The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1901-12-18
THE SABBATH SCHOOL
INTERNATIONAL LESSON COMMENTS
FOR DECEMBER ~.

Verses, 9, documentary on the Days
Lesson.
l. "Shall not be such" The darkness
shall not be as great as it has been. There
was ray of encouragement for those VINO
were ready to receive the prophets words
"Zebulun." The country of Galilee
around the sea of GaiiIee was the land
that principally suffered in the first As
syrian invasion.
2. "The people that walked in dark
ness" The people of Judah. They were
at this time under a two-fold darkness:
% The darkness of outward trouble. See
2 Kings Is: 81; 10: As, II; 2 Chron. IS: 5-s.
(2) They were in moral darkness: They
were attacked by the King Of Israel and
by the King of Damascus. and afterward
by the King of Assyria. Great multitudes
were carried captives. or were slain. In
this deep afliction of the Jewish nation her
old foes rose up against her: The Edom-
ties on the southeast and the Philistines
on the southwest poured in their troops
upon the devoted land and added to its
calamities. The Philistines took perma
nent possession OF the territory which they
had overrun, occupying it and adding it
to their dominion. Judah was indeed
brought low and made naked" 2 Chron.
2S: Is. Her country was desolate, her
cities were burned with fire; her land
strangers devoured it in her presence.
her was truly but a very small remnant,
and even that was threatened. To escape
from these troubles King Ahaz appealed
to Tiglath-Pileser II. of Assyria for help.
He came, and the result was that Ahaz
had to rob the temple and his palace of
their treasures in order to pay. the re-
CURED tribute; and, still more, he sacri-
feed the independence and honor Of the
realm itself. >,
3. "Thou hast multiplied the nation"
"The prophet shows them the Messiah
and His times. He would move them to
hope, awaken faith, arouse to righteous
ness, by the vision of good times coming.
The only way to such a blessed consum'
dience and faith" "They joy before
Thee" The prophet notes it to be a reli.
gious Joy because it is said to be before
God-that is, in His presence and with a
grateful acknowledgement of His benefits.
4. Thou hast broken the yoke" The
Jews were successfully delivered from the
burdensome and CALLING yoke Of the As
svrians. Chaheans, Persians and Macedo-
mans. but these deliverances were only a
shadow of redemption from the yoke of
Satan, and that redemption seems here
especially predicted as if already accom-.
plished. "As in the day of Midian." AS
Gideon with handful of men conquered
tne hosts of Midian, 80 Messiah, the
"child" ". g., shall prove to be. the
prince of peace" and the small company
under him shall overcome the mighty hosts
of Antichrist. See the same contrast IN
Mic. 5: 2-5. ..s
S. "For every battle" 1t was the Gus.
tom of antiquity to pile the arms of pros.
trate enemies, the spoils of less value, and
their spotted garments. into O heap and
then burn them. All that belongs to war
shall be swept away: the war itself shall
die. The Messiah abolishes all war, but
not until His foes are either swept away
by His judgments or melted into penitence
and won over to submission by His love.
6. unto u.s." The prophet spake OF
the predicted blessings as # already, com.
municated. Angels say, Unto YOU" but
this child was born for the beneht OF US
men, of US sinners, of all 6elieyers, TO tne
end of the world. In the far distance the
nronhet foresaw the Redeemer of the
world. A little later came the vision OF
the suffering Saviour lisa. 53); then the
town where He should be born (Mlcah o.:
2). more complete revelation came
through Daniel. These prophecies were
40 spread abroad that at the time OF Ills
coming there prevailed throughout the en-
tire East an intense conviction that ere
long a powerful monarch would rise IN
,Judea and gain dominion over the world.
Virgil, who lived little before this, owns
that a child from heaven was looked for,
should restore the golden age and take
away sin. ga son is given" Coos gratu'
itous gift. upon which man had no clam.
John g. l6. A gift of love, Of Joy, OF uni
versal fitness to our needs, OF eternal en-;
richment, of forever increasing value, and
this gift insures all other gifts. Rom; 8;
80. AS Son of man Jesus was "a child
born" as Son of God He was Son
given" government" The ensign OF
government, the scepter, the sword or
kew. was borne upon or hung from thes
shoulder. All government shall be vested
in Him. "His name."' A name stands tor
all that is in the man-his character. his Is;
principles and his property. "Wondertul. :,
Because His nature was both human and
divine. Whoever refuses to believe IN the
supernatural must pause at the manger;
He can 20 no farther. how Godhooo
and manhood could be knit together IN the
person of Christ is beyond US. But things
incomprehensible are not Incredible, AZ y
divine works are wonderful. Gounseiio.: a
One who has wisdom to guide himself and
others. Jesus was the embodiment, OF the
wisdom of God. A Saviour, both God
and man-a personal revelation OF Goa S
love, a perfect character and example, tae
sum of all motives for being good. the
atonement that takes away. sin while 1t
forqives, the gift of the Holy Spirit; the
institution of the church, its continua
guidance, an everlasting but unseen Sa-
viour-all these arc proofs of wisdom d.
vine and limitless. He is our Counsellor,
never guiding us astray, but always by the
best wavs to the best ends. Mighty
God" God the mighty One. As He has
wisdom, so He has strength; He Is ape
to save to the uttermost; and such IS the
work of the Mediator that no less q, pow
er than that Of the mighty God could q ac-
complish it. He has control of all forces
for the salvation of men; He can conquer
al enemies, make His kingdom triumphant
over all obstacles. can lways stand be-
fore and above His people, leading them
on to higher and higher Developments.
Everlasting Father" Expressing the di.
vine love and pity for men,. love that
can never fail for it is everlasting. The
Father pitieth His children that are weak
in knowledge, and instructs them; pitie9
them when they are forward and
bears with them; pities them when
they are sick and comforts them;
when they are fallen, and helps them
I'D again; when they have offended
and upon their submission forgives them;
when they are wronged. and rights them.
Thus "the Lord pitieth them that fear
Him prince of Peace" As a King He
preserves, commands, creates peace. His
reace both keeps the hearts of His people
and rules in them. He is the author of
all that peace which is the present and fu-
turc bliss of His subjects.