Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1883-08-08
Sunday School Lesson Notes.


The lesson of to- day, though separated
from that of last week by much importan
history, really connects Immediately will
it. BY kind of return to an important
epoch in their history, the historian ol
this period (supposed to be SamueD takes
up the events which he deta lis at the nat
ural starting point Of Israel's settlement
in the land. The people after making
solemn pledges to serve and obey God are
dismissed by their leader, Joshua, ant
depart, each man to his own possession
No doubt they went with an honest pur
pose to keep the pledge they had made
assigned for their failure. They had been
commanded to exterminate the idolatrous
inhabitants of the land, but either through
neglect or timidity, they had failed tc
execute this command. and many of these
partial tribes remained God, by his
angel, had declared that these remnants of
former barbarism should remain rs thorns
in their sides, and that their gods should
be snare unto them. While Joshua and
the generation that had been trained
in the rigorous schooling of the desert
lived, the people were loyal to Jehovah,
though we cannot but suspect that some
ofthe evil growths that afterward appeared
had their seeding during these years. The
people becoming familiar with their idola-
trous neighbors, and finding in them much
that was excellent, no doubt, would cease
to feel that abhorronce for idols which
they had been taught to hold. Becoming
familiar with the worship OF these idols
they soon came to join in it. and thus
almost insensibly went away from God.
and forgot him. 1t is generally calculated
that Joshua lived some twenty years after
the people became settled in the land of
Canaan. Then it is indicated that for
some time after the people did not utterly
go away from God; but when generation
who had been reared in Canaan came to
years, they went into idolatry. 1t is
intimated that one reason for this depar-
ture from God is in the fact that they had
not witnessed the wonders which he
wrought in the wilderness and when they
entered Canaan. This certainly would
make such departure easier, for few had
any knowledge Of these things from writ
ten records, it was not time of book
making, and we can readily believe that
tc xupu1I haoop,n 1alip1uant in tooob
ing their children, though it was made
their particular duty SO to do. Hence it is
only natural, in accord with the workings
of human nature-that these children OF
parents who had been witnesses of the
wonders of God should forget him.
Leaving God they began to worship
Baalim. 1t is not mans nature to be
long destitute of some object of worship.
If he turns from the true God he will
most likely adopt some other form of
service. The man who backslides to-day
enters the service of the world, self or the
devil as soon as he withdraws from the
service of the Lord. Daalim here men.
toned is the plural form of Baal, the sun
god Of the east, and the plural form is
used since in different parts of the east
there were several Baais. all with different
traditions, and somewhat different forms
of worship. AS in Rome they had Jupiter
of the Capitol, and Jupiter Stator on the
Palatine hill, and Jupiter Semo sanctus
on the Aventine, and Jupiter Concus, the
god of good counsel, whose shrine was in
the circus, and Jupiter of the rain, and of
the hail, and of the lightning so they had
Baalim of all sorts.
The thirteenth verse shows us another
form of their idolatrous corruption. They
worshipped Ashtaroth as we'll as Baalim
This word is also the plural form, the
singular being Ashtoreth or Astarte. This
was the Venus of the east, the goddess of
luxury and lust. She is represented as
the onsort of Blal, sometimes termed the
moon goddess. Baal represented might,
power, and Astarte sensuous delights. In
this view of the case it becomes evident
that men who 90 away from God in the
present do substantially what these tickle
Israelies did. They either leave God for
gain or powe". and gain is only means
of power, or they leave him that they may
debauch themselves by seeking the graft
fication of their lower natures. With
either course God is dispeased now, as
then, and he is sure to deliver to the
spoilers, and TO their enemies, those who
depart from him to serve self or the world
1t is not hard to find men who have been
spoiled by the lust of power, or by seeking
sensuous and sensual qualification. The
statement that the anger of the Lord was
hot against Israel is liable to be misunder-
stood in two ways. 1t is possible to put
the meaning of fierce and untempered
rage upon such language. This would be
incorrect, as it would give us a view of
the divine character not warranted in
scripture. Again it is possible to put too
tame meaning upon these words and
thus rob them of their real force. They
are terrible words, and indicate the per.
petual, active, burning antagonism God
has for sin. And the experiences of his
people under the divine wrath were such
as to deter all who study them from ever
coming into such position. But there
is, even in the few sentences which make
up our present lesson, history for our
encouragement There is a merciful
m inifesation, even whele wrath could
only be expected. The adversative "nev-
ertheless" introduces this saving clause.
How many times Gods infinite mercy has
prevailed, in spite of map's perverseness
The Lord raised up judges which
delivered them" These Judges were not
men of learning in the law, who governed
the people according to the law, but
rather men of prowess and personal
influence who acted somewhat as dictators
during their time of active life. Paul
tplla no that Attic l;nd oc -,ex.a...... - .