The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1894-12-19
SABBATH SCHOOL.
INTERNATIONAL LESSON FOR
DECEMBER 23.
Lesson Text: ssThe Prince ofPeace," !"
Isaiah tx, 27-Golden
Text: Isaiah TX, 7
Commentary.

|
2. "The people that walked In darkness
have seen a great light. They that dwell
In the land Of the shadow OF death, upon
them hath the light shincd." The Spirit,
through Matthew, says that there was o full.
flment Of this when Jesus left Nazarath and
went to dwell in Capernaum (Math. w., 13-
16). Wherever Jesus is not known It seer.
tainly darkness and oftt1mes "deep dark.
ness as the expression, "shadow Of death. "
| is translated in the margin Of the R. Y. both
here and In Ps. xiii, 4, and elsewhere.
This darkness can only be driven away from
an individual, or nation or land as
Jesus, the Light of the world, is revealed.
Those who have heard OF and hive received
Jesus can say, "God, who commanded the
| light to shine out Of darkness, hath shined
In our hearts to give the light OF the knowl-
edge Of the glory OF God In the face OF Jesus
Christ" (1I Cor. w., 81. That makes US
think Of the darkness that was over the
| deep In the beginning OF the Bible
story, when the Spirit moved upon the face
OF the waters, and God said, '1et there be
| light" and there was light. God is light.
| Jesus said, sT am the Light OF the world. "
Il Is written that the entrance OF His word
giveth light, and we know that His words
are Spirit and life II John T.. 5 John vii. !,
12; Ps. c1ix., 100; John VI, 69). Jesus said
to His disciples, "Ye are the Light Of the
world" (Math. ". 14). We know that We
have no light in ourselves any more than the
moon, which appears to be ruin Of nature.
as man Is. But II the sun shining upon the
moon can give us such light then we may
imagine how the Lord Jesus might make us
shine for Him II we we're only willing to re-
feet His light and give Him all the glory.
After we have shone for Him little longer,
and He has gathered out His body, the
church, then In the midst OF gross darkness
covering the people the Lord shall arise upon
Israel, and His glory shall beseen upon them,
and the nations shall come to their light,
and kings to the brightness OF their rising
Elsa. X, 1-9).
8. .Thou hast multiplied the nation and
not increased the Joy. They Joy before Thee
according to the Joy in harvest and as men
rejoice when they divide the spoil" The R.
v. gives for the second clause, "Thou hast
increased their Joy" This is certainly more
In accord with the rest Of the verse and with
the context. The light would give them Joy.
Compare Isa.t X, 20, "The Lord shall be
thine everlasting light, and the days OF thy
days of Mordecai "the Jews had light and
gladness and Joy and honor Est. viii, 16).
As the entrance of Gods word giveth light,
30 also we become filed with icy and peace
by believing, and we ara commanded to "Re-
joice in the Lord alway" (Rom. XIV. ,18 Phil.
iv.,D. Our voice says. "They Joy before
Thee" and In Ps. xvi, II, we read "In Thy
presence Ia fullness Of Joy. At Thy right
hand are pleasures forevermore."
4. "For Thou hast broken the yoke Of His
burden, and the staff Of His shoulder, the
rod of His oppressor, as in the days Of
Midian." All past deliveranoes Of Israel,
whether in the days Of the judges under
Gideon, Sampson, Jeptha and others and
even the deliverance from Egypt under
Moses, were but tforeshadowings Of a greater
and final deliverance from anti-Christ ere the
kingdom shall come. The deliverance from
INDIAN under Gideon, as recorded In Judg.
vi. and vii. , is one Of the most interesting
and instructive OF Bible stories, showing how
God uses the weak things and things TINT
are not to show forth bis glory. But the
others is plainly referred to In Jer. xvi, IA,
Is, and xiii. 5-S, "Then shall the Lord go
forth and fight against those nations, as
when he fought In the day OF battle"
5. "For every battle OF the warrior is with
confused noise and garments rolled In
blood, but this shall be with burning and
fuel OF fire." The R. Y. Is more clear and
reads, ssFor all the armor OF the armed man
In the tumult and the garments rolledin
fire." The Spirits own comment and light
upon this Is found. in Eek. xxx, g., ~;
where we read that the weapons OF the slain
shall provide fuel for Israel for seven years,
and they shall be seven months burytng the
dead. The church, the body OF Christ, the
history Of which Is not fully revealed in the
Old Testament, having been completed and
caught up to meet Him In the air, shall
afterward return with Him when he comes
to the earth in His glory: for the conversion
Of Israel and the overthrow OF her enemies.
Israel and vengeance upon her enemies, so
often referred to Qss. 'xxxiv., s;nzv., 4;
l1iii., A.. I1'nF
6. 'For unto Us child is born, unto us
q son Is given, and the government shall be
upon His shoulder, and His name shall be
called Wonderful, Counselor, the Mighty
God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince
Of Peace" This verse, with the follow
ing, is one Of those many passages IN
which we have O summary Of the suffer-
ings of Christ and the glory that shall follow
l Pet. l.. I'D, or, In other words, His
first coming in humiliation to suffer and
His second coming in glory to reign. The
Christmas lesson which only looks back
to His coming as babe in Bethlehem
teaches only half the story. There was no
government on earth given 70 Him at
His first coming. They gave Him stable
for His birthplace, a manger for His cradle;
not where to lay His head during His life,
cross and grave with the wicked for His
reward. But God raised Him from the dead
and gave Him glory, and when He shall
come again In that glory then shall He be
seen to be the Mighty God. the Everlasting
Father. the Prince of Peace. he was in
deed wonderful In His humiliation, in His
love and patience and faithfulness unto
death. but 1t shall be seen yet more fully
that His name Is Wonderful (Judg. Kill, 1S,
margin).
Z. "Of the increase Of His government and
peace there shall be no end upon the throne
Of David and upon His kingdom, to order 1t
and to establish It with judgment and with
justice from henceforth even forever. The
zeal Of the Lord Of Hosts will perform this"
It Is fearful perversion of Scripture 10
epeak OF Jesus being now, on David'sthrone,
as II David ever had throne In heaven.
David reigned seven years at Hebron and IS
years in Jerusalem, and Jesus Is to sit on
DayId's throne at Jerusalem and reign over
the house of Jacob, according to the simplest
meaning OF plain words, as in Jer. Ill, IT;
Luke 81 80 S3 etc,-LeSson Helper.