Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1892-05-05
JOY IN GODS HOUSE.
LESSON VI, SECOND QUARTER, INTER-
NATIONAL SERIES, MAY 8.

DRY Verses, 9-1a-Goid en- Text, Ps. Ixxxiv,
A. Commentary by the Rev. u. N.
stearns.
I. How amable are thy tabernacies, |
o Lord Of Hosts" See David's love for |
Gods dwelling place, the tabernacle in
which He was pleased to dwell among the
children of Israel. The instruction to
Moses was, "Let them make me a sanctu
airy, that may dwell among them" (Ex.
XIV, s, 22). Amiable is the same ~ he
loved or well beloved, and is 80 translated
in Deut. xxxiii, IL; Isa. V, l. The title
Lord of Hosts" is first found in | sam. l.
g. and is first heard from the lips Of Han
nah in the same chapter (verse ny In
time of great distress. 1t is n name full Of
comfort to all who are helpless and alone.
See it four times in the psalm.
9. "My soul longeth, yea, even fainteth,
for the courts OF the Lord my heart and
my flesh crieth out for the living God" 1t
was not the house that he thought SO
much Of. but the living God who there
dwelt among His people Israel. The reason
why he so earnestly desired this-one thing
was that he might behold the beauty of
Jehovah ops. xvii, ~. He had holy APP
petite for God Himself
3. Yea, the sparrow hath found an
house, and the swallow a nest for herself,
where she may lay her young, even thine
affairs O Lord Of Hosts, my King and my
God" There were two affairs, one for sac
rifce and one for incense, signifying
Christ's work of utonement whereby we
are saved and His work of intercession
whereby we are kept He envies the
birds, worthless and restless, who feed
and live about the tabernacle. Or posi-
bly, he speaks of the neglect of these affairs
upon which the birds now make their
nests and his soul signs because Of such
sin of Israel.
4. blessed are they that dwell in thy
house. They will he still praising Thee,
Selah" So in Ps. lxv, 4, he speaks of the
blessedness of dwelling in Gods house
and being satisfied with His goodness.
Only those who are the redeemed of the
Lord, and can truly say as in the previous
verse, MY King and my Cod" know any
thing of such bessedness, and only such
can truly praise God. Selah is found sew
enty-three times in the Psalms and three
times in Hab. iii, and signifies pause or
rest and is suggestive of meditation. Am
| among these blessed?
B. blessed is the man whose strength is
| in Thee, in whose heart are the high
ways" Or. W. Before we can have much
| JOY in the Lord we must learn that He
alone is our salvation and our strength and
our song lex. XIV, 9; Ps. cXviii IA; lsa xii,
q, and must learn to say, "My soul wait
thou only upon God" Ops. xii, l, ., j, 6. -
| Then shall we find in heart and life the
| highway of holiness or Wilderness to God
| lisa. xxXv, 8, l0).
G. Passing through the valley of weep
ing they make it place of springs; yea
the early rain covereth it with blessings"
| (R W. The dreariest paths and dryest
places on earth become places of springs
and blessings by the very presence OF those
| who can say to God 'All my springs are III
| Thee CPs. lXXxvii, y. They become in
| decd the life and light of the world because
| of the presence in them of Him who is the
Life and the Light. They are az trees by
the waters, they do not see when heat
cometh nor cease from yielding fruit (Je
xvii, s; ps. j, 49,
Z. They 20 from strength to strength.
every one Of them in Zion appeareth before
| God" The people of Israel journeying to
| Jerusalem three times in the year to keep
the various feasts, as God had appointed
| (EX. xiii, lid, and their joy on the way
| IlilNe SlSu lIe Itlllu \JouI. ANl, IL, Ii, 10,
| lG). All true Christians journeying through
| this world to the New Jerusalem should
! bring JOY and gladness as they journey
| because they are children Of God and know
that they shall every one be at the mar
riage OF the lamb John Y. %. 2S; Phil. i,
g. lisa. Xl, 81.
s. 20 Lord God of hosts, hear my prayer
| give ear, 0 God of Jacob Selah." If we
cannot gather with the saints in their AS
semblies we can always pray; and God
! himself will be our sanctuary even in the
midst of our enemies (EZek. ri, 49, Every
name of God is full of significance. Jeho
yah is our Righteousness der. xiii, o
Ps. ri, y. Elohim is our Faithful Creator
Il Pet. ", 10. Lord God of Hosts reminds
us Of all the hosts of heaven who rejoice
to do His bidding on behalf of His re-
deemed Gich. i, ~. While God of jacob
is .n z 1--WE of the fullness of His mercy
f3I al who come to Him, however crook ed
they may be. Pause and mediate on
| this.
0 "E1hold o God, our shield and look
upon the face Of thine anointod." When
Abram was tempted g.. '' '."' Of what
! might conc iN +. .... t.rrl
v. fr l''.... .,...,. l,...,..t ..u, t.. Iu> 4.
D. D