Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1908-11-28
Worlds Temperance
Sunday
Sunday School Lessen for Nov. 2s. 1908
Specially Arranged Cor This Paper

DRY verse H.
GOLDEN Tent keep under my
body. and bring Sc into subsection. 81
Cor go
Comment and Suggestive Thought.
IN order 20 understand this great
prophecy OF Isaiah. our lesson for to-
day, we must FIRST have vivid reaIiza-
uou Of
The Historical Standardized .
Kings lt.l-23; 1S.1-IO. Chrou %. So
II Is about I25 b. q. 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. oD-
pressing the poor. ueglecung religion.
forgetting God.
From the northwest were coming
great hordes OF Assyrian soldiers dew
astating everything on their way
They had reached the northern kim
dom OF which Samaria was the cap
NaI Like an overwhelming scourge
these semisavage armies were over
running the country with an wanton
crimes and cruelues. destroying every
thing good
Ihey We're sweeping away cities and
villages, farms. cattle. orchards
everything. The prophet sees them
drifting, as I'm the rapids os NIAGARA.
swiftly toward destruction lie 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
mighty fortress, a very Gibraltar.
rarely captured. and probably IL never
could be captured ~ the people within
were brave, united and true
The prophet. pointing 20 the north
ern kingdom, warns his own people
that nothing could save them II they
continued 90 sin Repent. or that
overwhelming scourge will sweep over
Judea and Jerusalem In it's devastat
ing course"
V. I. Woe" Not a wish or
prayer for woe. but a warning that
woe was coming To the crown oil
pride" The capital so called. be
cause 81 crowned the hill or because
IFS battlemented walls resembIed a
crown. To 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 tAmos 3:I5):
ivory palaces" a Kings % 80. Amos
3:l5); a wealth of gardens. vine
yards, hg-orchards and olive yards
amos 4.9); residences OF "hewn
stone (Amos 5:lD, feasts enlivened
with the melody OF viols" (Amos
$3.50; beds OF ivory" tAmos go:
wine in bowls" Amos 6:6): chief
ointments" Amos 6:6) constituted a
total OF luxurious refinement beyond
which few nations had proceeded at
the time.-Rawiin us a fading
flower II was kind OF beauty that
was liable 10 fade IL had nothing
Of the riches that endure
V. >. The Lord hath a mighty and
strong one The Lord would use the
Assyrian power. las a tempest OF hail.
and a destroying storm" 10 punish the
wickedness which was injuring the
people far more than the Assyrian
hordes could their outward prosper
ity
" T. "As the hasty fruit" r. V.
the first ripe fig" swiftly decaying or
destroyed by the birds.
V. 5. Turning from this crown OF
pride" and fading flower" and decay
Tag fruit Of sin. the prophet points 10
the only true crown OF glory and
diadem Of beauty. the Lord OF hosts.
v 6. For he would bring 10 them
the spirit Of judgment" Justice. right
eousness, and turn back the battle al
the gate" defeating and scattering
their enemies.
v 7. 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:
" 3. Whom shall he teach knowl-
edge?" What right has Isaiah to
talk 10 US thus2 Are we babies lust
weaned from the milk? Are we mere
school children to be chided and
warned IN this way?
" 10. For precept must be upon
precept." The r. V. gives the true
meaning: For it is precept upon
preCept." The prophet is telling the
same story all the time, conunually 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 or monOtony II you do
not give heed to my words" For with
stammering lips" Better as X. ".
For by men Of strange lips. and with
another tongue" (viz., that Of the
Assyrian hordes) will he speak TO this
people (11) TO whom he said, This il
the rest this is the refreshing"
God had pointed out 10 them how
Al