International S. S. Lessons.
By Editor
"So they read in the book in the law of God distinctly, and gave the sense, and caused them to understand the reading." —Neh. 8:8 Lesson V.—Sunday, January 29, 1893.
[NOTE.—The questions which follow are merely suggestive for the student on the leading points of the lesson; it is presumed that the thorough student will think of many more as he studies the subject. References, where verses alone are given, always refer to the lesson scripture printed above. All other references are given in book, chapter, and verse. The text printed is that of the Revised Version, not because it is especially preferred, but because it is not found in every family, as is the common version.] 1. And the angel that talked with me came again, and waked me, as a man that is wakened out of his sleep. 2. And he said unto me, What seest thou? And I said, I have seen, and behold, a candlestick all of gold, with its bowl upon the top of it, and its seven lamps thereon; there are seven pipes to each of the lamps, which are upon the top thereof. 3. And two olive trees by it, one upon the right side of the bowl, and the other upon the left side thereof. 4. And I answered and spake to the angel that talked with me, saying, What are these, my lord? 5. Then the angel that talked with me answered and said unto me, Knowest thou not what these be? And I said, No, my lord. 6. Then he answered and spake unto me, saying, This is the word of the Lord unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, saith the Lord of hosts. 7. Who art thou, O great mountain? before Zerubbabel thou shalt become a plain; and he shall bring forth the headstone with shoutings of Grace, grace, unto it. 8. Moreover the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, 9. The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this house; his hands shall also finish it; and thou shalt know that the Lord of hosts hath sent me unto you. 10. For who hath despised the day of small things? for they shall rejoice, and shall see the plummet in the hand of Zerubbabel, even these seven, which are the eyes of the Lord; they run to and fro through the whole earth. Golden Text.—"Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, saith the Lord of hosts." Zech. 4:6. NOTE.—The time and place of this vision was the same as the last, probably in March, 519 B. C., in Jerusalem. 1. What evidently were the circumstances which called out this vision of the prophet? Note 1. 2. Who came to the prophet again? Verse 1. See also chapter 1:12, 19. Note 2. 3. What did the angel show him? Verses 2, 3. Note 3. 4. When the prophet asked for an explanation, what did the angel say? Verses 4-6. Note 4. 5. What would the mountain of difficulties amount to before the word of God? Verse 7. 6. By what did he show that the work would prosper under the hands of Zerubbabel? Verse 7. Note 5. 7. What further assurance did the Lord give as to the work Zerubbabel was engaged in? Verses 8, 9. 8. What reproof does the Lord imply? Verse 10, first clause. Note 6. 9. Who would be with Zerubbabel in this work? Verse 10. Note 7. 10. With what assurances may we always go forth to the work of the Lord? "And Jesus came to them and spake unto them, saying, All authority hath been given unto me in heaven and on earth. Go ye therefore, and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost; teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I commanded you; and lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world." Matt. 28:18-20. See also Jer. 1:18, 19; Acts 18:9, 10. 1. WHEN this vision was given, Zerubbabel and his people were building the temple under the most discouraging circumstances. The opposition they had met from the people of the land, their own fewness of numbers and poverty of means, the fact that many had left the house of the Lord and sought their own selfish ends, that some had mingled with the heathen of the land, that God had withheld dew and rain and hoped-for harvest,—all these loomed up as a great mountain before many, and led them doubtless to lose faith in their leaders, as difficulties led their fathers to lose faith in Moses. The prophet, besides former reproofs and encouragements, now encourages them to confidence in their leaders. This will be seen as we consider the prophecy. 2. The angel.—Evidently the angel Gabriel. He it was who communicated to Daniel (Dan. 9:21), and Zacharias (Luke 1:19); and was evidently the special messenger of God to the prophets (see Rev. 1:1). 3. A candlestick, etc.—The candlestick shown the prophet differed from the golden candlestick of the sanctuary. Compare with Ex. 25:31-40. In our lesson there was one bowl in the top of the candlestick, with the seven lamps around it, each lamp fed by a single pipe from the bowl, the bowl being fed by the two olive trees, by two pipes. The olive trees give forth, not berries from which oil is pressed, but the oil itself. The seven lamps are typical of the seven Spirits of God. Rev. 4:5. The bowl that supplies them is typical of Christ, who is said to have the seven Spirits of God. Rev. 3:1. It therefore represents just what the Stone with seven eyes of the previous chapter symbolized, the seven Spirits of God, affording light, life, and power to the people of God amid the surrounding darkness and discouragement. The candlestick represents the church. Rev. 1:20. The church is to be the light of the world (Matt. 5:14-16; Phil. 2:15); but the church has no light or power in herself; it must all come from Christ. The business of the church is to hold forth the light of the Spirit of God, even as the candlestick supported the lamps. The Spirits or Spirit of God enlightens the world by means of the truth of God, inspired by the Spirit. The two olive trees would therefore fitly symbolize the word of God through the Old and New Testaments. See "Thoughts on Revelation," chapter 11. 4. This is the word of the Lord.—That is the explanation which the angel gave of the vision. Just the same as the lamps were fed from the bowl by means of the two olive trees, so the church is enlightened and fed by the Spirit of God through his word, which is spirit and life to the receiver (John 6:63), and above all earthly power. "Not by might [margin "army"], nor by [human] power, but by my Spirit [speaking through God's word], saith the Lord of hosts." Nothing is too hard for God; mountains of difficulties would become a plain before the word of Him who spake worlds into existence. 5. Bring forth the headstone.—The crown of the beautiful temple, upon which God's grace should be specially invoked. 6. The day of small things.—Such has always seemed to be the beginning of the work of God among men. Look at Noah, at Abraham, at Moses, at Elijah, at Zerubbabel, at Jesus and his twelve disciples, at the Reformation,—all began small. Even so will God's work be in these days. But in the eyes of God his work is never small, and it will ever as surely triumph as it did in the time of our lesson. 7. These seven which are the eyes of the Lord.—God, the One whose eyes see everything, whose power controls everything, was with Zerubbabel. The work would be finished to perfection, indicated by the plummet, or plumb line, and God would honor his servants. Lesson V.—Sabbath, January 28, 1893.
POWER OF GOD'S WORD.—CONTINUED.
[For any modification in these lessons, and for the notes, the editor is responsible. For other notes and suggestions the student is referred to the lesson pamphlet, and to the S. S. Worker.] Lesson Scriptures and Suggestive Questions.
I. Eph. 4:20-21: "But ye did not so learn Christ; if so be that ye heard him, and were taught in him, even as truth is in Jesus; that ye put away, as concerning your former manner of life, the old man, which waxeth corrupt after the lusts of deceit; and that ye be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and put on the new man, which after God hath been created in righteousness and holiness of truth." 1. Whom had "the faithful in Christ Jesus" learned? 2. How had they been taught the truth? Note 1. 3. What were they to put away? 4. How were they to be renewed? 5. What were they to put on? 6. What contrast is drawn between "the old man" and "the new man"? II. Col. 3:8-11: "But now put ye also away all these; anger, wrath, malice, railing, shameful speaking out of your mouth; lie not one to another; seeing that ye have put off the old man with his doings, and have put on the new man, which is being renewed unto knowledge after the image of Him that created him; where there cannot be Greek and Jew, circumcision and uncircumcision, barbarian, Scythian, bondman, freeman; but Christ is all, and in all." 1. What evil habits, here mentioned, are to be discarded? Note 2. 2. What reason is given for this exhortation? 3. What description is given of "the new man"? 4. Is any distinction of race or condition recognized after this change? 5. Who is all and in all? III. Ps. 51:6-10: "Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts; and in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom. Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. Make me to hear joy and gladness; that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice. Hide thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities. Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me." 1. Where does God desire truth? 2. Under what figure did David ask for cleansing? Note 3. 3. From whom does he seek comfort? 4. What request does he make concerning his sins and his iniquities? 5. How can he have a clean heart, a right spirit? 1. Taught in Him.—Those who accept Christ are not left outside to learn of him; they are by their acceptance brought into the body of Christ, and are therefore taught in Jesus, as the Revised Version has it, "even as truth is in Jesus." Jesus is truth personified (John 14:6); all truth came through him (1 Cor. 8:6); in him is all fullness (Col. 1:19); and as the truth makes us free (John 8:32), and we are begotten anew by the word of God's truth (James 1:18; 1 Peter 1:23), so, as we hear his word, we hear him, and as we are taught in that word we are taught in him. Put away.—Not simply to put off as a cloak, but to put away, to relinquish, to renounce forever, the same as in verse 25, "putting away lying." The old man.—The old corrupt body of sin, the sinful lusts and passions, with all the habits which came from them, All are to be renounced. Which waxeth corrupt.—Not simply which is corrupt, but which grows more and more corrupt. That is the nature of sin, even as of leaven, to which sin is likened. The only way to do is to put it all away. The least seed will grow; the least lust cherished will bear the baleful fruit of sin, and opens the heart for a legion more. See 1 Cor. 5:6-8. Renewed in the spirit of your mind.—Rom. 12:1, 2 is a good comment on this expression. Sin begins in the heart, the mind, the affections (Jer. 17:9; Mark 7:21-23), and so when God changes the man, he changes the heart, renews the mind, the very spirit or motive power of the mind. Elsewhere the putting away of the old man is represented by the death of the old man—the controlling power of sin, the acceptance of the death of Christ for the sins of the individual, and the acceptance of Christ's life as the new life. Rom. 6:3-12. That life is to us a new heart and a new spirit, dominant over the power of sin, by the exceeding greater power of the new man in Christ Jesus. Created.—Regeneration is recreation. Only he who can create can redeem and regenerate; and as the Sabbath is a memorial of God's creative power and glory, so it is also a sign of that redeeming and sanctifying power which creates us anew in the "righteousness [of God, Rom. 3:22] and holiness of truth." There are many who claim "holiness" and "sanctification" outside of the truth of God's word, but the holiness which God gives is the "holiness of truth." 2. Put ye also away all these.—Not only the more grievous sins mentioned in the previous verses, but what the world would call little sins, and the very ones into which humanity is most likely to fall; put away all these, because they belong to the old man, the old manner of life. The new man, renewed by the power of the truth of God's word in Christ Jesus, demands all our service, even as Jesus bought all. When there cannot be.—This is very strong. In Christ all are one, all must be one, for God is one. 3. With hyssop.—See Lev. 14:2-7. It implies not a cleansing process, but a judicial sentence of cleanliness. It is God's authoritative pardon that is wanted, the word of God. So Jesus said to the leper, "Be thou clean," and "immediately," with the word, "his leprosy was cleansed." Matt. 8:2, 3. And again he says to his disciples, "Now are ye clean through the word which I have spoken unto you." John 15:3.175The same living word which cleansed the leper physically cleansed the disciples spiritually. So David desired to be cleansed. A right spirit.—Margin, a "steadfast" spirit. An unregenerate man often seems to run well for a season, but he who is born of God and who feeds upon God is steadfast, abiding in God as the word abides in him. John 15:5-7. The steady shining of the star is better than the momentary flash of the meteor. 1. Why was it impossible for an angel to redeem the world? 2. What institution reminds us of God's creative power? 3. Is it surprising that one who "exalteth himself above all that is called God" should attempt to establish a rival institution? 4. To whom does the Sabbath mean the most? 5. How may the Sabbath be a constant encouragement to us in Christian experience?