When people separate themselvesfrom God the animal instincts oftheir natures take control, and "Man'sinhumanity to man, makes countlessthousands mourn."3: Nature Suffers Along with GuiltyPeople.In verse 3 it is said, "Therefore shallthe land mourn, and every one thatdwelleth therein shall languish, with thebeasts of the field, and with the fowls ofheaven; yea the fishes of the sea also shallbe taken away." That is the way with man'ssin; nature suffers also and there aredisasters which cause the people and theland to mourn. Man, with his highpowered rifles, has destroyed many speciesof animal life, and the pollution of theocean and streams has caused the death offish and water birds by the thousands.4: All Efforts to Reform OneAnother Were Futile.They were all in the same sinkingship and it was useless for one to try toreprove another as Hosea said in verse 4."Yet let no man strive, nor reproveanother: for thy people are as they thatstrive with the priest." The priest was therepository of spiritual knowledge. Peoplewere supposed to inquire of the priest ifthere was any doubt about the moral law.Evidently the morals of the people haddegenerated to such an extent that theynot accept his counsel. When peoplerefuse to listen or to follow the advice oftheir spiritual leaders they indicate thatthey are hardened in sin. In the Christianchurch there is the exposition of God'sWord and when people live in accordancewith what they hear in the church they arethen in a position to help one another.5: It Was the Duty of the Priest toImpart the Knowledge of God.Evidently the priests of Israel hadfailed to do this for Hosea said, "There isno. knowledge of God in the land. . ..My people are destroyed for lack ofknowledge: because thou hast rejectedknowledge, I will also reject thee, that thoushalt be no priest to Me: seeing thou hastforgotten the law of thy God, I will alsoforget thy children. . . . They eat up the sinof my people, and they set their heart ontheir iniquity. And there shall be, likepeople, like priest: and I will punish themfor their ways, and reward them theirdoings." The priests received their livingfrom the people and so instead ofdenouncing the people for their sins lesttheir li\ing be cut off, they accepted themin their sins. What the people wanted, thatthe priests granted, and so, as Hosea said,"Like people, like priest." A true ministerwill denounce sin and sinners regardless ofhow it affects his living condition.6: Hatred of the Right Burned intheir Hearts.This is w hat Hosea said in 7:6,7: "Forthey have made ready their heart like anoven, whiles they lie in wait: their bakersleepeth all the night; in the morning itburnetii as a flaming fire. They are all ashot as an oven, and have devoured theirjudges; all their kings are fallen: there isnone among them that calleth unto Me."When people hate the right they hate oneanother and they kill one another. In IJohn 3:15 that apostle says, "Whosoeverhateth his brother is a murderer: and yeknow that no murderer hath eternal lifeabiding in him." God, in His word, dealswith potentials as well as with actualhappenings. F or that reason Solomon saysin Proverbs 23:7, "For as he thinketh in hisheart, so is he."7: Worldly Wisdom Without aCorresponding Spiritual EnlightenmentProduces an Unfit Society.In another figure of the bakery.Hosea says in verse 8, "Ephraim is a cakenot turned." As a cake of dough placed ina pan on the fire needed to be turned inorder to be baked thoroughly, so peopleneed to have both sides of their naturesexposed to spiritual influence. The tribe ofEphraim prided herself on her size, on heraffluence, and on her military might, buther spiritual life was in a bad state. Peopleare two-dimensional. Many persons areAPRIL 14, 1971 11