The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1895-09-21
SCHOLARS STUDY.


Our Quarters Lessons are Invisible in
to the THREE PERIODS to which they per
tain-I. The Lessons from l. to vi.
concern the Wanderings IN the Wstder-
ness, period of about forty years. The
giving of the TenWords at Sinai was an
event of central significance. it being
the annunciation of the religion Of right
eousness for which Israel, alone among
all the nations, was to stand. In the
story of the Golden Calf we saw rebel
lion against the Monotheism and moral
ity of the Law, an endeavor to return to
the license of the ox-worship of the East
combined with the bull.worship OF
Egypt. In the story of Nadab and
Abihu we saw sacrilege against the tab
ernacle and it's ceremonials punished by
Moses with instant and fatal vengeance.
In the story Of Hobab we saw how Moses
brother law, Midianite, resisted the
invitation to cast his lot with the He
brews which appealed to his self-inter-
est, and how the appeal to his unselfish-
ness prevailed; he was willing to go with
Israel, and be eyes to the host in the
wilderness, that he might serve God and
man. In the story of the Report OF the
Spies, we saw caution in the ten become
cowardice. and heroic courage in Joshua
and Caleb make them genuine pioneers
and the real guides of Israel. We recall
that a rebellion against Moses and JOS
hua compelled stay of the host at ka-
desh barnea Of thirty-eight years. The
story of the fiery serpents creating
panic in the Arabah. and Moses working
a strange mind-cure by means of the
Brazen Serpent, is illustrative OF the
fact of human experience that. in many
case, to b. Injured to danger is to ami
hilate it; dangers are overcome by turn
ing gristle to bone, nervous beginners to
nerve-hardened veterans. = III. The
Lessons from VII. to X. pertain to the
period of the Conquest of Canaan, about
seven years. In the lesson on The New
Home in Canaan we had specimen of
Moses final counsels to Israel on the
plains of Moab, and of his massing and
reiteration OF the Law. In the Crossing
of the Jordan we saw the evidence and
exhibition of military engineering
worthy of the great general Joshua. In
the Fall of Jericho we saw the indica-
tions of a military strategy which caused
the stronghold without battle to fall
into the hands of Israel. Jericho was
the key to the entire Promised Land.
This is evidenced by the fact that
Joshua, under penalty of death. forbade
that any one should attempt to rebuild
the city. During the period of the con-
quest, and for some years afterwards
Gilgal, within two or three miles of
Jericho, was the central encampment of
the Israelites. because the
place was natural stronghold aud had
been made by the Israelites. according
to the standard of that day. an impreg-
nable fortress. Joshua's plan of the war
of conquest, by its dividing the country
into two sections and preventing a COM
bination of the enemies north and south.
and then overpowering the sections
separately, is reckoned one of the great
military achievements of the ages. At
the victory Of Beth-horon. when some
prolongation of the twilight became
poetical tradition of the sun standing
still, the resisting power of the Canaan
itaa in0enaraI hattla was comnletaly
broken.-The Lessons from X. to XII.
pertain to the period of Occupation,
Division, Rest and Retrogression. In
the story of Caleb's Reward we have an
antique picture exemplifying two things.
the disposition of the better Israel to
adopt a man OF alien race into their
household OF faith, and the natural
reward of true life which comes to one