The National tribune., 1888-11-22

we have 1884 which we may estimate to be
about the year A. NJ. of our lesson. That was
about 400 years B. c., or about 3,400 years ago
2 Circumstances.
After the life and teachings of Joshua had |
become ObsCured by time the people began to
lose their interest and courage They ceased |
to remember the commandments given them |
to continue to subdue Canaan, or else they lost
faith in their ability. or else they became sat
ished with the situation, or else in their love
of ease they were indisposed to buckle on the
weapons of war and endure the tolls and suf-
ferings of fighting. By degrees, too, they be-
came quite intimate with the heather occu-
pants of the territory. They ceased to abomi-
nate idolatry. They tried to affiliate mono
theism and polythesm. They attempted to
worship God and Baal. Their attitude was
exceedingly offensive to Jehovah. He had COM
manded them to drive out the heather and to
possess the land He had charged them to have
nothing to do with the Canaanites, save to ex-
terminate them. He had told them that any
dealings with them would be as thorns in their
sides, and that any attention given to the hea-
then gods would bring them into snares. q: 3
NJ, SO 55J The Israelites were expected to
go on with the work begun by Joshua; to form
no leagues with the CaRaanites; to tear down
the heather affairs. (2:2.) Contrary to all
these directions, the Israelites settled down.
They would not risk their lives in the interest
of the true religion. They would not fight
for their God. They actually paid much re-
ligious respect to the gods of heathendom.
They even bowed as deYotees before the man
made gods or idols of Canaan. No wonder
God is offended. An Agent from Heaven-the
same perhaps who talked with Adam in Eden,
the same who appeared to Abraham, the same
who met Joshua near Jericho Josh, 5: 13-15)-
appeared to representative men at a certain
point and Chided them for their sins. (Jud., 2:
II The people were convicted and fell to
weeping, and hence the spot (which is unknown
as to locatiOn) was, named Bochim. q: 4, 81 1t
seems no special tribe of the II Of the Israel
ties was involved, but that all were guilty
more or less in particular of idolatry.
3. analysis.
/. The sins of the Israelites.
2. The consequences of their guilt.
3. The attitude Of God in the case.
4. Discussion.
l. The sins of the people, a. They did evil.
". H. This is general term inclusive of all
the transgress0ns of the people. b. They served
other gods, particularly Baal and Ashtareth.
(Vs, II, II, II, 49, They followed dictations
supposed to come from said heather gods. ".
12l Practically married to God, they ignored
their welded VOWS and in the sense of religion
violated the seventh commandment. (Y. H.
They even paid to the gods of Canaan certain
forms of worship. 1t is said they bowed to
them ". 12.) Probably they prayed to them.
c. They forsook the Lord. ". 12.l This was
quite natural. One cannot serve God and Mann
mon. 1t is not likely they wholly forsook God.
| They, however seriously compromised Jeho-
yah. They did not give up worship at the
tabernacle, but on way home from the abode of
Shekinah they paused to pay at least slight
devotion at the shrine of some heather altar.
| Why? Perhaps they imagined there might be
q utility in such worship. Most likely they
thus sought to cultivate g0odly feeling between
hn II
voked the Lord to anger. Tvs IL, IA, 2Q.) God
is not perfectly passive and Indifferent Being.
He is conscious of what is being done by all
everywhere And it makes difference to him
how we act. He is pleased with our loyalty to
him. He is not pleased when We do wrong
when we disobey him when through our in
dolence we lose great opportunities when we
compromise him by recognizing his enemies;
when, not satisfied with him as an object of
worship we seek shrines of heather deities.
| This is as we would expect. We would lose all
respect for God if he showed as great approval
of evil as of good. By his being provoked to
| anger we understand Jehovah has toward US
when We do wrong feelings just opposite to
those he has when we do we'll. Pleasure at
righteousness carries with it the idea of opposi-
ton to evil. g. The Israelites would not hearken
| to the judges. (V. III And yet said judges
were sent by the selection and direction of
| Jehovah. They were his agents. Disrespect
| was & sin against Deity. f. Instead of fol-
lowing the good ways of their fathers, they
| went in just opposite courses ". I'D 1t is a
! great compliment to children to honor the
memory of their Cody parents, and to pursue
! life as they were trained to do O. They would
| not obey Gods commandments. We are chill
| dren of God and it is our duty TO follow his
! dictates in all things h. Though restrained
/ for the time being by the presence of q judge,
| they fell into sin as soon as he died. !. They
| were stubborn. (V 49, ]. They transgressed
| the covenant which existed between God and
| them. The covenant provided for eternal and
| uncompromising fidelity and obedience to God.
| h They would not hearken to God. CO., If
| he demonstrated with them on account of their
mistreatment of him. they would not even
listen. They were grossly insulting; set in sin;
| seemingly beyond shame, sensibility, pride;
| determined to slight God.
2. Notice the consequences of the gross sins of
| the Israelites. We cannot sin with impunity
| a. They incurred the displeasure of God. They
| showed themselves ingrates. They forgot all
| he did for them. They did not remember how
| he came to their rescue in Egypt, and how he
saved them in the wilderness; how he opened
! Jordan for them; how he gave them Jericho
| and Al. To require God to look complacently
| on such outrageous sin is to forget that there
| is any difference between good and evil. b.
! God delivered them to the spoilers The mean
ing Is tllhJ INC people, Oh dCCOunG UI IuSlF SinS
! became indolent and non-aggreSsiye, and that
| therefore, instead of gaining in the conquest
of the land, they hardly held their own gotten
| through Joshua. God helps men. 1t was his
| purpose to aid the people in taking the land.
| He did not intend to drive out the people, but
to assist the Israelites in expelling them. c.
! God sold them to their enemies. He so acted
| that the Guarantees possessed the Israelites, or
! in a sense owned them as one does an article
which he buys. d. The Lord was against the
| Israelites. He could not be for them without
! being for their sins, without indorsing their
disloyalty and idolatry Not to be for one is
to be against him. e. The Israelites were in
! vaders Their only attitude toward the Ca
naanites should have been hostility The Ca
naanites would not keep quiet, and hence the
| Israelites suffered. They were distressed (V.
15) They groaned. ". 49, They were vexed.
! ". 49, In their effort at passiveness they en-
| dured more hardship than comes from severest
| fighting. There is no short cut to ease. Com
promise with evil will always bring the good
into trouble.
8. See the attitude of God III the circum-
stances. G2a can never be ignored. He must
be taken into consideration in all of our plans.
a. At times, to prevent the extinction of the
| Israelites, God raised up men to match tho
emergencies-men for the times. There were
| Is such in succession. One of these Judges
was, however, a woman, to wit, Deborah They
were deliverers or saviors "The Office of