The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1913-06-20

Lesson XIII. Second Quarter,
For June ~, 1919.
THE INTERNATIONAL SERIES.

THE INTERNATIONAL SERIES.
Text of the Lesson, Arros vi, f-s.
Memory verses, s-GoldeR Texts
Amos \, 4-cosan1entary Prepared
by Rev. ID M. Stearns.
AS I have often said Id writing notes
on a so called temperance lesson, ii
does seem as If those who choose the
portions make very poor selections,
but we car thank them Tor a study in
prophecy and will find much profit in
a meditation upon Amos and his mes.
sage. Temperance is self control and
subsection to God. All else is intern
perance, and there is d kind In which
wine and strong drink play no part, as
in lisa. xxx, 9, 'aThey are drunken, but
not with wine; they stagger, but not
with strong drink This is somewhat
similar to the famine OF Amos viii, III,
which has no reference to lack of
bread or water, but to hearing the
words OF the Lord.
The first six verses OF our lesson re-
fer to self Indulgence in the way of
ease and pleasure and revelry and a
reliance upon human help. with no
thought OF God except a mere form OF
worship, which was only a mockery
and a p~rovocation to the Lord. In the
last two verses Jehovah says, IL abhor
the excellency of Jacob and hate his
palaces" In Ezek. xiv, q, He says.
'I will profane my sanctuary, the ex-
cellency Of your strength, the desire OF
your eyes and that which your soul
pitieth." They gloried in the fact that
they were the chosen nation in their
temple, their ritual, and they were
somewhat diligent in the outward form.
but the heart was not right with God.
Leaven in Scripture is invariably
suggestive of corruption. Of evil, and
He said, 'tOfer your sacrifices with
leaven, for that is like you, so We love
to do' (Amos iv, a, 5 and margin). Be
cause Of their evil hearts and evil do
ings He could not tolerate their reli-
giousness and said: 81 hate. I despise
your feast days. = = y Though We offer
Me burnt offerings. I will not ac-
cept them ", 21-23). A Nazarite was
one willingly and wholly separated
unto God and forbidden to touch wine
Or anything that came from the vine
Num. vi, la, but He says, 'Ye gave
the Nazarites wine to drink.
A prophet was the Lords messenger
with the Lords message Gag. |, 49,,
but they commanded the prophets. say
ing, Prophecy not iii. IL. 12). In
chapter /, 1, we read that Amos was a
prophet in the days of Uzziah, king of
Judah, and by comparing lisa. !, !, we
see that they were contemporary;
therefore we note in connection with
what we have been saying lisa. 1, 10
is; xxx. 13; xxx, Sill. and other pas
sages where God disdained their wor-
ship because it was all mere form and
only from the mouth and because they
would not hear His words nor do
them. There Is a searching question
In Amos iii. 8, "Can two walk together
except they be agreed?" Almost any
one would answer, No. How, then,
could Israel walk with God lie they did
not like His ways or want His words?
How can any one walk with God to-
day If they will not accept Jesus as
God, His supernatural birth. His death
in III stead as the sinners substitute,
His literal resurrection from the dead,
His ascension to heaven. where at the
right hand OF the Father He is our
Great High Priest, and His coming
again to set up His kingdom OF peace
on earth? What is the use OF all so
called temperance work, all effort to
uplift the people, all religious work of
any kind. If we are not agreed with
God as to the necessity OF a new birth,
forgiveness Of sins by the precious
blood of Jesus Christ. salvation in His
name, without whom there is no saliva
ton?
Is 1t not all just as hateful to God as
was the formality of Israel's religious
ness in the days OF the prophets, and
also when the Lord Jesus was on
earth. for He said it was just the same
then. quoting the prophets words In
Matt XIV, 10? Another phase of their
righteousness is seen in Amos viii, DC,
keeping Sabbaths and new moons, but
longing to have them over that they
might buy and sell and cheat and OPP
press. What Is the difference between
them and those who today take their
bodies to the house of God. but, while
outwardly seeming to worship, their
minds r on their business or their.
pleasures or worldly pursuits Yet
some OF them may be somewhat active
In some SO called good work for the
reformation of some class of sinners,
which amounts to nothing If it lacks
the only foundation OF the finished
work Of Jesus Christ.
Howfew seem to be agreed with God
in His plan for the bringing of the.
kingdom on this earth, when Jesus.
shall reign and the nations shall learn
war no more! Yet all is plainly re-.
vealed in the prophets. for 1t is written
In Amos iii. Z, Surely the Lord God
will do nothing, but He ~reyealeth His
secret INTO His servants, the proph-
cts" He has purposed to subdue this
world unto Himself and fill 1T with
His glory. not by present agencies or
In this present evil age. but In the next
age by a restored and redeemed Israel,
when He shall have fulfilled Amos TX,
IN, is, and all similar predictions. See