The Brandon news. (Brandon, Miss.) 1892-1961, 1917-05-17
INTERNATIONAL.
SUylAYSO[1OOL.
LESSON
(By e. o. SELLERS. Acting Director OF
the Sunday School Course of the Moody
Bible Institute)
Copyright 1917, Western Newspaper Union.)
LESSON FOR MAY 20
THE IMPORTANCE OF SELF-coN.
TRoL-TEMPERANcE LESSON.


Wine in the Scriptures is spoken of
under four aspects. First, social, that
as illustrated by it's use at the mar
riage in Cana. We must not, however.
confuse this wine with the spirituous
strong drink Of this present day. Sec
ond, medicinal (Prov. 81 81; Tim.
5:23). These passages do not COM
mand us to use 1t as such, and God
has very graciously revealed to US
in modern medical research the fulfill
ity of the use of alcohol in the matter
of medicine as a remedy. Third, sacri-
fetal wine Matt. 26 :27-29; Luke 22:17-
2O), and, fourth wine is spoken about
as productive of the woes Of men (See
Amos 81; Heb. 2:15; Prov. % :2O).
1t is also mentioned by way of contrast
(See Eph. :18).
The Scriptures speak of drunkards
in four different ways: ~ They are
to be stoned (Deut. q :2O); (2) Drunk
ards lead to poverty prov. % :2D;
(3) Drunkards are to be separated
from other men Il Cor. Sid; 90
they are to be finally separated from
God q Cor. 6:9).
Abstinence from strong drink Is en-
joined in the Scriptures under three
heads: % the priest and Nazarite
(Num. 80; Luke :15); (2) the ruler
prov. 81 ~; (3) those who are to
worship Jehovah Uev. 1873.
This particular lesson Is taken from
a portion Of Isaiah's prophecy where
he is anticipating what is about to hap
pen to Samaria, and uttering his warn
ings unto Judah.
!. The Steps Of Intemperance. First.
Disgrace and Dishonor ". ~. The
city of Samaria is compared to a
chaplet of flowers on a drunkard's
brow, which shall be trOdden under
foot because of his inebriety. Drunk
enness seemed to have been so wide
spread as to become a national sin.
Second, Disease and Degeneracy ". y.
The pride Of beauty spoken Of in verse
one Is to fall to the earth" This
glorious beauty was after all only a
fading flower" Il Pet. 1924. The
coming of the Assyrians upon Samaria
is described in a three-fold way: ~
AS tempest of hail.; (2) as 'de-
stroying Storm" (3) as tempest
of mighty waters OVERLOOKING" The
thought contained is that of wide
spread and overwhelming destruction.
Back of this work of devastation and
destruction and desOlatiOn was the
wrath of God against sin (Ch. 2:4-9).
All earthly pride shall be trodden UNI
der foot. Samaria, "a fading flower"
was to be greedily eaten up by the on
coming enemy.
Ia Those Reached by Intemperance.
Strong drink causes men to err in their
conduct, in their moral insight, In their
judgments. 1t reaches the beautiful
". ID; it reaches the learned ". y;
it reaches those in authority; in fact
all classes. 1t leads men to the depths
of degradation and to the loss of their
wills ". 81; 1t makes men to become
beasts, wallowing in their own vomit.
Not only Samaria, but "these also"
WV. and 81, that is people Of Jeru-
salem have erred through wine and
strong drink. Even the priests and
the prophets had and do so now (See
Oh. Sc :1O-12; Micah 2:11). The priests
were especially inexcusable because of
the plain directness of Gods word
Nev. 0:9-10; Ezekiel A :2D. The
result of their intemperance was that
they utterly failed in their official
acts. They reeled in vision and STUN
bled in judgment. The use of wine
and strong drink made their social
gatherings filthy and disgusting. Tenn
perance Is the habit of abstaining from
everything that destroys. 1t is the con-
troll and right use of Gods good gifts
for service. Intemperance is lack Of
control or the wrong use of Gods
gifts in self-indugence. Hence the
sins of the priests, which were against
light, and therefore without excuse.
III. The Lesson in Contrast. Jeru-
salem VS.. Samaria. Samaria's crown
of pride was not the glory of God.
It's beauty was a fading flower (v. -,
his wisdom condemned through the
ignorance Of Samaria wv. 6, Z, 12),
his strength versus their weakness and
wickedness wv. 6, 49,. God teaches
by contrast as well us by direct
precept. Verses nine and ten may be
taken as mocking answer of the peo-
pie to Gods prophet. Isaiah intimates
that the time to begin our instruction
is in childhood (v. 81, that precept
must be upon precept, and line upon
line, here a little and there little.
There never is time when we can let
up in this struggle against the mighty
evil of intemperance. Taken as re-
ply of the people ". 81 this would
seem to indicate that God took them to
be babies just weaned. If the prophet.
himself, is the speaker, then Jehovah
is represented as teaching knowledge
to babes and not to the self-sufIicient.
It is these whom he makes to under
stand his message" Or. v. }, and the
method of his teaching Is precept upon
precept. If we will 't.'t hear Gods
loving and patient cell to repentance,
he will speak to us through cruel enc
mics. If we will not teach our chill
tlren, il we will not keep everlastingty
agitating this question, he will use 9TH
er means ". 11).