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soldier replied: “Sir, I know that boy; it is impossible for him to lie,’’ The captain won the battle because he moved his soldiers upon the word of a boy who could not lie. Peter and John were put into prison because they healed a lame man in the name of the L o r d J e s u s a n d p r e a c h e d in His name. They were commanded not to teach about the Saviour. They replied that they must tell others about their L o r d . T h e y were threatened and allowed to leave the prison. Quickly they found the other Christians and told them what had happened. Peter and John might have promised to obey the leaders of the Jews, and then they might have secretly preached to the people. God gave them the c o u r a g e to tell the truth. Many praised God when they saw how brave were His two servants. Do others always wonder whether or not you are telling the truth, or do they say of you, “It is impossible for him (or her) to lie” ? Pray that your Lord will give you the c o u r a g e to speak the truth at all times, no mat ter how hard it may be. LESSON FOR SEPTEMBER 15 The Perils of Covetousness L E S S O N M A T E R IA L : Ex. 20:17; Prov. 11:23, 24; L u k e 12:13-21. G O L D E N T E X T : “ He that trusteth in his riches shall fall: but the righteous shall flou rish as a b ra n c h " (Prov. 11:28). Outline and Exposition I. T he P recept (Ex. 20:17) pOVETOUSNESS is merely the de- sire to secure something one does not possess. “I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet” (Rom. 7:7). “Lust” a n d “covet” come from the same root verb, meaning simply “to desire.” To want is inherent in the natural man so that it is seldom recognized as sinful. How ever, on the other hand, with the new nature, there cannot be t o o mu c h longing for the things of Christ. II. T he P ath of W isdom (P rov . 11:23, 24) The desire of the righteous is good, but the lust of the wicked is arrogance (marg.). Hence the liberal giving of the righteous only adds to his store, whereas the w i t h h o l d i n g by the vr5cked brings greater poverty. III. T he F olly of W ithholding (L uke 12:13-21) There was nothing amiss in this man’s integrity, industriousness, and thrift; nor was the fact that he was rich, wrong in itself. But he was a fool. He had a wrong conception of the place of safety for his riches, of their ownership, and of the purpose and
length of his own life on earth. He stored all that he had in barns, from which he would be forced to part; he talked of his wealth when it really was God’s; he believed that the whole purpose of his life was to enjoy him self without reference to God or his neighbors; he imagined he had many years yet to live upon the earth, when in reality he had only a few hours. He was covetous, because he had in his heart time, not eternity, m a t e r i a l things, not spiritual, himself, not God. Wealth in earthly possessions and pov erty in spiritual things, made a fool of him. “So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God” (v. 21). Points and Problems 1. "Thou shalt not covet" (Ex. 20:17). This is the last of the commandments, but it is not the least. The word “cov et” is also translated “desire” and “lust after.” Basically, covetousness is selfishness, which shuts God out of the life. It leads to the breaking of all the commandments of God. Thus in the giving of this commandment as the last of the ten, the Spirit of God cov ered everything in th° realm of sin. Note in what company of base sins covetousness appears in the New Tes tament (1 Cor. 5:11-13). 2. "The desire oi the righteous is only good" (Prov. 11:23). One of the evidences of the new birth is a life of righteousness. The born-again one can not continue in the practice of sin be cause of the new na'.ure which he possesses (1 John 3:9 and 2:29). Sin less perfection is not taught in the foregoing passage, for the believer has still a carnal nature which at times expresses itself in outward acts of sin. But the persistent and true “desire” of the Christian is to do good by reason of the heavenly nature which dwells within him. 3. "And he thought within himself" (Luke 12:17). The Revised Version de clares that this man “reasoned within himself.” This emphasizes how deep- seated was the selfishness of his think ing. The words immediately following show that the man had “I” trouble of the worst sort. It was so aggravated that he was blind to everything out side of himself. He could not see God or the significance of the future. 4. "I will pull down my barns, and build greater" (Luke 12:18). This statement presents the condition of the natural man. He is only interested in “ barns” of self-interest. God is not in any of his thoughts. For some, it is the barn of pleasure; for others, the barn of fame; for, still others, it is the barn of business. In any case, it is self in stead of God.
WHAT CAN BE DONE andWHERE?
This is the question that forces itself upon, the mind and heart of every thinking and feeling Christian. Over a million Jews, the tragic remnant of European Jewry, are in the throes of a great- famine and dis aster, and many of them are Hebrew Christians. They need our help-. to feed and clothe their hungry, and wasted bodies. Above all, they need the Word of God for the comforting of their broken hearts and shattered souls. T H E F R IE N D S O F IS R A E L M I S S IO N A R Y A N D R E L I E F S O C IE T Y , INC., is dedicated to this ministry. This organization is one of the most active channels and outlets for Chris tian love and service among suffering Israel. Thousands are being helped— their hunger, stilled, their nakedness clothed, their despair dispersed,, and heavy burdens lifted. God forbid that one of these little ones should perish because of our failure to help, or our indifference. You can help us carry on and in crease this life-givirtg testimony to our Saviour. Pray for us. Tell your Christian friends about the need and. the opportunity to meet it. $end your gifts to THE FRIENDS OF ISRAEL M ISSION ARY AND RELIEF SOCIETY, INC. Rev. Viofor Bukshazen, B. D., General Secretary 728-K Witherspoon Bldg.. Philadelphia 1, Pennsylvania .Treasurer for Canada: Rev. P. S, Dobson. M. A.f D. D, Principal , Alma College, St. Thomas, Ontario, Canada. Our quarterly bulletin, ISRAEL MY GLORY, sent to all contributors and also on request.
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