The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1892-03-23
SABBATH SCHOOL.
INTERNATIONAL LESSON FOR
MARCH 27.
Lesson Text: 1.-THE Blessings of tho
Gospel, Isaiah xl., lilo Quarterly
Mission Lesson) Golden Texts
Isaiah xl., documentary. -

y
saith your God" This chapter begins the
second section of this great prophecy, which
is so frequently quoted from by the New
Testament writers as words of Isaiah the
prophet that every believer should be per-
fectly satisfied that the SAME Isaiah wrote,
by the Spirit, the whole book. See Math.
viii, II; xii, II; Luke iv., Is, 10.
2. "Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem,
and cry unto her that her warfare (appointed
time margin) is accomplished, that her ini-
guilty is pardoned" This is Jerusalem, the
throne of Jehovah, the principal city in the
Holy Land, representing Gods people in the
days Of Isaiah, Judah and Israel; aud these
words are for their hearts, with special ref
erence to days yet future when their ap-
pointed time Of deliverance shall come, and
the iniquity of the land shall be removed in
one day. tzech. ILL.,, 81 Gabriel spoke Of
this to Daniel in the revelation of,his seventy
weeks which should end in the bringing in Of
everlasting Righteousness, and making an
end of iniquity, transgression and sin. For
the seventieth week or period we still wait.
tDan. i1., A-27.)
3. "The voice Of Him that crieth in tho
wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord.
make straight In the desert highway for
our God." From Math. ILL, 8; Luke iii. 4
S; John l., %, we have no difficulty In locat-
ing the application of this verse, or, at
least, its nearer application, for many proph-
ecies have double horizon, a nearer and a
more remote.
4. Livery valley shall be exalted, and
every mountain and hill shall be made low
All hindrances shall be removed or overcome
in that day, and all things restored to Israel
that the prophets have foretold; but in Acts
iii, 81, VIC read that this shall be when
Christ shall come a second time. When
John the Baptist came in the spirit and
power Of ijah he wasrejected by the rulers,
and so also was the Christ luke j., II;
Math. xi., 18, 10; xvii, 12l, and He plainly
told Israel that they knew not the time Of
their visitation, and that they would not see
Him again until they could be ready to vel
come Him duke xix, 4l-44; Math. xiii,
3g.
S. Sand the glory of the Lord shall be re.
vealed, and all flesh shall see it togather. for
the mouth of the Lord hath spoken It ~
When Jesus came the first time it was in
humiliation, not in glory phil. H., 5-s), and
His glory was seldom seen, and by but a
very few, as on the Mount Of Transfgura.
tion, and at the marriage in Cana John j.,
Il: H., 1l;II Pet. l., l6, IN. But when He
shall come in glory bringing His saints with
Him. every eye shall see Him iMath. XIV,
81; Col. iii, a; Rev. l., y. Our lesson does
not therefore describe the blessings Of the
church from all nations (Acts xv., l4, but
the blessings that will be when after Christ's
second coming Israel shall be the mission
aries to the whole world
g. THE voice said, Cry. And he said.
What shall cry? All flesh is grass, and ali
the goodness thereof is the flower of the
field" We see the meaning of this verse by
comparing Psalms CHI, IS; James /, 10. IL.
Verse II OF this chapter also helps to explain
it. Man can do nothing toward his own
redemption. Salvation is Of the Lord
Jonah ii, 81 from beginning to end.
z. "The grass withereth. the flower fad.
eth, because the spirit of the Lord bloweth
upon it; surely the people is grass" To
dence in man and worship idols, the works
of mems hands, was Israefs sin. To desire
king like other nations, when God wished
them to be separate from all nations and let
Him be their King, was great sin against
God.
8. 'The grass withereth. the flower fadeth,
hut the word CT our God shall stand for
eyer." Man and his glory shall fade away;
his lofty looks and his haughtiness shall be
bowed down, and the Lord alone shall be ex-
allied in that day Qsa. H., II, ~. The world
passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he
that ..doeth the will of God abideth forever
and Righteousness and purposes are all vain,
unless in accord with tie word of the Lord
Il Pet. j., 1925.
9. 70 thou that tellest good tidings to
Zion, get thee up into the high mountain; o
thou that tellest good tidings to Jerusalem,
lift up thy voice with strength; lift it up, be
not afraid; say unto the cities Of Judah, Be-
hold your God" marginal reading and Re-
vised Version. a magnificent verse, but
Zion, Jerusalem and Judah mean
just what the names imply and not the
church. Isa. xxv., 8, 8; ill.,, 7.l0 give clear
light upon it. The Lord shall build up Zion
when He shall appear in His glory (Ps. CHI,
16), and then He will bring the church back
with Him (Col. ill.,. a. Therefore let us be
obedient and give Him no rest till He makes
Jerusalem praise in the earth Qsa. xii,
6, q. Every soul now won to Christ hastens
His return.
10. behold, the Lord God will come with
strong hand, and His arm shall rule for Him;
behold, His reward is with Him, and His
work before Him." At His first coming He
came in weakness, but He will come again
in power for the redemption Of His people,
Israel; recompense to His people, vengeance
to His enemies. Please take the trouble to
read carefully these passages and prove what
say lisa. XIV. A. xiii, 4, Luke xxi, 81,
%: Heb. tx, 28. Even we who are now
saved and have the first fruits Of
the Spirit wait longingly for the redemption
Of our bodies at the resurrection Of the just
the first resurrection, when we shall receive
our rewards for service rom. viii, 2S;
Phil. iii, 20, 21; Luke xiv, II; Rev. XIX, 5,
8; xii, 12). After that He will return
with us in glory for the redemption of
Israel and of the world. For we read, 1.-THE
Lord my God shall come and all the saints
with Thee" "The coming Of our Lord
Jesus Christ with all His Saints." "If we
believe that Jesus died and rose again, even
so them also. which sleep in Jesus will God
bring with Him" tzsch. XIV, S; Thess.
ill.,, 13, iv., H. and in Rev. xix, 11-16, we
read that when Christ shall come In glory
as King Of Kings and Lord Of Lords, the
armies in Heaven shall follow Him, as
He comes to overthrow the beast aud the
false prophet, and shut up the devil in the
bottomless pit. These armies we judge
from their clothing to be the saints. the re-
deemed from the earth (verses Z, G, 14I. The
great and ever recurring question in every
lesson should be- "ls he my Lord God, and
10 rejoice in HIM. II so, am by His
grace ''steadfast unmovable, always
abounding in the work Of the Lord, knowing
that my labor is not vain in the Lord%
Il Cor. xv, $751; To be vessel, empty,
clean, filed with His Spirit and meet for
His service, is this my honest desire?-Lesson
Helper.