Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1895-07-27
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
LESSOR ~, THIRD QUARTER, IN
TERNATloNAL SERIES, JULY 20.

4. 10 Commentary by the Rev. ID. VI.
stearns.
90. And Moses said unto lIobab. tbs son
of Raguel the Ndianitc. Moses fathcr-in-
law, We are cying unto the place Of
which the L., aid. will give it to you;
come thou with Us, and we will do thee
good, for the Lord hath spoken good CON
corning Israel" They had been cncamped
at lIoreb many months. On the first day
of the first month Of the second year the
tabernacle was erected and accepted by
God and filled with His glory FIX. Al. Il,
80. Just fifty days later the cloud lifted
and they journeyed from sinai Mum. X, II,
icy in the order described in this chapter
Raguel, or Rucl or ,Icthro CEx ii, Is: iii, y
was the father Of Zipporah, Moses wife
Hobab j. here said 10 bc his son and was
probably AN intmat" friend Of Moses in the
day. of his shepherd life. Truly the Lord
hal spoken good concerning Israel, as in
FIX. vi. 6-S. that wondrous scvenfold, Il
will. !" beginning and ending with Il. Je-
hovah." Moses believed the word of the
Lord lie had respect unto the rccompcnse
of the reward (lieb. ri, 26). and because Of
it had forsakcn all his prospects in Egypt.
Being fully persuaded of the good things
awaiting Israel he would fain have lIohab
To enjoy them too. Have We this spirits
30 And he said unto him, will not 20,
but will depart 10 my own land and TO
my kindred ilobab saw no such prospect
as opened up to the mind of Moses. and rs
far us appearances went he felt that he
would be better of with his own people II
is difficult for many 10 esteem the reproach
of Christ greater riches than the visible
treasures Of this world. The young man
whom Jesus told to sell all that he had, and
take up the cross and follow Him, went
away grieved because he had great pos
sessions. Jesus and His suficrings now,
with glory hereafter, i the programme for
the Christian. II we prefer the world and
its pleasures now. we must not complain
il we lose the kingdom hereafter.
81. And he said. Leave Us not pray
thee, foraSmuch IA thou knowest now we
are To encamp in the wilderness, and thou
mayest he To Us instead of eyes Moses is
now seeking good from Hobab instead OF,
a Il moment ago, Offering him good from
God. In this Moses is surely wrong. IL
looks a. if for the moment lac was forget
ting God and His cloud. and His uncrring
guidance. 50 unstable i man even at his
best. Wcthink of Simon Peter one moment
confessng that Jesus WAS the Christ. the
Son of the Living God. and the next acting
as satans mouthpece to tempt the Lord
TO pity Himself and turn from the cross
(Math. xvi. Is. ~ How we do need to
pray. set a watch. O Lord. before my
mouth; keep the door of my lips
b. And it shall be if thou 20 with us.
yea, it shall bc, that what goodness the
Lord shall do unto rs the same will we do
y
recily, for we are fully authorized to offer
all the riches of Gods grace and glory to
all who will accept Him through Jesus
Christ, but we are not expected To seek any
help or guidance from those who are not
II :. As To Offering 10 others the same
goodness lie bcstows upon us. we remember
that Jesus said in His prayer John xvii,
p, The glory which thou gavest me.
haze given them" Again he said, "All
things that the Father hath are mine -
(John xvi, l5l. And again it is written
".All are yours. and We are Christ's. and
Christ is Gods" Il Cos iii. 23). Now
sill &c God is willing To give His grace and
glory to every one who will come to Him
through Jesus Christ, what must He think
of us who know this, and yet 10 little or
nothing To make it known TO the millions
=
81 And they departed from the Mount
Of the Lord three days journey. and the
a-k Of the covenant of the Lord went be-
fore them in the three days journey, to
search out resting place for them" This
was surely better than the eyes or the wis
dom of IIobab. How could Moses seem to
forget that God had led them and would
still lead them? Yet we are apt To do this
very thing-we do forget 50 soon. Three
days is very suggestive of resurrection, as
in the story of Abraham and Isaac. Jonah,
our Lord Jesus, etc. God would have us
rest in Jesus crucified and risen II He be
not risen there is no salvation for any one
Il Cor. Nv, HIS. But since He died and
rose again and ever liveth, He becomes a
resting place for all who receive Him. This
rest becomes a glorious reality when we,
having accepted Him, see ourselves rs cru
Gifted and risen with Him, and seated with
Him III the heavenlies (Eph. ii, 10. Ceas.
ing from our own works, we rest in Ills
finished work (IIab. iv, 3, l0). and wherever
He pitches our tent lie j. our rest
81. And the cloud OF the Lord was upon
them by day when they went out OF the
camp" The cloud was the visible symbol
of the Lords presence with them, and He
by it was their guide, their light, THEN
shield, their avenger, their oracle, their
covering (EX. Xiii. 81; xiv. 10. ~. 2i-2s
Mum. ix, l523 Y, -; xiv. ~, in fact, all
that they needed for all the journey. In
the New Testament story we think of the
cloud Oh the Mount Of Transformation. tn,
cloud that received Him rs He assembled
from Olivct and the clouds with which II,
will come again. II we are truly His, we
have the assurance that He is with us all
the days; that he will never leave Us non
forsake us; that he will instruct us in tn,
way III which we should 20; that He will
hold our hand and help Us, and that He will
perfect that which concerneth us (Math
xviii, 20; Heb. xiii, ;; Ps XNXii, ;; Isa
xii. -; PS. cXXxviii, s.. The comfort of all
this comes by simply believing it,
81. And IL came to pass, when the ark
set forward, that Moses said, Rise up, Lord
and let thine enemirs he scattered aud let
them that hate thee flee before thee II
David, by tine spirit, aftcrward embodied
this in ut least two of the psalms ps
xviii, !, >: Ps. cXxXii, s.. In Joshua iii, l3
the ark is called the ark of the Lord the
Lord of all the earth" Whe.. the people
relied upon God who dwelt between the
cherubim their enemies fled before them
but when they relied upon the ark (Which
was only the symbol Of His prcsencel then
their enemies obtained the victory Il sam
~. 3, ~. live rely upon anything but upon
the Lord Himself, we will not have peace on
victory.
81. And when it rested, he said, Return,
o Lord, unto the many thousands Of Is
rael. Thus whether on the march or at
rest, the great reality Of Israei's life was
Jehovah in their midst. In proportion aS
they realized this and acted accordingly.
they proSpered, but when they forgot Him
they failed Ii is so with us. He saws. 10,
! am with you always aud when we be-
lieve, and thus realize His presence, and
count on Him, we have joy and peace and
victory, hut when we forget His presence
Ne fail