The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1895-09-12
SABBATH SCHOOL.
Irrational LESSON FOR
SEPTEMBER 10.
Lesson Text: "Thc Refuge of Cities, )"
Joshua Xxx, 1-O-Golden Text:
Hebrews VII. 1S-Com-
mcntary.

I. "Thc Lord also spakc unto Joshua, saw
Ing. There was u time when God spal,c to
men face to face as with ADAM Abraham,
Moses and Joshua. He ancrward spoke
through the prophets, but lie last spoke
, through His Son, our Lord jesus Christ
Qieb. l.. l. y. Even His communications 20
Abraham and the others were through tho
Son, for, "Nom man hath seen God at any time,
the only Bcgotten Son who is in the bosom
OF the Father. He hath declared Him" (John
l.. 1S). Whether through the prophets or
His Son 1t was always by the Spirit. and tho
same Holy Spirit now speaks to VA tn His
word II Pot. t., II. III Pet. L., 81. John xvi,
i3; John Ill.,, 27).
2. "Speak to the children Of israel saving.
Appoint out for you cities OF refuge whereof
/ spake unto you 10y the hand OF Moses" Tho
| commands concerning the "cjtics OF refuge"
! are found In EX xxi, 10; Mum. NxNv., ILLS.
md Deut XIX, 20. Our lesson IL the fourth
reference to them. and the number four IL
suggestive OF completeness concerning Gods
| uealings with the earth. The four gospels.
the four faces of the chcrubim for four cor
ners of the carth-all suggest Cots purposes
OF grace in Christ Jesus for the whole earth.
3. "rhat the saycr that killcth any per-
son unawarcs and uuwittingly may foo
thither and thev shall bc your refuge from
the avcnger of blood" The word ''mirlat"
hero translated refuge" is a word which Ia
used on'y OF the cities ot refuge. II l. from
n root which signifies "to receive" aud
makes Us think of Him Of whom IL l. said,
This man reccivcth Sinners The cities OF
refuge were only for the inuocout who had
killed accidentally an1 without malice; tho
Lord Jesus Is u Saviour and refuge for the
guilty, and vet the cities ot refuge were Gods
way NJ saving those who otherwise would
have pcrshcd
T. They shall take him into tho city unto
them ana give him place that he may
dwell among them His dwelling among
them calls To- mind another word which is
translated "rnfugc' only once. 1t Is In tho
passage. "rhe eternal God Is thy rcfugc"
(DeGt. NNNiii., 27), and IL In the Niuetcth
and Ntnety-lrst Psalms and elsewhere trans
lated dwelling place' and "habtatiun."
When we have flni TO Jesus our refuge, He
becomes our dwelling place, and We may
"abide in Him.
.. "And II the avrngnr Of blood pursue
after him, then they shall not deliver the
slayer up into his hand" The way to tho
city was prepared lDeut. NiN, % aud every
thing made rs plain and easy for the unwil-
ing slayer ~ possible but he had to nep to
the city AMI foe for his life les, the Hyenger
should ovcrtaEc him. There Is always n
danger OF the sinners being cut oil In his
sins. Then there Is no possibility of rcdcmp-
tion, for IL H. written: because Their, l.
wrath, bewarr lest lie tako thee away with
Hts stroke Then great ransom cannot de-
liver thee" Dob xxxyi.. 1S).
God Is not willing that any should pcri-h,
and He has made every possible provision
Tor every sinner who will come. SO that the
guilt Is either upon the sinner who has heard
and will not come, or upon those who, know
ing OF the refuge, have not informed those
who know II.
6. "Aud he shall dwell In that city until
he stand before the congregation for iudg.
ment, and until the death of the high priest
that shall he In those days" His liberty de.
pended upon tho death OF the high priest
Our High Priest has died and risen from the
death aud is alive forevermore. Because He
ever liveth He is able to save evermore all
who come unto God by Him. None who ever
come to Him will be cast out and because
He lives all who come to Him shall live also
(John vi. 81; xiv. I9). We have only TO
abide in Him, live unto Him and rejoice in
Him who has made us free.
z. "And they appointed Kedesh In Galilee
In Mount Naphtali. and Shechem in Mount
Ephraim, and kirjath-arba, which IL Hebron
in the mountain of Judah" There wero
three cities on each side OF Jordan. Three IL
suggestive OF ;he Trinity aud Of resurrec-
ton, and these names are all suggestive OF
lin who reveals the Father by the Spirit,
and by His death and resurrection becomes a
refuge for us Kedesh means holiness and
Naphtali means wrestling. He becomes our
holiness when we yield to His wrestling and
are willing to acknowledge no good thing in
fruitful. II Is only when we cease from our
wrestlings against Him and rest quiet on His
shoulder that He can make uS fruitful.
kirjath-arba Is the city Of Arba, or of four.
Hebron Is company, or fellowship, and
Judah Is praise. Resting from our wrestling
in Him who IL our holiness we become fruit
full through fellowship with the Father and
the Son by the Spirit and are thus praise
unto God. Ii all comes through coming
unto and abiding In Him who is our only
refuge.
g. "Bezer, out of the tribe OF Reuben: RAJ
moth, out of the tribe OF Cad, and GOlRn.
out of the tribe of Manasseh." These wero
the three on the east Jordan and arc also
very suggestive Of Him. Bezer signifies
strong, and also gold or silver, or something
precious, Reuben Is 'see n SON" There IL
no real strength or wealth or preciousness
apart from the Son In whom dwelleth all tho
ifullness OF Godhead bodily (See Prov. ILL.,,
IA, 15 Pet. H., u lsa. xii, 2; xl., 29). Ia-
moth il height or cxaltation, and Cad il II
troop or company This makes Us think Of
the host OF exalted ones who have fled for
refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before
them. Redeemed by His precious blood
they are now by faith sealed with Him in tho
heavenlies-in due time shall be actually
with Him, spirit, soul aud body, and shall
icome with Him among the armies Of heaven
,Golan is circle, or Joy or rejoicing, and
iManasseh Is forgetting. When the circle Is
completed and we become maniiestly part
OF Him from whom our new life began, then
will our Joy be full ana we shall forget all
our miserles and remember them as waters
that pass away dob XII, lG). Then shall we
see that all the suiferings Of this present
time are not worthy to be- compared with the
glory that shall be revealed Ctom. viii, ls).
.. "These were the cities appointed for all
the children of Israel and for the stranger
that soiourneth among them," The benefit
was for ALL jew or gentle. | was for "who-
soever' kllleth any person at unawarcs that
he might not perish. Consider the whoso-
eyers Of John ILL.,, lG w., 10; Xi., 90; Acts ",
40; Rom ", IL; | John ", /; Rev. xii, II.
What a responsibility rests upon all who
know Of this refuge for sinners 10 make Him
known to all as speedily as possible. Lesson
Helper.
HURLED THE GLASS.
Louis Celia an Italian saloonist, Mt Broad