Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1917-12-28
NIFlNkTlONAL.
SUNDAYSQN)OL
LESSON
CBy E. o. SELLERS, Acting Director OF
the Sunday School Course of the Moody
Bible Institute, Chicago)
Copyright, 1917, Western Newspaper Union.)
LESSON FOR DECEMBER 80
REVIEW-GOD'S REDEEMING
LOVE.

LIVE.
LESSON TEXT-Read Psalms 1:23; 1:24
GOLDEN TEXT-With Jehovah there is
loving kindness, and with him is plenteous
redemption.-Ps. 1907.
The lessons of the past year are the
only ones in the six years course which
are divided between the Old and the
New Testament; therefore, at the
close Of this year we will review only
the last two quarters, emphasizing the
fourth which has just been completed.
Like Moses on Mount Nebo, let US
glance over the whole period of the
monarchy and note the progress and
development of the Jewish people. The
Jewish race is the marvel of all times,
a nation without a country, scattered
and peeled, chastised and driven from
sea to sea, even slain in large num-
bers yet possessed of vitality which
has caused them to endure through
the centuries. Their contribution to
the civilization of the world has been
unreasonable. There is no walk or
rank in life, in politics, literature, art,
science, business, religion, or any 9th
er realm where they have not made
their impress and rendered their con-
tribution. Any movement which seeks
to promote their welfare and to
strengthen the bonds of sympathy
which preserve race feelings, deserves
the aid Of all patriotic, liberty loving,
God fearing people, for the Jews are
still Gods chosen heritage.
The united kingdom with its three
kings, Saul, David and Solomon, last
ed from about HOO B. c. to 9S3 (Mee-
cher), period of 120 years. Then be-
gins the divided kingdom-Judah and
Israel side by side, double expert
ment.in the progress of the kingdom of
God. This period extended from about
9S2 B. G. to approximately T23, or 721
B. G. Judah had territory of about
3,400 square miles; Israel 9,400. Ju-
dah's capital was Jerusalem; in which
was the temple; IsraePs capital was
Samaria, while it had two centers of
false worship. Judah was more shell
tered than Israel from close contact
with heathenism, especially politically
and religiously. Judah had one dyn-
asty of rulers; eleven kings and one
! queen, all of them from the house of
| David. Israel had nineteen kings, be-
longing to nine different families or
| dynasties. Judah had several very
! good kings, and there were marked re-
vivals of religion of prosperity and of
deterioration of varying degrees,
though resisted from time to time and
helped along moral and religious lines
through the work of Elijah and Elisha
the prophets. The final period of
events of this past quarter have refer
ence to Judah alone from the days of
Hezekiah, B. G. 722, to the time of the
destruction Of the city and the temple
being destroyed $50 B. c., and lastly
we have the period of the exile from
the first captivity in sos B. @. to the
restoration and the new temple being
erected 516 B. G. This was a period
of great discipline and sitting as like
unto wheat or of purifying fire.
The return from exile and the new
spiritual nation, dates from about 53f
to the close of Bible history, say 40(
years before the coming of Christ.
map should be used, and the scholars
ought to be familiar with the contem
poraneous secular history. There are
several particular lessons we ought tt
learn from this history.
First: Every failure, every mora
wrong, every fall into idolatry, ever!
diminution of power for good is th'
result of a separation from God,-;
departure from the ways of God ant
Righteousness. 1t also shows us tha
Gods constant solicitude that the Jew
should be kept separate from heather
ism and idolatry, had in it the bes
interests of his own people and coul'
only lead to those blessings which h
had prepared for his particular people
Secondly: The overthrow of Israe
is directly attributed to its complet
abandonment to idolatry. Beginnin
with false worship and dependenc
upon men, there was the introductio
of idolatry and a development of evi
which led to a rapid decline, the In
PRODUCTION of revolutions and the fina
extinguishment of the kingdom.
AS to Judah, it finally was brough
into captivity because that was tn
: only way that God could purge the Ne
ton from the sin of idolatry. The
must be taught that there is but on
God, that the word of God must b
: obeyed, and that their safety lay i
the faith which they placed in hi
promises. The leaders of this perio
were Zerubbabel, Ezra and Nehemial
heroic men, men of great consecratio
and power; also, Esther, the heroin,
= The prophets Of this period are Dar
iel, Isaiah, Haggai. Zechariah, MALACHI
4 Notice how each and every one aide
\ the cause of righteousness, stood fC
purity Of thought and action. Durin
!. the time of the restoration the tempt
y was completed, worship was restores
) separation from heathenism becanl
& permanent, the Sabbath was kept; tn
8 Bible was studied and impressed upo
q the people; there was a clearer vfsiO
q of their mission in the world, th
ideals and hopes toward which the
4 should strive clearly stated (see II
d prophetical writings) and a pure
4 righteousness established.
& There are two great heroes of Il
& return, Ezra and Nehemiah. Take I
4 the actions of each and show how /
proved his heroism. A good methC
q of receiving the past quarter will !
4 to summarize the teachings which ce
q ter about these two great men. II
81 period of the return is the one thi
81 we should emphasize, showing how
i return to God and an obedience of h
4 law is the paramount need of the pre-
"A ent day in which we live, these da!
+ of darkness and evil upon which Il
81 world has fallen.
E "God is the giver, life partnershi