Skip to main content
Open
Main navigation
Home
Projects
Themes
African American History
American Experience
Art & Design
Civil War Era
Freedmen's Bureau
Mysteries of the Universe
Women's History
Museums and Archives
Archives of American Art
Freedmen's Bureau
Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics
Search
About
Tips
Blog
Smithsonian Digital Volunteers: Transcription Center
Sign up
Log in
Transcribe page 14 of 41
This transcription has been approved!
Switch to vertical layout
Switch to horizontal layout
Go to previous page
Return to project home
Go to next page
Page #
Go
Download PDF for NMAAHC-2013_208_8_2_014 (project ID 11982)
Post NMAAHC-2013_208_8_2_014 (project ID 11982) to Facebook
Tweet NMAAHC-2013_208_8_2_014 (project ID 11982)
Instructions
Transcription
94 THE CONVENTION TEACHER II. IMPARTIAL JUSTICE SHOWN. (VV.8-14) (8) And the word of the Lord came to Zechariah, saying, The interest in the people's welfare is still kept up. God's word was still given to the prophet to help the people become a true people. (9) Thus speaketh the Lord of hosts, saying, Execute true judgment, and show mercy and compassions every man and his brother: The duties here required of them which would have lengethened the tranquillity of their fathers, and must be restoring of their tranquility are not keeping fasts, offering and sacrifices, but doing justly and loving mercy,-duties to which they were bound by the light and law of nature, though there had been no prophets sent to insist upon them; duties which had a direct tendency to the public welfare and peace, and which they themselves would be gainers by and not God. (10) And oppress not the widow, nor the fatherless, the stranger, nor the poor; and let none of you imagine evil against his brother in your heart. Whether in trading, in any kind of business dealings or in the matters of law, the rulers or magistrates must not oppress the widow, the fatherless (orphans), the stranger and the poor. The weakest must not therefore be thrust to the wall, because they are weakest, no thanks to man, not to deny right to those who are in capacity to demand it, and recover it; but we must not only for wrath, but also for conscience's sake, give those their own who have not power to force it from us. Or, it intimates that that which is but exactness with others is exaction upon the widows and fatherless; nay, that not relieving and helping them as we ought, is in fact oppressing them. They must not only not do wrong to any, but they must not so much desire it, or think of it. let none of you imagine evil against his brother in your heart. Do not project it, do not wish it, nay, do not so much as please yourself with the fancy of it. (11) But they refused to hearken, and pulled away the shoulder, and stopped their ears, that they should not hear. Here is a description of the willfulness and disobedience of their fathers who persisted in all manner of wickedness and injustice, notwithstanding those exhortations and admonitions frequently given them in God's name. Observe those carnal minds showing forth their stubborness, which carnal mind is enmity against God, and is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. They were obstinate and refractory and persisted in their transgressions of the law purely from a spirit of contradiction to the law. They would not, if they could help it come within hearing of the prophets, but kept at a distance. If they could not avoid hearing what they said, they resolved they would not heed. They refused to hearken and looked another way if they had not been spoken to. If they did hear what was spoken to them, and, as it seemed, inclined at first to comply with it, yet they flew off when it came to the setting to, and like a bullock, unaccustomed to the yoke, they pulled away the shoulder, and would not submit to be the easy yoke and light burden of God's commandments. They gave a withdrawing shoulder. They seemed to lay their shoulder to work, but they presently withdrew it again. They filled their own minds with prejudices against the word of God, and had some objection ready wherewith to fortify themselves against every divine message they heard. They stopped their ears that they should not hear, none are so deaf as those that will not hear, that make their own ear unheeding. (12) Yea, they made their hearts as an adamant stone, lest they should hear the law, and the words which the Lord of hosts hath sent in his Spirit by the former prophets: therefore came a great wrath from the Lord of hosts. They resolved that nothing which was said to them for the enforcing of their injunctions, should make any impressions upon them. They made their hearts as an adamant stone, as a diamond, the hardest of stones to be worked upon; or as a flint, which the mason cannot hew into shape as he can other stones of the quarry. Nothing is so hard, so malleable, so inflexible, as the heart of a presumptuous unbeliever. (13) Therefore it is come to pass, that as he cried, and they would not hear: so they cried, and I would not hear, saith the Lord of hosts. As he cried to them in their prosperity to leave their sins and they would not, so they cried in their trouble to save them and He would not. With such open rebellion on their part to obey, even though God was seeking to hear from them, they [[end page]] [[start page]] THE CONVENTION TEACHER 95 maliciously would not heet His plea. (14) But I scattered them with a whirlwind among all the nations whom they know not. Thus the land was desolate after them, that no man passed through nor returned; for they laid the pleasant land desolate. Notice the fatal consquences of their evil hearts and corrupt minds. To their fathers came a fatal consequence - great wrath. God was highly displeased with them and justly; He required nothing of them but what was reasonable in itself, and beneficial to them; and yet they refused and in a most insolent manner. What master could bear to be abused by his own servnats? This was unbearable enmity to the law and the prophets as they flew off from their duty and allegiance to God and were of unsettled spirits. So God dissipated them and threw them abous as chaff before the whirlwind. He scatterfed them among the nations they knew not, and whom therefore they could not expect to receive any kindness from as tehy violated the laws of the land, so God took away all the glories of it. They were so scattered that they did not know any among them. III. DIVINE ENCOURAGEMENTS AMID DIFFICULTIES. (VV. 16, 17) (16) These are the things that ye shall do; Speak ye every man the truth to his neighbor; execute the judgment of truth and peace in your gates. Let these people do the duty which these promises call for from them. The very same duties which the former prophets pressed upon their fathers from consideration of the wrath threatened, this prophet presses upon them from the consideration of the mercy promised. "Leave it to God to perform for you what he has promised, in his own way and time but upon condition that you make conscience of your duty. These are the things you should do, this is your part of the covenant; the articles which you are to perform, fulfil and keep, that you may not put a bar in your own door and stop the current of God's favors. Speak ye every man the truth to his neighbors-You must never tell a lie, but always speak as you think and as the matter is, to the best of your knowledge. Speak the truth both in bargains and in common talk. Dread every word that looks like a lie. Execute the judgment of truth and power in your gates. Those who are intrusted with the administration of public justice must see to it, not only that none be wronged by it, but that those who are wrong, be righted by it. Let the judges that sit in the gates, in all their judicial acts have regard both to truth and to peace. Let them take care to do justice to accommodate differences, and to prevent vexatious sins. (17) And let none of you imaginge evil in your hearts against his neighbor; and love no false oath: for all these are things that I hate, saith the Lord. No man must bear malice against his neighbor, upon my account. This is the same given early in the book. We must not only keep our hands from doing evil, but we must watch our own hearts that they imagine not any evil against our neighbor. Inquiry and mischief must be crushed in the thought at the start. and love no false oath: Great reverence must be had for an oath and conscience made of it. "Never take a false oath, nay, love no false oath; hate it, dread it, keep it at a distance from it. Love not to impose oaths upon others, lest they swear falsely; love not that any should take a false oath for your benefit and foreswear themselves to do you kindness." A good reason is given against all these corrupt and wicked practices:- For all these are things I hate, and therefore you must hate them, if you expect to have God as your friend. These things are forbidden, and all are found among the seven things which the Lord hates. LIVING TOGETHER IN GOD'S Way Living together in God's way means to have a feeling of unity and peace toward our families, our neighborhood, our country and the people of all other lands. When we love Him and have regard for His commandments and His will, it becomes our desire to please God by living according to His law, or standard. If we do not love Him and do not strive to obey Him, there is constant trouble among us. To be kind, thoughtful, helpful and unselfish is God's way. QUESTIONS ON THE LESSON 1. What makes a nation great? 2. What do we mean by a divine standard? 3. How do we know God's standard?
Notes on Transcribing this page (optional)
This section can be used to communicate any questions or concerns to Smithsonian staff, as well as other volunteers, about this transcription. Do not use to transcribe extraneous notes made by collector or other institutions.
Math question
4 + 0 =
Solve this simple math problem and enter the result. E.g. for 1+3, enter 4.
Inactivity Warning
We will release your lock in
5:00
.
Click here if you are still working on this page.