Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1888-12-01
ISRAEL UNDER JUDGES.
LESSON TX, FOURTH QUARTER,
INTERNATIONAL SERIES, DEC. 2.

Text OF the Lesson. judges II. i1-2S.
Commit yerses-Golden Text. Heb. IF,
I2-Commcntary by Rev. ID. 81. stcarns.
| condensed from Lesson Helper Quarterly by
permission or H. s. Huffman, Philadelphia,
publisherl
In studying the history OF Israel it is neces-
sary TO keep in mind that the Lord God had
chosen them to be special people unto Him.
self, above all people upon the face OF the
earth: an holy people unto the Lord their
God, that lie might dwell among them, and
that they might magnify His name before
the nations. He only asked Of them cheer
full and whole hearted obedience and submis-
sion, promising on His part that they should
be made to enjoy the greatest possible tenn
poral prosperity and be the head Of all ma
tions, no one being abs to stand before them.
eek. xix, 5, 6; Deut. vii, 6; xviii, 1-14.l
Their history during the forty years that
Moses led them is found in the books Of Ex-
odus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy.
We have just been studying their history
under the leadership Of Joshua, as recorded
in the book of Joshua, and now we come to
their history under the Judges for about 40
years, as recorded in this book.
IL. 1.-THE children of Israel did evil in the
sight of the Lord, and served Baalim." At
least seven times do we find this statement
concerning their doing evil in this book iii,
IL; iii, z, II; iv, /; vi, /; K, g. xiii, y. and
reason is given in the preceding verse, that q
generation had arisen which knew not the
Lord, nor yet tho works which He had done
for Israel.
10. "They forsook the Lord God OF their
fathers" Some of Joshua's parting words
were: "If We forsake the Lord and serve
strange gods, then will he turn and do you
hurt and consume you" Josh. xiv, 20), but
these words are now forgotten or UNDECIDED;
and worse still, the Lord who brought them
out of the land Of Egypt and made them o
nation and gave them this good land, is for
gotten and forsaken.
13. "Ihcy forsook the Lord, and served
Baal and Ashtaroth." These were the male
and female divinities Of the nations before
mentioned, and their worship was associated
with the most cruel and also the most impure
practices the very extreme opposite Of that
required by the pure and holy and loving
| God of Israel
IA. "The anger OF the Lord was hot against
Israel" In the account of this sin written In
Ps. evil 34-i6, it is said the wrath of the
Lord kindled against His people, insomuch
that He abhorred His own inheritance, and
lie gave them into the hand OF the heather. I"
/ Al All, - NOhSIAulHH u ldLcI Sill III Is
written: II have given the dearly beloved OF
my soul into tho hand of her enemies" 1t
was because of His great love for them that
He thus chastened them for their sins, as it Is
written: You only have known OF all the
families of the earth: therefore l will punish
| you for all your iniquities." Amos Iii, 2.
Is. "The hand of the Lord was against
them for evil, and they were greatly
distressed" The way of the transgressor is
| hard prov. xiii, 15), but they were the re-
deemed OF the Lord and His hand was upon
them for evil only to make them sec the evil
of their ways and turn from it, that He
might do them good.
il. "Novcrtheless, the Lord raised up
/ judges which delivered thcmn Nevertheless,
| He regarded their affection when He heard
their cry; and He remembered for them His
covenant US. cvi, 44-tJ DO not our hearts
say: ~, foolish people, why grieve and
/ turn away from such lovcl Why not abide in
such a friend; why not constantly rejoice in
such powers" Then voice whispers: Thou
j art the rlan Isgael's sin is just thine own, and
the same God of Israel regards today tho cry
of the oft crring, oftrepenting one, and de-
livers those who call upon Him, such as call
upon Him in truth. Why not abide ever in
! His lovel
/ II. VI ASt Oub VI IuS way. AL
| though lie heard their cry and raised them
up judges who delivered them, they soon fell
away into sin as bad as ever, and would not
hearken to the judges; their hearts seemed
! fully set in them to do evil. Love seemed
lost upon them, and past warnings seemed
utterly in vain; they were full of self and sin,
and it appeared TO be useless to do anything for
| them; yet He loved them and for His names
sake forgave them and restored them many q
time.
Is "The Lord was with tho judge" IL it
were not so the judge could have done moth
| ing. The Lord was with Moses, and Joshua,
j and David, and the kings who did right in
| His sight, and the prophets who spoke in His
name. And tho same Lord says to US to-day:
"Lo, am with you Away"
ut repented the Lord.n This expression,
often used in reference to God, and first found
| in Gen. vi, O, refers to Gods visible procedure
as it appears TO us. That God should ever
change Ills mind, or His purpose or be sorry
for anything lie does, is simply impossible.
| 90 Tho anger OF the Lord We had the
same expression in verse IA, and it is found
again in this book in chapters iii, q; x,7. 1t
is difficult for us to think of anger without
| sin, although we are told i'll one place to be
angry and sin not Qsph. iv, 20; however
of any sin in connection with the Lords anger
or wrath, for lie is of purer eyes than to
/ behold evil and cannot look upon iniquitv
| tdeb. /, 49, Arighteous indignation against
/ base ingratituGe and rebellion and sighted
/ love will in soma measure describe the anger
or wrath of tho Lord; but there is much in it
| that is indescribable. and only the great day
/ # Ills wrath when il Is come (kev. vi, 10. IN
4 viii fully show what it means; may we all
i lie hid.in that day. tzeph. ii, 3; lisa. XVI,
/ 20. 21.l
21-aS THAT may prove Israeli Because
! they transgreSSed Ills covenant and would
not hearken 60 His voice, therefore the idola-
I trous nations were left or suffered lmargin of
/ V. Isl in the land to prove Israel CHAP iii. 1.
1 ~. Thus the wilderness journeyings were to
/ prove them, to know whether they would
love Him with all the heart or not tDeut. viii.
| 2, 10; xiii, y: thus He tempted or tried or
/! proved Abraham in thematter of Isaac 0sen.
/ xxi, II, ard nus also he tried or proved
| Hesekiah IN the matter of the ambassadors
/ from Babylon Ill Chr. xxi, 81. An oft re-