Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1888-10-05
J0SIIUA'S COMMISSION.
LESSON I, FOURTH QUARTER, INTER-
NATIONAL SERIES, OCT. 7.

Text Of the Lesson, Josh 1. 1-1e-Commit
Verses 8, 9-Golden Text, Eph. vi, ID.
Commentary by Rev. d. NJ. stearns.
CONDENSED from Lesson Helper Quarterly, by
permission Of e. s. Hoffman, Philadelphia,
publisher.l
The book Of Joshua tells us Of the entrance
OF the nation of Israel into the promised
land, the overthrow OF the nations then In
the land, its subsequent division among the
tribes and the appointing of cities of refuge.
The book closes with an account of the fare
well address of Joshua and his death, at the
age of ITO years; also the death of Eleazar,
the son Of Aaron, and the burial Of the body
OF Joseph, which they had brought with
them from Egypt and carried all through
their wilderness wanderings.
l. AFTER the death of Moses" Dead as
far as any further connection with Israel at
that time was concerned, but personally he
was gloriously alive What O deliverance to
be free from the burden of ruling and guiding
that rebellious and unbelieving host; what a
gain to be ever in the immediate presence of
Him who had appeared to him at the bush,
and on the mount and in the tabernacle, and
to have personal fellowship with Abraham,
Isaac and Jacob, Enoch and Noah and the
myr1ads of the redeemed in glory.
2. arise, go over this Jordan" Joshua
might have asked how they were to cross
that river, but he had passed through the
Red sea forty years before and be knew that
the Lord was able to make a way, and when
God gave a command he had only to obey.
3. Every place that the sole of your foot
shall tread on" Thus He had said to Moses
Deut. x, 2D, and now He confirms it to
Joshua And yet when Joshua was old and
stricken in years there remained very much
land to be possessed xiii, y; and he had to
say to the people, "How long are We slack to
go to possess the land which the Lord God of
your fathers hath given your xviii, 81 1t
was all theirs; they had only to go up and
possess it, for the Lord would fight for them
against their enemies and subdue them: but
1t was necessary for them to set their foot on
the land.
4. "Unto the great river Euphrates.n This
was the eastern boundary Of the land given
to Abraham, but, with the exception Of a
short period In the days of Solomon, it was
never possessed nor enjoyed. Gen XIV, 49,;
II Chron- tx, 26.) 1t shall all be made good,
however, after the first resurrection, when q
greater than Solomon, the true Son of David,
shall sit on David's throne and reign over the
house of Jacob, and Abraham shall be proved
to be heir Of the world. duke i, 81, 50;
Rom. ", 1877
8. II will be with thee; I will not fail thee
nor forsake thee" 1t was not a question of
the power or skill Of Joshua, but of Him who
sent Joshua. When Moses asked, "Who am
l that.I should go unto Pharaohg' the Lords
answer was, Certainly, l will be with thee"
and when Moses said, 'Oh, my Lord, | am
not a man Of words margin), but | am slow
of speech and Of a slow tongue" the Lord
said unto him: "Who hath made mans
MOUTH lave not /, the Lordl Now there
fore go, and l will be with thy mouth and
teach thee what thou shalt say" Gx. iii, IL,
IL; iv, l0-12) So in our Christian life it is
never a question of what we are or what we
can do, but of what He is and what He can
do, for it is God who worketh in us both to
will and to do of His good pleasure. 1t seems
to me hat the greatest promise in the Bible
for this present life is thiso one of the pres
ence of the Lord with us and that He will
never fail us nor forsake us. That which
was the strength of Abraham, Isaac and
Jacob, Joseph, Moses, Joshua, Gideon, David
and the prophets, and the last omfort of the
risen Christ to His apostles, may and ought
to be our daily Joy and strength, and will be
If we appropriate the promise in simple and
sincere faith, thank Him for His presence
and go forward relying on Him.
q b strong and of a good courage The
presence of the Lord was reason enough why
he should be strong and courageous; the ne
cessity OF his being so is seen from the fact
that threetimes In this exhortation it is urged
upon him Tvs. TO. The strength was not to
be his, but the Lords, who perfects His
strength in our weakness and enables us to
say, when l am weak then am | strong
''Thou shalt cause this people to inherit
the land" margin). Jesus Is the true Joshua,
who causes all His redeemed to inherit in due
time the Kingdom Moses seems to repre-
sent Jesus under the law and dying for the
sins OF the people, while Joshua represents
Jesus In resurrection leading his people to
rest and victory.
Z. "Observe to do according 10 an the
hw." This Is the only way Of rue wisdom
and prosperity. There was no law given
them to keep in the land of Egypt; not till
after He by His own power redeemed and de-
livered them did He give them His laws and
statutes to keep and do. God does not ask
the sinner to keep His laws, but to receive
salvation as a free gift in order that he may
then keep his commandments and do them
and thus nave fellowship with Him. There
is too much turning to the right hand or
the left on the part of those who pro-
fess to be Christians, and too little Of
the following fully" seen In Caleb
and Joshua, a little stepping aside to
the neglect of one command OF transgressing
In reference to another; a saying in reference
to such precepts as "Be ye holy" or
"Whether ye eat or drink or whatsoever We
do, do all to the glory of God" that is what
no one does nor can do, and it is no use to
try, thus setting aside the command of God
and making the inconsistencies Of Christians
a reason for increased disobedience. Moth
ing will do but a cheerful obedience to every
command and a whole hearted surrender of
spirit, soul and body to Him who is ready to
possess US and live In US His own life over
again
s. Mediate therein day and night, that
thou mayest observe to do" They were to
set their hearts upon the words Of the law,
talk of them in the house and by the way,
and teach them to their children, that thus
their days might be as the days Of heaven
upon earth. Deut vi, 40; ri. ls-21l If
this was the for the people, how