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