The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1888-07-05
THE GOLDEN CALF.
international Sunday.School Les.
son for July 8, 1889.
Moses Receives tho Tables Of Gods Laws
-He Returns Among the Israclites
and Finds Them worshiping
an Idol Of Gold.


LESSON TExT--Ex. 80: 1926.
GOLDEN TExT-Little children, keep your
selves from idols--I John 5:21.
CENTRAL TRUTu-The sin and danger Of
forsaking God.
TrME--Thc first half Of July, d. g. 149l.
PLAcE-Mount Sinai and tho valley bo-
fore IL.
PARALLEL AccouNT--Deut. 0: 11-21.
INTRoDuCTIoN-After the assent Of tho
people to the Book Of tho covenant, as in
our last lesson, Moses went up into Mount
Sinai, to receive further instruction from
God. Here he remained forty days among
the people. Aaron and Hur were appointed
leaders.
HELPS OVER HARD PLAcEs-TuE GOLDEN
CALF. The people became weary Of waiting
for their absent leader. They had also only
an invisible God. Therefore they cntreated
Aaron to mako them an image, so that they
might have visible object Of worship, like
their former neighbors, and might have the
same wild revelries. Aaron collected their
golden earrings and made golden cali, or
young OK, as an image Of Jehovah, not as
another god, Around this image they sang
and danced and feasted and drank. 49, And
Moses turned. after God had told him what
was going on in the valley. Tables: tablets.
IL. And Joshua. the son of Nun, who aftor-
Wards succeeded Moses. Ho was part way
up tho mount 1Y. 1S. Them that sfn0'
the bostrous songs Of revclry 10. Moses
anger (or indignation) ,pdrcd grew hot. he
was intensely indignant at the people for for
saking 80 glorious God, whom only few
weeks before they had promised to serve.
Tho good must be indignant ut those who
ruin themselves and others by sin. Brake
them: an emblem Of the broken law, SYM
Dol Of what the people had dono, breaking
their solemn covenant with God. 20.
Strc,ced Il upon tho ,cdtcr: of tho brook Moses
brought from the mount, and from which
they drank Ex. 17:6; Dout. 0:2l). Made...
drink Of T.: for they had nothing else to
drink. 25. The people ,cere naked: either
they had partly disrobed for dancing, or
they were broken loose, as in Rev. Ver from
all restraint, and wero riotous, disorderly.
&c. Gate Of the camp: which had probably
been fortified after tho attack Of the Anal
eliitcs lex. 17;S-l3). There was probably
an open space there. The sons Of Lopt!
Moses own tribe Many others probably
returned to their tents; but the worst ones,
those who were turbulent and disobcdient,
remained, and Of these three thousand were
slain before tho riot was queled.
LESSON FAcTs-When God called Moses
up into tho 1nountrip to receive the Ten
Commandments, he remained there forty
days. In the meantime the people grew
restless, and began to murmur because
their leader stayed away so long. They
then said to Aaron that they knew not what
had become Of Moses, and asked him to
mako them q golden calf which they could
worship. This Aaron did, and when Moses
came down from the mountain, the people
were dancing around the calf which Aaron
laI 40 to 4 l...x
or that he threw the tables OF tho law
down, and they wero broken to pieces. He
then burnt tho calf, and ground it to pow
der, and strewed it upon tho water, and
made the people drink it. He then asked
Aaron how this thing lad come about, and
he told him the sad story. Then Moses
called for oil who were on the Lords side
to come unto him, and the Levitos came
over on to his side
CoMMENrs-Whot good purpose can this
lesson serve for psl It can act rs q warn
ing to US OF the danger IN which we lll
stand. A good golden text would bei Let
him that thinlfeth he standeth take heed
lest he fall" Remember that the people
who sinned SO grlevously were the very peo-
pie who few days before this had promised
to obey all the commandments of God. And
yet in six weeks we find them dancing
around an idol made by their Own hands.
Nor Is this tho only instance In the Biblo ia
which great professions were followed by
miserable practice. Potter himself once said !:
Though all men should deny Thee, yet
will not deny Thee" And then in very
few hours he took his oath that he had
never seon Jesus All tho disciples pro-
fessed to be willing to follow the Mas.
tor to prison and TO death, and yet
they all forsook Him and fed. This only
shows that without the help of God wc
can not keep His commandments. Satan is
stronger than we ore, and no Knows well
how to lead us into sin. The possibilities
Of sin that are in each of our hearts are
really boundlcss. Because to-day wc arc
walking straight life, is no reason that wo
shall do 80 month from now. Had tho Is
raclites asked tho help of God before they
went ahead and made that idol, they would
| never have fallen into that sin. But they
went ahead on their own responsibility, and
| SO were easily ensnared. at is not In man
that walketh to direct his steps," and "hc
| that trusteth in his own heart Is q fool"
| Tho only way for any ono to stand Is to ask
God daily for that strength which He alone
| can give,-Reu. 4. +. SchauDler.
PRACTICAL SUGGESTIONS
| I. Every person needs seasons Of retro
ment with God.
g. How easy 1t is to fall from promises te
God.
| 0. Modern idols-wealth, fashion, pleas
ure, ambition, fame, passion.
a. Note tho power Of one good, brave
man on tho side of right,
8. 1t is no excuse for sin that others en-
treated and threatened us.
o. There arc only two sides-God's ant
Satan's, right and wrong.
z. We must choose one side or the other
s. Severity to obstinate sinners is mere,
to all.
MANY physician has gained his practic,