Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1896-12-15


W whole of which
@-,vNI1I III should he read, in
e2-NiARht~ cludes John i: lis;
- III INVI ~ Luke /: $50: and
III !Btp AS Matt. /: LIS; 2: liz
= .M FTeIr Historical Setting.
LAX Time. The last Of
--zsAzsxE&Ssa - December b. G. s.
u/<S four years before the
|&r- commencem ent Of
our common era, A.
~ d. l (Anno Domini,
year of the Lord, SO
that Christ was born
1900 not 1896 years ago. The visit of the
wise men was in February B. c. 4, when
Jesus was six or eight weeks old.
Place. Bethlehem of Judea, village
five or six miles south of Jerusalem Beth
chem means House of Bread" a very
fitting name for the place where he was
corn who was the Bread of Life.
THE far east" included the lands of the
captivities. -Assyria. Babylonia. and Per-
STA, where Ezekiel prophesied and Daniel
ruled, and Esther was queen To-days
lesson, Matt. 2, verses LIP. follows:
l. Now when Jesus was born" Jesus.
the divine son of God, became man by
being born of the Virgin Mary. I'm
Bethlehem of Judea," probably about Dec.
IS. b. G.. ). 1t IS not told in Matthew how
Jesus came to be in Bethlehem. For that
the king" Herod died April l, B. c.
Lewin's Fasti SacrD at Jericho, at the
age of seventy, so that the visit of the
wise men must have been few weeks
previous This Herod was Herod the
Great, founder of the Herodian family.
2 Saying, Where is he that is born
king of the Jews?" The inquiry, more
literally translated, is, Where is the born
King: that is, the newly born King of
the Jews? The Magi expected, no doubt.
TO find him in the capital city and in the
royal palace.-Morison.
For We have seen his star in the east.
Seen by them in the eastern countries, or
seen in the eastern sky. And are come
to worship him." To acknowledge his
worthship to do homage to him.
g. When Herod the king had heard
| these things" The tidings would run like
an electric shock through the palace OF
the usurping Herod.-Trench. He was
troubled" agitated. disturbed, lest ne
should lose his throne and his power. He
was old, and feeble, and wicked. His life
had been full of crimes. He knew he
was hated by his subjects. The least
disturbance would inhame his conscience
and arouse his fears. And all Jerusalem
with him.
L. And when he had gathered all the
chief priests and scribes." The chief
priests were probably the heads of the
N"ChtS SoulStS tic SOhS
of Aaron were divided e Chron. %: s;
Luke 1: 81, but the term may have in
Guided those who had, though only for
time. held the office of high priest. The
''scribes" We're the interpreters of the
law. casuists, and collectors of the tradi-
tons of the elders. for the most part
Pharisees.-Ellcott He demanded (rath-
sr. inquired) of them where Christ" I'm
the original. The Christ, not the proper
name, but the Messiah, the official title
of the promised Deliverer, should be
born" What do your scriptures say?
What is your expectation?
s. And they said.' i. e.. the chief
priests, etc. The answer seems to have
been given without any hesitation, as
matter perfectly well understood and set
tied by divine authority. Alexander.
Thus ii is written" What is quoted in
the next verse by the prophet" Micah.
in chap. 5: y. 1t should be noticed that
by is literally through" and that in
every case this expression is used.
6. And thou Bethlehem This is quo
ted freely from the Septuagint (the Greek
version of the Old TestamenD, just as
such quotations were popularity made at
that time, for there were no Bibles in
circulation, and quotations must be made
chiefly as remembered from hearing them
read Bethlehem. in the land of Judah"
IN the original there is no lin the" but the
expression Is, betn1enSfn, idfu Of Ju-
dah," as we say Chicago, Ill.," or New
port, r. l." Princes" is, according to a
usual figure, put for the towns where the
princes, or heads of thousands, lived.
Z. Then Herod privily (privateIy)
called the wise men," Privily. for he was
already Matching, still more privily, his
malicious plot. Inquired of them dill
gently" or, rather ascertained from
them Observation-Disclosures The verb for
siv,< W. iz oil frny
''akros," point. The idea is, he ascer-
tanned to the last point-M. r. Vincent
What time the star appeared" That he
might know what was the exact age OF
the infant whom he wished to slay.-Ab-
bott.
5. "He sent Cor directed) them to Beth
lehem." short six miles from Jerusa-
lem. Search diligently" Better, as be-
fore, accurately, carefully.
3. "Lo. the star" Unexpectedly the
star they had seen in the east cit was
not now in the east, but in the SOUTH
appeared to them In the evening as they
went toward Bethlehem. Stood over
where the young child was: |. e.. over
the house, as implied by verse IL; not
merely over the village of Bethlehem.
10. when they saw the star" guiding
them, and pointing out the place. They
rejoiced" Because their journey was
now ended, their search was successful.
IL. when they were come into the
house" This could scarcely have been
the stable where the Lord was born. Jo-
seph and Mary remained for 40 days i'm
Bethlehem. and would find temporary
lodgings.
70. And fell down." In the Oriental
manner of showing homage and worship.
And worshipped him." Opened their
treasures" The word points to baskets
or chests. which they had brought with
them-Ellicott. They presented unto
him gifts" According TO the Oriental Gus
tom in paying visits TO royalty. Setting
forth greater truths than they knew, they
offered to the Son of man and Son of God
myrrh. limiting at the resurrection of the
dead: the royal gold: and frankincense
that breathes myrrh 10 a NOR
tai. gold TO king, trauk,ncense to God
-JIpham's Wise Men. "Frankincense."
10. Being warned of God" In a dream.
In the same manner God may have
spokeu to them before. Into their own
country another way" They could easily
go direct from Bethlehem TO the Jordan
River. leaving Jerusalem To the north ana
west.
GEMS OF THOUGHT.