The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1908-11-26
JI7e
5m7ooiy-Sclo0f
INTERNATIONAL LESSON C0sI-
NIENTS FOR NOVEMBER 20.
Subject: Worlds Temperance Sum
day, Isaiah 2S;t-13-Golden
Text, Cor. 9:2S--Commit
Verse 1f-Commentary.

day, Isaiah 2S;1-13--Golden
Text, I Cor. 9;2T--Commit
Verse 1i-Commcntary.
TNIE.-725 B. c. PLACE.-Jeru-
salem.
EXPOSITION.-I. The Destruc-
ton of the Drunkards of ISphraim. f.
4. BY "the crown of pride" is meant
the city of Samaria (see r. V. and CT.
1 X. 16:24. 1t is here compared to
chaplet of flowers on a drunkard's
brow OR. w. This chaplet of flow
ers, saws Isaiah, shall be trodden
under foot" because OF their sin and
pride. The people of the northern
kingdom as a nation are spoken OF as
the drunkards of Ephraim." Drunk
enness seems to have been so wide
spread as to have become national
sin (cf. ch. 5:11, 12; Hos. 7:5; Am.
2:6. S, II: Al; 6:6). The effect OF
their drink upon them was that they
we're Overcome" (literally, "smitten
DOWN. By Il. Let us not forget that
It was "the native wines of wine
growing district" that did this for
Ephraim, and not distilled spirits nor
adulterated poisons. Their "chaplet
Of pride" and glorious beauty was
after all but fading flower" So 1t
is with every chaplet of earthly pride
and all the GLORIOUS beauty" Of this
present world Il Pet. 1:2q. The
prophets answer to Israel's conf
dence is, their crown of pride was
that Jehovah had "a mighty and
strong one" This mighty and
strong one" was the king of Assyria
e X. 1S:1O-12). The Assyrians them
selves were bloody" deceitful and
rapacious people (Nah. 3:1), but
| they were an instrument in Jehovah s
hand for fulfilling His word and
bringing judgment upon His back
sliding people (cf. Ps. 76:10). The
coming of the Assyrian is described
by a threefold figure: "a tempest Of
hail." "a destroying storm" "a tenn
pest of mighty waters overflowlng.
The thought contained in these fig-
ures is that Of widespread and over
whelming destruction (cf. ch. S:7, 81.
Back OF all this work of devastation,
destruction and desolatlon was the
wrath of God at sin (2:4-9). This
destruction, ETC., all came upon them
because they obeyed not the voice
of Jehovah, their God" g X. IS: IL,
12). Jesus uses a similar figure re-
garding those who hear His words
and do them not Matt. 1926, 2O.
II. Jehovah of Hosts For Crown
! of Glory, ., @. In the midst OF the
awful desolation of his own time,
when every crown of pride and all
| glorious beauty is a fading flower,
the prophet looks forward to that
| day" (the day of the Lords Return
! and manifestation. So in the midst
/ of present sin and judgment for sin
we should look forward (for COM
/ fort in our hearts and encouragement
| in our work. to our Lords coming
/ again Git. 2:13; 2 Pet. 3:12-14, r.
/ W. IN that day" "a crown of
/ glory will take the place of "the
! crown of pride" and "a diadem OF
beauty" the place of 1.-The fading how-
er of his glorious beauty"
III. Erring Through Wine, Out of
the Way Through Strong Drink. z, 8.
These also" (the people of Jerusa-
lem), as well as Ephraim, have
erred through wine and through
strong drink are out of the way"
The prevailing sin of drunkenness
had reached even Gods representa-
tiyes, "the priest and the prophet
(cf. ch. SCHOOLS; Mic. 2:1D. The
priests were especially inexcusable
because of the plain directions OF
Gods word (Lev. 1919. 10; Ez.
44:21), They were reeling through
strong drink, they were swallowed up
Of wine, they were gone astray
through strong drink (see r. ".
Marg.) The result was, they utterly
failed in their official acts. They
reeled in vision and stumbled in judg.
ment. Wine and strong drink con.
fuse the spiritual perceptions and
rob men of Judgment. The religious
teacher who INDUCES In them is es.
pecially culpable and utterly incapac-
itated for his holy Office. The use OF
wine and strong drink made theiI
social gathering filthy and disgusting
". How God Teaches Those Who
Will Not HearlSen To His Word, 9-13
Verses 8 and 10 may be taken as
giving us the mocking answer o.
the people to Gods prophet. II
we take them this way the peo
Pile are represented as saying
"Whom will he teach knowledge
etc? Does he take us for babies
Just weaned? It is precept upon pre-
cept etc" If the prophet himself 1!
the speaker. then Jehovah is repre-
sented as teaching knowledge Il
babes and not TO the self-sufficien
(cf Matt. l1:25; 21:15, 16; Nix
10;15). These are the ones whom
He makes to understand the mes
sage" Or. W. And the method o
His teaching is "precept upon pre-
cept" (cf. Neh. 9:29, 80; 2 Chr
36;15; Jer. 11:7). AS they had no
listened TO Jehovah speaking through
His prophets He will now speak t
them through foreign conquerors "
IL, r. "; CT. Deut. 28:47-49). II VI
will not hear Gods loving and patien
call to repentance He will speak to u
through cruel enemies. God hat
called them to rest" They woult
not hear that call; so He now sen
them conflict and destruction. II,
calls us also to "rest" Matt. 1928
29). II we Will not hear thar call H.
will send us destruction q Thess
1:7-9). The whole secret OF thei
trouble (and of every mans troubl
to-day was that they would not listel
to Gods word.