The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1895-09-20

Especially Arranged from Peloubet's Motel
0oLDKx TExr-Ths.l1ord our God will W
esrve and His voice will we obey Josh
M:-l'
THr sEcrlos includes Joshua n: q TO cs:s3
TINE-B e. Aed Eighteen years after the
last lesson. and the twenty nth Of Joshua's
rule over Israel
JOSHUA was nearly one hundred and ten
years old living ~ Tlmnath serah. not tar
from Shcchem.
PLAcE-The religious capital was still -
Shiloh. six miles northwest OF jerusalem:
but the great assembly for renew wing the COW
enant was az Shochem. between Mounts Ebai
and Gerizlm
EXPLANATORY.
1. Eighteen Years of Rest.-Although
the Canaanites were not wholly extcr-
minated (as: IL; Judges .: 81, yet after
nearly seven years Of warfare, OF course
intermingled with the cultivating Of
fields and the making OF homes. the
war was practically ended, and the peo-
pie gave themselves 10 the positive
work OF settling down as prosperous
citizens Of the Promised Land l2l:i3-s5)
| In his address Joshua first rccounts,
as in a panorama, with scene after
scene. some Of the great things God
| had done for this people in the past.
! No idol had ever done such things for
its adherents.
IA. Now therefore," in view of these
facts Fear the Lord" Not be in
terror before Him, nor driven from Him
by fright. but hold Him in reverential
awe and respect, realize His power to
help and TO punish, SO as to devote your
selves to Him in pcrfest trust. There
can be no trifiing Serve Him in
- md in, h.v ~ IN,
ward forms merely but also in the
heart and the life John 4: 90, ail, and
not with a secret regard for images.
but giving Him worship spiritual and
real
Put away the gods which your ia
theirs served" We thus learn that idol
airy lurkcd among the Israelites and
that il was that form of idolatry which
had been known in the family of Terah
of old ". ~ ION the other side of the
flood" i. e.. of the river Euphrates,
whence Abraham came. And serve
ye the Lord"
Is. If it seem evil" unwise, injuri-
Gus to your interests or to your con-
science Choose you this day whom
We will serve" BE decided. Cease to
''halt between two opinions" to be
: Everything by turns, and nothing
, long" 1.-THE gods which your fathers
served" in Chaldea. What had these
done for them? Their ancestors had
rejected these gods as unworthy. THE
gods Of the Amorites:" who had been
unable TO protect their worshipers
from being dcstro ycd by the Israelites-
1t would be absurd to turn from Je-
house, (household) we will serve the
: Lord" even IL we stand alone. Tho
! decision was worthy of the grand old
) man.
10. "And the people answered" ETC.:
: The people decided. and sincerely, TO
5 serve God.
, II. "He il is that brought us up"
) ETC.. Their whole past history was
, wrought by God. Everything they
! possessed was the gift Of God lie had
) led them; He had helped them in mar
4 velous ways; lie had chosen them as
9 His peculiar people.
IS 1.-The Amorites" fmountaineers):
These are mentioned in particular be-
cause they were of gigantic stature, OF
great courage and the most formidable
enemies the Israelites had to conquer.
But even these were conquered by the
aid Of God.
TO- "Ye cannot serve the Lord" etc. |:
|. e.. We cannot in your own strength:
IL is more difficult than you imagine.
1t was very serious and difficult thing
to servo God. and. unless they were
truc-hearted and sincere, they would
not succeed. "For lie is a holy Cod"
And therefore cannot endure anything
impure, or selfish, or wicked in His chill
dren. "Ile is a jealous God" Unwilling
to have a rival. as a true husband or
wife is and ought to be unwilling to
have rival in the Others affections.
} ''He will not forgive your transgres-
sions:- Rather. will not pass by. il tax
ing no notice. Joshua is surprising
their willful rebellion aud forsaking Of
God.--Gray.
90 IF We forsakc lie will turn:"
He will assume different attitude
toward you because you put yourself in
q different relation to Him.
81. Again the people declare that
they twill serve the Lord"
%. .Ye are witnesses against your
Selves your public promise TO obey
Will Ot u WttibSSS tuot yOu nhsC" yOesAt
. duty and accepted the conditions OF
blessings for obedience and punishment
for disobcdience.
90. And incline your heart unto the
Lord God" for II they gave God their
| hearts. they could not worship idols:
: and all acts of worship, even to the
| Lord. were In vain, unless they pro-
ceeded from the heart Of love.
"a. Again, in still stronger words.
they promised: His voice will We
obey"
25 $50 Joshua made covenant with
the people that day." l. e., he solemnly
. ratified and renewed the covenant Of
Sinai lex. 1920 rs Moses had done be-
: fore him in the plains Of Moab tDeut.
: 20: l).-Cook. 'Set them . statutes"
either he formed the whole into stat
ute and ordinance which was promul-
3 gated for all Israel TO receive and obey
! or II may mean that he declared or pro-
: pounded to them. he set before them
I. the sum and substance Of the Mosaic
' statutes, which their covenant obliged
n them TO ohscrve.-Bush.
/