Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1888-10-13
CROSSING TIE JORDAN.
LESSON n. FOURTH QUARTER, IN
TERNATIoNAL SERIES, OCT. -.

Verses 8. 0-Goiden Tsxf. lisa. XIII. ..
Commentary BY Rev. D. n. steanA
lcondensed from Lesson Helper Quarterly. By
permission OF II. O. Hoffman. Philadelphia,
publixher.l
After the Lord had encouraged Joshua, Is
IN our last lesson, the people also encouraged
him by promising obedience and by praying
the Lord TO be with him d, 1918. Then
follows the record OF the two spies sent 20
Jericho, their reception and protection by
Rahab, their promise Of deliverance to her
and all belonging or related to her and the
true token of the scarlet line TO he bound I'm
her window.
8. ''Sanctify yourselves, for to morrow the
Lord win do wonders among you" II we
were more separate from sin e. unbelief,
we would see more OF the wonderf;.l works
OF God. In one place Jesus cou not do
many mighty works because OF tl;eir unbe-
lief; and there Is no doubt but tie unbelief
and worldliness Of Christians today binders
His doing wonders among US
g "Take up the ark OF the covenant and
pass over before the people, To the people
he had said: 'Sanctify yourselves" and now
these are his orders TO the priests. who were
always supposed to be sanctifed inasmuch
as they were set apart for the special service
OF the sanctuary. All true believers are
priests unto God REV. 1. s.; v, 10, and should
ever consider themselves set apart to His
service.
z. "I win begin to magnify thee in the
sight Of all Israel" God always honors
those who honor Him, and yet the honor Ia
all His own and shows forth His glory, for
this Is the great end Of our existence. to
glorify God When the apostles, filed with
the spirit, spoke and wrought In the name Of
Jesus, the people wondered, and took knowl-
edge Of them that they had been with JesuA
& "Stand still In Jordan" With their
feet In the water, they were to stand on the
brink Of Jordan and see the wonders Of the
Lord They were 20 march right into thO
river ere the waters would divide; we are TO
go right forward, even though it seem impos.
sible. and He will at the right time open the
way, not an hour or q day too seon, but some
times as 1t seems only when we have gone 70
the last extremity and cannot take another
step
10. "The living God Is among you" Jere-
miah calls Him ''the true God, the living
God and an everlasting king" Uer. Z, 10l
Darius calls Him ''the living God and stead
fast forever" dan. vi, 28l Jesus Himself,
appearing to John in Patmos, says, ~ am the
First and the Last and the Living One. alive
foreyermore." Rev. 1, IL, R W If we lived
near to God as Jeremiah or Daniel or John,
our lives would testify that the God whom
we serve is a living God, a life giving God,
ever present and working in and through US.
she will without fail drive out from be-
fore you the Canaanites" IL Is implied here
that He will do this through them as His
servants and soldiers, they being obedient to
Him and He lighting with them and in them
us.RcA l1xtv a.
were not obedient, and consequently Jebusites
and Canaanites and others were not COM
pletely driven out, but became thorns and
snares to them. Judgesi 1. ii. ill.,
IL. "The ark OF the covenant of the Lord
Of all the earth" This Is the FIRST time that
we find this title In full; 1t reminds us of the
words OF Melchizedek, 'the most high God,
poSsessor of heaven and earth" CGen. xiv,
49,; and the expression in the prophets, ''the
Lord OF the whole earth" usa- liv, S. Mich
iv, ID; Zech. iv, IL; vi, 81, and the thought
that our Redeemer Is the Lord of oil the earth
". 80 should make us very joyful in Him,
and ready to trust Him under all circum-
stances, obey Him at all times and love Him
with the whole heart, extolling Him In every
possible way.
IL take twelve men out of the tribes Of
Israel" The reason for choosing these twelve
is found in the next chapter: They were to
take twelve stones from the midst Of Jordan,
where the priests feet stood who bore the
ark, and set them up for memorial ON the
other side of Jordan, 50 that they could In
days to come point their children TO those
stones and tell them how their fathers had
come over Jordan on dry land; Joshua also
set up twelve stones in the midst Of Jordan
where the priests had stood These two
L. -
Lord, that Israel might fear the Lord their
God forever. and that all the earth might
know the hand of the Lord DIV, 90.
IS at shall come Co pass" How could
Joshun speak SO positively about this very un-
likely EVENT. Why did he not speak more eau.
tiously and say, we trust or hope that it win
thus come to pass, or we will try and see what
can be donei He believed God; he knew His
power; he had not a shadow of q doubt but
that it would be Just as God had told him.
AS soon as the soles OF the feet OF the
priests shall rest in the waters.s Not as they
drew nigh, nor before they came to the river,
but only when their feet actually stood In
the water. Who can tell how many victories
we lose by being afraid. by holding back be-
cause of difficulties, instead OF going right
forward into the difficulty In the name OF the
Lordl We have only to be sure that we are
obcyins Ills command, doing His viii. seek
ing His glory and not our own, and then let
neither men nor devils. giants nor walled
cities, fire nor water terrify nor d;smay US.
I4-l6 @And it came to pass" When God
speaks it must come to pass; It must always
be Just as He says, even as when In the be-
ginning God said "Let there be light" and
there was light He only needs to speak and
it is done Blessed are those who believe, for
there shall be performance of the things
told US from the Lord Unbelief says. 81 wish
could feel that" or 81 will try and believen
AS to the former. remember the word to
doubling Thomas. blessed are they that
have not seen, yet have believed As to the
latter. remember that trying to believe is
equal to saying that God is not worthy Of
your confidence; and just ask yourself what
reply you would make TO one who said 70
you. Il viii try and believe you" IL you are