Jasper County Democrat, Volume 14, Number 59, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 28 October 1911 — OLD TESTAMENT TIMES BROOKLYN TABERNACLE BIBLE STUDIES [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

OLD TESTAMENT TIMES BROOKLYN TABERNACLE BIBLE STUDIES

-SONGS IN THE NIGHT" Psalm Ixxxv—Oct. 29 Lord hath done or eat things lor m thereof we are glad" —Psalm cxzoi, I. IE are Btill in the n ‘£bt of C B i wee P in 8- Sickness, sorrow, sighing and dying continue, and will continue until the glorious morning of Messiah's Kingdom. How glad we are that we have learned that then the glorious change will come to earth. The Prophet David expresses this thought, saying. “Weeping may endure for the night, but joy cometh in the morning" (Psalm xxx, 5). St. Paul breathed the same sentiment when he declared. "The whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now. waiting for tne manifestation of the sons of God” (Romans viii, 22). The sons of God in glory will, with their Lord, constitute Emmanuel’s Kingdom. At present these sons of God are comparatively little known .or recog-

nized amongst men; frequently they are considered •‘peculiar people,’’ because of their zeal for righteousness and truth and for God. “Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be, but we know that when

He shall appear we shall be like Him. for we shall see Him as He is;” and we shall share His glory, honor and immortality and with Him scatter Divine blessings to all the families of tbs earth. .. ' ■ ' "A Song of Deliverance” Our lesson, the 85th Psalm, may properly have several applications. The first of these, tvould be to Israel’s deliverance from the Babylonian captivity, when Cyrus gave permission that all who desired might return to Palestine. About fifty-three thousand, a small company, availed themselves of this privilege and of his assistance. The people rejoiced in this manifestation of the turning away of Divine disfavor and the return to them of Divine favor and blessing. The pardon of their transgressions as a nation was evidenced in this privilege of returning to God’s favor. A secondary application of the Song is just before us. Israel has been in a far greater captivity to Christendom during the past eighteen centuries. 1 JShe has the promise nevertheless of a \mighty deliverance. The Cyrus who gave them liberty to return from lit- \ eral Babylon was a type of the great Messiah who is about to give full liberty for the return of God’s ancient ; people to Divine favor—to Palestine. St. Paul refers to this coming deliv- • erance of Israel, in Romans xi. 25-29. The Deliverer will do more than merely regather them. He ■will do that which the 85th Psalm has predicted: as the Apostle says. "This is My Cove- • nant with them when I shall take away their sins.” See also Jeremiah xxxi, 31-34; Hebrews viiL 8-11. Israel’s sins have not yet been taken | away, even as the world’s sins have not yet been taken away. The great 1 Redeemer indeed has died for sin. and He is the sinner’s friend, but as ye: ' He has only appeared in the presence of God for «*— the Church—not for the world. v “Songs In the Night He Giveth” While the whole creation groans under its load of sin and sorrow, the saintly few may sing, may rejoice, even in the midst of all the sorrows of life, and even though they share the results of sin as fully or even more fully

than do others The secret of their joy "is two fold. (1» They have experienced reconciliation t o God. (21 They have submitted their wills to His. will. They obtained this new relations hip by tbe way of faith in the Redeemer faith in His

blood of Atonement. They entered by the “strait gate” and “narrow way" of consecration to God—surrendering the: own wills and covenanting to do the Divine will to the best of their ahi. ity. • , ’C*' _ These have joy and peace and songs of thankfulness to God because to them He grants a knowledge of His Divine purposes, and shows them things to come. These see beyond the trials and tribulations of tbe present time —they see the glories that will follow the present time of suffering, i These see that the Church., the saintly few of all denominations and of all nationalities, are prospective heirs of glory, honor and immortality and association with the Redeemer jn His glorious Kingdom. This encourages them. When they perceive that God has ar : ranged that through Christ and the glorified Church the earth shall be • blessed, it inakes them “joyful tn the ■ house of their pilgrimage"—while wait- : ing for their own change from human .to divine nature. Seeing that God’s ■ provision “is human perfection for the ! world of mankind." they are content- , ed, and are glad to have God’s will : done in themselves arid in all the earth.

Mankind enslaved by "sin and death."

Death—“the last enemy to be destroyed.”