The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1911-12-22
SUNDAY SCHOOL.
lesson XIII. Fourth Quarter,
For Dec. "A, 1911.
THE INTERNATIONAL SERIES.

- SSsHuf@HNAFy prepared
by Rev. .. N. stsarns.
We choose the Christmas lesson for
today and win 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 CNfal. 1, 11-14;
Rev. xvii. IA; xix. 16). The New Tes-
lament opens with His record as Son
or David, Son OF Abraham, and closes
with His title as the root and of
spring Of David (Matt. /, 1; Rev. xxi,
16). Among all the kings mentioned
In Matt. /, Ill, David is the only
one who is called king, because the
covenant was made with him and be-
cause OF his relation to the Messiah
OH Sam. vii; Chron. xvii; lisa. lv, 8;
TX, z; Luke 1, 80, SO; Acts Kill, $3.50.
We come to this lesson and to the les
sons OF next year with implicit conf
1ence In the record and all its state
hents-the supernatural birth, accord
ing to !, 1920; the fulflllment of Isaiah
VII, Ia, according to verses % %, and
all else, believing also that not only
as Jesus does He deliver us from the
wrath to come q Thess. 1, 10), but
that He Is able to save His people
from their sins q, 21). He was fore
ordained before the foundation OF the
world. and when the fullness of the
time was come God sent forth His
Son. made Of woman, made under
the law, to redeem them that were
under the law q Pet. i, 20; Gal iv, 4, 81.
The appearance Of Gabriel to Mary
with the wonderful 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 rs back to Tx. vii, IL; Dan. ii,
is; ", 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 of David.
The question, Where is He that is
born King OF the Jews?'' takes us back
90 the prediction OF Mic. v, 2, as
quoted in lesson verses 8, 6, and spe-
cially to the saying, "Out Of thee
shall come a 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 Davidf Yet that is
what He came to do. but He has new
er yet done It As truly as He was
born at Bethlehem BE viii yet reign
over Israel. according to Jer. xiii,
5, 8; Eek. xxxvii, 81; Gabriel's mes
sage in Luke /, 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 I'll Chron.
tx, 10; xiii, 24) and points us on
ward to the time of the kingdom
when all nations shall bring their
wealth and their gifts to Israel lisa.
TX. ID. 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 duke /, 80, SS),
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 ia the
Lords, and He is the governor among
the nations" Cps. xxi. ~, 28).
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
tverse 81. We can only wonder why
with such guidance they should turn
aside to Herod and thus be unwilling
" the cause Of the death OF so many
little children verses 1913, but there
was fulhllment Of prophecy in 1t.
Having found the child. they opened
their treasures and offered unto Him
their gifts gold and frankincense ana
myrh. People are today giving large
~ to so called good works, buildings,
libraries and many schemes for the
betterment OF the world, not believing
God concerning this world that it
heth in the wicked one and is await
ing Judgment and must pass through
the fire of Gods wrath before there
can be any real betterment. What is
needed is that His own people should
open to Him their treasures of time
and talent and money. to make known
everywhere the glad tidings OF His
great salvation. / have often been
helped by noting that before Joseph
and Mary were sent to Egypt with
the Child (verse 13) the money was on
hand to go with, and have long be-
lieved that we have no right to begin
any work for the Lord or take any
journey for Him until He provides for
it or makes It very plain. for when
he putteth forth Els sheep He goeth
before them. We need to remember
also that the money they journeysd
On was the Child's money.