The Dermott news., 1917-05-17
INTERNATIONAL
SUNDNS(ID)OL
LESSON
by r., Q. SELLERS. Acting Director OF
the Sunday School Course of the Moody
Bible INSTITUTED
Copyright. 1917 Western Newspaper Uncn.)
LESSON FOR MAY 20
THE IMPORTANCE OF sELF-coN-
TRoL-TEMPERA LESSON.
LESSON TEXT-Isa. 2s:l-ia

| as illustrated by Its 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.
| D :23. These passages do not CONF
mand lis TO use ii 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 n remedy. Third. sacri-
fetal wine Matt. &c :21-29; Luke ~ IT.
! 2o). and. fourth wine is spoken about
+ as productive of the woes of men (See .
Amos 6:l: Heb. 2:15; Prov. - 10y.
II is also mentioned by way of contrast
/ (See Eph. 5;1s).
The Scriptures speak of drunkards
in four different ways: % They are
+ 10 be stoned tDeut. II :20) (2) Drunk
ards lead 10 poverty U'roy. - :2D
i 60 Drunkards are to be separated
from other men q Cor. 5:1D: az
they are to be finally separated from
/ God Il Cor. q ~.
Abstinence from strong drink is en-
.oined in the Scriptures under three
! heads: ~ the priest and Nazarite
/ 6Num. 6 =: Luke ! .ia1; CD the ruler
t Prov. 81 ~; ~ those who are to
worship Jehovah Uev. 1873.
This particular lesson is taken from
portion Of lsaiahs prophecy where
/ he is anticipating What is about 10 hap
/ pen to Samarta. and uttcring his warn
+ ings unto Judah.
|. The Steps OF lntemperanee. First,
Disgrace and Dishonor ". y. Tho
/ city of Sulnarta is compared TO
chaplct of flowers on "A drunkard's
brow. which shall he trodden under
foot because of his inebriety. Drunk
enness seemed to have been so wide
spread rs Ia become national sim
Second, Disease and Dcaeneracy ". y.
Tie pride Of beauty spoken of in verse
aHe Is To Tall to the earth. THIS
glorious beauty was after all only "A
fading flower Ct Pet. IL. The
coming Of the Assyrisns upon Santaria
IS described in Il three-fald Why. 81
AS a tempest at hail.; (21 rs de
steoying storm :" ca rs a tempest
ef mighty waters eeertleeiae The
Thought contained ie that OF wide
spread and overwhelming destruction
Back Of TINS work of devastation aud
destruction aud dissolution WAS the
wrath ef God against SIN ten. 2:4al.
All earthly pride shall be trodden I'M
der foot. Samarta. n fading flower"
was ~ be crccd.ly eaten up 10y he on
coming enemy,
l.
Strong drink causes men IL err IA their
conduct. in their moral insight. In their
Judgments. II reaches the beautiful
". - ii reaches the learned ". ~:
1t reaches those In authority; In fact
all classes. Il leads men To the depths
Of degradation aud To the loss OF their
Wills ". 81 1t makes men To become
beasts. wallowing In their own somit-
Not only Samaria, but these also"
wv. and 81. that is people OF Jeru-
salem have erred through wine aud
strong drink Even the priests aud
the prophets had and do so now (See
Oh. SIS le-l2; Micah 2,lD. The priests
We're especially inexcusahle because OF
the plain directness of Gods word
Uev. 10 :9-l0: Ezekiel Al :2D. The
result of their intemperance was that
they utterly failed In their official
acts. They reeled In vision and stum-
BLEED in Judgment. The use OF vino
and strong drink made their social
gatherings filthy and disgusting. Tenn
perance is the habit of abstaning from
everything that destroys. Ii 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.
III. The Lesson in Contrast Jeru-
salem VS.. Samaria. Samarias crown
of pride was not the glory OF God.
Its beauty was n fading flower ". ~.
his wisdom condemned through the
ignorance of Samaria (vv. q. Z. 10y,
his strength versus their weakness and
wickedness wv. q. 13). God teaches
by contrast Ms well as by direct
precept Verses nine and ten may be
taken rs n mocking answer of the peo-
Pile TO Gods prophet. Isaiah intimates
that the time 10 begin our instruction
is In childhood ". %, that precept
mug be upon precept. and line upon
line, here little and there little.
There never Is time when we can let
up In this struggle against the mighty
evil Of intemperanee.
Take as "A reply ". % this would
seem TO indicate that God took them "a
be babies just weaned. II the prophet
himself Is the speaker. then Jehovah
Is represented as teaching knowledge
10 babes and not 10 the seifsuf'icient
II Is these whom he makes To under
stand his message" CIR. V. J, and the
method of his teaching Is precept upon
precept. II we Will not hear Godi
loving and patient call to repentance
he will speak To us through cruel enc
mics. II we win not teach our chill
dren. II we will not keep everiasflngly