Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-03-23
for SUNDAY Scboob.
STAR LESSON FOR MARCH "a,
BY Rev. ]. E. Gilbert, DID,,
SECRETARY AMERICAN SOCIETY OF RELIGIOUS EDUcAT
WOES oF DRUNKENNEss." Isaiah xzyii:7.1a

people. He is here referring to the fact
and will be chastised and instructed by
foreigners. II they despised God and the
prophets and ridiculed the wholesome
words sent in love for their good. they
voice Of other masters.
PROPHECY Verse 12).-This cap
tivity and the instruction in captivity would
not come without warning They HAD been
toned by the sacred penmen and the faith
rul preachers as a promised rest, when Goo.
who had SO constantly borne Israel and
had endured the unfaithfulness, would be
would be the time of genuine refreshing.
wnen the Divine oversight would be re-
leased and the government Of strangers
substituted for 1t. There was in this some
Whatever may have been their ingratitude
and sin they desired to retain the favor and
protection Of Jehovah. To lose that would
be the sorest affliction that might befall
them. But they heard this prediction un-
moved. They did not heed it's import. They
continued in their evil ways as before.
PURPOSE (verse 13).-The prophet
now recurs to the sentiment and fact ex-
pressed in the tenth verse. declaring that
to be true which the people had mentioned
with contempt. God had spoken to them,
as they had declared, 'precept upon pre-
cept, line upon line" He had repeated his
instructions without WEAKNESS. The rea-
son for all this is also given. that they
might go and fall backward, and be broken
and SHARED and taken" On the face Of it
one might suppose that God designed the
ruin of this people and adopted this mode
to that end. That is the most evident
meaning of the words. But that cannot be
allowed, for then God would become the
cause Of nations waywardness and down.
fan. The true meaning is that God used
his gentle speech line upon line, ETC., that
when by their obduracy they fell under his
Judgments and were carried into captivity
the retribution visited upon them might be
just, the proper punishment for their evil
ways.
COMPASSIONATE lesson may be
used as was intended by the committee in
the interest Of temperance in one or both
OF two ways It may be shown that the
drink habit has led to national degeneracy
causing men to reject the truth and expos
ing them to 'perils from within and without
Or, 1t may be shown that the drink habit
is always one OF the proofs Of sensuality.
formed as the people depart from God, has
tening afterward to decay and destruction,
mark of the downward movement from
righteousness to sin. In the first case 1t is
the cause of innumerable social disorders.
and in the other it is the consequence Of
a long train OF spiritual irregularities and
defects. But in either way Of handling the
subject the cry Of Isaiah ought to be heed
drunkard" Strong drink is raging and
whose Is deceived thereby is not WISE"
When will the people learn sobriety and
turn away from the intoxicating cup.
Questions Answered.
Any person may send any Biblical aues-
ton to DR.. Gilbert. 1903 r street north
west, this city. and receive answer in The
Star.
231. In view Of the connivance Of Jacob
to deceive his father and steal his brothers
blessing and of his manner of obtaining his
brothers b1rthright, why Is he held I'D by
preachers as an example while Esau is gen.
orally condemned?
Answer. One preacher cannot explain the
conduct or motive Of another preacher. ia
cob ought not to be commended for his
wrongdoing. Still. though deceitful and
tricky he was doubtless better than his
brother. However, he experienced great
spiritual change at Peniel, and thereafter
displayed many admirable qualities.
232. All things considered was the decep-
ton Of Rebekah and Jacob justifiable and
If SO, why?
Answer. Measured by the abstract and
eternal principles Of righteousness the con-
duct Of mother and son was very wrong.
But those principles were not well under
stood in those days; they are not well I'M
derstood now. except by few. In those
far-away times men and women were gov
erned by maxims and customs that had
grown into favor In the course Of centu-
ries.
233. Abraham Isaac and Jacob were all
given to prevarfcation, with no trace of
punishment except in the first instance.
Why?
Answer. Truthfulness was never held by
orientalists to be a cardinal virtue as it is
esteemed by the people Of western nations.
Falsehood and deception are common today
through all those lands. Hence, man was
not punished by his neighbor for a fault
that was generally practiced. The injury
to character, the severest Of all punish
ment, came, nevertheless, by the operation
Of Gods own law of spiritual life, and pro-
duced defects that were race-wide.