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September, 1935
T H E K I N G ' S B U S I N E S S
ing, selfish pleasure, and slavish appetite. To set an example before Israel, God com manded Jeremiah to invite the household of Rechabites (who, as a result of Nebu chadnezzar’s invasion, were now camping in the open places about Jerusalem) into the city and to offer them wine (v. 2). God’s purpose was not to tempt them to drink, but to prove them and to set an example before weak Judah. God knew whom He dared to trust.. / Jeremiah obeyed (v. 5). But in verse 6 we read of the exemplary refusal of the Rechabites. Let us remember that these men were refugees in Jerusalem, and guests of the prophet Jeremiah in the temple hall. Would it not be a “breach of social etiquette” to refuse? Would it not make them appear narrow and provincial? Would they not, under the circumstances, “give in”—just this once? No! Their refusal was just what God and Jeremiah expected and wanted. III. P rotecting O thers (Hab. 2:15) I am not only responsible for my own life, but also for its influence. God’s “woe” rests upon him who causes his brother to stumble. In particular, deliberate tempta tion of another individual will receive God’s condemnation. Illustrations for th e Leader 1. A lcohol and N ational W ealth 1. Former Chancellor Snowden of England is quoted: “The liquor traffic does not produce wealth; it destroys wealth in order to produce pauperism, crime, disease, poverty, and death . . . No public advan tage accrues from the existence of the liquor traffic.” 2. I These must be trying days for those who so confidently predicted that the repeal of national prohibition would put the boot legger and racketeer out of business, and promote “the cause of true temperance” throughout the land . .. Another prediction was that the return of a legal liquor regime would greatly increase the demand for farmers’ grains and so would restore prosperity to American agriculture. The gain in the consumption of barley the past twelve months, over previous years, has been so slight that the individual grower scarcely notices i t ; and from most reliable^ sources it is positive that farmers have gained practically nothing from repeal, while to the dairy industry the loss from the shift from milk to beer, in city con sumption, has been very great .—National Grange Monthly. II. A ccident R ecords In the month of September, 1933, . . . 22 drunken drivers were involved in two fatal and 20 non-fatal accidents in Chicago, while in September, 1934, 76 drunken drivers were involved in two fatal and 74 non-fatal accidents. In September, 1933, 15 drunken pedestrians figured in accidents on Chicago streets; in September, 1934, 66 drunken pedestrians were struck by cars. C urtis B illings , in the Atlantic Monthly. III. S entences T hat S peak If thou wouldst conquer thy weakness, thou must never gratify it. -^W illiam P en n . Drink is Death’s Prime Minister. —S elected .
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There are those who say,, “This is a free land; Therefore I am free to do as I please.” The Youth’s Companion pub lished a pointed story of the early days of the Russian Revolution: After the czar had abdicated, a stout old woman was seen walking in a leisurely fashion down the middle of one of the busiest streets in Petrograd at no small peril to herself, and to the great confusion of traffic. A policeman pointed out to her that there was a pavement for pedestrians and that the streets were for wagons and automo biles. But she was not to be convinced. “I’m going to walk where I like,” she said ] “we’ve got liberty now.” When we assert our right to “do as we like,” we are as thoughtless as the old dame. Freedom is not a question of doing as we like; it is rather a question of doing as we ought. “Be not drunk with wine” is the m- junction in Ephesians 5:18. Drunkenness leads to “excess” or “riot,” as we read in the American Revision. The Greek word translated thus is asotia, meaning “dis soluteness” and unrestrained recklessness. When wine controls, the passions of the mind and flesh are unchecked and run riot, frequently at the cost of great suffer ing for the wrongdoer and for other in dividuals as well. As a guard against the abandonment of self-control, Paul writes a positive com mand to all Christians: “Be filled with the Spirit.” How good of God to give us this privilege—this “safety valve” ! Young men and women who are “filled with the Spirit” will not touch liquor. Abstinence is not a question of pledges but of the “filling of the Spirit.” The Lord Jesus Christ is
really a Saviour; drunkenness is a sin— a sin from which He can save and keep! Suggestions on Daily Readings I. C reates P overty ( P rov . 23:20, 21) The poverty of the drinking man has become a proverb. The story is told of a single cocktail for which a man paid $6,000—and more! According to the facts of the incident, a New York business house was looking for a manager for one of the departments. The firm had practically decided upon a certain young man, and had requested a luncheon meeting at which the proposal was to be placed before him. The dinner was delayed a bit, and the young “prospect” became impatient and ordered a cocktail. The board of directors exchanged glances, and finally the chair man rose, went to the telegraph office and sent the following telegram: “New sales manager cannot be a drinker. Must look further for our man.” II. O ne F ather ’ s P lan (Jer. 35:1-10) Jonadab had been associated with Jehu in the overthrow of the idolatrous dynasty of King Ahab. Perhaps it was because he had seen the influence of strong drink upon the king’s court and had recognized its relationship to apostasy that Jonadab had commanded his descendants never to use intoxicants, but to live soberly and simply as nomadic shepherds. Almost three hun dred years had elapsed, but Jonadab’s descendants continued in obedience to his command. By the time of Jeremiah, Judah had be come a nation weakened by luxurious liv
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