Mexico Missouri message., 1908-11-26
Worlds Temperance
Sunday
sssdsy Sshssi Lessen fs< Nov. 70. Isos
Specially Arranged for Thss Papsr

H1Hl1n1Nn lnrr,rrInIlEHInnlz
LESSON rExT.-Isaiah s;l-is. Mem
| DRY verne, n.
GOLDEN TExT.-'T keep under my
body. and bring II into subjection."-i
Cor. s;27.
Comment and Suggestive Thought.
In order 20 understand this great
prophecy Of Isaiah, our lesson for to.
day, we must frat have vivid realIEa.
| ton Of
The Historical Situation.-Read
Kings 17:1-23; 1910; Chron. 20, 90.
IL 10 about 726 b. O. 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 dev.
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
mighty fortress, a very Gibraltar,
rarely captured, and probably II never
could be captured II 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 II they
continued to sin. Repent, or that
overwhelming scourge will sweep over
Judea and Jerusalem In its devastat-
ing course"
V. /. 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 II crowned the hill. or because
its battlemented walls resembled q
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 vas
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); n wealth Of gardens, vine.
yards. fg-orchards and olive yards
tAmos 4:9); residences of "hewn
stone" (Amos SID; feasts enllvened
with "the melody OF yiols" (Amos
5:23); beds of ivory" (Amos 6:4);
wine In bowls" (Amos $50; chief
ointments" amos 6:6) constituted a
total Of luxurious refinement beyond
which few nations bad proceeded at
the time.-Rawlinson Us a fading
flower" II was a kind Of beauty that
was liable to fade. It had nothing
Of the riches that endure.
v. 2. The Lord hath mighty and
strong one" The Lord would use the
Assyrian power, "as tempest OF hall,
and a destroying storm" to punish the
wickedness which was injuring the
people far more than the Assyrian
hordes could their outward prosper.
ity.
v. I. AS the hasty fruit" r. ",
"the first ripe iig." 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. 6. For he would bring to them
the spirit OF judgment" justice, right.
eousnsss. 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
drink" therefore they err In vision,
they stumble In judgment"
The Jerusalem drinkers indignant.
ly ask:
v, Q. Whom shall he teach knowl-
edge7" What right has Isaiah to
talk TO US thusY Are we babies Just
weaned from the milk3 Ars we mere
school children 70 be ch!ded and
warned In this wayf'
v. 10. For precept must be upon
precept." The r. v. gives the true
meaning: For II Is precept upon
precept." The prophet 10 telling the
same story all the time. continually ro-
peating. everywhere. ali the time. In
season. out Of season, the same old
warning.