The Ottawa free trader., 1888-10-27
THE FALL OF JERICHO.
International 6unday-School Les
son for October 28. 1889
A Groat Victory Through Faith-A Mighty
City Reduced by the Children Of
Israel-GOd voriflss His Word
to Them That Trust In Him.

LESSoN lEAT-JOSN. O'l-lO,
GOLDEN TExT-By faith the walls Of Jeri-
cho fell down, after they were compassed
about seven days.-Heb. IL 80.
CENTRAL TIUru-Victory over evil through
faith.
TIME--B. C. l45l. April Two or three
weeks after the last lesson.
PLAcE--Gilgal and Jericho. Gilgal is
about five miles west OF the Jordan. 1t lay
in the eastern edge Of u beautiful forest Of
palm trees, eight miles long and three miles
wide, while Jericho was about mile and
half to three miles distant in the western
edge Jericho was the largest city in these
parts, strongly fortified, and WAS the key
to Palestine.
CIRCUMSTANCES The Israelites. after
crossing the Jordan on the 10th of Nisan,
went up the western slope of the valley
about FIVE miles to Gilgal, where the me-
mortal stones were set up. Here they re-
newed the rite of circumcision, and then
held their greatest religious feast, as conse-
Grating themselves anew TO God at the very
outset Of their new life.
HELPS OVER HARD PLACES. Nolc Jer-
icho, etc. this verse belongs in parenthe-
sis. Strditlu strictly. .. And the Lord said:
the captain Of the Lords host who met
Joshua outside of Jericho %: 1919. 3.
COMPASS march around. II was done in
the morning ". l2). Sir days. once each
day. The delay tested the faith of the Is
raelites, and called the attention OF the
Canaanites TO Gods wonder soon to be
done. 4. Trunpets Of rams horns: not the
straight silver war trumphet but those
made of rams horns or of metal IN the
shape Of horns, used in calling TO religious
services. Seuen times: il II took an hour to
90 round the city, with half rests be-
tween, it would take till towards evening to
complete the task. s. Al the people shout:
each one should join in doing his part and
showing his faith. 9. And the dr'ned men
.pent before: the procession consisted C) OF
armed men, as Il guard, FOR SAFETY, and Tor
honoring the ark; (2) the priests and the
horns heralding the ark; (3> the ark borne
by priests, the central object showing that
God was the central hope and power; a.
the rewarded men Of Israel. H. Shout; tho
victory did not come through the shouting
II was O miracle direct from Gods hand.
But the shouting connected the miracle
with the people and the faith in their hearts.
On THE DESTRUCTION on THE CANAANIrns.
-Q)The right of Israel to Canaan was that
God gave it to them. (2) he took 1t away from
the Canaanites on account Of their wicked
ness Their religion was the fOulest and most
degrading idolatry. (S) 1t was Is right for
God to use the lsraelites rs the instrument
of destruction ~ il would be to use an earth
quake or pestilence. ~ This instrumen-
tality showed clearly that the punishment
was from the God Of Israel. ~ 1t inspired
the Israeli.es with q horror Of the Canaan
ites' sins (6) Their total destruction was
necessary to prevent the true people and
the true religion from being contaminated
"a Otherwise all true religion would have
boen lost from the earth.
COMMENTS. AS soon as they had crossed
the Jordan, the Israelites besieNed the city
of Jericho. God gave them very peculiar
directions as to how they were to 60 to
work III their siege Of the city. They were
| TO use no weapons Of war, but were only TO
march around the city once each day, the
priests blowing the trumpets that they held.
On the seventh day they were to march
around the city seven times, and when they
heard the sound Of the trumpets the people
were to give great shout. God promised
that IL they would do this, the walls Of the
CITY would fall of their own accord, and the
people would have nothing to do but 70 take
possession Of the cfty. The people believed
the Lord, and it fell out as He SAID 1t would,
for the walls Of the city fell Hat, and the
people marched in without striking q single
blow.
"Bv faith the walls of Jericho fell down. p"
This means that in answer to the faith Of
the people the walls Of Jericho wore cast
down by Gods power God promised to
overthrow the walls of the city If the Israel
"a. 4; l.. tnlJ m ThpV showed
their faith in Gods promise by going
around the city in accordance with His di-
rections, and finally God redeemed His
promises and honored their faith by level
ing the walls to the ground. Merely going
around the city would have no tendency
whatever to overthrow the WALLS. The IN
habltants of Jericho most probably laughed
these promenaders to scorn, as, day after
day, they saw them march heiplessly
! around. Unbelef would naturally have
said: "There is no earthly use in this eternal
marching. Ii can produce no results III
God had bidden as attack the city, and had
promised us aid, we could understand II.
But this mere marching is simply ridicu-
lous." 1t is the part of faith to do many
things which the unbelicving world calmly
laughs at as idiotic. NcvertheleSs, though
for SIX dayS JerlCnO ldub utu, oh Vic ScFohtn
day Israel had It's turn to laugh. The prov
erb says: He laughs best who laughs
last" and so it proved in this case. For on
the seventh day down came the walls, and
up went the thousands of Israel, every man
straight before him, and the city was taken
This faith it was that enabled Moses t1
overcome the temptation TO the sinful lux
ury Of Egypt, and TO prefer 70 east in his lo'
with captive Israel. This faith prompted
Abraham to forsake his home and go into
uncertainty at Gods bare command. This
! faith led the apostles TO suffer the loss OF
all things (even as we saw In our last
quarters lessons), and count them ou'
nothing for the sake Of their Master. This
faith has sustained many thousands OF dis
ciples when they have been called upon II
| forsake all comforts and bear all hardships
for Chrst's sake. The fact is that no temp
tatlop can befall us which we shall not bt
able TO resist II we have calm faith in God
and no Affections can ever crush US
| il we put our trust in Him. Where
then does our danger hei 1t lies
in the fact we often want to walk no
by faith, but by sight We want God u
show US the end Of the conflict before WI
are willing TO begin il. Sight says that th'
way God bids 10 take Is absurd, and we are
more willing to believe sight than 10 trus