The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1895-10-10
SABBATH SCHOOL.
INTERNATIONAL LESSON FOR
OCTOBER t3.
Lesson Text: "Thc Triumph of Cid
con-" Judges VIII, 13-23-Gold-
en- Text: Psalm xvii,
3-Commcntary.

o-Commcntary.
IL. "And when Gideon was come. behold
mere was n man that told adream unto his
fellow." Gideon had been callod nnd on.
outraged by the Lord 20 deliver Israel from
the Midianitcs, their opprcssors, his princi-
pa strength being the Lords assurance,
Have not sent theeY Surely will he with
thee (chapter vi, II, l6) Tho Lord, how
ever. gave him three signs 10 strengthen him
! yer iurther-the meat Offering, accented by
/ IRE, the fleece wet and the fleece dry. Af,er
/ silung tho army OF so 900 down to 30o by
sending home all the fearful ones (22 OOO)
| ana out OF tho remainder all TINT loynJ tbnir
/ own ease (9700). He still further strengthen
MN ny sending him down TO the Midjanite
/ most by night To hear what thoy tnlknd about
I IN the camp. Just as Gideon came 90 thu
camp one soldier was telling another this
iteam. The dream was evidently from tbs
/ LORD, nnd also the telling OF IL nj this time.
! ~ 'Ihis Is nothing else save the sword of
/ gideon. tho son ot Joash, n man of Israel
| Tor into his hand hath God delivered INDIAN
and all the host The Interpretation of this
uream oy the soldier was also OF the Lord M
surely as were the Interpretations by Josenh
and Daniel. THIS does not prove. however. TINT
/ the Midinnte soldier was man of God for
the Lord used the mouth of Balnam and
I also the mouth Of the ass on which ho rode
to utter His messages
10. Arise, for the Lord hath delivered
into your hand the host OF INDIAN" Gideon
/ was so strengthened by this dream and i,s
interpretation that he hastened at once back
/ 70 tho camp OF Israel with theso worls
| Whatever God commands us t. do He is
ready TO do also and when He asks us 10 do
what seems impossible II IL that We may see
our weakness and trust Him to perfn.t Uis
strength in our weakness for He giyeth
power to the faint. and To them that have no
might He incrcaseth strength
10. "He put n trumpet in every mnn's
hand. with empty pitchers. and torches
(marein) within the pitchers" Thus lie
did with tho three companies of 100 each
Three IL mighty number and makea us
think of the Holy Trinity and also Of rcsur
rection. The trumpet Is suggestive of testi-
mony in connection with atonempnt. for
both rams horns and silver speak OF atone
ment, and we overcome by the blood OF tho
Lamb and the word oi our testimony ready
To lay down our lives for Him (Rcv xii, III.
The torch "a suggestive of constant lIfo
Tor the life il the light" To bc a good
soldier of Christ there must be u good tcstl.
mony and consistent life
II. "Look on TO mo and do likcwisa A.
I do, so shall ye do" Tho secret of victory
II 20 SEQ Jesus only (Math. xviii 3; Heb. Xii'
!, ~, aud follow Him fully. walking "a Ho
walked II Pet. H., 81 | John IT,. g.. "Do ns
have done unto YOU was part OF His ad-
vice to His disciples (John xiii, i5) and
there Is no perfect example but Himself We
mhYlwcll say, "Who H. sufficient Tor such "A
uiet' But He answers. my grace is sum
rient for thee "Our suillcIcncv IA Of Gndn
ii Cor. H.. lG; ill.,, O. xiii ~.
H. blow yo tho trumpet and say. The
sword OF the Lord and Of Gideon" The
sound from the mouth suggests tho two
edged sword which proceeds from tho mouth
flnX 4 bn -
sharper than any two edged sword (IIch. iv..
l2). the sword ofthc Spirit, which isthe word
Of God (Epb. vi, I'D. This victory accom-
plished by tho Lord through Gideon, Gideon's
part being simply that OF II visible and obe-
dent partner. II was so with all tho
prophets, tho word was the Lords, but tho
mouth wasthe prophets, IA In III Sam. xxiii..
2; Jer I. .. Even our Lord Jesus gives His
Father credit for .Bll His words and works
(John xii, 40; XIV, l0)
10. 20. "And the three companies blow
.ho trumpets and brake the pitchers and
held the lamps In their left hands and tho
trumpnts in their right hands To- blow. and
they cried, The Sword Of tho Lord and OF
Gideon do not know just how they man
nged with two hands TO accomplish Theses
three things all ut once; but somc day Gideon
will tell Us how they did IT II we ask him.
The principal item in the story il their cry
and its results. The strength Of my lifo aud
tls JOY and peace Is tho partnership with Hin
who does all the work. suggested by the
phrase, Tho Lord aud Gideon" II Is God
who worketh In M both to will and 10 do
tPhil H.. -, Heb. Niii, 2D. Tho Lord
could as easily have delivered Israel without
Gideon, but lie saw nt 10 uso Gideon. So
with ~, We are none Of us essential 10 Him,
hut Ho is willing t5 use Us IL we are willing
10 be used by Him as He shall please
II. And they stood every man in his
place. believe from Eph H., 10, that God
has n place and a work for each Of His re-
leemei (soe also Mark xiii, 81: Math. NXy.
80. aud that, as one has said, Cody man
Is Gods man in Gods place doing Gods
work in Gods way for Gods glory. As IN
Tho tabernacle and temple, neither Moses nor
David nor solomon had anysay in the plans.
but received all from God and had only 10
!. cbaiicnt 50 | believe Il should be In all
the work Of the church and in the Individual
": Of every believer. We have tho promiss
6t thoughts, words, stops and actions all
controlled by Him who says, "Bchold mako
ill things new" Let our motto, then, bo
"NOt /, but Christ, who liyeth In me- tho
Son OF God, who loved me and gave Himself
for me- CGal. H.. 2O).
~ Tho LORD set every maq5 sword
against his follow" SO 1t was In I Sam.
xiv, 20, and In IL Chron, xx., 81. In tho
later case tho people wont out praising tho
Lord rs they gent TO the battle for this ric.
soig tudt INC lOtl was gong TO give them,
Tor they believed God. In tho storm at sea
Paul was OF good cheer because Of the de-
liv2rance promised, though therc seemed,
humanity speaking. no possibility ofdeliver-
hnce, but he believed God acts xviii, $50.
1t is safe 20 keep right on rs God directs and
trust Hin to manage all our enemies. our
reputation ana all else. "Bo not afraid
only believe"
%. And the men Of Israel gathered them.
selves together and pursued after
the Midianites." Those mentioned in this
verse were such "a responded 20 Gldeon's
frst call for helpers wi. 35). Then In tho
next verse we read that Ephraim camo also.
See in chapter yii., l-3, how wisely Gideon
appeased their anger at not being called
earlier, and remember that "a soft answer
turneth away wrath" (Prov. xv., u. May