Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1888-09-14
SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON.
Lesson xI, September II, 1888.
THEME; The SsITTES RocK-Num. 20
l-i3.


Then came the children Of Israel, even
the whole congregation, into the desert Of
Yin In the first month and the people abode
in kadesh and Miriam died there, and was
buried there. 2. And there was no water
for the congregation: and they gathered
themselves together against Moses and
against Aaron. 8. And the people chode
with Moses, and spake, saying, Would God
that we had died when our brethren died
before the Lord. 4 And why have We
brought up the congregation OF the Lord is-
TO this wilderness, that we and our cattle
should die therei o. And wherefore have ye
made as 10 come up out of Egypt, TO bring
us into this evil place. IL is no Place OF seed,
or OF figs, or of vines. or OF pomegranates
neither is there any water 10 drink. &. And
Moses and Aaron went from the presence
Of the assembly unto the door Of the tabcr
nacle Of the congregation and they tellup
on their faces: and the glory Of the Lord
appeared unto them. I. And the Lord
spake unto Moses, saying, :. Take the rod,
aud gather thou the assembly together, thou
and Aaron thy brother, and speak We unto
the rock before their eyes and II shall give
forth 10 them water out Of the rock: so thou
shalt give the congregation and their beasts
drink 9. And Moses took the rod from be
fore the Lord, as hc commanded him. 10.
And Moses and Aaron gathered the congre-
cation together before the rock. and said
.
fetch YOU water out OF this rock IL. And
Moses lifted up his hand, and with his rod
he smote the rock twice. and the water
came out abundantly. and the congregation
drank. and their beasts also. r. And the
Lord spake unto Moses and Aaron, Because
We believed me not, 10 sanctify me in the
eyes Of the children OF Israel. therefore We
shall not bring this congregation unto the
land which have given them. Is. This is
the water of Meribah; because the children
Of Israel strove with the Lord, aud he was
sanctihcd in them.
GOLDEN TExT.-TheY drank Of that
spiritual Rock that followed them; and
that Rock was Christ Cor. 1914
The place Of the lesson is Kadesh Barnea
which seems 10 have been the central sta
tion during the intervening thirty seven
and "A half years which elapsed between
last week = lesson and the present one. The
six Intervening chapters contain records OF
the ambition OF kOrah, Dathan and Abiram,
their revolt and punishment and the bud
! ding Of Aaron's rod
AS whole the years were seasons OF
I apOstasy and neglect Of the tabernacle and
/ its service:
because they despiscd my judgments
/ and walked not in my statutes; but polluted
my Sabbaths; j would not bring them into
the land which had given them Ezekiel
/ 20:l l-23l. "Ye have pioughed wickedness,
| We have reaped iniquity We have eaten the
/ fruit OF lies because thou didst trust In
| thy way in the multitude OF thy mighty
\ mem Hosea Y
LESSON NOTES.
V |. Thon came the children Of Israel
! into the desert of lin and abode in kadesh.
/ Vain attempts had been made at intervals
/ 90 go into Canaan, but the cloud by day and
I fire by night went not before them. The
! God appointed opportunity had been re
/ NJ . or
the desert with their hocks maintaining
more or less close relation and communiCa
ton with kadesh, whore remained Moses
and remnants of the tribes with the tabcr
nacle. Moved by invisible influence or the
call of Moses, Israel convened again on the
10th anniversary OF their departure from
! Egypt for a new start The years had been
marked by disappointment and death.
Miriam, about 100 years of age, one of their
| leaders, had died and was buried. Fuse
bus (sji $40 \ D. says that Miriam :
tomb was 10 be seen near kadcsh in his
time Aaron at l23 years OF age was only
a month this side the grave and Moses al
40 years was near his end, dying some
eleven months later Never did future
prospects look more discouraging, viewed
! by the natural eye.
V . There was no water for the congrc-
CATION. While there are large springs at
Kadcsh. the supply varies in abundance
with the season, and for solarge a company
! Congregated in one locality, the inCOnvcn-
fences OF supply, with limited quantity
must have been great Again the people
were not in happy mood. their fathers
graves were scattered through the wilder
ness. They had expected TO find habita
ton, abiding place, ere this, but they were
still in suspense. The memory Of their
dead, and their aged leader failing in
strength were factors in the universal dis
cOuragement which found voice in the
words would God we had died with
Korah, Dathan and Abiram.n The discom-
! fort OF the present is again compared with
the former life in Egypt. Past pleasures
are magnified when viewed through the
/ lens Of present unhappiness.
v g. And Moses and Aaron went into
/ the door of the tabernacle. and fell upon
/ their faces. They might have retaliated in
burning words, relating IN detail the many
transgrcssions and disObediences Of Israel
/ which were causes leading not only 10 the
suffering of the congregation. but their own.
/ They pursued "A wiser course. however.
seeking divine wisdom aud grace in the
sanctuary. God was the only source Of
help, and he did not fail them, but appeared
in added glory and brilliancy from the
cloud.
THE sIN or MOSES
V. Take the rod and gather thou the
assembly. The rod with which Moses had
performed wonders in Egypt. and at Rephi-
dim. was laid up with the sacred things Of
the tabernacle. Moses now brings IL forth
from "befOre the Lord as be commanded
The Lord said "Go forward. show them the
rod and quiet their murmurngs." Moses
went forward, but addressed the people
and in his impotence struck the rock: he
should "show the cd" not strike with it,
He should have spoken" 10 the rock. not
the people. There IS great difference be
tween partial obedience and fun obedience
Furthermore. Moses addressed the assem-
bly, in very unbecoming words Hear now
We rebels must we fetch YOU water out of
this rockF' How bombastic the language
how unlike the meek and obcdient Moses.
He spoke the truth when he called them
rebels He had called them so before.
but in meekness and sorrow. He now spoke
in anger. which was culpable.
Had he spoken 10 the rock water would
have gushed forth. and thus God would
have been glorifed by inanimate nature -
reproof TO Israel whose hearts were harder
and whose spirit was less yielding than
stone.
Moses and Aaron doubtless hoped. in the
coming together of this new generation.
10 find more docile and spiritually mind
ed people; they expected better things of
them. They were disappointed, il was the
slanderous abuse and fault finding Of their
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