The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1888-10-18
SUNDAY SCHOOL.
THE LESSON FOR OCTOBER II.
The Memorial Stones" Josh. 4; 10.
24.-Goiden Text. Josh. 4; "a
Lesson Commentary.


in the third, the preparations for the crossing
OF the Jordon and the actual passing over;
and now in tho fourth we have more full
account OF the passing over, with the details
concerning the twelve stones. In some of
our hymns we sing about Jordan as II IL
were symbol of death, anl as IL Canaan
represented heaven: but very little thought
would show us that the fact that in Canaan
there were many enemies to he subdued and
much fighting To b. done. proves that 1t was
not n symbol of heaven. nor the Jor
dan symbol Of death The land
Canaan, The good land flowing with milk
AMI honey, IS u symbol Of the rest and vic
tory of faith which it is the privilege OF
every believer to enjoy here in this present
world. Jordan signifies tn, river of jung
ment; the twolvc stones in tho midst OF
Jordan with the waters of the river flowing
over them ". 81 seem to speak OF the sins of
the nations AS buried or washed away. the
twelve stones from the midst Of the river
carried up To the place in the land whore
they first lodged ~. seem to speak Of iudg-
ment past aud rosurvc ton accomplished:
and the Application tu the believer Is, II YOU
would enjoy the rest aud victory of faith see
yourself us dead with Christ Your Judgment
for sin passel, and risen with Christ and
seated with HIM IN the lIcavcnlics. tltph.
ii, "a
10. "Thc priests which bore the ark stool
in the midst at Jordan until -, crything was
finished that the Lord commanded Joshua
my Aiil Nlllil~U'l u llll t'~ltilt WIN NrOl,
and nG that lie has purpo,cd shall in duo
tinir he fully accomplished jesus said he
fore lie Wns cruciiod ~ have finished tho
work which Thou givcst Me 10 do and one
ut His last words ON tho cross was: "lt IL
imShci.' John xvii, 1: xix 3D.l All that
tno Father has given in shall come To- Him:
all lsracl shall be- saved: all the earth shall
hc filed with His glory; the works Of the
dcvll shall all bc destroyed the Kingdom
sha,l come and the will of God loo done on
earth rs IN heaven
"ihr people hn,t,d aud passed oycr.n The
commands of tiOl ought To- be- obaycl cheer
fully anu very promptly; It s not tor us TO
say O. morrow, or tune enough, hut today is
the word both for sinner AMI saint
II. AN the people were clean passed over"
What rest il should give our souls when wa
rcmcWhor that though now :, imperfect llo
viii perfect that which cunccrncth all His
people and present rs fnultcss before the
presence e Hw glory with exceeding JOY,
nul not one thing shall fnil of all lie has
undertaken t. do: all shall ic accomplished
l. u. Forty thuus1u prepared Tor war
passed over before tn ord unto battle"
These were Of the two anl "a half tribe, who
received their inheritance IN the days o.
Moses on tG" ,n,t of Jordan, but they had
agreed not 10 on oy their inh. ritlncc TIN they
hud helped their brethren To- cast out the
enemies on the west sdo yum. xxi. 9O.9H,
and only when the land wa, possessed and
the enemy suNduci did they return To- enjoy
licvcr- wo nrc expected To- hc ono with all
our brethren in Christ armed with tho wholo
armor of God. resisting aud coulurrlng our
common advcrstrics, the world, th, llc Ia and
the devil.
n. The Lord mngnineI Joshua in tho
sight of all Israel" Ilc was the I.oris r,p.
reseulntiyc, and rs In" peopo moved for
wari at his command and saw the mighty
power uf the Lord through him, they ha to
contosc that the tod of Moses was with
l. A -
him as they dill Moses, and the Lord magni-
iioi Joshua 10y working through him. Tod
has ma unified HIS son Jesus, pra Will 'nag.
uty Him before all nations, for "all kings
shalt fail down before Him, all nations shall
serve Him. IL we determine that Christ
shall toe mngnilied in us and yield ourselves
a. Him accordingly, lie will magnify US here
by working IN uS His mighty works, aud at
HE coming 10y making rs Just like Himself
10, lG Command the priests that they
como up out Of Jordan, nnd this at the com
inand of the Lord to Joshua How strange
it seems that they were not left to their own
judgment n 10 when and how 30 do some
things but no, everything must Ice at tho
comm md Of the Lord. ono Of the straugcst
things to mo IN all tho Bible is that the Lord
Jesus himself was commanded by the Father
what 10 say, AMI the Father who dwclt in
Him did His work tJohu xii, -, xiv, lOl
us. "The waters Of Jordan returned
unto their place, aud flowed over all his banks
rs before Not until the feet of the priests
were up ON tho dry land did the waters re-
turn o. thor pl- 20. Most thoroughly AMI
perfectly does God do all things, aud at the
right time aud in the best way; IL is Just
glorious To trust and obey Hun. How sad IL
would have been for any who had not has
tened To pass over, hut delaying to obey
should have been cut OF by tho returning
waters. How sal it VIII bo for those who
when the Bridegroom comes snail be shut
out from the marriage because not ready.
H. Tho p'upl" came up out or Jordan on
the tenth day OF the first month" This was
the day on which the passover Lamb was
chosen Tx XII, 81, and rs they kept the pass.
over on tho fourteenth day ~. TO- they
must have selected tho lambs on the very day
on which they came up out Il Jorlan, their
first day in the prom scd land. This is tho
third passover of which we have any account.
Note the truths for the believer; Redemption
from bondage 10y the Lamb TX, XIII, tho
only joy IN the wilderness is m the Lamb
tNum, M.), aud the rest of the promised land
is IN the Lamb. all things IN Christ, nothing
apart from II m. Jesus. our wisdom, right
eouSnc,s, slnctllication and redemption.
% "lhosr twelve stones I'm addition TO
the lessons from the twelve stones, 10 which
we have already referred, the faithful among
them would often think of "thc shepherd,
the stone of Israel Oicn, Xix, ~; and the
twelve precious stones ever borne upon tho
shoulders and breast Of tho High Priest
would constantly speak TO them Of their near.
ness to Sod, and His love for, and care Of
them.
II -. "Let your children know" II in
Christian homes to-day the children never
hear father or mother speak Of the
wondrous love and dongs of Him who died
on Calvary for us; If We have nothing to lay
about our joy because He has redeemed Us,
having forgiven us all our sins; nor OF tho
many ways in which He has del vered MS in
answer to prayer; il we DO not manifest that
He is to us a living bright reality, our most
intimate and confidential friend, how eau We
expect our children to enquire after Him or
learn 10 know Hmi If He is n stranger to
us how can lie reasonably be anything but a
stranger to thcm'
-. That all the people of the earth might
know the hand of the Lord, that II is
mighty First at home, and then TO the ends
Of the earth among all nations, beginning at
Jerusalem; in Jerusalem. in all JudWa, and
in Samaria. and unto the uttcrmost part of
the earth luke xiv, a; Acts L., -. such Is
st i'll the command, and lie whose eyes are
as n fame of fire is searching us in reference
10 these things. II we are redeemed by the
precious blood of Christ. we are here on the
earth for two reasons, viz. That we may
become tried stones fitted for our places in
tho iuillinp which l. hnup luilIpl upOn