Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1895-09-06

LESSON <, r4lRO QUARTER, INTER-
MAJ 0N1- JEEi- 3, JEFF. g.

Stearns.
B. "As the Lord commanded Moses, so
the children of Israel did, and they divided
the land" Moses and Joshua were faith
full servants of Jehovah and implicitly
obeyed His commands. They left nothing
undone that He commanded. Joshua took
the whole land and divided it among the
tribes, and the land rested from war (chap-
ter xi, 10, 23) But although the land was
wholly given to Israel they did not possess
it fully (chapter xiii, D. and they allowed
the Jcbusitcs and Canaantes to dwell
among them Chapter XIV, 63; xvi, 10;
xvii, 12). This disobedicnce on the part of
the people afterward brought trouble upon
them (Judg. ii, 1, o. Every true be-
lever in Jesus is now "blessed with all
/ spiritual blessings in the hoavcnlies in
Christ (Eph. i, -. Yet but few enjoy full
possession. Many prefer to tolerate few
Canaanites and Jebusitcs and rather enjoy
their ways.
Is. "Thou knowcst the thing that the
! Lord said unto Moses. the man of God, CON
corning me and thee in Kadesh-barnea.
/ These are the words of Caleb to his old
/ friend and companion, Joshua Caleb was
of the tribe Of Judah, and Joshua was of
! Ephratm (Num xiii, Is, s.. Only they
| two of all the spies believed God and
urged the people to 20 right up and take
the LAND in the name of the Lord. The
Lord said that only they two of all that
generation should enter the land (Num
xiv, 3O) ana that the rest would die in the
wilderness because OF their unbclicf They
too, would have to wait 40 years because
of the unbcief of others, but they waitod
with God, for Healso waited and was hin
/ Ia h.,
His words, "How long will it be ere they
believe Me?" ooh, that My people had
hcarkcncd unto Me" (Num. xiv, II; Ps.
lxxxi, 49,.
:. Forty years old was l when Moses,
the servant of the Lord, sent me from Ka-
desh-barnca to espy out the land, and l
brought him word again as it was in mine
heart" His heart was right with God.
He believed God and feared To grcve Him.
Therefore he spakc what was in his heart
as in the sight of God and sought not to
please the people. For this faithfulness
he and Joshua were threatened with stones
Gum xiv, 100, but the Lord stood by
them. Consider David, with not a human
being to stand by him, Threatened with
stones by his own friends and observe
what he did Il Sam. XXX, ~.
S. My brethren that went up with me
made the heart of the people melt but
wholly followed the Lord my Sod" The
ten spies had to confess that the land was
Il good land, but they made so much of the
giants and walled cities; seemed so utterly
to forget the power of God in Egypt and
at the Red sea, and to lose sight of God al
together that they filled the people with
fear and Encouragement and with muir
murings against God. Many such today
Il. =,
stances, and by unbclicf and murmurings
are dishonoring God and making infldcls
9. And Moses sware ON that lay, say
ing, Surely the land whercOn thy feet
have trodden shall be thine inheritance. 5"
How Caleb had lived on the word of the
Lord all those years They had been his
life, his meat and drink. Perhaps every
day he had called them to mind and been
strengthened by them He may, like Da-
vid, have pleaded them in prayer, saying
"Rcmember the word unto Thy servant,
upon which Thou hast caused me to hope
ops. cxix, 40. The word of the Lord is
u sure foundation on which we may firmly
rest. 1t cndurcth forever, is true from the
beginning and is forever settled in heaven
Qsa II, s; Ps. cxiX, 100, so.
10. And now behold the Lord hath
kept mo alive as He said these forty and
five years" 1t always has been and al
ways viii be AS He said" The noble
man of Carernaum believed the word
that Jesus had spoken" (John w. 50).
Paul said in the storm at sea, Il believe
God that it shall be even as it was told
me" (Acts xvii, 2j) Abraham was fully
persuaded that what God had promised
He was able topcrform (Rom. iv, 2l). "Tho
Lord of Hosts hath sworn, saving, Surely
d !.
and as l have purposcd, so shall it stand
lisa. xiv, 2D). Blessed are all who be-
lieve, for there shau be performance OF
the things told them by the Lord duke i,
45).
II. "As yet am rs strong this day IA
was in the day that Moses sent me" As
strong and hearty at the age of So rs when
he was 30. Like Moses, at the age of 1870,
his eye was not dim nor his natural force
abated (Deut. xXxiv, y. They that wait
upon the Lord shall renew their strength,
they shall mount up with wings as
eagles. "Youth is renewed like the
eagles" lisa. Xl, 81; Ps. CHI, o. Take as
living illustrations of the same grace to-
day George Muller in his ninetieth year
journeying and witnessing for Jesus
Christ; DIR. David Brown of Aberdeen
the great commentator who wrote me Nov
b, 1894, that, though in his ninety-seconC
year, he was in perfect health. He said
= Il have no aches nor pains, am not tired
of life, but would like to do little work
|, for my Master before l go or He comes. ,
/ Jesus Christ is still the very same Jesus.
~. "If so be the Lord will be with me
then l shall be able to drive them out, al
the Lord said" He seemed to covet the
+ difficulties that he might see the grea
3. power of God Being not weak in faith, ht
e gave glory to God. He counted not on hi
t ability, but that God was able. Like Pau
g he could say, II can do all things through
. Christ, who strengthened me-" "Fo
when l am weak then am l strong" (Phil
Nv, 13; ii Cor. xii, 10) God with u.s. il
the secret Of all strength in His service
See Jer. /, 8, 10; Hag. ii, 4; Math
xviii, 1920.
18. And Joshua blessed him, and gav'
uuto Caleb the son Of Je1)hunneh Hebron
for an Inheritance. 1t was at Hebron
that Abraham built an altar unto the Lore
and dwelt, after Lot separated himscl
from him. There ho welcomed and enter
taincd the ord Himself and there TN