The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1895-08-21
SABBATH SCHOOL.
INTERNATIONAL LESSON FOR
AUGUST 25.
Lesson Text: "Crosslng the Jordan"
Joshua ILL.,, 5-17 Golden
Text: Isu. xliii., 2-Com-
mentary.

5. "And Joshua said unto the people.
Sanctify yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord
will do wonders among YOU" Moses died,
and his 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 OF promise.
but how2 for it was harvest time. and Jor-
dan overflowed his banks (verse 15). When
the Lord leads His people into difficulty,
it is that He may show His power and be
glorifled in them. The one thing for the
people is to sanctify themselves, or put away
every semblance Of evil, as on the night
when they came out OF Egypt they put away
all leaven out Of their houses.
6. stake up the ark Of the covenant and
pass over before the people," The ark Is
mentioned ter times In this chapter. 1t was
the symbol of His presence, and His presence
was everything. Instead of journeying In
the midst Of them, as ordinarily, it now went
ahead Of them, and there was to be about
half mile between 1t and them, that they
might know the way to go for "they had not
passed this way heretofore" (verse 4l. we
fully, for 1t may truly be said of each day,
"Ye have not passed this way heretofore"
7. "That all Israel may know that as was
with Moses 80 will be with thee" There.
fore He would magnify Joshua and He did
(chapter iv., 14), and Joshua, was honored
because OF God with him. It was God that
was magnifled, but Joshua was the chosen
earthen vessel. The same thing was seen
in Gal. l., 16. "a, when in Paul Christ was
revealed, and God was gloriled. Pauls am
bition was that Christ should be magnifled
in His body whether by life or by death
(Phil. l., 20).
8. "Stand still in Jordan" The priests
bearing the ark were to step into the water
ere it would divide oversees 10, 15), not as at
the Red Sea when the waters divided ere the
people came close to them. He guides us Of
ten one step at time, and we must take one
step ere We see the next one, and sometimes
we must step right into the waters. When
thou passest through the waters, will be
with :hee."
9. Come hither, and hear the words of
the Lord your God" This Is the great and
fundamental thing-to hear what God has
spoken. Whatever mouth or hand the Lord
may use, it is God Himself who speaks and
works. It was 80 In Christ (John xiv. 1O);
it was 80 in the prophets (Heb. l., 1. 2; II Pet:
l., 21); it will be 80 still in every vessel that
is wholly His (Matb. K, 20; Phil. H., 13).
10. "The living God is among you, and He
will without fail drive out from before you
the Canaanites," etc. All other Nations
worshiped idols, the works OF mems hands,
but the popularity Of Israel was that their
Lord was the true God, the living God. the
King of eternity (Jer. x, 1O). The dividing
Of Jordan and every other mighty work OF
God in Israel was that Israel first and then
all the people Of the earth might know the
hand of the Lord that 1t Is mighty, and fear
the Lord God forever (chapter w., 2G.
II. "Behold the ark of the covenant OF the
Lord of all the earth passeth over before
YOU into Jordan" I think this is the first
time that in connection with the ark the
Lord Is called "the Lord Of all the earth. y
But He Is frequently called by this name as
we 90 on in the book Cps. lxxyii., 5; Isa. iv.,
S; Mic. iv., 13; Zech. iv., "A: vi. 5). In Gen.
xix, 10, %, He Is the "Most High God, the
possessor OF heaven and earth" Hispurposes
of grace ore worldwide, and they are world
wide in connection with Israel, for see lsa.
xvii, 6: Mum. xiv, 20, 81.
IL. "Now, therefore, take you twelve men
out OF the tribes OF Israel out OF every tribe
a man" The story Of these twelve men Is
found in the first nine verses OF the next
chapter. Their commission was to take
each man a stone out OF the midst OF Jordan
and set them up in the first resting place In
the land. This they did at Gilgal, and
Joshua also set up twelve stones in the midst
of Jordan, where the feet OF the priests stood
(chapter iv., 9, 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
v.,I1D; u oo,o - ma. , This vsrsa
gives the promise and assurance. The next
three give the fulhllment. To make the
promise as real as possible we must imagine
ourselves on the margin of rushing river IN
the time OF q freshet, and as we gaze upon
the mighty waters one among us says that
rs soon as the feet OF certain men, duly ap-
pointed, shall touch the waters the river will
divide, the upper waters piling up in heap
and the rest flowing away, leaving the bed
Of the river dry. Could you believe word
like that?
1416. "And IT came to pass" What
God SAYS is az good as done, for ''the Lord
of Hosts hath sworn. saying, Surely rs
have thought, 80 shall it come to pass, and
as I have purposed, so it shall stand" lsa.
xiv, 24). And see Jer. xxxii., in refer
ence to nothing being too hard or wonder
full for the Lord. 1t came to pass exactly
as the Lord said 1t would, and the people
passed over right against jericho. Inc
people of Jericho had heard how the Lord
had divided the Red Sea for Israel (chapter
H., 10Y. but now they saw for themselves
the mighty power OF the GCo oi jacob.
Yet, Rahab and her house were the only
ones who profited by the lesson. Some peo,,
pie talk about the laws OF nature as II God
bound Himself always to be subject to and
work only under control Of these laws. But
by what law will river cease to flow and
pile its waters up in a heap and stay 80 for
q time? Instead OF laws let US consider Him
who controls and Is superior to all laws; who
does as He pleases in heaven, earth and sea
(Ps. cxxxv., g., and has perfect control OF
fire, air, earth and sea- Say Lord control
me, too for Thy glory.
II. "The priests that bear the ark OF the
covenant Of the Lord stood firm on dry
ground in the midst of Jordan" They did
this until all were clean passed. over. and
everything was finished that the Lord had
said Ov., 10, 11). Even If they marched
hundred abreast there would be over nVe
miles Of them to pass over, and even though
they hasted Gv., 10) it would take many
hours. Observe the words, "Until every
thing was finished" and compare the double
'Not one thing hath failed OF chapte
xiii, IA. Our High Priest will finish al
that concerns us, and not one thing can fai
Of all that He has spoken. Jordan wa:
twice divided after this II Kings H., 8, lD
and the Lord did for two men, and for ont
man, what He had done for nation. Bt
pot nfraid ONLY belieye Lesson Helper.