The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1908-12-16
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INTERNATIONAL LESss,S COM.
MENTS FOR DECEMBER 20.

Subject: Christmas and It's Lesson,
Luke 2:S.20-Golden Text
Luke 2:11-Commit Verses $40
Commentary.
TIME.-December, B.C.5. PLACE.
Bethlehem.
EXPOSITION.-I. The Shepherds
Told Of the Birth Of Christ the Lord,
8.14. Seven hundred years before,
Micah had prophesied that He. that
was to "be ruler in Israel; whose CO.
ings forth are from Of old, from ever.
lasting" was to come out of Bethle-
hem (Mic. 5:2). Note how many de-
cree and deeds Of men, unconscious
Of Gods purpose and prophecy.
worked together to fulfill Gods word
and carry out His eternal plan. The
Saviour Of the world, the Christ, the
Lord, began in a stable the life He
was to close upon the There
was mo room"<f for Him in the inn.
There is mo room" for Him to-day
In the hearts OF, most men, in the
home, in business, in society. in poll,
tics. The announcement Of the adj
vent Of the King was made to shep-
herds. The shepherds proved their
fitness to receive the announcements
". 15). They were men of faith,
with a deep appreciation of spiritual
truth, in spite Of their slowly position.
They seem to have been waiting,
longing, looking for the coming of the
Christ ". 16). They were. faithfully
attending to their fowIy duties when
the revelation came. It was not
pleasant work, but 1t was their work,
and while at 1t the angels met them
Comp. Elk. 3d., q; Judg. 6.11, 12;;3
1 X. 1919; Luke 1:S,11). The glory
that shone around them was the an
ctent Shekinah that betokened Gods
presence. At a later day the disciples
were to behold the glory OF. God In
the person Of Jesus Himself elmo.
>1:14; 2 Cor. 3:18; 4:6). TIE shep-
herds were t'sore afraid" when they
beheld this glory The supernatural,
by bringing God hear, always fills the
heart of sinful man with fear (Rey.
1:17; Luke SIS; lisa. 6:5). But the
angelic message at nee dtspeiled all:
fear. They came to announce saliva
ton, not Judgment. They began with
one of Gods most frequent messages
to men, "fear not.n But the angels
not only babe them 4fear not but
brought forward the only real cure for
fear, the Gospel. They brought good
tidings Of great JOY" The coming OF
Jesus the Saviour, Christ and Lord, is
the best news this old, ~sin-cursed and
Satan-governed world ever heard. 1t
was a strange place to be semitic seek
q king-a barn. And it was q strange,
sign to mark "a Saviour, which Is
Christ, the Lord.G"babe wrapped In
swaddling clothes, and lying In a
manger." The world receives this
wonderful proclamation to this day
with Indifference, but the heavenly
army received it with exultant shouts
of praise to God. Well they might
The word suddenly shows that they
could hardly .:sstrain themselves until
the message was fully delivered.
They all but Interrupted their spokes-.
mans proclamation with their glad
chorus. There was to be a twofold
result Of the Saviour's birth-glory
to God in the highest" ION earth
peace among men Of His good pleas
ure." al.
II. The Shepherds fastening to.
Find the Christ, Is, 16. The shep-
herds, though humble and ~illiterate,
were wise men. They showed 1t by.
believing Gods word and going to see
for themselves the glorious truthsthat
had been proclaimed to them. OF the
truth Of what had been told them they
had not a doubt. They spoke Of 1t as
this thing Cor word) which Is come
to pass" Wise and happy the man,
who when God tells him anything
counts 1t done luke 1:45; Jno.
20:29).I They knew it was so because
the Lord had made it known. That Is
faith (Heb. HI, R. "; see c%ontextl.
They did not ego" to test the truth of
the word of God, but to t'see'' what
they already fully believed. When
God makes any great fact or truth
known to us we should at once believe
it and then "go and see this word
which the Lord hath made known to
us,"i. e., enter into it experimentally.
Note the eagerness and whole-heart-
| edness of these shepherd-saints, "'they
came with haste" Surely they will
rise up In the judgment against our
cold-hearted slowness in appropriate
ing the fullness of blessings that God
makes known to us. They came
with haste to find the Christ, but to-.
day men will. scarce come at all; and,
II they. do come, it Is with such re-:
luctance that they must be urged and
reasoned with and plead with and
almost pulled to the Saviour's feet.
These shepherds were rare souls.
They found it all just as God said it
would be ". 16; Ct. v. 20; cE- 30;
Acts 27:25). Therein a babe lying
in the Manager" they gazed upon the
One who was to be the Christ of God
and Saviour Of the world.
LII. The Shepherds Witnessing For
the Christ They Had Found, 1920.
They did not keep to themselves the
good news. They told only =" t
(which was spoken to them" Co., st
was the whole subject of their testi-
mony. Their testimony awakened
little besides wonder with most.
Mary "kept" in her heart and pom
dered" all these wonderful revela-
lions. That is the way to deal with
Gods word. The shepherds were
true and wise men. They did not lose
their heads. They went back to their
humble toll. But they went back In u
new spirit, "glorlfying and praising
God"