The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-09-06
INTERNATIONAL
SUNDAY SCHOOL
LESSON
BY WILLIAM t. ELLIS.

BY WILLIAM T. ELLIS.
For September 8 Is "Conauering
5:6-21.
The War After the War.
Whether or not the kaiser is the
beast and the anti Christ" of the
Book of the Revelation. as many in
genious commentators affirm, it is be-
yond controversy that the part he
plays has more than once been clearly
| dealt with by the inspired writer's.
Opportunity, we have today a study
of the conduct of an ancient Hebrew
king in an incident that parallels the
rape of Belgium and the lust for
another's territory. Crafty>King Ahab
wanted part of the lands of proprie-
| tor named Naboth. He could not get
| it by fair means. SO his wife Jezebel
1 had the man foully slain. Ahab
| secured the vineyard of Naboth that
| his soul coveted-but he also heard, as
the reckless ruler of Germany is also
to hear. a word of doom spoken in the
| Thus saith the Lord
Both Ahab and the kaiser missed
the big point. They thought that be-
| cause they had secured their first OBJ
| jective all was well with them. APP
parently their success had demon
| strated the workability of the German
1
| and that kings and states are above
the common law. Ahab did not try to
| cloak his deeds under pieus profess
sions, nor proclaim himself the
specially favored of the Almighty. In
| fact, he knew that he was a crook,
| and so he cringed at the approach Of
| the prophet of God.
| The Kaiser's Great Need.
We should be doing less than JUS
tice, both to this Old Testament story
and to its modern parallel, II we did
| not emphasize the place OF the
| preacher in it. Israel had the great
treasure of fearless prophet. Elijah
! He was not popular, either as a court
preacher or as q man for the masses
| His words were too intentionally
| straight flung for that. Whatever the
Lord spoke to him. he repeated to the
people and to the king, whether his
message was well received or not. He
had a tumultuous time OF it, as every
other prophet who freely declares the
whole counsel of God is bound to have.
Anybody who wants a serene and easy
life would better not put on the man.
tie OF a prophet of God. But tbs
centuries have vindicated Elijah; and
the high-grade work he did on earth
is being continued in heaven; for he
and Moses were the messengers sent
as sympathetic spirits. to comfort
Jesus on the Mount Of Transfigura-
ton.
One of the misfortunes of the kaiser
is that he seems to have no prophets
at large in Germany. The country
used to be famous for it's liberal
theologians: and their teachings have
Contaminated the entire religious
world. Apparently. their philosophy
| does not make the<Elijah-type OF min
lister. They have been GLIB in saying
Thus saith Haeckel." or Thus saith
lNietzche," but when II comes to say
F%'Thus saith the Lord" they are as
dumb as oysters Germany's preach
They swarm in the ranks of the
apolegists for the kaiser's course; but
| we know of none who, In the face OF
clear and admitted crimes against the
laws of God and man.: has cried.
prophet wise. Thus saith the Lord
While we are busy defeating Ger.
many, and bringing to pass the only
| possible peace that will have the fa-
vor of God, which is the breaking
completely and forever OF the unholy
machinery OF Prussianism and militar-
ism, let us be at pains to understand
the power that we crush. and what are
| its real weaknesses. Germany will
perish from lack of spiritual vision
ard sense of righteousness. The old
word of Scripture is being indicated:
Where there is no vision the people
perish" She thought the sword a
substitute for a soul. Repudiating the
clear teachings OF Jesus. she devel-
oped a super" philosophy which is
now tcing put to the test. II Ger
| many had possessed brave and alert
have co--e to her present pass. Basic
and structural weakness follows In
any society which loses its spiritual
Interpreters and leaders. Germany
to He'd in her spirit before ever she met
serious defeat on the battlefield. Con-
fra ~fxl-foA
been such a wonderful accession to
the allies because of the spirit of the
men, and of the nation behind them
God 5--nt that in the tremendous
testing times just ahead OF US our men
OF God will not fail to be true proph-
cts. The day of pious perfunctdriness
and platitudes and professionalism il
past.
What the Soldiers Talk About.
This entire war 10 the best of com,
mentaries upon the present Lesson
Evil Is to be conquered: Righteousness
must reign. There you have tn.
proposition. No other great war has
, in its final analysis. had SO clear ar
, issue between good and evil. On tn,
one hand. a mighty power, with Z
monstrous mania of egotism, has Sc
Its ruthless ambitions above all con
siderations of integrity and honor ant
justice and brotherliness. 1t wants it.
human law. Opposed to it is a com
bination of Christian powers. accept
; ing President Wilson's entirely Scrip
tural definition OF aims. which hav'
solemnly resolved to defend the RICH
to the uttermost. They have de
; clared that justice is more importan
{ than life itself. Their young mel
; have gone forth. in the knightlfest ant
most chivalrous fashion, to offer thei
l lives in the defense of what they sol
EMMY believe to be the very principle,
of eternal righteousness. These mel
l fight for cause which they believ
, to be one with the goals of God.
; This ennergence of the supremacy o
l the right is the greatest fact abou
: the war. All the convictions of Chris
: titan civilization have crystaliized. Nov
, we all see. in the new light that shine
+ from the worlds battlefields, that Coz