The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1888-11-15
HELPING ONE ANOTHER.

HELPING ONE ANOTHER. |
LESSON WI, FOURTH QUARTER, IN
NERNATloNAL SERIES, NOV. te.
Text OF the Lesson, Josh. xxi. 43-45. and
xii. l-0 = Commit Verses 1-4-Golden
Text. Gal. vi. s-Commentary by Rev.
D. M. Stearns.
CONDENSED from Lesson Helper Quarterly. by
permission OF Il q. Hoffman, Philadelphia.
publisher.l
The principal incident in today's lessonis
the return of the two tribes and hah to
their possessions on the east Of Jordan with
the charge OF Joshua to them Between last
weeks lesson and this one we find three lead
ing events Tho removal Of the Tabernacts
from Gilgal to Shiloh, the division of the @
mainder of the Land among tho seven tribes
which had not received their portion. and
the appointing OF six cities Of Refuge, thrce
upon each side Of Jordan.
43 .sAnd the Lord gave unto Israel oil the
land which he sware to give unto their
fathers" II the ten spies who discouraged
the people and all tho thousands who per-
ished In the wilderness could rise from their
graves and see their brethren and children
In actual possession Of the good land which
they had refused to possess because Of the
giants and walled cities, and Caleb possessing
and enjoying the very center and stronghold
Of the giants, they would surely be greatly
surprised, and perhaps ashamed Of their un-
belief, which had shut them out from this In
heritance, and II they should ask the dwell
ers therein how they ever overcame the diff
culties, what answer could be given but sin-
ply this: "Our God fought for US, and we re-
he'd upon Him and obeyed Him.
~ "The Lord gave thcm rest, according
to all that He sware unto their fathersr It
Is as difficult for many Christians to learn to
rest, not in idleness but in activity, Us it Is
for some swimmers to learn to float; but as
surely as the latter finds that the water does
bear him on its bosom when he quietly rests
upon it, SO surely does the Christian find that
1--WE who have believed do enter into rest"
Heb. iv, s. when in confidence we commit
ourselves and all our affairs to the love and
faithfulness of cur covenant keeping God.
45. sThere failed not ought of any good
thing; all came to pass" The same glorious
fact is stated in ch. xiii, IA: XII. viii, So;
| and no true believer shall ever be able to say
| that any one thing has failed Of all that
God has promised.
Ch. xii, /, q I'VE have kept oil that
Moses, tho servant Of tho Lord, commanded
you, and have obeyed my voice in oil that
commanded youn When these two tribes
and half asked Moses for their Inheritance
on the east of Jordan, ho was afraid they
meant to enjoy Immediately their posses
sions and thus discourage and cause discon-
tent among the other tribes; but when they
assured him that they would only build cities
for their families and folds for their sheep.
and that they themselves would pass over
| armed with the other tribes, and not return
| to their homes until all the children of Israel
| had inherited ever man his Inheritance, then
Moses was content to let them possess the
land on the east of Jordan (Num. xxxii) }
So 10000 of them prepared for war,
passed through the Jordan with tho other
tribes Josh iv, 12, 1877 Now that they
have faithfully kept their promise during
these years of fighting and subduing, Joshua
is about TO dismiss them to their homes with
his blessing, and he first commends their
obedience to Moses and TO himself Notice
Gods commendation of the obedience Of
Abram and Of the Rechabites in Gen. xxi,
Is; xvi, s.; Jer. xxxv, S-1S; and the
lawful end of the disobedient in II Thcs. 1, g.
"Willing and obedient" are the two con
ditions of peace and prosperity.
8. aye have not left your brethren these
many days unto this day." Every delay on
the part of their brethren to 60 up quickly
and possess the land must have been a grea,
rial to them, as their hearts would naturally
long to return to their homes and to theil
families; thus their patience was manifested
and their faith in God that the time of theil
rest and return would come.
4. "Now return We unto the land Of YOU
possession" Let those who have been for
long time separated from home and friend
and then permitted to return, describe tn
feelings of these obedient ones now releases
: from their promise, that they might return
to their families; let some ono who was q sol
dier from one to four years, In our great civi
war, and is now teacher IN some Sunda,
school, tell his scholars how he felt when per
mitted to set his face homewards.
. s. '.Take diligent heed to do, to love, t
walk, to keep, to cleave unto, and to serve.
Here are topics for series Of seven most in
, structive Bible readings. Let mo suggest
few texts on the first two: Take heed-Heb
iii, 12; II Pet /, 10; Nix. iv, "a; Lu. viii, IS
Josh. xxii, 5; II Chr. xix, 6; Cor. iii, 10
To do--Ezek xxxiii, 81, So; Matt vii, 81
Lu viii, 81; Jas. i, %; Matt. vi, L; Col. lii
%, "a; John iii, 49, Thus you may witt
great profit search out the othora and US
them II time permit
6, z. $50 Joshua blessed thcm." AS tn
+ representative of God he blessed them; thu
David the King blessed tho people in tn
, name of tho Lord of Hosts e Sam. vi, 1G)
thus Moses the man Of God blessed tn
; children of Israel before his death Deut
xxxiii, y; and when Jesus was parted fror
the disciples at His ascension 1t was Will
He blessed them. luke xiv, 80, 5ll Whe
| God created man He blessed them Gen.
/ | %, 2S); when he called Abram He said, II Wi
l | bless thee" Gen Xii, 3, 81; when be CON
\ manded Israel to let the land rest ever
, seventh year, and promised them that
would produce enough In tho sixth year
last them three years, He gave as the simpl
: reason for this extraordinary fr,Iitfulnes.
; II will command my blessing" LEV. XIV
: 21.) The blessing of the Lord. it maket
rich, and He addeth no sorrow with it,
8, "Return with much riches unto you
tents" Besides the conscious approval {
Q God in their hearts, they return home wit
: much temporal riches; cattle, silver, golG
: brass, iron and raimant; they have not lol
: anything by helping their brethren, an
. | serving the Lord with much self denia
n 0OQ Will tl1OW OAiooC WLV cSAfO 41liiA W "
4 1t unrewarded. II we serve Him for so mucl
!, and have an eye chiefly to the wages, E
:. may give us just so much, like the penny
!, day laborers who bargained with Him but
! weserve Him cheerfully, with grateful hear
y because Of His mercies to us, His love col
straining us, then He will do for us exceedin
T abundantly above all we can ask or thin
q o. "They departed from Shiloh to 60 uni
s the land of their possession That is equ
/ to saying that they started on their iourns
: from the place of the Tabernacle, from Il
: presence Of the Lord. Let US always 60 fort
y on our journeys from the presence of Hi
q | who has taught us to acknowledge Him In 9
our ways, and we cannot fail to prosper, f
:: His blessing shall go with US, While the laI
: was being subdued the headquarters Of Il
d Ar and Tabernacle were at Gilgal; b
d In oh. xviii, /, we fipd them removed
:, Shiloh, and there they continued for abo
I three hundred years, until tho time
s | Samuel. u Sam. iv.) Shiloh signifies peae
). and in Genesis Xix, 10, where it is first use
it refers to Izraels Messiah, who is the FTin
Of Peace Let We abide IN Him.