January 1929
39
T h e
K i n g ' s
B u s i n e s s
How to judge all religious teaching (Isa. 8:20). There are 960 Old Testament passages quoted or alluded to in the New Testa ment. Christ quoted, as recorded, from 22 of the 39 Old Testament books. If we accept the teachings of Christ, we must believe the Old Testament. “Thus saith the Lord” is used by the writers nearly 2,000 times. “And God said,” 3,600 times. Someone has counted 333 Old Testa ment prophecies that center in Jesus Christ. The heart of the whole Bible— "He bore our sins” (1 Pet. 2:24). The Golden Text of the Bible—Jn. 3:16. Three sentinels to keep the Scriptures intact: Moses, the first writer (Deut. 4:2); Solomon, the middle writer (Prov. 30:6) ; John, the last writer (Rev. 22: 18-19). Profitable methods of Bible study: 1. Synthetic—by books. 2. Cross-reference —by marginal references. 3. Topical— by topic, using a topical textbook. 4 . Microscopic—rusing a concordance and comparing the uses of words. S. Explan atory—using reliable commentaries. A little boy went to the world’s fair with his father. When he had returned home, a neighbor asked the lad what he had seen at the exposition. After think ing a moment, the boy replied: “I saw the prettiest ^ little dog you ever saw.” There are some men who might travel all the way through God’s Book and see nothing more than a dog, for they have no spiritual, vision. The unsaved have no power to conceive spiritual truth (1 Cor. 2:14), but what is worse, there are some believers who are short-sighted and “can not see afar off” (2 Pet. 1:9). Alas, how many there are who, read the Bible and do not see much. A man took his wife to see Niagara Falls. A friend asked him afterward what she said when she first saw the grandeur of the falls. “She wanted to know, for the tenth time,” he replied, “whether I was sure I had locked the kitchen door.” Only those who go to the Bible with a prayer similar to that of the Psalmist in our text, find delight in the Word of God (Psa. 1 : 1 - 3). An old man said he loved to sit down and let the Holy Spirit read the Bible to him. FRED S. SHEPARD ’S BLACKBOARD OUTL INE God Able to make thee wise unto salvation. —2 Tim. 3 :15 — o— G olden T ext I llustration Open thou mine eyes that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law (Psa. 119:18). The Bible Reveals ORD OF ORKS OF ORSHIP OF
TELL ME, TEACHER What makes the Bible different from other books ? What portions of the Scriptures did Timothy, and did you, know “from a child” ? Just how will knowing the Scriptures help me now, and later? TELL ME, CLASS What difference would it make if there were no Bible? How much of this lesson portion of Psalm 19 do you “know by heart” ? How do you think our class could get the most good from each week’s Golden Text? Texts: Isa. 1:10-20; Ezek. 18:20-23; 27-32; Mk. 2:1-12; Lk. 3:1-14; 15:11-24; Acts 2:32-39; Heb. 11:1-10. L esson in O utline I. The Absolute Necessity of Re pentance. Isa. 1:10-20. II. The Danger of not Repenting. Ezek. 18:1-32. III. The Clear Message of John Con cerning Repentance. Lk. 3 :1-14. IV. Faith Taking Hold of Healing and Forgiveness. Mk. 2:l-12i V. The Forgiving Attitude of God, the Father. Lk. 15:11-24. VI. The Plain Message of Peter Con cerning Repentance and Accepting Christ. Acts 2:32-39. VII. Examples of Men of Faith. Heb 11 : 1 - 10 . —o— T H E doctrine of repentance is a x neglected one in these days. Some Bible teachers, even, have given voice to a modern theory that repentance is not February 10, 1929 Repentance and Faith of the word “repentance” as it is used in the New Testament should convince anyone of the inconsistency of this novel teaching and of the fundamental im portance of emphasizing this word in the Gospel message. Jesus Christ stood be fore all classes and demanded repentance. We believe that at the root of the maimed conceptions of the person and work of Christ and the defective sense of sin in our day, is the lack of emphasis upon repentance. Our risen Lord said: “Thus it is writ ten, and thus it behooved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day: that REPENTANCE AND REMIS SION OF S IN S should be preached in his name AMONG ALL NATIONS, be ginning at Jerusalem” (Lk. 24:46-47). Could we have any clearer commission for the church dispensation? The con fessing and forsaking of sin (Prov. 28: 13) is surely as much needed in our day as ever before. a message connect ed with the age of Grace, but a special exhortation to the Jews in connection w i t h an alleged offer of an earthly kingdom. A careful study
G od ’ s S econd B est G ift Psalm 19:7-14; 2 Timothy 3:14-17 We do not question that God’s very best gift to man was Jesus Christ, the living Word; and perhaps we may say that his second best gift was the Holy Scripture, the writ ten Word. Boys and girls
are interested in a gift, not only for what it is but also for what it does; for example, an air plane because it will fly, a top because it spins, “gold” be cause it buys things. They are prone to a s k, “D o e s it
work?” and lose interest if they discover that it does not. It is ours to show them that the Scriptures “work,” and we may capitalize that fact in dealing with this lesson as we notice that the Psalmist tells us what the Scriptures are and what they do. They are perfect, sure, right, pure, clean, true, and righteous, of great value; and they correct, make wise, re joice the heart, enlighten, warm, reward. The more desirable a thing is, the more the child wants it, sometimes for the very reason that someone else does,— it may be something of reasonable worth or only a rag doll or old toy, but the little heart is not satisfied until the desire is realized. Are we so presenting the Scrip tures that to the children they are, may we say, as desirable as a “rag doll” ? Are they relished by the boys and girls as morsels “sweeter also than honey,” or can it be that they are received’ as the opposite to honey? How heartily and truly can we and our children sing “O how love I thy law” ? Surely they are “more to be desired” than all else besides, but how much desire to be guided and governed by them is discoverable? Why not test ourselves by that, as teachers, with the possible result that the way may be found to do more effective work in the days ahead. Perhaps we shall find it abundantly worth while to do this, to the end that ere long the sentiment of Psalm 19:11-14 may become that of each child’s heart. Suppose we have the class teach us, by asking them what the Scriptures mean to them; and then meet each response of theirs with our further question “Why?” In that way we may discover the best way by which to guide them to the fuller knowledge and appreciation of the Scrip tures which we ourselves possess, and help them just wherever they need help the most. “Continue thou.” A good start is much, but is far from being all. It is one thing to have children make Psalm 19:14 the prayer of the heart, but it is quite another to have them “continue” on through the years to youth and allow God’s word to reprove, correct, instruct and even tually thoroughly furnish and perfect “the man of God.” The boys and girls know that a good start counts for much in ath letics ; and it is ours to show them that it is likewise true in all life, to so guide them that they shall desire to run the race that is set before them, “looking unto Jesus.”
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