The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1888-11-22
SUNDAY SCHOOL.
LESSON FoR NOVEMBER %
Lesson Tc>t: "The Covenant Ito
ncwcd," Josh. xxiv. 1O-2S--
Golden Tevt; Josh. Sixv,
23--Com mentary.

At the time OF our lesson to-day Israel hat
long enjoyed rest from all her enemies, rount
about; Joshua was over an hundred year
old and knew that he was soon to 90 tn,
way OF all the earth; 80 he calls all lsrae
together at Shechem, rehcarscs 10 them tn,
Lords dealings, and urges thcm To fear anc
serve him IN sincerity and truth, saying
unto them: IL IL seem evil unto you to serv,
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: We will serve tho Lord, for lilo IL
our God.n
10. aye cannot serve the Lord" Joshua
would have them remember that il is no light
matter to serve the Lord he had known
them ever since they lett Egypt, he knew how
often they had made promises and Lroken
them. and he doubtless remembcro the time
when they said "all that the Lord hath said
Will we do and bc obedicnt," then he and
Moses ascended the mount and nt the end Of
forty DAYS returned to find them dancing
and singing around "A golden calf. deliberately
breaking the commands they had SO Solemnly
promised to keep. tEx. xiv, xxxil lie
knew them and their snS all the forty years
that Moses was leader and h. Moses minister,
AMI he had now known them many years
under his own leadership, aud he knew well
just how much their word was worth.
"llc is an holy God, He is "A jealous God"
Not only was Joshua well acquainted with
hc was also acquainted with tie holiness and
Jealousy of God aud hc feared FOR the conse-
quences II Israel should again transgreSs.
They were chosen that they might be an
holy nation, peculiar treasure unto Him
above all people EV. xix, -, u: and many
times were they cXhOrtcd in these words,
I'VE shall be holy, for the Lord your God
am holy Uev. Mn, >: NN.. 9, ~: XVI \
etc. He would a so have them To- love Him
with all the hcnrt and soul because of His
great love to them, and III order that lIo
might show through them the wealth of lIis
love and power, thus winning other nations
(pcut. vi, b. VII. G-S'. Surc,y IL was rclsun.
able that IN return for such love as tie had
shown to them. they should give Him tho
whole heart, ani there Is nothing strange IN
the fact that lie expected It,
20. "lf We fursakc the Lord Often Ind
they done 1t and had been spared only ly
the interccs,iun Of Nose type OF Christ; and
Joshua trcmblcS for them, knowing that
"lhe LORD their God Is Il consuming ire,
even jealous COR duet iv.. - SIN must
be consumed, and it the sinner clings To his
SINS he VIII be consumed also. but II willing
To bo ccansed from sin auI hc holy unto tho
Lord then God will consume the sin and
save the sinner.
81. NAY, but we will serve the Lord. -
| This is their choice; Joshua hnd most dccl.
! Il 'dly taken hrs Staul w.. H.. aud had mndo
| 1t plain To them tnat God would have no half
work, AMI that they could not serve God and
| worship idols, nor could they serve tod in
| their own strength. aud now they have vol
unfairly taken their stand with HIM to serve
| the Lord, and their conduct prove, them to
| have been sincere. Tor Israel served the
! Lord all the days Of Joshua, nnl all the .lnys
| ut the elders that uutlivcd Joshua ~ n:
/ Judges H., -. Tho MOIu, Of Joshua and the
words of the p oplr IN this their decision nre
noble words AMI while 10 lSa solemn strp to
| take IL Is far more solemn not To take II
I Lot a. mt Ngfa al l..,,.
! 81 Will serve the Lord, remember that they
| are virtually saying: 81 viii not serve the
/ Lord, or, IN other words. they are choosing
| Satan rather than Christ, tins world rather
than the world to como, Hell rather then
| Heaven.
-. witnesses against voursclycs.n We
cannot serve tho Lord without taxing a
stand against self. The world the flesh and
the devil are the enemies of God and Ills
people, and this trinity of evil isever seeking
| to ensnare the child OF God.
-. "Iut away the strange gods, and in.
cline your hearts unto tho Lord God Of Is
rael." 10 Is heart work that the ord re
! qulres, and We need to be constantly re
minded that while men look on the outward
| appearance and Judge by what they see, tho
Lord looketh on the heart, lie searchcth all
! hearts ana underStandeth all the imagina
ticns of the thoughts, lie is IA God OF knowl
| edge, and by llm actions are weighed
-. The ord our God Will we serve, and
His voice will We obey II the nation hnd
talked this way and meant it when the spie,
| returned from their forty DAYS visit through
| the land they would have saved thcnsvvc
| thirty.cight years wandering IN the wilder
| ness, and the hundreds Of Thousands who fol
! there might have entered the good land Lei
! Christians to1iay make the language of th
| verse heartily their own, and they will tint
days ot heaven here ON earth. tDcut vi.
2n, and lc such witnesses unto the Lord tha
many shall through them he won To Him.
-. $50 JOhua made "A covenant Liter
ally cent II covenaut'--iCr the verb her,
translated "malc, when not used in con
meet on with covenant is Translated "cut
or cut OIL both uses of the word are fount
IN Jor. NNNiv, lN the words of the cove
nant which they had made before mo whci
they cut the cali ~ TWAIN and passed bctwccI
the parts thereof and this carries as hacl
to the first use of the express ON in th,
Bib'o, ia Gen Xv. Is: When Abraham
divided the animals in the midst and watcho,
by the carCnsses tai the sun went down
keeping the BIRDS away ana then saw
smoking furnace and "A burning lamp pas
between the pie" "es If we have made n cove
nant with God by sacrifice ll's, J., d let us b
careful TO keep diligently His statutes am
a.d ordinances, so that cre.lie come IN de
vourug fire we may be safely gathered unit
Him; let no furnace trial dismHy us, nor blr
of prey light upon our sacrifices, but, wit
our hearts fixed upon Jesus let Us walk in til
light faithful unto Him.
| 26-2S "Ihis stone shall bc n witness.
The stone reminds rs of Jacobs pillars II
Bethel and Ml2pah Gen xviii, Is, XxNv,
II: XXI, ij, and also the twelve stones O
Moses Tx. XXlv., 4 and of JOShua lJoSh. iv.
s, -; but whenever We read of "A stone o
witness or memorial we must surely think q
Him who is often called IA stone Shcchen
tells us of Abrams first resting place AM
altar in the land Of C0nann Gen, xii, Il,
and the oak in Shechem reminds us tnat her
Jacob buried the strange gods of hi
household lGen. xxXv., -; what AN appro
pirate place to put away their strang
gods and renew their covenant, place mad
sacred by such memories of Abram am
Jacob. That God recognizes nanlmate ma
ture rs q witness TO our actions and word
seems evident from such words rs these
"Hear, q heavens, and give ear, q earth;
''The stone shall cry out of the wall, and tn
beam out of the timber shall answer it, Tn
SaviOur's own testimony is: by thy word
, thou shalt be justified, aud by thy word
thou shalt be condemnedn Matt. xii, 81
, Our only safety is constant looking unit
Jesus and an implicit reliance on Him.
Les ion Helper.
The wife OF Colonel G. w. Alexander
J Of Tyrone, Pa, purchased some links {
sausage few DAYS ago and placed ther
on plate that covered crock of pick