Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1894-05-19
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
LEssoNvlil, sEcoNDouARTER, INTER-
NATIONAL SERIES, MAY 20.

Text of the Lesson, Ex. ii, 1-Io-Mem-
DRY Verses, SID Golden Text, Ps-
xci. 15-commentary by the Rev. ID. N.
stearns-
1. "And there went a man of the house
of Levi and took to wifea daughter Of lie
vi" We learn from chapter vi, 90, that
the mans name was Amram, which sig
mites an exalted people, and that his wife's
name was Jochebed, which signifies Jeho-
yah is honor, and that Amram lived 1877
years. Their names are also given in Mum.
XVI, 80, with the fact thaf.they had three
children-Aaron and Moses and Miriam.
their sister. Levi was the third son Of ia
cob and Leah, and his am signifies join
ed fGen. xxx. 80. All the Leyites were
afterward joined unto Aaron in the special
ministry of the tabernacle Mum. xviii, y.
They were separated from anon the chill
dren of Israel as u special Offering unto the
Lord instead Of the firstborn of all Israel
and as a gift unto Aaron Mum. viii, 1919.
2. And the oma conceived and bare
a son. And when she saw him that he
was a goodly child She hid him three
months.n It is written in Acts Vii, 90,
that he was Exceeding fair, or, as in the
margin, ''fair to God.' Hewas the young
est of the three children, Miriam being the
Oldest and Aaron next. The testimony in
Heb. XII, 23, is, Wy faith Mess, when he
was born, was hid three months of his
parents, because they saw be was a proper
child, and they were not afraid OF the
kings commandment Faith implies n
promise on the part of God-it is simply
confidence in God that He will do as He
has said. God had told Abraham chat He
would bring his seed out of bondage in
the fourth generation tGen. Ky, l6),
3. "And when she could not longer hide
him she took for him an ark Of hulrushes
and daubed it with slime and with pitch
and put the child therein, and she laid it
in the flags by the rivers brink This
is the second of the three arks mentioned
in Scripture, each one being made for a
like purpcse-yiz, to preserve that which
it contained. Let any mother in her i'm
~agination pass through this experience and
say If she does not want TO see Jochehed
and ask her. How could you do itg The
river, like the waters of the deluge, meant
death. The child is virtually put iu the
place of death, and yet it is evident that
the mother, like Abraham, believed thnt
Gcd would give her back her child. There
is no power for God in our lives till we
know the place of death and resurrection.
See John xii, ~; Phil. iii, 10.
A. "And his sister stood afar off to wit
what would be done to him. Let some
sister who has a little baby brother imag-
inc herself in the place of Miriam. We can
fancy the mother, having oheyed the
promptings of the Spirit of God, now Civ
ing herself to earnest prayer in the quiet
of her home. She has obeyed even unto
death and now can truly say, "My soul,
wait thou only upon God, for my expecta-
ton is from Him" FPS. xii, 81.
5. "And the daughter Of Pharaoh came
down to wash herself at the river, and her
maidens walked along by the rivers side,
and when she saw the ark among the flags
she sent her maid to fetch It," God is
working. He is in it all, as He is in ev-
erything that concerns lis people, and Oft
times we must just stand still and see
what He will do. It is not till We are IT
our wits end, all our own wisdom swal-
lowed up, that we can see the wisdom
and the powerof God FPS. evil, 1880, mar
gih).
6. "And when she had opened IL she
ga tA0 1ilAAhf 0lAAi hNAioAAAf inN AtAifI htlfAaI
And she had compassion on him and said,
This is one of the Hebrews children -
See how God works. He gave the daugh-
ter of Pharaoh compassion for the babe,
He made the babe to be pitied Of her FPS.
cvi, 46). How little she dreamed who was
watching her and controlling her that day
or hat she was looking upon a child cho-
sen by God TO shake her fathers kingdom
e. H., ..,,r- .ar4.uf ma Cs,,..,.Al A,..,
knew that the little child in Mary's arms
was the Salvation of Israel, Gods great
Deliverer luke u, "a, $50, but this woman
knew nothing,
z. ''Then said his sister 10 Pharaoh's
daughter, Shall go and call to thee a
nurse of the Hebrew women, that she may
nurse the child for theef'' Can you see
Miriam standing afar off, and, while she
watched the spot in the river where her
brother lay, lifting up her heart to the God
of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, that He
would save her brothery Presently she secs
the kings daughter draw near TO the very
spot. oh, how she praysi Almost uncon
sciously she herself draws nigh, she hears
the baby cry, she looks upon him, and with
feelings restrained lest she betray herself
she asks il she shall find Il Hebrew nurse.
S. "And Pharaoh's daughter said 10 her
Go. And the maid went and called the
child's mother Quietly till out of sight,
but then how swiftly sped she homewardl
Did she laugh or cry, or bothp Could she
speak when she saw her mother, or must
she wait to recover breath while the moth
er, with faith and expectation, waits to
hcars Some day they will tell us all about
it, for it was u day never to be forgotten
in that home. Perhaps a mother who
could do as she had done could restrain her
joy enough to say TO Miriam, Let Us give
thanks to the God OF Israel. Fec, my
friends, how God works. Blessed indeed
are all who yield so fully to Him that lie
can work in them unhindered both to viii
and to do of His good pleasure phil. ii,
l3).
8. "And pharach's daughter said unto
her, Take this child away and nurse It for
me, and | will give thee thy wages. And
the woman took the child and nursed Il. .
With emotions controlled she receives into
her arms her own dear child with a prom
Use of wages If she will care for il. / Won
der IL she heard that promise Of wages or
IL Miriam had afterward to remind her
that they might as well as not have some
money that WAS due them from the kings
daughter. The spelling OF. the Egyptians
has already begun Gen. XIV, a; Ex. xii, 36l
And Pharaoh is used by God to care for
and nourish the child who shall lead Israel
out of his kingdom. What Thanksgiving
in the home of Amraml See the reward Of
faith,
10. "And the child grew md she brought
him unto Pharaoh's daughter, and he be
came her son. And she called his name
Moses, and she said, Because ! drew him
ont of the water The king who ordered
all the male children to be cast into the
river is actually sheltering one Of those
very children who shall be the instrument
OF Gcd against the kingdom Of Egypt.
Thus Hethat stitch in the heavens laughs
at the vain plotting of satan and Of man
against Him. "1he Lord bringeth the
council of the heavens t~onrught. ITemak-
eth the devices of the people Of none effect.
The counsel of the Lord standeth forever,
the thoughts Of His heart to all genera
tons"