The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1912-02-08

Memory Verses, as, 47-Go!den Text,
Luke ii, 49. r. V.-Commentary Pre-
pared by Rev. o. Nj. stearns.
After the visit of the wise men.
bringing their treasures Of gold and
frankincense and myrrh. Joseph was
directed by the angel of the Lord TO
take the young child and his mother
and flee into Egypt and abide there till
he should bring them word. 1t has
helped me much to notice and to re-
member that before they We're sent to
Egypt the money was on hand to cover
their need. and | do firmly believe that
the Lord always provides for all that
He wants done The wise men present
ed their gifts to the child, so it was the
child's money that took them all to
Egypt and took care of them. They
need have no anxiety as to when to
leave Egypt. for the angel said that lie
would bring them word. and he did
Matt /, 1929. We may be sure OF
guidance also if We have no will Of
our own and are wholly submitted to
God FPS. xxi. 8; lisa. XXX, 2D. Note
in those verses in Matthew the three
Scriptures that were fulfilled, and let
us not forget that all things which
have been written concerning Him
must be fulfilled.
Our lesson today begins and ends
| with statement concerning the child's
growth both physically and in wisdom
also He was partaker of real flesh
and blood and grew in many respects
| as other children do. but we must al
| ways think of Him as being specially
controlled by the Holy Spirit for what
was true of John the Baptist must
| have been true of Him also chapter i.
| 15). There were three annual feasts at
Jerusalem. at which all males must ap-
pear (Ex. xiii, 14-1O, and the pass
over was the first, and this was His
first passover. 1t seems from Sam. |.
10, that women went to these feasts
also. and our lesson plainly teaches
that Mary accompanied Joseph. We
may not he able to say whether ut this
time He fully understood His own
| Identification with this feast accord
ing to Cor. v. I. Christ our passover
is sacrificed for u.s." but my own con
yiction is that He always knew more
than many are willing to believe. Wc
cannot grasp the wondrous statement
that all things We're created by Him
and for Him, that He created Adam
and Eve, provided the coats of skins
for them after they had sinned. walk
ed with Enoch. talked with Noah
dined with Abraham. instructed Moses
about the passover and all else; but
though we cannot understand, we Car
believe. and through faith we under
stand There are wonderful thing:
about the number twelve and ever,
other number which will yet be un
folded to us Verse 42). In this cast
it may have been just the age when /
boy kept his first passover, but we will
see more when we know as we arr
known Il Cor. xiii, 12).
The feast being over. the peopl,
started for their homes in every par
of the land. and probably a great mul
titude were together for the first par
of the journey northward. At the clos
of the first day each company woult
make sure that their number was com
plete before starting farther on thei
journey. and then it was that JOSEPH
and Mary discovered that their pre-
cious boy was missing. And we ma,
imagine the eager but unavailinI
search among kinsfolk and acQuaint
ances and the sorrowful hearts tina
probably could not sleep that nigh
even II they sought to rest. 1t ma,
be that they started back to Jerusa
lem Immediately on ascertaining thei
loss and spent the night journeying
Only those who have ever had chill
stray away can think how they fel
and talked. Then the three wear
days of searching for Him in the cit
and the hopelessness and hcartache a
the close of each day-we cannot bu
wonder If they prayed to Him who
perfect in knowledge. who knowet
even our thoughts Cob xxxvi. 4; p
cxxXix, Ia. II they knew Him a
they might have known Him we thin
they would have said. Let us go righ
to the temple. for we will surely fin
Him there Did He not imply tina
when He said to them after they di
find Him in the temple: How is
that We sought me? Visit We not tina
must be about My Fathers bus
ness?" Verse 49,. Revised version an
margin. I'm My Fathers house" {
., lin the things of My Father" He ce
tainly knew who He was. and we al
not surprised that the rabbis were a!
tOnished at His understanding and al
swers as He sat In their midst. lister
!, ing to them and asking them que
tons How He must. even at thu
age. have opened to them the Scri,
lures. We would like to know who's
home was honored with His present
and who was privileged to care fl
Him those two or three days. but il
more important for us to lay to hea
Mary. the first recorded words. Il mu:
be about My Fathers business
> we are not constantly in the things
our Father we are on the side of Il
enemy. for it must be the world or I'll
Father. and they are opposed the OF
to the other q John ii. l5-l7, Contra.
the "suppcsition" of Joseph and Mar
d Verse a., with the most surely b
e. lievrd" and certainty" of chapter
q l. 4. and let us have done with all su
i position and know and .be fully ne
xIH