The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1899-09-15
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
LESSON XII, THIRD QUARTER, INTER-
NATIONAL SERIES, SEPT. II.

Zech. Nv, documentary prepared
by the Revs d. NJ. Stearns,
copyright, 1899, by D. M. Stearns.l
1. "And the angel that talked with me
came again and walked me, as man that
Is wakened out of his sleep" The golden
text is the verse in this chapter that is
generally taken as a text for a sermon,
and from it many helpful lessons are
learned in reference to the necessity of re-
lying upon the Spirit in all work for God.
But we are given the whole chapter for
our study and must look at it as a whole.
This is the fifth vision in the series, and
one helpful thought from this verse is that
we are naturally asleep to spiritual things
and must be Weakened by God ere we can
see them.
2, 8. "And said unto me, What seest
thouP' Then follows description of
what he saw. A seven branched candle.
stick or lamp stand all of gold, with a
bowl on the top from which pipes carry
the oil to the several lamps, and on either
side an olive tree from which oil is carried
to the central bowl. He secs self sup
plying seven branched lamp stand all of
gold connected with two olive trees. This
carries us back to the temple and to the
tabernacle, but in each of those the people
made and brought the olive oil which the
priest used daily to fill the lamps.
4, 5. He asked the angel what these
were, and the angel asked him if he did
not know, and he answered that he did
not know. When Ezekiel was asked if the
dry bones could live, he did not venture
an answer, but meekly replied, 20 Lord
God, Thou knowest" GEEK. xxxvll, 81.
When John was asked by one of the elders
who the white robed, palm bearing multi
tude were, he did venture an answer, but
said to the elder "Sir, thou knowest"
Grew. vii, 49, When we do not know, it
Is always better to say so than to let people
be deceived by making them think we
know.
6. "Then he answered and spake unto
me, saying, This is the work of the
Lord unto zerubbabel, saying, Not by
might nor by power, but by my Spirit,
saith the Lord of Hosts" The
prophet was to assure the governor that
by supernatural power, even by the
Spirit of God, the work would be
carried on. Haggai gave the same encour-
agement in last weeks lesson when God
said by him, "My Spirit re1naineth among
you; fear ye not" From Gen. /, 2, where
1t is written that the Spirit of God moved
upon the face of the waters, to Rev. xii,
II, where the Spirit and the Bride say,
Come, all work for God is done by the
Spirit of God.
z. "Who art thou, o great mountain
Before Zerubbabel thou shalt become
plain, and he shall bring forth the head
stone thereof with shoutings, crying,
Grace, grace unto it," The difficulties in
the way of completing the house would be
overcome by the undeserved favor or grace
of God through the Spirit, and the work
would surely be finished to the glory of
His grace, for with God nothing is impos-
sible, and it is nothing to Him to work by
many or by few (Math. xxi, 81; II Chron.
xiv, ~. AS to individual believers, each
one may rejoice that by His grace we
stand accepted in the Beloved, in whom
we have redemption by His blood, and
that He who begins the work in us will
surely finish it (Eph. i, 6, z; Phil. i, g..
8, 8. Moreover, the word of the Lord
came unto me, saying, The hands of Zerub-
babel have laid the foundation of this
house, his hands shall also finish it, and
thou shalt know that the Lord of Hosts
hath sent me unto you" And SO it came
to pass Notwithstanding many hindrances,
for the Lord had purposed it (Ez. vi, IA,
15). The counsel of the Lord standeth
forever, the thoughts of His heart to all
generations Cps. xxxiii, 11). He has pur-
posed in Christ an eternal purpose (Eph.
iii, ~, which includes completed church,
holy and without blemish, not having spot
or wrinkle or any such thing (Eph. V, 81,
His people Israel O righteous nation in
their own land lisa. TX, 21) and the whole
earth filled with His glory (Hab. ii, 14).
TO- "For who hath despised the day of
small things, for they shall rejoice and
shall see the plummet in the hand of Ze-
rubbabel with those seven. They are the
eyes of the Lord which run to and fro
through the whole earth'' The margin
says that the seven eyes of the Lord shall
rejoice. Compare II Chron. xvi, 8, and
consider If your heart is whole toward
God or if there is any secret thing with
thee; something thine eyes wink at and
to which thine heart carries thee away
Dob XIV, II, 1877. The servant of the Lord
must neither consider mountains of diff
Guilty nor despise seemingly small encour-
agement; but, being fully persuaded that
what God has promised He is able to per-
form, just move quietly on, seeing no one
but Jesus only, and rejoice that He shall
see of the travail of His soul and shall be
satisfied lisa. lii, H. He chose the I'M
learned fishermen of Galilee as His first
disciples. He chose a lads five loaves
with which to feed thousands. He chooses
weak things and things which are not to
bring to naught things that are, and 1t
becomes us to have unbounded confidence
In Him who created all things by His word.
II, 10. "Then answered and said unto
him, What are these two olive trees upon
the right side of the candlestick and upon
the left side thereof9' And again he ask
ed what the two olive branches were which
empty out of themselves oil into the gold.
See margin. If the lamp stand repre-
sented the light which Israel was to be
for, God in the midst of all nations, then
!. the olive trees which supply the oil which
cables the lamps to give light must be
~ important. The question for the
fhple church and for every individual be-
lever is. How can we shine for God stead
lily and brightly and the answer is found
IN these two olive trees.
Is, IA. "And he answered me and said,
Knowest thou not what these beP And
said, No, my Lord Then said he, These
are the two anointed ones that stand by
the Lord Of the whole earth" Compare
Rev. XII 4, and see in the two witnesses
the two anointed ones for those days In
the time of our lesson the two anointed
ones were Zerubbabel and Joshua. In
earlier days they were Moses and Aaron,
but always, whoever the ruler and the