Mexico Missouri message., 1915-12-23
INTERNATIONAL.
SUNDGYSOIOOL
LESSON
CBy q. o. SELLERS. Acting Director Of
the Sunday School Course of the Moody
Bible Institute of Chicago.)
Copyright, 1915, Western Newspaper Union.)
LESSON FOR DECEMBER 2s
JEHoVAH's GRACIOUS PROMISES
TO ISRAEL (REVlEW).
LEssoN TEXT-Hosea. I'd.

The burden of punishment descend |
ed upon Israel, not because of the |
vindictive character of Jehovah, but |
because of the persistent pursuit of |
sin on the part of the nation.
The lessons of the past quarter ex-
tend from the latter days of Elijah,
about 906 b. c., to the fall and cap
tivity of Israel (the northern king
DOM B. @. 722 (Beecher), a period Of
180 years. Some contend that the les
son for November II, Daniel at the
Kings Court, is chronologically the
last and ought to have been put at
the end of the series. During the past
quarter we have studied about six
kings, Ahab, Joash, Nebuchadnezzar,
the king of Nineveh, Uzziah and Ho-
shea; also six prophets, Elijah, Eli
sha, Daniel, Jonah, Amos and Hosea;
and one soldier, Naaman.
A good method of review would be
to have assigned to different scholars
or classes each of the foregoing per-
sonages and to give a report of his
chief characteristics. Material for
such a review is easily accessible. An
other method of review would be to
take up the lessons serially and in
! connection with each read some ap-
propriate Scripture verses that will
serve to emphasize or to illustrate
the chief fact of each lesson.
Lesson |. The weak King Ahaz
(strong in his perversity) is easily
persuaded to do evil in order to graft
| fly his covetousness. Elijah at Gods
command goes to meet Ahab who
cries out, Hast thou found me, o
my enemy?" In reply Elijah delivers
Gods word; that word to us is found
in Elk. 2C:17. (Let each Scripture ref
erence be read in fulI.)
Lesson II. The veteran champion
Elijah is about to go home and his
more youthful follower, Elisha, has
one chief desire (see II Kings 2:9),
which persistently followed is abund-
antly rewarded. The lesson for us is
found in the masters prayer, John
14:16.
Lesson III. The stricken soldier,
Naaman, at child's suggestion, ap-
peals to Gods prophet, Elisha, for
healing. He is directed how he may
be cured and after some hesitation
returns home cleansed. The lesson
for us is that of being faithful amid
life's experiences and of doing and
living for others (see also Romans
1920, 21.)
Lesson w. The servant of Elisha
is very much excited. King and camp
are in despair, yet the prophet is not
disturbed. Why? Let us read II
Kings 6:17. Remember that Jesus,
the master of men, refused to avail
himself Of like angelic assistance in
his great battle concerning sin (See
Matt. 26: :53). Christianity is a religion
of love, not of force.
Lesson v. The faithful priest pre-
serves the rightful king. Joash, and
makes a covenant between him and
the Lord, viz, that prince, priest and
people should be the Lords people
III Kings HID. Through the mer-
its of our high priest there has been
made a better, even an everlasting
covenant (Heb. 1920, 21).
Lesson vi. Again refers to the good
king, Joash. The neglected temple is
restored and refurnished through the
liberality of the people. This temple
is a type of our bodies, which are
spiritual temples (Eph. 2:22), and the
lesson for us is not only the care of
the body, but of liberality towards the
work and worship of Gods house.
Lesson VII. This is the lesson
which is chronologically out of order,
but is used for its temperance applica-
tion. Daniel, the clean youth, staked
his life and. position upon obeying the
word OF God dan. 1:S). The lesson
for us is the exhortation of the apos.
tie Paul (Eph. 5:13-17, see also Pet
5:S).
Lesson VIII is the foreign mission'
airy lesson. Jonah's life story is not
fiattering one, yet when he faithful
ly proclaimed Gods word it wrought
marvellous transformation in great
and wicked Nineveh. (Read carefully
Matt. 1910 and lisa. 55:1O, III. We
are to herald, witness to the truth
and leave the results with God.
Lesson TX presents Amos, the stur
dy prophet Of civic and moral right
sousness, the great messenger OF the
''rightness" OF things (Amos 6:14)
The gtst of this lesson for US will be
found in the words of Jesus Matt
$3.50.
Lesson x. Uzziah is that king who
could not Withstand prosperity ant
who, in the development OF his pride
I'll Chron. 1855, 16), assumed to dis
obey the word OF God.
Lesson xI. Enter Hosea. Let the
entire school state the message OF the
prophet to the people of Israel, q VIII
heal their backsliding. 1 will love
them freely" Hosea 14:D, Then le
ali recite the little gospel (JohI
. S:16l For God so loved the worl'
that he gave his only begotten sol
that whosoever believeth in hin
, should not perish, but have everlast