Middletown transcript., 1899-09-16
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
LESSON XII, THIRD QUARTER, INTER-
NATIONAL SERIES, SEPT. ~.

Memory Verses. S-1O-GoIden Text.
zec-a. iv, documentary Preparea
by the Rev. d. NJ. stearns.
Copyright, 1899. by D. NJ stearns.l
1. "And the angel that talked with ma
caine agnin and walked me, as a man that
is Weakened out of his sleep" The golden
text is tho verso In this chapter that is
| generally taken as a text for a sermon.
and from 1t many helpful lessons are
learned In reterence to the necessity of re-
lying uTon the Spirit in all work for God.
But VIC arc given the whole chapter for
our study and must look at it as whole.
This Is the fifth vision in the series, and
one helpful thought from this verse is that
we arc naturally asleep to spiritual things
and must bo wakened by God ere we can
see them.
9, 8. "And said unto me, What seest
thou'" Then follows description Of
what he saw. A seven branched candle.
stick or lamp stand oil 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 sees a 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 I'LL tho lamps
4, 8. 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, 10 Lord
God, Thou knowest" (Ezek. xxxvii, 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"
lRev. vii, 14). When we do not know, 1t
Is always better to say 80 than to let people
be deceived by making them think we
know.
Q. '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 saine cncour-
agement In last weeks lesson when God
said BY him, My Spirit remaineth among
you; rear ye not" From Gen. /, 9, where |
1t is written that the Spirit of God moved |
upon the face of the waters, to Rev. xii, |
IL, where the Spirit and the Bride say, |
Come, all work for God is donc by the |
Spirit of God.
z. "Who art thou, o great mountain9
Before Zerubbabel thou shalt become a |
plain, and he shall bring forth the head
stone thereof with shoutings, crying,
Grace, grace unto 1t. The difficulties in
the way OF completing the house would be
overcome by the undeseryed favor or grace
Of God through the Spirit. and the work
would surely be finished to the glory of |
bis grace, for with God nothing Is impos-
sible, and 1t is nothing to Him to work by
many or ~ few (Math. xxi, 21; II Ohron.
xiv, III. AS to individual believers. each
'ne may rejoice that by His grace we
stand accepted In the Beloved, In whom
Te havo redemption By His blood, and
hat He who begins the work In us will
urely finish 1t (Eph. l. 6, z; Phil /, 81.
8, 8. Moreover, tho word of the Lord
anne unto me, saying, The hands Of Zerub-
label have laid the foundation Of this
10,
heu shalt know that the Lord Of Hosts
lath sent me unto you" And 60 It came
% pass notwithstanding many hindrances.
or the Lord had purposed IL (Ez. vi, IA,
o.. The counsel of the Lord standeth |
orever, the thoughts Of His heart to all
generations (Ps. xxxiii, 11). He has DUR ,
'osed In Christ an eternal purpose (Eph.
Il, ~, which includes completed church.
oly and without ble1nish, not having spot
r wrinkle or any suoh thing (Eph. v, 27),
lis people Israel q righteous nation in
heir own land lisa. IL, 21) and the whole
arth filed with His glory (Hah. II, 14l.
10. "For who hath despised the day of
mall things, for they shall rejoice and +,
hall see the plummet In the hand OF Ze.
lhhabel with those seven. They are the c
res Of the Lord which run to and fro 8
trough the whole earth" The margin L
,ys that the seven eyes Of the Lord shall h
,3oice. Compare II Chron. wi, Q, and 6
,nsider u your heart Is whole toward
cd or II there is any secret thing with
,ee; something thine eyes wink at and
} which thine heart carries thee away n
lob Nv, II, 12). The servant Of the Lord +
ust neither consider mountains OF Diff
llty nor despise seemingly small encour-
cement; but, being fully persuaded that
hat God has promised He IL able to per- v
rm, just move quietly on, seeing no one n
1t Jesus only, and rejoice that He shall G,
Q Of the travail Of His soul and shall be 4
tisfied lisa I'LL, III. BE chose the un-i .,
armed fishermen Of Galtlee as His first y
sciples. He chose q lad's five loayes b
lth which to feed thousands. He echooses B
sak things and things which are not to C,
ing to naught things that arc, and It | m
comes rs TO have unbounded confidence
Him who created all things by His word,
IL, ID. "Then answered and said unto
%, What are these two olive trees upon hi
Q right side Of the csndlestick and upon th
0 LETT side thereofr And again he ask hi
what the two olive hranches were which
lpty out OF themselves Oil into the gold.
0 margin. II the lamp stand repre-.
,ted the light which Israel was to be II
!, God In the midst Of all nations, then b
} olive trees which supply the on which
abies the lamps to give light must be
y important. The question for the w;
'ole church and for every individual be- ,r
YER is, How can we shine for God stead ~
and brightly and the answer ia found
these two olive trees,
., IA. And he answered me and said. De
lowest thou not what these be? And I &C
d, No. my Lord. Then said he, These
the two anointed ones that stand by
Lord Of the whole earth" Compare mi
'. ri, 4, and see In the two witnesses
two anointed ones for those days. In
time Of our lesson the two anointed rex
. were zerubbabel and Joshua. In =
lier days they were Moses and Aaron. {
always, whoever the ruler and the
est might be, they point to Him who is
q Priest and King. the true Melohisedek,
shall build the temple Of the Lord and Z
: the glory and sft and rule as & priest
u BIS throne (zech. Vi, 1al The Lord
a. Christ, therefore, In His off3os as
est and King, gives Us the true signif-
% Of the two anointed ones, and II we:
lerstand His relation to us ss both
est and King we shall shins hriRhtlyl S
steaaily tov Him 10 the glory Of God.