The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1896-12-16
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
LESSON XII, FOURTH QUARTER, IN
TERNATIONAl SERIES. DEC. 20.
Text or tho Lesson. Msth. "a, 1-1s-Mem-
ory Verses, 10. Ii-Goiden Text. Luke II.
Io-Commentary by the Rev. ID. M.
stearns.

iehem Of Judea In the days of Herod the
king, behold, there came wise men from
the east TO Jerusalem. He was foreor-
dained before the foundation of the world
Il Pet 1, 20), and when the fullness of
time was come God sent forth His Son,
made of a woman, made under the law,
TO redeem them that were under the law
(Gal iv, 4, o. Not only is He the Son of
God, but, as in chapter /, l, the Son of
David, the son Of Abraham. and therefore
the one in whom all the promises to David
and Abraham will be fulfilled. In Him
shall all Scripture be fulfilled, for IL all
concerns Him duke xiv, %, 44). His
birth in Bethlehem was but an event in a
life without beginning or end John xvii,
g. Rev. xxi, 1-5).
g. Saying, Where Is He that Is born
King of the Jews, for we have seen His
star in the east and are come TO worship
Him." They had no doubt as to whom
they wanted TO see, nor as to what they
wanted TO do. They came TO see the new
born King of the Jews and To worship
Him. 1t was long since the Jews had
king, and they were now subject TO the
Romans, of whom HerOd was the repre-
sentative But in their heaven given book
It was written that the throne of David
should be established forever and the
promises to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob full
filled lisa. TX, 6, z; Mic. vii, 10, 20).
g. "When Herod, the king had heard
these things, he was troubled, and all Jeru
salem with him." IL he had known the
promises of God concerning the overthrow
of Israels enemies and the future glory of
Israel, he might well have been troubled.
See as a sample Mic v, Is; vii, 10, II.
But, not knowing the Scriptures, all he
saw i'm the words of the wise men was
probably the possibility of deliverer for
Israel who would redeem them from the
power of Rome The redemption of Israel
will yet come, and the signs Of its approach
are not few duke xxi, 25-28).
T. And when he had gathered all the
chief priests and scribes of the people to-
gether, he demanded of them where Christ
should be born. -. He would thus see if the
leaders of the people were expecting
king, and if there was anything in this
extraordinary visit and question of these
men from the east. Christ is the Greek for
the Hebrew word Messiah, and the Eng
lish of each is the anointed. See the use
of the word in Sam. ii, 10, 35; Ps. ii, 2,
6; Dan. tx, %, 26. Hear also the chief
priests mockingly call Him Christ the
King of Israel" Mark XIV, 81, 32).
3. And they said unto him, In Bethle-
hem of Judea, for thus it is written by
the prophet" Herod would now see that
there must be something in it, for the
prophets of Israel had foretold what the
wise men from the east indicated had now
come TO pass That there were those in
Israel who were patiently waiting for this
great event is clear from the record con-
corning Simeon and Anna (Luke ii, 25,
%, 3S). There were those who looked for
redemption in Israel and expected a Re
deemer about that time.
6. And thou, Bethlehem, in the land Of
Juda, art not the least among the princes
of Juda, for out of thee shall come u Gov
ernor, that shall rule my people Israel. "
This is quoted from Mic. V, g The rest of
the verse is most interesting and proof
of the divinity of this child, "His goings
forth have been from of old. from everlast-
ing" He appeared To Abraham, Isaac
and Jacob, 20 Moses, Joshua, Gideon and
Solomon. Jesus, the Son of Mary, Is the
Lord God Of the holy prophets He sees
the end from the beginning and 700 years
before the event foretold His birth in
Bethlehem.
T. "Then Herod, when no had privily
called the wise men, inquired of them dill
gently what time the star appeared. " The
devil, whose great weapon is death, was
working in Herod to destroy this child
King. This is evident from verse Is, for
the age Of the children slain is associated
with the inquiry which he made of the
wise men, What blessed little martyrs
those innocent babes were They died for
Him, and He will not forget it i'm that
day They shall come again from the
land of the enemy (Jcr xxi, 16). Death,
the enemy, took their bodies for time
but they shall rise again.
s. And he sent them to Bethlehem
and said Go and search diligently for the
young child, and when We have found
Him, bring me word again, that l may
come and worship Him also. >" The devil
is liar and n murderer (John viii, 44),
but all his plots against God and His
Christ shall come to naught He seems
successful for the present. but the end Is
not yet.
Q. when they had heard the king, they
departed, and, 10, the star which they saw
in the east went before them till il came
and stood over where the young child
was''-evidently guided them to the very
house Possibly an angel of God guiding
them all the way, for ordinary stars, while
less sea, do not stand over a particular
house in town, as IL saying, "This Is the
place " Angels are called stars in Rev. 1,
20; TX, /.
10. when they saw the star, they re-
joiced with exceeding great joy" IL
would seem that they lost sight of 1t for a
time. Was it because they stopped to in
quire OF Herod, or in order that they might
inquire of Herod? 1t IL not written, but
this we know, that God Himself Is all suf-
flcient for His people in all things. He does
sometimes guide thus through people, but
when He begins TO do a supernatural
thing, as in this case, it il not likely that
He would have us turn aside to man.
IL. And when they were come unto the
house they saw the young child with Mary,
his mother, and they fell down and wor-
SHIPPED them, and WHEN they had opened
their treasures they presented unto Him
gifts--gold and frankincense and myrrh. -
Thus God provided beforehand for a jour.
ney of which as yet Joseph and Mary knew
nothing He will provide for all the need.
of His people in His own wonderful way
even il He has TO use an angel or birds OF
even fishes These men how many we are