Abbeville progress. (Abbeville, Vermilion Parish, La.) 1913-1944, 1917-05-19
INTERNATIONAL.
SUNDAYSGIOOL
LESSON
CBy z. o. SELLERS, Acting Director CT
the Sunday School Course of the Moody
Bible Institute)
Copyright. 1917. Western Newspaper Union.)
LESSON FOR MAY 20
THE IMPORTANCE OF SELF-coN-
OL-TEMPERANCE LESSON.

eth Tor the mastery Is temperate IN all
things.-I Cor s:25.
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 81; l Tim.
, :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 fulfil
lty Of the use of alcohol in the matter
IF medicine as q remedy. Third, sacri-
fetal wine Matt. 20 :27-29; Luke % IL
20), and, fourth wine is spoken about
rs 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. 8 :1S).
The Scriptures speak of drunkards
In four different ways: % They are
to be stoned (Deut. p :2O) (2) Drunk
ards lead to poverty prov % :21) /;
(3) Drunkards are to be separated
from other men Il Cor. SID; (4)
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: ~ the priest and Nazarite
(Num. 6;3; Luke 1:15); (2) the ruler
prov. 31:4); (3) those who are to
worship Jehovah Uev. 1879.
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
lngs unto Judah.
]. The Steps Of lntemperance. First,
Disgrace and Olshonor ". ~. The
city of Samaria Is compared to
chaplet of flowers on q drunkards
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 pegeneracy ". p.
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. l :24). The
coming of the Assyrians upon Samaria
Is described in a three-fold way: ID
AS tempest of hail.; (2) as a de
stroying storm" (3) as a 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 desola.ion was the
wrath Of God against SIN tCh. 2:4-8y.
All earthly pride shall be trodden un-
Ter foot. Samaria, "a fading flower"
was to be greedily eaten up by the on
coming enemy.
u. Those Reached by lntemperanee.
Strong drink causes men to err in their |
In their moral insight, In their
judgments. 1t reaches the beautiful |
". ~; 1t reaches the learned ". y;
t reaches those in authority; in fact |
Ill classes. It leads men to the depths |
# degradation and to the loss Of their |
Wills ". 81; II makes men to become !
beasts, wallowing In their own vomit. |
Not only Samaria, but these also"
wv. Z and 81, that is people of Jeru-
salem have erred through wine and |
strong drink. Even the priests and |
he prophets had and do so now (See |
n. 90 :10-12; Micah 2:1D. The priests |
we're especially inexcusable because of |
he plain directness Of Gods word |
LEV. 1910; Ezekiel 44:21). The |
result Of their intemperance was that |
they utterly failed In their official |
lcts. They reeled In vision and STUN
Dled in judgment. The use of wine |
md strong drink made their social |
filthy and disgusting. Tenn
)erance Is the habit of abstaining from |
everything that destroys. 1t is the con-
rol and right use of Gods good gifts
,or 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. Samaria's crown
II pride was not the glory of God. |
It's beauty was fading flower ". ~, |
his wisdom condemned through the
ignorance of Samaria wv. 6, 7, 12),
his strength versus their weakness and
wv. 6, 49,. God teaches
by contrast as well 8s by direct |
Drecept. Verses nine and ten may be
aiken as hooking answer of the peo-
pie to Gods prophet. Isaiah intimates
hat the time 30 begin our instruction
s in childhood ". 81, that precept
must be upon precept, and line upon
inc, here a little and there a little.
There never Is time when we can let
Up In this struggle against the mighty
evil of intemperance.
Take as reply ". 81 this would
seem to Indicate that God took them to
'e babies just weaned. II the prophet.
himself, Is the speaker, then Jehovah
S represented as teaching knowledge
% babes and not to the self-sufficient.
I Is these whom he "mBkes to under
stand his message" tR, V. J, and the
method Of his teaching Is precept upon
)recept. II We will not hear Gods
owing and patient call to repentance,
he will speak to US through cruel enc
MES. If We will not teach our chill
lren, II We will not keep everlastingly
lgitsti this question, he will use 9th.
Pr means ". ID.