Sunday School
Lesson
by Henry Radcliffe
MICAH: A MESSENGER
OF SOCIAL JUSTICE
_
International Sunday School Les- j
son for September 17, 1939.
—
Golden Text; “What doth the.
Lord require of thee, but to do
justly, and to love kindness, and
to walk humbly with thy God?”
—Micah 6:8.
(Lesson Text: Micah 3:1-12;
6:6-8.)
Mican, a young contemporary
of Isaiah, wrote in the last dec
ades of the eighth century B. C.
He was a peasant, living in More
sheth, an obscure hamlet on the
western foothills bordering the
Philistine Plain, about twenty-five
miles from Jerusalem. While his
prophecies were addressed to both
kingdoms, they refer more par
ticularly to Judah, or Jerusalem.
In reading the Book of Micah,
one is not always able to catch
the actual meaning of every
phrase and reference, even stu
dents differ upon some passages,
but a careful consideration makes
plain some of the evils he de
nounced in that ancient society.
While social customs and usage
have altered in the course of
years, human nature is much the
same, and we can profit by the
frank judgment of the prophet.
The picture of social conditions
as painted by Micah reveals how
selfish and degenerated were the
ruling passions of the day, and
show their similarity to undesira
ble tendencies in our own modern
world. Avarice, oppression of the
poor, love of luxury, hypocritical
worship and leadership, injustice
in the administration of govern
ment, dependence upon material
factors, and other things men
tioned by Micah have not been
entirely removed from among f
mankind.
The rulers were described as
hating good and loving evil and
their oppressions of the people so
exacting as to be covered in a
figure of speech as eating their
flesh and flaying their skin. Those
in the office of prophets were
r-presented as making the people
err, as being susceptible to brib
ery, and as blinded to genuine ;
truth. Copld leadership sink any j
lower than such a state of affairs j
that Micah said “the best of them |
is as a briar?’’
As a true prophet, an expon- j
ent of sin and an advocate of ;•
righteousness, Micah delivered a j
message of punishment. As Sa- j
maria had recently been destroy- j
ed, so would be Jerusalem, which j
would “be plowed as a field.” A
period of punishment and penance
would be experienced, but Micah
in the promise of a happier day
for the faithful remnant recog
nized the forgiving love of Je
hovah and looked forward to the
time when “they shall sit every
man under his vine and under his
fig tree, and none shall make
them afraid.” (
The sixth chapter of the little
book called Micah presents the i
picture of Jehovah himself chal
lenging the sinful Israelites to
“testify against me.” There was
'none to make accusation, where
upon historical events of the past
were cited to prove God’s de
votion and care for Israel.
The impressed people then in
quire of the prophet as to the
method by which their thankful
ness might be shown, asking in
terms of offerings and ritualistic
observances, even as extreme as
the sacrifice of their own chil
dren! How far had they missed
the spirit of God’s kingdom.
Mican s answer is ciear anu i
easily understandable. He disre
gards all petty ceremonies and
outward symbols of religion and
declares that all God seeks from
his followers are lives in accord
ance with justice, mercy and the •
fundamental spirit of goodness.
David, in years gone by, rea
lized that “the sacrifies of God
are a broken spirit” and that a
contrite or repentant heart meant
more to God and a sinner than
thousands of inoffensive beasts
sacrificed. So, Jesus, replying to
a question as to the proper place
of worship sought to drive home
the saipe great ideal, that “true j
worshippers shall worship the,
Father in spirit and in truth.” j
Do we need to recognize t^hese |
messages today? Is religion in j
our own time too 'often confused j
with material resources, . express- i
ed not in cattle offered on altars
but in mere numbers, dollars con
tributed, records made, buildings
possessed, and the like? Are men
and women Inclined to put their
faith in .place in the church in
stitutions, outward conformance
to its superficial requirements, at
tendance upon its public cere
monies, and other ritualistic de
pendencies?
In the selection quoted above
designated as our Golden Text,
we have what is probably one of
Judge Joseph Cox
passed away in
a Roanoke hospital
—Saturday morning, Sep
tember 9, after having been
in bad health for several
years, although he was
critically ill for only a few days.
He was 63 years of age. Judge
Joseph Winston Cox, who was an
associate justice of the District
of Columbia Supreme Court, was
a son of the late Captain Melville
B. Cox and wife, Mrs. Mattie Ful
ton Cox, and was held in high
esteem as a lawyer, jurist and
man, by his legal associates and
those who knew him in Grayson,
his native county, and in the
national capital. Death was at
tributed to peritonitis and a bad
heart condition.
Judge Cox was taken to Roan
oke near the middle of last week
from his farm, “Summerfield,”
near Independence, where he had
been resting during the summer.
The deceased justice is surviv
ed by the widow, Mrs. Emma L.
Cox, who was formerly Miss
Emma Leckie, of Pennsylvania;
three sons, Captain Joseph W.
Cox, Jr., West Point, N. Y.;
Melville B. Cox and A. Leckie
Cox, both of Washington, D. C.;
a daughter, Miss Carol McNeir
Cox, Washington, D. C.; six broth
ers, Brigadier General Creed F.
Cox, Philippine Islands, Dr. Vance
M. Cox, Bristol; Kyle T. Cox,
superintendent of Grayson County
schools, and F. Mack Cox, both of
Independence; Daniel E. Cox,
Barberton, Ohio, and Samuel M.
Cox, Rockingham County agent,
Harrisonburg;. and1 four sisters,
Mrs. D. D. Cole, Chilhowie; Mrs.
S. G. Thomas, Grant; Mrs. Boyd
C. Etter, Rising Sun, Md., and
Mrs. S. G. Sarratt, Union, S. C.
Judge Cox went to Washington
as a young man and practiced law
there successfully until his ele
vation to the bench. For several
years he had spent his summers
at his country home at Summer
field.
Funeral services, which were
attenued by a large concourse,
were conducted Sunday after
noon, the 10th, at two o’clock,
in Saddle Creek Church, a few
mile3 west of Independence, by
Rev. L. D. Mayberry, pastor of the
Independence Methodist charge.
Judge J. C. Padgett, Independ
ence, was present and read a
sketch of the life history of
Judge Cox that he had prepared.
The body was interred in the
family plot in the Saddle Creek
Church cemetery.
Turkey Knob
Piney Creek P. O., Sept. 4.—
Mrs. Columbus Hill visited Mrs.
Laura B. Rutherford recently.
Mrs. Howard Smith and child
ren and Mrs. Mazy Halsey spent
Saturday night with Mr. and Mrs.
Joe Halsey.
Mrs. Jennie Anderson visited
Mr. and Mrs. Allen Halsey during
the past week-end.
Mrs. Nannie Williams spent
Tuesday with her father, Steve
Rutherford, at Baywood.
Mrs. Ennice Hash and daugh
ter, Zella, were guests of Mrs.
Laura B. Rutherford Monday.
Jimmy Campbell spent the
week-end with his aunt, Mrs. Cleo
Cook. He was accompanied back
to camp Sunday by Mrs. Cook
and daughter, Elizabeth.
Mr. and Mrs. Delton Deboard
spent Sunday with Mr. DeBoard’s
brother, Blain, who is in poor
health.
Mr. and Mrs. Spencer Lan
dreth and children, Ozena, Wan
zalene and Jimmy, visited Mrs.
Laura B. Rutherford Sunday af
ternoon.
Mrs. Carl Kennedy, who has
been in Roanoke receiving medi
cal treatment, has returned home,
much improved in health.
L. Z. Parsons and Mrs. Cleo
Cook were business visitors in
Sparta Saturday afternoon.
Carl Kennedy has moved into
his new store building which he
recently had erected by a con
tractor from Wytheville.
Sublime Credulity
“Brown’s wife thinks the world
cf her husband'.”
“Does she?”
“Yes; she even believes that
the parrot taught him to swear.”
His Reason
“Speaking of signs,” writes W.
P., “I remember once standing
in front of a grocery store and
noticing the sign, ‘A Swindler,”
on the window. Entering, I ask
ed the proprietor if it wouldn’t
look better if, instead of ‘A’, he
printed his full Christian name.
“No,” he said', “It would look
worse. My first name is Adam.”
the greatest definitions of wor
ship in literature. Note the sim
plicity of its elements—“do
justly, “love kindness,” and
“walk humbly’’ with God.
Tense Faces In Downing Street
LONDON, England.—Worried expressions appear on the faces
of the people who crowded Downing Street during the crisis to
watch Cabinet members arrive to discuss the European situation.
The Slow Minded j
- From the Writings of
Dr. Frank Crane
If you feel that you have a
“slow” mind, don’t worry about
it. Pretty good company exists
in that class.
Pierre Curie, the famous dis
coverer of radium, which is one
of the great achievements of the
generation in which he lived', used
to say to his wife and co-worker,
Marie, that he always felt that he
possessed a ‘slow mind.
Charles P. Steinmetz, the elec
trician, who was called a “wiz
ard’.’ because of his genius in
mathematical work, said he hated
the multiplication table when he
was a boy in school because it
took him such an extraordinary
length of time to master it.
It is a familiar tale that Edi
son’s teacher wondered if he were
really bright, and that Grant’s
mother almost concurred in the
acceptance of the popular nick
name for her son of "t seless
Grant.”
Thackeray, the English novelist,
once said that he ofteh felt that
he “had no head above the ears.”
“And Moses said unto the Lord
... 'I am slow’ of speech and
of a slow tongue’.”
Yet all of these men achieved
superlative thing.-.
There are other qualities in
character more valuable than
nimblenes? of wit and the faculty
for making immediate decisions.
The mental hares hop about
i —-—:
conscious of their sprinting
superiority.
Over a short course they have
things their own way. But the
coui'se of Life is a long one.
An immediate viewpoint gives
all advantage to the nimble mind,
a long time bird’s-eye view re
veals the power for perseverance
which lies in minds which are
thought to be “slow.”
“Thou sayest,” "wrote Marcus
“Men cannot admire the sharp
ness of thy wits ... Be it so.
Show these qualities then, which
are altogether in thy power
sincerity, gravity, benevolence,
frankness, endurance in labor.”
The, main thing is to acquire
the habit of thinking things
through.
Do not be Satisfied with what
some one else has said. See a
thing clearly in your own mind.
A man who accustoms himself
to relying upon his own mental
processes has accomplished a great
deal.
He has the kind of independ
ence that men need, independ
ence of intellect. He is not so
apt to give way in great crises
as the man who forms quick con
clusions, but forms them upon
the ipse dixit of other people.
Don’t be alarmed therefore if
you feel that you are slow. The
main thing is to be thorough
I and honest.
-THE_
bfW.E AUGHINBAUGHMU
ON DATES
To the Arab, the Egyptian, and
millions of other people, semi
civilized and cultured, the date
palm is accepted as a symbol of
beauty and life—beauty because
it stretches its graceful fronds
toward the sky as if appealing
to God for aid for those who
tread the desert sands and the far
reaches of Africa—life because
its fruit feeds millions who in
habit these inhospitable lands.
To them the date palm is a
divine gift, for it serves man in
many capacities.
Houses and crude habitations
are built from its wood; its fibre
makes raiment especially adapted
for the climate; its wine has spec
ial stimulating properties and
lacks the aftermath usually at
tendant upon an alcoholic drink;
its fruit feeds the hungry and is
especially stimulating and -body
building, and when death comes
to the follower of Allah, his body
is wrapped in a shroud made
from its bark.
No wonder the Mohammedan
re peats daily as one of his pray
ers of gratitude, “Thanks to Al
lah, who gives the palm.”
The date palm tree is spoken
of and written about in docu
ments which saw the light of day
thousands of years before the
coming of Christ. It played an
important part in the husbandry
and the religions of early men,
and was the first tree on which
artificial fertilization was ever
practiced by the Mesopotamians,
who were exceptional horticultur
ists and who later tried similar
experiments upon the fig-tree.
History also credits tjiese peo
ple with producing the nectarine,
which is not, as some people be
lieve a cross between a peach
and a plum, but a distinct species
of fruit.
Mohammed, the founder of the
Moslem religion, who lived dur
ing the years 570 and 682, and
who began life as a camel driver,
existed during, the years of his
dire ''poverty almost exclusively
on dates and water—a diet, forc
ed by necessity upon millions of
nomads of the desert to this day.
Later in life, when men rose
up to call him the Prophet of
God, he added; to his daily menu
cucumbers and camel’s milk. For
stimulating purposes, he drank
the fresh unfarmented wine of
the date, made by pouring water
on fresh dates and allowing it to
stand overnight. This drink,
known through the East, is a
favorite among Mohammedans
still, and it is called Nabidah.
Perhaps there exists nowhere a
more virile, vigorous and healthy
race with less creature, comforts
than the Arabs, and dates, fresh
or dried, with date wine, are their
principal foods.
Dates and camel milk have all
the food essentials of a complete
diet. The fruit supplies sugar
and minerals, with vitamins,
while the milk provides the pro
tein fat and calcium with other
vitamins. Try a diet of fresh
dates if you want to reduce and
remain strong and healthy.
This Week In Washington j
(continued from front page)
ment figure it out that Italy would
be crazy to throw in with Ger
many in a war against England
and France, and they believe that
Italy realizes that and will make
as graceful an exit as circum
stances permit \yhen the blow-off
comes.
All of which, Administration
spokesmen pointed' out, is a tri
umph for American diplomacy, a
result of the bold action of the
President in breaking off treaty
•relations with Japan without ad
vance notice to anybody.
Message From the Editor
Keep This Country Out Of
War! That’s about the biggest
interest of everyone in America
today.
The problems which might in
volve thip country in war and
suggestions for keeping out of
war are thoroughly covered in
two Autocaster columns—“This
Week in Washington” by Frank
Parker Stockbridge, and “Two
Sides to Every Question,” by
Lytle Hull.
If you aTe not running these
columns regularly, by all means
start now?. They give inside in
formation on the subject which is
uppermost in the minds of your
readers.
Where’* The Stttwag?
Ticket Clerk—Sorry, sir, I have
nothing left but two single tickets
on different sides of the orches
tra.
Man—Those will do splendidly.
It’s my wife I’m bringing.
Mt. Zion
Piney Creek P. O., Sept. 11.—
Mr. and Mrs. Robert Weaver and
Mrs. Nora Weaver, of Maryland,
indi Gaither Whittington, Wash
ington, D. C., visited relatives
and friends in this community and
at Piney Creek last week.
Mr. and Mrs. Edward Cox and
small daughter, of Castleford,
Idaho, are visiting Mr. and Mi's.
J. Roy Cox and other relatives
in this and nearby communities.
Reed Douglas, of California,
has returned home after spending
some time with his parents, Mr.
and Mrs. D. E. Douglas.
S. E. Smith visited) J. R. Pugh,
Laurel Springs, Tuesday.
Cox Douglas, Roanoke, visited
his parents, Mr. and Mrs. D. E.
Utuglas, last week.
Mr. and Mrs. D. E. Douglas
ant) Reed Douglas spent Tuesday
with Mi', and Mrs. Hallie Douglas.
Mr. and Mrs. Edward Cox and
daughter, of Castleford, Ida., Mr.
Cox’ is ther, J-. Roy Cox, and
Paul Ctx spent Sunday with Mr.
ar<| Mrs Jesse Taylor and other
relatives at C rant, Va.
Mrs. George F. Smith, Mr's. H.
Clay Smith and Velma Pugh vis
ited Lemma Whitley recently.
A number ol persons from this
eommiurty attended the Memorial
services, at P'l.cy Creek Sunday.
Mr. and Mrs Blake Hampton
had as dinner guests Sunday, Mr.
and Mrs. D. R. Gilliam and son
an! daughter, of Sparta; Mr. and
Mrs. Preston Phipps and child
ren Lee anil Ella Sue, and Mr.
and Mrs. Loy Phipps and small
son,, of Independence, Va.; Rev.
D. C. Parsons, Sparta; Mr. and
Mrs. Carlos Lee Mitchell andi
laughter, Emma Lee, and Freed
Mitchell, of the Turkey Knob
lommunity; Etna Sturgill, Piney
Creek, er.d S. E. Smith and son,
Thomas, of Mt. Zion.
Piney Creek P. O., Sept. 4.—
Rev. L. F. Strader, Sparta,
preached an interesting sermon
at Mt. Zion Sunday. Rev. and
Mrs. Stradier were dinner guests
in S. E. Smith’s home.
Mr. and Mrs. Srnitn Evans,
Sparta, visited Mr. and Mrs. W.
H. Weaver Sunday.
Rev. and Mrs. R, N. Childress
and children, Bill and Dorothy
Mae, have returned) to their home
in Raleigh, after spending some
time with Mr. and Mrs. S. E.
Smith.
On August 27, there was a
family reunion at Lee Black’3
home. Those present were Mrs.
Lura Estep, Stratford; Mrs. Ada
Halsey, of Nebraska; Mrs. Mag
gie Jones, New Hope; Mrs. Flora
Moxley, Topia; Mrs. Lela Fen
der, Scottville; Mrs. Minnie Wil-1
liemson, Dobson; Mrs. Ruth Os
borne, Mt. Zion, and R. E. Black,
of Sparta, eight of their children
and their families. Mrs. Maude
Mason, of Washington, D. C.,
could not attend.
Sallie Fowler and children,
Barbara Lee and Dillard, spent
last week with Mr. and Mrs. John
Andrews, Furches.
Mr. and Mrs. Jesse Taylor,
Grant, Va., and Mr. and Mrs.
Pat Patterson and children, of
Burleson, visited Mrs. J. F. Shep
herd and Mrs. Mary, Cox recently.
Mr. and Mrs. P. C. Edwards,
Topia, visited Mr. and Mrs.
George Pugh Sunday.
Mr. and Mrs. Eustace Boyer,
Furches, visited at George
Black’s home Sunday.
Mr. and Mrs. W. F. Pugh and
Miss Ethel Pughi Mt. Zion, Andy
J. Pugh, Glenn, W. Va., and
Miss Mary Carnes, Clendennon,
W. Va., visited John Pugh, Laurel
Springs, recently.
Mr. and Mrs. Clay PugR visited
relatives in this community, at
Laurel Springs and at Linville
last week. x
Mrs. Andrew Fowler, Nathans
Creek, and daughter, Mrs. Orris
Johnson, of High Point, visited
Leonard Fowler last week.
T. E. Pugh and family spent
Sunday with Mr. and Mrs. W. F.
Pugh.
Mrs. Mary Cox visited Mrs. J.
E. Miller, Piney Creek, Saturday.
Rev. and Mrs. R. N. Childress
and children and Mrs. S. E. Smith
and son, Thomas, spent a few
days last week with relatives in
Montezuma. They also visited
the Banner Elk Hospital and'
Grandfather Mountain.
Jesse Cox, Piney Creek, spent
the week-end with his grandmoth
er, Mrs. Mary Cox.
A surprise birthday supper was
given for Andy J. Pugh, of
Glenn, W. Va., Friday night,
August 25, in celebration of his
sixty-seventh anniversary, by rela
tives, at the home of Mr. and
Mrs. H. Clay Smith. Those pres
ent were Mr. and Mrs. W. F.
Pugh and daughter, Miss Ethel
Pugh, Mr. and Mrs. J. Roy Cox
and son, Paul, Mr. and Mrs. T.
E. Pugh and children, Logene and
Fred, Mr. and Mrs. George F.
Smith, Miss Mary Carnes, Clen
dennon, W. Va., Garl Emory Bass,
Winston-Salem, Mr and Mrs. Clay
Smith and Edna Rae and Howard
Smith.
Key. R. L. Billings preached' at
Scottville Sunday night. Thdse
from this community attending
the service were Mr. and Mrs.
S. E. Smith and son, Thomas,
R. L. Billings, Jr., Horace Billings
and Howard Smith.
Opening exercises
at Emory & Henry
College will be held
—in the college auditorium on
Thursday morning, September 14,
at 10:30 o’clock, according to
announcement made Tuesday in
Emory by Dr. J. N. Hillman, pre
sident of the college.
“The prospects for a record
enrollment at Emory and Henry
college for the 1939-40 session
are exceedingly good,’’ said Dr.
Hillman. “All dormitory space is
practically taken and assignments
are being made to private homes
in the Emory community. Appli
cations and transcripts received
at this date are about ten to fif
teen per cent more than they
were at the same date last year,”
he added.
Two new teachers have been
elected to the faculty of the col
lege. Worth Young, a graduate of
E|pory and Henry college in the
class of 1927 and a teacher in
the Lansing (N. C.) High School
for the past twelve years, has
been elected as assistant profes
sor of mathematics and physics
to fill the vacancy caused by the
leave of absence granted Prof.
Sam W. Shelton.
Paul Somers, Jr., of Richmond,
Va., and a graduate of the Uni
versity of Virginia, has been
elected to fill the vacancy left
by Prof. John E, Allen who has
accepted a position with Virginia
Polytechnic Institute at Blacks
burg, Va. Prof. Somers will teach
accounting and business administ
ration.
Wise And Otherwise
*
Ominous Name
“He married Miss Spenders, the
girl I was engaged to.”
“Well, don’t worry’. You’ll get
over it before he does.”
A Fellow Citizen
“And why should I help you?”
demanded the passerby on Tre
mont street.
“Sir,” replied the tramp, “I
can oflfer no coherent reason.
Your motive must be purely al
trustic.”
That got him a dime.
Her Turn Now
“Yes, he’s marrying his steno
grapher. She took his dictation
for eleven years.”
’ “It’s about time for a tum
’ about.”
Findin’s Keepin’g
Bob (pointing to cigarette stub
on floor)—“Smith, is this yours?”
Smith—“Not at all, sir—you
saw it first.”
Beyond the
Dreams of Kings
Perfumes from France, woolens from England, shoes from
Massachusetts, oranges from Florida and California, coff*e from
Brazil, laces from Switzerland, motor cars from Michigan, pineapple
juice from Hawaii . . .
Isn’t it marvelous how the intricate machine of commerce con
stantly gathers the necessities, conveniences and luxuries of life from
the four corners of the earth and puts them down right here in our
home town?
#
Have you ever stopped to think what an important part
ADVERTISING plays in making all this possible ?
Without advertising, no merchant could afford to risk a large
investment in merchandise—and wait and wait till some chance
customer happened in. . . Without advertising, you would be
unaware of the many lovely, useful, needful things assembled in the
stores for your convenience. . . Without advertising, finding what
you wanted at a price you could afford would be a matter of luck
or of patient plodding from store to store.
Mass production and sales volume—through advertising—have
brought to the American people an ease and comfort of' living that
would have been beyond the wildest dream of kings of old.