The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1900-02-21

opens His publ
5Hn home. "Hts~
| good. example for u
evidences erfat- Jesus
habits" "Synagogue.
was not In use till after the b.
tivlty. They could only be erec>
ten men In easy circumstances (caH
OF casey could bs found to attend y
The people sat with their faces towafV
the temple; thels were "chief seats" fof
the elders, and the women sat by them
selves. Sabbath day" We should, on
the Sabbath day, always avoid work, con-
versatlon and reading unfit for the Lords
day, and give ourselves to spiritual e1er-
cises. This was His custom. II He needed
up" They stood to .Fsad the Scriptures.
but sat down toteach: !. Fhhs 9Fhhs whole congre-
CATION stood duringfhs reaiifF.~ ~>-
II, "Esaias H--Gresk form OF Isaiah.
"The booS9'. The ron. The Scriptures
were writer on parchment, With two roll
ers, so tfht, as they were read, one wos
ro4eaon and the other rolled of. Read
Hg the Scriptures should always be part
Fot divine worship. SIT was written. lisa.
is. Esprit. lis upon Me-" This was
Me-" have been set apart for this very
purpose. This is the first great qusliaca-
tton Of true. preacher. "The Gospel"
Good news concerning Himself, His mis-
sion, and the dellverance He brings. "To
the poor" This was the crowntng proof
that Jesus was the Messiah. When John
sent asking regarding His Messlahship.
His reply was, Tell John, the poor have
the Gospel preached unto them. The
troubles that aflict humanity and that are
to be abolished by Christ are described as
"a oppression. The Gospel reaches ali
classes and all FORMS OF suffering, dis
ease and spiritual bondage. Health, de-
liverance sight and liberty are promised.
"The broken hearted" Through sense
of their sins. See R. V. "The captlves."
Those In bondage to sin, evil habits, or the
devil. "The blind" Spiritually blind. A
great light has now come, and the sight OF
such may be recovered.
10. acceptable year OF the Lord" A
reference to the year OF jubilee. Lev.
IS: SIT. This was the year when Q) Debts
Hebrew servants were set tree. (s} Each
resumed possession OF his Inheritance.
This was type Of gospel times. The
: genuine jubilee year goes beyond the
gospel picture. The liberty proclaimed is
soul liberty.
20. "CIosed tho book" Boiled up the
hill. "To the minister. The ruler OF tho
synagogue or his servant. ."Sat down."
See on verse 16. This indicated that He
was through reading and was now about
to teach. eyes. fastened on Him."
Many things contributed to arrest their
attention. 1. The report OF his teachings
and mighty works which had preceded
Him. Q. The remarkable character OF the
words he had read. 8, His manner and
bearing. I. The fact that they knew Him
Spirit upon Him. :
81. s'Fulflled in your ears" These
words are merely the subject of His dis
course, the whole OF which, no doubt, was
intended to convince them that He was the
Messiah Of whom these things were prophe-
sled. Christ's great theme was always
Himseli.i His demand Is not "Believe some
thing that I may tell you," but "Belieye In
Me-" ~
%. "Dear Him Witness" Gave signs Of
APPRECIATION. "Graclous words" This
passage and John z: 46 give US some idea
OF the majesty and sweetness which char
acterized our Lords utterances. His words
sprang from his heart. "Is not this
Joseph's SOM" How caa' it be possible
that the son of this obscure family-a car
penter who has made furniture for our
houses, man without education, without
rank or offlce-that He should be the Mes
siah, the King OF the Jews?
%. "Proverb." Or parable. Denoting
any kidd of tigurative discours "Physi-
clan, heat\ \thyself." That is, they would
ask why He;:did lot perform miracles In
Nazareth-at, home, instead OF at Caper,
naum. The unbeiiet OF its inhabitants hin-t
dered the exercise OF His powers. The best
modern equivalent IS" Charity begins at
home;" do something here. Work q mir
acle and prove to us that ye9- are the Mes
sinh.
"a. "In His own country" No pfoFseA
Is received in his own country as he Is else
where; and it Is Gcd's way to send His
messengers to strangers, as In the case OF
Elijah and Elisha, who were sent to be the
ministers OF Gods mercy to Gentlles. lt is
very difficult for any people to believe in
the greatness or power OF ono who has
grown up among them. This is the reason
He gives for declining to work miracles In
Nazareth.
IS. "I tell you" He now proceeds to
show how Elijah and Elisha, two OF their
greatest prophets, had gone to the Gentiles
with their blessings, and that by divine
direction, while many In Israel we're suffer-
ing unnoticed. "In the days Of Elias"
See / Kings II: 10. "The heaven was shut
up." There were two rainy seasons, called
the early and latter rains. The first fell in
October, the latter in April. The first pre-
pared the ground for the seed, the latter
ripened the harvest. As both OF these
we're withheld consequently there was
great famine.
26. "Save unto Sarepta." Greek form
for Zarephath. Elijah was not sent to the
widows OF Israel but to widow OF Zare-
ubath-a village on the east coast OF the
Mediterranean, between Tyre and Sidon.
27. "Elseus." Greek form for Elisha.
The meaning OF these two verses is, God
dispenses His benefits when, where, and to
whom He pleases. No person can com.
plain, because no person deserves any Sood
from His hand. Jesus might Justly do the
same In the displays Of His grace. Thus
He showed that His blessings were in.
tended for the Gentiles as well as the Jews.
''Naaman the Syrian" 2KinSs 5: l-H.
2S. "Filled with wrath" They seem 10
huve drawn tho conclusion that He con-
sidered the Gcnties more precious tnan
the Jews, in the sight OF God, and ut once
the whole congregation rose up IN frcnzied
fury to make away with Him.
90. "Brow Of the hill" Nazareth spreads
itself out upon the eastern facc OF noun.
tain where there is = perpendicular wall OF
rock from forty 10 fifty ieet high.
so. "Passing through" His escape from
them was no doubt miraculous. They de-
sired to see miracle and here they had
2no.