Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1917-05-18
INTERNATIONAL
S[JHIIllISQN)Ol
LESSON
(By L. Q. 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.
LESSON TExT-Isa 9S.11a

LESSON TEXT-Isa 2S:1-l3
GOLDEN TEXT-Every man that striv-
eth for the mastery is temperate in all
things.-I Cor. 9:25.
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; 1 Tim.
:23). These passages do not COM
mand US to use it as such, and God
has very graciously revealed to US
in modern medical research the fulfil
ity of the use of alcohol in the matter
of medicine as remedy. Third, sacri-
fetal wine Matt 26 :27-29; Luke % IL
2O), and, fourth wine is spoken about
as productive Of the woes of men (See
Amos 6:1; Heb. 2:15; Prov. % :20).
1t Is also mentioned by way of contrast
(See Eph. 5:18).
The Scriptures speak of drunkards
in four different ways: ~ They are
to be stoned (Deut. 81 :20) (2) Drunk
W Il
| (3) Drunkards are to be separated
from other men Il Cor. SID; "a
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: ID the priest and Nazarite
(Num. 6:3; Luke 1: :15); (2) the ruler
| DO
worship Jehovah Iev. :3).
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 a(v. u. 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 ". p.
The pride of beauty spoken of in verse
one, is to 'fall to the EARTH" This
|
fading flower" Il Pet. l :24). The
coming of the Assyrians upon Samaria
is described in three-fold way: ~
AS tempest of hail"; (2) as a 'de-
stroying Storm" (3) as a tempest
of mighty waters overaowing." TIE
thought contained is that of wide
spread and overwhelming destruction.
Do o1- Of of
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.
II. Those Reached by Intemperance.
Strong drink causes men to err in their
conduct, in their moral insight, in their
judgments. 1t reaches the beautiful
: ". u; 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; it 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. 56:10-12; Micah 2:11). The priests
were especially inexcusable because of
the plain directness of Gods word
Uev. 10 $40; 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 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-indulgence. Hence the
sins of the priests, which were against
> light, and therefore without excuse.
. Ill. The Lesson in Contrast. Jeru
salem VS.. Samaria. Samaria's crown
> of pride was not the glory of God
Its beauty was fading flower ". 4)
: his wisdom contemned through the
ignorance of Samaria (vv. 6, Z, 12)
his strength versus their weakness an6
wickedness wv. 6, 13). God teache:
I by contrast as well as by direc
precept. Verses nine and ten may bt
= taken as mocking answer of the peo
;. pie to Gods prophet. Isaiah intimate:
that the time to begin our instruction
= is in childhood ". 81, that precep
! must be upon precept, and line upoI
line, here a little and there a little
, There never is time when we can le
up in this struggle against the might.
evil of intemperance. Taken as re
ply of the people ". 81 this woulC
seem to indicate that God took them t.
= he babies just weaned. If the prophet
u himself, is the speaker, then Jehoval
> is represented as teaching knowledg
to babes and not to the self-suf11cieni
1t is these whom he makes to under
stand his message" (R. V. }, and tn
: method of his teaching is precept upol
. precept If we will not hear God
loving and patient call to repentance
= he will speak to US through cruel enc
. mics. If we will not teach our chi
dren, if we will not keep everlastingl
agitating this question, he will use ott
er means ". 1D.
Ancient Chinese Used Compass.
AS early as 2,634 before Christ tn
!, compass was known in a crude wa