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T h e K i n g ’ s B u s i n e s s
August 1932
COMMENTARY Children’s Division In Holy Places B y H elen G ailey B y H erbert H. T ay
LESSON Golden Text Illustrations B y A lan S. P earce
Outline and Exposition B y B. B. S utcliffe
Blackboard Outlines B y B essie B. B urch
“W oe to them that rise up early in thè morning that they may follow strong drink.” The picture is o f those who make the following o f strong drink the principle business o f their life. They rise from sleep merely to continue the use o f that which stupefies the physical senses and dulls the moral sense. W e must remember that any form o f intemperance reacts not only against the physical but against the psy chical man as well. And they “continue until night,” or “tarry late into the night,” till “ wine inflame them.” Thus inflamed with the wine, the moral sense is broken down and excesses follow. To aid the inflaming influence o f the wine, they add instruments of music (v. 12). The instruments spoken o f here were, in earlier times, dedicated to the worship o f God. But here they are de based, being used to stir the drunken pas sions. The intemperate people “regard not the work of the Lord, neither consider the operation o f his hands.” In total forget fulness o f God, they go on in their drunken debauch, not considering that His eye is over all, and that all departure from His ways is surely judged by Him. II. T he C onsequence of I ntemperance (13-16). Because o f intemperance, knowledge was lost, and captivity followed. When people turn from the true use of the gifts of God, such misconceptions and lack o f understanding follow as to make them an easy prey to those who would put them into captivity. Thus it happened with Is rael, and thus is happens today, both in na tional and individual life. The low and the high alike are caught in the judgment from which there is no es cape. There is no difference between va rious grades o f society when judgment comes. Intemperance brings all classes down to one common level. This is clearly seen by those whose work takes them to the slums of our cities. There educated men are found cheek by jow l with uned ucated, the refined with the vulgar, and those who once held high positions with those who never knew any other than a low manner o f living. It is a sad but true testimony borne by all rescue mission workers that the sin o f intemperance fin ally leads all its victims to the low level o f the gutter, and to a loss of all moral per ception. “ The mean man shall be brought down, and the mighty man shall be hum bled.” This is the way the prophet puts it in our lesson today. But let us not for get that underneath this terrible sin o f in temperance there lies that from which it springs, and without which it never would be namely, the heinous sin o f forgetful ness o f God and disregard o f His claims. One need not be intemperate with strong drink to* find oneself with those who are. Forgetfulness o f God is the sin which fin ally brings all to the common level, whether that level is found by-the road of intemperance in drink Or intemperance in
SEPTEMBER 4, 1932 EVILS OF INTEMPERANCE I saiah 5
These two were the roots from which all the other evils sprang in those days, and they are the roots from which spring the evils o f today. The chapter opens with a parable in which Israel is likened to a vineyard. This vineyard the Lord had prepared, had given it protection, and had fully equipped it to bring forth the fruit for which He waited. But at the time o f harvest, when fruitage could reasonably be expected, nothing was found except wild grapes. Judgment was then pronounced against the vineyard, a judgment which was righteous, as the people themselves were forced to acknowledge. Six “woes” are ut tered against six particular sins, explana tory of the vineyard’s useless condition and its consequent judgment. Our lesson to day touches the second and the sixth of these “ woes.” The application to the individual life is, o f course, the main thought of this lesson. God has given the life; He has protected it, guarded it from all that might interfere with its fulfillment of His purpose, and equipped it fully, in order that proper fruit might be gathered at the time of har vest. But just as Israel as a nation failed and brought upon herself certain “woes,” so the present-day life is in danger of failing and bringing upon itself the judg ment o f God. I. T he C urse of I ntemperance (11, 12). The many references to, and warnings against, drunkenness found in the Bible would indicate that this form o f intem perance was particularly prevalent in Is rael, although it is said that this is not usually the case among oriental peoples. The Lord has given us richly all things to enjoy, and He has graciously supplied in abundance all that would add to our joy o f living. But we so misuse these blessings o f His that they become a curse in our lives. As is so often said, it is not the use but the misuse of the gifts from God that causes the damage. Hence, the sin of in temperance does not rise in the thing itself (that is, the gift of God), but in the misuse of the gift. In His Hand All thy future life is hidden, Safely hidden in His hand Who can turn the hearts o f nations, Weal and woe alike command. Doubt not, then, His tender mercy, Only seek His will and way; Thou shalt find His grace sufficient For the burdens o f today. —A nnie E. W oodcock .
Lesson Text: Isaiah 5:11-16, 22, 23. Golden Text: “ Do not drink wine nor strong drink” (Lev. 10:9). The Curse of the Wine Cup T he excessive use o f intoxicating li quors has usually been associated with the downfall of great men and great nations. The history of almost every great nation has been that of slow rise to greatness through industry, self-control,
and t e m p e r a n c e . Then, in the time of prosperity, c a m e a loss o f self-control, a fling at drunkenness and debauchery, and subsequent disaster. W e all know of the rise o f the Medo-Per- sian empire and the wonders of the an
cient city of Babylon. Yet the story of the fall of Babylon at the time o f the drunken orgy o f Belshazzar is equally well known to us all. The Greeks of earliest times were temperate, hard working people. The civilization which they built up was, in many respects, superior to that o f today. Yet in the time o f their greatest prosperity, they became loose in their morals. As a substitute for actual deeds of valor, the Athenian youth found recourse in the dreams brought upon him by strong drink. Consequently, when real physical and moral strength was needed to repel the in vasion of the Macedonians, it could not be found. Then Alexander the Great, a Macedonian, by the way, and not a Greek, set forth to conquer the world. He well- nigh succeeded, and doubtless would have succeeded completely if it had not been for one thing. Seneca tells o f this as follow s: “Here is this hero, invincible by all the toils o f prodigious marches, by all the dan ger of sieges and combats, by the most violent extremes o f heat and cold, here he lies, conquered by his intemperance, and struck to earth by the fatal cup of Hercu les.” Time forbids telling of other men and nations who have traveled the same road. May America take warning from their ex periences. Outline and Exposition While using this passage for the pur pose of enforcing temperance, it should be borne in mind that it co n ce rn s Israel as a nation, and that intemper ance was only one of the evils of which that nation was accused by the prophet. Underneath all the various evils men tioned, were two great causes: indepen dence o f God, and rebellion against God.
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