The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1890-02-20
SUNDAY SCHOOL.
LESSON FOR SUNDAY. FEB. 2s.
Tho Temptation of Jesus" Luke iv., /.
13-Golden Text: Hebrews IL. IS
Notes and Comments.

We might, with much profit, stop TO speak OF
the Jordan divided for the millions Of Israel
TO pass over into the promised land, when the
Ark-type Of the same Lord Jcsus.-stood in
the midst on the priests shoulders till every
one had passed over: divided again for Eli
and Elisha, and third time for Elisha: but
both che Ark OF the Covenant and the priests
who bare IL, Elijah and Elisha, and all the
prophets, as well as all the Bible and the his
tory contained In IL, Ioint MS TO Him whom,
In this lesson we see returning from Jordan
filed with the Spirit. II the l4th verse of
the chapter was included in our lesson. we
would then say that the lesson begins and
ends with n record of Jesus returning from
certain places filed with the Spirit first to
be tried and then to minister; aud II we are
not willing to be filled with the Spirit for
trial, can we expect that God will fill us with
His spirit for servicel
I, .. "And was led by the spirit into the
wilderness, being forty days tempted Of the
devil" We have seen the Holy Spirit In the
birth OF Christ, and at His baptism, and now
We see Him filling the leading Christ, and.
whether we see Christ preaching. teaching
working miracles offering Himself sacri-
flee, or rising from the dead, It is the Spirit
In Him that does IL ALL
And I'm those DAYS He did ent nothing;
and when they were ended, He afterward
hungered" The forty days fast reminds us
of the fastingsof of the two men who after.
TRANSPORTATION. OF Moses il is written, in
reference 10 both periods Of forty days and
nights when he was i'm the mount with God,
that he did neither eat bread nor drink
water Dcut tx, q, lsl, and of Elijah IL is
written that he went in the strength NJ that
meal (which the angel had prepared forty
days and forty nights unto lureh the Mount
e God q. Kings XIX, -. There is no doubt
more in the forty days fast Of Theses won
derful three than we have yet seen or shall
sec till the kingdom comes but we shall do
well day by day tO see no man save Jesus
only Matt. xvii, -.
3. "If Thou be the Son of God. command
this stone that Il bc made bread The ia
ther of lies insinuates that perhaps lie Is not
the Son Of God. but only mere man. just
poor carpenter from NaAyeth, making pre-
tensions OF being some great one and t.lnt
He had better return 20 His humble home or
else give some token OF His power. II ia
poor thing for the Son OF God TO bc hungry
when he can. by a word, turn stones into
bread. Let Him satisfy His hunger. Does
not the reader df he or she be a Christian
recognize in this tempter the samo one who
has often whispered 10 YOU: "lf you were n
child Of God, would He LET you want Tor this
or that which you certainly need. Can He
really love you rs YOU think He does and
deny YOU the very nrccSsaries of life. or keep
from you this little qualification" Thus the
tempter Of Eve and " Christ still seeks to
overcome the children Of God 10y leading
them 20 question the love of God or 10 doubt
that they are His children.
4. "ltis written that man shall not live by
bread alone, but by every word of God
This is the reply Of Christ 10 the tcnpter.
The outward indications were that God had
failed him, but Jesus places the word of God
against all other evidences and rests un-
moved ON what is written. Believing j. bet
ter than seeing.
4.
ell shall be Thine The statements Of these
verses that the devil took Him 10 an high
mountain and showed Him all the kingdoms
Of the world In "A moment OF time, cannot be
understood or explained by us. but can berc-
ceiyed, on the authority ot the Holy Spirit,
who, through the servant of God wrote
these things and implicitly beloved The
full power of the devil we are not familiar
with tnor do we want TO bel, nor j, 10 fully re-
vealed jesus elsewhere calls him IA" prince
of this world, and Paul speaks Of him as the
prince OF the power of the air and the god of
this world. while John, IN Revelation, speaks
of u time when the dcyil will give to Anti
christ that which IN our lesson he offered 10
Christ that ms boast III his temptation
does not seem to have been altogether q vain
one. This world Is the Lurds by creation. lie
gave it 10 Adam. but Adam. hy his sin. gave
the devil a claim 10 u which he has not failed 10
make use of. and ~ 80 true today that The
whole world licth in the evil one I John s..
10, X. ". This statement !, true not only of
heatheudom, but also OF thrl.t-ndum, and
in some measure of the Christian church II
the manifest works ~ the devil indicate his
property, tnon that which he docs not con
troll is a small section ot CaTtt and small
number of people. But Daniel saw i'm vision
the kingdom aud dominion under the whole
heaven given a. the Son Of Man and 90 the
saints Of the Most High Dan. VII. H. l4
Al .... ....
short cut and apart from suffering that which
in due time will be all His. CSer Rev. Ni =,
10, lSl.
s "Get thee behind me Satan. for It is writ
ten, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy iiol,
and Him only shalt thou serve Again Jesus
is victor and the sword at the Spirit Is the
successful weapon. The Word Of God is more
TO Jesus than all the glory OF all the kingdoms
OF this world and eageIness 20 do the will Of
God crowds out all else
Gil. III Thou be the Son Of God cast thy
self down from hence" The conflict Is now
in Jerusalem, the Holy CITY, and. on n PIN
nacle of the temple, and in presenting this
temptation the adversary also seeks 10 WELD
the sword Of the Spirit, but he did as 80 many
do to-day quoted only the part OF the passage
which seemed Ia suit his purpose emitting
that which would have condemned him. Tho
words quoted are given in the Palm r. Nci.,
g-l3 as the result Of making tn" Lord. the
do as the devil suggested would surely he u
ceasing 20 abide under the shadow OF tho Al
mighty. or To make the Most High ono's hnhi.
tation, and therefore, the conditions being
broken, the promise would bo forfeited.
Abiding in Christ and in the love of God we
need fear no evil, but are perfectly sa:u in
His keeping.
~. "And Jesus, answering, said unto
him, 1t is said, Thou shall not tempt tac
Lord thy God Again the sword OF the
Spirit flashes, and This time IL is "a word
from Deut vi. H. the context of which iS:
'Ye shall diligently keep th" command
ments of the Lord your God and
thou shalt do that which is right and good in
the sight of the Lord.' II We would not bo
guilty Of tempting the Lord, let Us keep His
commandments and do right IN His sight
Listening To any other voice but His, even 10
the voice of the best Of men, we are apt 10 be
led astray.
49, "And when the devil had ended all the
temptation. he departed from Him Tor sea.
SON. Matthew and Mark add that angels
came and minstered unto Him, Although
no human eyes witnessed this Connlct who
can tell what hosts of angels, good and bad,
were present the bad IN tull sympathy with
their leader and eager for his victory, the
good in full sympathy with Christ, but COM
PEELED 10 stand aside till the enemy WAS van
guished. With joyful hearts they now re-
N.