The Fargo forum and daily republican., 1912-01-19
SCHOOL.
Lesson III.--First Quarter, For
ian. 2l, 1912.
THE INTERNATIONAL SERIES.

Tsxt OF the Lesson, Luke u, $40.
Memory Verses, 10, f1-GOlisn Text,
Luke u, 1f--cemmentary Prepared
by Rev. p. NJ. stearns.
Those days OF verse are spoken OF
in Gal iv, 4, as "the fullness Of
time" the time appointed before the
world was, for the great deIiverer to
come, for known unto God are all His
works from the beginning of the
world (Acts Nv, 1s. He decIareth
the end from the beginning and doeth
according to His viii both in heaven
and on earth, turning the kings heart
/ whithersoever He will elsa. Xvi. 10:
Dan. iv, 80; Ps. cxxxv, 8; Prov.
xxi, II. So 1t came to pass that the
world rulers decree was used by the
Lord Of all the earth to fulfil His pur-
pose and TO cause the Prince of the
kings Of the earth, the King of kings
and the Lord Of lords to be born at the
long before appointed time and place.
But so out of harmony with God Is
this world which He made and the
people who inhabit it that there was
no room for the Creator in the world
which He had made and no welcome
| for Him. There was no room for
them I'm the inn" (verse y. Does the
thought OF IL lead you to say, "0h.
come to my heart, Lord Jesus-there,
Is room In my heart for Theer If so
then you may rejoice I'm the comfort
Of John I, u; Rev. iii, 20.
The story Of the shepherds takes us
back to Abel and to Moses and David,
and Amos, and the darkness makes us,
think Of the darkness that now is and
VIII be till BE shall come again in His
glory Qsa. TX, 1-3l. The night is far
spent the day is at hand, and the time
for our new bodies and the redemp
ton of Israel is ever drawing nearer
: Rom. xiii, IL, II; Luke XXI, 2Sl. The
shepherds were doing just as they had
always done, watching over their
focks, when the angel OF the Lord
came suddenly upon them, and the
glory of the Lord shone round about
them (verse 81. Moses and David and
Amos were keeping their flocks, Elisha
was piowing, Peter and John and 9TH
ers at their nets, Matthew at the re.
ceipt Of custom, when the special call
came to them. 1t is required Of some
that they leave their former calling
and Of others that they continue where
they were and therein abide with
God Il Cor. vii, %, 24). Note the
visits OF the Lord to such lowly peo-
pie as Hagar, Manoah and his wife.
Gideon and others and In lisa. wi.
15, His two dwelling places. To Zach
I aTias and Mary and the shepherds
there was given the heavenly Fear
not'' (verse 10; 1, 13, SO). 1t was also
the angels message on the resuTree-
ton morning (Matt xviii, 81. How
can we explain our slowness to tell to
all people the good tidings Of great
{ JOY? Is it because the tidings have
never brought us the joy unspeakable
Of Pet. 1, s? The lepers Of II Kings
vii, 8, Q. put US to shame. What can
we say to Christi Suddenly a multi
tude Of the heavenly host is heard by
the shepherds saying, "Glory to God
In the highest and on earth peace,
good viii toward men'' tverse 10.
Listen to the testimony of more than
2 a hundred millions Of angels IN Rev
v, ii, IL, and then IL you know that
you are redeemed join more heartily
: in the song OF Rev. v, 8, 10.
: The Lord Jesus in all His life on
earth never sought His own glory nor
His own will, and it must have been
: with joy that He said to His Father tnl
His great prayer, II have gloridedI
Thee on the EARTH (John vi, SS; viii,
, so; xvii, A.. Our motto should be-
shat God in all things may bel
/ glorifed" Q Pet fv IL; Cor. H.
3 31). When the Lord Jesus shall have
r become the peace OF Israel and shall
have spoken peace to the nations
: through Israel then quickly shall the,
I whole earth be filed with the glo-
ry OF the Lord (A6ic. v, 5: Zech. tx,
!, 10; Mum. xiv, 21l. His people shall
o be willing I'm the day of His power
: Ps cx, 81. The angels, having ex-
4 ecuted their commission, went away
Z into heaven; simply went home How
: easy it sounds, how wonderful and
2 glorious IL IL, that we have ever with
rs these ministering ones who behold
< the face Of our Father in heaven
B Heb. !, IA: Matt xviii, 1Ol. The
= shepherds did not seem to question
Z Tor one moment the good news they
I had heard, and they considered the an
D gels as the Lords messengers. for
9 they said. "Let US now go even unto
Bethlehem and see this thing which is
come to pass, which the Lord hath
: made known unto us" (verse 15). They
did not delay, but made haste. and
: found Mary and Joseph, and the babe
: lying In naanger. as they had been
. told (verses IL, l6). It was not any
= kind OF 6gurative manger, but liter
: ally place from which cattle ate
4 their food. AS rule, the statements
3 OF Scripture are plain literal state
naents, and unless the language il
IS plainly dgurative. as when our Lord
said, Il am the vine" 81 am the door,,
'eThe trees OF the field shall clap their
ID hands" we must take 1T 20 mean just
7; what It says. Accepting this babe as
z the Saviour. Christ the Lord. they
- made known what was told them con
corning this child (verses III. 10. Witi
q the artlessness OF simple minded peo
s s, pie they Just believed what they had
il heard and told what they had seen
Is making as think OF Peter and John
n who said long afterward concerning