The Odessa herald. (Odessa, Del.) 1888-1892, 1888-11-03
SABBATH SCHOOL.
INTERNATIONAL LESSON FOR
NOVEMBER 4.
Lesson Text: Defeat at Al" Josh
vi, 1-t2-GoldenText: Isaiah
I'LL, documentary
on the Lesson.

The promises of God are generally con-
ditioned upon obedience and separation from
sin on our part There shall not any man
be able to stand before thee all the days OF
thy life," was the promise to Joshua T., 81,
but the conditions were faith and obedience
on his part d., go. Complete victory had
been the result, as in reliance upon the Lord,
separation and obedience to Him, they COM
passed the walls of Jericho, and the same
success would have attended them at All had
they been humble, ebedient and separate
from sin; and did attend them when they
fulfilled these conditions Win. This is the
victory that overcometh the world, even our
faith Il John ", ~ and always when we
or the devil, instead of being oyercomers, it
must be because of the lack Of humility, or
faith, or separation from sin
/. "The children of Israel committed
trespass in the accused thing The city
and all in it had been accursed, or devoted to
utter destruction wi, II, margin, compared
with W, 81, where utterly destroyed" is the
same word, and see also Sam. XIV, 81; Zach.
xiv, 11), and the people had been forbidden
to take for themselves anything of the acr
cursed or devoted city. How fearful is the
sin of disobedience, and how far reaching the
effects OF sin. One man sees, covet, and
takes that which he had been forbidden to
touch w., 81, and the result is that the whole
nation suffers because of broken law
through his sin. The first verse of our lesson
Is an eplUOul6 OF Our. WHO'S lpSSOH anu 10
opened up to us as we proceed.
2. "Ai and Bethel These names carry us
back some five hundred years to the time
when Abram first entered the land and
having pitched his tent between Bethel and
All, he builded en- altar unto the Lord Gen.
xii, 8; xiii, 81, having All THE heap of ruinsl
behind him, and Bethel the house of God
before him. On such historic ground it
would have been well to have remembered
the God of Bethel and humbled themselves
before Elm
8. "Let not all the people go up; for they
are but fewn Such was the advice OF the
men sent to view the country, but they had
not the mind OF Col, for his command was:
"Take all the people of war with thee" will,
y. 1t was wretched self confidence, forget
fitness Of God, and making light of difficult
ties. 1t will not do to make too much nor
| too little OF the enemy; we must not be anx-
| ious nor discouraged, neither should we be
| careless or boastful; but having on the whole
| armor of God we must ever be watchtul,
and especially when the occasion seems a
| little one.
| A. "They fed before the men of Ai.n This
was not according to the promise that one
| should chase a thousand and two put ten
| thousand to flight (Deut. xxxii.j 80, but the
fault was their own; they were unmindful OF
their Rock, and pulled up by the victory al
| Jericho, as if their arm had done it. They
had been warned that if they failed to obey
the Lord He would cause them to be smitter
before their enemies (Deut xviii, ID, 25)
and now it has come true
B. "The hearts Of the people melted, and
became as water" And yet it was not {
very great defeat; they had only lost thirty
six men, and there was an army of ovel
100000 ready for war Why was this trem
bling of heart and this great and seemingly
uncalled for fearl 1t was all through failing
to see the Lord and hear His voice.
g. Joshua rent his clothes and fell to tn
aot-tt hiq fapa hafOra fha arr " fThi
was new experience to him as the leader o.
Israel, and to humble himself before Co
was the right thing to do; but who can tel
what the result might have been il Joshu
and the elders of Israel had done this befor
setting out to attack Ala Where was tn
man with the drawn sword, the captain o
the Lords host, all this timer Had he mad
a mistake, or failed them, or been defeated
No, He was simply left out and they ha
gone without him, and He had let them d
it. He doesno take command when He
not wanted, nor does He give wisdom wher
Il is not asked. We forget Him, we rui
without Him. He lets us go our own wa
that we may learn our folly and becom
more humble and trustful.
T. "Alas! o Lord God, wherefore has
thoup'- In this and the next two verse
we have Joshuas prayer He begins lit
hastily and impatiently. for God had nc
brought them over Jordan to destroy thei
or to deliver them to the Amorites: br
TdUner TO denver Uue AnlOTlUeS unvO tne
, and give them all that good land. We ai
apt to say that God has brought us into tn
or that trial. when we have brought it upc
ourselves by disobedience or by failing
, follow Him. "Wisdom's ways are ways
: pleasantness, and all her paths are peac
! The path OF the just is as the shining ligh
, that shlneth more and more unto the perfe
day. prov. iii, II; iv., 49,; SO IL we find on
selves in dark and troubled ways we may
! sure the Good Shepherd has not led us ther
: and yet il we find ourselves in such plac
q and humbly look up to Him, He will lead
: out into the light.
: g. 80 Lord, what shall say when Isra
! turneth their backs before their enemies
= There is more Of right spirit in this ute
= ance, and would to God that we were mo
| troubled than we seem to be when Christa
|, are overcome instead of being overcomel
What shall we say when both the world, t
i flesh and the devil seem to get and keep t
= victory over SO many protesting Christian
+ when those who name the name of Chr
turn their backs upon the prayer ueeti
! and prefer the theatre or the entertainer
turn their backs upon the Bible and prefer
9 novel or magazine; when they are overcol
r. by the follies and vanitieS of this heap
It ruins, this present evil world, and are me
Q in love with it than with the house of God
L o. "What wilt Thou do unto Thy gr'
l. namep Joshua suggests the possibility
10 their name as a nation being cut off from I
n earth and identifying them with Him,
10 asks this question God has chosen Israel
II make Him name. II Chron. xvii, 21.) Z
a Queen of Sheba came to Solomon becnl
n she heard of his fame concerning the name
is the Lord. Il Kings Z, ~ So we should
ie member that we are chosen to bear His mar
" and in all things glorify Him.
% l0-11. "Get thee up; Israel hath SHINE
ID There is a time to pray and-a time to acl