Evening star., 1923-12-22

Our Christmas lesson Is drawn from
Isaiahs message to a war-wearied
nation. The prophet received his vi
sion of the Messianic kingdom in an
hour when his nation was filled with
despair by the darkness of the mo-
ment. The fair and prosperous land.
which he loved, had been over
whelmed by the ruthless hand of
cruel and merciless war. Against
-he dark background of the nations
conditions, which is portrayed In the
seventh and eighth chapters, Isaiah
seeks to give his countrymen cour-
thrill human hearts the glorious hope
of era of peace and good will. He
pictures the new era coming to the
nation with an enlarged population,
enjoying better things and being free
from the control of hard task mas
through the advent of great Mes
sianic deltverer, whose birth in Beth
lehem's manger has given US hope in
this dark hour OF civiliZation's crisis.
No serious minded person can study
the conditions of the world at this
moment without recognizing that the
difficulties in making peace and re-
storing prosperity are apparently be-
yond human solution. Certainly the
intellectual and moral resources of
our modern craftsmanship have failed
to restore the stability and peace of.
the world. Parts Of Europe are still
in chaos, while the whole world is
filled with a spirit of discomfort. dis
trust and suspicion. Almost six
months ago to the date our late Presi-
dent Harding, in his address from the
car steps in Colorado. pointed out that
the world had gone on the wrong
track in their efforts to establish
peace The world war has not dis
proved the prophecy of Isaiah. 1t
has confirmed the fact that Chris
tianity contains the only hope for the
world.
Warren c. Harding, the apostle of
peace, spoke like a modern Isaiah
when he declared: II tell you, my
countrymen, the world needs more
of the Christ. more of the spirit of
the Man of Nazareth. If we could
bring into the relationships OF hu-
manity. among ourselves and among
the nations of the earth, the brother
hood that was taught by the Christ.
we would have a restored world: we
would have little or none of war; We
would have a new hope for humanity
was a better lesson taught than that
of the Golden Rule" Evidently
Woodrow Wilson holds similar view.
for he has said that "our civilization
be redeemed spiritually" The proph-
ct based his hopes upon the charac-
ter of the coming Messiah.
Isaiah in his vision of the coming
Deliverer exactly tells the facts of
his divine human personality in his
of His person. He predicted the wis
dom Of His teaching and the might
ness of His power. He prophesied the
love and tenderness of His relations
which would result from men prac-
ticing the principles of the Prince of
Peace.
Every one of Isaiah's prophecies
concerning the Messiah was fulfilled
in the birth. life and labors of Jesus
Christ. our risen Lord, whose birth as
child in Bethlehem is filing the
world with it's Christmas spirit: Let
us compare the predictions with the
facts that we know concerning the
poverty and obscurity of the manger-
born child. The prophet. speaks of
Him being born like "a shoot out of
who was the father Of David. He
looked forward seven centuries and
saw the coming of the Christ, when
the state of Davids kingdom was
reduced to decsy,ins cS,,a soRinr into
dowed with the spirit Of the Lord.
The Holy Spirit came upon the Mas
ter at His baptism. Thew The worid tes. les
teachings and the energy of His per,
sonality. He appears to have lived
in the atmosphere of fellowship with
eternity during His days in the flesh,
as He apparently breathed the fear
of the Father during all His life.
Christ:s spirituality, according TO
the prophet, would be revealed at His
coming by "three pairs OF virtues:
Good Judgment with quick discern
ment, ability to plan wisely with abil-
ty to execute surely, and knowledge
of the will of God with obedience to
It," One endowed with such per-
sonality was destined to make an ex-
cellent executive. Isaiah represents
Him as being doubly girded with
and faithfulness. He saw
| that the Messiah being perfectly pre-
pared in heart and head would rule
| successfully and right.
| Under His administration the poor
were promised q square deal The
| rich and mighty had been accustomed
| in the prophets day, and in all other
periods as q rule. to ride over the
poor and trample upon the rights of
| the lowly. He will not be misled by
| appearances for He will get at the
| facts in the case and decide according
| to the truth. No one but the wicked
| will punish them by the power of His
| ideals, His appeals to conscience and
/ the outworking of moral laws. They
| who will not obey the Lord could be
| sure of facing and being destroyed.
The most astonishing effect of His
| reign was not reformation of So
| ciety, but the establishment of a per-
| feet peace among men and nations.
There would be an end OF war be-
| tween men. They would dwell In
peace with one another and with the