The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1888-09-07
BELIEF OF THE PEOPLE.
LESSON xl, THIRD QUARTER, INTER-
NATIONAL SERIES, SEPT. o.


LESSON xL THIRD QUARTER, INTER-
NATIONAL SERIES, SEPT. o.
Text Of the Lesson, Mum. xiv. lilo.
Commit Verses a.4-Golden Text, Heb.
Ill. 1o-Commentary by Rev. d. M.
stearns.
condensed from Lesson Helper Quarterly, by
permission Of H. g. Hoffman, Philadelphia.
publisher
This is the continuation of our last lesson,
and shows the sad results Of unbelief. Jeho-
yah had delivered them from the power and
bondage of Pharaoh; had made way for
them through the Red sea; had fed them
with food from heaven day by day; had
brought them water out Of the rock; had
given them flesh to eat in abundance; had
fought for them against Amalek and con-
quered; had spoken to them from the burn
ing mountain; had shown them his great
love and power in 80 many ways and had
come to dwell visibly among them In the tab
ernacle erected for Him in their midst; the
pillar of cloud and Of fire, symbol Of His
presence, was visible to all the millions OF
Israel, and yet these ten unbelieving rulers
in Israel speak Of the strength OF the sons OF
Anak as an obstacle TOO formidable to be
overcome. Was there ever such unbelief and
such utter forgetfulness of q present
almighty Goda Let US see. Some one
who reads this has been told OF
q Saviour who will give victory over
every besetting sin and cause the weakest
and most unworthy to live even here life OF
rest and peace and joy; and not only so, but
you have seen it proved in some measure in
the lives Of some who are known to YOU It
is good land they have found, and you
know it. But to your eyes there are great
difficulties in the way of your getting there,
and you say: II am not able, it is not for
me-" Now, what is that but just the
language of these ten faithless rulersa
/. GAN the congregation cried" but 1t was
neither a cry of victory nor cry for help;
it was cry Of despair, because they saw no
helper, had no faith in God Contrast the
cry of Abijah, and Asa, and Jehoshaphat. and
the speedy answers granted to them III Chon.
xiii, IA; xiv, II; xviii, 81, and be of good
courage.
2. 'And all murmured." In CHI. xii, it
was Miriam and Aaron speaking against
Moses; now it is all Israel murmuring against
Moses and Aaron "They despised the plea
SAINT land; they believed not His word; but
murmured in their tents, and hearkened not
unto the voice of the Lord" FPS. cvi, A-25.)
They had murmured at Mazah and in the
wilderness of sin eek. XIV, "a; xvi, 1-10, and
all these murmurings were against the Lord
lex. xvi, 81, for all that is done to or for
servant of the Lord He counts as done to
himself. luke K, 16) The love of God
which brought them out Of Egypt was bring
ing them, in the best and kindest way, to
glorious inheritance, but they despised it and
Him, and murmured and complained.
"a. Return into Egypt" The wish for
death was twice repeated in v. Q; the return
to Egypt is twice suggested in these verses.
At Horeb they made a calf and worshiped
it instead of God; now they want a human
captain instead of "God Himself, who was
with them as their captain" III Chron. xiii,
1877 Nehemiah says that sin their rebellion
they appointed captain to return to their
bondage" Neh. tx, 17) Oh, what sin and
rebellion on the part Of man, what long suf-
fering and love and patience on the part Of
God. This God is our God; we are like
Israel, and all these things are written for
our learning. Paul says. II count all things
but loss for the excellency Of the knowledge
of Christ Jesus my Lord forgetting
those things which are behind, and reaching
forth unto those things which are before,
I press toward the mark for the prize of the
high calling of God in Christ Jesus" phil
iii, 8, 10, LAY. How few there are like Paul,
how many like Lots wife, who though es-
capped from Sodom left her heart there, and
looked back. "Jesus said no man, having
put his hand to the pillow, and looking back,
is fit for the kingdom Of God lisa. tx, go; so
these murmurers could not enter in because
of unbelief, but their carcases fell in the
wilderness" Heb. Iii, 10; Mum xiv, 1920.
5. "Moses and Aaron fell on their faces"
See also xvi, 4, %, As; Xxx, 6. This was
the only thing to do in such case; cry unto
God and leave them to Him. How wonder
full that God will let us plead with Him and
be moved by our pleading. See Abraham
pleading for Sodom and the Lord promising
to spare the city if ten righteous persons
could be found in it. Gen. xviii, 23-32) See
Moses on this occasion, hear his prayer in
VS.. 1919, and note the answer in v. 20.
Moses pleads not for himself, nor for his
glory, but he is jealous for the Lord and for
The glory Of His name. The Lord heard and
pardoned, yet in after days there came a
time when neither the prayers of Moses nor
! Samuel could have prevailed for them
Jer. XIV, y, nor the Righteousness of Noah,
Daniel and Job have saved them GEEK. xiv,
AGO. "He that being often reproved, hard
meth his neck, shall suddenly be destroyed,
md that without remedy" prov. xix, y.
6. Joshua and Caleb rent their clothes"
Caleb had spoken before (xiii, 3O, but
low Joshua joins him in faithful testimony,
md these are the only two Of all the thou
ands in Israel who were over twenty years
# age when they left Egypt who entered the
rood land Tvs. 80, 3S). God does always
lonor those who have faith in him.
rs. can exceeding good land" Even the
lnbelievers had to confess that xiii, 81;
tut hear further these two faithful ones: IF
he Lord delight in us, He will bring us into
his land and give it u.s." They do not boast
# any power or wisdom above the other ten,
tut testify to the power Of the Lord. II
abored more abundantly than they ALL"
avs Paul, "yet not 1, but the grace Of God
which was with me-" "He that glorieth, let |
Tim glory in the Lord" Il Cor. xv, 1O;i
~ If any ask, How can the Lord take de-
light in such as we area the answer is, 1.-THE |
ord taketh pleasure in them that fear Him, |
n those that hope in His mercy" pa
Xvii, ILL., "The Lord taketh pleasure in
lis people; He will beautify the meek with
~ .w1s A \ Avn1 20 Viz