The Perquimans Weekly, Hertford, N.C., Thursday. July 13,1995 - Page S
Religion
Through prophets, Israelites can see relationships with God
By T.P. ALEXANDER
Central Newspaper Services
A prophet who lived his
message
(Hosea 1:2>9, 3:1-5)
“I will betroth thee...in right
eousness, and in judgement,
and in loving kindness, and
mercies. ” (Hosea 2:19)
With today’s lesson we
begin a two lesson study from
the book of Hosea. The name
Hosea in Hebrew means “sal
vation.” Hosea was a contem
porary of the Prophet Amos
who ministered in Israel, and
Isaiah and Micah who minis
tered in Judah. He had an
extensive ministry from about
725 B.C. to 790 B.C., more than
a half century. The Northern
Kingdom of Israel was defeat
ed by the Assyrians and
marched away in captivity in
722 B.C. So, Hosea was God’s
man on the scene in God’s
final attempt to bring the
nation to repentance and
restoration. Let’s be careful
not to miss the great overrid
ing lesson inherent in God’s
relationship with Israel: His
love. His patience. His forgive
ness, His mercy. His justice. In
these later decades of Israel’s
national history God had
selected Hosea as the prophet
who would present to Israel a
symbolic message. Through
Hosea and Gomer relationship
the people would be able to see
the picture of their own rela
tionships with God. Hosea’s
life and prophesy was to give
Israel a tangible example of
it’s spiritual idolatry and to
portray God’s love of Israel in
spite of her spiritual infidelity.
The prophet’s wife
(Verses 2-3)
“...and the Lord said to
Hosea, go, take unto thee a wife
of whoredoms and children of
whoredoms: for the land hath
committed great whoredoms,
departing from the Lord.”
(Verse 2)
The unique feature of
Hosea’s work is the way he
illustrated his teaching in his
own life and the life of his fam
ily. His work began with a
command from the Lord, and
it appears that God command
ed Hosea to marry a prostitute
who had children by her pros
titution. God was setting in
motion a human situation in
Hosea’s life that paralleled
Israel’s relationship with the
Lord. It does seem strange to
us, however. Repeatedly in the
Old Testament the nation of
Israel was represented as mar
ried to Jehovah. Bible students
have differing views on verses
2 and 3 and none seem to be set
in concrete. Whatever the
command meant it seems that
Hosea understood it perfectly
and obeyed it. God wanted
Israel to see themselves in a
particular perspective - as God
sees them, and perhaps it
would bring the nation to
repentance and the return to
the Lord
The prophet’s children
Hosea and Gomer’s first
child was a boy. God instruct
ed Hosea to name the boy
Jezreel. The Hebrew meaning
of the name Jezreel is “God
wiU scatter.” Historically, the
house of Jehu was the ruling
family of Israel. The king was
Jeroboam II. About sixty years
before he became king his
great grandfather, Jehu, had
destroyed the former ruling
family in a bloody massacre
beginning near the city of
Jezreel. Some students think
that massacre was the blood of
Jezreel that God was going to
avenge upon the house of
Jehu. Perhaps, however, I tend
to think, that there was a dif
ferent incident, a later unjust
blood-shed for which the Lord
promised vengeance. Gomer
conceived again and had a
daughter. God instructed them
to name her Lo-ruhamah -
meaning “she received no
mercy.” Again Gomer con
ceived and had a son whom
they named Lo-ammi, mean
ing “not of my people.”
(Continue reading and study
ing the remainder of the scrip
ture text for the rest of this
historical event.)
(Lesson based on the
International Sunday School
Lessons)
EVAIUS
Funeral Home
• Rorist on Location
• Pre-Arranged Funeral Services
• Pre-Funeral Plans
• Monuments Mw iiiBiTwiaf
• Area’s Largest Cha^l
• Ground Level Facilities
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Chris and Lisa
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482-7474
Hwy 32 North, Virginia Road
Services
Bay Branch
Bay Branch A.M.E. Zion Church Sunday School begins at 10
a.m. on July 16, the Senior Usher Board will observe its anniver
sary.
Minister Tavonda Jordan wiU be the guest speaker at 2 p.m.
Music will be rendered by Bay Branch and Winslow Grove
Choirs.
Jennings named NAACP
Mother of the Year
Great Hope
Great Hope Baptist Church will host a Singspiration on
Sunday, July 16 beginning at 7 p.m.
Participating in this night of singing and fellowship wUl be
Betty Chappell, Joyce Perry, The Albemarle Sounds, Teresa
Parks, and Renee Whitley along with other unannounced
singers. Several groups and individuals from the church will
participate.
Melton Grove
The women of Melton Grove Baptist Church will celebrate
Womens Day Sunday at 11 a.m. 'The guest speaker wUl be Mrs.
Carolyn Q. Coleman, special assistant to Governor James B.
Hunt Jr. She is a native of Savannah, Ga. where she graduated
from Savannah State College. She holds a bachelor of science
degree with a major in history and a minor in economics and
sociology. Mrs. Coleman has done further study at the Memphis
Theological Seminary and holds a master of science degree from
North Carolina A&T State University in adult education. She is
a communicant of the New Zion of New Zion Baptist Church in
Greensboro.
Special church services are printed each week as a
courtesy. Announcements should be submitted by
Monday at noon. All services are open to the public.
Flora Jennings represented
the Perquimans Branch of the
NAACP at the North Carolina
NAACP Mother of the Year
contest. Jennings was named
Mother of the Year for the
local branch during the annu
al Freedom Fund Banquet held
at Perquimans High School in
May. The state event was held
at the Durham Omni Hotel and
the Durham Civic Center.
Ronald Penny, North
Carolina State Personnel
Director and formerly an
attorney practicing in
Elizabeth City served as guest
speeiker for the local banquet.
Penny reminded the group
of the different things they had
gone through as a people, and
said that those of all races and
creeds had suffered hardship.
If hatred and violence are
replaced with understanding
and cooperation. Penny said
there can be changes in soci
ety. He stressed the need to
unite to fight hate and work
together for the betterment of
humanity.
According to Perquimans
County NAACP President
Open Letter
Dear Friends,
After the death of a loved one you may be
disappointed in your friends whom you
counted on. You may wonder where are they
now when you need them. Remember they
are not trained in this field and may themselves be in
pain with the loss. Seeking help or advice from a
professional counselor is not an admission of weakness.
It is a demonstration of your determination to help
yourself during this difficult period of adjustment.
Respectfully, CJ?.
^nxiBvnl
509 Dobbs Street 426 7311 Hertford
Whites hold
family reunion
The family of the late
Fernando C. and Anna White
held a reunion on July 1 at the
home of Mr. and Mrs. Michael
Hare at Kelly’s Beach.
Attending were: Kathryn
White and Jack and Betty
White of Kernersville; Dean,
Mary Ellen, Jeff, Virginia,
Caroline, Thomas, Scott and
Beth Jordan of Camden, S.C.;
Glenn, Louise and Christy
White of Fayetteville; Al, Ann
and David Felton of Franklin,
Va.; Ruth White of
Greensboro; Dorothy Hartley
of Bethesda, Md.; Steve, Beth,
Adam and Rachel Sanders of
Rock Hill, S.C.; Jo and Sid
Winslow and Art, Wannie,
Logan, Traice and Kalin
Collier, all of Rural Hall; Ann
Smith of Greenville; Garland
and LaClaire Anderson, and
Eura and Linda Hall, all of
Elizabeth City; Mike and
“Sam” Hare of Tyner; Mary
White, Lovie Winslow,
Clinton, Catherine and
Lynwood Winslow, and Dina,
Donald and Ashley Hurdle, ah
of Belvidere; Talmadge and
Barbara Rose, John and Betty
Beers, Phil, Susan, Andrew
and Courtney Harris and
Holly Rogerson, all of
Hertford.
Volunteers of the Month of June at the Perquimans
Nutrition Site were (left to right) Juanita Shacklock,
Ramon Shacklock and Katherine Reese, shown wrapping
utensils for the site. The volunteer program recognizes
involvement with the site-based and home-delivered
meals programs which operate out of the Senior Center
each weekday.
SUBMITTED PHOTO
Flora Jennings (right) repre
sented Perquimans County at
the North Carolina NAACP
Mother of the Year contest in
Durham. She was escorted by
Melvin Jennings.
Estelle Felton, the banquet
was a success, with over 200
people from across North
Carolina and even other states
attending.
m
SIGHT INTO
YESIGHT.
DR. A.R Downum
OPTOMETRIST
UNEVEN VISION
Q. If one eye is nearsighted and the other is farsighted, are
glasses necessary?
A. When one eye is nearsighted and the other is farsighted, the
patient suffers from a condition called antimetropia. This could
cause eye strain because the brain is receiving dissimilar
images from each eye. Glasses may be prescribed to correct
each eye, so the two eyes function as a team and see images
in the same way. Frequently, however, contact lenses are far
more effective in correcting this condition.
If both eyes are nearsighted - or farsighted - but the visual
acuity in each eye is significantly different, the condition is
known as anisometropia. Here, too, glasses may correct the
patient’s blurred vision, but contact lenses are generally far
more effective.
For more information on either of these eye conditions, see
your optometrist.
Dr. A.F. DOWNUM
103W. Eden St.
Edenton, N.C.
Phone: 482-8444
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My heartfelt gratitude and appreciation
goes to everyone who has been so good
to me and my family during my illness
and convalescence. I was blessed by God
with the participation of many friends
who gave a benefit supper on my behalf.
The closeness and concern of this
community has touched me deeply and
will never be forgotten.
David Harrell
INNER WARFARE AND ABUSIVE BEHAVIOR
Men and women abuse one another because of raging inner warfare. The Bible
says, “What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your
desires that battle within you?” (James 4:1). I remember a fellow in Vietnam who lost
a poker game. He was so incensed he rolled a hand-
grenade under the winner’s bunk. “You kill
and...quarrel and fight” (James 4:2).
The answer is, “You do not have because you do not
ask God” (James 4:2). Any person who rejects God has
inner turmoil. Inner warfare is bound to erupt in acts of
violence. The results are child abuse and wife beating.
Let me tell you about a murderer who was turned
around in his tracks. He knew God says, “You shall not
kill” (Exodus 20:13). He went on killing anyway; until
God convicted him. Then he said, “Once I was alive
apart from the law; but when the commandment came,
sin sprang to life and I died” (Romans 7:9). This
murderer saw how horrid his sin really was. In the
midst of terrible struggle he cried, “What a wretched
man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of
death?” Then the answer came, “Thanks be to God -
through Jesus Christ” (Romans 7:24-25),
Who was this infamous murderer? His name was
Saul. God miraculously changed him. He became the
apostle Paul.
Alexander &
Stallings
Electrical Contractors
•Indust riaK:ommercial»Residential
“Serving All Your Electrical Needs”
Office 482-2400 Highway 17 N. Near the 5 mile Y
Home 482-8594
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BE-LO SHOPPING CENTER
DAY PHONE 426-5721
NIGHTS 426-7592
Reed Oil Company
EXXON PRODUCTS
HERTFORD, NO
WcKMlard’s
Pharmacy
A10% Discount On All Prescriptions
For all Our Customers Age 60 or Older
426-5527
'This Is That," Unlimited Accents
Gift Shoppe accompanied with
Accounting & Bookkeeping By:
Smith Bookkeeoing Service
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426-2077 t1? 6rubb Street. Hertford
Chowan Hospital
Psychiatric Services
Elizabeth City 351-2008'
Edenton 482-5508
HOLLOWELL OIL CO.
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OIL PRODUCTS
Phone: 426-5745