The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1906-01-10
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL
INTERNATIONAL LESSON COMMENTS
FOR JANUARY IA.
suiject, Tho Wise Mon Find Jssns-Mstf.
H., 1-1a--0oiden Text. Prov. xxiii., 20
-Mcinory Verse. 1i--Topic, Man Seek
ing the Savior-Commenta


ing the savior-Commenfary.
l. The coming of the wise men Tvs.
j, p. l. when Jesus was born"
While the exact date of Chrlst's birth
Is uncertain there Is no reason why IL
may not have been ON December 25,
b. G. 8. But why do we say that
Jesus was born before Christi" Sim
ply because our calendar is incorrect.
For some centuries after Christs time
there was no calendar in general use,
but each nation dated from some event
in its history. Finally, in the sixth
century, learned monk, Dionysius
Exiguus, was appointed to ascertain
the time of Christ's birth. and 1t was
ordered that history should be dated
from that time. But Dionysius, who
first published his calculations In A.
ID. 52G, put the birth of Jesus about
four years too late. "In Bethlehem"
"House of bread" A name properly
applied to place where the true
bread was manifested for the life OF
the world. "Of Judea." To dlstln-
guish 1t from Bethlehem in Galilee,
mentioned in Joshua 1915. "Herod"
Herod the Great. He was an Edom-
lite, and. although a proselyte to the
Jewish religion, was notorious for his
wickedness and cruelty. "Wise men,"
Augustine and Chrysostom say there
were twelve magi, but the common be-
lief is that there were but three.
From the East" Perhaps from Me-
dia, or Persia, or possibly, from Ara
bia. ITO Jerusalem" They seemed
to suppose that when they reached the
capital of the Jewish nation they
would have no trouble in finding the
object of their search.
2. "King of the Jews" This was a
title unknown to the earlier history of
Israel and applied TO no one except the
Messiah. 1t reappears in the inscrip-
ton over the cross. "EIls star" The
star which attracted the attention of the
magl was provided for the occasion.
"To worship Him." To do Him hon.
age. They were bold to confess the
object of their coming.
III. Light from the Scriptures Tvs.
3-6). 3. HAD heard" The magi had
created no small stir by their inquiries
which Immediately attracted the at
tention of the king. Troubled"
Herod now sunk into the jealous de-
creptitude of his savage old age, was
residing in his new palace on Zion,
when, half maddened as he was al
ready by the crimes of his past career,
he was thrown into n fresh paroxysm
of alarm and anxiety by the visit of
these magi bearing the strange intelli-
gence that they had come to worship
a newborn king. Herod feared RI
val. "All Jerusalem with him." Fear
Ing that he would make this an occa-
sion Of renewing his acts of blood
shed. 4. Had gathered" He as
sembled the Sanhedrn. "Chief
priests" This expression probably
comprehends the acting high priest
and his deputy, those who had been
high priests. "Scrlbes." The learned
Interpreters Of the Mosaic law. and
the collectors of the traditions of the
elders. Many of theIh were Pharisees.
Demanded OF them" Because they
would be most likely to know. Where
the Christ should be born" Or. W The
wise men had said nothing about the
Christ. or the Messiah, but only about
the King of the Jews. But Herod saw
that this king must be the expected
Messiah.
8. "By the prophet" Micah 90.
6. art in no wise least" Or. W Al
though Bethlehem was little, yet it was
exalted above all the other cities of
Israel. 'The princes" "The thou
sands" NIicah 5:2). The tribe had
been subdivided into thousands, and
over each subdivision there was n
chieftain or prince. "a Governor"
To control and rule. (Which shall be
shepherd" Or. W To feed and care
for, as a shepherd his flock. This gov
ernor who controls Is also a tender
shepherd. Christ is both Shepherd
and King. "My people Israel" Israel
was Gods people in a peculiar sense.
III. The intrigue of Herod Tvs. 7, 81.
Z. 'Prlvily called" Herod desired to
keep the time of Chrlst's birth as sc.
cret as possible lest the Jews who
hated him should take occasion to re-
bel. Inquired of them diligently"
Learned of them carefully" II. V.
He inquired of them the exact time
and received positive information as
to the time the star appeared. Assum-
ing that the star appeared when the
child was born he would thus have
some idea of the age OF the child. 8.
"He sent them" He assumed control.
but they followed the directions of the
Lord. Search diligently" Herod was
honest in making this charge to them;
he greatly desired to receive definite
word concerning the new King. "And
worship Him also" What hypocrisy!
He only wished to find the child in or
der to murder Him Tvs. 13. 16).
~. Guided by the star Tvs. o, 10).
o. 1.-The star-went before them" The
same star which they had seen In their
own country now again appears.
"Stood over" The star pointed out
the very house. 10. "They rejoiced."
The Greek is very emphatic. They re-
joiced exceedingly.
V. The child Jesus found Tvs. IL,
12. IL. EEL down." They pros
trated themselves before Him accord
ing to the Eastern custom. Gifts"
The people of the East did not ap-
proach into the presence of kings with
out bringing them presents. "Gold,"
etc, Gold would always be useful
while franklncense and myrrh were
priced for their fragrance. 10. "Warned
OF God in dream" God communi-
Gated His purpose to them in manner
that they understood. Another way"
They could easily go East from Beth
lehem and thus leave Jerusalem on the
north.