The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1911-12-28
INTERNATIONAL
SUNlAS(|1OOL
LESSON
LESSON FOR DECEMBER 81
REVIEW.

GOLDEN TEXT-"If we confess our
sins he Is faithful and just to forgive US
our sins and to cleanse US from all un-
righteousness. John To-
To go over all the lessons separate.
y, one after another, TO repeat titles
and Golden Texts In order, to select
certain truths we have learned-this
s not review. What we. need Is the
movement of the whole period Of the
history, to study Its meaning, to what II
leading, how each event. each charac.
:er, bears upon this end, to help or to
linder, to see God In the history, and
% 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
lie fields. We have been seeing in de-
all through the quarter we now see as
)ne broad country, and we understand
the meaning and power Of the land as
4 whole.
The principal countries where the
events took place should be noted on
he map, their relations to one anoth-
ar, the modern names Of these lands
given, and the events in each reported.
rhe Bible history is made more real,
and more interesting, when the con.
emporary events )f secular history
are connected with 1t, joining day
school with Sunday school And often
The secular history throws light upon
he Biblical history. The monuments,
he remains of ancient times found in
he. ruins of their great cities within
he last century, add greatly to our
knowledge and interest.
The history we are reviewing nat
rally falls Into four eras or periods.
ID The two streams Of the divided
Kingdom. (2) The single stream Of Ju-
iah. g, The Exile. (4) The Return
and Restoration.
|. First Period. The Divided King
1om.-Judah and Israel side by side,
double experiment in the progress OF
he kingdom Of God This period ex.
tended from 9s2-722, about $50 years
Judah's territory contained about 3,4OO
square miles; Israel's 9,400 Judahs
capital was Jerusalem with its tenn
pies; lsrael's was Samaria, with two
centers of false worship. judah was
more sheltered than Israel from close
contact with the heather, both politl-
cally and religiously. judah had one
/ dynasty OF II kings and ore queen all
/ Of the house Of David; and Israel 10
/ kings and 9 dynastes. judah had
several very good kings, and great
revivals of 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 we have been study
Ing apply to our own times, but are
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 faithfulness"
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. For
every step I'VE gain gives us views OF
new needs. and new ideals. Every
Christian land ought to be a perfect eX-
ample of the kingdom Of God, and OF
he blessings that abound in 1t. Every
failure to live that life lessons its in-
auence over the heather nations.
H. Second Period. Judah the Sole
/ Kingdom. of Period, lSb years
from destruction OF Samaria I22 10
anal fall of Jerusalem and destruction
If the temple in $50. Every failure
from the perfect life, every moral
wrong. every fall into ldoatry dlmin-
Ished their power for good; and II was
necessary that punishment should iol-
tow such conduct, both to persuade
them into the ways of God and right
eousness. and also to show the heath
en- that only obedience to God could
lead to the blessings prepared to'
Gods people.
I'LL Third Period. The Exile In Baby
lon. Length of period, 70 years oO''
536 and 5S6.5l6.
A period of discipline, of sitting IKE
wheat, of the reiinerS purifying hre'
The Jews learned thBlr need of God
the value of religion, the blessednea'
Of the Word of God; they gained lhe
broadening of their ideas, and sympa'
tbies the increase of their culture
Discipline, purifying in the furnace
the strength that comes from overcohl.
ing. is the need Of all individuals ana
churches today
". The Fourth Period, The Return
The New Spiritual Nation.-This Pc
riod extends from the first return :"
536 to the close of the Bible history
l00--with an onward vision to the coiu'
ing of Christ. Preparations for tn'
coming of Christ The foreruhheF'