The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1895-07-17
SABBATH SCHOOL.
INTERNATIONAL LESSON FOR
JULY IA.
Lesson Text: .'The Golden Calf,'
Exodus xxxii., Is; $685.
Golden Text: John w.,
21-Commentary.

1. "Up, make us gods" Some one has
said That whenever we turn away from lean
ing exclusively upon God either for salvation
or for the necessities OF the path we are vir-
tually saying, Sup, make US gods. This Is
equal to a rejection of God. They had not
seen Moses nor heard from God for several
weeks, and they can trust no longer. They
cannot walk by faith, they must have some
thing to look upon. Blessed are all who are
content to believe without seeing or feeling
content to live by faith.
2, 8. Aaron.the anointed high priest, seems
to have no word Of warning or help for them
as from God. He was Moses's mouth or
spokesman, end Moses was to him instead OF
God (Ex. iv., 16; vii, y, and Moses being
absent he, like false prophet, speaks out OF
his own heart this evil advice Ger. xiii,
16). It Is sad when we depend upon man in
stead Of upon God for the message-then
when the man is absent we have no message.
Observe also that as they gave the orna-
ments of their ears to make All idol, so they
gave their ears to the devil (Deut. xxxii., 16,
~.
4 Instead OF receiving at their hand the
gold to make an idol. they should have re-
ceived at his hand and from his lips the
living words of the living God. It is a sad
case indeed when the one who ought to rep
resent the people before God misrepresents
God to the people and joins the people in
heathenish desires and customs. Through
him who should have led them to the God of
Glory they chan-ed their glory into the
similitude of an (Ps. cvi., 2J). It loots
as If Aaron had wholly lost his reason when
we hear him say, "These be thy gods, o
Israel" Compare II Thess. H., 10, II.
5. "And when Aaron saw it, he built an
altar before it." See this sin repeated in the
case Of Jeroboam and the very words Of
Aaron used q Kings xii, 2S. 33). This is oil
the work Of the devil from beginning to end,
and so is everything like it in the churches
and among the people of God to-day. God
Is a Spirit, and they that worship Him must
worship Him in spirit and In truth. And
when any person or thing comes between the
soul and God 1t is idolatry.
6. "The people sat down to eat and drink.
and rose UP to play" See Cor. 4, Z, and
1t would be we'll to read the whole chapter.
Is 1t not on the same line Of things when In
houses built for the worship OF Gods people
bearing the name Of Christ meet to eat and
drink and be entertained or amused2 There
Is wonderful likeness to the dancing and
singing OF the naked people around the
golden calf Oversees 19, 25) in some things
done in our midst In the name of religion.
Z. The Lord said to Mos ses that the people
to It. All the good Is from God, all the evil
Is on our side with satan back Of it. Long
afterward the Lord said to the people: 30
Israel, thou hast destroyed thyself, but in
Me is thine help. 0 Israel, return unto the
Lord thy God, for thou hast fallen by
thine iniquity'' (Hos. xiii, 9; xiv, y. The
sin Is ours, the salvation Is all His.
8. "They have turned aside quickly out
of the way which commanded them.'
Blessed are the undefled in the way who
walk in the law OF the Lord (Ps. cdx., y.
Thera Is no way for the child OF God to walk
In but the way, whi- Is Jesus Christ Him
self (John xiv, g. We are not to turn from
Him either to the right or the left (Joshua
l., y, and when temptedto turn we have the
promise Of help and guidance II we are only
willing to be guided elsa. Xxx; 81; Cor.
X, 13).
so. 'I will 80 up unto the Lord, peradven-
ture I shall make an Etonement for your
SIM" Before coming down from the mount
Moses had pleaded for Israel and obtained
the assurance that God would spare them as
a Nation. The account of this, and the
meeting with Joshua, and the destruction
and disposition Of the calf Is found In the in
tervening verses, also the significance OF the
question "Who Is on the Lords side2" and
the true meaning OF conservation. Compare
Luke XIV, 26. q; Math. <, 81, 3S.
81. "And Moses returned unto the Lord"
While all sin Is sin. and even the thought OF
foolishness is sin prov. XIV, 81. yet some
calls this great sin. Jesus Himself spoke
of a sin that hath never forgiveness at the
same time that he spoke Of the forgiveness
Of all manner OF sins except this particular
sin mark ill.,, %, 29). The sin that overtops
all others Is the rejection Of Christ the Son
God.
so. "And. if not, blot me, pray thee, out
of Thy book which Thou hast written" He
Is willing to suffer in their stead II necessary
in order to save them. The same spirit Is
seen In Paul on behalf OF this same people
Israel Rom ix., 81. The reality is seen and
fully carried out In the Lord Jesus Christ,
who was made sin offering for Israel and
for US that we might be saved Oh Cor. ", 21).
SO "Whosoever hath sinned against Me,
him will I blot out OF nv book" In Rev.
Xxx, IL we read Of books being opened, and
another book which Is the book OF life. In
NAL. ILL.,, 16 we read Of book Of remem-
brance. What book Is referrrd to in our les
son we may not now know, but we may be
sure that ifit were ossible to have name
blotted out of the book OF life our Lord
would not have made it such great ground
of rejoicing to have ones name there Luke
<, ~; Rev. ILL.,. s..
81. "Behold, Mine angel shall 90 before
thee Nevertheless, in the day when visit
I will visit their sin upon them" The Lord
is slow to anger and plenteous In mercy,
but sin that Is not repented OF and forgiven
shall in due time be visitel Every penitent
sinner may be forgiven by, accepting Him
who died In his stead, but there is no other
way but by the atonement. The guiding
and protecting angel is mentioned IN Ex
xiii, 20, "Behold send an angel before
thee to keep thee in the way, and to bring
thee into the place which I have prepared, !" :,
'The angel of His presence saved them"
Gsa. xiii, 81. Well may We say, IF Thy
presence 90 not with me, carry US not up
hence (Ex. xxxiii., 15). But thank God for
Math. xviii, 20; Isa- XII, 10, Is; Deut. XXI,
8; Heb. Kill. 5, etc.
IS. "Ard the Lord plagued the people.
because they made the calf which Aaron
made" The Lord judgeth righteously, for
there Is no unrighteousness with Him. DE
looketh upon the heart and will render to
every one according to their works. Part
nership in evil Is an evil partnership
Lesson Relper.