Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1915-09-15
SUNDAY SCHOOL.
Lesson xll.-Third Quarter, For
Sept. 19, 1915.
THE INTERNATIONAL SERIES.

ine IN lEnNHI tOUAI SEnt6S.
Text Of the Lesson, kinss Xxx, 1921.
Memory vsrsss, II, f2-Goldsn Text.
Hos. ", f1-commentary Prepared
by Rev. D. N. Stsarns-
This Is chosen as a lesson against In
temperance because Of the drunken
ness of Ben-hadad and the thirty-two
kings who are said to have helped him,
all Of whom were drinking themselves
drunk In the pavilions verses II. 16),
and were thus more easily overcome
by the small army of Israel. In our
own day railroad and other corpora
tons are learning that men who are
given to strong drink cannot be relied
upon and that 1t Is not the part of wis
dom to employ them. no matter how
efficient they may be. Not only does
such sin and folly take away the heart
or understanding, as In the golden text,
but 1t Is apt to become most filthy and
beastly and has been known to affect
even priests and prophets Qsa- xviii,
Z. 8. 1t Is utterly selfish and sensual
and turns the heart away from the
Lord Qsa- v. IL, II, 1913. Neither
drunkards nor any other unrighteous
people can inherit the kingdom Of God,
but there Is forgiveness and salvation
for all sinners who truly turn to the
Lord and honestly receive the Lord
Jesus Christ q Cor. VI a1l- The con-
trast to being drunk with wine Is to
be filed with the Spirit (Eph- v, 49,.
and this Is the privilege OF all believers
The insanity Of drunkenness, with
its Unsuitable selfishness and cruel ap-
preparation Of the prosperity Of others,
u seen in the demands Of Ben-hadad
upon Ahab for his silver and gold,
wives and children and everything
pleasant in hts home and the homes Of
his servants oversees 80, and yet strong
drink has done and is doing Just that
In numberiess homes today. When the
Lord Is rejected and any other ruler
installed It Is always matter Of take,
take. take all that one has q Sam viii,
1918. How great the contrast to God,
who giveth life and health and all
things, who gave His only begotten
Son, and In Him life eternal and glory
and all things freely (Acts XVII .:
John LII, 10; <. g: XVII, %; Rom viii.
80. How desperately wicked and
cruel the devil must be to blind people
to the love Of God. who giveth all
things. that he may take all they have
for time and eternity Oh Cor. Nv, 8, A..
There Is something more and deeper
and farreaching in this lesson chapter
than the story Of drunken Ben-hadad,
whom God had appointed to utter de-
struction Verse 40 because OF his
sins. Ahab. king Of Israel. was about as
bad as a man could be, under the infiu-
ence Of his wicked wife, Jesebel, and
yet for Israel's sake, but chiefly for His
own great names sake, for Israel was
His people. though In rebellion against
Him, He gave Ahab victory over Ben
hadAd and his associates twice, al
though Israers forces were like two
little focks Of kids, while the Syrians
flled the country tverse 20. He did
this that Ahab might know Him as the
true God instead Of Baal whom he
worshiped to please his wife fverses
u. %. By this great goodness He
would II possible lead Ahab to repent
ance, for He y not willing that any
should perish Rom. Il 4; II Pet Ill, o.
Three times In this lesson the Lord
sent special messenger to Ahab. twice
to encourage him and once to reprove
him oversees Is. q 80. At the first
victory Israel slew the Syrians with a
great slaughter. but they came again,
saying. We were defeated because the
gods Of Israel are the gods Of the hills;
therefore we VIII fight against them In
the plain and surely overcome them.
Because they talked thus the Lord
said by His second messenger that He
would deliver this great multitude Of
Syrians into Ahab's hands, and so Isra-
el slew 100000 footmen Of the Syrians
In one day, and wall fell upon 1900
more and killed them. but Ben-hadad
made his escape and hid In an inner
chamber oversees $3.50.
Aue hui& VI SyIId sefFoutS plduucu
a scheme by which they might learn
u Ahab was inclined to be merciful to
him and spare him Ahab called him
my brother" and said, Go re, bring
him." SO they met and made a cove
nant one with the other oversees 31-34).
This led to the Lords sending a third
messenger with a reproof for Ahab be-
cause he had spared Ben-hadad, and
the king Of Israel went to his house
heavy and displeased (verse 49,. We
are reminded Of Saul sparing Agag
and also the best of the sheep and
oxen, and also OF the Lords message
by Samuel. Behold, to obey Is better
than sacrifice" q Sam XIV, 0. ~.
In last weeks lesson we saw Jezebel
possessed by the devil. and now we
zee two men with the same trouble,
Ben-hadad and Ahab, and yet the Lord
would have used Ahab had he been
willing. but he preferred compromise