The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1888-10-19
STONES OF MEMORIAL.

LESSON m, FOURTH QUARTER, IN
TERNATloNAL SERIES, OCT. ~.
Text Of the Lesson, Josh. ", iO-a%-Com-
NIT Verses aO-as-Goldsn Text. josh.
". ss-Commentsry by Rev. D. NJ.
stearna
CONDENSED from Lesson Helper Quarterly, by
permission OF H. 8. Hoffman. Philadelphia
publisher.
In the first chapter Of this book we saw
Joshua encouraged: In the second, the two
spies received and protected by Rahab, and
bringing to Joshua further encouragement;
In the third, the preparations for the cross
ing Of the Jordan and the actual passing
over; and now In the 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 il it
were symbol Of death, and as if Canaan
represented heaven; but very little thought
wou.,l show us that the fact that in Canaan
there were many enemies to be subdued and
much fighting to be done, proves that it was
not symbol of heaven, nor the Jordan
symbol of DEATH
TO- 1.-THE priests which bore the ark stood
in the midst of Jordan until everything was
finished that the Lord commanded Joshua"
Anything unfinished is impossible with God,
and all that he has purposed shall in due time
be fully accomplished. Jesus said before he
was crucifed: 81 have finished the work
which thou gavest me to do" and one of his
last words on the cross was: "It is finished"
John xvii, A xix, 30) All that the Father
has given Him shall come to Him; all Israel
shall be saved; all the earth shall be filed
with His glory; the works of the devil shall
all be destroyed; the Kingdom shall come
and the will of God be done on earth as in
heaven.
"T.:e people hasted and passed over" The
commands Of God ought to be obeyed cheer
fully and very promptly; it is not for us to
say tomorrow, or time enough, but today is
the word both for sinner and saint
IL. 'All the people were clean passed over"
Three times do we find the last three words
of this expression Tvs l, II, and Oh. iii, ~,
and the word ''clean" is precisely the same as
the word finished" in verse 10, 80 that the
thought of complete work is kept constantly
before u.s. What rest it should give our souls
when we remember that though now so i'm
perfect He will perfect that which concerneth
all His people and present us faultless before
the presence of His glory with exceeding joy,
and not one thing shall fail Of all He has
undertaken to do; all shall be accomplished.
10, 49, Forty thousand prepared for war
passed over before the Lord unto battle"
These were of the two and half tribes who
received their inheritance in the days Of
Moses on the east Of Jordan; but they had
agreed not to enjoy their inheritance till they
had helped their brethren to cast out the
enemies on the west sids (Num. xxi, 20
2S), and only when the land was possessed
and the enemy subdued did they return to
enjoy their possessions. Josh. xxi, 1-9.) As
believers we are expected to be one with all
our brethren in Christ, armed with the whole
armor of God, resisting and conquering our
common adversaries, the world, the flesh and
the devil
IA. ''The Lord magnifed Joshua in the
sight of all Israel" He was the Lords repre-
sentative, and as the people moved forward
at his command and saw the mighty power
1sf tia Lord through him, they had to con-
TESS that the God Of Moses was with Joshua,
and SO they feared or reverenced him as they
did Moses, and the Lord magnified Joshua by
working through him. God has magnifled
His son Jesus, and will magnify Him before
all nations, for ''all kings shall fall down be,
fore Him, all nations shall serve Him" If
we determine that Christ shall be magnifed
in US and yield ourselves to Him accordingly,
He will magnify us here by working in us
His mighty works, and at His coming by
making us just like Himself.
Is, l6 Command the priests that they
come up out of Jordan" and this at the COM
mand of the Lord to Joshua. How strange
it seems that they were not left to their own
judgment as to when and how to do some
things but no, everything must be at the
Of the Lord. One Of the strangest
things to me in all the Bible is that the Lord
Jesus himself was commanded by the Father
Him did His works. John xii, 40; xiv, 1O)
II. is. "The waters of Jordan returned
unto their place, and flowed over all his
banks, as before" Not until the feet of the
priests were up on the dry land did the waters
'eturn to their place. Most thoroughly and
perfectly does God do all things, and at the
light time and in the best way; it is just |
,lorious to trust and obey Him.
49, "The people came up out of Jordan on
he tenth day of the first month" This was
he day on which the passover Lamb was
hosen Tex. xii, 81, and as they kept the pass
'ver on the fourteenth day w. 10y, they
must have selected the lambs on the very day
N which they came up out of Jordan, their
irst day in the promised land. This is the
bird passover of which we have any account.
Sote the truths for the believer: Redemption
rom bondage by the Lamb lex kill; the
MY joy in the wilderness is in the Lamb
Mum. ix), and the rest of the promised land
5 in the Lamb; all things in Christ, nothing
part from Him; Jesus, our wisdom, right
business, specification and redemption.
co. ''Those twelve Stones" These stones
hall be for memorial unto the children of
srael forever ". ~ A nation che EN- to
nake God name, chosen to be His people
orever d Chr. xvii, 81, 22, that through
hem His name may be magnifed They
rere in themselves weak and sinful and the
swest of all people, but God redeemed them,
ID them, fed them, clothed them, fought for
hem, forgave them when they sinned against
lin, and gave them this land that they
hight hocor Him and magnify His name,
eeping in memory all His dealings with
hen. In addition to the lessons from the
Ivelve stones, to which we have already re-