The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1888-10-25
THE FALL OF JERICHO.
LESSON ", FOURTH QUARTER, IN
TERNATiONAL SERIES, OCT. %.

TERNATIONAL SERIES, OCT. %.
Text OF the Lesson, Josh. vi. I-Is-Com-
NIT Verses 10, 16-Golden Text, heb.
xi. 3o-Commentary by Rev. d. NJ.
Stearns.
CONDENSED from Lesson Helper Quarterly, BY
permission of H. S. II ffInaIa PHILADELPHIA
pubEsher.l
When the power of tha Lord was seen on
behalf of His people, then the hearts of their
enemies failed them and there was no spirit
left in them ". y. Because there is so
little of the power of God manifest today on
behalf of His people, by reason of their un-
belief, therefore the enemies of God are rebel
lious and despise His people. As soon as the
nation had crossed the Jordan and entered
the land Joshua caused to be circumcisei all
who had been born since they had left Egypt,
and then they kept the passover on the four
teenth day, of the month; thus with the re-
proach of Egypt rolled away, and living in
obedience to God, they were ready to go up
and possess the land, overcoming all OBJ
stacles. They had also eaten of the fruit of
the land, the mamma having ceased, and
thus they were strengthened for victory (v,
9-l9. Another uost interesting and i'm
portant incident is recorded in the closing
verses of the fifth chapter, as last prepara-
ton- fer their moving forward Joshua, by
Jericho, sees a man over against him with a
drawn sword in his hand, and approaches
him with the question: "Art thou for us or
for our adversariesr The reply is: GAS
captain of the host of the Lord am now
come" Will Joshua submit to be ruled over
and dictated to by another, or will he assert
his dignity and reply that he himself is cap
tain of this hosta Blessed servant of the
Lord, he falls on his face and worships and
says, in meek subsection and obedience.
l. Jericho was straitly shut up" As if to
say, you cannot enter here, nor think to scale
these walls, for we are too strong for you.
But there YVES one house in the city from
whose window hung scarlet thread and in
which was gathered a company of those
who feared and trusted in the God of Israel
Blessed household of faith and precious sure
token of the scarlet line. CSee ii, 1921; vi,
22-23) This present evil world is as cer-
tainly doomed to Judgment as was the city
of Jericho, and although it may shut itself
up in its fancied self security, the time draws
near when it shall be said ''come, my people,
enter thou into thy chambers and shut thy
doors about thee; hide thyself as it were
for little moment, until the indignation be
overpast; for, behold, the Lord cometh out
of His place, to punish the inhabitants of the
earth for their iniquity." Qsa XVI, 20, 81
In the days of Noah the world that then was,
being overfowed with water, perished, but
this present world is reserved unto fire
against the day of Judgment and perdition
1lxr D,x T. AZ
days of Noah they were self indulgent, alb
sorbed in business, and comfortably settled
in doomed world. all Indifferent to
the Righteousness required or the judgments
threatened. So also was it in Sodom in the
days of Lot. and just SO was it in Jericho.
3. eSee, have given into thine hand Jer-
icho." Thus said the captain of the Lords
host to Joshua, and this captain was none
other than the Lord Himself, the same who
said to the Father concerning His followers:
'The glory which Thou gavest Me l have
given them" tJobn xvii, 22 and who says
60 US: ''All things are yours; ye are my
witnesses; go ye, therefore; To- am with
you" We have only to thankfully receive,
gladly enjoy and hasten to possess fully the
land of our Inheritance, that thus we may
glorify God and honor His name We have
kind, for He who is with US, whose we are
and whom we represent is the Lord God Al
might, maker Of heaven and earth, the Lord
Jesus Christ, once dead but now alive for
evermore, having the keys of Hades and OF
death
If as believers in Christ we do not enjoy
the riches of His Grace while we wait for the
riches of His Glory, what can it be on oul
,o,f b,,t r,,,ha iaf2 nd No.
thereby false witnesses, and guilty of great
ingratitudc!
3-5 Here are instructions clear and simple
for the seven days, and the result of theiI
obedience is plainly stated to be the fall OF
Jericho, not by their power or might but by
the direct hand of God. The men OF war
numbering over COO, ,00) tNurn. xvi, 51), were
to compass the city once q day for six days
and on the seventh day they we're to do ii
seven times; seven priests, each with 6
trumpet of rams horn, were TO precede the
ark of the covenant, blowing tlleir trui,lpets
the armed men going first; but until tho
sew enth time OH the seventh day there wa:
no sound of human voice to be heard ~
| 10, nothing but tho sound Of the rams horn:
| blown by the seven priests who marched be
foro the Ark.
he commanded tho people; rething added
nothing lsft out; he was simply Gods ipoutl
| piece, Gods obedieat servant, doing His wiil
walking in His ways. Tho c314is.i object i.
| the great procession was IL, Ark of th,
| Lord and the only sound was that of th,
seven trumpets; $50 tho Ark OF the Lore
compassed the city, going ahout it once
| Thus they did the first Gay and returned ant
| lodged in the camp at Gilgal. The place O
rolling away the reproSch o. Egypt, keepin:
| the passover and submitting to the gloriou
Captain, is the only place to START out fron
each morning and return to each evening
| the flesh reckored dead, 'slo5 but Christ !;
the blood cleansing Jesus Himself satisfying
and our bodies living sacrifice into Hin
each day and hour; this is The starting plac
in the morning and the resting place in til
evening, and as we go forth each day il is Il
bear the Ark and blow the trumpet; or lik
| Gideon's three hundred let the light shine ant
blow the trumpet; III other words, bca
Christ about everywhere and sount
forth His praises as Redeemer and King
12-14. ''And the second day they com
| passed the city once and returned into tn
| camp; SO they did six days" Just the sam
order of march, just the same solemn pre-
cession, the blowing Of trumpets the onl
sound heard, and the same quiet return t
Gilgal without apparently any result; bu
they were obeying God, and the result wa
sure in His time
Is, 16. "Shout; for the Lord hath give
you the city" If tho people of Jerich
watched these strange doings with either il
creasing or decreasing interest, ther
must have been some excitement wher
on the seventh day, instead of rs
turning to camp, they began to compass th
city the second time; and when the tiding
spread within the city that they were startin
the third time, and the fourth, ard the fiftl
we can almost imagine that by the time L
rael was about to start the seventh time a
Jericho was alarmed and crowded the wal
to see what would be next. At tho appointe
time the people shouted with great Shot
". 20l, the iwal fell down fat, and excer
Rahab and all who were with her, every OIL
md every thing in Jericho peTished, a
was accomplished as God had said
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