Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1888-11-30
ISRAEL UNDER JUDGES.
LESSON TX, FOURTH QUARTER,
INTERNATIONAL SERIES, DEC. 2.

Text of the Lesson, Judges ii, 1923.
Commit verses-Goiden Text, Heb. iii,
Documentary by Rev. ID. NJ. stearns,
CONDENSED from Lesson Helper Quarterly, by
permission Of H. s. Hoffman, Philadelphia,
publisher.
In studying the history Of Israel it is neces-
sary to keep in mind that the Lord God had
chosen them to be special people unto Him
self, above all people upon the face of the
earth: an holy people unto the Lord their
God, that He might dwell among them and
that they might magnify His name before
the nations. He only asked Of them cheer
full and whole hearted obedience and submits
sion, promising on His part that they should
be made to enjoy the greatest possible tenn
poral prosperity and be the head of all ma
tions, no one being abs to stand before them.
lex. xix, 5, 8; Deut vii, 6; xviii, 1-14.)
Their history during the forty years that
Moses led them is found in the books Of Ex-
odus Levticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy.
We have just been studying their history
under the leadership Of Joshua, as recorded
in the book of Joshua and now we come to
their history under the Judges for about $50
years, as recorded in this book.
H. 1.-THE children of Israel did evil in the
sight of the Lord, and served Baalim." At
least seven times do we find this statement
concerning their doing evil in this book iii,
II; iii, Z, 12; iv, L; vi, Il X, 6; xiii, ~ and
reason is given in the preceding verse, that
generation had arisen which knew not the
Lord, nor yet the works which He had done
for Israel.
IL. "They forsook the Lord God of their
fathers" Some of Joshua's parting words
were: "If we forsake the Lord and serve
strange gods, then will he turn and do you
lurt and consume you" Josh. xiv, 20, but
these words are now forgotten or UNDECIDED;
and worse still, the Lord who brought them
'ut of the land of Egypt, and made them a
nation and gave them this good land, is for
gotten and forsaken.
IL. "They forsook the Lord and served
Baal and Ashtaroth." These were the male
and female divinities of the nations before
mentioned, and their worship was associated
with the most cruel and also the most impure
practices; the very extreme opposite of that
required by the pure and holy and loving
God of Israel
a. 1.-The anger of the Lord was hot against
israel" In the account of this sin written in
Ps. cvi, 3i-i6 it is said the wrath Of the
Lord kinded against His people, insomuch
hat He abhorred His own inheritance, and
He gave them into the hand of the heather"
IN Jer xii Z, concerning a later sin it is
written: II have given the dearly beloved of
my soul into the hand of her enemies" 1t
was because of His great love for them that
lie thus chastened them for their SINS as it is
written: "You only have known Of all the
families of the EARTH therefore | will punish
you for all your iniquities" Amos iii, =.
Is. The hand of the Lord was against
them for evil, and they were greatly
distressed" The way of the transgressor Is
hard prov. xiii, 15), but they were the re-
deemed Of the Lord and His hand was upon
ITEM for evil only to make them see the evil
of their ways and turn from it, that He
| might do them good.
Ii. Nevertheless, the Lord raised UP
judges which delivered them" Nevertheless.
lie regarded their affi ton when He heard
| their cry; and He remembered for them His
| covenant tPs. cvi, 4i-i5). DO not our hearts
say: 80, foolish people, why grieve and
turn away from such lovcl why not abide in
-uch n friend; why not constantly rejoice in
UGH poweri" Then voice whispers: Thou
| art the man; lsraels sin is just thine own, and
the same God of Israel regards today the cry
OF the oft erring, oft repenting one, and de-
livers those who call upon Him, such as call
| upon Him in truth. Why not abide ever in
| His lovei
| II. Turned quickly out of the wayn AL
| though He heard their cry and raised them
up judges who delivered them, they soon fell
away into sin as bad as ever, and would not
hearken to the judges; their hearts seemed
fully set in them to do evil. Love seemed
lost upon them, and past warnings seemed
utterly in vain they were full of self and sin,
| and it appeared to be useless to do anrthing for
them; Yet lie loved them and for His names
sake forgave them and restored them many q
time.
| Is. "The Lord was with the judge" II it
were not SO the Judge could have done moth
ing. The Lord was with Moses, and Joshua,
and David, and the kings who did right in
His sight, and the prophets who spoke i'll His
name. And the same Lord says to us to-day:
10, am with you Away"
| lit repented the Lord" This expression,
often used in reference to God. and first found
in Gen. vi, 9, refers to Gods visible procedure
as it appears to us. That God should ever
change His mind, or His purpose, or DO sorry
for anything He does, is simply impossible
20 The anger OF the Lord" We had the
same expression in verse IA, and it is found
| again in this book in chapters iii, 8; XII 1t
is difficult for us to think Of anger without
sin, although we are told in one place to be
angry and sin not (Epn. iv, 26l however
difficult that may be for us, we cannot think
OF any sin in connection with the Lords anger
or wrath, for He is of purer eyes than to
behold evil and cannot look upon iniquity.
t.4eb. i, l3l Arighteous Indignation against
base ingratitude and rebellion and sighted
| love will III some measure describe the anger
or wrath of the Lord but there is much in il
that is indescrbable. and only the great day
of His wratl when it is come REV. vi, Ii, n
will fully 81 NV what it means; may we all
be hid in that day. tZeph. ii, 3; lisa XVI,
20, 2ll
2l-23. THAT may prove Israel" because
they transGressed His covenant and would
not hearken To His voice, therefore the idola-
trous nations were left or suffered margin OF
v. 81 i'll the land to prove Israel (chap. iii, l.
Il. Thus the wilderness journeyings were to
prove them, to know whether they would
love Him with all the heart or not Ueut. viii
., 10: xiii, 81; thus He tempted or tried OF
proved Abraham in the matter OF Isaac Gen
xii, u, and thus also he tried or proved
Hezekiah in the matter of the Ambassador
from Babylon Ill Chr. xxi, 81. An oft 70
peated lesson Of Scripture is, that God want.
a tried people who will love and serve hin
with all the heart, walking with Him a,
Enocb did, and following Him fully hk,
Joshua and Caleb; strong in faith rejoicing