The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1888-11-23
TIE COVENANT RENEWED.
LESSON VII, FOURTH QUARTER, IN
TERNArioNAL SERIES, NOV. 25.

Text Of the Lesson. josh. xiv. 1925.
Commit Verses a0-as-Golden Text.
josh. xxiv, aA-Commentary by Rev. d.
M. stearns.
condensed from Lesson Helper Quarterly, by
permission Of H. g. Hoffman, Philadelphia
publisher.]
After the two tribes and half had been
dismissed to their homes by Joshua with his
blessing, charging them to serve the Lord
with all their heart and soul, they, on their
way home, when they had crossed the Jor.
dan, built great altar, which, when the
other tribes heard Of, they feared idolatry on
the part Of til, eastern tribes, and gathered
themselves together at Shiloh to 60 up to war
against them, lest by their supposed trespasu
they should bring Judgment on the nation.
The two tribes and half testify, however,
that they had no thought Of idolatry, but
lest in days scome the children Of the west
ern tribes SHOULD say to those on the east;
"What have you to do with the Lord God Of
Israeli Forthe Lord hath made Jordan q
border between us and you;" therefore they
had built thi altar, not for sacrifice, but a.
witness lest trouble and divisions should
come in future days Upon hearing this the
western tribes were we'll pleased, and all
Israel rejoitA. (Ch. xxii.) How much
trouble and hard feeling and estrangement
might be prevented oftentimes by little ex-
PLANTATION; but, like Israel, we are apt to
form q hasty conclusion and start war.
Love thinketh no evil; is not easily pro
voked Il Cor xiii, 81.
At the time of our lesson today Israel had
long enjoyed rest from all her enemies,
round about; Joshua was over an hundred
years old and knew that be was soon to go
the way Of all the earth; so he calls all Israel
together at sShechem, rehearses to them the
serve Him in sincerity and truth, saying
unto them, III 1t seem evil unto you to serve
the Lord, choose you this day whom ye will
serve; but as for me and my house, we will
serve the Lord" The people answered in
the words Immediately preceding our lesson,
saying, 1--WE will serve the Lord, for He is
our God"
10. "Ye cannot serve the Lord" Joshua
would have them remember that it is no
light matter to serve the Lord; he had
known them ever since they left Egypt, he
knew how often they had made promises
and broken them, and he doubtless remem-
bered the time when they said ''all that
the Lord hath said will we do and be obedi-
ent, }" then he and Moses assembled the mount
and at the end Of forty days returned to find
them dancing and singing around golden
calf, deliberately breaking the commands
they had SO solemnly promised to keep. Ex.
xiv, xxxii)
20. IF ye forsake the Lord" Often had
they done it and had been spared only by
the intercession Of Moses, type of Christ; and
Joshua trembles for them, knowing that
1.-THE Lord their God is a consuming fire,
even jealous God" Deut. Nv, 24). Sin must
be consumed, and If the sinner clings to
his sins he will be consumed also,
but if willing to be cleansed from sin
and be holy unto the Lord, then God will con-
sumo the sin and save the sinner. It is some
times said that God out Of Christ Is con-
summing FIRE. biz while this Is true it is no
where stat II tnsse words; Christians need
10 remelIi6eF 1hat Our God & consuming
are" (Heb xii, 2g, and that we are often in
'he furnace being purified and prepared for
future usefulness, and il He sees sin upon us
He win not spare the rod; but all such re-
lining and Christening is in perfect love and
hat we may be partakers Of His holiness
Nal. iii, 8; Heb. xii, 5-1D.
81. NAY, but we will serve the Lord"
This is their choice; Joshua had most deci-
ledly taken his stand ". 16, and had made |
plain to them that God would have no half |
york, and that they could not serve God and |
Worship idols, nor could they serve God in |
heir own strength; and now they have vol
ntarily taken their stand with him to serve
be Lord, and their conduct proves them to
ave been sincere, for "Israel served the
ord all the days Of Joshua, and all the days
( the elders that overlived Joshua" ". 81;
Judges ii, q. The words Of Joshua and the
lords Of the people in this their decision are
oble words, and while it is solemn step to
axe it is far more solemn step not to take.
%. witnesses against yourselves" We
gainst self The world, the flesh and the
evil are the enemies of God and His people,
nd this trinity Of evil is ever seeking to en-
mare the child of God The carnal mind is
unity against God; the flesh lusteth against
he Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh, and
1ese are contrary the one to the other; if
ny man will come after Me let him deny
imself; love not the world; resist the
evil Rom. viii, Z; Gal. Y, II; Matt. xvi, "a;
John ii, Is; Jas. iv,0 these are helpful words
nd precepts concerning our daily life as ser
ants of the Lord
%. "Put away the strange gods, and in
inc your heart unto the Lord God of
rael." It is heart work that the Lord re-
Tires, and we need to be constantly re
inded that while men look on the outward
'pearance and judge by what they see, the
ord looketh on the heart; He searcheth all
arts, and understandeth all the imagina-
ons of the thoughts; He is God of knowl-
ge, and by Him actions are weighed. q
IN. ii, 8; xvi, z; Chr. xviii, 9.)
"a. 1.-THE Lord our God viii we serve, and
Is voice will we obey" IF the nation had
liked this way and meant it when the spies
turned from their forty days visit through
. land they would have saved themselves
years. wandering in the wilder
IS, and the hundreds of thousands who fell
IRE might have entered the good land Let
ristians today make the language Of this
rse heartily their own, and they will find
vs. Of Heaven here on earth Oeut. xi, 21),
! be such witnesses unto the Lord that
ny shall through them be won to Him.
s. $50 Joshua made a covenant" Liter