Evening capital., 1895-09-21
TIE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
LESSON XII. THIRD QUARTER, INTER
NATIONAL SERIES, SEPT. %.

Memory Verses, 22-ea Golden Text
Joshua xiv. ea-Commentary by the
Rev. ID. n. ssearns-
IA. "Now, therefore, fear the Lord. and
serve Him ia sincerity and in truth. !"
Joshua had fulfilled his mission and had
now come to the end Of his sojourn in the
mortal body, being about 10 years old
(verse 29). He assembled the people at
Shechen, and calling for the elders and
Judges and oiecers he reminded them OF
all the Lords goodness and faithfulness
and earnestly exhorted them TO serve Him
sincerely serve" is the key word 10 this
address Ii is found in some form at least
- times in our lesson, and suggests very
strongly To US that we are saved ia order
20 serve Him who saves us. see Ex. iv, 20
%; Thess. i. o.: III Chron xxx, IL. We
are also 20 serve always in the fear OF the
Lord, which includes practical acquaint-
ance with Him and profound reverence
and cordial affection for Him prov. |, Il;
tx, 10).
10. "As for me and my house we will
serve the Lord" IL Is evident from this
and the preceding verse that their ances-
tors beyond the river Or. V.l were idola-
ters. From such as these Abran was
called out. God does not compel, but He
sets before us the right and the wrong,
drawing us strongly TO the right by Ills
Holy Spirit, yet leaving us to choose. The
leaders like Joshua, must make the choice
first, for the people cannot be expected TO
choose the good If the leaders do not. II
all teachers and preachers were as decided
and whole hearted for God as Joshua there
al
We are all too apt to consider what Others
do and follow them. We should have
Joshua's spirit Of whole hcartedness for
God regardless OF others. Tho race is 10
be run looking unto Jesus, which inn
plies looking away from all else (Heb. Xii,
l, p.
1913. Therefore will we also serve the
Lord. for He Is our God" This Is the
conclusion Of the peoples reply TO Josh
ua's words. They acknowledge that the
Lord their God brought them out of
Egypt, preserved them In all the way and
brought them into the land Therefore
they should certainly serve Him, and not
other gods. Their fathers had, however,
made as good resolutions as these at Horeb
when they said, "Ali that the Lord hath
spoken will we do lex. xix, 81, but they
broke their promises In few weeks and
were found worshiping a golden calf The
law which Is holy and just and good can
not help us because the flesh Is SO weak
(Rom. viii, 81.
10, 90 "And Joshua said unto the peo-
pie, Yc cannot serve the Lord, for He Is
an Holy God. He is "A jealous God. They
could not serve Him in their own strength.
They could not serve Him and Others, too
(Math. vi, 2I). The people of an Holy God
must be holy people U.ev. xix, 2; Xxx, z,
26; xxi, 8; l Pct.i, 10, rs; lsa.vi, 8; Rev. iv,
81 Just seven times Is God called a jealous
God. Besides this verse see Ex. Xxx, 8; xxxiv,
IA; Deut. iy, 24;y, o; vi, 10; Nah. l, 2. Com
pare Jas. iv, 8, r.. ", margin. The word
translated Jealous Is the same word that
Is also translated bought" or ''purchas-
ed" SO that the thought in ''jealous" is
simply that of claiming what Is rightfully
His own. We are not our own, but bought
with price, that He may be gloritied in
us We are people for His own posses
sion Il Cor. vi, 10 20; Titus ii, IA, II. V.).
We are to serve Him with a perfect or
whole heart Q Chron. xviii, %, with hui
mility (Acts Xxx, 19,) with gladness FPS. C,
%, with the Spirit (Rom. /, %, and con-
tinually (Dan. vi, 16, 20). OF ourselves
we cannot do this, but Christ can, and
Christian should be able to say truthfully,
II live, yet not |, but Christ liyeth in me"
(Gal Ii, 20). 1t Is written of Him, THE
Son of Man came to minister, II am
among you rs He that serveth, If any
man serve Nc, him will Ny Father honor"
(Math. Xxx, 2S; Luke xii, "a; John xii,
26) When we are fully yielded to Him
according to Rom. xii, /, 2, He will work
in us both to will and to do (Phil. IL, l3;
Heb xiii, 2)
21. "And the people said unto Joshua,
Nay, but we will serve the Lord" They
seem very sincere and determined by His
grace to serve Him, and we find that they
did serve Him all the days of Joshua, and
of the elders that outlived Joshua, who had
seen the great works of the Lord that He
did for Israel (verse 81 Judg. Ii, a.
22 "And Joshua said unto the people,
Ye are witnesses against yourselves that ye
have chosen you the Lord TO serve Him.
When we take q stand for the Lord, IL
must of necessity be against ourselves, for
we are by nature against God, The carnal
mind Is enmity against God, for it Is not
subject to the law OF God, neither indeed
can be- (Rom. viii, -. Our Lord also
said, "H any man will come after Me, let
him deny himself (Math. xvi, 24). From
beginning to end of the Christian life it Is
a continued stand against self for God.
Even Christ pleased not Himself (Rom.
XIV, -. He never sought His own will, nor
His own glory (John vi 3S; viii, 50), nor
did He ever take credit to Himself for
either words or works (John Xii, 40; xiv,
10) Paul's notices were Not l, but
Christ, - Not |, but the grace Of God
(Gal ii, 20; Cor. XIV, 10). See also II
Cor iv, H.
23. 'Now, therefore, put away the
strange gods which are among you and in
cline your heart unto the Lord God Of Is
rael. /" The idols, the old man, the weights
and besetting sins, are to be put away, put
off and laid aside (Eph iy %; Heb. xii,
/, %, and eyes and heart must be ever unto
Him. We msst be very sincere and truth
full through and through, for He desireth
truth in the inward parts and under
standeth all the imaginations OF the
thoughts Of the heart FPS. Ii, 6; ChTon.
xviii, o; | Sam. xvi, a. Hero again we
are helpless and must pray Incline my
heart unto Thy testimonies.
"a. s'And the people said unto Joshua.
The Lord our God will we serve, and His
voice Will W. obey The faithful servant
has only to be willing and obedient'
lisa. /, l9) in order to be pleasing unto his
Master 1t is ours to be wise enough to
hear only His commands and faithful
enough to do them; He will see to all the
results, and SUCCESS, as He counts it, Is
sure There are many voices today, but we
must take good heed TO hear only His voice.
25. $50 Joshua made a covenant with
the people that day, and set them statute
and an ordinance in Shcchcln" Then be