The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1898-09-09

Sunday school Lesson An the I.sss~
national series for septcAber
Al, 1~sOs-AnOs, CHS.

BASED upon Peloube.'s Select Notes.I
GOLDEN TEXT.-They also have erred
through wine. and through strong drink
are out OF the w~ay.-Isa. S7.
THE SECTION includes the study oe
the prophet Amos and his work.
TIME.-About the middle OF the eighth
century, u. c. $50. In the reign OF Jero-
beam III. amos I'D. and from the cir
cumstances II must have been the latter
half. 7s0-773. com. chron.. or 7sS-Tis. rev.
chron.
PLAcE.-Amos was a native OF Tekoa,
six miles south OF Bethlehem. The scene
Of his labors was Bethel. a royal and
religious center. u miles north OF Jerusa-
lem II
/. The Situation.-After a long pc
Rod Of decline and partial subsection
there came a period OF great outward
prosperity and extension. The three
victories Owe Syria which Elisha had
promised Joash from his dying bed had
been gained. His son and successor,
Jeroboam H., extended his conquestS
till the kingdom reached to the Leb-
anon mountains OF the north e Kings
1929; and together with Judah the
two occupied nearly the extent of ter
itory that belonged to the united
kingdom under David and Solomon.
from Lebanon to the Red sea. God
through His prophet gave great VIC
tories, an enlarged country and un-
told wealth and peace with the sur
rounding nations, in order that the
goodness of God might lead them to re-
pentance. Wealth accumulated, but
men decayed. Society from the high
est to the lowest became corrupt. God
zen. various warnings to the people.
"Some were physical - famine,
drought, blight, l~ocusts, earthquake;
and some were political-battle, de-
feat, invasion, captivity."-Kent.
III. Denunciation of Sins.-l. IA
Ease in Zion:" Those whose prosper
;ty has made them insensible to dam
ger."-Mitchell. Like Jonah in the
storm. they are asleep and dreaming
beautiful dreams, unconscious of their
danger. Zion. Jerusalem. the capital
of Judah. "Samaria:" The capital Of
Israel. Chief of the nations:" Israel
and Judah.
2. pass We" over the Euphrates sun
to Calneh:" A large city. Klamath"
A city of Syria, on the Orontes, north
of Lebanon. Gath" A Philistine city
on the southwest. "Be they better"
than you? God has greatly favored
your nation. yethow you have requited
Gods goodness.
3. "Ye that put far away" in your
thoughts and expectations "the evil
day" and act as if you did not believe
Gods Word.
l.. "Beds of ivory etc: Expressing
luxury and s~elfshness.
6. Drink wine in bowls" Because
they were larger than the vessels or
dinarily used in drinking.-Mitchell.
mot grieved:" As long as they had
their luxuries they had no patriotism,
no care for country or for the poor.
Z. go captive with the first" Since
all lesser troubles had failed to lead
them TO repentance. there was moth
ing left but captivity. which was hast
ening on apace. Within about 30 years
this was fulfilled.
s. Evil l." the Lord God, deliver
up:" The Assyrians could have done
no evil unless God had permitted IL.
Had the people been brave. moral,
united. full OF religious zeal. Assyria
could not have conquered them: and
Gods providence would have watched
over them.
God tries many ways TO keep back
people irorn going to their own ruin.
Temperance means self-denial, SELF
control in the presence of temptations.
No one is good without self-dcniai In
something, self-control in all things.
Yielding to luxury and appetite at the
expense of higher things always means
decay and ruin.