The Holly chieftain., 1921-10-27
IMPROVED UNIFORM INTERNATIONAL
Si11nldaySclloel q
Y 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 80
STRONG DRINK IN A NATIONS
LiFE-WoRLD's TEMPER
ANcE SUNDAY.

GOLDEN TExT-Woe unto him that
giveth his neighbor drink.-IIab. 2:l5
REFERENCE MATERIAL-Isa. 5:l1-13.
q, q. 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
(vv. 1-4).
1. The sin for which Israel was
judged ". ~. 1t was drunkenness.
which seems to have. been national
sin. (See lisa. 5:11, 12; 7:5; Amos
go. 8. 12; Al; Q. 81 SamarIa'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 ". y. 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 pareut 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 q drunkard.
(a) Strength Is wasted by 1t ". u.
"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. 1, 81. Just as this proud
city was humbled through lntemper-
ance, so does drunkenness bring down
tional. social and business circles.
(c) 1t despoils beauty (vv. /, 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.
n. The Lord's Promise to the Rem
nant wv. S, G).
Out of this awful darkness shines
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
(Nial. 4 .; Pet. $40.
III. The Sinfulness Of Judah
wv. 7-1O).
]. Drunkenness ". y. Judah 'had
also erred through strong drink. Even
their priests and prophets had fallen
through the blighting effects Of wine.
1t was II 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 a fitting one
for this day, for the Scriptures de.
clare that no drunkard shall entW the
kingdom Il Cor. 5:11; 8:10). The
awful sin of drunkenness should be
denounced In the strongest terms pos.
sible by Gods servants.
9. Unnamable filth ". 81. This de-
scription shows n condition which is
deplorable indeed. Filth and drunk
enness go hand in hand.
3. Mockery wv. o, 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 Mt naught Isaiahs Instructions
and scorned Gods messengers. They
questioned their authority and gave
back the answer of ridicule as II to
say, I'VE are teachers, what do you
mean to teach us? Are we babes that
have just been weanedl You come
to us with your line upon line, line
upon line" They were not only un-
WlllnR 10 receive Ine meSSuRe, Dur
tired of the way In which 1t was de-
livered. Not being willing to receive
the message, they complain of the
manner in which 1t is delivered. The
doctrine of salvation by blood alone
is not n very popular one; the preach
Ing of the cross Is foollshness to some
Il Cor. 1:1S-21; 2:1D. Men do not
like Gods message because 1t calls
them to make surrender of their
sins.
~. Judah's Punishment. wv. 11-13).
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 scorn and
contempt are answered with the bit
terest sarcasm. The bloody conquerol
would como upon them and cause
them to be shared and taken.
The Trinity.
Tho Christian fnachin0 of tha nNrIpI