December, 1944
I n t e r n a t i o n a l Lesson Commentary
Outline and Exposition B. B. S utcliffe Points and Problems H omer A. K ent Golden Text Illustration
A lan S. P earce Blackboard Lesson G retchen S ibley Childens Division M ildred M. C ook Object Lesson E lmer L . W ilder
G ladys B owman , I llustrator Lesson material is based on out lines of International Sunday School Lessons, copyrighted by International Council of Religious Education; used by permission . He certainly knew that God could preserve the life of the child Jesus without sending Him to Egypt, and he might have asked, “Why then go there?” It had been written that “ out of Egypt” God would call His Son (Hos. 11:1), In s e n d i n g the perplexed Joseph into a strange country, God was fulfilling His Word. . III. T he H atred of H erod (16-18) Herod was a usurper of the throne he occupied. He knew he held his po sition only because of Roman power. When he faced the possibility of there being One at hand who had the birthright to that throne, Herod was filled with dismay. Driven by fear, he committed his execrable deed. At his command, all the “male” (v. 16, R. V.) children two years old and under were slain. Incidentally, these verses reveal there was a pas sage of time between the birth of Christ, witnessed by the shepherds, and the adoration of Him, given by the wise men. The wise men did not find Jesus in the manger as a babe in arms, as most of the religious pictures would have us believe. He was then a “young child” (v. 13). Herod had no thought that he was fulfilling prophecy. Yet his action was foreseen and recorded centuries before he was born (cf. Jer. 31:15). Likewise, the women who mourned were not aware that they too were fulfilling the prophecy, but they were. Had they known arid believed the prediction of Scripture, and the promise that accompanied it, they still would have mourned-r-but not
M atthew 1 and 2
T H E W O R LD IN T O W H IC H JESUS C AM E JANUARY 7, 1945
Matthew 2:13 And when they were de parted, behold, the angel of the Lord ap- peareth to Joseph In a dream, saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and flee Into Egypt, and be thou there until I bring thee word: for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him. 14 When he arose, he took the young child and his mother by night, and departed Into Egypt: 15 And was there until the death of Herod: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Out of Egypt have I called my son. 16 Then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked of the wise men, was exceed ing wroth, and sent forth, and slew all the children that were In Bethlehem, and In all the coasts thereof, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had diligently inquired of the wise men. 17 Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremy the prophet, saying, 18 In Rama was there a voice heard, lamentation, and weeping, and great mourn ing, Rachel weeping for her children, and would not be comforted, because they are 19 But when Herod was dead, behold, an angel of the Lord appeareth in a dream to Joseph in Egypt. 20 Saying, Arise, and take. the young child and his mother, and go into the land of Israel: for they are dead which sought the young child’s life. 21 And he arose, and took the young child and his mother, and came Into the land of Israel. 22 But when he heard that Archelaus did reign in JUdea in the room of his father Herod, he was afraid to go thither: notwithstanding, being warned of God in a dream, he turned aside into the parts of Galilee: 23 And he came and dwelt In a city called Nazareth: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets, He shall be called a Nazarene. LESSON T E X T : Matt. 2:13-23. GOLDEN T E X T : "Behold, I am with thee, and will keep thee . . . whither thou goest” (Gen. 28:15). DEVOTIONAL READING: Isaiah 60:1-6. Outline and Exposition I. T he C ommand of G od (13) B EING still on Old Testament ground, Joseph evidently was not surprised w h e n he re
ceived in a dream a message through an angel sent by God. The revelation of God to man, in His Son and in His Word, had not yet been given, and the angel ministry therefore was more or less common in those days. Joseph already had had one such experience (Matt. 1:20). Chris tians do not need angel ministry be cause they have, all the guidance they require in the completed Word of God, Joseph was told to take Jesus and His mother and flee into Egypt, and to stay there until he received another message ' from ■God. This command was necessary because of the hatred of Herod who would seek to destroy the young Child. The world into which Jesus came was marked by hatred',for that which came from God. And the world has not changed (cf. John. 15:18-20). II. T he O bedience of J oseph (14, 15) Joseph’s life was commendable. A word from God satisfied him even in the face of terrific confusion of mind.j With unquestioning faith, he im mediately did as he was bidden.
B LAC K BO ARD LESSON
’6EHOLD.I Am UJITH THEE,Ann HULL KEEP THEE 11 ALL PLACES WHITHER. THOU 60EST."6Efl.Z8:i5
Made with FlippingBook - professional solution for displaying marketing and sales documents online