The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1894-07-05
the SUNDAY eOHOOl.
IpSsrnational Lesson for July o, 1904
shs Presentation In the Tenpls-Luks
otoR IA


stss-SA tts EHtFH
Especially Arranged from Peloubets Notea
GOLDEN TExr-A light TO tighten the Gen.
tiles, and the glory Of Thy people Isrsel-Luke
0:s2
TINE Early in February. B. q =; forty days
after the last lesson.
PLAcE-In the temple at Jerusalem, where
Joseph and Mary had gone for one day, from
Bethlehem, TO present the child Jesus TO the
Lord.
JOHN THE BAPTIST was young babe seven
or eight months old at Hebron
Jrsus-Born the last Of December b C. B,
was circumcised on the eighth day, and named
Jesus the Greek form Of the Hebrew name
Joshua, l. e, Saviour" or Jehovah, the Sa-
viour." The family we're still living at Bethle-
hem. The next event was the presentation at
the temple. when Jesus was forty days old
THE SECTION OF HIsToRy.-Luke 2:2o&
THE OUTLINE ID The birth OF Jesus (2)
The angels song (a) The presentation in the
temple. (D Simeon's hymn Of praise, the Nunc
Dimittts t5) The wise men from the east
LESSON NOTES.
The Presentation in the Temple
VS.. 21-24. When Jesus was forty days
old the Holy Family went up from
Bethlehem to perform two ceremonies
required by the Jewish law. The first
was that of the ceremonial purifica-
ton of Mary, described in Leviticus
12. For this, two offerings were re-
quired-a lamb for a burnt offering,
and turtle dove or young pigeon for
a sin offering. But any poor person
might substitute another turtle dove
or young pigeon for the lamb, as we
see that Mary did luke 2:24). This
was distinctly called "the poor's offer
ing'' CTalmud), and shows the moder-
ate circumstances of the family A
lamb was worth seventy-fve cents Tor
the wages of five ordinary days work.,
while turtle dove was worth about
eight cents. and sometimes was as low
as two cents.
The other ceremony was the Re-
demption of the First-born, commonly
in the case of Jesus called the Presenta-
ton in the Temple, because in his case
the ceremony was performed in the
temple. though this was not necessary.
Every first-born male child, like the
first fruits of the farm. was consecrated
to God, belonged to Him, because the
first-born of the children of Israel had
been preserved from the destroyer who
slew the first-born of all the Egyptians
(EX 1872, l3-15). The oldest sons
would naturally become the priests
and religious teachers of the people.
But God afterwards chose the whole
tribe of Levi for these services instead
of the first-born Mum. S:12, 13). In
recognition of this, the frst-born son
was consecrated to God, and redeemed
to the family by the payment of five
shelxels ($2.75) Mum. 3:44-4S; 1910.
Conservation of Children.--Parent
should, in their hearts and purpose,
consecrate their children to God from
their birth. For they are the gift of
Gods love. In them are vast possibili-
ties for good or for evil for themselves
and for others, for time and for eter-
nifty. A child is too precious jewel
for us to be careless about, lest, as the
man returning from Africa with his
whole fortune in one diamond, tossed
it up in sport till at last it fell into the
sea, so we too lose the soul of the child.
| We shall best care for the child If we
| devote him to Christ and His church
| las the Puritans dedicated their college
| Christie ct Ecclesia). This will help
us in training him, it will save him
from many dangers, it will help him to
devote his own life to God and man.
Jesus is the Light of the World
Light is mysterious in nature, ineffa-
bly, bright and glorious, everywhere
present, swift-winged, undetilable.
Light is the source of life, of beauty,
of manifested realty, of warmth. com
fort, and joy, of health and of power.
1t destroys all darkness: it unites in
itself purity and clearness. Without
it the world would be but a mass of
coldness and death. Now what light
does for the natural world, Jesus does
| for the world of man. for mind, soul
and spirit. And the glory of thy peo-
pie Israeli" The light that shines the
| farthest is brightest at it's source.
| Christ, who enlightens the distant ma
| ton, must shine with the most glori-
GUS light on his own nation. That the
| Messiah, the worlds Redeemer, was a
Jew, gloritied that nation. If they had
only received Him, He would have made
them the center of the worlds civiliza-
tion and religion, the greatest and most
influential nation that ever existed.
The pupil of Moses may ask himself
whether all the princes of the house OF
David have done SO much for the Jews
as that Prince who was crucified on
| Calvary. Had it not been for Him, the
| Jews would have been comparatively
| unknown, or known only as high
oriental caste which had lost its cOun-
try. Has not He made their history the
most famous history in the world? Has
not He hung up their laws in every
temple? Has not He avenged the vic
tins of Titus, and conquered the
Caesars? What successes did they an
ticipate from their Messiah? The wild
est dreams of their rabbis have been
for exceeded.-Disraeli.
PRACTICAL SUGGESTIONS.
v. 20. A truly good man is always
both just and devout. A just life
without spirituality is a beautiful
house without windows, a body with
out soul.
On the other hand, devoutness with
out Righteousness is but the sunset