The Yale expositor., 1908-11-27
Worlds Temperance
Sunday
Sunday School Lesson for Nov. 20, 1905
Specially Arranged for This Paper

LESSON TEXT,-Isaiah 2S:l-1S. Mem
DRY verse, H.
GOLDEN TENT keep under my
body, and bring It into subJection."-1
Cor 9:27.
Comment and Suggestive Thought.
In order to understand this great
prophecy Of Isaiah, our lesson for to-
day, we must first have a vivid reallza-
ton Of
The Historical Situation.-Read 2
Kings 17:1-23; 1910; Chron 20, 80
1t is about 725 B. G. 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 scourge
these semi-savage 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
ence 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 IL they
continued to sin. Repent, or that
overwhelming scourge will sweep over
Judea and Jerusalem in its devastat.
ing course"
v. 1. Woe" Not wish or a
prayer for woe, but warning that
woe was coming. ITO the crown of
pride" The capital, so called, be-
cause It crowned the hill, or because
it's battlemented walls resembled a
crown. ITO DIETER of the drunk
ards of Ephraim," put for the whole
kingdom, because Ephraim was the
leading tribe. Whose glorious beauty"
The glorious beauty" of Samaria was
a beauty of magnificent luxury. Sum
mer" and winter houses" distinct
each from the other amos 3:15) :;
ivory palaces" Il Kings 22:39; Amos
3:15); a wealth of gardens, vine
yards, fig-orchards and olive yards"
Amos 4:9); residences of "hewn
stone" amos Sid; feasts enliYened
with 1.-The melody of viols" amos
5:23); beds of ivory" amos 6:4);
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 kind of beauty that
was liable to fade. 1t had nothing
of the riches that endure.
V. g The Lord hath a mighty and
strong one" The Lord would use the
Assyrian power, las 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 prosper
ity.
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. y
V. 6. For he would bring to them
the spirit of judgment" justice. right
eousness, and turn back 1.-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
drink" therefore they err in vision,
they stumble in judgment"
The Jerusalem drinkers indignant.
ly ask:
v. 8. Whom shall he teach knowl.
edge?" 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. 10. For precept must be upon
precept." The r. V. gives the true
meaning: For IL is precept 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 II you dc
not give heed to my words" For with