The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1911-12-22
INTERNATIONAL
NNDMSG1O0L
LESSON
LESSON FOR DECEMBER "a
MALACHI REsukEs JUDAH.

Z Unto you is born this day in the
city OF David a Savior, which is Christ
the Lord-"-Luke 2:1l.
T1ME-Some time during the age OF
Ezra and Nehemiah. but it is not certain
whether about 45s (Ezra) or ~ or 40.
PLACE-Jerusalem and vicinity.
CONTEMPORARY HISTORY Alci-
blades at Athens. The Peloponnesian |
erned by consuls aud military tribunes.
About this time Socrates was teaching
the only approach to a pure morality
which Athens ever knew. Herodotus was
nearly through his travels (4s4-4D). Plato.
the philosopher ~(430-350), was now a boy,
listening to Socrates. X~enophon t44-354).
leads the retreat OF the ten thousand
back to Greece 400, which retreat he
has immortalized in his Anabasis.
There is no certainty as to the
definite time when Malachi uttered
his prophecies. because no data is
given in the book, and the sins which
he sought to reform were present
throughout the whole period of Ezra
rest of the century. Most place him
soon after Nehemiah's second coming
to Jerusalem, between 433 and 430.
He is plain spoken, and direct, with
out high eloquence, or supreme poetic
power, but Astounding in effective
SMILES, metaphors and imagery which
hit the mark, and do the work. What
a London paper says of a distin-
guished mans straightforward
speeches applies well to the sermons
of Malachi: "a sound and healthy
gospel doubly welcome because the
world is waking to the consciousness
of intellectual and moral hunger
which only these truths can satisfy"
II we read the later chapters of
Nehemiah and compare the sins and
evils which Nehemiah labored to re-
form, with the sins and evils which
Malachi denounces, it will be seen
that both are laboring for the same
ends, and realize the same necessity
of reform. Goo was dishonored, and
religion made a mere form and farce,
by offering mean things for sacrifices,
as polluted bread, and lame n sick
animals, by refusing to do the SIM
plest service in the temple without
pay, by refusing to pay tithes for the
support of the temple worship, by
being weary of serving he Lord, by
intermarrying with the heather. In
all these things they broke The d.
vine law; they showed that their
minds were all wrong
One of the peculiar glories Of the
Bible is that from the very beginning
its golden age is in the future, not. as
I'd other ancient nations, in the past.
AEa Is the golden age must AVE a
aKer Gods revelation SCOT brings
into vieW the one, the Messiah who
alone can make the g of gold which
Is the Kingdom of Heaven. Isaiah
tells us that unto us a child Is born.
unto us a son is given; and the gov
eminent shall be upon his shoulder:
and his name shall be called Wonder
full Counsellor, the mighty God. the
everlasting Father, the Prince of
Peace"
In the last book of the Old Tesla
ment, about 400 years before Christ
was born, the last prophet brings the
hope and ideal and goal in the person
Of the Messiah, Christ, b Jesus who
was born on the true Christmas day,
Behold I, God, will send my messen-
ger, one coming in Gods name, and
bearing a divine message, whose
work shall be to prepare the way be.
fore me, the coming of God himself.
This messenger, interpreted by our
Lord himself on two occasions, was
one who should come in the spirit
and power Of Elijah, doing the same
work, rebuking sin, denouncing all
wrongs, calling men to repentance
awakening the conscience.
1t is possible that these words had
a partial fulfilment in Nehemiah,
- ~r,o110~ r1o1o -
John the Baptist who completely full
filled the prophecy. Nehemiah's re
forms were a part of the preparation
for the coming Of the Kingdom Of
Heaven, and fixed the eyes of the
people on the great ideal toware
which they were slowly moving.
There is a natural connection be
tween religion, morals, generous Civ
ing, devotion to God, on the n hand
. and a general condition of prosperity
on the other. They tend to cultivate
those higher moral and spiritual quail
, tiles which are the ource Of mate
rial civilization, and which are tn,
great enemy to the vices that are tn
source of poverty. But especially d.
they transf1gure all earthly things
and enhance their value, and brini
into life the love and Joy of heaven
There is no greater prosperity tina,
the privilege of having some part il
the elevation of man. in the cominl
of Gods kingdom, and in the songs o
final triumph, and in the blessing
well done, good and faithful!
Suppose we make two maps of tn
world on the plan furnished by tn
United States census to show the d.
gree in which ignorance, certain dit
: eases, and many other things prevail
), by means of higher and darke
. shades. On one map We will note tn
countries where the purest Christian
; ity prevails, by white. A darker shad
will mark the more imperfect form'
. and then let the shades grow darke
!. and darker through Mohammedanisn
and the various forms Of ~heathenisI
till we come to the blackness of tn
: lowest fetishism.
Then, with entire independence
make a similar map Of the moral an
intellectual condition Of men. Wher
there is the most manhood, the n
!. hIa.4 rnouonhoof the highest mora