Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1895-08-30
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
LESSON X, THIRD QUARTER, INTER-
NATIONAL SERIES, SEPT. I.

H, 3O-Commentary by the rev. d. NJ
Stearns.
8. "Thc seven priests bearing the seven
trumpets of rams horns passed on before
the Lord" At Gilgal the reproach of
Egypt was rolled away in connection with
the rite of circumcision, the feast of Pass
over was kept, and the mamma that had
como from heaven so faithfully all those
30 years ceased after they had eaten the
old corn of the land (chapter V, S-12).
Joshua also had taken second place in
command, the Lord Himself being the
Captain Of the host ". H. 49,. Now under
their Captains orders they are beginning
their march around Jericho, which city
was straitly shut up because of Israel
(vcrsc ~
9. "And the armed men went before the
priests that blew with the trumpets."
Tho armed men, the priests, the ark, all
the people. Such was the order of the pro-
ccssion as they marched around the city.
Tho ark is the symbol of the presence of
the Lord and all was being done chat all
the people OF the earth might know the
hand of the Lord, that it is mighty, and
that they mi yht fear before Him. (v, 24).
Whether the trumpets were rams horns or
silver their sound was suggestive of atone
mcnt hy virtue of which God can deal
with man.
TO- aye shall not shout, nor make any
noise with your voice, neither shall airy
word proceed out of your mouth, until the
day bid you shout This was very try
ing to their humanity. Their God had III
vided the Red sea and the Jordan for thcm
had fed them with food from heaven and
brought water from the rock for them
He was the mighty God of jacob, and He
was going to make the walls of Jericho
fall down Fat, for He said He would (verse
81 and the hearts of many must have
| longed to cry out to those scoffcrs on the
walls: "O Our God will bring down those
walls. He will conquer you" But there
was to be not word from Israel till the
appointed time. With the exception of the
blasts from The rams horns the great host
passed round in silence. Sec Zech. ii, 13.
! II. $50 the ark of the Lord comprised
! the city, going about it once. " Not word
about the people doing it. 1t is God who
workcth, " and "the Lord alone must be
exalted (Phil. ii, 10; Isa. ii, ~.
12-14. "And the second day they com
passed the city once and returned into the
camp so they did six days" Day after day
the same procession and the same order.
No sound but the horns of the priests.
Not word from the people-just the 81
lent marching of the mighty host and the
quiet and or.erly return to the camp. Tie
walls of Jericho stand firm, and probably
the scoffers' hearts grow harder rs they
find their peace undisturbed, and it is even
possible that they find some amusement
in watching the daily procession, the priests
and their horns will have their share of
ridiculc, and there may have been many a
surmise and even joke about what was
under the blue cloth ON those mems Shout
ders Gum. iV, 8, 81. Infidelity is about
the same in all ages, and the hard speeches
of ungodly sinners dude, 49, are always
plentiful. 1t is ours to bear the ark in
patience and meellness and faith, giving a
clear and consistent testimony as to thu
only way of redemption through the blood
of the Lamb, and at the appointed time
the walls of infldcity will crumblc and the
kingdom will be the Lord obadiah, 2).
To- "Only on that day they compassed
the city seven times" This is the record
of the seventh day There must have been
unusual interest in Jericho on this day as
they heard the sound of the rams horrs
earlier than usual and saw the hosts,
stead of TOT drning to camp, start to &C l.
pass the city a second time. Then n tn
time, and fJurth time and fifth, and a
sixth. The interest must have been in
tense, and we may imagine the walls fair
ly crowded 70 watch these unusual proceed
ings.
16. "Shout, for the Lord hath given you
the city" This was the command of
Joshua to the people as they went round
the seventh time. How their pent up feel
ings would break forth; what a shout it
must have been from hundreds of thou
sands of voices; shout after shout, Il pro-
longed shout that almost, if not altogether,
made the earth to tremblel The city was
given to Israel before ever they compasscd
the city once (VerSc p. 1t was theirs by
the word of the Lord now it is to become
theirs visibly and actually Many things
are ours in Christ which we will not Wis
IDLY and actually enjoy till His appointed
time.
II. "Only Rahab, the harlot, shall live. ."
BY faith she persisted not with the unbe-
levers (Heb xi, 30, 81. The scarlet cord
in her window was the outward evidence
of her faith, and she rested on the words
of the spies whom she had befriended say
ing, according unto your words, so be it
iii, 2D. Through her faith deliverance
came to her father and mother and breth-
Itll anu hliuitd NNtISc @O). olit ulltTMuTu
married Salmon (who may have been one
of the spies) and became the mother of
Boaz (See Ruth iv, 2l and Math. i, %.
Is. keep yourselves from the accursed
thing" The whole city and all in it were
devoted to be utterly destroyed Verse II,
margin, and verse 2l), and this was "A
warning for -ael's good. If we get mixed
up with cursed things we will bring a
curse upon ourselves. The only redemp-
ton from the curse is through Him who
was made q curse for us (GaI. iii, 49,.
This was typified in the scarlet cord in
Rahab's window.
10. "But all the silver and gold and YES
sells of brass and iron are consecrated
unto the Lord" In Mum. xxi, we read
that the people were permitted to take of
the spoil and give unto the Lord portion,
cleansing everything by lire or water
Mum. xxi, 23), but in the case of the