The Jasper news. [volume] (Jasper, Missouri) 1898-1924, 1922-03-09
nlPR0vED UNIFORM INTERNATIONAL
SilnldoySchool
Y Lesson
tBy REV. p. y. FTTzwATER. D. D..
Teacher Of English Bible IN the Moody
Bible Institute Of chicago.B
cepyriEht 1855. western Newspaper unisA.
LESSON FOR MARCH IL
AMOS WARNS ISRAEL (TEMpER.
ANcE LESSON

1 AfhENoOH IEXT--AmOn tsl~A.
GOLDEN TExT--Wino is q mocker.
strong drink is raging; and whosoever IL
deceived thereby ~ not wise.--Prov. 2o:I.
REFERENCE MATERIAL~-Isa. 6:1l,
y. 2, "a: 1:1-ls Hosea t:t1. Gal. 5:1o-21.
PRIMARY ToPIc--God Sends Amos on
an Errand.
JUNIOR ToPIc-A Prophet who was
Friend to the Poor.
INTERMEDIATES AND SENIOR TOPIC
The Consequences Of self-Indulgence.
YOUNG PEOPLE AND ADULT TOPIC
Social Evils Yet to Be Conquered.
The kingdom Of Israel reached q
high state OF prosperity In the time Of
Jeroboam II, and with It came a con-
dition Of luxury, corruption and
wickedness.
The judgment woe Of this lessen Is
directed against the sins Of the upper
classes in Samaria. The same sins are
practlced In America, in the nation
and In the church. With the increase
Of wealth In America has come luxury,
corruption and gross wlckedness which
! staggers the imagination. IT behOoves
all to give listening ear. for God will
eventually enter into judgment. Our
lesson is temperance lesson. Temper
ance applies to other things than in
diligence in intoxicating liquor. Our
age IL intoxicated with pleasure. pur-
suit of gain and selfish ambition.
Z. Reckless Security wv. 1-3).
They were blind to the perlls that sur
rounded them. They were living In a
FOOLS paradise, closing their eyes to
the approaching storm Of judgment as
predicted by Amos They trusted In
the mountains Of Samaria for their
protection. They regarded their city
as lmpregnable. They no doubt re-
gnrded the utterance Of Amos as i'm
practlcable--the dreams OF a fanatic.
The tragic thing about this blindness
on the part Of the chief ones of the
nation was they were so puffed up
with pride that they failed to read
the signs of the times In the light of
history (v.-2.) The cities Of Calneh
and Klamath. though great and mighty.
had fallen. To disregard the lessons
Of history. to dismiss the thought Fof
impending judgment. Is to bring near
the scat Of violence" ". 81. Let
chaotic Europe and Russia be the red
lights Of warning to America. and let
all injustice and class selfshness be
laid aside.
~. Luxury CIV. 4-6).
The luxury Of these upper classes In
Samaria expressed itself In: /. Extrav-
agant furniture ". ~. They had beds
Of ivory-perhaps wood lnlaid with
ivory. Costly as their furniture was In
that day, It was commonplace as COM
pared to some Of the expensive furnl-
ture and fittings in our great cities.
2. Laziness ". ~. They stretched
themselves upon their couches-llved
lives Of Incidence. Such Is the way
of many still.
3. Feasted on dehcacies ". Al. The
implication here Is that they had their
dalntles out Of season. This Is what
many of the rich pride themselves In.
4 Adorn their feasts with music
". %. They sang idle songs--even In
vented musical instruments for this
purpose. They prostituted the noble
art of music TO their sensual feasts.
0. They drank wine ". o.. They
were rot content with ordinary drink
ing vessels. They drank from bowls.
indicating excessive drinking. They
were 80 mastered by the intoxicating
cup that their feasts which were
adorned with the refinements OF music
ended In drunkenness.
~. Failure to orIevs for Joseph
". 81.
Joseph here stands for Ephraim
and Manasseh, his two sons. Epll-
rain became the principal tribe
Of the northern kingdom, so Joseph Is
used a. n synonym for the nation. The
upper classes were indulgIng In these
elfeminate iuTuries, entirely indifferent
to the groanings Of the masses. And
whenever such q condition exist IN a
nation there Is need OF Amos to
thunder Gods judgment upon those
who are guilty Of II.
~. The Inevitable Issue wv. Z, 81.
I. They shall go into captivity Cy.7).
The northern nation was first in sin,
therefore FIRST TO 90 into captivity.
What striking contrast this picture
Instead Of lying ON ivory couches
feastlng upon dainties. they are with
the suffering exiles.
2 The certainty OF the Issue ". 81.
II Il Inevitable because Of Gods ma
ture. He Il God OF justice. He
has sworn that judgment shall fall
He Il the God OF hosts--the controller
Of the whole universe. therefore none
can escape. God hates the wIckedness
OF the world. and He will bring into
Judgment the men and women who
reVel In luxury with no concern for