Roanoke Rapids herald. [volume] (Roanoke Rapids, N.C.) 1914-192?, 1921-10-28
IMPROVED UNIFORM INTERNATIONAL
Sll!ldaySc|loo1.
' Lesson
LESSON FOR OCTOBER 80
STRONG DRINK IN A NATIONS
LlFE--WoRLD'S TEMPER.
ANCE SUNDAY.
lBy REV. p. B. FITZWATER, d. D.,
Teacher OF English Bible In the Moody
Bible Institute of Chicago.)
%. 1921. Western Newspaper Union)


GOLDEN TExT-Woe unto him that
giveth his neighbor drink.--Hab. 2:15
REFERENCE MATERIAL--Isa. 6:1l-13,
%, 23 Amos Al. 2.
PRIMARY ToPIC-story Of the Rech-
abites.
JUNIOR ToPIC-The Faithful Rechab-
ties.
INTERMEDIATE AND SENIOR TOPIC
Enforcing Prohibition.
YOUNG PEOPLE AND ADULT TOPIC
World Prohibition.
!. Gods Judgment Upon Israel
wv. LAY.
/. The sin for which Israel was
judged ". ~. 1t was drunkenness,
which seems to have been a national
Sin. (See lisa. Oil, II; 7:5; Amos
,2:8, 8, IL; Al; 6. 8.) Samarla's 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. Just as the flower severed
from the parent stem droops and
fades, SO drunkenness had sapped the
vitality from the nation and left 1t
as fading chaplet Of flowers on the
head Of drunkard.
(a) Strength Is wasted by 1t ". ~.
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.
II. The Lords Promise to the Rem.
nant wv. s, 81.
Out of this awful darkness shines
a ray Of brightness, for following the
destruction Of the proud city the Lord
of Hosts Is promised for crown Of
glory to the remnant of His people.
This pointed forward to the coming
of the Savior Czech. 8:13). Their
hopes were partially fulfilled at the
first coming of the Savior, but the
real fulfillment shall be when drunk
enness, pride and all unrighteousness
shall disappear before the glaring
light of the Sun of Righteousness
(AIal. A :2;'I Pet. 5:4).
III. The snfuness Of judah
wv. 7-1W.
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 violation of Gods law for a
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 Il Cor. oil; 6:10). The
awful sin OF drunkenness should be
denounced in the strongest terms pos.
sible by Gods servants.
2. Unnamable filth ". 81. This de-
scription shows condition which is
deplorable indeed. Filth and drunk
enness 60 hand in hand.
3. Mockery (vv.9, 10Y. In addition
to their drunkenness and filth they
seornfully mock Gods prophets. These
priests had become so hardened by |
their drunken debauchery that they
set at naught Isaiah's instructions |
and seorned Gods messengers. They |
questioned their authority and gave
back the answer of ridicule as If to |
say, ave are teachers, what do you |
mean to teach us2 Are we babes that
have Just been weaned? You come |
to us with your line upon line, line
upon line" They were not only I'M
willing to receive the message, but
tired of the way In which II was de-
livered. Not being willing to receive
the message, they complain of the
In which 1t Is delivered. The
doctrine of salvation by blood alone
IS not a very popular one; the preach
ng of the cross Is foolishness to some
Il Cor. 1881; 2:14). Men do not
ike Gods message because II calls
hem to make a surrender of their
sins.
w. Judah's Punishment. wv. 11-13).
The prophet replies to these drunken
,coffers that their very drunken Ques-
ions should be answered by the Lord
n judgment. God had repeatedly Of
'ered them rest, but they had as re-
,eatedly refused 1t. Their scorn and
contempt are answered with the Bit
crest sarcasm. The bloody conqueror
would come upon them and cause
hem to be shared and taken.