International S. S. Lessons.
"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 IV.—SUNDAY, JANUARY 28, 1894.
(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.) GOD'S COVENANT WITH NOAH.
Lesson Scripture, Gen. 9: 8-17.
8. And God spake unto Noah, and to his sons with him, saying.
9. And I, behold, I establish my covenant with you, and with your seed after you;
10. And with every living creature that is with you, the fowl, the cattle, and every beast of the earth with you; of all that go out of the ark, even every beast of the earth.
11. And I will establish my covenant with you; neither shall all flesh be cut off any more by the waters of the flood; neither shall there any more be a flood to destroy the earth.
12. And God said, This is the token of the covenant which I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for perpetual generations:
13. I do set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a token of a covenant between me and the earth.
14. And it shall come to pass, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the bow shall be seen in the cloud.
15. And I will remember my covenant, which is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh; and the waters shall no more become a flood to destroy all flesh.
16. And the bow shall be in the cloud; and I will look upon it, that I may remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is upon the earth.
17. And God said unto Noah, This is the token of the covenant which I have established between me and all flesh that is upon the earth. Golden Text.—"I do set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a token of a covenant between me and the earth." Gen. 9: 13. 1. What was the moral condition of the world in the days of Noah?
"And the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually." Gen. 6: 5. 2. What did God determine to do?
"And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth." Gen. 6: 13. 3. For how long did he lengthen their time of probation?
"And the Lord said, My Spirit shall not strive with man forever, for that he also is flesh; yet shall his days be an hundred and twenty years." Gen. 6: 3. 4. What righteous man did the Lord find at that time to whom he revealed his purposes?
"But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord. These are the generations of Noah. Noah was a righteous man, and perfect in his generations; Noah walked with God." Gen. 6: 8, 9. 5. Does God send judgments on the world unwarned?
"Surely the Lord God will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets." Amos 3: 7. 7. By what two operations of nature was the flood produced?
"In the six hundredth year of Noah's life, in the second month, on the seventeenth day of the month, on the same day were all the fountains of the great deep broken up, and the windows of heaven were opened." Gen. 7: 11. 8. How much of the earth was covered? Note 1.
"And the waters prevailed exceedingly upon the earth; and all the high mountains that were under the whole heaven were covered." Gen. 7: 19. 9. As Noah came forth from the ark, what did the Lord say he would establish with him? Verses 8-10, lesson scripture. 10. What was that covenant? Verse 11. 11. What was the token of that covenant? Verses 12, 13. 12. For how long was this to be a token? and to how many? Verses 12, 17. 13. What would the Lord remember as he looked upon this bow? Verses 14, 15. 14. What does the Lord call this covenant of which the rainbow is a token? Verse 16. 15. Where is the divine counterpart of the earthly token? Ans.—Around the throne of God. See Rev. 4: 3; Eze. 1: 28. 16. Will it be likely that God can forget man, with the bow ever before him? Note 2. 1. Under the whole heaven.—What right have men to limit such expressions as "the earth," "everything that is in the earth," "all the earth," "every living thing," "all the high mountains that were under the whole heaven were covered,"—what right have men to use such expressions as limited to a little tract of land in Asia? There are evidences all over the world, and among most peoples, of a flood. Why say, as do some scientists, that many of the various parts of the earth have been submerged at different times? Why not admit that they were all submerged when God said they were? It was not mere rain which caused the flood; "the fountains of the great deep were broken up," and doubtless the whole face, form, contour, or arrangement (kosmos) of nature was changed. For aught that we know, there was but one body of land, one central continent, and the present continents came from the ocean bed after the deluge. But the believer in Jesus Christ will desire no better attestation of the flood than is given by our Lord and his apostle. Read Matt. 24: 37-39; Luke 7: 26, 27; 2 Peter 3: 3-6. 2. I will remember my covenant.—God never forgets, but he places before us his tokens, speaks to us in the language of men, and assures us that these very things which our eyes see and mind remembers, are also before him. The rainbow in the cloud is the token of God's mercy to fallen man. It is the glorious light which shines from the incomprehensible clouds which sometimes veil his wise designs for his children. His throne, rainbow encircled, is a throne of mercy. The wild storm clouds reveal the same merciful token, showing that God's sun of light and love and blessing is still shining. It is the token of God's everlasting covenant in the blood of Christ, an emblem of his gracious promise for the salvation of all. LESSON IV.—SABBATH, JANUARY 27, 1894.
THE PROPHECY OF ZACHARIAS, AND THE BIRTH OF CHRIST.
Lesson Scripture, Luke 1: 67 to 2: 7.
67. And his father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Ghost, and prophesied, saying,
68. Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel; for he hath visited and wrought redemption for his people,
69. And hath raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David
70. (As he spake by the mouth of his holy prophets which have been since the world began),
71. Salvation from our enemies, and from the hand of all that hate us;
72. To show mercy towards our fathers, and to remember his holy covenant;
73. The oath which he swore unto Abraham our father,
74. To grant unto us that we being delivered out of the hand of our enemies should serve him without fear,
75. In holiness and righteousness before him all our days.
76. Yea and thou, child, shall be called the prophet of the Most High: for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to make ready his ways;
77. To give knowledge of salvation unto his people in the remission of their sins.
78. Because of the tender mercy of our God, whereby the dayspring from on high shall visit us,
79. To shine upon them that sit in darkness and the shadow of death; to guide our feet in the way of peace.
80. And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, and was in the deserts till the day of his showing unto Israel.
1. Now it came to pass in those days, there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be enrolled.
2. This was the first enrollment made when Quirinius was governor of Syria.
3. And all went to enroll themselves, everyone to his own city.
4. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family of David;
5. To enroll himself with Mary, who was betrothed to him, being great with child.
6. And it came to pass, while they were there, the days were fulfilled that she should be delivered.
7. And she brought forth her firstborn son; and she wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. LESSON SUMMARY.—The heading of this lesson is a sufficient analysis. It contains just those two topics. The remainder of the first chapter of Luke, from verse 67, with the exception of the last verse, consists of the thanksgiving and prophecy uttered by Zacharias. The first seven verses of chapter 2 relate the simple incidents connected with the birth of Christ. Since in this lesson we complete the first chapter of Luke, let us briefly summarize it, so that we can ever after carry with us a picture of its contents: Introduction; Gabriel's visit to Zacharias; Gabriel's visit to Mary; Mary's visit to Elizabeth; birth of John the Baptist; prophecy of Zacharias. If the chapter has been carefully studied, this synopsis will serve to bring to mind all the details. - With what was Zacharias filled when his tongue was loosed?
- For what did he bless the God of Israel?
- What did he say that God had raised up?
- How had God spoken this promise?
- From what had God promised that his people should be saved?
- What did Zacharias say that God had remembered?
- To whom was this covenant made, and how sure was it?
- What deliverance was granted by this covenant?
- What does this deliverance from our enemies enable us to do?
- What did Zacharias say that John should be called? Why?
- For what purpose should he go before the Lord?
- How was he to give knowledge of salvation?
- Through what does remission of sins come?
- What does the dayspring, or sunrising, from on high do for us?
- Into what does it guide our feet?
- Where did John stay until time for his work as a prophet?
- What decree went forth about the time of the events recorded in the first chapter of Luke? (See margin and Revised Version.)
- To what place did Joseph go to be enrolled?
- Who accompanied him?
- In what place was the promised Child born?
- Why was he born in this lowly place?
- Though he was laid in a manger, what was his by right? Luke 1: 32.
- As the little helpless Infant lay in the manger, what command was given? Heb. 1: 9.
1. "He hath visited and redeemed His people." This was literally true. God had visited his people; he had redeemed them. Many times had he wrought special deliverance for them, and continually had he been at work redeeming souls from destruction. And now at the birth of John the people were about to see God's promise confirmed by the blood of Christ, even as it had been long before by his oath.
2. THIS redemption "from our enemies, and from the hand of all that hate us," is salvation from sin. This is shown by the fact that, "being delivered out of the hand of our enemies," we are able to "serve Him without fear, in holiness and righteousness before Him, all the days of our life." God does deliver from sin and from the power of darkness, for that is the sole purpose for which Christ came into the world.
3. THE deliverance from sin is in performance of the oath of God to Abraham. It is a manifestation of the mercy of God. It is salvation, the knowledge of which comes "by the remission of sin." And this is what the promise to Abraham embraced. "For the promise, that he should be the heir of the world, was not to Abraham, or to his seed, through the law, but through the righteousness of faith." Rom. 4: 13.
4. THERE is power in the mercy of God. The Psalmist says: "For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great [literally, "so mighty"] is his mercy toward them that fear him." Ps. 103: 11. The tender mercy of our God can cleanse from sin, and can do for us "exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think." Eph. 3: 20.
5. "As he spake by the mouth of his holy prophets, which have been since the world began." All the prophets gave witness to Christ; and in them all is175taught the remission of sin through faith in him. See Acts 10: 43. They testify not only of the sufferings of Christ, but of the glory to follow. 1 Peter 1: 10, 11. In fact, there is nothing else in the Bible but salvation through Christ, for that is the one work that God is doing for man, Moreover, this salvation does not rest on the authority of man. It was God who spoke by the mouth of his apostles and prophets. See Acts 1: 16; 3: 21; 4: 25; 2 Sam. 23: 1, 2. Paul says: 'When ye receive the word of God which ye heard of us, ye receive it not as the word of man, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe.' 1 Thess. 2: 13. Thus the Bible is literally and emphatically the word of God. If we receive it as such, we may as truly hear God speak to us as did Abraham, although not with an audible voice. But it is as truly the word of God, and is as fresh, as if we heard it with our ears.