The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1895-07-11
SABBATH SCHOOL.
INTERNATIONAL LESSON FOR
JULY IL.
Lesson Text: "The Golden Calf,
Exodus xxxii., rs; $685.
Golden Text; 1 John W,
n-Commentary.

Il. IN, T'nkc us gOua. N1"lp ono hN1
said that whenever We turn awav from lean
inn exclusively upon God either for salvation
orfor the necessities OF the path we are vir-
tually saying, "Up, make us gods" This IA
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 10 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, and Moses was TO him instead OF
God (Ex. w., i6; vii., ~. and Moses being
absent he, like false prophet, speaks out OF
his own heart this evil advice der. xxiii.,
l6). II Is sad when we deperd upon man In
stead OF upon God for the rnessage-then
when the man Is absent we have no message.
Observe also that rs they gave the orna-
ments OF their ears 20 make an idol. so they
gave their ears to the devil (Deut. xxxii., i6,
iD.
4. Instead OF receiving OF their hand the
gold TO make au idol they should have re-
ceived at his hand and from his lips the
living words OF the living God. II Is n sad
case indeed when the one who ought 60 rep-
resent the people before God misrepresents
God 10 the people aud joins the people in
heathenish desires and customs Through
him who should have led them 10 the God OF
Glory they changed their glory into tho
similitude OF an OK (Ps. evil, 2J). IL looSs
as II Aaron had wholly lost his reason when
we hear him say, "These be thy gods, o
Israel" Compare II Thess. ii., 10, II.
b. "And when Aaron saw II, he built IN
altar before It." See this sin repeated In tho
case of Jeroboam and the very words OF
Aaron used q Kings XIII, 2s. 33). This Is all
the work OF the devil from beginning TO end
and so Is everything like II in the churches
and among the people Of God to-day God
Is 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 Il Is idolatry.
8. 1.-THE people sat down 10 eat and drink.
and rose up to play" See / Cor. X, Z, and
II would be well TO read the whole chapter.
Is II not on the same line OF things when in
houses built for tho worship OF Gods people
bearing the name OF Christ meet To ent and
drink and be entertained or amused2 There
IL wonderful likeness 20 the dancing and
singing OF the naked people around tho
golden calf Oversees 10. 25) In some things
done In our midst In the name OF religion
7. The Lord said TO Mos es that the people
called him down from the mountain 20 SEQ
to II. All the good Il 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 thysef, but In
Me Is thine help. Israel return unto the
Lord thy God, for thou hast fallen by
thine iniquity" (Ilos. kill, .; xiv, y. The
sin Is ours, the salvation Is all His.
s. They have turned aside quickly out
OF the way which | commanded them"
Blessed are the uudenled In the way who
walk In the law OF the Lord (ps. cXix., ~,
There Is no way for the child Of God to walk
In but the way, which Is Jesus Christ Him
self (John XIV. 81. We are not to turn from
Him either TO the right or the left (Joshua
han, ea,,, al t.,t
promise Of help and guidance II we are only
willing TO bc guided Clsa. INK. 81; Cor.
x, l9).
30 az will go up unto the Lord. peradven-
ture i shall make an Ltonemcnt for your
sim" Before coming down from the mount
Moses had pleaded for Israel and obtained
the assurance that God would spare them a.
a Nation. The accouh, 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 Il on the Lords side2" and
lhe true meaning OF fconsecration Compare
Luke xiv, 20. 27; Math. X, 81, 80.
81. Sand Moses returned unto tho Lord"
While all sin Is sin. and even the thought Of
Ioolishness Is sin prov. XIV, ~. yet some
sins are moro heinous than others. Moses
calls this great sin. Jesus Himself spoke
of sin that hath never forgiveness at tho
same time that He spoke OF the forgiveness
OI Ill manner OF SINS except TINS particular
sin Mark ill.,, 90, 29). The sin that overtops
ALL others is the rejection OF Christ the Son
God.
49, "And. II not, blot me, pray thee, out
Of Thy book which Thou hast written" lie
Is willing TO suffer In their stead II necessary
In order to save them. The same spirit IL
seen In Paul on behalf OF this same people
Israel (Rom. tx, 81. The reality il seen and
fully carried out In the Lord Jesus Christ,
who was made a sin Offering for Israel and
for us that we might be saved III Cor. ", 2l).
33 "Whosoever hath sinned against Me,
him will blot out OF my book" In Rev.
Xx., IL we read OF books being opened, and
another book which Is the book of life. In
Nal. ILL.,, 10 we read of book Of remem-
braDce. What book is referred 10 in our les
son we may not now know, but we may be
sure that ifit were ossible 10 have name
blotted out OF the book OF life our Lord
would not have made IL such great ground
OF rejoicing to have ones name there duke
x, 2l; Rev. ILL.,, 81.
"a. "Behold, Mine angel shall go before
thee. Nevertheless, in the day when visit
/ will visit their sin upon them" The Lord
Is slow 70 anger and plenteous in mercy,
but sin that IL not repented OF and forgiven
shall In due time be yisitei. 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.
xii, 20. "Behold 1 send an angel before
thee TO keep thee In the way, and 10 bring
thee into the place which have prepared
''rhe angel OF His presence saved them"
Elsa. xiii, 81. Well may we say, "If Thy
presence go not with me, carry us not up
hence" (Ex. xNNiii., l5). But thank God fot
Mnih. xviii, 20; Isa. Kill, 10, 49, Deut. XXI,
=; Heb. kill. 8. etc.
35. "Apd the Lord plagued the people,
because they made tho calf which Aaron
made" The Lord judgeth rlghteously, foi
there Is no unrighteousness with Him. He
looketh upon the heart and will render 10
every one according 10 their works. Part
nership In evil Is an evil partnership
Lesson Helper.