THE SABBATH SCHOOL

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · Mar 6, 1901

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 27, No. 10.

THE SABBATH SCHOOL

LESSON II.—MARCH 16.—WEARYING GOD.

Lesson Scripture, Mal. 2:1-17, R.V.

1 “And now, O ye priests, this commandment is for you. If ye will not hear, and if ye will not lay it to heart, to give glory unto My name, saith the Lord of hosts, then will I send the curse upon you, and I will curse your blessings; yea, I have cursed them already, because ye do not lay it to heart. 3 Behold, I will rebuke the seed for your sake, and will spread dung upon your faces, even the dung of your sacrifices; and ye shall be taken away with it. 4 And ye shall know that I have sent this commandment unto you, that My covenant might be with Levi, saith the Lord of hosts. 5 My covenant was with him of life and peace; and I gave them to him that he might fear; and he feared Me, and stood in awe of My name. 6 The law of truth was in his mouth, and unrighteousness was not found in his lips; he walked with Me in peace and uprightness, and did turn many away from iniquity. 7 For the priest’s lips should keep knowledge, and they should seek the law at his mouth: for he is the messenger of the Lord of hosts. 8 But ye are turned aside out of the way; ye have caused many to stumble in the law; ye have corrupted the covenant of Levi, saith the Lord of hosts. 9 Therefore have I also made you contemptible and base before all the people, according as ye have not kept My ways, but have had respect of persons in the law.

10 “Have we not all one father? hath not one God created us? why do we deal treacherously every man against his brother, profaning the covenant of our fathers? 11 Judah hath dealt treacherously, and an abomination is committed in Israel and in Jerusalem; for Judah hath profaned the holiness of the Lord which he loved, and hath married the daughter of a strange god. 12 The Lord will cut off the man that doeth this, him that waketh and him that answereth, out of the tents of Jacob, and him that offereth an offering unto the Lord of hosts. 13 And this again ye do; ye cover the altar of the Lord with tears, with weeping, and with sighing, insomuch that He regardeth not the offering any more, neither receiveth it with good will at your hand. 14 Yet ye say, Wherefore? Because the Lord hath been witness between thee and the wife of thy youth, against whom thou hast dealt treacherously, tho she is thy companion, and the wife of thy covenant. 15 And did He not make one, altho He had the residue of the spirit? And wherefore one? He sought a godly seed. Therefore take heed to your spirit, and let none deal treacherously against the wife of his youth. 16 For I hate putting away, saith the Lord, the God of Israel, and him that covereth his garment with violence, saith the Lord of hosts; therefore take heed to your spirit, that ye deal not treacherously.

17 “Ye have wearied the Lord with your words. Yet ye say, Wherein have we wearied Him? In that ye say, Every one that doeth evil is good in the sight of the Lord, and He delighteth in them; or where is the God of judgment?”

QUESTIONS.

(1) To whom is this message specially addressed? Verse 1. Note 1. (2) What is our duty respecting this message? What is the result if we do not lay it to heart? What results if the message is not heeded? What has already resulted? Why? Verse 2. (3) What further judgments are threatened? Verse 3. (4) What would these judgments show? Are these judgments necessary to impart such knowledge? Verse 4. (5) With whom did God covenant? What was the nature of this covenant? What was God’s object in giving Levi these blessings? In what did they nominally result? Verse 5. (6) What was in his mouth? What was not found in his lips? How did he walk? Before whom? What was the result? Verse 6. (7) What should the priest’s lips teach? What have the people a right to do? Why? Verse 7. (8) But what had the Lord’s priests done? What had they caused many to do? What had they corrupted? What was the character of this covenant? What, then, had they corrupted? What are corrupted life and peace? Verses 4, 5, 8. (9) What had the Lord done to save His honor? In what proportion had He done this? What evil thing does He mention? Verse 9. (10) By what questions does the prophet show man’s equality and God’s impartiality? How, then, ought man to treat his fellow? What do those do who deal treacherously with their brethren? Verse 10. (11) What has Judah done? What was in Israel and Jerusalem? In what particulars? Verse 11. Note 2. (12) What will the Lord do to the man who thus separates from Him? Verse 12. (13) What hypocrisy did Judah and Israel show in their sins? How does God regard it? How does He receive their offering? Verse 13. (14) What question do they ask in their blindness? What specific sin does the Lord point out? For what purpose was the wife given? Verse 14. Note 3. (15) How did God make man and woman? Why? To what should every one give heed? What should not be done? Verse 15. (16) What two things does God here say that He hates? What warning does He repeat? Verse 16. (17) How had their words affected the Lord? Note 4. Why? In what two things had they especially sinned? Verse 17.

NOTES.

1. O priests.—This chapter is especially addressed to priests; but because of this no one need give it away. God designs that His people—all of them—should be priests unto the world. “And He made us to be a kingdom, to be priests unto His God and Father.” Rev. 1:6, R.V. See article in editorial department entitled “Priests of God.”

2. Abomination is committed.—The Lord counts Himself as husband to His people. See Jeremiah 3, especially verse 14; Rom. 7:4. He takes poor humanity in their vileness, gives them His own royal name and His glorious robes of righteousness. When those who have been thus honored depart from Him and unite with another, they are as truly committing adultery as is a woman who leaves her own lawful husband to become the wife of another. When the church unites with the State, she is profaning God’s holiness and committing abomination.

3. Thy companion.—God did not give man a wife to satisfy his lust, nor to be his slave or servant, nor to occupy an inferior position, even tho a different one. The original expression is “a help, meet for him,” one fitted to be his companion in a noble service for God and humanity. Husband and wife are to be one, but neither he nor she is to be the one. Both are to blend in one purpose, in one life, but neither to be the slave of the other.

4. Wearied the Lord.—We learn by this lesson that it is the false words, the hypocritical words, the false high profession that wearies God. We may be sinners, but we are always welcome if we seek Him honestly to be rid of our sin. “Pray without ceasing” is His instruction; and the prayer from the sincere soul who longs to be like God is heard of Him with pleasure.