“If any man will do His will he shall know of the doctrine whether it be of God.”—John 7:17.
Lesson XIII.—Sunday, September 29, 1895.
REVIEW.
Golden Text: “There hath not failed one word of all his good promise, which he promised by the hand of Moses his servant.” 1 Kings 8:56.
NOTE.—This quarter’s lessons have been taken from five books of the Bible,—Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, and Joshua. The time covered is about sixty-four years, divided into three distinct periods: (1) The wanderings in the wilderness, thirty-nine years; (2) the conquest of Canaan, seven years; (3) the years of rest and occupation, eighteen years. The history, depicting as it does the redemption from Egypt, was wrought out in various places in the wilderness of the Arabian Peninsula, in the country east of the Jordan, and in the Promised Land.
Lesson 1.—The Ten Commandments.Ex. 20:1–17. Golden Text: “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbor as thyself.” Luke 10:27. Jesus, in Matt. 22:37–40, separates this expression into the first and second great commandments of the law, and further states that upon these two hang all the law and the prophets. This was the law of God, the ten words spoken from Sinai by the voice of God (Deut. 4:12, 13), written by the finger of God on two tables of stone (Ex. 31:18), and kept by Christ (John 15:10) as an example unto us. Not an iota of it was ever to be changed (Matt. 5:17–19), for it is a perfect law (Ps. 19:7), represents the character of God (Ps. 119:172; Isa. 51:6, 7), and embraces the whole duty of man (Eccl. 12:13).
Lesson 2.—The Golden Calf.Ex. 32:1–8, 30–35. Golden Text: “Little children, keep yourselves from idols.” 1 John 5:21. The action of Israel in demanding a visible god to worship is a forcible illustration of the inevitable tendency of the human nature towards evil. Just so sure as an individual or a people lose sight of God by faith, just so certainly they find or make other gods to worship,—not necessarily the same kind of idols Israel chose, but others just as demoralizing and impotent. The idols are legion. Let each one examine his heart before God, and implore divine aid in cleansing it from the gods of time and sense. Let Christ in. While he is there, there will be no room for the devil.
Lesson 3.—Nadab and Abihu.Lev. 10:1–11. Golden Text: “Do not drink wine, nor strong drink, thou, nor thy sons with thee.” Lev. 10:9. The fate of Nadab and Abihu in offering strange fire before the Lord shows the sin of presumption. They thought their way was as good as the way prescribed by the Lord. From the reading of the golden text, which makes a temperance lesson of this study, the inference is that these men were addicted to strong drink, the effect of which was to becloud their minds and judgments, so that they could not readily discern between the holy and the profane. The lesson is easy of application.
Lesson 4.—Journeying to Canaan.Num. 10:29–36. Golden Text: “Come thou with us and we will do thee good; for the Lord hath spoken good concerning Israel.” Num. 10:29. This was the invitation extended to Hobab by Moses. The invitation is world-wide in its reach, for it is extended to every soul not of spiritual Israel. Egypt and all its borders is sin; the good word is life and everlasting peace and rest. “Come thou with us.”
Lesson 5.—The Report of the Spies.Num. 13:17–20, 23–33. Golden Text: “The Lord is with us; fear them not.” Num. 14:9. The practical lesson is one of faith. No matter what apparently insurmountable obstacles appear in the Christian’s way, it is his privilege to know no fear. It is indeed his duty as a representative Christian to put the promised help of the Lord to the test. And there can be but one result under such circumstances, and that is victory. Knowing, too, where our strength lies, we ought to know that every whisper or shout of danger is prompted by the devil.14
Lesson 6.—The Brazen Serpent.Num. 21:4–9. Golden Text: “As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up.” John 3:14. The experience outlined in this lesson is the test of faith. The brazen serpent contained no efficacy in itself. The serpent symbolized death, the wages of sin, and was a reminder of the cause of affliction, as well as of the fate of all men. By analogy it pointed to the death that the world’s Redeemer was to suffer for the sins of the world, and by the substantial effects produced by looking, taught the positive lesson of life through faith in the death and resurrection of Christ.
Lesson 7.—The New Home in Canaan.Deut. 6:3–15. Golden Text: “Thou shalt bless the Lord thy God for the good land which he hath given thee.” Deut. 8:10. The principal idea of the lesson is continual praise to the Lord, so much so, and in such a spirit, as shall lead our immediate families and the world to honor and obey him. Another lesson we may learn is to thank and praise the Lord for blessings in advance. His promises are sure. “Faith is the substance of things looked for.”
Lesson 8.—Crossing the Jordan.Joshua 3:5–17. Golden Text: “When thou passest through the waters I will be with thee.” Isa. 43:2. Sorrows and troubles may rise up against the soul as the flood menaced Israel, and the practical lesson is two-fold. The assurance is that the Lord will protect and give all the aid required; and our fortitude and trust will be evidence to even them who know not God, of his reality and power. It may lead them to enlist under his banner.
Lesson 9.—The Fall of Jericho.Joshua 6:8–20. Golden Text: “By faith the walls of Jericho fell down, after they were compassed about seven days.” The walled cities which had all through their journeyings been present in future plans were now in reality; but when the Lord worked, they became as nothing. Sometimes the Lord asks us to do certain things which we do not at the time understand, as the seven days’ marching, and then he works. Afterwards we see the marching was necessary to perfect our faith.
Lesson 10.—Caleb’s Reward.Joshua 14:5–14. Golden Text: “He wholly followed the Lord God of Israel.” Joshua 14:14. Caleb presented his request with full confidence, knowing that his record was honorable. So it is the privilege of every Christian to urge his petitions with confidence at the throne of grace. Not only so, but it is within the list of his privileges to be able to repeat in truth the words of Paul in 2 Tim. 4:7, 8.
Lesson 11.—The Cities of Refuge.Joshua 20:1–9. Golden Text: “Who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us.” Heb. 6:18. The great lesson to be learned from the narrative of the cities of refuge is to flee from the condemnation which is the inheritance of all, because of sin, to Christ, our sure protection. And the Lord himself gives power to the sinner to flee to the refuge.
Lesson 12.—Joshua Renewing the Covenant.Joshua 24:14–25. Golden Text: “The Lord our God will we serve, and his voice will we obey.” Joshua 24:24. This decision was reached under a special appeal at a time when the worship of false gods was gaining ground in Israel. The times are no less evil now, and there is absolute safety only in hearing and obeying the voice of the Lord. Let us be sure, too, that the voice we hear is indeed the Lord’s. There are many voices calling: “To the law and to the testimony; if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.” Isa. 8:20.
