Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1895-10-12
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
LESSON Il, FOURTH QUARTER, INTER-
NATIONAL SERIES, OCT. f3.

IS. "And when Gideon was come, be-
hold there was a man that told dream
unto his fellow Gideon had been called
and encouraged by the Lord to deliver Is
rael from the Midianites, their oppressors,
his principal strength being the Lords
assurances: Have not sent theef Surely
viii be with thee (chapter vi, IL, l6l.
The Lord, however, gave him three signs
TO strengthen him yet further-the meat
Offering, accepted by fire, the fleece wet
and the fleece dry. After sitting the army
of So, 900 down 20 500 by sending home all
the fearful ones (22, 000l, and out of the
remainder all that loved their own ease
90, 700l, He still further strengthens him
by sending him down to the Midianite
host by night 10 hear what they talked
about in the camp. just as Gideon came
to the camp one soldier was telling anoth-
er 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, a man of Is
rael, for into his hand hath God delivered
INDIAN, and all the host. The interpre-
tation of this dream by the soldier was also
tations by Joseph and Daniel This does
not prove however, that the Midianite
soldier was a man of God, for the Lord
used the mouth of Balaam, and also the
mouth Of the ass 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 do
He is ready to do also, and when He asks
us to do what seems impossible IL is that
we may see our weakness and trust Him
to perfect His strength I'm our weakness,
for He giveth power to the faint, and to
them that have no might He increasefh
strength.
10. "He put trumpet in every mans
hand, with empty pitchers, and torches
(margin) within the pitchers. Thus he
did with the three companies of 100 each.
Three is mighty number and makes us
think of the Holy Trinity and also of res
direction. The trumpet is suggestive OF
testimony in connection with atonement,
for both rams horns and silver speak of
atonement, and we overcome by the blood
OF the Lamb and the word of our testimo-
ny ready to lay down our lives for Him
(Rev. xii, III. The torch is suggestive of
a consistent life, for the life is the light.
To be good soldier of Christ there must
be good testimony and consistent life.
IL Look on me and do likewise. As
do, so shall We do" The secret OF victory
is to see Jesus only (Math. xvii, 81 Heb.
XIII /, p, and follow Him fully, walking
as He walked Il Pet. ii, 21i John ii, 81.
''Do as have done unto you" was part
of His advice to His disciples John xiii,
l5). and there is no perfect example but
Himself. We may well say, who Is suffi-
cient for such lifef" But He answers,
MY grace is sufficient for thee. I" 'Our
sufficiency Is of Cod III Cor. ii, IS; iii,
3; xiii 81.
49, elbow ye tho 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 (Rev. /, 16), the word of God which
Is sharper than any two edged sword Heb.
iy, 12) the sword of the Spirit, which is
the word Of God (Eph VII ~. This victo-
ry was accomplished by the Lord through
Gideon, Gideon's part being simply that
of a visible and obedient partner. 1t was
SO with all the prophets, the word was the
Lords but the mouth was the prophets,
as in II Sam. xiii, 2; Jer. /, o. Even our
Lord Jesus gives His Father credit for all
His words and works John xii, 40; xiv,
10)
10, 20. "And the three companies blew
the trumpets and brake the pitchers and
held the lamps in their left hands and the
trumpets in their right hands to blow, and
they cried, The sword of the Lord and of
Gideon" / do not know just how they
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, 1.-THE
Lord and Gideon" 1t is God who work
eth in us both to will and to do (Phil. ii,
10; Heb xiii, 21). 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" / believe from Eph. ii, 10, that
God has a place and work for each of His
redeemed (see also Mark xiii, "a; Math.
XIV, 15), and that, as one has said, Cad
" man is Gods man in Gods place doing
Gods work In Gods way for Gods glory.
AS in the tabernacle and temple, neither
Moses nor David nor Solomon had any say
| In the plans, but received all from God
and had only to be obedient, so believe ii
should be 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, make all things new. I"
Let our motto, then, be Not /, but Christ,
| who iveth in me, the Son Of God, who
loved me and gave Himself for me" (Gal.
ii, coy.
20. 1.-THE Lord set every mans sword
against his fellow" So it was in Sam.
| xiv, 20, and in II Chron. Xxx, 80. In the
later case the people went cut 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 deliyerance promised, though there
seemed, humanity speaking, no possibility
| Of deliverance, but he believed God (Acts
xvii, 25). it is safe to keep right on as
God directs and trust Him to manage all
our enemies, our reputation and all else.
"Be not afraid. Only believe"
| %. And the men of Israel gathered
| themselves together and pursued
after the Midianites. (" Those mentioned
/ In this verse were such as responded to
| Gideon's first call for helpers wi, 35).
Then in tie next verse we read that Eph-
rain came also. See In chapter vii, 1-3,
how xrfcalv Gideon anneaead their anger