The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1893-06-15
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
International Lesson for June Is, 1893
Messiah's Kingdom-Mal. 3:1-12.

Especially Arranged from Peloubets Notes.1
A MISSIONARY LESSON.
GOLDEN TExT.--They shall be Mine, saith
the Lord Of Hosts, in that day when make
up My jewels.-Mal 31Z
JEWISH CONTEMPORARIES belongs
10 the restoration after the return from the ex-
lie, and evidently during the efforts of Nehe-
nish to reform the nation See lessons VII
x. OF the first quarter, especially lesson x,
which belongs to the same time as Malachi
PLACE.-Jerusalem and vicinity
PLACE IN BIBLE HIsToRY-M Malachi corre-
spends with the last chapter of Nehemiah.
The last chapter of the Bible history and the
last chapter Of Bible prophecy belong to the
same period Of time.
LESSON NOTES.
The Great Need of a Saviour.-After
Nehemiah had carried on his reforms
for twelve years, he returned to Persia.
But no sooner had he left than it was
seen that reformation enforced by
the civil power, rather than the fruit
of individual conviction, had no per-
manent vitality. The tithes due to the
temple, the Levites and the priests
were not delivered, and the greatest
distress was thus caused to all who de-
pended on them for maintenance. Pub
lie worship was thus interrupted, and
the temple, forsaken by it's ministers,
was neglected by the people. The Sab
bath was profaned, both in town and
country; wine presses were busy in its
sacred hours, and the roads and fields
dottedwith the workers taking sheaves
to the barn on their heavily laden
asses Jerusalem itself was disturbed
by Sabbath fair, to which loads of
wine, grapes. figs, and much else were
carried in during the sacred hours.
Rh9nician fishermen exposed for sale
their catch off the coasts, and traders
from Tyre displayed their countless
wares. After all the professed zeal to
put an end to mixed marriages, things
we're rapidly drifting to almost worse
condition than of old. Not few hus-
bands had deserted their Jewish wives
for Philistine, Ammonite, or Moabite
women.
Thus we realize the deep and per-
vasive moral need of Redeemer from
sin for the Jews. We see their need of
a king, great ruler whose laws should
be righteous and should be obeyed,
and who would deliver them from the
power of their enemies, who were
many and powerful and oppressive on
every side. They did not need tenn
poral king, for even in the Old Testa-
ment the ideal government was a re-
public, with God in Heaven as the su-
preme ruler, and His commandments
for their constitution and laws. But
they needed exactly such king as
Jesus, the Messiah, and such king
dom as He came to establish.
Missionary Application.-To-day the
church needs, and the world needs,
just such King, Saviour, Teacher as
the Jews needed then, and in a large
measure for the same reasons.
The Messenger Preparing the Way.
The most ample proof of Gods
fulfillment Of His promise to send a
messenger is John the Baptist, of
whom our Lord bore witness Nuke
1870. Messengers sent before the
eastern kings prepared the way for the
chariots and armies of their monarchs.
A ''lking's highway" had to be carried
through the open land of the wilder
ness, valleys filed up and hills leveled
(the words used are, of course, poetical
in their greatness), winding by-paths
Strengthened, for the march of the
great army. Interpreted in it's spir-
itual application, the wilderness was
the world lying in evil.
Missionary Application.-John the
Baptist still goes before the coming
Saviour not only in the experience of
the individual, but also in the expert
ence of the church, preparing the way
for Christ's coming in the fullness of
His kingdom. There is ever a process
of preparation, in which Q) The val
leys are filed up, the sins of omission
defects of prayer, of love, of work.
(2) The mountains of pride, sin, sell
Ashness, unbelief. worldliness are
leveled. (3) The crooked places
crooked ways of sin, worldly and sell
fish living, the sending of rum, idols
and firearms to the heather, the wick
ed actions Of many travellers, the op-
pressions by stronger governments
are made straight. ~ The rough
places are made plain-the frictions
between Christian people, and differ
harshness that mar the beauty of holi-
ness. All the fruits of Christianity,
the prosperity and development it pro-
duces In CHRISTIAN nations, are prepar-
ing the way; but most of all the
Christian graces, the love, and earnest
ness, and devotion.
Coming of the Saviour. Like the
priest whose duty it was to superin-
tend the temple arrangements, and
who might at any moment knock and
demand admittance, He came sudden
In and unexnectadlv No ono kna1v
when. The rabbis say: Sometimes
He came at the cock-crowing, some
times little earlier, sometimes lit
tie later. He came and knocked, and
they opened to Him. Then said He
unto them: All We who have washed,
come and cast lots, /. e., for the priv
ilege of ministering in the daily serv-
ice. The actual coming of the Messiah
was unexpected to the Jews; they did
not recognize Him when He came. He