Covenanter Witness Vol. 86 - Rparchives.org

Lesson Helps for the Week of June 6Sabbath SchoolLessonFor June 6,1971GODS CALL TO FAITHIsaiah 30:1-19; 31:1-3,6; 32:15-18; 37Comments by John K. GaultGod has been calling people to faithever since creation. Adam was told not toeat of "the tree of the knowledge of goodand evil." God called him to perfectobedience. Enoch "walked with God" andso he must have had faith in Him. In IIPeter it is said that God "spared not the oldworld, but saved Noah the eighth person, apreacher of righteousness, bringing in theflood upon the world of the ungodly." Theprophets, especially Isaiah, besought thepeople to turn away from sin and to havefaith in God. Jesus' whole earthly careerwas designed that people might have faithin Him to save them from their sins.Through the Bible and the church, Godcontinues to call upon people to have faithin Him for "without faith it is impossible toplease God."1: There Are Always CircumstancesWhich Test One's Faith.This is shown in the lesson before us.In Isaiah's time there were two great worldpowers, Assyria and Egypt. Assyria hadoverrun much of the country adjacent toJudah. Israel, the northern kingdom, hadalready fallen and Jerusalem was beingthreatened. The officials of the governmenttook counsel and decided that theywould seek help from Egypt. It was indeeda test of their faith for Judah was a littleinsignificant nation in comparison withmighty Assyria. Humanly speaking Judahhad no hope. It was here that faith in Godshould have guided the decision, so Isaiahupbraided them for seeking help from manin the words, "Woe to the rebelliouschildren, saith the Lord, that take counsel,but not of me; and that cover with acovering, but not of my spirit, that theymay add sin to sin: that walk to go downinto Egypt, and have not asked at mymouth; to strengthen themselves in thestrength of Pharaoh, and to trust in theshadow of Egypt." This was a test of thepeople's faith. In Psalm 118:8,9 the writersaid, "It is better to trust in the Lord thanto put confidence in man. It is better totrust in the Lord than to put confidence inprinces." Jesus said to His disciples as theywere storm-tossed in the boat, "Why are yefearful, O ye of little faith?"2: It Is the Tendency of People toTrust in Worldly Resources Instead ofTrust in God.God controls every circumstance inthe world. There are no limits to His poweror wisdom; consequently, He is alwaystrustworthy. People and nations should,therefore, seek the blessing of God firstand should make decisions according toHis will. The southern kingdom of Judahhad become wicked. They are called in thislesson "rebellious children." In 31:1 Isaiahsaid of them, "Woe to them that go downto Egypt for help; and stay on horses, andtrust in chariots, because they are many;and in horsemen, because they are verystrong;butthey look not unto the Holy Oneof Israel, neither seek the Lord." Egypt, atthat time, was a highly developed country,but it represented the resources of theworld. America is the most highlydeveloped nation on earth, with itscomputerized economy and nuclearharness but these developments representthe resources of the world which the Lordcan destroy or use against us. America hassought the help of computers and nuclearenergy instead of trusting in the help ofAlmightv God. We must come back toGod if we are to survive as a nation.3: Egypt Was Both Unwilling andUnable to Help Israel.Isaiah said in 30:4,5, "For his princeswere at Zoan, and his ambassadors cameto Hanes. They were all ashamed of apeople that could not profit them, nor bean help nor profit, but a shame, and also areproach." Little Israel would be a hindranceinstead of a help to the militarystrategy of Egypt and so the latter wasunwilling to enter into any militaryalliance. But Egypt was also unable to givereliable help to Israel in this time of crisis.Isaiah said in 31:3, "Now the Egyptians aremen, and not God; and their horses flesh,and not spirit. When the Lord shall stretchout His hand, both he that helpeth shallfall, and he that is holpen shall fall down,and they all shall fail together." In Psalm60:10,11 the writer prayed, "Wilt not thou,O God, which hadst cast us off? and thou,O God, which didst not go out with ourarmies? give us help from trouble for vainis the help of man." It can be said of allearthly resources, "Vain is their helpwithout God."4: Isaiah Was Told to Make a PermanentRecord of the Real Cause of theNation's Debacle.God said to the prophet, "Now go,writeit before them in a table, and note itin a book, that it may be for the time tocome for ever and ever: that this is arebellious people, lying children,children that will not hear thelaw of the Lord: which say to theseers, see not; and to the prophets,prophesy not unto us right things, speakunto us smooth things, prophesy deceits:get you out of the way, turn aside out of thepath, cause the Holy One of Israel to ceasefrom before us." People are quite forgetfuland, after two generations, accurateknowledge of events is lost unless there is awritten record. God commanded Isaiah,therefore, to write a description of themoral state of Israel. A permanent recordwas to be made so that the futuregenerations might read and know of theconditions which prevailed and whichcaused the collapse of the government.Every government should keep a record ofits sins as well as of its righteousacts. Futuregenerations should know where to put theblame.5: The Most Important Act of aSinful Government Is to Return to God.This was the counsel of God given byIsaiah as he said in 30:15, "For thus saiththe Lord God, the Holy One of Israel; inreturning and rest shall ye be saved; inquietness and in confidence shall be yourstrength: and ye would not." Also in 31:6the prophet said, "Turn ye unto Him fromwhom the children of Israel have deeplyrevolted." To do this is the essence ofrepentance, which is essential to a nation'speace. If one takes the wrong turn at anintersection the only thing for him to do isto turn and go back to the place where hegot off and then make a right turn. This isstandard for a nation as well as for anindividual. The United States has made awrong turn quite a number of times and therepeal of the prohibition amendment wasone of them. Every individual personshould likewise return to God if he has notalready done so. This is God's call to faiththrough His Word and the church.6: It Is God's Spirit that Leads Peopleto Respond to His Call to Faith.This is what Isaiah said in 32:15-18after he described the wretchedness of theland as a result of sin. "Until the spirit bepoured upon us from on high, and thewilderness be a fruitful field, and thefruitful field be counted for a forest, thenjudgment shall dwell in the wilderness, andrighteousness remain in the fruitful field.And the work of righteousness shall bepeace; and the effect of righteousnessquietness and assurance for ever. And myMAY 12. 1971 11