The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1888-09-14
THE SMITTEN ROCK.
LESSON XII, THIRD QUARTER, IN
TERNATIoNAL SERIES, SEPT. 1s-


NIT Verses z, s-Golde.1 Text, Cor. K,
A-Co.n1nenta,.y by Rev. D. NJ. Scarns.
CONDENSED from Lesson Helper Quarterly, by
permission of II. S. Hoffman Philadelphia
publisher!
1. The first verso of our lesson finds the
left them i'll our last lesson eziii, 2G).
Thirty-eight years have passed since the
spies searched out the land, the forty years
from Egypt have now about expired com
pare TX, 25, and xxxiii, 3S), and they arc
again at the borders of the promised land.
or the history of those thirty-eight years we
know almost nothing; it was time lost be-
cause of disobetience, and they have made
no progress. Here is brought before US q
weighty principle which we would do well to
consider. When Abram left Bethel and went
down to Egypt because of the famine he was
cut OF communion with God, and found only
troaille Until Eo got back TO Bethel. Gen.
XII, 10. xiii, 81 When he listened to Sarai
concerning Hagar, (which WIS q suggestion
OF the flesh, VIC find a blank i'll his life
OF thirteen years. Gen. xvi, lG, xvii, l) If
you would reconcile the apparent discrepancy
between the $50 years of Kings vi, 1, and
tho 513 years of Acts xiii, 1871. plus David's
10 and 5 OF Solomon, total 573, you have
only to add up the lost time of the captivities
Of Judges iii, Q, II: iv, 2, $; VII 1; xiii, l,
which gives you o3 lest years when the ma
tioa YVES ont cf fellowship with God because
OF sill this s,ibttacted from 5!3 gives 4S0 and
proves both records correct. When we can
look 1t things from Gods standpoint we
sliall ft.ld ali the apparent contradictions in
Scripture va.li5,l - 'aist AeiaTe tho sum- In
tde law OF tho .is&0l3t. It;i:l. vi, LEI when
ever he Wiaadaii2eri py aiil aG,:lesnness, the
days Of iais ae:ile.ne.; .e'- i1e.:; so every
day Qi' .a'." Il li!li ~ ...A .:oo practically
separate! t>Cat i; j,.@5 t..a osss for all isas
los lllat IS l.o5 tloao il fellowship with God.
2. .'',So wt.tssr, > they gathered
against Noses NJ lsnrah The bitter waters
had been made s:sect, and at Rephidim
abundance Of water had ieen brought from
tic smittea rocl. foa them Ok XIV, xviii, but
they We're so forgesfpl and unbelieving
SIS. ''li7oul1 Col that we had diedn
These who seefa SO aixiols for death are not
always the lnos5 ready when it comes; and
those Who are really ready for that great
change gro generally content to leave the
time anl way to Him Who orders all things
for the best to those who lave Him. ITO die
is gain for oil those WHO caa truly say 'for
mo TO live is Christ" Totlc,sart and be with
Christ is far better than such suffering as
Paul endured, and yet Paul was willing to
endure, knowing that ''tho sufferings of this
present time arc not worthy to be compared
with the glory which shall be revealed in U.s."
G. "lhoy fell upon thcir faces; and tho
glory Of t'lo Lord appeared unto them"
Thus did Hoses and Aaron, and this is our
wisdom i'll every difficulty. We rest on Thee,
o Lord cur God, let not man prevail against
US! was tho cry OF Asa. o our God, we have
10 might. neither know we what to do, but
our eyes arc upon Thee! was the prayer of
Jehoshaphat iii Chron. xiv, Ii; Ky, l2), and in
each case there was q great victory More
hunbhng of self in the dust before Cod, and
whole hearted reliance upon Him, With a
readiness to do whatever He says Or be still
and see Him work, will cause US moro often
to sec His glory.
2, 8. "TalEe the rod, speak unto tho rock. /"
The orders We're simple, and all that was re-
CURED Of Hoses was simple and implicit
obedience to these orders and tho results
would surely follow, just as the Lord said.
Tho rock had been snlitten at Rephidim and
water in abundance had flown forth; that
water Went with them and if there was any
deficiency in tho supply it was because of
their sin, to prove them and lead them back
to Him, for lie would have us draw our sup
plies from Him daily. Christ our rock has
been once snatten, onco for.all, and tho sup
ply of living water is abundant. Our sins
were laid on Him on Calvary; He made pro-
pitiation for the sins Of tho whole world; He
noy. liEeth to make intercession for all who
accept the forgiveness thus obtained There
is no more laying sins on Him, no more bruis-
ing Of Him; but if VIC traisgress and the
surcan Of grace runs low to Us. we have only
to speak to Him i. honest confession and
there shall be cleansing and restoration.
9. 'i11cscs took the rod from before the
Lord" After the REBELLION Of korah, Da-
than ;.l.d AGire:io, t e rod of Aaron which
hud(icd, and brought forth buds, and bloomed
blossoms, end yielded almonds, all i'll one
night, was laid up before the Lord to be kept
fcra token against the rebels and their mur-
muriass (2vii, SIG; this rod Moses was
to take i'll bis hand US a witness against them
VIXEN ho went forth 20 speak to the rock.
10. "93--gsG5 we fetch you water out of this
rock Although they had been on their
faces before God, they still prove themselves
b'it weak and sinful lnortals; the flesh, the
Of! man, is not reckoned dead, and the Holy
Spirit is grieved. ALI the Moses and Aarons
that over lived could not fetch drop Of
wsEer Of any rock, but God hath said:
rs; ;eal., and it shall give forth his watern
The sun gives rs light and heat, and the
clouds givo their rain, but all the philoso-
phors ard SCIENTISTS of the age cannot fe1ch
either lieglt CT heat from the sun or drop of
rain from 4 c'aGtls. God has given to us
His Son, :. il Lin ail blessings temporal
and spirit !, c9rti;le and eternity. We have
s,.,i-+ .i,,+ II
and feast Us with His iullness.
IL. ''Ile mote the rock twice. A gracious
God woGl,! not le5 even this rebellious people
suffer because OF tho sin OF His servant
NIoses and SO ''r!le water camo out abun-
dainty" Ono has said that "Grace
triulng. sds.3 70 OF Moses failure,n and is it
not jcet So eycry day2 Who is there that
serves God wivhout sins And yet he per-
mits such sinful messengers as we are to be
channci OF blessing to others.
L.. 'Ee believed r,e not, to sanctify me.n
The eyes oil Israel were by the words of Noses
and A2gql directed TO them, and not to the
Lord, as il Moaes and Aaron We're supplying
their need 1t is written, 81 am tho Lord;
that is Ny name, and My glory will 1 not
give to al;ou:iel'' Gsa xiii, s., and again, Gle
that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord"
q Cor. i, sly. Whenever as teachers or
preachers We allow TIE eyes Of the people to
rest on rs or Our talents CT our wisdom wo
erc then falling TO saactify the Lord before
tSieln and dislealifying ourselves TO be their
leaders,
49, lie was sanctiGed in them.n What
ever be tho sin and failure of the people or
their leaders God will through it all main.
tain the glory of his name. That name is
recorded in Ex. xzxiv, 81, as ''The Lord, the
Lord God, merciful and gracious" etc., and
truly Ills mercy and grace are magnifiel in
TIL; lessen. 1t all seems to come home to us,
saying: Let Him who redeemed you have
lis o@'n way with you, and rejoice tilou il
Gi.a; " ..i-.t !salI ~! t:s u. win, M II.