The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1915-12-24
INTERNATIONAL.
NNDMSQlO0L
LESSON
(By E. O. Acting Director OF
/. the Sunday School Course OF the Moody
Bible Institute Of Chicago.)
Copyright. 1915. Western Newspaper Union. ,
LESSON FOR II
JEHOVAH'S GRACIOUS PROMISES
TO ISRAEL (REViEW).

0~0~OA
GOLDEN TExT-Jehovah is merciful
and gracious. slow to anger. and abundant
In loving kirdness.-Psa. 1888 r. v.
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.
h 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. c. 1913 (Beecher). a period of
$50 years. Some contend that the les
for November IA, Daniel at tho
Kings Court, is chronologically the
last and ought to have been put at
the end Of the series. During the past
quarter we hav 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 q 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 hat will
serve to emphasize or to illustrate
the chief fact of each lesson.
Lesson l.. The weak King Ahaz
(ofrOno in h{c rorvnro;tvN 20 oooJ1y
persuaded to do evil in order to graft
fy his covetousness. Elijah at Gods
command goes to meet Ahab who
cries out, Hast thou found me, 0
my enemy?" In reply Elijah delivers
Gods word; that word to us is found
in Elk. 20:17. (Let each Scripture ref
erenc be read in full.)
Lesson Il. 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 a 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 ~. 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 SIT. 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 q covenant between him and
the Lord. viz. that prince. priest and
people should be the Lords people
III Kings 11:17). 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
nAA6s OOdoA. AC6l0CIcO LS"plo 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.
ton. Daniel, the clean youth, staked
his life and position upon obeying the
word Of God dan. 1:8). The lesson
for US Is the exhortation of the apos.
tie Paul (Eph. 5:13-17. see also l Pet
$50.
Lesson Viii is the foreign mission.
ary lesson. Jonah's life story is not
a flattering one, yet when he faithful
ly proclaimed Gods word 1t wrough,
a marvellous transformation in great
and wicked Nineveh. (Read carefully
Matt. 1910 and lisa. 55:10. I'D. 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
~eousness. the great messenger Of the
Brightness" of things (Amos $40
The gist of this lesson for us will be
found in the words of Jesus Matt
$3.50, which message we must deliver
to all men in the home land even az
it was important for Jonah to go to
foreign land.
One of the chief criticisms and diff
ficulties of foreign mission work i.
that so-called Christian lands fall 81
far short of the teachings of Jesus.
Lesson X. Uzziah is that king whs
could not withstand prosperity ant
who, in the development Of his prid.
I'll Chron. 26:5. 16), assumed to dis
obey the word of God and brough
upon himself a sad punishment.
Gods warnings are many; one fol
US is found in James 4:6.
Lesson xl. Enter Hosea Let tn,
entire school state the message OF tn,
prophet to the people OF Israel. Il will
heal their backsliding. will Low,
them freely" Hosea 14:4). Then le
all recite the little gospel" (Johl
3:16) Fol God so loved the worl,
that ho oovo his on1v ho0otfon Co,