Lexington gazette. [volume] (Lexington, Va.) 1871-1962, 1907-12-18
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL,
Lesson xIl.-Fourth Quarter, For
Dec. q, 1907.
THE INTERNATIONAL SERIES.

! eNt OF kne LESSON Wakrs tiJ Tx, an1
| Sam. vii, 1-13--Memory Verses, 10.
IL and ~, f3-ooIden Texts. Luke u,
II, and ! Sam. vii, documentary
Prepared by Rev. D. M. steafns.
copyright. 1907, by American Press Association
EAwilling TO omit either the Christ
mas lesson or the one on Samuel, we
will give a portion to each, taking the
Christmas story first, and It may be
that we shall find more connection be-
tween them than appears probable at
first sight. They both refer TO Israel
and to rulers in Israel, and In both
there Is the work of an enemy4and de-
liverance therefrom.
II Is high time that all teachers ey-
erywhere should very strongly en-
phasize the fact that the wonderful
babe In Bethlehem was born king OF
:he Jews" and that 1t was predicted
of Him that He should rule Tor feed or
shepherd Gods people Israel (Matt. Ii,
2, G; Mic. v, p. Gabriel told Mary that
her Son should occupy the throne OF
His father David and reign over the
house of Jacob forever and that Of His
kingdom there should be no end duke
1, 80, 33l. and this was in perfect ac-
cord with lisa. TX, O, I; Jer xiii, 8, O.
and all prophecy. The time of the long
postponed kingdom is ever drawing
nearer, and every prophecy concerning
Israel shall be literally fulfilled. Let
the Christmas notices this year be on
these lines: "All Israel shall be saved"
"There shall come out of Zion the De.
liverer,"i upon the throne of David
and upon his kingdom" "He shall be
ruler in Israel" Jesus of Nazareth. the
King of the Jews" (Rom. Il, &c; lisa.
*, 7; Mic. V, 2; John xix, 10. In con-
nection with the. story Of the wise men
and their gifts, tell of the queen OF
Sheba and her gifts, then show from
lisa. TX and xii and Zech. xiv that all
nations shall yet bring gifts to Israel
and go up from year to year to worship
the king at jerusalem; show how the
effort of Herod, the earthly king, to
destroy the child King will be matched
and far Overreached by the fulfillment
of Rev. xvii, ID; xix, 10, q, but the
Lamb shall overcome them, for he is
Lord of lords and King of kings. See
Gods care of the child Jesus by
dreams given to the wise men and to
Joseph and take comfort from the
precious truth that If we are in Christ
His Father Is our Father and we are
kept and cared for moment by mo-
ment 0sa. xvii, -. Let the gifts OF
the wise men lead us to ask ourselves
by what gifts or devotion or self de-
NAL or journeyings we are proving
our love TO Him. who. though He was.
rich, for our sakes became poor that
we through His poverty might be rich
Oh Cor. viii. o.. What Is 1t to us that
we have heard the wOndrous story or
the great redemption and so many mil
lions whom He also loves have never
heard? Let all gifts he to Him, to help
make Him known. and not to those
who do not need them.
Turning to-the lesson In Samuel, the
heart of Il seems to be. Return unto
the Lord with all your hearts. put
away the strange gods and prepare
your hearts unto the Lord to serve Him
only Verse 81 The people had relied
upon the ark Of the covenant and not
upon the Lord and had lost. the ark In
battle. The PhllIstines found that the
ark brought them more trouble than
they wanted. so they returned 1t on a
new cart drawn by two milk cows,
which, contrary to nature, went away
from their calves. which were shut up
at home The Philistines sent golden
offering. with the ark In Golfer by
the side thereof. Without human
guide or driver the cows took the cart
to Rethshpniesll and stopped In the
field of man called Joshua. The cart
was used for GrewoOd and the cows
sacrificed as a burnt Offering unto the
Lord upon a great stone by which they
had stopped with the cart. The lid OF
the ark, the mercy seat, was never TO
be removed but by the Lords COM
mand, yet the men of Bethshemesh
dared to disobey, and over $4,000 were
slain. The law can only XIII. Life comes
by the mercy seat and the blood sprin-
killed. upon It.
The Philistines were still depressing
Israel. but Israel was crying unto. the
Lord so Samuel gathered them to Miz-
peb. and they had time Of concession
and fasting and prayer and pouring
out their hearts before God, as a sym
boil of which they poured out water,
perhaps saying. as on another occasion,
1--WE are as water split on the ground
which cannot be gathered up again
III Sam. xiv, 14). While thus engaged
the Philist!nes came against them, but
Samuel offered lamb for burnt or
fering and cried unto the Lord, ana
the Lord heard him, and He thundered
80 nightly upon the Phillstines that
they were discounted and smitten be-
fore Israel. Thus the Lord again
fought for Israel as He had done Sc
often and will again In days to come
Czech. XIV. Thunder is in Job xxxvii
is called the voice of God. "God
thundereth marvelously with His
voice; great things doeth He which We