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About The Hermiston herald. (Hermiston, Or.) 19??-1984 | View Entire Issue (Aug. 12, 1937)
Thursday, August 12, 1937 IMPROVED UNIFORM INTERNATIONAL I C • U C H N O D O A L y Lesson By REV. HAROLD L. LUNDQUIST. Dean of the Moody Bible Institute of Chicago. © Western Newspaper Union. Lesson for August 15 GOD GIVES LAWS TO A NATION. LESSON TEXT—Exodus 20:1-17. GOLDEN TEXT—Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with a ll thy soul, and with all thy mind . . . Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thy self. Matt. 21:37 . 39. PRIMARY TOPIC—God's Good Laws. JUNIOR TOPIC—Before the Mount of ■Cod. INTERMEDIATE AND SENIOR TOPIC— Why a Nation Needs Laws. YOUNG PEOPLE AND ADULT TOPIC— B a sic Laws for a Nation's Life. Basic laws have been laid down by God for the orderly administra tion of his universe. Men see them clearly in the physical universe, al though at times they do not recog nize the One who created all things. Physical laws are of great im portance, but of even deeper signi ficance are the moral and spiritual laws which control the human life. There is in the world a moral law— a distinction between right a n d wrong—which man may ignore only to his own sorrow, and which he cannot abrogate or destroy. All laws of men which are true and right are founded on this underlying moral law, and are in reality simply a development and interpretation of “ God’s Code of Morals’’—the Ten Commandments. These commandments given to Israel at Mt. Sinai are worthy of careful study on the part of every reader. They may be grouped under two divisions. I. A True View ef God (w . 1-11). The first and most important question to be asked regarding any law is, “By whom was it estab lished?” Legislation by an un authorized person or organization has no power over others. Who gave the ten commandments? Verse 1 tells us “ God spake all these words.” Men sneer at theology as being out - moded, but the fact is that Christian doctrine is the only safe foundation for Christian character. Unless my view of God is right, my life will be wrong. Until I know him I will not appreciate the authority of his law. 1. Whom to worship (w . 2-5). There can be but one true God, and he alone is to be worshiped. He is a personal being, ready to enter into communion with each one of us. No image can take his place. 2. How to worship (w . 6, 7). We are to love him and keep his com mandments. There is to be no sham about this, for no matter how sweet and pious may be the praise and prayer of a man, he has taken the Lord’s name in vain unless he keeps the Lord’s commandments by holy living. 3. When to worship (w . 8-11). God has ordained that man should not incessantly bear the burden of toil. He is to have a day of rest and a time for worhip, undisturbed by the duties and responsibilities of daily labor. America needs a mighty stirring up about the des ecration of the Lord’s day. II. A Right Relationship to Man <vv. 12-17). To be right with God means that we will also be right with our fel low man. 1. Family life (v. 12). The fifth commandment has to do with the relation between child and parent. There is a plain and direct com mand that father and mother should be honored. Only in respect and obedience to parents can the child possibly find true and proper de velopment. 2. Physical life (w . 13, 14). God is interested in our bodies. Already we have noted his provision for a day of rest each week. Now we are reminded of the sanctity of hu man life. “Thou shalt not kill,” and remember there are many other ways to kill a man than by shoot ing him. Dr. Wilbur M. Smith makes a telling point by reminding us that we may kill others by sell ing them tainted food, intoxicat ing liquors, or “dope;” by neglect of duty, by careless driving, by failing to provide employees with sanitary and healthful surroundings. There is another way that the body may be destroyed—by its mis use in adulterous living. 3. Social life (w . 15-17). “Thou shalt not steal” — and remember any dishonest appropriation of what does not belong to you is stealing- call it what you will. And “false witness”—how it has honeycombed our very civilization. Not a little of it is found within the church, more shame upon us! Lastly, we come to “covetousness’—which has 1 been called one of “the respectable sins of nice people.” It is subtle and often hidden. Let us root it out of -our own lives by God’s grace. Enthusiasm in Work Enthusiasm is the element of j success in everything. It is the light that leads and the strength that lifts men on and up in the great struggles of scientific pursuits and of professional labor. It robs en durance of difficulty, and makes a pleasure of duty.—Bishop Doane. A Translation Let us learn what death is. It is simply a translation; not a state, but an act; not a condition, but a paasage. THE HERMISTON HERALD, HERMISTON, OREGON
