SINFUL INDULGENCE

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · Aug 25, 1898

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 24, No. 33.

SINFUL INDULGENCE

Lesson XI.—Sunday, September 11, 1898.

SINFUL INDULGENCE.

Lesson Scripture, Amos 6:1–8, R.V.

1 “Woe to them that are at ease in Zion, and to them that are secure in the mountain of Samaria, the notable men of the chief of the nations, to whom the house of Israel come! 2 Pass ye unto Calneh, and see; and from thence go ye to Hamath the great; then go down to Gath of the Philistines; be they better than these kingdoms? or is their border greater 3 than your border? Ye that put far away the evil day, and 4 cause the seat of violence to come near; that lie upon beds of ivory, and stretch themselves upon their couches, and eat the lambs out of the flock, and the calves out of the midst 5 of the stall; that sing idle songs to the sound of the viol; that devise for themselves instruments of music, like David; 6 that drink wine in bowls, and anoint themselves with the chief ointments; but they are not grieved for the affliction of 7 Joseph. Therefore now shall they go captive with the first that go captive, and the revelry of them that stretched themselves shall pass away. 8 The Lord God hath sworn by Himself, saith the Lord, the God of hosts: I abhor the excellency of Jacob, and hate his palaces; therefore will I deliver up the city with all that is therein.”

Golden Text: “They also have erred through wine, and through strong drink are out of the way.” Isa. 28:7.

SUGGESTIVE QUESTIONS.

(1) What is revealed concerning the author of the book of Amos? Note 1. (2) Upon whom did he pronounce “wo”? V. 1. Note 2. (3) To what places was the attention of the people called? How were these compared with Judah and Israel? V. 2. Note 3. (4) What did they do concerning the evil day? Then what did they cause to come near? V. 3. Note 4. (5) How are their luxurious indulgences described? V. 4. (6) What is said of their amusements? V. 5. Note 5. (7) What is said of their appetite for strong drink? Of their desire for perfumeries? How were they affected toward threatened calamities? V. 6. Notes 6 and 7. (8) What was to be the consequence of their profligacy? V. 7. Note 8. (9) By whom had the Lord sworn? What did He say? V. 8. Note 9.

NOTES.

1. The prophet.—Amos was a native of Tekoa, six miles south of Bethlehem. He was a herdsman by occupation before being called to the ministry. The principal scene of his labors was Bethel, a royal as well as a religious center, twelve miles north of Jerusalem. His name means “burden,” agreeing with the message of calamity to Israel which he bore, and which was a burden of soul to him. He prophesied in the time of Jeroboam II., king of Israel, and Uzziah, king of Judah. He came after Jonah, and lapped onto the time of Hosea. The approaching dismemberment of the kingdom of Israel and the captivity of the people were brought vividly before his mind.

2. At “ease,” etc.—Signifying insensibility to coming danger. Both Jerusalem and Samaria were carelessly enjoying their temporal prosperity. The rulers and prominent men of these conspicuous nations were indulging feelings of security in their apostate condition.

3. Verse 2 is a comparison of the prominent position of Israel and Judah with that of surrounding nations.

4. “Put far away the evil day.”—They refused to believe that any calamity was near, just as the people of Noah’s time did, and just as the Lord said of the people in the last days, just prior to His coming. See Matt. 24:37–39; James 5:1–8.

5. “Chanting to the sound of the viol” implies the singing of idle or dissolute songs, just as is the common entertainment of to-day.

6. “Drink wine in bowls.”—That is, excessive drinking; using larger drinking vessels than had been customary for wine would imply a much larger consumption of intoxicating drinks. Another parallel with our time, for notwithstanding the restraining influences of temperance effort in many lines, the drink and tobacco evils are increasing in a marked manner. This is not a reflection upon temperance work, but from the good influence of such work we may take courage in the contemplation of what the condition would be without such effort.

7. “They grieve not for the affliction of Joseph.”—Men given to sinful indulgence can not be expected to grieve over the results before they are realized, for the reason that they are willingly blind to the consequences of their recklessness in the gratification of appetite and other carnal desires. Ephraim was the son of Joseph, and his tribe was the leading tribe of the kingdom of Israel after the division. Samaria, the capital, was in the land of Ephraim, and Ephraim is sometimes used to denote the kingdom, as Joseph is in this instance.

8. “Now shall they go captive.”—Every other means had failed to reform that people. Nothing was left but to dissolve the kingdom and send the people into captivity. By this means all would be brought to reflect upon their foolish excesses, and some might be saved. The people of Israel were carried away as captives by the Assyrians about thirty years after this prophecy was uttered.

9. “Therefore will I deliver up the city.”—The Assyrians would have been powerless against Israel had not God willed the chastisement of the apostates. Israel had chosen idolatry in spite of all entreaty, therefore they should have it to the full—even to being captives to an idolatrous nation. Therefore God has given us this reminder, by the pen of an apostle: “Be not deceived; God is not mocked; for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.” Gal. 6:7, 8.