The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1911-05-26

Golden Text.--'Nation shall not
hit up sword against nation, Meth
or shall they learn war any more
Micah 4: 3.
Historical Setting.-Time: XIicah
pfophesied in the days Of lothian.
Ahah and Hezekiah. kings Of Judah,
1855 Il. c., according to modern
authorities.
"a village near the border of the Phil
isc'ne plain. probably about twenty.
I'VE miles from Jerusalem.
international Peace Lesson.)
In Isaiah's time there was a young
er prophet in judah named Micah.
he seems to have been an humble
peasant who had his home in More
snetn, an obscure village near the
Philistine plain, probably twenty Ave
miles from Jerusalem. Micah tells
US that he was called OF God ito
declare unto Jacob (Judah) his trans
erosion and to Israel (the Northern
kingdom) his sin" ca: 81. He paid
no attention to the political sins of
the day, but was tremendously exer-
cisco over the injustice and cruelty
ana greed of the rich and powerful,
whether kings, judges. priests or peo-
pie. and foretold the terrible judg.
ments that such sins would bring
upon the nation. Zion should be
plowed as "a field and Jerusalem
should become heap. Later, how
ever, ne had splendid vision OF a
taf-oif time when glory should re-
turn to Israel. This vision we are
now to study.
The Lesson Text in Everyday Dress.
me time will come by and by. says
Mlcah, when God and His law and His
Alhsdom shall be exalted in the world
ana men Will look to him as their su-
preme Teacher and Law-giver and
Guide. For the word of God shall
go forth from zion---Israers Gods
church, Gods people---into all the
world. and the influence Of his will
shall be felt among many nations.
ana men will look to him for guild
ance, and nations will settle their
AFFAIRS with one another according
to His word Instead OF acting as
prompted by their own evil dasires
or tempers. instead OF trying to run
rough-shod over one another. instea d
or insisting upon their own rights
regardless of the right, they will
seek to know the Will of God and
VIII carry their matters to Him as
their Supreme Arbiter. In that day
great calm will settle upon the
earth. discord and strife will cease
Ihe weapons of war will be turned
INTO the implements of peace and men
VIII carry on their daily vocattons
without fear OF their fellow-men.
IL Is not so to-day. continues the
prophet for there are many gods
many ways many notions and the
dl1erent peoples OF the earth all fol-
low their own gods and their own
ways: and we of Israel, Ii We are TO
hastea that day, must zeaiously fol-
low Jehovah, the one true God. who
VIII ultimately rule over the whole
earth. When that day comes--when
Jehovah shall have FULL sway--meu
shau not only cease to Tight one an
o'her, but the strong shall cease to
Cypress the weak, and the down.
uodden shall be lifted up and given
talr chance among their fellows.
indeed the lame and the hunted and
the cast-off shall enjoy the peculiar
! FAVOR OF Jehovah and place shall
| be made for them Then, O Zion.
fhaA thy former glory return unto
| thee. Thou art weak to-day. but
my rule--the supremacy of that
which thou standest for-God and
Gods glory and Gods law and right
! ana truth--shall be established for
ever.
The Heart of the Lesson.
Micah looks into the dim distant
tuture and sees the final triumph OF
good. Whatever we may see about
US day the time will come when
Jehovah shall come to His throne In
the hearts OF men and right Will pre-
/ vail. In that day men shall follow
| the ways or peace and will cultivate
I with diligence the art Of being kind
W h,sn hGtf a
/ they Will not think OF settling their
matters by force, as they do now.
A! but they Will look TO God as their
Supreme Arbiter. Whatever He com
/ mands shall be their law And so
/ under the rule Of the Prince Of Peace
| the world will be at peace and men
/ viii realize how good and how pleas
ant II ts for >hrethren to-, dwall tes-
| gether in unity.
| Here Is the solution Of re great
problem Of replacing the rule of
/ might with the rule OF right. The
| word liz run OF discord ana blood he
| cause men have gone on In the old
| brutal way--with the savage notion
| that might makes right. Gradually
ths day Is dawning. The light OF the
I Sun of Righteousness has kissed the
| mountain tops. Men have begun to
! see that the way OF right Is not the
! way of might, but the way of love.
In their individual affairs they rea-
! lie more clearly than at any former
| time that might settles nothing. that
| thing is never settled until 1t Ia
| settled right. that nothing IL ever
| settled right until 1t Ia settled ac-
| cording TO Gods law, and that the
essence Of Gods law is love. But
| the world has been slow to go fur
ther than this. The moment men
| come together and bind them selves
| in corporations, in states. in nations,
this high sense OF Righteousness seems
/ to fail and men go back to the saw
age ways of might. As individuals
we are willing to leave our matters
! to be settled by the law Of love, but
i as bodies OF men we want to coerce,
| to bring the force OF the law upon
| others, to appeal to arms and all
that We become savages again. But
there are faint rays OF light coming
! in here also, and here and there men
I are beginning to see the signs OF the
far-off coming OF the Kingdom which
| Micah saw In his vision. The world
| is beginning to demand that men
shall act according to Gods will when
! they act in groups, In organiza tons
| in nations. as they do when they act
as individuals We are developing a
national conscience that will one day
forbid the wrong-doing of a nation
as the individual conscience forbids
the wrong doing OF an individual,
When that day has come the weak
est nation i'll haze. its. rights, and
the day of TYRANNY and pppresaion