The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1888-10-26
THE FALL OF JERICHO.
LESSON ", FOURTH QUARTER, IN
TERNATlONAL SERIES, OCT. 2s.

TERNATlONAl SERIES, OCT. %.
Text Of tho Lesson. Josh. vi. i-l0-Com
NIT Verses 10. i0-Golden Text, Heb
ri. sO-Commentary by Rev. d. NJ
Stearns.
CONDENSED from Lesson Helper Quarterly, by
permission OF H. 8. Hoffman, Philadelphia
| publisher.l
When the power Of the Lord was seen on
behalf of His people, then the hearts of theii
enemies failed them and there was no spirit
left in them ". y. Because there Is SC
little of the power of God manifest today on
behalf Of His people, by reason of their UNI.
belief, therefore the enemies Of God are rebel
ious and despise His people. AS soon as the
nation had crossed the Jordan and entered
| the land Joshua caused to be circumcised all
who had been born since they had left Egypt,
and then they kept tho passover on the four
tenth 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 mama having ceased, and
thus they were strengthened for victory ",
OLD. Another most interesting and i'm
portant incident is recorded in the closing
verses Of the fifth chapter, as last prepare
ton for their moving forward. Joshua, by
Jericho, sees man over against him with a
drawn sword in his hand, and approaches
him with the question: cart thou for US or
for our adversaries" The reply is: Gas
captain of the host of the Lord am l 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
tasa of this host? 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 was 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. (See ii, 1S 81; vi,
22-25.) This present evil world is as Ger
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
uCol WhCA ~ ohdAA No Sf1lu COIuc, lily p6Oplc,
enter thou into thy chambers and shut thy
doors about thee; hide thyself as it were
for a 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." lisa. XVI, 20, 21)
In the days of Noah the world that then was,
being overfowed with water, persisted, but
this present world is reserved unto fire
against the day of judgment and perdition
of ungodly men. III Pet. iii, ~ In the
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
2. "See, 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 have
given Sbespn AIohp- xvii, 90 and who says
to us: "All things are yours; ye are my
witnesses; 60 We, therefore; 10, 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
no right to see or fear difficulties of any
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 our
part but pure unbelief2 And are we not
thereby false witnesses, and guilty of great
ingratitude!
So. Here are instructions clear and simple
for the seven days, and the result of their
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,
over 600,0 (Num. XVI, 81 were
to compass the city once day for six days,
and on the seventh day they were to do it
seven times; seven priests, each with a
trumpet of rams horn, were to precede the |
ark of the covenant, blowing their trumpets, |
the armed men going first; but until the |
sew ,nth time on the seventh day there was |
40 sound of human voice to be heard ".
10y, nothing but the sound Of the rams horns
blown by the seven priests who marched be-
ore the Ark.
ell. As the Lord commanded Joshua so
lie commanded the people; nothing added,
nothing left out; he was simply Gods mouth
,iece, Gods obedient servant, doing His will,
Walking in His ways. The central object in
he great procession was the Ark of the
4ord and the only sound was that of the
even trumpets; $50 the Ark of the Lord
the city, going about it once"
'hus they did the first day and returned and
edged in the camp at Gilgal. The place of
olling away the reproach Of Egypt, keeping
he passover and submitting to the glorious
,aptain, is the only place to start out from
ach morning and return to each evening;
he flesh reckoned dead, mot but Christi"
he blood cleansing Jesus Himself satisfying,
nd our bodies living sacrifice into Him
ach day and hour; this Is the starting place
n the morning and the resting place in the
vening, and as we go forth each day it is to
ear the Ark and blow the trumpet; or like
|ideon's three hundred let the light shine and
low the trumpet; in other words, bear
hrist about everywhere and sound
,rth His praises as Redeemer and King.
1914. sand the second day they COM
assed the city once and returned into the
amp; so they did six days" Just the same
rder of march, just the same solemn pro-