Western Kansas world., 1917-05-17
LESSON FOR MAY 20
THE IMPORTANCE OF sELF-coN
TRoL-TEMPERANcE LESSON.

LESSON TEXTIsa. 2S:1-13
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 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 :6-7; Tim.
5 :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
tty of the use Of alcohol in the matter
Of medicine as a remedy. Third, sacri-
1clal wine Matt. 26 :27-29; Luke % ~
20), and, fourth wine is spoken about
as productive of the woes of men (See
Amos 6:1; Heb. rs; Prov. % :2O).
1t is also mentioned by way of contrast
(See Eph. 5 :1S).
The Scriptures speak Of drunkards
in four different ways: 1) They are
to be stoned (Deut. 21 :2O) (2) Drunk
ards lead to poverty (Prov. % :21) !;
(3) Drunkards are to be separated
from other men q Cor. 5 :1D; (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: (1) the priest and Nazarite
tNum. 6:3; Luke :15); (2) the ruler
(Prov. 81 ~; (3) those who are to
worship Jehovah Gev. 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 1ntemperance. First,
Disgrace and Dishonor ". -. The
city of Samaria is compared to a
chaplet of flowers on 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 national sin.
Second, Disease and Degeneracy ". 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. :24). The
coming of the Assyrians upon Samaria
is described in a three-fold way: %
As. tempest Of hail" !; t2) as de
stroyfng Storm" CD as a tempest
of mighty waters overfiowing." 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.
II. Those Reached by fntemperance.
Strong drink causes men to err in their
conduct, in their moral insight, in their
judgments. 1t reaches the beautiful
". ~; it reaches the learned ". y !;
it reaches those in authority; in fact
all classes. It 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 :1O-12; Micah I'D. The priests
were especially inexcusable because Of
the plain directness of Gods word
(Lev. 10 :9-1O; Ezekiel A :21). The
result Of their intemperance was that
they utterly failed in their official
acts. They reeled in vision and STUN
lIs
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.
III. The Lesson in Contrast. Jeru-
salem VS.. Samaria. Samaria's crown
of pride was not the glory of God.
Its beauty was a fading flower ". ~,
his wisdom contemned through the
ignorance of Samaria (vv. 6, z, 12),
his strength versus their weakness and
wickedness (vv. 6, 13). God teaches
by contrast as well as 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 ". 81, that precept
must be upon precept, and line upon
line, here a little and there a little.
There never is a time when we can let
up in this struggle against the mighty
evil of intemperance.
Take as a reply ". 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 seH-sufficient
1t is these whom he makes to under
stand his message" (R- v. }, and the