Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1888-06-29
GOD IN ISRAEL.
4
LESSON |, THIRD QUARTER, INTER-
NATIONAL SERIES, JULY I.

brews Wilt. Io-Commcntary by Rev.
ID. NJ. stearns.
CONDENSED from Lesson Helper Quarterly. by
permission Of Il s Hoffman, Philadelphia pub
Usher.
After spending twelve months on the
Gospel by Matthew-the Gospel of the
King and the kingdom-we now return to
the history of the beginning of the existence
of Israel as a nation, the people whom God
formed for Himself to show forth His praise;
a people terrible from their beginning hith-
erto; q nation yet to blossom and bud
and fill the face of the earth with fruit
Qsa xiii, 21; xviii, 2-7: xvii, g. The lessons
of the next six months, upon which we now
enter, will be of greatly increased interest to
us If we remember few scriptural facts and
become fully persuaded that these things !
am about to mention indeed plainly and
most emphatically asserted in the Scriptures.
In our lesson today they are three months
out of Egypt, having crossed the Red sea on
dry land and journeyed down to Mount
Sinai, where they are now encamped, having
been guided thither by the Lord, who went
before them by day in pillar of cloud to
lead them the way, and by night in pillar
of fire to give them light. With bread from
heaven were they fed morning by MORN
ing, and water from the rock quenched
their thirst A supernatural people as to
| their origin, their deGverance from their OPP
pressors, the supply Of their daily wants and
victory over their enemies-but, oh, how
natural and how sinful as to their daily Gfei
for already had they more than once MUIR
INJURED against God and in their hearts turned
back to Egypt How strange that God,
knowing beforehand just how they would
act, chose them for His people, In them we
see ourselves, and In Him the Interchangeable
Jehovah.
Moses, Aaron and two Of his sons, with
seventy Of the elders of Israel, are invited to
come up on the mount to meet God the more
full account of this we have in verses to IL
of our lesson But notice here that Moses
alone shall come near" the others are to
worship afar off, they shall not come nigh.
The Ia SRI acle at this time not being built
nor Aaron and his sons set apar' % priests,
Moses, whom the Lord Enew face to fnce
C)eut xxxiv, TO-, stands before us as type Of
the true mediator and daysman. the Lord
Jesus Christ. our prophet, priest and king
,Deut. xviii, 1910 By the finished work Of
the Lord Jesus all who receive Him are made
nigh Eph. ii, 49, and all who trust IL His
merits and are washed in His blood have
access at all times to the very presence OF
God by faith in Him. One of the most beauti-
full names of Israel is that In Ps cxlviii, IA;
"a people near unto HIM" the full meaning
of which is yet to be made manifest AL true
believers in Jesus Christ are even now so
near to Him that we are called 'members Of
His body of His flesh and Of His bones"
lEph v, so, and If we would but believe
that we are as near to Him and as dear to
Him as He says we are, we would surely be
constrained by His love to honor Him and
seek His glory more than we do
uMOsaS came and told the IaODle all the
words of the Lord, and all the Judgments"
In connection with the receiving of the INV
and the instructions about the Tabernacle,
Moses went up to God in the Mount just seven
times, and on two OCCASIONS he remained with
God forty days and forty nights, and neither
did eat bread or drink water. EA xix.
3, 8, 90 Xxx, 81; XIV II; xxi. 30; xxxiv,
a. This verse tells us of his return from his
fourth visit, at which time he repeated to the
people the words which we have in chapters
xxi-xxiii, and the people. not knowing the
sinfulness and deceitfulness of their own
hearts, replied with one voice; IAN the
words which the Lord hath said will we do"
"And Moses wrote ali the words of the
Lord" All the words of the Lord were very
precious to Moses, he spake them to the peo-
pie and wrote them down for future use;
the people were to set their hearts upon them
as their life Deut xxxii, 40, they were to
5 have them in their hearts, teach them unto
a their children and talk of them in the house
and by the way Deut VI, 40 1t is to be
: feared that many Christians think that they
q can get along quite well with very few Of
Z the words of the Lord and that there are
. some who consider large portion of the
8 Bible unnecessary for them to give any heed
!, to. There may be some teachers who are
r sorry that our lessons for the next six
H., a IT,
;. that the Old Testament. as we call it, was the
q book that Jesus loved, and that He was ever
4 quoting from, expounding. and in His life
l., fulfilling and that all the Scriptures were
It concerning Himself If we have in any way
l. or in the least degree sighted or neglected
d any portion of Scripture let us seek forgive
# ness and begin at once to appreciate more
l. fully "all the words Of the Lord"
d g. Burnt otferings-Peace offerings.
Two different aspects of the one great and
j. all sufficient sacrifice of the Lord Jesus; the
e first sgnifying His giving Himself an offer
/, ing and sacrifice to God for US. and the SEQ
r ond telling us of the result of that sacrifice.
n As we receive Him, rest in Him and feed
g upon Him, we have peace with God and true
IT fellowship, being made partakers OF Christ
r, and all the benefits which flow from Him
t. 6-a "And Moses took the blood and
IS | bpTulhleQ ~ tuc ne tllsu
W sprinkled it on the altar ~ o.. and on the
g. book Heb, tx, 80. 1t is the application Of
A. the blood that in any case makes it effica-
re cious On the night on which they left
le Egypt the blood of the passover lamb might
have been shed. but unless it had been
sprinkled on the door posts and the Intel the
angel of death would surely have entered the
n house So now, although Jesus has shed Hi
W blood, unless it is applied to us unless w
At truly accept Him and give ourselves to Him
r. it will not avail for us, but in Him every
in blessing OF the covenant is made sure t.
III every one in Him.
lie Oil "They saw God, and did eat ant
N drink" And yet Jesus said: mo man hath
a. seen Col at any time, the only begotten SoI
- who is in the bosom of the father. He haiti
s. declared Him" John /, lS,. Now, while Their,
at are in the Scriptures this and other apparent
lg contradictions, there cannot possibly be any
o; real contradictions uttered by the Holy
es Spirit. for He is faithful witness and
~...% Il <r,1r. ~.