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December 16, lfi4.
A FAMILY PAPER.
ing which will by-and-by make religious thought
strong, and obedience and worship zealous. In
the study of the natural as well as of the supernatural
iwe may observe the goings forth of God,
and to some extent understand their meaning.
What is needed in order to this end is a mind
broad enough in wisdom and sympathy to "gather
the annals of the world into one great Bible or
Book of God."
The book of Judges has three divisions: (1)
The Preface, Ch. 1:1-3:7; (2) The Main Narrative
of the exploits of the Judges, Ch. 3:8-16:
31; (3) The Appendix, which contains the two detached
narratives of OMicah's image-worship and
of the civil war with Benjamin, Ch. 17-21. The
chapter from which our lesson is taken, together
with the first seven verses of the next chapter,
contains a summary of the principles which are
developed in the subsequent history and so call
tor attentive consideration.
"And the people served the Lord all the days
of Joshua." Haw strange that in a nation so signally
blessed by the presence ot the Almighty, so
much- depended upon the strength of one right
arm, upon one brain, upon one man's upright
character and religious zeal. And yet has it not
always been so throughout the history of the
race Joshua succeeded Moses as the mediator
of the covenant; he was a living witness of all
that had been done in the Exodus and at Sinai,
one who testified to the (promises of God and the
duties of His .people. After his departure there
arose "another generation which knew not the
'Lord." The superstitions of the Post-Apostolic
age, the relapse in Germany foillowing the generation
of Luther, furnish the sad proof of an all
but universal phenomenon. And can we marvel
at this neglect of worship, this falling away from
Jehovah, .when we stop to consider how many in
our own community of those who have always
been surrounded by -Christian influences have
drifted and are drifting into a sad unconcern as
to their religious obligation and privilege. And
how readily men can frame excuses for themselves.
Family cares, the wear and tear of present
business and social conditions, removal from
one place to another—these and many like them
are thrust forward as reasons for neglecting attendance
upon God's house and for the consequent
lessening of interest in things spiritual.
But the man who wrote this history, whether
Samuel or Nathan or some other of the prophetic
line, wrote no excuses into the record. Where
we might speak compassionately he speaks in
sternness. He tells the story from God's side,
and although it might go somewhat against the
grain to record how great sinners his ancestors
were and what punishment they merited, nevertheless
it was a duty, for later generations must
know and appreciate the truth. We, as well as
those peojyle for whom he immediately wrote,
need to have a plain understanding of the justice
of Jehovah's government. The privileges He bestows,
men must know the value of and use accordingly
or else suffer for the neglect. Men
must understand that disobedience brings unfailing
ipenalty, and "we shall miss the lesson
here taught if we do not api^ly it to tendencies in
ourselves, and humbly recognize that we are in
danger of being 'hindered,' however 'well' we
may have begun to 'run,' and tbat our only
remedy is to renew continually our first-hand
viston of 'the great works of the Lord; and our
consecration to His service. It is a poor affair
if, like Israel, our devotion to God depends upon
Joshua's life, or, like King Joash, we do that
•which is 'right in ,the eyes of the Lord all the
days of Jehoiada the priest.' "
It has been well said-that this passage, which
sums up the book of Judges and also the history
of Israel for over four hundred years, mtroduces
a story with four chapters, repeated with
dreary monotony over and over again. They are:
Relapse into idolatry. Retribution, Respite and
force Lord" torian. into God's who bridled Canaanitish fresh on children the ments worshippers,
deliverance.
I had again chosen idolatry. were We revelation relapse, has were been They passions of may and more to Israel
Brief
deities people, imperfectly temptation stringent be yielded, wonder, the But again, or had constantly
Return
which did less retribution what stimulated.
been so as and evil because rude would their assimilated, could that we to
In severe. repeated and read
God.
frequent following, come recently be worship the So merely more the phrase sight with Then
With Divine its by history has received, . natural. relapses the outward and of terrific require­
thos.
come
' ever law th'3 The his­
so the ot „
been. There can be no concord betv,reen Christ
and Belial. The natural man, like the swine,
loves to wallow in the mire and filthof carnal
corruption, and cannot, of himself, be held constant
in service to a pure and holy God. And
the church which makes its terms of communion
as severe and stringent as the Law of God will
have the same difficulty to face, unless those
who compose the membership are more than
merely formal worshippers. These people tried
to mingle Jehovah-worship with the worship of
Baal and Ashtaroth, but the two would not mix.
Worldliness may be broad and tolerant; God is as
broad as truth and intolerant where His honor
is concerned.
II. The last sentence explains the swift-following
retribution. We read that "the anger oi
the Lord was hot against Israel." And His
wrath is the more terrible because it is the anger
of love. Israel was punished from without and
from within. Jehovah's kindled anger (v. 14)
brought against this people the surrounding iiations
who defeated and plundered them, literally
stripping them bare. God gave them over. He
"sold" them," ibut even so He had not done
with them, nor relinquished His claim upon them..
Not only the hands of the foe, but "God's hand
•was against them." The nations, left to tham
selves, might have afflicted them now and again,
allowing brief periods of respite; but God was
against them whithersoever they went out,"
and, as a result, everything went wrong with
them. Moreover, it did not alleviate the miseries
one whit to remember that these had been toretold,
that God was but doing as He "had sworn
unto them." Lev. 26:17.
Jehovah's kindled anger (v. 20) also kept in
their midst the very peoples He had promised
to drive out before them. The punishment In
part is the retention of the.occasion of the sin.
As He had surfeited their fathers with flesh in
the- wilderness, so now He gives them Canaanites
in plenty, and they drink to the dregs the cup
of Canaanitish impurities and cruel and Inhuman
practices. "Because that this people have transgressed
my covenant which I commanded their
fathers, and have not hearkened unto my voice;
I also will not henceforth drive out any from
before them of the nations which Joshua lett
when he died. Therefore the Lord left those nations."
And they became pricks in the eyes of
Israel, and thorns in their sides, as Jehovah had
spoken. Lev. 33:55.
III. Under the judges that were raised up
Israel had respite for a time. These judges
were not at all comparable to the oificers of
peace whom we associate with the name. They
were "wild warriors, with many a roughness and
flaw in their characters," yet they were the
chosen Instruments of God, according to this
book, and the authority of the Epistle to the
Hebrews for it, they were heroes ol "faith."
The judges came from different tribes, they belonged
to different ranks of society, they were
of diverse occupations. They shot, as it were,
like meteors across the political heavens, leavin.g
no successors and founding no dynasty. Not
miracles but victory was the badge of their commission.
It was rough work they had to do
and they did it in a rough way. I know that
superflcial thinkers of our modern days hesitate
to link the deeds of a Jephtah or a Samson with
the will of Almighty God, and ask us to look at
Christ and His infinite compassion—to read
and then remember that God is love. 'To question
the inspiration of these men is to deny
eternal righteousness. They stood above their
time in virtue of an inward light which revealed
to them a certain truth or truths, and in the
spirit of those truths they struck their blows.
To that extent they were "helpers of eternal
grace" and heroes of "faith."
IV. How brief, the return. The religion of
these people lasted as long as the life of the
judge, led ters, ity but without idolatry we fact the selves, veneer stone." suddenly freely." "I the who may question Supreme will they relatives, as influence condemn and were True, would proved sin had well Man's removed. though heal had ask for among better Judge effected question their drop obstinacy how friends—and of severely it swift them, were others—parents, unreality backsliding, away to much come you, relapse whether, remember let Law-giver: their and let if deliverance. of near. us human of how our persistency of him also short-sightedness,
their I as But influence religion will much instrumental­
first brothers, put a "He return, people matter love words it We putting that cast of is to them were into are
sis­
sin. our­
and due
of
a
and God's patient forbearance and discipline are
the two cardinal points of this lesson, as indeed
of all these lessons in the book of Judges. Man's
sin reaches to a tremendous depth, but the patient
love of God goes deeper yet. We, with our
waywardness, can tire out all other forbearance,
Ibut not His; for His is the love that not only is
"not easily provoked," but also "suffereth lon^
and Lesson is kind." I. January 3, 1915.
LESSON FOR THE CHILDREN.
By Anna Pritchard George.
FIRST QUARTER.
GOD'S PATIENCE WITH ISRAEL.
Judges 2:1-19.
Today we will see the trouble that comes from
not obeying God absolutely.
Grace, who led the Jews out of Egypt, across
the Red Sea, and through the Wilderness as far
as the Jordan, then died on ilt. Nebo "\Moses."
Then, Alvin, what General took iMoses' place and
led the Children of Israel across the Jordan into
the Promised Land, and captured Jericho
'Jos' ua."
Were the people good whom the Jews found in
Palestine, Helen "No, very wicked." They worshipped
idols and were just about as bad as
could be. Can you go with a bad boy very
long and stay good yourself, John "No, I'd
soon be :bad too." God wanted his people to obey
him and be good, so he gave them two special
orders: First, do not make any agreement with
these heathen people; and second, throw down
their heathen altars. If they had obeyed, all
might have been well. But they did not obey.
On the table score the course of the Jordan in
the sand and form the hills and valleys of Palestine.
On the hill tops stand leafy twigs for the
groves in which the heathen people' had their
altars and worshipped their idols. Does believing
in Jesus make us good or bad. Buster ''Good
of course." But worshipping heathen gods make
folks wicked. Build mounds with these stones in
each ol the groves for the heathen altars. These
are the altars God told the Jews to destroy.
Scattei these clothespins over Palestine for the
Jews, and these sticks for the heathen people
whom God wished the Jews to drive out from
among them. For a while the Jews obeyed God
and destroyed some of the heathen people, but
after a bit they quit and let the heathen dwell
among them in peace.
Was Joshua a good man, Reid "One of the
best." While Joshua lived and led the people,
they "served the Lord," and for some time after
Joshua died they still remem^bered what he and
Moses had taught them. But the Jews did not
train their children in the same way. And then
another thing—they allowed the neathen altars
to stand, and the heathen people to live among
them.
Is it wrong to speak to bad people, George.'
"Not to tell tnem what is right." We should try
to teach bad people about God, but no make com.
panions ol tnem. But now after Joshua is dead,
the young people grow up and we will see what
the disobedience of the Jews in allowing the
heathen people and altars to remain, does tor
them. This Jewish young man marries this
heathen girl, and she turns him away from God.
This Jewish man goes into business with this
heathen man, and the Jew forgets his God. And
so on. They mingle in their homes, in their
business, in everything, and the firstthing you
know the Jews are going to these groves and
are worshipping idols. They have forgotten God.
Herbert, does not that always happen when good
people go with bad I knew one boy who did
not care for Jesus, to lead a whole class of boys
out of the Sabbath School and away from doing
right on Sabbath. It is not safe to have one
evil companion.
But the harm from disobedience does not stop
here. Worshipping these heathen idols and forgetting
God, makes the Jews bad and they live
feated." in Elmer weaker them. strong chards Xow sin. Can and the Can "No." So brave, soldiers lose vineyards enemies (Continued the God And their enemies bless Ellsworth. fight the of courage and on the people Jews well destroy page homes, Jews "No, and gradually if in 10.)
and manliness.
come doing they Jew's do are become against get wrong, much or­
not de­