The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1896-01-03
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
LESSON 1, FIRST QUARTER. INTER
NATIONAL SERIES, JAN. 8.

l. 7e-. Commentary by the Rev. ID. M.
stearns.
8. "Therc vas In the days of Herod the
king of Judna certain priest named Zach
arias" We are now to have six months In
the gospel by Luke, finding one lesson In
each chapter This chapter may be sum-
married. under the introduction, Gabriel's
visit to Zacharias and afterward TO Mary,
Mary's visit to Elizabeth and the birth of
John. The object Of the gospel Is to de-
clare the things which were 'most surely
believed (verse u concerning Jesus. The
king and priest mentioned In this first
verse turn our thoughts to Him who Is
the great Priest King after the order OF
Melchizedek (Gen. xiv, 1S; Ps. OK, A..
What contrast to Herod. but the great
antelope of all true priests. For ourselves
SEQ Rev. v, o, 10.
8. "And they were both righteous be-
fore God, walking in all the command
ments and ordinances of the Lord, blame
less" They were united in the Lord
Mum. xxxvi, @, z; Cor. vii, 80; I Cor
w. 1A,. As to their standing before God,
tney were both righteous on the principle
of Abraham's righteousness (Gen. XIV, 9;
Rom. Nv, 81. All who are truly in Christ
are righteous In Him, and this perfect
standing before God Is Interchangeable Rom.
K, 4; III Cor. v, 81 lisa. Xxi, 10).
z. "And they had no child, because that
Elizabeth was barren, and they both were
now we'll stricken in years" When nature
fails, then the hand of the Lord is made
more manifest, as in the case of Sarah,
Rachel, Hannah and Manoahs wife. 1t Is
written of Abraham that he considered
not his own body, nor Sarah's body, but
only the promise of God, "being fully per-
suaded that what He had promised He
was able also to perform" (Rom. Nv, 10
21). When all possibility as far as human
eyes can see is taken away, then there Is
opportunity for the Lord to magnify His
name that He may be glorified.
8. "He executed the priests office before
God" The two words "bcfore Cod cover
about everything that concerns us. In
Christ we are righteous before God and
as to our daily life we might take the word
to Abraham, "Walk before me and be thou
perfect or sincere or upright Gen. xvii
u. The priests office is fully stated in III
Chron. xxx, IL, 1.-The Lord hath chosen
you to stand before Him to serve Him.
and that We should minister unto Him and
burn incense" Christ became our High
Priest by the things He suffered; we are
now in training for future priesthood.
o. "His lot was to burn incense" In
Ps. cxli, 2, we read, "Let my prayer be
set forth before Thee as incense, and the
lifting up of my hands as the evening sacri-
flee" And in Rev. viii, 3, 4, we read Of
incense offered with the prayers of saints.
The incense Is suggestive OF the merits or
Jesus Christ by which alone anything we
do can be accepted before God, but by
IL IL on1& In, lie 10
accepted.
10. "And the whole multitude of the
people were praying without mt the time
of incense" The time of incense when
the people were praying without while
they waited for the priest to return to them
is suggestive of this whole age during
which our High Priest has gone into the
presence of God for US and we continue in
prayer awaiting His return. He ever
liveth TO make intercessiOn for us and says
to us, Because live, We shall live also"
John xiv, 19).
IL. Ard there appeared unto him an
angel of the Lord, standing on the right
side of the altar of incense" The angels
name was Gabriel, which means "God is
mighty" He is twice mentioned in Daniel
as God S messenger to him dan. viii, 16;
TX, 2D. He afterward came TO Nazareth
with message for Mary oversees 26, 27.
~. "And when Zacharias saw him, he
was troubled and fear fell upon him." We
might conclude from Judges xiii, %, that
there was a superstition that the appear
ance of an angel meant death, or perhaps
in the case of Zacharias it was the ordi
nary fear of the supernatural, as when the
disciples were afraid in the boat, or the
women ut the sepulcher Mark vi, 49, 80;
xvi, 81 Mary does not seem to have been
troubled by his visit, but rather by what
he at first said (versc 29).
10. "But the angel said unto him, Fear
not, Zacharias; for thy prayer is heard. !"
In verse 80 it is Fear not Mary" and
from Gen. XIV, l. to Rev. j, II, it might al
most be said TO be "a prolonged Fear not. ="
All Gods thoughts TO His people are
thoughts of peace (Jer. xxx, ID, and con-
fldence in Him will always give quietness
! lisa. xxx, 15). John is one of the seven in
Scripture who are mentioned by name be-
fore their birth; the others being Ishmael,
Isaac, Solomon, Josiah, Cyrus and Jesus.
1t is wonderful, but true, that God chooses
us before we are born der. i, s.; Eph. /, ~.
IA. "And thou shalt have JOY and glad
ness, and many shall rejoice at his birth. I"
Light is sown for the righteous and glad
ness for the upright in heart Cps. xcvii,
III. When Mordecai was exalted, the Jews
had light and gladness and joy and honor
est. viii 16). When Jesus shall be ex-
allied as King of Israel and King of kings
and Lord of lords, tho days of Israel's
mourning shall be ended. They shall OBJ
tain joy and gladness, and sorrow and
signing shall flee away Qsa TX. 90; xxxv,
10). The soul that now receives Jesus can
say, "Thou hast put gladness in my heart"
(Ps. iv, y.
10. "He shall be great in the sight of
the Lord he shall be filed with the Holy
Ghost" This is surely the summit for
any mortal man. Jesus Himself said that
no greater prophet was ever born of woman
than John the Baptist. To be filed with
the Holy Spirit Is the key to all true serv-
ice and to hear our Lords well done"
must be the highest reward. But let us
remember that John was not great in the
sight of all people and finally lost his life
for his faithfulness to God.
10. "And many of the children of Israel
shall he turn to the Lord their God" He
that winneth souls is wise, and they that
turn many to righteousness shall shine as
the stars for ever and ever prov. XII, 30;
Dan. xii, 81. The lives of believers are