International S. S. Lessons

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · Mar 26, 1894

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 20, No. 21.

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 II.—SUNDAY, APRIL 8, 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.]

DISCORD IN JACOB'S FAMILY.

Lesson Scripture, Gen. 37: 1-11.

AND Jacob dwelt in the land of his father's sojournings, in the land of Canaan.
These are the generations of Jacob. Joseph, being seventeen years old, was feeding the flock of his brethren; and he was a lad with the sons of Bilhah, and with the sons of Zilpah, his father's wives; and Joseph brought the evil report of them unto their father.
Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his children, because he was the son of his old age; and he made him a coat of many colors.
And his brethren saw that their father loved him more than all his brethren; and they hated him, and could not speak peaceably unto him.
And Joseph dreamed a dream, and he told it to his brethren; and they hated him yet the more.
And he said unto them, Hear, I pray you, this dream which I have dreamed:
For, behold, we were binding sheaves in the field, and, lo, my sheaf arose, and also stood upright; and, behold, your sheaves came round about, and made obeisance to my sheaf.
And his brethren said to him, Shalt thou indeed reign over us? or shalt thou indeed have dominion over us? And they hated him yet the more for his dreams, and for his words.
And he dreamed yet another dream, and told it to his brethren, and said, Behold, I have dreamed yet a dream; and, behold, the sun and the moon and eleven stars made obeisance to me.
And he told it to his father, and to his brethren; and his father rebuked him, and said unto him, What is this dream that thou hast dreamed? Shall I and thy mother and thy brethren indeed come and bow down ourselves to thee to the earth?
And his brethren envied him; but his father kept the saying in mind.

Golden Text: "See that ye fall not out by the way." Gen. 45: 24.

SUGGESTIVE QUESTIONS.

Give a brief account of the intervening events between this and our last lesson. Note 1.
Where did Jacob dwell? Verse 1.
In what was his son Joseph engaged at the time of our lesson? Verse 2.
With which of his brethren was he? and what was their character? Same verse. Note 2.
How did Joseph regard their evil lives? Verse 2.
How did Israel regard Joseph? and why? Verse 3.
What token did he give him of his love?
How did this manifestation of love for Joseph affect his brothers? Verse 4.
How did they treat him? Same verse.
What led his brothers to hate Joseph yet the more? Verse 5.
What was his dream? Verses 6 and 7.
What did his brethren say in regard to the dream? Verse 8.
How did the telling of his dream affect his brothers? Same verse.
What other dream did he dream? Verse 9.
What did his father say in regard to this? Verse 10.
How did this affect his brothers and father? Verse 11. Note 3.

NOTES.

1. Our last lesson, closing with Gen. 32: 30, left Jacob rejoicing under the blessing of God at Peniel, ten or eleven years previous to our present lesson. Chapter 33 gives an account of Jacob's affecting meeting with Esau, which shows the power of the Lord to change men's hearts, and how Jacob came in peace to the city of Shechem. Chapter 34 gives an incident in the history of Jacob's family, resulting in the destruction of the city and inhabitants of Shechem. Chapter 35 tells of the revival which took place in Jacob's family, how they put away their idols, how God blessed Jacob and renewed to him his promises; it also records the death of Rachel and the birth of Benjamin. Reuben's sin is mentioned, and the last part of the chapter gives an account of the sons of Israel and the death of Isaac, at the age of 180, at which time Esau and Jacob probably met for the last time. Chapter 36 is wholly taken up with Esau and the nations which sprang from him. Jacob was at this time about 109, Joseph 17, and Benjamin a small child from two to four years old.

2. Sons of Bilhah and Zilpah.—We learn from Gen. 35: 25, 26 that the sons of Jacob's concubines were Dan and Naphtali, sons of Bilhah, and Gad and Asher, sons of Zilpah. Their character evidently was not of the best. Evil associations with the inhabitants of the land had no doubt affected them, as well as jealousy, which was in the family because of Jacob's having so many wives. God designed that man should have but one wife, and every departure from that rule has ever brought discord and strife. The real character of these brothers, as well as the other sons of Leah, is well shown in their treatment of Joseph, as will be seen by the lesson.

3. His brethren envied him.—Of all cruel vices and emotions of the flesh, envy is the worst. It is thoroughly evil in its nature, with no good, not even the semblance of good, about it. It is defined as "pain, uneasiness, mortification, or discontent, excited by the sight of another's superiority or success, accompanied by some degree of hatred or malignity, and often or usually with a desire or an effort to depreciate the person, or with pleasure in seeing him depressed." Joseph had done his brothers no wrong; they simply hated him because his father loved him and because he was superior to themselves. They seemed to feel, also, that his dreams were prophecies, and so they were, prophecies of God, designed of the Lord to reveal to those brethren what should come to pass, that when it did they might know that God lived and reigned. Their envy at last led them to sell their brother into Egypt, and to concoct a lie to hide their guilt from their father. This will be considered in our next lesson.

LESSON XVI.—SABBATH, APRIL 7, 1894.

THE LIFEGIVING WORD.

Lesson Scripture, Luke 7: 1-17.

After he had ended all his sayings in the ears of the people, he entered into Capernaum.
And a certain centurion's servant, who was dear unto him, was sick and at the point of death.
And when he heard concerning Jesus, he sent unto him elders of the Jews, asking him that he would come and save his servant.
And they, when they came to Jesus, besought him earnestly, saying, He is worthy that thou shouldest do this for him:
For he loveth our nation, and himself built us our synagogue.
And Jesus went with them. And when he was now not far from the house, the centurion sent friends to him, saying unto him, Lord, trouble not thyself; for I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof;
Wherefore neither thought I myself worthy to come unto thee; but say the word, and my servant shall be healed.
For I also am a man set under authority, having under myself soldiers; and I say to this one, Go, and he goeth; and to another, Come, and he cometh; and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth it.
And when Jesus heard these things, he marveled at him, and turned and said unto the multitude that followed him, I say unto you, I have not found such great faith, no, not in Israel:
And they that were sent, returning to the house, found the servant whole.
And it came to pass soon afterwards, that he went to a city called Nain; and his disciples went with him, and a great multitude.
Now when he drew near to the gate of the city, behold, there was carried out one that was dead, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow; and much people of the city was with her.
And when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her, and said unto her, Weep not.
And he came nigh and touched the bier; and the bearers stood still. And he said, Young man, I say unto thee, Arise.
And he that was dead sat up, and began to speak. And he gave him to his mother.
And fear took hold on all; and they glorified God, saying, A great prophet is arisen among us; and, God hath visited his people.
And this report went forth concerning him in the whole of Judea, and all the region round about.

THIS lesson is easily analyzed. It consists of but two subjects, healing the centurion's servant (verses 1-10), and raising the son of the widow of Nain (verses 11-17).

When Christ had ended his discourse, where did he go?
Who was lying there at the point of death?
How was this servant regarded by the centurion?
What did the centurion desire of Jesus?
Whom did he send to Jesus with the message?
What did the Jews say of the centurion?
Why did they think he was worthy to be favored?
What additional message came to Jesus as he was on his way to the centurion's house?
What did the centurion say of himself?
What only did he say Jesus needed to do in order to heal the servant?
How did he illustrate his idea of the power of Christ's word?
When Jesus heard these things, what did he say to those with him?
What was the result of the centurion's faith? Matt. 8: 13; Luke 7: 10.
Where did Jesus go the next day?
What did he meet at the gate of the city?
How was Jesus affected by the sight of the mother's grief?
What did he say to her?
What did he then do and say?
What wonderful result followed?
How did this affect the multitude?
What did they say?
How extensively was this published?

NOTES.

1. Let no one be disturbed over the difference in the accounts that Matthew and Luke give of the request that Jesus should heal the centurion's servant. While there is a difference in the two accounts, there is no disagreement. Luke does not mention the centurion's meeting with Jesus, but his silence does not contradict Matthew's statement that the centurion did meet Jesus. Both accounts must be joined, in order to get all the particulars. But do not let anxiety to "harmonize" the two records draw the mind away from the important lessons to be learned from the story.

2. THE JEWS said to Jesus, concerning the centurion, "He is worthy that thou shouldest do this for him; for he loveth our nation, and himself built us our synagogue" (Revised Version). They thought that this would make Jesus more ready to grant the request. The idea that God thinks more of men who are able to do much for the church than he does for others is not yet extinct. It is this that leads ministers sometimes to think more of the conversion of a rich man than of a poor man. It is this wrong idea of God's estimate of worthiness, that keeps many from receiving the help that God wants to give. They say, "I am so unworthy," meaning that they are not good enough to receive anything. "I can see how God can save such an one, but I can't have any hope for myself." Their only thought is that God expects men to do something for him before he will do anything for them. When people come to think that they are accepted by the Lord on that basis, they form the criticising portion of the church. They are always looking at other professed Christians, to see if the others have really come up to the standard of goodness that God can accept, namely, the standard to which they themselves have arrived. The centurion himself did not consider that his liberality gave him any special claim on the attention of the Lord. Said he, "I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof." But he was not like so many in these days who confess their own unworthiness, and who, therefore, will not claim anything from the Lord. He said, "Say in a word, and my servant shall be healed." He expected blessings in spite of his unworthiness, and such are the ones who receive mercies from God. Jesus himself was not influenced by the representations of the Jews; but when the centurion, while pleading his own unworthiness, showed how easily Christ could grant his request, the Lord said, "I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel." "And Jesus said unto the centurion, Go thy way; as thou hast believed, so be it unto thee." Matt. 8: 13. It was his simple faith, and not his rich gifts, that recommended the centurion to Jesus.

3. "But say in a word, and my servant shall be healed. For I also am a man set under authority, having under me soldiers, and say unto one, Go, and he goeth; and to another, Come, and he cometh; and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth it." Jesus regarded this as the most marvelous manifestation of faith that he had ever seen. Wherein lay the greatness of the faith?—In the simple fact of grasping the power of Christ's word. Just as the centurion's word could set men in motion, and thus accomplish results, so Christ's word could command the disease

to depart. The Psalmist, speaking of God's dealing with ancient Israel, said, "He sent his word, and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions." Ps. 107: 20. This was fulfilled in the case of the centurion's servant. Jesus sent his word, and the life that was in it made the sick man well. It is such faith as the centurion manifested, and only such,—faith that lays hold of and rests upon the power of the living word,—that will give us the kingdom. See Matt. 8: 10-12.

4. "Now when he came nigh to the gate of the city, behold, there was a dead man carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow; and much people of the city was with her. And when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her, and said unto her, Weep not." "Like as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear him." Ps. 103: 13. "In all their affliction he was afflicted, and the angel of his presence saved them." Isa. 63: 9. "For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities." Heb. 4: 15. In the compassion of Jesus for the bereaved and sorrowing mother, we see the tender pity of God for suffering and sinful men; for "God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself." 2 Cor. 5: 19. Satan has led men to think that God is stern, exacting, and tyrannical. Christ "emptied himself" (Phil. 2: 7, Revised Version), that he might represent only the Father, and so disprove Satan's slander. "God is love." Who can hesitate to come to him, when we know that it was his love and compassion that were manifested in the gentle Saviour.

5. "And he said, Young man, I say unto thee, Arise. And he that was dead sat up, and began to speak." What was it that put life into the young man?—Just the word of Christ, which is spirit and life. John 6: 63. It was the same word that will raise the dead at the last day. It was the same word that gives life to the sinner. "And you hath he quickened [made alive], who were dead in trespasses and sins." Eph. 2: 1. Conversion is resurrection. See Rom. 6: 1-6; Col. 2: 12, 13; 3: 1. The same word produces it that will raise the dead at last. Therefore the apostle longed only to know Christ and the power of his resurrection (Phil. 3: 10), and he prayed that God would give to us who believe, to know the exceeding greatness of God's power, even the working of his mighty power which he wrought in Christ when he raised him from the dead. Eph. 1: 19, 20. This miracle of raising the widow's son was wrought that we might believe that Jesus is the Christ, and that, believing, we might have life through his name. John 20: 31. Our belief in the Lord Jesus, and in the miracles which the Bible says that he did, is measured by our acceptance of the life which he came to give, and which is in his word.