Covenanter Witness Vol. 55 - Rparchives.org

you"dew cover the ground. And God didagain as Gideon asked. Now Gideon believed he had really been chosen theleader of the Israelites against the people of Midian.So early one morning Gideon took his32,000 soldiers and made camp on thesouth side of this Valley of Jezreel on ahillside where they could look down intothe camp of Midian.Now even though the soldiers of Israel were fewer in number, the Lordtold Gideon that he had too many soldiers and if they won the battle theywould say they had done it and that itwas not the Lord who had had victory.So Gideon let all those soldiers who wereafraid go home.The soldiers were quite amazed! Howcould they ever win without a big army?They couldn't understand it when 22,000men went home, leaving only 10,000.(The Midianites still had 120,000.)But again God told Gideon there weretoo many. He must take them to thebrookside and God would show him howto choose the ones he would keep. Themen were told to drink water from thebrook. Every one that lapped the waterwith their tongues from their hands,were to be set in one place. Every onethat got down on his knees and put hisface to the water were in a group. Threehundred men that lapped water withtheir hands were chosen by God and Hesaid, "By these 300 men I will save youand give you victoryites."over the MidianAll the other men were told to gohome. These men God chose were probably strong, alert, and showed this bynot bothering to get down on their kneesto drink! God had a purpose in choosingonly these men to His service, even asHe has a purpose in calling each onetoday.So the soldiers (300) took food withthem and their trumpets and made acamp on the south hill ready for warwith the huge company of Midianitesthat were camped in the valley justbelow them.Next week we'll see the thrilling outcome of God's victory.I wonder if we all understand whatfaith really is. Faith is something realthat we know and believe in and yet notalways actually see, except we seewhat happens as a result of faith. Gideon had faith in God's promises of helpin battle and followed God's leading inpreparation for war. Think of this example. We believe that there is such athingas the wind. We see the cloudsmove, the trees sway, the results ofwind storms, leaves and objects blowingin the air, and yet we can't actually seethe wind. In the same waywe see thepower and force of faith in God when a284person turns his whole life and purposeover to Him.Notebook work1. Put down the number of Midianitesoldiers at the beginning of our storyand the end. Also list the number of Israelite soldiers each time they were decreased by God, and compare.2. Why did God want the Israelites tohave fewer soldiers?3. Pretend that you are an Israelitesoldier at this time with Gideon as theGeneral. Explain how you feel.4. Explain what faith means to you inyour own words. Did Gideon have faithin God?Suggestions for teacher1. Illustrate how Gideon knew the willof God by the signs of the wet and dryfleece of wool. Tell how he prayed andasked God to show him as you demonstrate with a piece of wool.2. Divide into two groups and havethe boys and girls demonstrate how thesoldiers drank from the brook and whichones God chose.SABBATH SCHOOL LESSONNovember 13, 1955(Lessons based on international Sunday SchoolLessons; the International Bible Lessons forChristian Teaching, copyrighted by the Inter*national Council of Religions Education.)Rev. W. J. McBurneyJESUS TEACHES HOW TO LIVE(With Folks)MEMORY VERSE, Luke 6:31: "As yewould that men should do to you, do yealso to them likewise."This lesson deals with our relationwith our fellow men. Robinson Crusoewould have had little opportunity topractice the teachings of this lesson.One must live with folks in order topractice the methods of living explainedhere. How little there is in the teachings of Christ that does not relate usto our fellows! In the Beatitudes, thereare only three that could be applied toa solitary person, and eventhey losemuch of their meaning to one who nevermet with other people.God intended us to live with otherfolks, and therefore placed us in groupsof folks. And so the great part ofChrist's teaching deals with our relationto others. In our lesson today, Christteaches how to live with folks who arehard to get along with.How to Meet Evil Words, Thoughts,or Wishes.If one assumes the attitude of anenemy toward you, love him. If he hatesyou, do him whatever good you can. Ifhe curse you,("Wish a curse againstyou,"Young,) bless him. Wish himhappiness. Do something to bring happiness into his life. Those who do or sayanything just to spite you,need your prayers.certainlyIt is strange how these things react.One who wishes to harm you, harmsonly himself, so far as the wish goes.It does you no harm, unless you let itbreed hatred in your soul. "I hatebecomes a festeringthe one who says it. To avoid any insore in the soul offection, we need to apply a healing,antiseptic lotion; love, good deeds, something that will cause pleasure, prayer.This will not only ward off injury, butwillstrengthen for future enduranceand service. It may win a friend.How to Meet Injury to Body or PurseThe smiting here is not an injury,but an insult, a slap. There were thosein a former century, who thought that aslap on the cheek must be met by mortal combat. That was dangerous to bothparties, and probably left a family feudfor generations. Christ offers a way thatharms no one, and may heal a festeringsore. Show that you are too big to resent an insult. There are not many whowill slap the other cheek. Perhaps thebigQuaker was right when he got thesecond slap and rolled up his sleeveslaw."saying, "Now I have obeyed theVerses 29b and 30 are perhaps thehardest in this lesson to understand,and to practice. We may look on themas offeringa concrete example of anabstract principle for guiding our conduct. It is the principle of non-resistance in regard to our moneythat theformer verses offer in regard to ourdignity. We are not told what we shouldgive to one who asks. We should consider what he needs and supply that so faras we are able. He mayneed a job oradvice. If he has power to take awayyour goods, don't put up a fight. It isprobable that if the man on the roadto Jericho had not fought, he might nothave been so badly beaten up. There isno use in punishing ourselves to no purpose. Moreover, the spirit of non-resistance mayadvantage. Now comeswin a friend to our mutualThe Golden RuleIn considering the use of this Rule,we must notice to whom it was given.Christ was speaking, not to a group ofworldly people, but to His disciples. Oneof the elements of this rule is the desire of the one who uses it. If the desire or judgment is wrong, the measurement will be wrong. For example; aman with a perpetual thirst meets afriend; with his own desire in theequation, he buys his friend a drink ofwhisky. Now if one of Christ's followershad met this friend,he would havetreated him to milk or orange juice.COVENANTEE WITNESS