Imperial Valley press., 1911-12-21
SuNDlY SCHOOL.
Lesson xl.!.-Fourth Quarter,
For Dec. "a, 1911.
THE INTERNATIONAL SERIES.

Text Of the Lesson, Matt. ii, 1-12
Memory Verses, II, 12-Goiden Text,
Luke il, 11-Commentary Prepared
by Rev. q. M. Stearns.
We choose the Christmas lesson for
today and will take up the study in
Malachi next week instead Of the
quarterly review. Malachi tells Of the
great King whose name is to be great
among all nations from the rising of
the sun, unto the going down Of the
same, even of Him who Is King of
kings and Lord Of lords (Mal. i, lila;
Rev. xvii. IA: xix, 16). The New Tes-
lament opens with His record as Son
of David, Son Of. Abraham. and closes
with His title as the root and off
spring of David Matt. /, /; Rev. xii.
16). Among all the kings mentioned
in Matt. i, Ill, David is the only
one who is called king, because the
covenant wa, made with him and be-
cause Of his relation to the Messiah
III Sam. vii; Chron. xvii; lisa. lv, 3;
tx, &; Luke i. 80, 33; Acts xiii, 32-34.
We come to this lesson and to the les
sons of next year with implicit conf
dence in the record and all it's state
ments-the lpernatural birth, accord
ing to i. 1872, the fulf1llment of Isaiah
vii, IA, according to verses %, %, and
| all else. bell wing also that not only
as Jesus doe He deliver us from the
to II hIJf
that He is able to. save His people
from their rs ii, 2D. He was fore
ordained Def re the foundation Of the
world, and Hhen the fullness Of the
time was c, me God sent forth His
Son, made (i woman, made under
the law, to redeem them that were
under the la1 (kPet. i, 20; Gal,,iv, 4, 81.
The appear ance Of Gabriel to Mary
! with the 'wo1 derful announcement, the
worldwide decree which brought Jo-
seph and Mary to Bethlehem from
Nazareth at the appointed time, the
message of the angel to the shepherds
with the accompanying incidents and
the actual birth at Bethlehem are all
fully told by Luke in his gospel. Our
lesson today touches only the visit Of
the wise men from the east while the
Babe and His Mother were still at
Bethlehem. The title wise men,,
takes us back to En- vii, IL; Dan. ii,
49, v. 8. The word bethlehem"
+ takes us back to the birth of Benja-
min and the death of his mother, the
story of Naomi and Ruth. the shep-
herd days II David.
The question, Where is He that is
born King of the Jews?" takes us back
to the prediction of Mic. W 2, as
quoted in lesson verses 5, 6, and spe-
cially to the saying, "Out of thee
shall come governor that shall rule
my people Israel" All the children
are taught that He was born at Beth
lehem, but who ever hears anything
about His ruling Israel or sitting on
the throne Of David? Yet that is
what He came to do, but He has new
er yet done it. - AS truly as He was
born at Bethlehem He will yet reign
| over Israel, according to Jer. xiii.
| 5, 6; Eek. XxXvii, 21; GabriePs mes
sage in Luke i, 80, 33; His own word
| to His disciples in Luke xii, 80, and
the prophets everywhere. The Scrip
ture must be fulfilled. and no other
meaning can be honestly given to
these plain words. The visit Of these
wise men from the east to worship
the. King of the Jews and to bring
Him their gifts reminds us of the
visit of the queen Of Sheba and all
the kings of the earth to Solomon and
| their great gifts to him QI Chron.
tx, 10; xxiii, 24) and points us on
ward to the time of the kingdom
when all nations shall bring their
wealth and their gifts to Israel Qsa.
TX, 10. The words of Gabriel to
Mary, ''The Lord God shall give unto
Him the throne Of his father. David,
and He shall reign over the house of
Jacob forever, and of His kingdom
there shall be. no end luke i. 80. 33),
must be literally fulfilled. Then "all
the ends of the world shall remember
and turn unto the Lord. and all the
kindreds of the nations shall worship
before thee, for the kingdom is the
Lords. and He is the governor among
the nations" Ps. xii. q. 2S).
The star that guided these wise men
must have been supernatural light.
as no ordinary star would guide to a
house and remain over the house
Verse 81. We can only wonder why
with such guidance they should turn
aside to Herod and thus be unwilling
ly the cause Of the death Of so many
little children (verses 1919. but there
was q fulfillment Of prophecy in it.
Having found the child. they opened
their treasures and offered unto Him
their gifts-gold and frankincense and
myrrh. People are today giving large
ly to so called good works. buildings,
libraries and many schemes for the
betterment of the world, not believing
God concerning this world that it
lieth in the wicked one and is await
ing judgment and must pass through
the fire Of Gods wrath before there