The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1899-10-20
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
LESSON ~, FOURTH QUARTER, INTER-
NATIONAL SERIES, OCT. 22.
Text CT tac Lesson. I:z. viii. :1-3.s.
Memory Verses, IL -:.-Go;Gcn rcyt.
En. Will. .sc-ComuIcntary Prepared
by the Rev. y. W. Stcarns.
tC'gryr.sh;, 10, by II. n

q. "Thcn | proclaimed fast there ~
the rive: .: .AEava, that we might ":i!i>t
ourselves before our Cod. to seek of lila
4 right way for us and FOR our liu.c cnHs
and for all oar substance In Tie 'c:-
euth year oc .ArtaXc:Xrs, the k.n:s ot rc:-
sia, Ezra and some ! 500 of lis people
went up to Jerusalem t. sec to the well
fare of those who were there. to carry u,
much silver aui gold, IL free will Offering
FROM the Ein;: and his couaSciurs uHtp the
God of Israel. for the tempe and for sac
rifcr and for lAc will Of God. as Era
might lac directed Caaptcr viD. Ezra was
It ready scribe in the law of Mo cs and
hail prepared his heart To seek til" law OF
tire I.oll AMI IL do it aud Il trac! it
doing and teaching. and compare Acts i,
l: Mark vi. 81. Our lesson begins VIII
Ezra ahoat to start on the Journey AMI
mak.n:; iEIi preparation 10y Il season 0t
special waiting rpun Goh
~. FOR | was aSl":nEi 20 rC,;iii.c Of
the King Il band OF soldiers and hn.S 'Ec:i
To h"io US against the cuvmy III The v'ay,
because We had SPOKEN uMio ;hr Lin :.
saying. The hand rf oar Goi is upNn al
them for good that Scv.; Him" Sc his
references 10 the hand OF the Lord UP III
him il chapters vii g. .. -: viii. is. II;
also Nch. ii. s, Is: E&rt. iii. II. -: ,!ii,
/. etc. II is ~ use to say ii:;:t We trust
in the Lord il we don't 10 il. an,,. while
thcrr wu:ii lave lc,n nu S'u III LAS
having Il l;ial Of soldiers. H.. waul rot
thus have shown rs ,aE.h faith i'll CO..
-. so we tasted az! l. so. s!i: unrt.ol
f"r this. au'l H. was c:,irratrd q: r&."
L>:i.'. an. her l.vDihr tasted a:I l.r:Sc.,.
and God heard aId delivered IL I. iv.
1G. Oar I.orl said concerning tn" ell
spirit which lie cast ont of the child aft
cr His transit .;rvatioA, IIowhrit this Kin
SGr;h not oHt hut by prayer and IL ng
,Math. xvii. HE. HarntlaS end raul
were set apart Ia missionary work with
PRAYER and fasting ,\ctS Xii, -. -. 1t IS
true that "vcr:niulgcncc Of ap.Ctit' 10 =
not tend to spirituality. yet ;ncrr iS no
special credit in dom. without foo !. bit
when we want something frcm Gol for
Gods glory more than We want anything
else we will hc very apt to give ours ives
heartily to prayer and fasting. See Dan.
iX, y; y. =.
-. - Then | separated - oc tie
chief ef tho priests " ana wr.-h Il M
to them the silver and the gold
which ;hr king and his csUa>corS l!al rf-
frrCi.' These two verses tell CS that
these offerings Included also tlat viii, II
was given - all Israel there present ~
that all was for the house Of God. | ,!o
not know of any giving on record that
can compare with the gifts of Israel both
rulers and people, Tor The tabernacle aII
the temple Zen. XNXvi, &, I: xxXviii II
81; Chron. xxi, II, 16: xxx, 1-.p. II
there was the same zeal for the house ~
God today-that is, the church cf Col,
composed of all true bclicvcrS-to com
plcte it. what an abundance OF mission
aEeS and of money there would be seen
to the glory of God.
~. -. In these two verses he tells t'.c
exact weight OF the silver and gold AMI
OF the vessels, and. knowing the value Of
q talent OF gold or silver, the current val
tie OF all could be estimated, but value
among men and value before God are Of
ten two wholly different things, though
We make no reference to this particular
case. We know that in the temple one
day our Lord saw the rich people casting
i'll of their abundance, AMI He saw a poor
widow cast in = mites. which max" q f e.
thing, and He said that she had cast in
more than they all. She cast in all tLat
she had. even all her living.
Is. And | said unto them, Yc are holy
unto the Lord; the vessels are holy also,
and the silver and the gold are n free will
Offering unto the Lord God Of your "a
thcrS.' AS the Lord who called the p. ic Is
and Lcvitcs to their Office was holy. SO
they were to he holy also-sct apart who!-
ly for Him ucv. xxi. g. 81. The Lord
chose them to stand before Him. to serve
Him. to minister unto Him, and it is even
so with true believers now. for all bel.v.
crs are priests, and all are chosen vessels
to be holy unto Him and to bear His
name Il Chron. xxx. IL: Pet. ii, >, o;
Acts iX. lJ).
30. Watch We and keep them until yc
weigh thcm before the chief Of the priests
at Jerusalem in the chambers Of the house
Of the Lord" We think OF our Grcat
High Priest who will never lose any vcs-
sci which the Father has given TO Him,
Tor II" power can ever pluck lis ont of
Ills band. and w" may gladly say. | know
whom have believed and am persuaded
that II" is able to keep that which have
committed unto Him against that day
IJ"hn y. 2S; xvii, ~; xviii, 81.
30. -" took the priests AMI the Lcvitcs
the weight of the silver and the gold and
the vessels to bring them to Jerusalem
unto III" house of.our God" In verses
SO and 81 we read that all the silver and
Go.l AN! the vessels were safely delivered
10y weight and number at Jerusalem, and
thus their work was successfully per-
formed. Not at Jerusalem. hut ut tne
judgment seat of Christ. We will give ac.
count Of our stewardship OF all that with
which lie has intrustcd us in His scrv.
ice, and il may help us to remember day
BY day that the Lord wcighcth nctioni
anl spirits and tricth heart and veins and
VIII give every one according to his way,
and the fruit Of his doingS II Sam. ii, 3;
Prov. wi. -: Jcr. xvii. 1OI.
81. The hand of our God was upon uS.
and He delivered us from the hand of the
enemy and 0c such as lay in wait ly the
way When we become children OF God
~ faith in Christ Jesus, we have from
hat time the world and the flesh and the
de"Il aS our enemies. but we nccl not