Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1898-10-26
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
LESSON v, FOURTH QUARTER, IN
TERNATiONAL SERIES, OCT. 80.


Verses, e-4-Golden Text, lisa. xi. o.
Commentary Prepared by the Rev. ID.
M. Stearns.
copyright. 1895, by D. M. Stearns.I
!. "And there shall come forth rod
out OF the stem of Jesse and branch shall
grow out of his roots" The title of our
lesson is "Messiah's Kingdom" and II we
can only get a somewhat clear idea of
what the Scriptures teach concerning this
kingdom it will prove great blessing to
us. 1t clearly has to do with the Son Of
Jesse, and, according to the golden text,
will fill the whole earth. The throne will
be the throne of David at Jerusalem, ac-
cording to lisa. tx, 2, and Jer. iii, II, and the
King will be none other than the Son of
David, the Son Of Abraham, of Math. 1, /,
of whom Gabriel said that He would
from David's throne reign over the house
Of Jacob forever and Of His kingdom
there should be no end duke 1, 80, 83).
2. "And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest
upon Him." Counting this expression
with the other six in this verse, there Is
here q sevenfold fullness Of the Spirits
power to be manifest In the King, the
Messiah. The six are suggestive of His
power to discern the nature and difference
of things, His power to form right con-
illusions and to carry out right purposes,
His thorough acquaintance with God and
sincere alteration of Him. 1t pleased the
Father that in Him all fullness should
dwell, all the fullness of the Godhead (Col.
1, 10; ii, 81. Full of grace and truth John
i,14).
8. "And shall make Him of quick under
standing in the fear of the Lord" Other
readings of this sentence are: "His delight
shall be in the fear of the Lord" (R. w;
"The fear of the Lord is fragrance to Him"
(Del J; ITO refresh Him in the fear of Je-
hovah" (Young). He could say: II delight
to do thy will, o my Godl ! do always
those things that please Him" FPS. II, 8;
John viii, 29). His conclusions are not
formed from what He sees or hears. He
knows what is In man.
4. "But with righteousness shall He
Judge the poor and reprove with equity for
the meek of the EARTH" What glorious
administration of earth g affairs there will
be when such King shall sit on David's
thronel Consider Jer. Ill, II, 10; xiii,
3, 6, and compare Ps. lxxii and let your
heart cry verses 10 and 10. But before
this kingdom can come or In connection
with its coming there must be an over
throw Of the wicked one and his associ-
ates and followers. This shifting Is re-
ferred to in Ps. II, o; Rev. II, 80, 81; II
Thess. ii, 8; Rev. xvii, IA; xix, 20. 1t Is
seen to be at the coming Of our Lord In
power and glory, and at that time all the
saints shall come back with Him Il Thess.
iii, 10; Nv. IA; Zeoh. xiv, 8, l. o..
8. "And righteousness shall be the CIR
die of His loins and faithfulness the girdle
Of His reins." A King shall reign In
righteousness, and the work Of righteous
ness shall be peace, and the effect (service)
Of righteousness, quietness and assurance
forever lisa. xxi, /, ID. All His doings
are bound ZIP in righteousness and faith
fulness, and the fruit is peace. When Jere-
miah would reason with God concerning
the prosperity Of the wicked, he begins by
saying, Righteous art thou, 0 Lord, yet"
(Jer. xii, y. When Nehemiah bewails the
sins of his people and the consequent judg-
ments of Jehovah, he says, " Howbeit thou
art Just in all that is brought upon usf"
(Neh. tx, 83), and in connection with the
pouring out of the walls of Gods wrath In
the great day of the Lord the testimony Is,
"Just and true are Thy ways, Thou King
of nations Grew. XIV, 81. We may always
be sure that GAS for God, His way is per-
feet" FPS. xviii, 80).
6-8. "The wolf also shall dwell with the
lamb and the leopard shallAie down with
the kid" This picture of wild and do
nestle animals and little children living
in peace together will surely be literally
fulfilled. As 1t was In the garden Of Eden,
and as 1t was in the ark of Noah, SO shall
It be In all the earth. There shall be no
more death, nor sorrow, nor crying, nor
pain, for all things on earth shall be made
new (Rev. xxi, 4, 81. The creation itself
shall be delivered from Its bondage, and
be made to enjoy the liberty Of the glory
Of the children Of God Elsa. lxv, %; Rom.
viii, 21). 1t is undoubtedly true that some
people act like wild beasts, oft roaring like
lions or growing like bears or devouring
like wolves; that such people both In
heathendom and Christendom become by
the grace of God like lambs, and that Of
ten 1t is through little child that God
leads them to Himself, but we must not
suppose that the salvation Of souls Is all
that we are taught In these words, for 1t
is only by figure that we find that here
This earth Is to be wholly subdued by our
Lord Jesus Christ and made like heaven
not by the preaching of the gospel as q
present, but by the personal reign Of our
Lord Jesus after He shall return In glory
Grew. xi. 1910.
O. "The earth shall be full Of the knowl-
edge of the Lord, as the waters cover the
sea-" This statement is found for the first
time in Mum. xiv, 81, then here, and aft
erward in Hab. II, IA. In the first place,
1t Is in connection with the forgiveness Of
Israel as a nation, and SO 1t is here (see
verses II to 16). for it is Gods plan that
through Israel all nations shall be blessed.
The gospel now being preached In all ma
tions will gather out of oil nations peo-
pie for His name, the church, His body;
then, having taken His church out of the
world to be with Him, He will return
with them for Israel's conversion and
through them the blessing for all the
world. This Is the simple programme
clearly set forth In Acts XIV, 14-1S.
10. "And In that day there shall be a
root Of Jesse which shall stand for an en-
sign of the people, TO 1t shall the gentiles
seek, and His rest shall be glorious. His
first name In the New Testament is Jesus
Christ, the Son of David, and His last the
Root and the Offspring Of David (Math. J.,
/; Rev. xxi, 16). When He shall be King
in Jerusalem, to Him shall all nations
seek (Jer. iii, I'D, and like the queen of
Sheba and the wise men from the east.
they will bring their wealth to Him lisa.
TX, 8, Q. 21. Now the glad tidings of re-