The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1895-08-22
SABBATH SCHOOL.
INTERNATIONAL LESSON FOR
AUGUST 20.
Lesson Text; Crossing the Jordan, ~
Joshua Ill.,, I-t7 - Golden
Text: lisa. XIII, 2-Com-
ncntary.

ana MS body was buried Joshua succeed
ed him. and having led the people to the
River Jordan they are now about To- pass
over into the heart Of the land ot promise.
but how? for IL was harvest time. aud Jor-
ian overfiowed his banks verse ljN. When
the Lord leads liia people into difficulty,
IL is that He may show His power and be
gloriiled in them. The one thing for the
people Is to sanctify Themselves or put away
every semblnncc Of evil. ~ on the night
when they came out OF Egypt they put away
all leaven out Of their houses.
u. TAKE up the ark OF the covenant and
pass over before the people" The ark j.
mentioned ter times In this chapter II was
the symbol Of His presence. and His presence
was everything Instead OF iourneying In
the midst of them, as ordinarily, II now went
ahead OF them. and there was to be about
hall mile between 1t and them. that they
might know the way to 20 for ''they had not
passed this way heretofore verse ~. We
must take care 10 follow Jesus closely aud
fully, for IL may truly bc said OF each day,
''Ye have not passed this way heretofore. "
Z. That all Israel may know that a. was
with Moses so | will bc with thee Therr.
fore He would magnify Joshua aud lie did
(chapter w., i4), and Joshua. was hpnorcd
because of God with him. II was God that
was magniiled, hut Joshua was the chosen
ehrtheu vessel. The same thing was seen
In Gal. L., IL. -, when In Paul Christ was
revealed, and God was gorlled. pauls am
bition wns that Christ shoud bc mHgnincd
In His body whether lay life or 10y death
(Phil. T., 20).
s. "Stand still in Jordan" Tho priest,
bearing the ark were to step into the wntrr
ere Il would divide tversc- 10. ljl not ~ At
the Red Sea when the waters divided ere tho
people came close tuthcm. lie guides "a, Of
ten one step nj u time, aud We must take one
step ere we see the next one. aud sometimes
we must step right into the waters when
thou pa-scst through the waters. will be-
with thee
. Come hithcr, and hear the words or
the Lord your God This II the great and
fundamental thing to hear what God ha.
spoken. Whatever mouth or hand the Lord
may use, It Is God llimsclf who speaks aud
works II was SO iu Christ tJuhn xiv. 1Ol.
IL was So in the prophets tll"h. t.. /. .. II Pet
l.. 2D: il will hc so still In every vessel that
Is wholly His (Math. v, 20. Phil. H.. iB.
10. "irhc living God j. among ynu aud lie
will without fail drive out from before YOU
the Cannantes.' etc. All other Nation,
wOrshipcd idols the works of mems hands,
hut the popularity of Israel was that their
Lord was the true God. the living God the
King Of eternity der. ". lOl tn" dividing
of Jordan and every other mighty work uf
God In Israel was that Israel ur.t aud then
all the people OF the earth might know the
hand Of the Lord, that 1t is mighty. aud fear
the Lord God forever l'huItrr iy.. 2i.
II. "Behold the ark OF the covenant of the
Lord OF all the earth passrth over before
you into Jordan ! think this is tine at
time that in connection with the ark tho
Lord - called "tho Lord of all the earth"
But He l. frequently called by this name "a
we 90 ON in the book tps. lNVyii.. .; Isn. liy.
3; Mic. iv., -; Xcch w., II. We. o.. In Glen.
XIX, 49, %. He IL the "NIost High God the
posscsso- OF heaven aud earth lIispurposes
of grace ARE worldwide, aud they are world
wide in connection with Israel for SEQ Isa.
Nxvit, 6; Mum. xiv, 20. n.
~. "Now, Therefore. take you twelve mon
out OF the tribes Of Israel out Of every tribe
man. The story OF these twelve men T.
found In the first nine verses OF tho next
chapter. Their commission was to take
each man stone out Of the midst of Jordan
aud set them up ia tho first resting place in
the land This they did AZ GilgHl, and
Joshua also set up twelve stones I'm the midst
OF Jordan. where the feet Of the priests STOOD
(chapter iv.. .. 2O). The twelve under the
waters of Jordan and the twelve at Gilgal
are very suggestive Of our union with Christ
in death and resurrection. Old things
passed away; all things become new (ll Cor
v, 10.
-. 1T shall come TO pass" This verso
gives the promise and assurance. The next
three give the fulfllmcnt. 10 make the
promise rs real ~ possible We must imugin"
ourselves on the margin of u rushing river IN
the time Of n freshet and rs We guzo upon
the mighty waters one among Us saws that
ms coon as the feet Of certain men, duly ap-
pointed, shall touch the waters the river will
divide, the upper waters piling up in u heap
and tho rest flowing away, leaving the bed
OF the river dry Could you believe word
like that?
l4-i6. "And 1t came 10 pass" What
God says Is as good rs done, for "thr Lord
OF Hosts hath sworn, saying, Surely ~ |
have thought, SO shall 1t come To- pass, aud
~ | have purposed, so 1t shall stand (Isa.
XIV, 30. And see Jcr NNNii., in refer
nnce to nothing being too hurd or wonder
full for the Lord It came to pass exactly
~ the Lord said it would. and the people
passed over right against Jericho The
people OF jericho had heard how the Lord
had divided the Red Sea for Israel (chapter
H., 100, but now they saw for themselves
tho mighty power Of the God Of Jacob.
Yet, Rahab and her house were the only !
ones who proilted by the lesson. Some poo
Pile talk about the laws of nature ~ IL God |
bound Himself always to bo subject To- ana |
work only under control OF these laws. But |
by what law will II river cease to flow aud |
pile its waters up in a heap and stay so for |
I timeg Instead of laws let rs consider Him !
who controls and is superior to all laws; who
ioes as He pleascs In heaven, earth and sea |
Ps. cxXxy., g., and has perfect control of
Ire, air, earth and sea. Say Lord control |
ne. too, for Thy glory.
II. "The priests that bear the ar, OF the
covenant Of the Lord stood firm ON dry
ground in the midst OF Jordan They did
his until all were clean passed over, aud
was finished that the Lord had
aid (iv., 10, ~. Even IL they marched
hundred abreast there would be over five
niles OF them to pass over, aud even though
hey hasted Oy., 100 II would take many
lours Observe the words, "Until eyory-
hing was finished, ," and compare the double,
Not one thing hath failed, of chapter
iXiii., II. Our High Priest will finish all
hat concerns US, and not one thing can fail
II nll that He has spoken. Jordan was
wics divided after this Gl Kings H., 8, lD,
md the Lord did for two men, and for ono
nan, what He had done for a nation. BE
hot afraid. Only belieye.-Lesson Helper
nnuNKtRD, nut YET MOTHER.
She was a drunkarI and dissipatcd, bat
I'LL had mothers instinct, II not mothers
ove, for her child. She was Mrs. Annie
rnnley. ana was arrested for drunkenness.
With her was her babe in arms
When arraigned she could not speak clear.
7, and Justice Ryan sent her 10 sober up.
w a hAn Nalsa -. l.. |