The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1917-05-17
INTERNATIONAL.
SUNDXSNOOL
LESSON
(By Il. o. SELLERS. Acting Director OF
the Sunday School Course Of the Moody
Bible Institute)
tcopyrisht. 1917. Western Newspaper UnionD
LESSON FOR MAY 20
THE IMPORTANCE OF selF.coN.
TRoI-TEMPERANcG LESSON.

things.-I Cor. 9:2.
Wine In the Scriptures is spoken Of
under four aspects. First. social. that
as illustrated by Its use at the mar
rage In Cana. We must not, however.
confuse this wine with the spirituous,
strong drink Of this present day. Sec
ond, medicinal prov. 81 :8-7; Tim.
= :23). These passages do not com
hand US to use II as such. and God
has very graciously revealed to US
In modern medical research the futil.
lily Of the use Of alcohol In the matter
Of medicine as a remedy. Third. sacri-
fetal wine (Matt. 20 :27-29 Luke - IL
10y. and. fourth wine Is spoken about
rs productive OF the woes Of men (See
Amos 81; Heb. 2:15; Prov. q :2O).
II Is also mentioned by way Of contrast
(See Eph. 5:ls).
The Scriptures speak Of drunkards
In four different ways: "a They are
to be stoned (Deut. II :20) (2) Drunk
ards lead to poverty prov. % :2D (;
CD Drunkards are to be separated
from other men Il Cor. 5:1l): ca
they are to be finally separated from
God Il Cor. 6:9).
Abstinence from strong drink Is en-
Joined In the Scriptures under three
heads: ID the priest and Nazarite
(Num. 6:3; Luke 1:i5): (2) the ruler
prov. 81 :D; (3) those who are to
worship Jehovah Uev. 1879.
This particular lesson is taken from
q portion of Isaiah's prophecy where
he Ii anticipating what Is about to hap
pen to Samaria. and uttering his warn
ings unto Judah.
!. The Steps Of intsuperanes. First.
Disgrace and Dishoner ". -. The
city of Samaria In compared to a
chapiet Of flowers on a drunkard's
brow. which shall be trodden under
foot because Of his inebriety. Drunk
enness seemed to have been 10 wide
spread as 20 become a national sin.
Second. Disease and Dsososraey ". -.
The pride Of beauty spoken Of In verse
glorious beauty was after all only q
fading flower" Il Pet. :24). The
coming Of the Assyrians upon Samaria
Is described In a three-fold way: ~
As q tempest of hail.: GU as "de-
stroying Storm" (3) as q tempest
OF mighty waters OVERCOMING" 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 un-
der foot. Samaria. "a fading flower"
was to be greedily eaten up by the on
coming enemy.
u. Those Reached BY intsmpsranes.
Strong drink causes men TO err In their
conduct In their moral insight. In their
Judgments. II reaches the beautiful
". ~: Il reaches the learned ". ~;
II reaches those In authority: In fact
all classes. II leads men to the depths
Of degradation and to the loss Of their
Wills ". 81; II makes men to become
beasts, wallowing In their own vomit.
Not only Samana. but 'these also"
wv. z and 81. that Is people Of Jeru-
salem have erred through wine and
StNonk ENNu thC uno
the prophets had and do 90 now (See
Gu. SO :lO-12: Micah 2:11). The priests
were especially inexcusable because Of
the plain directness Of Gods word
(Lev. 10:9-10: Ezekiel a :21). 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 flthy and disgusting. Tenn
perance Ii the habit Of abstaining from
everything that destroys. II 10 the con-
troll and right use Of Gods good gifts
for service. Intempersnce II lack Of
control or the wrong use Of Gods
gifts In self-indulgence.
III. The lssson In Contrast Jsru-
salem W. samaria. Samaria's crown |
OF pride was not the glory Of God.
Its beauty was q fading flower ". ~.
his wisdom condemned through the
ignorance of Samaria wv. Q. z. 12),
his strength versus their weakness and
wickedness wv. g. 49,. God teaches
BY contrast rs well as by direct
precept. Verses nine and ten may be
taken rs a hooking answer Of the peo-
pie to Gods prophet. Isaiah intimates
that the time to begin our instruction
10 In childhood ". o.. that precept
must be upon precept. and line upon
line. here a little and there q little.
There never Is a time when we can let
up In this struggle against the mighty
evil Of intemperance.
Take as a reply ". o. this would
seem to indicate that God took them to
be babies Just weaned. II the prophet
himself. Ii the speaker. then Jehovah
u represented a. teaching knowledge
to babes and not to the self-sufficient.
II 10 these whom he makes to under.
stand his message" (R. v. }. and the
method Of his teaching IL precept upon
precept. II we will not hear Gods
loving and patient call to repentance.
he viii speak TO N through cruel enc
miles. II we win not teach our chill
drsn. II we will not kssp everlsstinsly
agitnting this question, be Will uso 9th