Living on the Brink

MEMORY VERSE: “We look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.” —II Corinthians 4:18

PSALM 33:13-17

THE entire human race is living on the brink of death, being under the condemnation that fell upon Adam because of his transgression of divine law. The entire period of life, from the cradle to the grave, is a cycle which ultimately ends in death. This is because “all in Adam die.” But we are thankful that this experience of the human race is not to last forever, for we have the assurance of God’s Word that “all in Christ shall be made alive.”—I Cor. 15:21,22

Man’s headlong plunge over the broad road that leads to destruction continues in times of peace as well as in war. Even a king over a mighty army is not necessarily safe from death by the mighty host that defends him. Just so “an horse is a vain thing for safety: neither shall he deliver any by his great strength.” There may be temporary deliverance from death in times of war, as well as in times of peace, but eventually all in Adam die.

ISAIAH 31:1-3

This section of the lesson reflects, it is claimed by students, a historical situation, which was the sending of a Jewish delegation to Egypt to obtain military help in a proposed rebellion against the Assyrians. Through Isaiah the Lord explains to his people that this is an unwise move because the chariots and horsemen of Egypt, even though strong, could not help them, and impliedly rebukes them because they “look not unto the Holy One of Israel, neither seek the Lord.” If the proposed rebellion of the Israelites against the Assyrians was proper, they should have looked to the Lord for help.

After all, the Egyptians were mere men and not God, and their horses flesh and not spirit. How clearly the Lord states the matter: “When the Lord shall stretch out his hand, both he that helpeth [the Egyptians] shall fall, and he that is holpen [the Israelites] shall fall down, and they shall all fail together.” It is always a tragic mistake for the Lord’s people to leave him out of their planning.

JEREMIAH 21:8-10

In this scripture we also have a historical situation. It was at or near the time when Babylon was about to overthrow Israel’s last king. Egypt was fighting against Babylon, and many of the Israelites believed that they could find safety within the city of Jerusalem. But this was not the Lord’s way of saving them, and he instructed Jeremiah to say that he was setting before them the way of life and the way of death.

The way of life was for them to leave the city and permit themselves to be taken captives to Babylon, and the way of death was to remain in the city and be destroyed. The Lord said, “He that abideth in this city shall die by the sword, and by the famine, and by the pestilence: but he that goeth out and falleth to the Chaldeans [Babylonians] that besiege you, he shall live, and his life shall be unto him for a prey. For I have set my face against this city for evil, and not for good, saith the Lord; it shall be given into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he shall burn it with fire.”

This forecast was carried out, and while the Israelites were taken captive to Babylon for seventy years those who yielded to this providence of the Lord did have their lives spared. They were not destroyed when the city of Jerusalem was ravished by fire.

The Memory Verse

Our memory verse presents an entirely different conception of God’s providences in the lives of his people. It is the conception of faith. This faith view of God’s providences which belong to God’s people during the Gospel Age enables us to see things in God’s dealings with us which are not seen by natural sight or understood through the natural senses.

If we are passing through trials, and calamitous things are happening in our lives, the eye of faith looks beyond these and sees the hand of God working in us as new creatures, to cause all things to work together for our good.

QUESTIONS

Describe the historical events mentioned in our lesson.

Contrast God’s dealings with his people now, with former times.

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