Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1916-12-20
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL
LESSON FOR DEC. "a
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Tet of the Lesson, lisa. tx, 2-7-Mem-
DRY Verses, 6, Golden Text, lisa.
tx, documentary Prepared by
Rev. ID. nj. Stearns.

rev. IL. M. StearnS-
am always glad to have a lesson In
prophecy, remembering that the study
Of 1t is specially commended and that
our Lord said that those who neglected
it or were slow to believe II were fool
ish Oh Pet l. 10; Luke xiv. %; Amos
Iii, y. The prophecy of Isaiah is a
specially fascinating study. as 1t is an
epitome Of the whole Bible and. very
strangely, has the same number Of
chapters as there are books In the b.
BILE, and is divided into two parts Of
thirty-nine and twenty-seven chapters.
just as there are thirty-nine books In
the Old Testament and twenty seven In
the New. Another interesting fact for
young people is that the letters In Old
and Testament are three and nine.
which, placed together. make thirty
nine. and three times nine give twenty
seven. the number of books In the New
Testament. The name Isaiah signifies
the help or salvation of Jehovah, and
next TO the Psalms it Is the greatest
salvation book In the Bible as to the
use Of the word, for some form of the
word is found In the Psalms over 100
times and In Isaiah over fifty times.
There is no Saviour but one and no
salvation apart from Him, even as He
said: II. even /. am the Lord. and be
side me there Is no Saviour" "a Just
God and a Saviour. there is none be
side me" Elsa. kill. IL; xiv. 21; Acts
iv, 12). he is the center Of the Bible
and the circumference, too, for when
He shall be King at Jerusalem, which
God has placed In the midst of all ma
lions and countries. all kings and ma
tons shall fall down before Him and
serve Him Geek. V. 8; Ps. lxxii. III.
The first part of Isaiah Is divided
into smaller sections, the first two be-
ing sections Of six chapters, each end
ing with Isaiah's vision of the King on
His throne Chapter VII, and Israel's
anthem when He shall be
their King chapter xiD. The section
In which our lesson is tells us that the
Messiah, who Is also called Emmanuel.
shall be born Of a virgin. that He shall
gather all Israel. and nations shall
come to Him after He shall have smit-
ten the earth with the rod OF His
mouth and slain the wicked with the
breath Of His lips. and then shall the
earth become full of the knowledge OF
the Lord as the waters cover the sea
chapters VII. IA; XII, 4, o, 12). The
Spirit, through Micah, said that He
would be born at Bethlehem land He
was). that He would rule In Israel land
he wilD (AIic. V. pa. All that was
written Of His first coming in humilia-
ton has been fulfilled literally. and all
that Is written OF His second coming
IN glory shall be fulfilled just as liter
ally. The second verse of our lesson
chapter had a fulfillment when He
was In Galilee. according to Matt. iv.
l2-16.
The r. V. of lesson verse reads,
Thou hast multiplied the nation;
thou hast increased their JOY" This
8 In accord with other predictions con-
,erning their glorious future, as In
,hapter xxxv, TO- Lesson verses 4, 8.
AXE us back to the story Of Gideon
Ind his 300 and his great victory over
he Midianites and deliverance from
heir oppression. That was very mani
testify the hand Of the Lord, using 800
men, who were sifted out OF $4,000 to
iefeat and overthrow a great army.
fhat was the zeal OF the Lord Of hosts
verse q, as It was also when Heze-
dab was delivered from the hosts of
(xxxvii, 80; II Kings XIX.
~. 1t Is an unusual expression and
han have q full and final fulfillment
when He shall come again, Of whom
is written THE zeal Of thine house
lath eaten me up" ops. Xix, 8; John
l, I'D. Not armies and navies, bat
alions and their equipments, weap-
ms and munitions Of war. shall
ring His kingdom on earth: but. be-
Iold. the Lord will come with fire and
With His chariots like a wh.rlwind.
or by fire and by His sword Vfll the
Iord plead with all flesh lisa. Xvi
5-16; Ps. !. 1-3; ii Thess. 1. TO. This
the child and the son of lesson verse
. the flrstborn Of the Virgin Mary, the
on OF David, son Of Abraham. son of
nan. son OF God luke II. z; Matt. 1. /;
ohm 1, "a. 40, 51).
A real child son subject to the linn
tauons of the Nazareth home till He
Fas thirty years old. yet truly God
manifest In the flesh. the Creator In
uman form. His name is Wonderful.
8 He said to Manoah In Judg. Kill,
:. margin He is the great Counselor,
rho Is wonderful In counsel. excellent