Covenanter Witness Vol. 86 - Rparchives.org

Sabbath SchoolLessonLesson Helps for the Week of May 30iFor May 30,1971GOD, THE LORD OF HISTORYIsaiah 10:1-34; 14:24-27Comments by John K. GaultHistory began with creation; consequently,in the consideration of God'splace in history it is natural and logical tothink of His place in creation. In Genesis1:1it is said, "In the beginning God createdthe heavens and the earth," and in John 1:3is the statement concerning Christ, theWord, "All things were made by Him;and without Him was not any thing madethat was made." The Bible is very largely abook of history. In the Old Testamentthere are 17 historical books whichdescribe the rise, the progress and the fallof the Hebrew nation. In the NewTestament the four gospels present ahistory of the earthly life of Christ and thebook of Acts is a history of the origin of theapostolic church. God's place in history isdescribed in Isaiah 40:12,15 in the words,"Who hath measured the waters in thehollow of His hand, and meted out heavenwith the span, and comprehended the dustof the earth in a measure, and weighed themountains in scales, and the hills in abalance? . Behold, the nations are as adrop of a bucket, and are counted as thesmall dust of the balance; behold Hetaketh up the isles as a very little thing."M\V 5, |o/7i1: The Circumstances Which CauseGod to Punish a Nation.Isaiah said in 10:1,2, "Woe unto themthat decree unrighteous decrees, and thatwrite grievousness which they haveprescribed; to turn aside the needy fromjudgment, and to take away the right fromthe poor of my people, that widows may be'heir prey, and that they may rob thefatherless!" The judges of the nation ofJudah were guilty of committing the sinsmentioned. They issued "unrighteousdecrees" to prevent the poor people fromreceiving justice. They preyed upon thewidows and the fatherless who did not have'he financial ability to defend themselves»i court. There was corruption in the highlevels of government. The judges of theland were guilty of violating the eighth andninth commandments especially, whichs,ns probably resulted in the violation of•he sixth commandment also. Retribution*as sure to fall upon the heads of the evildoersof Israel and the wicked would notgo unpunished. The society of the landneeded to be cleaned up and the societyof America needs to be cleaned up for onevery hand the people are worshipingbefore the god of money. There is Sabbathdesecration and alcoholism, just to name afew of the offenses of which "we thepeople" are guilty.2: There Can Be No Escape from theAvenging Hand of God.Isaiah said in verses 3 and 4, "Andwhat will ye do in the day of visitation, andin the desolation which shall come fromfar? To whom will ye flee for help; andwhere will ye leave your glory? Without methey shall bow down under the prisoners,and they shall fall under the slain. For allthis His anger is not turned away, but Hishand is stretched out still." Thedesolation from far refers to the incursionof the army of Assyria which would lay theland waste. It would be useless to seek helpfrom Egypt as some counseled. The gloryof the land could not repose in anysituation where it would be free fromdepredation. The government of the landhad been without God for many years, andconsequently "in the day of visitation,"they would still be without God and "theyshall bow down under the prisoners, andthey shall fall under the slain." People,today, should repent and do the will ofGod for "in the day of visitation" there canbe no escape.3: God Used Assyria as a Weapon toPunish Israel and ludah.The prophet said in verses 5 and 6,"O Assyrian, the rod of mine anger, andthe staff in their hand is my indignation. Iwill send him against an hypocriticalnation, and against the people of my wrathwill I give him a charge, to take the spoiland to take the prey, and to tread themdown like the mire of the streets." Assyria,therefore, became a tool in the hand of theAlmighty, with which He punished guiltyIsrael. This does not mean that Assyria wasmore righteous than Israel. It probably wasless righteous, but this shows that God usesone nation to punish another nation. Israelwas more blameworthy than Assyria forshe had been highly favored of God andhad received enlightenment from Godthrough the prophets as no other nationhad. So. as one would take a rod to destroya venomous serpent. God took up Assyria,as a rod, to destroy the evil-doers of Israel.4: No Nation Has the Right to Exultover her Accomplishments without God.Even though Assyria was a rod in thehand of the Almighty, that nation had norealization of that fact. In verse 7 it is saidof Assyria, "Howbeit he meaneth not so,neither doth his heart think so; but it is inhis heart to destroy and cut off nations nota few....For he saith, By the strength of myhand have 1 done it, and by my wisdom; forI am prudent: and I have removed thebounds of the people, and have robbedtheir treasures, and I have put down theinhabitants like a valiant man;...Shall theaxe boast itself against him that heweththerewith? or shall the saw magnify itselfagainst him that shaketh it'.' as if the rodshould shake itself against them that lift itup, or as if the staff should lift up itself, as ifit were no wood. Therefore shall the Lord,the Lord of hosts, send among his fat onesleanness; and under his glory he shall kindlea burning like the burning of a fire.And the light of Israel shall be for a fire,and his Holy One for a flame: andit shallburn and devour his thorns and his briers inone day." Assyria boasted that she haddone such mighty deeds, but in one daythe Light of Israel destroyed 185,000 of theAssyrians under Sennacherib. Assyria waslater conquered by the Babylonians, whoin turn were conquered by the Medes andPersians.5: God Decreed that a Remnant ofIsrael Would Return.This is stated in verses 20-23 whereGod said through Isaiah, "And it shallcome to pass in that day, that the remnantof Israel and such as are escaped of thehouse of Jacob, shall no more again stayupon him that smote them; but shall stayupon the Lord, the Holy One of Israel, intruth. The remnant shall return, even theremnant of Jacob, unto the mighty God."This return was accomplished when Cyrusthe Great became king of Persia, and hemade a proclamation that all Jews whodesired to return to their native land mightdo so. It is probable that the great Cyruswho gave permission for the return, wasnot a believer in the true God but it is saidof him in Isaiah 44:28, "That saith to Cyrus,he is my shepherd, and shall perform all mypleasure: even saying to Jerusalem, thoushalt be built; and to the temple, thyfoundation shall be laid....Thus saith theLord to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose righthand I have holden, to subdue nationsbefore him; and I will loose the loins ofkings, to open before him the two leavedgates; and the gates shall not be shut;...And 1 will uive thee the treasures ofII