The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1888-09-09

TIE SslITTES RocK-Nuun. xx. lis.
Golden Te1s-They drank Of that spiritual rock
TIA: followed them; and That roekwss Christi Cor
"A.
Non.-Num- II. Twice snitten.
Taes-EIOd- XVII D., -, Once smisssn
I=.-Psa. zxxi, Proved at Meribal.
Sal Cor Y, Drinking from the rock
ssG-Jonn w. fountain IN the near T.
THE Lesson STORY.
More than thirty-seven years had gone by
since the IsraeHtes were near che promised
land but could not go in because OF their I'M
belief The morning after the day told about IN
our last lesson. when they cried and said the
ugiy words TO Joshua and Caleb. who wanted
them to 60 and fight the giants, the people saw
that they had been foolish. and were ready then
10 60 and take toe land God had promised them;
sEt God had seen their unbeief, and had said
they muss 60 back into tho wilderness-tne y
were not ft 20 90 into Cansan- But IN spite OF
Gods command, and all that Moses said to keep
them back, they went out to battle, withont tns
pillar TO guide, AID were terribly beaten.
Many things happened in the thirty seven
years. Many of the older people had died, aud
those that were children had grown up. But
all the time God had led, taught and fed His
PEOPLE, and now they were again In the place
on the border OF Canaan where they had been
nearly forty years before.
But here was a new trouble No water to
drink; the sun scorehine hot; the rivers and
brooks dried up because there had been no rain;
and every one of al the men, women and chill
dren, and ali the cattle, almost wild with thirst.
II hard to bear, of course. and yet wouldn't
yor think they would have said, "God can send
Us water; He has fed as with mama oil these
years. and He gave rs fresh, pure water before
when all the water we could find was bitteri'
But instead Of believing that the God who had
Done so much would still care for them, they be-
gan again talking bitterly to Moses. oIoses and
Aaron went to God with their trouble, and He
told Moses to gather the Israelites together near
. great rock. take his rod in his hand and speak
To the rock. and from it would come water
enough for all the Israelites. and their cattle,
too
Moses gathered the people together; but he
was out OF patience with them. To be sure,
they had behaved very wickedly great many
times and always before Moses bad been pa
TENT but their wickedness could not excuse
hlm for speaking hastily, and now be talked an
gri!y TO the lsraelites, and instead OF speaking
% the rock he struck it twice with the rod. The
water pushed out, and all the thirsty multitude
were refreshed; but God was not pleased that
Moses had spoken and acted as he did. It was q
bad example for the leader TO set before the peo-
pie and as a punishment God told Moses that he
could not 60 into the promised land
From the previous rebellion of Israel to this
lesson, for the long space of nearly eight and
thirty years, we have hardly any record of their
history. 1t is doubtful il there was anything
worth recording. and so the inspired writer
kindly passes it over in significant silence. The
tribes had been scattered mp and down the desert
tNum. xiv, 1884, doing about as they pleased
and giving but small attention to the leaders
And-ths Lsvites, who kept up the forms of wor.
ship under Aaron and his sons. Nearly all Of
the people must have died in this wilderness
life, as they wandered from Kadesh to
Ezion Gebsr Mum. xxxiii, 1885, Their Tit
tie Ones" instead Of becoming "a prey to the
Lii q "A ha%f
tion, with better ideas, aud God fulfs his prom
ises TO them instead OF TO their fathers. Once
more Moses calls the tribes together to kadesh,
from which place they begin the new march to
Canaan, which they enter within year. But
while they tarry there, Miriam, the sister OF
Moses, dies. Here the people led to COM
plain OF the lack of water, and to blame Moses
for bringing them together in such place. It
WIS at this place that Moses again brought wa
ter from the rock; but it was done in such a
way as to bring upon him the disoleasure Of
God. IL ia the story of doing a right thing in
o wrong way, and doing good in such a spirit
that he dishonors himself and fails to honor
God.
HINTS AND HELPS FOR TEACHERS.
Some Test Questions-1. Locate on the map
the desert of Tin and Kadesh 2 Who was
Miriaml 3. Where and how did their brethren
die before the Lordp verse 81 f. IN what
form did Gods glory appear unto Moses and
AarOpl 3. What was the preceding history OF
Asron's rodl g. What was the exact command
that God gave to Mosesl T. In what ways did
Moses exceed the commands of God3 8. How
did Moses fail to sanetify God in the presence
of the people, aud what was the punishment
9. Why was Aaron punished with Mosssi
SOME POINTS FOR CLASS TALKS.
l. The calls of God that bring together his
people for great forward movements. They
gathered themselves together against Moses" or
there was no water for the congregation mo
water" yet every rock, and hill, and valley was
full of IL. waiting TO obey the call OF God l.
Would God we had died. Our discomforts
often make Us rebels or towards; yet there was
the making of heroes in these same men. 5.
And they fell upon their faces" Sometimes
We can only bow down and wait for God. g.
Take the rod and speak unto the
rock The word OF the Lord is our rod o.
power Believe that God is with i. 7. Must
we fetch you water" God does not hold rs re-
sponsibls for results; but He does ask simple
obedience in the use OF appointed means s.
''The water came out abundantly." God does
not punish the people for the error of Moses
The people are often helped and comforted by
unworthy ministers. Success does not prove
the favor of God g. Moses did not enter Ca
naau, but he did Dot lose heaven.
Religions Notes.
Those who always love have not the leisure to
complain aud be unhappy.-Joubert
The three essentials to human happiness are,
something to love, something to do, and some
thing TO hope for.
1t is of no concern to Christianity what you
and | think of il, but it is an immense concern
to ourselves.-President X. ID. Hitchcock.
The voice Of conscience is so delicate that il IL
easy stihs it, but it is also clear that it is
impossible TO mistake it.-Mme. de Stael.
The hardest OF all church debts to get rid Of is
the spiritual mortgage held by some powerful
predeeessor.-Syracuse Christian Advocate.
Twenty years ago the gospel was not allowed
10 enter Spain; now there are between 10000
aud goo adherents OF the evangelical
churches.