Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1888-10-12
CROSSING THE JORDAN.
LESSON II, FOURTH QUARTER, IN
TERNATlONAL SERIES, OCT. IA.

Text OF the Lesson, Josh. Ill, -I7-Commit
Verses B. e-Golden Text, Isa.. kill, 2.
Commentary by Rev. ID. M. stearns.
CONDENSED from Lesson Helper Quarterly. by
permission Of b. s. Hoffman, Philadelphia,
publisher.
After the Lord had encouraged Joshua, as
in our last lesson, the people also encouraged
him by promising obedience and by praying
the Lord to be with him u, 10 lS. Then
follows the record of the two spies sent to
Jericho, their reception and protection by
Rahab, their promise of deliverauce to her
and all belonging or related to her and the
true token of the scarlet line to be bound in
her window.
8. ''Sanctify yourselves, Cor tomorrow the
Lord will do wonders among you" If we
were more separate from sin and unbelief,
we would see more of the wonderful works
of God. In one place Jesus could not do
many mighty works because of their unbe-
lief; and there is no doubt but the unbelief
and worldliness Of Christians today binders
His doing wonders among us.
q. Take up the ark of the covenant and
pass over before the people," To the people
he had said: "Sanctify yourselves" and now
these are his orders to the priests, who were
always supposed to be sanctified, inasmuch
as they were set apart for the special service
Of the sanctuary. All true believers are
priests unto God REV. /, 8; v, 10Y and should
ever consider themselves set apart to His
service.
z. 81 will begin to magnify thee in the
sight of all Israel" God always honors
those who honor Him, and yet the honor is
all His own and shows forth His glory, for
this is the great end Of our existence, to
glorify God. When the apostles, filed with
the spirit, spoke and wrought in the name of
Jesus, the people wondered, and took knowl-
edge of them that they had been with Jesus.
8. "Stand still in Jordan" With their
feet in the water, they were to stand on the
brink of Jordan and see the wonders Of the
Lord. They were to march right into the
river ere the waters would divide; we are to
go right forward, even though it seem impos-
sible, and He will at the right time open the
way, not an hour or a day too soon, but some
times as it seems only when we have gone to
the last extremity and cannot take another
step
10. "The living God is among you" Jere-
miah calls Him 1.-THE true God, the living
God and an everlasting king" tier. x, l0.)
Darius calls Him 1.-THE living God and stead
fast forever" dan. vi, 26j Jesus Himself,
appearing to John in Patmos, says, ~ am the
First and the Last and the Living One, alive
forevermore." (Rev. i, II, R W If we lived
near to God as jeremiah or Daniel or John,
our lives would testify that the God whom
we serve is a living God, a life giving God,
ever present and working in and through us.
HE will without fail drive out from be-
fore you the Canaanites." 1t is implied here
that He will do this through them as His
servants and soldiers, they being obedient to
Him and He fighting with them and in them
- 4, NlAt .-,.A w. -- G-l 49,
were not obedient, and consequently Jebusites
and Canaanites and others were not COM
pletely driven out, but became thorns and
snares to them. Judges j., ii, ill
IL. ''The ark of the covenant of the Lord
of all the earth" This is the first time that
we find this title in full; it reminds us of the
words of Melchizedek, 1.-THE most high God,
possessor OF heaven and EARTH Gen. xiv,
49, and the expression in the prophets, ''the
Lord of the whole earth" lisa. liv, 5, Mich.
iv, ID; Zech. iv, IA; vi, 81, and the thought
that our Redeeiner is the Lord of all the earth
". Lii should make US very joyful in Him,
and ready to trust Him under all circum-
stances, obey Him at all times and love Him
with the whole heart, extolling Him in every
possible way.
IL. Take twelve men out of the tribes of
Israel" TIL reason for choosing these twelve
is found in the next chapter: They were to
take twelve stones from the midst of Jordan,
where the priests feet stood who bore the
ark, and set them up for a memorial on the
other side Of Jordan, SO that they could III
days to come point their children to those
stones and tell them how their fathers had
come over Jordan on dry land; Joshua also
set up twelve stones in the midst Of Jordan
where the priests had stood. These two
memorials testified to the mighty hand of the
Lord, that Israel might fear the Lord theiI
God forever, and that all the earth NIGH
know the hand of the Lord DIV, 20.
l3. ut shall come to pass" How coulG
Joshua speak SO positively abou this very I'm
likely EVENT. Why did he not speak more eau
tiously and say, we trust or hope that it vii
bus come to pass, or We will try and see what
can be donei He believed God; be Knew Hi
power; he had not a shadow Of a doubt but
that it would be just as God had told him
las soon as the soles OF the feet of tn,
priests shall rest in the waters" Not as they
drew nigh, nor before they came to the river
but only when their feet actually stood il
the water. Who can tell how many ~victorie.
we lose by being afraid, by holding back be
cause of difficulties, instead of going righ'
forward into the difficulty in the name of thu
Lordi We have only to be sure that we arr
/ obeying His command, doing His will, seek
/ ing His glory and not our own, and then le
neither men nor devils, giants nor WALLED
/. cities, fire nor water terrify nor dismay us
l l+l6. And it came to pass" When Coz
= speaks it must come to pass; it must Away
3 be just as He says, even as when in the be
, ginning God said Let there be light" anC
there was light He only needs to speak anC
it is lone Blessed are those who believe, fol
there shall be a performance Of the thing
told us from the Lord. Unbelief says, II wisl
! could feel that" or II will try and believe
: AS to the former, remember the word Il
T doubling Thomas, "Blessed are they tina
I have not seen, yet have believed" AS to tn
latter, remember that trying to believe /
equal to saying that God is not worthy o
8 your confidence, and just ask yourself wha
reply you would make to one who said t
t you, ~ will try and believe you If you ar
D a Christian and have not JOY and peace unde
a all circumstances do not say in al circum
, stances, for some are anything but joyous