The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1893-01-25
SABBATH SCHOOL.
INTERNATIONAL LESSON FOR
JANUARY 20.
Lesson Text: "rhe Spirit of the
Lord" Zech. iv.. 1@10-Golden
Text: Zech. iv., g.
Commentary.

Commentary.
l. "And the angel that talked with me
came again and walked me, as man that il
wakened out of his sleeo" The mortal body
refreshing sleep. Even on the mount Of
TRANSPORTATION and in the garden of Geth
semane, the most joyful and the most sor-
rowful events Of Scripture, we see holy men
asleep. As to an angels touch see I Kings
xix, 5, Z; Acts xii, g Dan. K, TO- and re.
member that they minister unto you if you
are an heir Of salvation Heb. l., 14. A.
spiritual sleep or inability to grasp or even
become Interested very much in the things
of God lie greatly to be deplored. but is very
common even among Christians. Cares and
riches and pleasures of this life choke the
word Luke viii, a.. Following men in
stead Of THE MAN, or depending upon ordi.
nances instead Of upon HIM, tend to spirit
ual sleep Il Cor. iii. /; xi., 3G. But see
ROM, xiii. II; Eph. ", IA, and let us ask
God by His Spirit to awaken us at any cost
2. "And said unto me, What seess thou?
And said, I have looked, and, behold, q
candlestick all of gold" The prophet would
think Of the golden candlestick Of the taber-
nacls and those Of the temple. They gave
light In the holy place and were daily
trimmed and replenished with oil. Israel
had been chosen and brought out OF Egypt
to be light for God among the nations.
Their sin and captivity had obscured the
light, which was God, in their midst. The
prophet is now being taught that God will
present desolate condition. Not only shall
she be cleansed and clothed as in the pre-
vious vision, but 1t shall be said to her:
"Arise, shine, for thy light Is come, and the
glory OF the Lord is risen upon thee" "The
Lord shall be unto thee an everlasting light
and thy God thy glory" Elsa. X, !, l9, 20l.
8. "Aud two olive trees by it, one upon
the right side of the bowl and the other upon
the left side thereof" By reading verse IL
with verses and it would seem that the
prophet saw lampstand bearing seven
lamps; a great central bowl having either
one or seven pipes leading to each lamp;
then on the other side an olive tree, with a
golden pipe from each tree to the central
bowl-in other words, self-supplying lamp
stand apart from any help Of man. -,
4. $50 / answered and spake to the
angel that talked with me, saying, What
are these, my Lordg' This question is re-
peated in verses II and IL and answered in
verse IA, and as those verses are not includ.
ed in the lesson this is the place TO consider
them. As without the oil there could be
no light and without the trees no oil, we see
the Importance Of this question and answer.
What then Is meant by the two anointsd
ones? The only class Of people anoipted in
Scripture are priests and kings IA prophet
once). Jesus is the great Priest-King. BE
was typefed in these Offices by Aaron and
Moses, but at the time Of the lesson by
Joshua Of the previous chapter and Zerub-
baebl Of this chapter. II you would be
light in this world for Him, you must know
Him not only as your priest having put
sion for you, but also your personal king or
lord or proprietor, you being ready to do
whatever He may appoint. -,.
s.. Then the angel that talked with me
answered and said unto me, Knowest thou
not what these be? And said, No. my
Lord" See also verse 19. Confession OF
ignorance, combined with willingness to be
taught, is good attitude of soul, and where
this Is found God will send q teach.r-au
angel II need be-to show us that which is
noted In the Scripture of Truth Dan. 4,
2p.' See the story Of Cornelius and Peter
and the angel in Acts Z.
6. This is the word Of the Lord unto
Zerubbabel, saying Not by might nor by
Hosts" Not the wisdom nor the might Of
man, but only the Spirit Of God can accom-
plish any work for God. We are not to
glory in wisdom or riches or might, but
only In the Lord tJer. tx. %. 2D. Jesus
said, without Me ye can do nothing"
John xv., s. And even the men who had
been nearest to Him had to wait for the
decent Of the Spirit, that they might be
endured with power for service Luke xiv,
!. "Who art thou, o great mountain?
Before Zerubbabel thou shalt become
plain" A mbuntain may represent any
great difficulty and is sometimes used TO
represent q kingdom tJer. H., "a, 25l. The
kingdom Of satan shall yet be thrown
down. All the kingdoms Of this world
shall yet become the kingdoms OF our Lord
and Of His Christ tRev xi., 15. The true
vet be manifest in Jesus Of Nazareth as
head OF the church, Messiah Of Isreal, King
Of Kings and Lord Of Lords, and from be-
ginning to end the work shall bs seen to be
all Of grace.
8. Moreover, the Word Of the Lord came
unto me, saying" while all else may pass
away the Word of our God shall stand
forever, and be that doeth the will OF God
abideth forever lisa. xi., 8; John IL, ~.
ssForever o Lord, Thy word is settled in
Heaven (Ps. cxix., &c.,.
9. ''The hands Of Zsrubbabel have laid
the foundation Of this house; his hands shall
also finish It," This was literally true OF
that building. See Ez. VII, IA. 1t shall DO
true or Jesus and all that the Father has
given Him tn DO he finished the work of
atonement John xviii, 4I. he will finish
the building Of His body, the church; He
will put away the iniquity Of Israel and
bring in everlasting righteousness for her.
and Ha will fill the whole earth with His
glory. he will subdue all things unto Him
self and give back to the Father q perfect
earth without sin or stain (Eph. j., 81, %;
Dan tx, "a; lsa. Il, O.; I Cor. xv.. 81. For
your own personal comfort eat, IL Tim. l.,
u: Phil. l., 6. .,. .-...
10. '.For who hath despised the day OF
small things? 1t is not the seen but the
unseen that moves the believer, who. like
Moses, endures AS seeing Him weQAs lnVls-
ible Heb. XII, 81; II Cor. iv., II, 49,. he, by
the grace of Co.. is able to say with Asia,
'Lord, it is. nothing with Thee to help.
whether with many or with them that have
no power" III Chron. xiv, ll,, and with
Jonathan, There is no restraint to the
Lord to save by many or by few" Il Sam.
xiv, g.. The Lord chooses the weak things
of the world, and things which ara mol, 70
bring to naught things which are, Tor he
will have no flesh to glory In His presence
Il Cor. j., .1, 2S,.
Then see the comfort In the last clause
of this verse OF our lesson and put Win IL
II enron. xvi, 9, an take 1t home toyour-
sell, and be sCrong in the Lord and In tne
power OF his might lEph. vi. 10. Be
strong and work, for the Lord Is "ltn
YOU IHe. H., A.-Lessop Helper.
r ,,;,,,I,nca of the national