The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1888-09-06
SUNDAY SCHOOL.
LESSON NoR SEPTEMBER o.
"Tbc Unbeiiof oi 1.-THE People "Num. xiv.
f-fO.-Goidcn Text, Heb ~. 10.
Explanatory Notes.

fought Cor them against Amalek and con.
quered; had spoken 10 them from the burn
ing mountain: had shown them his great
love and power in so many ways and had
come to dwell visibly among them in the
tabernacle erected for Him in their midst:
the pillar of cloud and of fire, symbol of His
presence, was visible to oil the millions of
israel, and yet these ten unbelieving rulers in
Israel speak OF the strength OF the sons
OF Anak as an obstacle too formidable TO
be overcome. Was there ever such unbe.
| lief and such utter iorgetfulness OF n present
almighty God Your Lord and Saviour
| Jesus Christ IL able to save to the uttermost
| oil who come unto God by Him. is able TO
save you from your sins, is able to keep you
from falling, and you have only to yield
yourself fully TO Hin and be obedient and il
| shall be done.
J. "All the congregation cried" but IL was
| neither n cry OF victory nor n cry for help:
| IL was cry OF despair, because they saw no
helper, had no faith in God. Contrast the
| cry Of Abijah, and Asa, and Jehoshaphnt
| and the speedy answers granted to them Ill
| Chon. Kill, II; XIV, IL; xviii, 81, and be of
| good courage.
"And the people wept" In xi., 4 We find
| them weeping because they had nothing to
| eat but mama and they were longing for he
| food OF Egypt, now they are within sight AMI
| reach of the grapes and pomegranltcs anl
| figs OF the land flowing with mlS and honey.
| hut IN their eyes the difficulties were too
| great, anl ms they left TOD out VI their cal
| culations they wept IN despair, aud well they
| might, for whore there is no God there must
| le utter despair. hut how sad to SEQ this
| weeping when He who dries all tears il ready
and waiting to deliver If they would only lot
| HIM.
| .. And all murmuredn In ch. xii, it
| was Miriam and Aaron speaking against
| Moses; now IL Is all Israel murnurins saiust
| Moses and Aaron. "Tuoy dcsp soi the pcns-
| ant lHnd: they believed not HIS word. but
| murmurcd IN their tents, and hcarkened not
| unto the voice of the Lord JpS cvi.. - - }
| They had murmured mt Ma2ah and IN the
| wilderness of sin lex. Nv, -; xvi, IN,
| and all these murmulings were against the
| Lord lEN xvi, -, for all that is done To OF
| for a servant Of the Lord lie counts as done
| to himself luke X, lG) The love of tod
| which Thought them out of Egypt was bring
1 ing them, IN the best and kindcSt way, TO u
& orious Inheritance, but they deSpisrd it aud
| HIM, and murmured AMI complained. Gar
God, who reiecms us bv the precious blood of
| His dear Son, is bringing us to HIS kingdom
| III the very best and kindcst way. amt every
event Of every day is the best His love can
| devise, and every appointment is His ap
| poin,ment, 80 that any murmuring or com
planning ON our part Is not only dsploasing
| to God Mum Ni, u, but is finding fault with
| infinite love. Confidence ia God leaves nc
room for murmuring.
., !. Return into Egypt" The wish for
death was twice repeated IN " >: the return
| to Egypt is twice suggested in these verses.
| AT iiorcb they inadc Il calf and worshpod
| IL instead OF Col; now they want n human
captain instead OF Good himself, who was
| with them ms their captain III. Chron. xiii, -,
| ~ Nehemiah says that sin their rebellion
| thev appointed n captain t. return 10 their
| bondage tNeh. tx, Ia Oh, what sin and
| rebellion ON the part of man, what long suf.
| fering and love and patience ON the part of
| God. This God Is our God We ara like
| Israel, and all these things are written for
4 Inn an nj
but loss for the eXcellency of the knowledge
of Christ Jesus my Lord forgetting
those things which are behind, and reaching
| forth unto those things which are before
| press toward the mark for the prize OF tho
| high calling of God in Christ Jesus. II hill.
ill.,, :, IL, 10 How few there are like Paul,
how many like Lots wife, who though IS.
| capped from Solom left her heart there anl
, looked back "drSus said no man, having
| put his hand to the plow, and looking back,
Is tit for the Kingdom of God lisa. iN.. - 50
these mUrmurcrs could not enter IN because
Of unbc,ief, but their curcasrs fell in the
wilderness Heb. ill.,, -; Mum. XIV,
.7-29l.
=. Moses and Aaron fell ON thor faces. .
/ See also xvi, !, -, -; NN., u. lhi, wa, the
only thing 10 DO IN such a case: cry unto God
| and leave them To- Him. How wonderful
that God Will Jet NJ plead with Him auI be
moved 10y our pcaiinE
G Joshua and Caleb rent their clothes. Pc
Joshua Joins him in faithful testimony, and
these are the only two of all the thousand, in
| lsrue who Were over twcut, year, OF age
when they lett Egypt who entered the good
! land Tvs. 80. .N. Got does always honor
| those who hnv" faith IN him, uul though tho
| the part Il the men OF faith, Vet they are
blessed while they wnIt
:. Is. AN exceeding good land Eyen tho
unLclieyers hai T. comics, that xiii, -;
q L.. 0 Id q 81 q
the ! ord deli sht IN Us, ll, wi. bring Ms into
this land and give Il us They do not beast
II any power or wisdom above the other ten,
1t testify 10 the power ot tn Lord. II
nhnrsd moro abundantly than they ALL saws
Paul, yet not |, hut the grace Of God which
was with me- He that giorieth, let him
glory in the Lord" Il Cor. ", 10: l., 81. J
II any ask how can the Lord take delight IN
such as we aTei the answer j.: "Ihe Lord
taketh pleasure in them that fear HIM. IN
those that hope IN His mercy" Q's. cxlvii.,
.. Rebel not against the Lord. "Fear
not the people" "ths Lord is with us Con-
fidence in and obedience to God, seeing no
ono but Jesus only. this would give perfect
rest and peace and constant victory. To
! Moses and Joshua and Gideon, to Jeremiah
and the prophets, and the last word of Jesus
TO the apostles was simply II am with you. y
clearer apprehension of the meaning OF
tnat promise, anu OF tnf uuCuduSllS
love of Him who uttered IL, would re-
move all fear and urge us 70 cheer
iul obedience ut all times How little
they knew him, those other ten and that
favored nation, and how they did msunder-
stand HIM. IL was just so when He came in
human form in the person OF Jesus of Naza
reth they knew Him not, they received Him
not; and even the twelve whom He chose ~
his apostles misunderstood HIM even unto the
end. All our murmurings and fears and dis
obediences are simply evidences that we, too
misunderstood HIM and do not appreciate
His love; for His perfect love caSteth out all
fear, and mind stayed on Him has perfect
| peace
10. "Stone them with stones" SO they
would have done to Moses Tx xviii, 81; st
they were ready TO do To Christ John viii
80; x, 81; so they did TO Stephen and Pau
(Acts vii, 80: xiv, lsD. Truth is never popu
lar; al hate him. said Ahab of Mlcuiah tht
prophet; put him in prison, and feed him
with bread of ailliction and with water OF af
, Fiction Ill Chron. xviii, :, 2dl. SO thos'
who stand for the truth will find hatred ever
in our day from those who are of the world
The faithful have ever been. and will be Ill
He come, "a little flock" but their comfort i
the joy Of His presence and fellowship Will
| Him