December 1929
T h e
K i n g ’ s
B u s i n e s s
598
His kindness, His kindness 1 A Saviour, a husband to sinners, to me!”— From “The Biblical Museum,” by Gray. —o— God’s Care of Jesus When a Child Matt. 2:10-23. Memory Verse: “For we are God’s fel low-workers.”—1 Cor. 3 :9a. Prayer: “Open thou mine eyes that I might behold wondrous things out of thy law.” Approach. —Have you looked up into the heavens at night, boys and girls, and seen there God’s garden of stars? You have noticed how bright and twinkling
was warned in a dream and settled in Galilee. This was the fourth time he had received guidance by a supernatural reve lation. V. 23. A city called Nazareth. This was in lower Galilee. We may not fully understand why Nazareth came to have a poor reputation among the Jews, unless the inhabitants were in some sense a dis orderly people (see John 1:47; Luke 4: 28-30; Mark 6 : 6 ). He shall be called a Nazarene. In this insignificant and un likely place, Jesus grew in wisdom and stature. Perhaps a touch of the disre spect in which the village was held is retained in the title, “A Nazarene.” L esson Q uestions V. 10. Who were the Wise Men? Whom were they seeking? How were they guided to the right place? How did they feel when they saw the star? Do men feel glad now when they find Christ? V. 11. What did the Magi do when they found Christ? Did their worship ing Him indicate that they recognized His deity? V. 12. What warning did the Magi re ceive? How were they warned? Had they seen Herod before this time? Was Herod plotting against Jesus? V. 13. How was Joseph warned of danger ? What was he told to do ? What significance is there in the mention of “the young child" before His mother?. Where was Joseph told to go? For how long? Why was he sent away? V. 14. How quickly and fully did Jo seph obey? Did he show wisdom? V. 15. How long did Jesus remain in Egypt? What prophecy was fulfilled by this event? V. 16. How did Hqrod feel when his plot was foiled? How did he show his hatred of Christ? How much did he ac complish by his fury? Vs. 17, 18. What prophecy was ful filled? Was it a typical or a literal proph ecy? Who was Rachel? What did the prophet represent her as doing? Vs. 19-21. What was Joseph told to do? How Was he told? Why was it safe for him to return to his land? Did he obey promptly? V. 22. Why did Joseph fear to go to Judea? Who was Archelaus? What was his character? How was Joseph warned? How many times, in this lesson, is men tion made of Joseph receiving supernat ural guidance ? V. 23. Where did Joseph settle? What prophecy was fulfilled? ■ o— Golden Text : “Thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins" (Matt. 1:21). G olden T ext I llustrations The King’s Birthday: The Rev. John Brown of Haddington, in his last illness, having heard the bells ringing, and un derstanding it to be the King’s birthday, said, “Oh, blissed be God, however wor thy our sovereign be, we have a better King’s birthday to celebrate. Unto us was born, in the city of David, a Saviour, who is' Christ the Lord! On account of that event, the Gospel-bells have been sound ing for ages past; and they will ring louder and louder still. Oh, a Saviour! —the Son of God, our Saviour! Oh,
17. The Jews attached great importance to dreams. Departed. More correctly “withdrew” as in vs. 13, 14 and 22. II. Flight to Egypt (13-15). V. 13. An angel. The Child Jesus was still in danger. We may imagine the parents had conversed with the Wise Men about Herod’s attitude and that Jo seph had suspicion aroused as to the king’s intentions. If so, his suspicions were confirmed by the warning of the angel. Arise and take. More literally, “take with you.” Joseph is the human guardian of the family. Flee into Egypt. Egypt was a Roman province, about sev enty-five miles southwest. There were many Jewish residents in Egypt. This fact made it the natural place of refuge. It has been conjectured that the gifts of the Magi were the providential pro vision for their need in the foreign land. Until I bring thee , word. God’s Word guides His people.' Fortunate are they who learn to wait for His word. Herod’s heart was unchanged. The Child was guarded until Herod was removed. Vs. 14, 15. Fie arose. They set out im mediately by night. When God speaks, prompt obedience is necessary, That it might be fulfilled. Note the frequent use of this and similar expressions in this chapter. Matthew writes to Jewish read ers who knew the Scriptures. Out _ of Egypt. This may be viewed as a typical rather than a verbal prophecy (cf. Hosea 11:1). Israel of . old is called “the son of God.” Now it is the true Son of God to whom the prophecy is applied. III. Slaughter of the Innocents (16-18). V. 16. Herod . . . was mocked. Herod had ordered the Magi to bring him word concerning the child. He found they had trifled with him, and he was enraged. Slew all the male children. Bethlehem was only five miles distant. Herod’s purpose could be formed and executed quickly. He imagined that the Child was concealed in the neighborhood. As Bethlehem was a small village we need not suppose there were very many slain. Edersheim estimates there may have been about twenty. Vs, 17, 18. Then was. fulfilled. This is another case. of a typical, not literal prophecy. The prediction in Jeremiah 31: 1-5 refers to the exile of Jews to Babylon. Rachel, the wife of Jacob, who was bur ied near Bethlehem, is represented as coming forth from her grave to mourn because of the captivity of her children, her lamentations being heard at distant Rama. In the slaughter of these children at Bethlehem there is a far greater calamity than captivity. IV. Return to Nazareth (19-23),. V. 19. Herod was dead. The king died of a most loathsome disease. He had been a cruel tyrant and, was not mourned at his passing. V. 20. Take the child and go. Again Joseph was guided by the angel of the Lord in a dream. Note the expression “the young child,” not “thy child,” for Joseph was not the father of Jesus. Jo seph before was told to take the Child and flee; now the order is to go. It is not a flight, but a return to his land. Vs. 21, 22. When he heard. Herod had divided his kingdom among three sons, Archelaus receiving Judea. He was known as a tyrant like his father, so Jo seph prudently avoided Judea. Again he
s o me stars a r e , w h i l e others can scarcely be s e en. O u r heavenly Fa ther places a l l of these stars in the h e a v e n s and He knows them each by n ame . (Speak of the names of some of the s t a r s and constellations, The Great Dipper, The Pleiades, etc.—s e.e
“Gospel of the Stars,” Seiss.) Our story for today is about the Christmas Star. Lesson Story. —Long ago, nearly two thousand years ago, there were men liv ing in the far East who studied these stars. These men were called “magi,” or wise men. What wonderful things these stars seemed to tell the wise men! It was known among them that when a very bright star appeared in the heavens, a king was born. Many sleepless nights did they spend, no doubt, looking up into the clear, starry eastern heaven, listening to the messages from the stars; and one night, as they looked and listened, they saw a beautiful star, brighter than all of the others. This star told them that a king was born and soon they set out with King. We do not know just how long these Wise. Men were on their way, but surely for many days they traveled over desert sands on the backs of camels. (Discuss travel over deserts at; that .time.) At last they reached thé great city of Jerusalem. Through the streets they went asking, “Where is born the King of the Jews?” but no one seemed to know. Now in this city lived Herod, a very wicked king. He heard about the strange visitors to his city and of their question concerning a new-born king. This filled his heart with fear, for he wanted no .other king of the Jews than himself. King Herod did not know what the Scriptures said of the promised King, but he be lieved that the scribes, men who studied the Scriptures, could tell him. He called them together and asked them the ques tion the Wise Men had been asking, “Where is born the King of the Jews?” They answered that the promised King was to be born in the little town of Bethlehem. You can read the very words they found ■ in Micah 5 :2. Then this wicked King Herod sent for the Wise Men and told them that Beth lehem was the city that was to be the birthplace of the promised King. He told them to go there and worship the King and then bring him word so that he also
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