The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1888-11-30
ISRAEL UNDER JUDGES.
LESSON TX, FOURTH QUARTER,
INTERNATIONAL SERIES, DEC. 2.

LESSON TX, FOURTH QUARTER,
INTERNATIONAL SERIES, DEC. 2.
Text of the Lesson, Judges II, 1l-a3.
Commit vcrscs-Goldcn Text. Heb. ill,
12-Commcntary by Rev. ID. nj. stcarns.
psTssan from 81 Il teSo1 HELPER hy
| pubisher.I
In studying the history of Israel it is neces.
sary to keep i'll mind that the Lord God had
chosen them tobe special people unto Him
self, above all people upon the face of the
earth: an holy people unto tho Lord their
God, that He might dwell among them, and
that they might magnify His name before
the nations. He only asked Of them a cheer
| full and whole hearted obedience and submis-
sion, promising on His part that they should
be made to enjoy the greatest possible tenn
poral prosperity and be tho-head Of all ma
| tlons, no one being abs to stand before them.
lEx XIX, s, 6; Deut vii, 6; xviii, LAY
Ihelr history during tho forty years that
Moses led them is found in the books of Ex-
odus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy
we have just been studying their history
under the leadership of Joshua, as recorded
Ill the book Of Joshua, and now we come to
their history under the adges for about $50
years, as recorded in this book.
| II. ''The children of Israel did evil in the
sight of the Lord, and served 3aalim." At
least seven times do we find this statement
concerning their doing evil in this book Iii,
III; iii, Z IL; iv, 1; vi, 1; <, 6; xiii, ~. and
reason is given in the preceding verse, that
generation had arisen which knew not the
Lord, nor yet the works which He had done
for Israel.
II. ''They forsook the Lord God of their
fathers" Some Of Joshua's parting words
were: "f ye forsake tho Lord and servo
strange gods, then will he turn and do you
hurt and consume your Josh. xiv, 2C, but
these words arc now forgotten or unheeded;
and worse still, the Lord who brought them
out of the land of Egypt, and made them q
nation and gave them this good land, is for
gotten and forsaken.
! IL. ''They forsook the Lord, and served
Baal and Ashtaroth." These wero tho male
and female divinities of the nations before
mentioned, and their worship was associated
Nth tho most cruel and also tho most impure
practices; the very extreme opposite of that
required by the pure and holy and loving
God of Israel.
IA. 1.-The anger of the Lord was hot against
Israel" In the account Of this sin written in
Ps cvi, 34-4G, it is said tho s'wrath Of the
Lord kindled against His people, insomuch
that lie abhorred His own inheritance, and
He gave them into the hand of the heathen."
LII Jer. XII, 2, concerning later sin it is
written: 81 have given the dearly beloved of
my soul into the hand of her enemies" It
was because of His great love fo! them that
lie thus chastened them for their sins, as tits
written: "You only have known of all the
families Of the earth: therefore will punish
you for oil your iniquities." Amos iii, g.
l5 "The hand Of the Lord was against
them for evil, and they were greatly
distressed" The way of tho transgressor is
I herd prov. xiii, 1l, but they were the re-
deemed of the Lord and His hand wns upon
them for evil only to make them see the evil
of their ways and turn from it, that He
might do them good.
| judges which delivered them" Nevertheless,
He regarded their affiiction when He heard
their cry; and He remembered for them His
covenant tPs. cvi, 445). Do not our hearts
say: 80, foolish people, why grove and
turn away from such lovca why not abide in
such friend; why not constantly rejoice in
such powcr2" Then voice whispers: "Thou
art the man; Israels sin is just thine own, and
the same God of Israel regards today the cry
Of tho oft erring, oftrepenting one, and de-
llvers those who call upon Him, such rs caa
upon Him in truth. Why not abide ever in
His lovc9
| H. 'Turned quickly out of tho way" Al
though He heard their cry and raised them
up judges who delivered them, they soon fell
away into sin as bad as ever, and would not
hearkcn to the judges; their hearts seemed
fully set in them to do evil. Love seemed
lost upon them, and past warnings seemed
utterly in vain; they were full OF self and sin,
anditappeared to be useless to do any thing for
them; yet Ho loved them and for His names
| sako forgave them and restored them many q
| time.
49, iIho Lord was with tho Judge" If it
were not SO tho jndge could have donc Moth
ing. The Lord was with Moses, and Joshua,
and David, and tho kings who did right in
His sight, and tho prophets who spoke in His
name. And the same Lord says to us to-day:
sLo, am with you Away"
"lt repented the Lord" This expression,
often used in reference to God, and first found
i'll Gen. vi, g. refers to Gods visible procedure
as it appears to us. That God should ever
change His mind, Or His purpose, or be sorry
for anything He does, is simply impossible
| 20 "The anger of the Lord" We had tho
\
again in this book in chapters iii, =; x,7. Ii
is difficult for lis to think of anger without
| sin, although we are told in one place to be
angry and Elm not dEph. iv, 26); however
difficult that may be for us, we cannot think
of any sin in connection with the Lords anger
| or wrath, for Ho is OF purcr eyes than to
i behold evil and cannot look upon iniquity
| (Heb. l. 1877 Arighteous indignation against
base ingratitude and rebellion and sighted
| 1oya will in 1aScriba
or wrath Of the Lord; but there is much in it
that is indescribable, and only tho great day
of His wrath when it is come lKev. vi, is, II
will fully show what it rueans: may we all
be hid in that day. (Zeph. ii, 8; lisa. xvi,
20, 2l.l
2l-s3 "That may prove Israel" Because
they transgressed His covenant and would
| not hearken to His voice, therefore tho idola-
trous nations were left or suffered (margin of
v. 23l in the land to prove Israel (chap. iii, l,
provo them, to know whether they would
love Him with all the heart or not Weut. viii,
Q, 1G; xiii, ~; thus He tempted or tried OF
proved Abraham in the matter of Isaac (Gcll.
xxi, y, and thus also He tried or proved
Hezekiah i'll the matter of the ambassadors
from Babylon III Chr xxxii, s1) An oft re-
pented lesson Of Scripture is that God wants
a tried people who will love and serve Him
| with all the heart, walking with Him as
Enoch did, and following film fully lilso
Joshua ana Caleo; strong III taith, rejoicing
to do His will, meditating upon His word
day and night, and separate from tho idola-
trous world As Israel was chosen to mako
God q name, SO believers today, called out Of
the world to form the church, which is the
body of Christ, are to bear constantly tho
name of Him who called them to Himself
(Acts tx, Is, ICY, and for His names sake
I'LL John 2, r. ", 'for the sake Of tho
nancy. go forth rs His witnesses. Tho
ordinary Christian life is much the same
as tho history of Israel in tho book of
Judges; just a constant disobeying, then
szaarincr aud rare,,tiro fhan fo,.oi uatosc n,d