The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1904-12-14
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
INTERNATIONAL LESSON COMMENTS
FOR DECEMBER ID.
Review Of tho Fourth Quarter - Read
Psalms kill, ~1-11-Golden Text, Luke
i've, g. Topic: Israel's Decline and

Fall.
Lesson 7. Topic: Elisha entering upon
this work as a prophet. Place: Gilead,
cast of the Jordan. Elisha saw Elijah
when he was translated, and cried, my
father. my father, the chariot of Israel
and the horsemen thereof" Elisha took
! up Elijah's mantle; returned to the Jor-
dan; smote the waters; the river was
divided; Elisha crossed over on dry
ground; the spirit of Elijah rested on
Elisha; fifty sons of the prophets asked
! fused; they urged until Elisha was
ashamed; he permitted them to 60; they
sought three days, but found him not.
The men of Jericho told Elisha that the
water of the city was poor; Elisha cast
salt into the spring OF tie waters. and the
waters were healed.
II. Topic: Elisha relieving a poor
widow and her family. Place: Not known.
, A woman in trouble came to Elisha and
said that she had been the wife of one
OF the prophets, but that her husband
was now dead and the creditor had come
to take her sons as bondsmen. Elisha
said: What shall l do for thee? Tell me,
what hast thou in the house?' She replied
that she had nothing save a pot of oil.
Elisha instructed her to borrow vessels
of her neighbours, mot a few" She was
then told to pour out oil into all the bor-
rowed vessels, and set aside those which
were filed. She did so and all of the ves-
sells which she had borrowed were filled;
the prophet instructed her to sell the oil
and pay the debt, and to use what re-
manned over for herself and children.
III. Topic: Restoring the life of a dead
child. Places: L. Shunem. g Mount
Carmel. Elisha in his work as a prophet
travelled from place to place; he frequently
visited the village Of Shunem; was en-.
the place; as a reward for this woman's
kindness Elisha promised that within a
year she should embrace a son; when the
child was four or five years old it was in
the harvest fields with it's father; it was
suddenly taken sick; carried to the house;
died at noon; the mother went to find
Elisha; the woman told Elisha about her
great affection; Elisha went with her;
the child was restored to life.
". Topic: The healing of a leper.
Places: l. Damascus. 2. Samaria. These
| cities were about ITO miles apart. Naaman
was a leper. The Syrians had taken cap
tive a little maid who waited on Naaman's
wife. This child told her mistress about
Naaman who told the king of Syria what
| the captive girl had said. The king sent
Naaman to the king of Israel; The king
of Israel rent his clothes; thought the
! king of Syria sought a quarrel with him;
Elisha sent to the king asking that Naa.
man be sent to him; Elisha instructed
him to wash in the Jordan seven times;
Naaman was healed.
V. Topic Divine protection. Places:
]. Samaria. .. Dothan. The king. OF
Syria was warning against Israel; Elisha
warned the king of Israel of the plans
of the Syrians; Israel was thus saved from
asked his servants to show which of them
was informing the king of Israel; they
replied that none of them were acting as
traitors, but that Elisha, the prophet, was
telling the king of Israel the words which
he spoke in his bedchamber; the king of
Syria sought Elisha; found him in Dothan;
sent horses and chariots and a great
host to take him; the Syrians were smitten
with blindness; Elisha led them to Sa-
maria; the king of Israel asked if he should
smite them; Elisha provided for their
necessities; sent them home; the Syrians
came no more unto the land of Israel.
vi. Topic: Joash made king. Place:
Jerusalem, the capital Of the southern
kingdom. Our lessons now return to the
kingdom of Judah. At the death of Je-
boram, Ahaziah became king; at his death
.Athaliah usurped the throne; she COM
manded that all the members of the royal
family be put to death; in the midst of
the general slaughter, Joash was hidden
in the temple, where he remained CON
cealed for six years; Jehoiada the high
priest then brought HIM out and made him
king.
VII. Topic: Gods, house repaired.
Place: Jerusalem. AS soon as Joash be-
came king steps were taken to lnaugurate
a great reformation, and a solemn covenant
was made between the Lord, the king
and the people; Baal worship was over
thrown, and the priests and the Leyltes
were appointed to serve in the temple;
a chest was placed beside the altar in tie
priests court, and the people were asked
to put their offerings in the chest. In this
way much money was raised, and the tenn
pie was repaired.
VIII. Topic: Isaiah warning Judah.
Place: Jerusalem, the prophets home.
There was great prosperity in Judah, but
in the midst of it the people were rebel
lious and profigate, the Gains of God
were forgotten, and His worship ignored.
Isaiah saw that because Of their wicked
ness the Lord would soon permit heather
warns the people.
TX. Topic: The evil effects Of strong
drink. Isaiah shows that the people were
was filed with flthiness, and God pro-
nounced a woe upon them because of this.
To-day the liquor traffic is Ike a career
eating the very life out of society; it de-
stroys the morals of the country and
blights wherever It touches. The mar who
sanctions this iniquitous business is a par
taker of all the evil connected with it.
X. Topic: The temple rededicated.
Place: Jerusalem. Hezekiah was the
twelfth king of Judah; he sought the Lord
earnestly; under .Ahaz the people had be-
come exceedingly wicked, and the kingdom
was fast going into decay, but now Heze,
offerings unto the Lord; he and the people
wo~rshiped the Lord; the singers sang; The
people brought sacrifices in such great
numbers that it became necessary for the
Levites to assist the priests.
XII. Topic: The cause OF the captivity.
Place: Samaria. Hezekiah was king OF
Judah; Hoshea was king OF Israel; the
kingdom of Israel had become thoroughly
corrupt and the government was now over
thrown, and the people were carried away
captive; S~halmaneser and the Syrian army
three years; Samaria was taken; Shalrla1-
eser was succeeded by Sargon, one of his
generals. Although Israel was very wick
ed yet God put forth every effort possible
to Save them; they had been warned by
the prophets and urged 10 repent, hut
Israel was rebeIlicns and would not listen,
therefore the Lord removed the tcl tribes
out CT the holy lm d and none but :he
tribes Of Judah and EcDjarlin w:s .ei..
Walked to the Fair.
in the steerage of the Holiand-hmerica
steamship Statendam, arriving IN New
York City, from Rotterdam and Boulog1e,
tame Mauritlus Hechter: a student IN the