p. 14 | Signs of the Times, Vol. 27, No. 47. (11/20/1901)

LESSON 8.—NOVEMBER 24.—WORLD'S TEMPERANCE LESSON.

Lesson Scripture, Isa. 5: 11-23, R.V.

11 “Woe unto them that rise up early in the morning, that they may follow strong drink; that tarry late into the night, till wine inflame them! 12 And the harp and the lute, the tabret and the pipe, and wine, are in their feasts: but they regard not the work of the Lord, neither have they considered the operation of His hands. 13 Therefore My people are gone into captivity for lack of knowledge; and their honorable men are famished, and their multitude are parched with thirst. 14 Therefore hell hath enlarged her desire, and opened her mouth without measure; and their glory, and their multitude, and their pomp, and he that rejoiceth among them, descend into it. 15 And the mean man is bowed down, and the great man is humbled, and the eyes of the lofty are humbled; but the Lord of hosts is exalted in judgment, and God the Holy One is sanctified in righteousness. 17 Then shall the lambs feed as in their pastures, and the waste places of the fat ones shall wanderers eat. 18 “Woe unto them that draw iniquity with cords of vanity, and sin as it were with a cart-rope: 19 that say, Let Him make speed, let Him hasten His work, that we may see it; and let the counsel of the Holy One of Israel draw nigh and come, that we may know it!” 20 “Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!” 21 “Woe unto them that are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight! 22 “Woe unto them that are mighty to drink wine, and men of strength to mingle strong drink: 23 which justify the wicked for a reward, and take away the righteousness of the righteous from him!”

Golden Text.— “Woe unto them that are mighty to drink wine.” Verse 22.

SUGGESTIVE QUESTIONS.

(1) Upon whom is a special woe pronounced? Verse 11. Note 1. (2) What is associated with their feasts of revelry? What is the effect upon the character of the participants? Verse 12. Note 2. (3) What was the result of such conditions to the Lord’s people? Verse 13. Note 3. (4) What was the effect upon their vitality? Verse 14. Note 4. (5) How complete was the humiliation of the people? Verse 15. (6) What did the prophet say of God’s honor as a result of their fall? Verse 16. (7) How would those fare who remained faithful? And what of the places left by those who lived sumptuously? Verse 17. Note 5. (8) Upon whom is another woe pronounced? Verse 18. (9) What did their action virtually say? Verse 19. Note 6. (10) What is the next woe spoken by the prophet? Verse 20. (11) What other woe follows? Verse 21. (12) How is the woe upon drunkenness emphasized? Verse 22. Note 7. (13) What further sins are laid at their door? Verse 23.

NOTES.

1. Rising Early to Drink.—It was not common among the ancients to become intoxicated early in the day. See Acts 2:13-15. But Judah had so yielded to this degrading habit that all-day dissipation was the result. The previous part of the chapter shows that the Lord’s “pleasant plant” had become almost fruitless. In addition to Judah’s other sins, that of continual dissipation had overtaken the people.

2. Musical Instruments.—The Lord delights in music, and there is frequent reference to it in His Word, both in connection with angelic adoration and the worship in the earthly sanctuary. For this very reason the adversary connects it with all the orgies of drunkenness. Thus is perverted one of the most exhilarating elements in nature—the sweet strains of music.

3. Therefore, because of this cap-sheaf of Judah’s apostasy, showing an utter lack of knowledge, captivity inevitably follows. It is so near and so sure, that the prophet speaks of it as present. Then the kingdom of Israel, which had already gone into captivity, was an object-lesson to Judah, if they had but heeded it, showing the very results of wickedness that were now menacing them.

4. The word “hell” in this text is from sheol, meaning the grave, or place of the dead. Its enlarging refers to the awful ravages of death which the prophet saw, as a result of the prevalent dissipation and the approaching devastation through war.

5. Verse 17 implies that “the lambs”—the innocent trusting ones—would be cared for, tho in captivity; while “the places of the fat ones”—the well-to-do, who lived luxuriously—would be occupied by strangers.

6. Verse 19 expresses defiance of the Lord. The dissolute people say by their actions the words here recorded. They that are laden with iniquity, as indicated in the previous verse, do always make light of the counsel of God by His prophets. See the words of Stephen, Acts 7:51-53. This spirit is not yet extinct.

7. “Mighty to Drink Wine.”—There are strong men who pride themselves on their ability to drink great quantities of liquors. Many times excessive drinking comes of men’s bantering each other to drink certain quantities, or making wagers as to who can drink the greatest amount. “Strong drink” is used to denote liquors stronger than wine. Almost every nation has its national beverage. “That which was used by the Hebrews,” says Dr. Barnes, “was made from grain, dates, honey, etc., prepared by fermentation.” Mixing wine and strong drink would naturally produce a more deleterious effect. The use of the milder stimulants begets an appetite for the stronger.

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LESSON IX.—NOVEMBER 30.—PRAYER.

Aid.—“Christ’s Object Lessons,” pp. 139–149.

Lesson Scripture, Luke 11:1-13, R.V.

1 “And it came to pass, as He was praying in a certain place, that when He ceased, one of His disciples said unto Him, ‘Lord, teach us to pray, even as John also taught his disciples.’ 2 And He said unto them, When ye pray, say, Father, Hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come. Give us day by day our daily bread. 4 And forgive us our sins; for we ourselves also forgive every one that is indebted to us. And bring us not into temptation. 5 “And He said unto them, Which of you shall have a friend, and shall go unto him at midnight, and say to him, Friend, lend me three loaves; for a friend of mine is come to me from a journey, and I have nothing to set before him; 6 and he from within shall answer and say, Trouble me not: the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed; I can not rise and give thee? 8 I say unto you, Though he will not rise and give him because he is his friend, yet because of his importunity he will arise and give him as many as he needeth. 9 And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. 10 For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. 11 And of which of you that is a father shall his son ask a loaf, and he give him a stone? or a fish, and he for a fish give him a serpent? 12 Or if he shall ask an egg, will he give him a scorpion? 13 If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask Him?”

SUGGESTIVE QUESTIONS.

1. What request did the disciples make of Jesus? Under what circumstances? Why would this circumstance lead one to ask such a favor?

2. Give the reply of the Master.

3. Had He taught this same prayer before? Where?

4. In the prayer, what endearing name are we permitted to use? By the very utterance of the name, what do we admit ourselves to be? How does the beloved John show his appreciation of this relationship with the Holy One? 1 John 3:1, 2. To whom do these words have more than an empty sound?

5. What incident is related to impress the Lord’s prayer? At what hour is the request made for bread? Where is the one of whom the favor is asked? Why does he at first object? What will persuade him to rise and give the bread? How much will he give?

6. Why are some prayers never granted? James 4:3.

7. In the parable, for whose benefit was the urgent request made?

8. For whom were Jesus’ earnest prayers offered? John 17:9–11, 15–16, see note. What practical lesson may we learn from this fact?

9. What deepening of purpose is expressed when we ask, seek, and knock? How many receive? Who finds? To whom will the treasure-house of God be opened?

10. Turning from the sleeping friend to an earthly father, what precious truths are taught in reference to prayer? Why does even this fail to equal our heavenly Father’s willingness to give? How only may we preserve the capacity for receiving of God? See note.

11. Does prayer work any change in God? See note.

12. Have God’s promises any conditions? What are they? John 14:13–15.

NOTES.

NOT for Himself, but for others, He lived and thought and prayed. From hours spent with God He came forth morning by morning, to bring the light of heaven to men. Daily He received a fresh baptism of the Holy Spirit.

HERE Christ represents the petitioner as asking that he may give again.

A SELFISH man will grant an urgent request, in order to rid himself of one who disturbs his rest. But God delights to give.

OUR prayers are not to be a selfish asking, merely for our own benefit. We are to ask that we may give.

THE capacity for receiving is preserved only by imparting. We can not continue to receive heavenly treasure without communicating to those around us.

PRAYER is not to work any change in God; it is to bring us into harmony with God. When we make a request of Him, He may see that it is necessary for us to search our hearts and repent of sin. Therefore He takes us through test and trial, He brings us through humiliation, that we may see what hinders the working of His Holy Spirit through us.

GOD does not say, Ask once and you shall receive. He bids us ask, unweariedly persist in prayer. The persistent asking brings the petitioner into a more earnest attitude, and gives him an increased desire to receive the thing for which he asks.

THE practice of telling our difficulties to others only makes us weak, and brings no strength to them.

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October Good Health

By Editor

*The following list of articles appears in the October Good Health. So far as possible all combination orders for Good Health and Signs of the Times received during the next month will commence with this number.*

Environment against Heredity The October Picnic, Illustrated The Baby Incubator, Illustrated The Care and Hygiene of the Eyes, Illustrated Old-Fashioned Notions The Hot Evaporating Sheet A Corner-Stone of Character A Picnic Lunch, Illustrated Seasonable Recipes The Use of Left-Overs, Illustrated How Patti Retains Her Beauty A Vegetarian Seaman’s Experience Unphysiological Advice Do Predigested Foods Weaken the Stomach The Truth about Cheese Sweating Baths in Hyperpepsia

Good Health, one year $1.00 Signs of the Times, one year 1.50 $2.50

Price for the two $1.75

Address SIGNS OF THE TIMES, Oakland, Cal.

CO-OPERATION CORNER.

By Editor

MANY of our faithful missionary workers would gladly use much larger clubs of the SIGNS than they are now circulating if they could afford to do so, while there are others who would be just as glad to pay for such clubs if they knew who needed them.

For these reasons we have opened the “Co-operation Corner.” It will contain requests for clubs of papers for use in various fields, short reports from those who are using such clubs, acknowledgments of money received, and such other information as will bring together those who can use papers but can not pay for them, and those who can pay for papers but are not situated so they can use them.

Since our last acknowledgment $7.95 has been received from Mr. Henry Timm, to send the SIGNS to worthy persons who were unable themselves to renew their own subscriptions; also $5.00 has been received to apply on club of LITTLE FRIENDS for the Sunday-school now being conducted in this city. This donation was made by James N. Devine. Mrs. S. J. Warren, Oakesdale, Wash., also has sent $2.00 to be applied on this same club.

For the past year we have been sending copies of the SIGNS each week to a number of sheriffs for distribution in the county jails among the prisoners. In many instances we have received interesting replies, showing that the paper is much appreciated, and is destined to leave an impression which may tell for eternity.

These subscriptions have now all expired, and altho we are loth to discontinue the papers, yet we shall be obliged to until we receive donations from our friends to help defray the expense of sending them another year. Are there not scores among the readers of the SIGNS who would esteem it a privilege to do something for their Master in this way?

Send your donations at once to SIGNS OF THE TIMES, Oakland, Cal.

Trusting in an Arm of Flesh

How natural it is to look to what our eyes can see, our hands can grasp, what we think we comprehend! How natural it is to trust in an arm of flesh. Just now many persons, white and colored, are looking to Mr. Booker T. Washington as the saviour of his race. They will be disappointed. Man can not save man, it matters not what his piety, talents, ability, fortune, or influence. It is for this reason that the Word declares, Cursed is the man that maketh flesh his arm. It is not an arbitrary, vindictive curse; it merely states the consequences of trusting in that which can not save. Booker T. Washington may be an instrument in God's hands to lead his people to a higher, better plane; nay, more, to start them on the path which leads ever upward; we pray that thus it may be. But if men trust to the man, to mere methods and forms, they will certainly fail. All true reform work must have a moral basis, and the true moral basis must be laid in personal relationship between the individual soul and God. Then men's hopes will be in God; and “blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is.”

THEORY VERSUS PRACTISE.

By G.

In a recent address in San Francisco, Rev. P. C. Yorke, who seems to be the mouthpiece of the Roman Church in this part of the country, uttered the following sentiment:—

He [the pope] is the supreme court of Christendom. He it is who is head as to what Christ has revealed. Now, he himself as a poor man taken from the ranks of the church and placed in the throne of the fisherman, he who is the vicar of Christ, the successor of the apostles, speaking as the head of the church and all the church, he is the arbiter and the only arbiter that exists upon this earth as to what is right and what is wrong. [Applause.] Now ladies and gentlemen, instead of this being treason, and instead of this being inimical to liberty it is absolutely necessary for the preservation of liberty in any land.

This is the pith of Roman Catholic doctrine. Assent to this, and you assent to the righteousness of all that Rome ever has done, and to all that prophecy says she will do,—even to the making of the inhabitants of the earth drunk with the wine of her fornication with the kings of the earth; even to her own drunkenness with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus. (Read Revelation, chapters 13 and 17.) This utterance of a representative Roman priest is theory. For the practise of it, and its relation to the preservation of liberty, we have only to refer to the history of those times when Rome held universal sway, and to the condition of those countries where her theories now dominate. To this may be added her boast that “Rome never changes,” and that “what she has done for other countries she will do for the United States.”

Christ forever settled the question of supremacy among His disciples, when He was yet on earth: “There was also a strife among them, which of them should be accounted the greatest. And He said unto them, The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them; and they that exercise authority upon them are called benefactors. But ye shall not be so; but he that is greatest among you, let him be as the younger; and he that is chief, as he that doth serve.” How is it with the pope? Even an emperor must approach him in the most abject humility. Christ also says, “Whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased.” G.

The Greatest Thing in the World

By Editor

We close that excellent sermon on “The Greatest Thing in the World” this week. May that mighty and most excellent grace of God live in the heart of every reader.

Regeneration and Creative Power

Regeneration is re-creation. God’s work of saving men is creative work. If we lose faith in creative power, we will in regenerating power. The Gospel is then no longer the power of God unto salvation; it is only a beautiful theory, cold and dead.

Modern Science and Modern Christianity

By Editor

There is a book now being printed in this office which every reader who wishes to keep abreast of the times will desire to see and read. It is entitled, “Modern Science and Modern Christianity,” by George E. McCready Price. We can assure our friends that it is worth reading.

The Law of God

By Editor

In these days of anarchical development and discussion, it is necessary, if we are to come to right conclusions, to consider first principles. Anarchy is against law. Primarily it is against God's law. God's law is the foundation of all true rule. To study first principles we must study God's law. To help our readers in this study we present the first article of an instructive series on “The Law of God.” The first, in this issue, deals with the law as a whole. Others will follow upon the law in its several parts. We hope that our readers will especially study these articles. No one of us has sounded the exceeding depths of the law, or measured its breadth.

Face to Face with God

Men may ignore God, may endeavor to quiet a guilty conscience with the belief that He is not, but some time the awakening will come. They will see Him face to face. If He dwells in them, they will see only a Being of infinite love, whose glorious presence consumes sin. If they are filled with sin, if their souls are identified with it, they will perish with the sin. It will not be because God has changed in His attitude toward them; it will be because they have set themselves against God, and are destroyed by His law, which they themselves have perverted.

GOD’S MIRROR.

It is God’s purpose that men should see Him in His works. That was His purpose in the gift of the Sabbath, which is a memorial of His mighty works. The works of God were to have been a mirror in which His children would always see the reflection of the Creator. Sin has blurred that mirror, and now only in the law of God and the life of Christ do we see a perfect reflection of God’s character. In order to blot out the recognition of God there, Satan is teaching the abrogation of that law to-day, wholly or in part, as occasion suits, and doing all in his power to belittle the life and sacrifice of Christ. If it were possible for him to succeed in this, in fact, he would have accomplished the purpose of his conspiracy in heaven. But God’s law can never be abrogated as long as God shall live. He Himself has so declared it. We can not teach the contrary without doing the work of God’s enemy. It is not the business of Christians to help in blotting God’s memory out of the minds of men. The day will come when God will be again seen in all His works and in all His creatures. They will then be His mirror, the reflection of His character. It is our privilege to have a part in hastening that happy day. We can not do so if we have been teaching the abrogation of God’s holy law. Christ said, “Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.” Matt. 5: 19.

Christian Dignity

Dignity, according to Webster, means: “the state of being worthy or honorable: elevation of mind or character; honorableness; nobility of sentiment and action; true worth.” But this true meaning of the word has been extensively perverted to the idea that it is synonymous with the holding of some elevated position. Thus some very undignified people are deceived by the imagination that dignity ought to be ascribed to them because of their position. Christian dignity consists mainly in humbleness of mind. Christ was the personification of true dignity; yet the mind that was in Him is described by the statement that “being found in fashion as a man, He humbled Himself.” Moses was a man of true dignity, and it is said of him that he “was very meek, above all the men which were upon the face of the earth.” We have no record that Christ or Moses tried to make people look up to them because of their positions. They held very high offices in the work of God, and the honor of their positions was frequently assailed by ignorant and vicious men, but they never sought to enforce respect. They left all that to the Lord. They acted on the principle that “he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.” They manifested true dignity of character, and the Lord took care of the dignity of their positions. The man who manifests a great anxiety about the dignity of his position is simply concerned about himself; he lacks the true dignity that deserves respect. He never can wield an influence for good. Respect for those who have charge of any work never can be enforced. True dignity wins the respect of those who possess dignity. It is only physical power that can, and only a love of self that would, enforce respect, and such respect never can be anything but the barest formality, inoperative out of sight.

Alcoholic Liquors and Social Degeneration

Dr. N. Davis, called the Father of the American Medical Society, read a paper at the recent International Congress of Physicians at Chicago on alcoholic liquors, in which he said: “Facts are sufficient to show that if those who use any kind of alcoholic liquor were compelled to intermarry only among themselves, their part of the population would become extinct in one or two centuries. Their free intermarriage with total abstainers is all that has prevented their extinction long ere this, and yet it is this that has enabled them to diffuse and propagate their moral and physical degeneration through all ranks of society and fill more almshouses, asylums, reformatories, and prisons than there are churches and school-houses, and to fill important space in almost every daily paper with accounts of vicious revelry, burglaries, highway robberies, murders, rapes, suicides, occurring in even the very centers of population and wealth. The earth brings forth to supply every need; but as long as food material is converted into alcoholic drinks, and billions are paid out in their consumption, so long will poverty, imbecility, insanity, and crime increase.”

Persevere

Persevere.— “If thou faint in the day of adversity, ‘thy strength is small,’ the wise man tells us. Persevere. Learn wherein the failure lies. Note what point needs to be strengthened. Try again. Seek God anew. He has pledged His eternal love to help you. Seek Him anew. Never give up. No soul will ever fail in the moral warfare who dies trying with all his heart. He may have failed before many times; but God will forsake no soul who seeks with his whole heart to please Him. So persevere; ‘in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.’”

Courage in the Lord’s Cause

Cowardice in the presence of an enemy is not to be tolerated, because it is contagious. The Lord gave direction to Israel, when they should “come ‘nigh unto the battle,” that any man who was fearful and faint-hearted should “return unto his house, ‘lest his brethren’s heart faint as well as his heart.’” A few courageous men are always more effective than a host of cowards. It is well to remember this in going to battle in the Lord’s cause.

Creation, Not Evolution

It is not evolution, but creation, which the church of Christ needs.