Sunday School Lessov
(Continued bom Pin I)
Yahweh's designation of Cyrus
as bis "anointed" one was pri
marily for the sake of Israel.
Besides Yahweh there was no
God. Marduk was a meaningless
name. Yahweh ? not Marduk ?
gave strength to Cyrus, that men
might know that Yahweh was
the one ultimately responsible
tor all things.
Cyrus1 appearance as Yah
weh's instrument brought such
a change In the world situation
that Second Isaiah painted a
glowing picture of faithfulness
(righteousness) and deliverance
from the old corrupt way of life
(salvation) raining from heaven
and thrusting up from the
depths of the earth.
Yahweh's reply to those who
might be scandalized by his use
of a pagan king to accomplish
his will was blunt and to the
point: "Who are you to question
me?" He could use anyone he
chose to build his cities and set
his exiles tree.
The nations would come to
the Israelites and admit that
only through Israel was God
known to men. They would not
{ become Israelites, but they
would worship the God of Israel.
God had hidden himself from
the nations, but he had spoken
through Israel so that all nations
might come to him. In him alone
were found faithfulness and
strength.
The weakness of the idols was
shown by their failure to per
ceive what was happening in the
coming of Cyrus. From Yahweh,
however, came forth the word
that not only proclaimed what
was happening but accomplished
it as well.
Even those Israelites who
were angry with Yahweh over
the Exile would be made
ashamed. They would come and
share in his triumph, acknowl
edging that his works were
works of faithfulness, after all.
WHAT THE SCRIPTURE
SAYS TO US
A few years ago Frank Lau
bach wrote a book titled The
World la Learning Compassion.
Yet anyone who reads a news
paper or watches television has
good reason to question the op
timism of such a judgment. The
world continues to be plagued
not only by violence but by in
difference as well In fact, there
probably is more Indifferenca
to the needs of people than there
is violence.
Has God Abandoned DiT
Are we to Imply from thla
fact that the words spoken by
the unknown prophet of the
Exile were true in his day but
that God no longer works for
his people's good? Many persona
do believe that God does not
deal with us today as he did
with men "In Bible times."
Biblical faith, however, turns
(Continued Pm I) _
Electric hair dryer,
of course.
Electric
tummy
tfor those
: lines.
w* Total girl cooled and
wanned electrically.
Electric toothbrush;
for sure.
Need we say more?
Without the electricity we make here at Duke Power, a girl might as well live in
the dark ages.
And what low-priced electric service does ? for what It costs ? makes It Just
about the biggest value you can get.
Fact is, today the average Piedmont Carolina family gets about twice as much
electricity for a dollar as it did thirty years ago.
Pretty significant, when you think about how the price of almost everything else 1
has gone way up.
Duke Power