The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1906-01-10
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL
INTERNATIONAL LESSON COMMENTS
FOR JANUARY i4.
Subject: The Wise en- Find Jesus-Matf.
H., ~1.12-Golden Text, Prov. xiii, 70
Memory Verse, 11-Topic: Man Seek
inp the Observation-Disclosures.

-Memory Verse, Ma SEEK
ing the Savior-Commentary.
L. The coming Of the wise men Tvs
4, q. ]. When Jesus was born.lr
While the exact date of Christs BIRTH
is uncertain there is no reason why u,
may not have been on December 26F
3. G.. 5. 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 it's history. Finally, in the, sixth
century, q learned monk, Di0nys1ns
Exiguus, was. appointed to ascertain
the time of Christ's birth, and 1t was
ordered that history should be dateG
from that. time. But Dionysius, who
first published his calculations in A;
D. 52G, put the birth Of Jesus about
four years too late. "In Bethlehem"
"Hcuse of bread.' A name properly
applied to a place where the true
bread was manifested for the life or
the world. "Of Judea." To distfA43
guish it FROM Bethlehem in Galilec,
m~entionedSn Joshua 1915. "Herod."
Herod the Great. He was an Edons
lite, and, although a proselyte to the.
Jewish religion. was notorious for his
wickedness and cruelty. wise men,
Augustine and Chrysost0m say there
were twelve magi, but the commontBe -
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 thu
capital Of the Jewish nation they
would have no trouble in finding the
object Of their search. !
2. "King of the Jews" This was q
| title unknown to. the earlier history OF
Israel and applied to no one except the
| Messiah It ,reappears In the inscrip-
ton over the cross. His starr The
star which attracted the attentfonof 2
magi was provided for the occasion.
ITO worship Him. To do Him hom-
age. They were bold to confess the
object Of their, coming. gs
II. Light from the Scriptures Ws.
3-6). 2. Had heard" The magi bad
created no small stir by their inquiries
which Immediately attracted the att
teution Of the king. Troubled. =;
Herod, now sunk into tie jealous der
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 fresh paroxysHa.
Of alarm and anxiety by the visit OF
these magi, bearing the strange inteih-
gence that they had come-t0 wOrsltps
q newborn king. Herod feared Air
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 as5
sembled the Sanhedrin. "Ghief
priests" This { expression probably
comprehends the acting high priest
and his! deputy%those who had been
high priests o"oScribes." The learned.
interpreters Of the Mosaic law, and
the collectors of the traditions of the
elders. Many Of them were PhariseesII
Demanded Of them" Because they.
would be most likely to know. @Where:
the Christ should be born" (R. W Tbe5
wise men had said nothing about the
Christ. or the Messiah, but only abouS
the King of the Jews. But Herod, saw,
that this king must be the expected
Messiah. &
S. by the prophet" Micah OF.
G. cart in no wise least" (R. W Al
though Bethlehem was little, yet 1t was
exalted above all the other cities OF
Israel. 'The princes" SThe thOu-
sands" micah sly. The tribe had
been subdivided into thousands, .
over each subdivision there was o
/, chieftain or prince. "a. Governor.
To control and rule. (which shall be
shepherd" (R. W To feed and care
for, as a shepherd his flock. This gov
ernor who controls ,is also a1itender
shepherd. Christ Is both Shepherd
and King. my people Israel" lsraet
was Gods people in q peculiar sense. .
III. The intrigue Of Herod Tvs. Z, ,S)l
Z. "Privily called" Herod desired to:
keep the time of Christ'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. .Vs
He inquired Of them the exact time
and received positive information as
to the time the star appeared. Assuni-
ing that. the star appeared when the
child was born he would thus have
some idea Of the age Of the child. y
."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.nn What hypocrisy
He only wished to find the child in or
der.to murder Him Tvs. 49, l6). q
=. w.: Guided by the star Us. 9, TO-
@ "The starLwent before them" The
same star. which they had seen in their
own country now again appears
"Stood over" The star pointed out
the very nouse. 10. "Thcy rejoiced."
The Greek is very emphatic. They: re
joiced exceedingly. e.
V. Tho child Jesus found (rs. II,
10. II. Fell down." They pros
trated themselves before Him accord
ing to the Eastern custom. Gifts"
The people OF the East did not APP
proach into the presence Of kings with
out bringing them presents. Gold" :,
etc. Gold would always be useful,
while frankincenSe and myrrh were
prized O rtheir fragrance. Il. Warned
of God in q dream" God communi-
Gated His purpose to them in a manner
that they understood. Another way"
They could easily so East from Beth
lehem and thus leave Jerusalem on the
north.
-