The Harrison times. (Harrison, Boone Co., Ark) 1876-1938, 1908-11-28
Worlds Temperance
Sunday
Sunday School Lesson for Nov. 20, 1908
Specially Arranged for This Paper
LESSON TExT.-Isalah s1-la. Mem,

| GOLDEN TEXT keep under my
body and bring IL into subjeetion.e-i
Cor. 9;2f.
Comment and Suggestive Thought.
In order to understand this great
prophecy of Isaiah. our lesson for to
day, we must first have vivid reallza
tion Of
The Historical standardized
Kings 17:1-2S 1910; Chron. 20, 80
1t is about 725 B. C. Isaiah, the royal
prophet, was in Jerusalem, the capital
OF Judah. The good King Hezekiah,
the rulers and leaders of the state
were his audience. The nations were
going astray, they were worldly
drunken, selfish, cruel, luxurious, op.
pressing the poor. neglecting religion,
forgetting God.
From the northwest were coming
great hordes Of Assyrian soldiers dew
astating everything on their way.
They had reached the northern king.
dom of which Samaria was the cap.
ital. Like an overwhelming seourge
these semisaVage armies were over
running the country with all wanton
crimes and cruelties, destroying every.
thing good.
They were sweeping away cities and
villages, farms, cattle, orchards
everything, The prophet sees them
drifting, as in the rapids of Niagara
swiftly toward destruction He sees
the storm-clouds ON the horizon threat.
ening tempests and lightning blasts
and destruction.
Within three or four years samaria,
the capital, was captured, and the
northern kingdom swept out of exist,
enee by the Assyrians
But the people of Jerusalem felt
comparatively safe, for their city was
a mighty fortress, very Gibraltar,
rarely captured, and probably it never
could be captured if the people within
were brave, united and true.
The prophet pointing to the north
ern kingdom, warns his own people
that nothing could save them If they
continued to sin, Repent, or that
overwhelming scourge will sweep over
Judea and Jerusalem in its devastat-
ing course
V. l. Woe" Not a wish or a
prayer for woe, but a warning that
woe was coming. ITO the crown OF
pride" The capital, so called, be-
cause it crowned the hill, or because
its battlemented walls resembled a
crown. ITO (better of the drunk.
ards of Ephraim, put for the whole
kingdom, because Ephraim was the
leading tribe. Whore glorious beauty"
The GLORIOUS beauty" of Samaria was
a beauty of magnificent luxury Sum
mer' and winter houses" distinct
each from the other (Amos BID;
ivory palaces" Il Kings 22:39; Amos
3:15); wealth of gardens, vine
yards. fg-orchards and olive yards"
(Amos 4;9); residences of "hewn
stone" (Amos SID; feastB enlivened
with "the melody of viols" (Amos
5:23); beds of ivory" (Aluos ga;
wine in bowls" amos 6:6); chief
ointments' amos $50 constituted a
total of luxurious refinement beyond
which few nations had proceeded at
the time.-Rawlinson. rs a fading
flower" 1t was a kind of beauty that
was liable to fade, 1t had nothing
of the riches that endure.
" 2. The Lord hath a mighty and
strong one" The Lord would use the
Assyrian power, as a tempest of hail.
and destroying storm" to punish the
wickedness which was injuring the
people far more than the Assyrian
hordes could their outward prosperity.
V. 4. "As the hasty fruit" R. ",
1.-The first ripe fig" swiftly decaying or
destroyed by the birds.
V. 5. Turning from this crown Of
pride" and fading flower" and decay
ing fruit" of sin, the prophet points to
the only true crown of glory and
diadem of beauty. the Lord of hosts"
V. G. For he would bring to them
the spirit of judgment, justice. right
sousness, and turn back the battle at
the gate" defeating and scattering
their enemies.
V. Z, Then he shows one source OF
their woes erred through wine
out OF the way through strong
4lluht lhNlNAbit AhtS Gil III hlHibAt
hey stumble in judgment"
The Jerusalem drinkers indignant
y ask:
" 8. Whom shall he teach knowl
sdge?" What right has Isaiah to
talk to us thus? Are we babies Just
weaned from the milk? Are we mere
school children to be chided and
warned in this way?
V. TO- For precept must be upon
precept" The r. V. gives the true
meaning: For it is preeept upon
precept." The prophet is telling the
same story all the time, continually re.
peating, everywhere, all the time, IN
season, out Of season, the same old
warning.
The prophet answers: This seems
monotonous to you, but you will have
another kind of monotony If you do
not give heed to my words" For with
stammering lips" Better as R. ",
For by men of strange lips and with
another tongue" (viz.. that of the
Assyrian hordes) will he speak to this