Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1916-09-13
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL
LESSON FOR SEPT. Il.
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Text of the Lesson, Acts xxi, lI-zS'
Memory Verses, 27-29 = Golden
Text, Ps. xci, documentary Pre-
pared by Rev. ID. Nj. Stearns.

This chapter is the record of Paufs
account OF himself and his conversion
given to the people from the castle
stairs. The chief captain having Civ
en- him permission to speak after he
found out that he was not the leader of
a band of murderers, he stood on the
stairs, and, reckoning with his hand
till there was a great silence, he spake
unto the people in the Hebrew Ian
guage, and, hearing him speak in their
own language. they kept the more 81
lence xxi, 40; xxi, !, y. 1t was the
Jews from Asia who started this riot,
and the fact that the Lord had spoken
to him from heaven at the time of his
conversion I'm the Hebrew language
may have led him thus TO decide at
this time xxi, 81; XVI, Ia.
When the Spirit records an event or
a bit OF history several times He must
have some special reason for so doing
and desire that we give special atten-
ton to it. Note the threefold repeti-
ton OF Paul's story in chapters tx,
xxi and XVI and partially in Phil. iii
and / Tim. 1 and compare the three
times repeated record of Hezekiah and
Sennacherib in Kings, Chronicles and
Isaiah and other repeated records.
have no doubt that the conversion of
Saul was typical of the conversion Of
all Israel, when our Lord shall appear
to them in His glory, and on that
event hangs the conversion Of all ma
lions through Israel The miraculous
deliverance of Hezekiah and his peo-
pie from the army OF the Assyrians
by an angel from heaven is sugges-
tive of the future deliverance of Israel
from all nations at the second coming
OF Christ.
Paul acknowledged that he had been
a great prosecutor of the followers of
Jesus Christ, with the consent and in
dorsement of the high priest and the
elders, and that with letters from them
he was on his way to Damascus to
bring those of that way bound 10 Jeru-
salem to be punished when this great
event happened TO him, and his whole
life was changed oversees so. He was
full OF the spirit of persecution until
he had nearly reached Damascus,
when suddenly a great light from
heaven, above the brightness of the
sun at MONDAY (for it was about
noon, shone upon him and caused him
to fall to the ground, and he heard
W I'M ~ hfra In Tah
Saul, why persecutest thou me?' The
repetition of the name was unusual.
being used in the Old Testament only
Of Abraham, Jacob, Moses and Sam
uel Gen. xii, IL; XVI, 2; Elk. ill, A.;
I Sam. iii, 10), and / have wondered
If It caused Saul to think of the God
OF Israel as revealed to these men.
To Saurs question, "Who art thou,
Lordr' the reply came promptly. II
am Jesus of Nazareth, whom thou per-
secutest'' oversees 6-S). What thrilling
reply, what an eye opener, Jesus
Christ really alive from the dead, and
ali that He said He was. and His fol-
lowers believed Him to be- Then the
prosecuted ones were right, and Saul
was all wrong. Quickly came the
heart cry, "What shall do, Lordf"
And being told to go into Damascus
and there he would be further In
structed, he, having become blind by
the great light, was led by the hand Of
them that were with him into Damas-
Gus oversees OLD. Many in the city
were fearing the arrival Of this per-
secutor and no doubt praying to be
delivered from his cruel hands. Per-
haps some prayed for his conversion,
even though he seemed such a hope
less one to pray for. Now, see what
God had wrought, and let all who are
praying for the salvation of others
who are laid on their hearts be OF
good courage, for when Gods clock
strikes the hour the thing shall be
done-not I'm your way perhaps. but In
His own time and way.
He viii see to it ops. cxlv, 19). Ever
since wrote on this lesson last, some
six or seven years ago, the words OF
verse IL have been much with me, Il
could not see for the glory of that
light" Paul was three days without
sight and did neither eat nor drink
Chapter tx, 81, but for all the rest of
his life he was blind to all but the
face OF Jesus and deaf to every voice
but His, just as Jesus Himself was
blind and deaf to all but His Fathers
face and voice Qsa. xiii, 49,. Did you
ever pray to be thus blind and deaf?
At the hands OF Ananias, one Of the
devout brethren at Damascus, Saul re-
ceived sight, was baptized and heard
his commission, as a chosen vessel Of
God, to see Jesus, know His will, hear
His voice and be His witness to all
men OF what he had seen and heard
oversees 1910. Straightway he preach
ed Christ In the synagogues, that He
Is the Son of God Chapter tx, 20). The
incident of verses 1921 concerning the
trance and vision at Jerusalem I'm the
temple tells us that Saul never forgot
the day when he kept the raiment OF