Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1898-02-23
International gessoas.
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
LESSON x, FIRST QUARTER, INTER-
NATIONAL SERIES, MARCH 6.

LESSON x, FIRST QUARTER, INTER-
NATIONAL SERIES, MARCH 6.
Text of the Lesson. Math. xii. 1-l3-Mem-
ory Verses, 1o-I3-Golden Text. Math.
xii, s-Commentary by the Rev. d. NJ.
Stearus.
copyright, 1897 by D. NJ Stearns.1
l. AT that time Jesus went on the Sab.
bath day through the corn, and His disci-
Piles were an hungered and began to pluck
the ears of corn and to eat The lesson
today touches the Sabbath question, the
one which, according to all the gospels
determined the Pharisees to kill Christ
See verse IA Immediately following our
lesson, then Mark Ill 6; Luke vi, IL;
John Y, l6. DIR. Weston says that the Sab.
bath was the Jewish national bag; other
nations practiced circumcision. offered
sacrifices and had temples and religious
rites, but in the Sabbath the Jews claimed
a peculiar relation to God as their Creator
Redeemer and Rest AS the nation grew
in national feeling and pride and In the
thought Of separation from and superiority
to other nations, they became more and
more tenacious of their Sabbath If we
keep in mind that 1t was their national
honor they were thinking of and not the
honor of their God and His Word, we shall
understand many things otherwise dark
2 but when the, Pharisees saw it they
said unto Him, Behold, Thy disciples do
that which is not lawful to do upon the
Sabbath day." The Sabbaths were sign
between God and Israel, not to show how
holy and honorable they WERE but to hon.
or Him and delight in Him and magnify
Him. If eating little corn. even fresh
from the field, would quiet the body that
the soul might the better commune with
God, it was well so to do (See Ex. XXI
13, and lisa. lviii, l3)
8. but He said unto them, Have ye
not read what David did when he was an
hungered, and they that were with him?
They would hardly wish or dare to find
fault with David, their great king, whom
they praised so much, even If they were so
unwilling to recognize the Son Of David
and Dayids Lord in Him with whom they
now find fault
l. "How He entered into the house OF
God and did eat the shewbread, which was
not lawful for Him to cat, neither for
them that were with Him, but only for
the priests. God would have us consider
the spirit Of His law rather than the ex-
treme letter of it. He would have us to
know Him and His great heart OF love
It is better to know Him than to be wise,
or mighty. or rich He delights in loving
kindness, Judgment and Righteousness
(Jer tx, 90, 24)
Sc. "Or have ye not read in the law
how that on the Sabbath days the priests
in the temple profane the Sabbath and are
blameless2 But say unto you, That in
this place is one greater than the temple.
Thus He directs them to their king and
priests as both doing that which by the
strict letter of the law was forbidden, and
yet they are blameless In verses IL and
40 of this chapter He says He is greater
than Jonah and Solomon. He now says
He is greater than the temple, and implies,
what is elsewhere taught, that He is
greater than David or Aaron. In Hebrews
we read that He is greater than angels or
Moses, or tabernacle, or sacrifice He is
our great Priest King.
z. But if ye had known what this
meaneth, will have mercy and not sacri-
fee, ye would not have condemned the
guiltless" What comfort that we are
to have righteous Judgment, and our Judge
will not decide by what He sees or hears
lisa. xi, 8, ~, and will never without
cause condemn either person or a work
Let us have more of His Spirit. remember
ing Cor. iv, 5.
s. For the Son of Man is Lord even Of
the Sabbath day" AS Son of Man He is
Lord of all earthly institutions and the
direct object of all earthly allegiance. All
things were created by Him and for Him,
and by Him all things consist (Col. /, l6.
H. He shall yet subdue all things unto
Himself, even all kings shall fall down be-
fore Him and all nations serve Him Il
Cor XIV, 90; Ps lxxii, lD We feel like
saying, "Oh, that these people had known
Him, that they might cheerfully receive
Him and submit to Him instead of judg.
ing Him.
8. And when He was departed thence
BE went into their synagogue y II he
could not get good, He would be where He
might do good The Scriptures were read
in the synagogues, and there is nothing on
earth like the Word Of God. Whether
those who read see much or little Of God
in His Word He is in every page of it and
opened eyes and ears will see and hear
Him.
10. And, behold, there was man
which had his hand withered And they
asked Him, saying Is it lawful to heal on
the Sabbath daysY that they might accuse
Him" The impotence of the man was
very suggestive of the spiritual condition
of the nation, but he knew his condition
and they did not They were blind, and
deaf, and lame, and palsied, and leprous,
and thought that nothing allied them, but
that, on the contrary, they were the only
righteous people on earth
II And He said unto them, What
man shall there be among you that shall
have one sheep. and If it fall into pit on
the Sabbath day will he not lay hold on it
and lift it out?" One has well suggested
that He did not say see sheep, but have
q sheep; the point is that of ownership
He is the Lord of the Sabbath day The
law commanded to help creatures not your
own if you saw them in trouble (Deut. xii
a.
10 How much, then, is q man better
than a sheepY Wherefore 1t is lawful to
do we'll on the Sabbath days - Better
than many sparrows, better than all beasts,
Gods own property every day, and, though
oft in rebellion against Him, yet loved by
Him and watched longingly to see If he will