The Red Cloud chief., 1905-03-03
MHE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
LESSON X, FIRST QUARTER, INTER-
NATIONAL SERIES, MARCH 8.

Nepssry Verse, 81 - Colder Text,
John vii. 4G-Commentary Prepared
by Rev. ID. NJ. Stearns.
Copyright, 1905. by American Press Association
In this lesson the symbol is again
water, but this time 1t is rivers of liv-
ing waters reminding us of Eek.
Xvii, 1-6; lisa. xii, 3; Ps. XVI, L.. The
water here represents the Spirit Verse
Boz, but the word Is included according
to chapter vi, G3, "The words that |
speak unto you, they are Spirit and
they are life" The Spirit always
speaks by and works BY the word. Be-
ing filed with the Spirit and filled with
the word seem to me very intimately
associated In Eph. v, 1921; Col. iii, IL.
II, as in each case the results are the
same. In Acts Nv, 81. when they were
filed with the Spirit they spake the
word of God with boldness. In this
lesson and in chapters Iii and Nv we
have three experiences in the Christian
Hfe-bOrn Of water, u well of water,
rivers of water-yet few of those who
are born from above become wells, and
fewer still become rivers, because of
unwillingness or half heartedness or
lack of conservation. There is In verse
IL u very searching principle which ex-
plains many things. IF any man Is
willing or willeth to do His will, he
shall know Or. w..
This was the Lords feast of taber-
nacles appointed by Him to begin on
the fifteenth day Of the seventh month
and to continue seven days, with sin
offerings. burnt offerings and other Of
ferings every day Qev. xiii, 34-44;
Mum. xxx, 1915, $3.50, a time Of spe-
c1al rejoicing before Him because Of
the harvest home, and a time Of dwell
ing in booths to remind them Of the
way He led and kept them in the will
derness. This feast shall have q spe-
cial and marvellous fulfllment in the
next < after Israel's restoration and
conversion, when all nations shall send
their representatives to Jerusalem from
year to year to worship the King. the
Lord Of Hosts, and to keep the feast of
tabernacles Czech. xiv, l6). The Pass
over also shall have Il fulfillment in
such u gathering Of Israel from all ma
lions as shall make the coming out Of
Egypt seem as nothing. Compare care
fully Luke xxi. Is, 16; Jer. xvi. II, 10:
xiii, 5-S. The feast of our lesson il
not the feast of the Lord. but the Jews
feast Of ~tabernacles, with the Lord
shut out Verse y. Where were the
offerings? Or. IL they had them, they
were such as the Lord could not ac-
cept, for they were without significance
to them or to Him because of their
unbelief.
At this time His own brethren did
not believe in Him Verse -, so IL you
have brothers or sisters or members of
your own household who do not be-
neve, while 1t may be because or part
~ because Of some lack of Christlike-
ness In you, 1t is not necessarily so, for
Jesus was God manifest in the flesh,
q perfect manifestation Of God, and
yet some of those who were nearest to
Him did not for a time believe. The
carnal mind. even under the most
favorable circumstances. Is enmity
against God, and there must be Il new
birth by the Spirit and the word before
there can he any real life.
How full and free and wonderful the
invitation, IF any man thirst let him
come unto me and drink" The first
three words remind us Of John vi, 81,
and Rev. III. 20, while the whole invita-
ton takes us to lisa. ". 1; Song v, 1;
Rev. xxi. q; xxi. II. Freely is the
word whether it refers TO our .justifica-
ton or all that accompanies it Utoin.
iii. -: viii, BY. The Spirit Himself IL
given unto us that we may know the
things that are freely given to us of
God Il Cor. ii, ~, and rs we know and
rejoice in the things that are freely
ours in Christ we become wells and
rivers of living water.
1t Is so simple to eat, to drink, yet
instead of accepting His invitation they
began to argue as TO whether He could
be the Christ or not. They did not know
written there that He should be found
In Galiloe and come out of Egypt as
Shat He should he born in Bethlehem
Isa. iX, |, 2; Hos. ri, II. 1t is true of
many now n; it was then, "Ye do err,
aot knowing the Scriptures nor the
power of Coo Matt. xxi, 20. What
unnecessary divisions unbolief does
make even among the children of God,
Gli because We have u own opinions
about this ami that instead Of meekly
recajyinv His worl lJus 1 Oh