Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1895-10-11

THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
LESSON II, FOURTH QUARTER, INTER-
NATlONA- SERIES, OCT. t3.

xvii, Commentary by the Rev. ID. NJ.
stearns.
10. "And when Gideon was come, be-
hold there was u man that told dream
unto his fellow" Gideon had been called
and encouraged by the Lord to deliver Is
racl from the Midianites, their, opprcssors,
his principal strength being the Lords
assurance: Have not sent thee? Surely
will he with thee (chaptcr vi, IA, 16).
The Lord, however, gave him three signs
to strengthen him yet furthcr-the meat
Offering accepted by fire, the fleece wet
and the fleece dry. After sitting the army
of 81, 600 down to 300 by sending homo all
the fearful ones (22 O00), and out of the
remainder all that loved their own case
g., 10O), He still further strengthens him
by sending him down to the Midianitc
host by night to hear what they talked
about in the camp. just as Gideon came
to the camp ono soldier was telling anoth-
or this dream. The dream was evidently
from the Lord, and also the telling of it at
this time.
IA. "This is nothing else save the sword
of Gideon, the son Of JoaSh, man of Is
racl for into his hand hath God delivered
tation of this dream by the soldier was also
of the Lord as surely Us were the intcrprc.
tations by Joseph and Daniel. This does
not prove, however, that the Nldianitc
soldier was a man of God for the Lord
used the mouth Of Baadm, and also tho
mouth of thcass ON which he rode, to utter
| His messages.
10" Arise. for the Lord hath delivered
into your hand the host OF INDIAN. Gid
con was so strengthened by this dream and
its Interpretation that he FASTENED at once
back to the camp of Israel with these
words. Whatever God commands us to dc
| He is ready to do also, and when He asks
US to do what seems impossible ii is that
| we may see our weakness and trust Him
| to perfect His strength i'm our weakness,
for He giVclh power to the faint and tG
them that have no might He incrcascth
/ strength.
16. 90 lie put trumpet in every mans
hand, with empty pitchers, and torches
/ mnrEim within the pitchers Thus he
did with the three companies of 100 each.
Three is IA mighty number and makes IL
think Of the Holy Trinity and also of res.
direction. The trumpet is suggestive OF
/ testimony in connection with atuncmcnt,
for both rams horns and silver speak Of
/ atOncmcnt, and we overcome by the blood
/ of the Lamb and the word of our tcstino.
ny ready to lay down our lives for Him
! (Rcv. xii, ~. The torch is suggestive OF
IA consistent life, for "thc life is the light. ="
To be good soldier of Christ there must
/ be good testimony and a consistent life
Il. Look on me and do likewise. As
do, 50 shall We do The secret of victory
is to sec Jesus only (Math xvii, s; Heb
xii |, p, and follow Him fully walking
as He walked Il Pet. ii, 81; l John ii, o.
do as | have done unto you" was part
of His advice to His disciples (John xiii
| 15), and there is no perfect example but
Himself. We may well say, "Who is sufl-
cicnt for such IL lifcY" But He answers
"My grace is sufficient for thee" "Om
sutlicicncy IS of God Oh Cor. ii, 16; ill.,
8; xii, 81.
Is. blow We the trumpet and say, The
sword of the Lord and of Gideon" The
sound from the mouth suggests the two
edged sword which proceeds from the
mouth (Rcv. l. 16), the word of God which
is sharper than any two edged sword (Heb.
iv, 10, the sword of the Spirit which is
the word OF God (Eph. vi, 10. This victo-
ny was accomplished by the Lord through
Gideon, Gidrons part being simply that
of a visible and ohcdicnt partner 1t was
so with all the prophets the word was the
Lord but the mouth was the prophet :,
as in III sam. xiii, .; .Jcr. i, o. Even our
Lord Jesus gives His Father credit for all
His words and works (.John xii, 40; xiv.
100.
10, 90 "And the three companies blew
the trumpctS and brake the pitchers and
held the lamps in their left hands and the
trumpcts in their right hands to blow. and
they cried, The sword Of the Lord and OF
| al mot / a.
managed with two hands to accomplish
these three things all at once, but some
day Gideon will tell us how they did it if
we ask him. The principal item in the
story is their cry and its results. The
strength of my life and its joy and peace
is the partnership with Him who does all
the work, suggested by the phrase, "Th,
Lord and Gideon 1t is God who work
eth in us both to will and to do (phil. ii,
10; Heb xiii, 2D. The Lord could as cas-
lily have delivered Israel without Gideon,
but He saw fit to use Gideon. So with us.
We are none of us essential to Him, but
He is willing to use us if we are willing
to be used by Him as He shall please
81. And they stood every man in his
place" L believe from Eph ii, TO- that
God has place and work for each of Hi,
redeemed (see also Mark xiii, "a; Math
AANi lb)' anu lllil' It's one mas SalN, Il eau
ly man is Gods man in God place doing
Gods work in God 5 way for Gods glory
As in the tabernacle and temple, nett hcI
Moses nor David nor Solomon had any say
in the plans, but received all from God
and had only to be obcdient, SO believe it
should he in all the work of the church
and in the individual life of every believer
We have the promise of thoughts, words,
steps and actions, all controlled by Him
who says, Behold, mi - all things new. 81
Let our motto, then. be- Not |, but Christ
who liveth in me, the Son of God, who
loved me and gave Himself for me" (Gal
ii, 2O).
%. "The Lord set every mans sword
against his fellow" So it was in l Sam
xiv, 20, and in III Chron. Xxx, % In the
later case the people went out praising the
Lord as they went to the battle for the
victory that the Lord was going to give
them, for they believed God In the storm
AT sea Paul WAS Of good cheer because OF
the dclvcrance promised, though there
seemed, humanity speaking, no possibility