The Idaho Springs siftings-news., 1921-10-28
IMPROVED UNIFORM INTERNATIONAL
Sll1nldaySclloo1
' Lesson '
(By REV. P. B. FITZWATER, d. D.,
Teacher of English Bible In the Moody
Bible institute of Chicago)
%. 1921. Western Newspaper Union)
LESSON FOR OCTOBER 30
STRONG DRINK IN A NATIoN'a
lIFE-WoRLD's TEMPER.
ANCE SUNDAY.

LESSON TEXT-Isa 2s:1-13.
GOLDEN TEXT-Woe unto him that
gtveth his neighbor drink.-Hab. 2:l5
REFERENCE MATERIAL-Isa. 5:11-13,
q, q; Amos Al, 2.
PRIMARY TOPIC-Story of the Rechs
abites.
JUNIOR ToPIc-rhe Faithful RechaS.
ties.
INTERMEDIATE AND SENIOR TOPIC
Enforcing Prohibition.
YOUNG PEOPLE AND ADULT TOPIC
World Prohibition.
!. Gods Judgment Upon Israel
wv. Id.
l. The sin for which Israel was
judged ". u. 1t was drunkenness,
which seems to have been a national
sin. (See lisa. 5:11, 12; 7:5; Amos
2 :6, s, u; Al; 6, g. Samarias posi-
ton was an enviable one. The whole
nation was proud of her. The crown
Of pride whose glorious beauty had
been SO marked was fading through
the blighting effects of drunkenness.
2. The instrument by which the
punishment was effected ". p. 1t was
to be by the strong hand of the Assy-
rians. The imagery of this verse
shows that this destruction was to be
sudden, swift and irresistible.
Some Of the evils wrought by drunk
enneSs:
(a) Strength is wasted by it ". ~.
"Are overcome with wine" Mans
manifold strength, physical, mental
and spiritual, is soon mastered by
strong drink. (b) Honor brought into
the dust. "Shall be trodden under
feet" wv. l, 81. Just as this proud
city was humbled through intemper-
ance, so does drunkenness bring down
into the dust those high In educa-
tional, social and business circles.
(c) 1t despoils beauty wv. l, A..
Beauty is fading flower" Beauty
soon departs from the form and spirit
Of men and women who indulge in the
intoxicating cup. <d) Wisdom is
turned aside ". y. '"They have erred
through wine and strong drink" AS
consequence they were cropping in
darkness instead of walking in the
light of the Lord.
u. The Lords Promise to the Rem
nant wv. 5, 81.
Out of this awful darkness shine.
ray of brightness, for following tn,
destruction of the proud city the Lore
of Hosts is promised for crown o
glory to the remnant of His people
This pointed forward to the comm,
of the Savior Czech. GID. Thei
hopes were partially fulfilled at thu
first coming of the Savior, but the
real fulfillment shall be when drunk
enness, pride and all unrighteOusnesi
shall disappear before the glarine
light of the Sun of Righteousness
(Mal. 4 2; Pet. $40.
III. The SinfuIness Of Judah
(vv. 7-1O).
l. Drunkenness ". y. Judah had
also erred through strong drink. Even
their priests and prophets had fallen
through the blighting effects of wine,
1t was a violation of Gods law for q
priest to take wine before entering
the tabernacle The drunkards OF
both Judah and Ephraim are de.
nounced. The message is fitting one
for this day, for the Scriptures de.
clare that no drunkard shall enter the
kingdom q Cor. 5 Ill; 6:10).
2. Unnamable filth ". S) This de.
scription shows a condition which is
deplorable indeed. Filth and drunk.
enness go hand in hand.
5. Mockery wv. 8, 10Y. In addition
to their drunkenness and filth they
scornfully mock Gods prophets. These
priests had become so hardened by
their drunken debauchery that they
set at naught Isaiah's instructions
and scorned Gods messengers. They
questioned their authority and gave
back the answer of ridicule as if te
say. I'VE are teachers, what do you
mean to teach us? Are we babes that
have just been weaned? You come
to us with your line upon line, line
upon line" They were not only un
willing to receive the message, but
tired of the way in which it was de-
livered. Not being willing to receive
the message, they complain of the
manner in which 1t is delivered. This
doctrine of salvation by blood alone
is not very popular one; the preach
Ing of the cross is foolishness to some
Il Cor. 1922; 2:14).
~ Judah's Punishment. wv. lib.
The prophet replies to these drunken
scoffers that their very drunken ques-
tions should be answered by the Lord
In Judgment. God had repeatedly Of
fered them rest, but they had as re-
peatedly refused It, Their seorn and
contempt are answered with the bit
terest sarcasm. The bloody conqueror
would come upon them and cause
hem to be shared and taken.