The Morris County chronicle., 1909-10-05
lie
Scn7o0sl7 School
INTERNATIONAL LESSON COM
MENTs FOR OCTOBER 10.

Subject: Paul a P1isoner-The Plot,
Acts 22:8O-23 85--G Golden Text:
Ps. 9:13-Cominit Verse IL
Commentary on the Lesson.
TIME.-A. D. So.
PLACE.-Jerusalem.
EXPOSITION.-I. The Plot Of the
Jews to Murder Paul, 1916. It
looked very dark for Paul, and If Paul
had been at all like most men he
would have had heavy heart. But
in the night the Lord appeared to His
faithful servant to cheer him. Possi-
bly, Paul had been tempted to think
that he had made a mistake in COM
ing to Jerusalem against the protests
of his friends What Jesus had said
to him was sufficient to Danish all
such thoughts as that. He told Paul
to "be of good cheer" and that as he
had borne testimony concerning Him
at Jerusalem, SO must he also bear
testimony at Rome Evidently the
Lord approved heartily of Paul's tes-
timony at Jerusalem. 1t is clear also
that those who fancy that Paul was
headstrong in going to Jerusalem.
and was following his own wishes
and not the leading of God in doing
Quite likely Paul's appeal to Caesar
at a later day (ch. 25:11) was sug-
gested by the words that the Lord
spoke to him at this time. A dam
gerous conspiracy and plot was form
ing against him, But God was, as
He always is, beforehand with His
comfort and preparation for the cri-
sis Human friends sometimes COM
fort us after the trial has arisen, but
1t is God who comforts us before the
need appears. The conspiracy was
strong and apparently dangerous. No
less than forty men were in it. They
were determined men, willing to go
any length to compass their purpose.
They would not even stop art murder,
and would put aside everything
even eating and drinking-until this
one thing was done. They faacied
that they were the viceregents of God
on earth, and had right to put those
whom they saw fit to regard as Gods
enemies out of the way, even without
legal process of any kind. There Is
no more dangerous man than the man
who fancies that it is for him to judge
who are Gods friends and who are
His foes, and that he himself is APP
pointed of God TO be the executioner
conspirators thought that they would
be doing God a service in putting
Paul out of the way (Jno. 1920, a
solemn warning to all in any age who
would take the judgments of God
into their own hands, This was not
the only time that Paul was the OBJ
iect of such infamous plots (ch. 25:3;
1923. "a: 1915, 6; 20:19; Cor. IL:
90 26, 80, 33) The plot was we'll
laid. 1t seemed certain of success.
But it failed utterly. Why? God
Cps. ALA; 64:1-10; lisa. 89:10).
Paul was lust as safe after this plot
was formed as he was before (Rom. 8:
BID Forty desperate men, backed
up by the powers that be. and In
league with the devil himself, can ap-
parently accomplish good deal In
this world, but they are utterly pOw->>
erless against God. They cannot kilf
in Jerusalem a man whom God has
appointed to go to Rome and bear
witness of Jesus there. Paul was fol-
lowing again very closely in the road
his Master walked in having such a
plot formed against him (Matt. 20:
A. That the conspirators thought IL
perfectly proper and pious thing
that they were doing Is evident from
their disclosing it to the priests and
elders (cf. Jer. G.: 15; Hos. 4:9). They
sought the cooperation of the PRIESTS
and got ib
iii. Gods Exposure and Defeat of
the Plot, 1922. 1t required no mir->
acle to defeat the plot of the Jews.
But the defeat was of God Just as
much as If the whole course of nature
had been stopped The plot leaked
out and got to the ears of relative
of Paul Very likely he did not SYM
pathize with Paul's views, but he re-
coiled at the thought of his being as
sassinated. Paul's enemies were
caught in their own counsel (cf Job
5:13; l Cor 3s19). This scheme to
overthrow Gods purposes and word
had failed utterly (cf. Prov q 80;
Lam. 3:37). Paul had faith in God,
but that did not prevent his taking
judicious precautions to defeat the
wiles of his enemies Matt. 10il6).
The captains and colonel both had oc-
casion to fear Paul (ch. 22:25-29)-
They were both eager to do some
thing to gain his favor. Probably
when the colonel took the young man
so courteously by the hand and led
him to one side he hoped he had come
to suggest bribe for Paul's deliver
ance (cf. ch 24:26) Thus his fears
and his cupidity worked together
with other things to secure Paul's
rescue (cf Rom. 8:28) The plot not
only failed, it resulted in furthering
Gods plans and fulfilling His word.
1t started Paul on the road to Rome,
and brought him into Caesarea,
where he had the opportunity of bear
ing witness for Christ before Felix,
Festus, Agrippa, Drusilla and Ber-
nice. 1t resulted also in that impris-
onment to which we owe SO many pre-
cious epistles Again God made the
wrath of men to praise Him (Ps. 76:
100. 1t is not at all likely that the
conspirators kept their word about
not eating or drinking until they had
killed Paul From the Talmud we
learn that in such o case the rabbis
had power to absolve them. So will
every plan that is formed against
Gods faithful servants fail, even
when 1t seems to succeed lisa. "a:
10.
Position of Haney's Comet.
Professor e. B. Frost, of the
Yerkes Observatory says Halley's
comet was observed by Professor S.
w. Burnham with the forty-inch tele-
scope on September Is In approxi
mately right ascension hours 18
minutes Sill seconds, and declinatiOn