The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1891-12-30
SABBATH SCHOOL.
INTERNATIONAL LESSON FOR
JANUARY 8.
Lesson Text. 1.-THE Kingdom. OF
Christ" Isaiah XII, 1-10-Goi-
den Text; Psalm lxxii., s.
Commentary.

1. "And there shall come forth a rod out
of the stem Of Jesse. and O Branch shall
grow out of his roots" The prophets were
the messengers of Jehovah to the people to
turn back to God that they might
serve Him in sincerity, and manifest the
only living and true God to other nations.
They showed Israel her sins, warned them
of coming judgment if impenitsnt, reminded
them Of Gods love to them: and always
pointed forward to a restoration and glori-
Gus kingdom. The Rod or Shoot and Branch
OF Jesse is the same that was promised to
David in II Sam. VII, IL, Is. He is the Son
mentioned in lisa. vii, II; *, 6, Z. See also
Matb. j., 1; Rev. ", 5.
: 2. "And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest
upon Him, the spirit of wisdom and under
standing, the spirit Of counsel and might,
the spirit OF knowledge and of the fear OF
the Lord" Here is the fullness Of the Di-
vine power. See Col. j., IS; ii. g.; John Ill,
"a. He is the wisdom of God and the power
of God Il Cor. l., "a. In these seven state
see the Righteousness OF Jehovah, the power
to discern the nature Of things, and the diff
ference of things wisdom and understand
ing, the power to form right conclusions
and carry out right purposes Counsel and
might, a thorough acquaintance with God
and a sincere alteration Of Him knowledge
and fear). All fully found in the coming
King.
8. "And shall make Him Of quick under
standing in the fear Of the Lord; and He
shall not judge after the sight Of His eyes,
neither Ireprove after the bearing Of His
ears" The R. V. says: His delight shall
be in the fear of the Lord" or, according to
Delitsch, 'The fear of Jehovah Is fragrance
to Him" InPs. Il, g, John viii, %, the
light shines upon the first clause. And in
John vii, "a. He Himself seems to refer to
the last part Of the verse, when he tells
them to "Judge not according to the ap-
p~earance." What a glorious administration
of earth's affairs there will be when such
a king shall sit on David's throne and be
king over all the earth. See Zech. xiv, 9;
Jer. lii, II.
4. But with Righteousness shall He judge
the poor and reprove with equity for the
meek OF the earth; and He shall smite the
earth with the rod Of His mouth, and with
the breath Of His lips shall He STAY the
wicked" BE will be ~incorruptibly righteous
to all; the unfortunate and heart-broken
will find in Him a true friend. On.the first
half Of this verse read Ps. lxxii., 2-4. The
last half of the verse makes its very clear
that this kingdom Of Righteousness On earth
will not be till after the second coming Of
Christ, for it is only then that He will smits
the nations and destroy the Antichrist. See
Fs. H., 8, 9; II Thsss. H., 8. In connection
with Rev. H., 90, 81; xix, 1l-16.
s And Righteousness shall be the girdle
of His loins and faithfulness the girdle OF
His reins.n All Hisdoings shall be bound up
in Righteousness and faithfulness, and the
fruit thereof shall be peace, quiteness and
assurance forever sa.x1xii, 1918. When
God shall makeHis firstborn higher than the
kings Of the earth, then shall mercy be built
up forever and faithfulness be established
FPS. xxx, 2, 27.) It is the privilege OF
every true believer to antedate the kingdom
by enjoying this peace even now.
9. THE wolf also shall dwell with the
lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with
the kid; aud the cali, and the young lion,
and the failing together; and a little child
shall lead them" There Is no need to spirit.
uaGze this and the next two verses, As so
many do. The simple statement is that the
animals here mentioned. which now devour
each other, shall in the days Of the kingdom
live in perfect peacs together, as no doubt
they did before sin entered this world. See
lisa. l1v, II, 25: Rom. viii, u.
{, 8. And the cow and the bear SHALL feed;
their young ones shall lie down together;
and the lion shall eat straw like the OK; and
the sucking child shall play on the hole Of
the asp, and the weaned child shall put his
hand on the cockatrics den." Fierce and
bloodthirsty conflicts now rage among all
creatures, rational and irrational, but the
peace of Paradise shall be restored; and this
prophecy shall be realized on this earth, for,
although we are taught to expect q great
burning and shaking, nevertheless we look
for a new heaven and earth wherein dwelleth
Righteousness Heb. xii, 81. 2S: II Pet, Ill.
49,. Then shall mar have the dominion first
given him In Eden, and promised to be re-
stored to him (Gen. l., 2S; Dan. vii 21.
9. "They shall! not nur5 nor destroy in all
My holy mountain; for the earth Snail be
full Of the knowledge Of the Lord, as the
q city Of truth and holiness; Israel, as a
people, shall be all righteous, and Palestine
shall be the happy and honored center Of the
whole earth tZech. viii. 8; lisa. k, 81; xvii,
o.. In those days, as completely as the
water cover the ses, leaving not q crevics
untitled, so shall the 4 DRY Of the Lord I'LL
the whole earth Mum. xiv, 81: Hab. H.. Il;
Ps. xxi, 1920. Then shall Gods will be
done on earth as in heaven, and the Kingdom
come. .
10. "And in that day there shall be a root
of Jesse, which shall stand for an ensign OF
the people; to it shall the Gentiles seek; and
His rest shall be glorious" The expression
''rhaG day." wherever found in Scripture.
has its own peculiar significance. See it
seven times in chapter <. to XII. The COM
ing King is not only a branch from Jesse,
but also the root Of Jesse; the root and or
spring of David REV. xii, 49,, David's son
and David's Lord; the Goldman, truly God
and truly man. He is the son Of Mary, son
Of David, son Of Abraham, son OF God. to sit
David's throne, draw all nations unto
Him, and give them the rest Ut His glory
(Math. l., /; Luke j., 32-35; lisa. H.,
IA. If we are now redeemed by His
bloo1, and overcoming by the same, we
shall reign with Him in His kingdom
REV. xii, II; ", 9, 10; ill.,, 2l. That ell
nations shall seek unto Him, and TO lsrael
of Him, is evident from many testi-
monies of the Spirit through the prophets.
"Arise, shine, for thy light is come, and the
glory Of the Lord is risen upon thee. AND
the Genttles shall come to thy light, and
kings to the brightness of thy rising" TAT
that time they shall call Jerusalem the
throne Of the Lord, and all the nations b
be gathered into it, to the name of the Lord
to jerusalem lisa. tx, ], 3; Jer. ILL.,, III. See
also lisa. H., /, 3; Mic. iv., l., 2. As to the
glory of His rest, think Of time when there
Shall be no more pain, nor sickness, nor sor-
row, nor death; no more curse on all inc
earth, the devil forever banished, nd all
kings and nations w%orshiping Jesus, Prince
of Peace, Who shall then be not only Kingof
Israel but King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
Read Rev. Xxx, xxi, xii, and select the
verses you want, for the three chapters are
full. It shall be earth's Sabbath, preceding
the New Earth Lesson Helper.
COMPARISONS are odorous"-ant
somebody will think the following
announcement out Of all taste, and
smelling very strong Of anarchy, and
all that sort of thing. Without pre-
tending to settle the question of ethics
an nood tnsto or tho donree of crime