The Aberdeen weekly. [volume] (Aberdeen, Miss.) 1878-1933, 1922-03-10
LESSON FOR MARCH IL
AMOS WARNS ISRAEL TEMPER.
ANCE LESSON)
LESSON TExT-Amos CHS.

LESSON TEXT-Amos 6:1-8.
GOLDEN TEXT-Wine is a mocker,
strong drink is raging. and whosoever is
deceived thereby is not wise.-Prov. 5o:L
REFERENCE MATERIAL-Isa- Oh.
T. z, %, 8l-l3i Hosea All: Gal 5:l9-A-
PRIMARY TOPIC-GOd Sends Amos on
an Errand.
JUNIOR TOPIC-A Prophet Who Was
q Friend to the Poor.
INTERMEDIATES AND SENIOR TOPIC
The Consequences Of Self-Iudulgence.
YOUNG PEOPLE AND ADULT TOPIC
Social Evils Yet to Be Conquered
The kingdom of Israel reached a
high state Of prosperity in the time Of
Jeroboam II, and with it came a con
diJon Of luxury, corruption and
Wickedness.
The judgment woe of this lesson IS
directed against the sins of the upper
classes in Samaria. The same sins are
practiced in America, in the nation
and in the church. With the increase
OF wealth in America has come luxury
corruption and gross wickedness which
staggers the Imagination. It behoOves
all 10 give a listening ear, for God will
eventually enter into judgment. our
lesson is a temperance lesson. Temper
ance applies to other things than in
diligence in Intoxicating liquor. Our
age is intoxicated with pleasure, pur-
suit of gain and selfish ambition
I. Reckless Security wv. 1-3).
They We're blind To the periIs 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 impregnable. They no doubt re-
garded the utterance of Amos as i'm
practicable-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 pulled up
with pride that they failed TO read
the signs Of the times in the light Of
history ". p The cities of Calneh
and Klamath, though great and mighty,
had fallen. To disregard the lessons /
of history, TO dismiss the thought of /
impending judgment, is to bring near /
the seat Of violence" ". -. Let |
chaotic Europe and Russia be the red |
lights of warning to America, and let /
all injustice and class selGshness be /
laid aside.
II. Luxury wv. 40.
The luxury Of these upper classes in /
Samaria expressed itself in: 1. Extrav- I
agant furniture (v. y. They had beds /
OF ivory-perhaps wood inlaid with |
ivory. Costly as their furniture was in /
that day, it was commonplace as com
pared TO some of the expensive furni-
ture and fittings in our great cities.
=. Laziness (v. -. They stretched
themselves upon their couches-lived
lives of Incidence. Such is the way
of many still.
>. Feasted on delicacies ". -. The
implication here is that they had their
dainties out of season. This is what
many of the rich pride themselves in.
4. Adorn their feasts with music
". o. They sang idle sOngs-even in
vented musical instruments for this
purpose. They prostituted the noble
art of music TO their sensual feastS.
;. They drank wine ". 81. They
were not content with ordinary drink
ing vessels. They drank from bowls,
indicating excessive drinking. They
were so mastered by the Intoxicating
cup that their feasts which were
with the refinements of music
ended in drunkenness.
III. Failure to Grieve for Joseph
". @.
Joseph here stands for Ephraim
and Manasseh, his two sons. Eph-
rain became the principal tribe
of the northern kingdom, so Joseph is
used as a synonym for the nation. The
upper classes were INDUCING in these
efeminate luxuries. entirely Indifferent
10 the groanings of the masses. And
whenever such a condition exist in
nation there is need of Amos to
thunder Gods judgment upon those
who are guilty of it.
w. The Inevitable Issue wv Z, 81.
I. They shall go into captivity " -.
The northern nation was first in sin.
therefore first TO go into captivity
What a striking contrast this picturel
Instead of lying on ivory touches
feasting upon dainties, they are with
the suffering exiles.
,. The certainty of the issue ". 81.
L is inevitable because of Gods ma
lure. He is God of justice He [
has sworn that judgment shall fall. d
5e is the God of hoSts-the controller p
If the whole universe. therefore none
an escape. God hates the wickedness d
# the world, and He will bring into l
Judgment the men and women who
evel in luxury with no concern for II
he poor and needy. Though God II
watts long. He does not forget The d
My escape for America is repentance. y