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234   THE CONVENTION TEACHER

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closely would be to filch from the poor his due. neither deal falsely - There must be no concealing of faults in articles offered for sale. There must be no false representation of values either in rending or purchasing.

(12) And ye shall not swear by my name falsely, neither shalt thou profane the name of thy God: I am the Lord. We are to maintain a very reverent regard to the sacred name of God, and not call upon Him to be witness to a lie. It is bad to tell a lie, but it is much worse to swear to it. neither shalt thou profane the name of thy God - By alienating it to any other purpose than that for which it is to be religiously used. 

(13) Thou shalt not defraud thy neighbor, neither rob him: the wages of him that is hired shall not abide with thee all night until the morning. We are taught neither to take nor keep anyone's 
right from them. We must not take that which is none of our own, either by fraud or robbery, nor hold that which belongs to another, particularly the wages of the hireling. Let the day laborer have his wages as soon as he has done his day's work, if he desires it. It is a great sin to deny the payment of it, nay, to defer it to his hurt, a sin that cries to heaven for vengeance. Power must not be abused in oppression. There must be no withholding of a justly earned wage. It is the means of the worker's living; and once earned no more belongs to the employer.

(14) Thou shalt not curse the deaf, nor put a stumblingblock before the blind, but shalt fear thy God: I am the Lord. We are told here not to be enraged or irritated should a deaf man be unable to render the service of one who has his hearing. It is unreasonable to blame for not having rendered service those who were not informed that such service was expected. Thou shalt not curse in his presence, neither in his absence, a man who is thus afflicted. nor put a stumblingblock before the blind - To do this literally would be a wanton cruelty. Traps must not be laid for the unwary to their hurt, in things material or in things spiritual. Afflictions do not spring from the dust. They come from God or are permitted by Him. To take advantage of them or to trifle with them
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is therefore to tempt the Lord. "The fear of the retributive justice of heaven should restrain. Biblical history abundantly proves that the law of retaliation is a law of God. Do not, therefore, injure any because they are unwilling, or unable, to avenge themselves, for God sees and hears, though they do not." The safety of the blind we must likewise be thoughtful of, and not put a stumblingblock before them; for this is to add affliction to the afflicted, and to make God's providence a servant to our malice.

III. THE LAW OF JUSTICE. (VV. 17, 18.) Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thine heart: thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy neighbor, and not suffer sin upon him. We are commanded to rebuke our neighbor in love. shalt not hate thy brother - He is thy brother. He has a common fatherhood with thee in God. He has a common nature with thee. He is therefore amenable with thee to the same tribunal. God, the Judge of all, surveys not the conduct only but the motive. thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy neighbor - Not to reprove his sin is to hate him. This is true when he has transgressed against thee. To conceal it in such a case is to nurse wrath against the opportunity for revenge. Such conduct is utterly at variance with the Gospel. To suffer sin upon him is to be an accomplice in his sin. In rebuking we should remember that the sinner is our neighbor. It should be done in a neighborly way. There should be no avenging in our rebuking.

(18) Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself: I am the Lord. This is another way of saying, "Thou shalt forgive." With the spirit of vengeance there can be no peace in the world. God says, Vengeance is mine. He claims the right to avenge because He alone is superior to all retaliation. We should not bear any grude [sic]. We are to put aside all malice and put on brotherly love. If our brother has done us an injury, we must not return it upon him: that is avenging. We must not upon every occasion upbraid him with it, but must love our neighbor. Jesus made this the second great commandment of the law. 
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QUESTIONS ON THE LESSON

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1. What would Bible study in our homes do?
2. May one love his neighbor as himself?
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3. What laws are needed for people living together?
4. What laws did Jesus propose for true living?
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THE CONVENTION TEACHER  235

Lights on the Lesson
BY REV. BERNARD O. BYRD

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Light No. 1. Because of the entrance of sin into the life of mankind through the fall of Adam, it became necessary for there to be given laws to regulate the dealings among men. Men left to their own will and inclination might intrude upon the rights of others but who would resent such impositions placed upon themselves. Intrusions generally cause strife among men and consequently necessitates something to designate each man's boundary line. This thing could be done properly by making laws which in fact were boundary lines. The Bible which gives the full accounts of the important things of the first ages, contains the laws given by God to regulate the doings of men.

Light No. 2. The law of life given by the Lord to the people of the first ages was good for that people and also for 
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their descendants. Not only was God concerned that the off-springs should know of the special laws, but also He wanted them to know why the fathers in Israel were keeping certain holy days, observing certain feasts, and giving outbursts of praise in testimony. He therefore calls upon the fathers to repeat again and again to the off-spring the accounts of his leadership in Israel.  These facts would reveal to the children what blessings they might expect from keeping God's commandments.

Light No. 3.  The law of God is given in two different ways, it says "Thou shalt not," and it says also, "Thou shalt do."  The commandment which says "Thou shalt be considerate toward the poor" is as important and as binding as the commandment which says, "Thou shalt not steal."
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Editorial Reflections
BY REV. S. A. PLEASANTS, D. D.

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Here we have the parent commanded to keep a record of the Israelite's being delivered from the slave pen of Egypt. when the children ask about the meaning of the testimonies, statues and judgments which God commanded them, the parents may tell them: We were slaves in Egypt, and God brought us out with a mighty hand." Tell them how God showed signs, wonders, great and sore upon Egypt, Pharaoh and his house before your eyes, directed Jehovah that He might deliver you, and bring you to Canaan, the promised land.

This should have made all the Israelites obey God through Moses, for such kindness shown their fathers; to give them homes to dwell in as promised to Abraham, and their forefathers. but the influence of the ones who were ingrates so changed their minds that they cared not for what God had done, but turned back in their hearts to the slave pen in Egypt. It is a thing to be regretted to hear the history of the Israelites, the kindness and mercy shown them by our Father. When they were in despair and trouble no one came to their rescue but God, and they turned their backs on Him when they were delivered.

These were the commandments given them by Jehovah. To fear the Lord for their own good always.  To observe to do all He commanded. Not to reap the corners of their fields, nor gather the 
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gleanings of their harvest, not gather the fallen fruit of their vineyards, they were to be left for the poor and the sojourner. Not steal, not deal falsely, not lie to each other, not swear falsely by His name, not oppress they neighbor, nor rob him, not keep the hired servant's wages all night, not curse the deaf, nor put a stumbling block before the blind, not hate your brother in heart, and shall not avenge nor bear any grudge against the children of they people, and thou shalt love they neighbor as thyself.  These commandments were given and the name of our lord signed to them when He said, I am the Lord Thy God.

For the people to obey these commandments our Father prepared them so that they could do as He said. Any of them failing to do, were they who would not receive His teaching, which teaching prepared them to do as He commanded. These people had with them to help them, the same One we have with us to help us. All who lived then were without excuse is not obeying our Father; and all who live now are without excuse in not obeying. They had with them Christ Jesus in His Spirit, and we have with us Christ Jesus in the Holy Ghost. God has always done for man what He did not give him power to do.  And has never done for him what He gave him power to do.
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