The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1911-12-29
INTERNATIONAL
SNlSG|OOI
LESSON
LESSON FOR DECEMBER 81
REvIEw,

GOLDEN TExT-An W COMES. ~
sins. he Is faithful and just to forgive !.
our sins. and 10 cleanse IN from III UNI
| righteousness"--I John IL.
TO go over all the lessons separate
", n after another, TO repeat titles
and Golden Texts In order, to select
certain truths we have learned-thfs
10 not review. What we need is the
movement of the whole period OF the
history, to study it's meaning, to what il
Is leading, how each event, each charac,
ter, bears upon this end, to help Oh Is
hinder, to Q God in the history, and
to learn the lessons the whole period
teaches us.
Reviewing Is looking backward from
some tower or hilltop, over the land
scape through which We have been
travelling. The hills, the valleys, the
cities, the villages, the forests. the fer-
tile fields. we have been seeing in de-
tail through the quarter we now see as
one broad country, and we understand
the meaning and power Of the land as
a whole.
The principal countries where the
events took place should be noted on
the map, their relations to b anoth.
er, the modern names OF these lands
given, and the events in each reported,
The Bible history Is made more real,
and more interesting when the con
temporary events of secular history
are connected with It, joining day
school with Sunday school. And often
the secular history throws light upon
the Biblical history. The monuments;
the remains of ancient times found I'M
the ruins Of their great cities within
the last century, add greatly to our
knowledge and interest.
The history We are reviewing nat
urally falls into four eras or periods.
"a The two streams Of the divided
kingdom. (2) The single stream Of Ju-
dab. (3] The Exile. 4) Ths Return
and Restoration.
Il. First Period. The Divided King
doms-Judah. and Israel side by side, 4
double experiment In the progress OIL
the kingdom Of God, This period ex.
tended from 9S2-722, about $50 years
Judah's territory contained about 3.4O8
square miles; 1Erael's g,400. Judah's
capital was Jerusalem with Its tenn,
pies; Israel's was Samaria, with two
centers of false worship Judah wan
more sheltered than Israel from Close
contact with the heather, both rolitt
cally and religiously. Judah had one
dynasty Of II kings and one queen, an
Of the house Of David; and Israel n
kings and 8 dynasties. Judah had
several very good kings, and great
reyivals sof religion and reforms Of
morals; while In Israel from the first
was a deterioration OF varying de-
gress, with great help from Elijah and
Elisha.
The principles wa have been study.
ing apply to our own times, but ars
worked out in ways adapted to modern
life. 'The church is an army on duty,
an army for the Christian conquest Of
the world by loving faithfulnesss"
There are great evils to be driven out
OF our country. The whole land is wax
ing up to realize the need of civic right
eousness. There Is always need Of
awakening new reforming zeal. Fur
every step we gain gives Us views q
new needs, and new ideals. Every
Christian land ought to be o perfect a.
ample of the kingdom Of God. and n
the blessings that abound In It, Ever
failure to live that life lessons its n
iuence oyer the heather nations.
II. Second Period. Judah the Sols
Kingdom-Length OF Period, 1856 years
from destruction Of Samaria 722 y
final fall OF Jerusalem and destruction
Of the temple In $50. Every failure
from tire perfect life, every moral
wrong, every fall into idolatry. dlmlp'
ished their power for good; and Il was&
necessary that punishment should ~
low such conduct, both to persuad@
them into the ways Of God and right
eousness, and also to show the heatb
en- that only obedience to God coul6
lead to the blessings prepared
Gods people.
III. Third Period. The Exile in Bap1s
lon. Length Or period, 10 years. 6H
i536 and 5S6-516.
a. period Of discipline, of sitting llks
wheat, Of the refiners purifying hre
The Jews learned their need Of Gods
the value OF religion, the blessedpesk
or the Word Of God: they gained -
broadening Of their IDEAS. and synnps
thies, the increase Of their cuituss
Discipline, purifying In the furnacs
the strength that comes from overconr
ing, Is the need Of all individuals ana
churches today.
Nv. The Fourth Period. The Return
The New Spiritual Nations--This r.
Rod extends from the first return Y
$50 to the close Of the Bible history
40o-with an onward vision 10 the corr
ing Of Christ. Preparations for ~
coming Of Christ. The forerun's1
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