The Afro-American., 1895-08-31
SABBATH SCHOOL,
INTERNATIONAL LESSON FOR
SEPTEMBER I.
lesson Text: . The Fall of Jericho, y
Joshua vi, S-20-G Golden Text:
Hebrews XII, 3O-Com-
mentary.

8. "The seven priests bearing tho seven
| trumpets OF rams horns passed on heforethe
Lord At Gilgal the reproaeh Of Egypt was
rolled away in connection with the rite oi
circumcision. the feast of Passover was
kept, and tie mamma that had come from
heaven SO faithfully all those forty Years
ceased after they had eaten the old corn OF
the land (chapter v, 8-'2). Joshua also had
taken second place in command the Lord
Himself being the Captatn of the host ". IA,
15). Now under their Captains orders they
are beginning their march around Jericho.
which city was straitly shut up because Of
Israel (verse u.
8. "And the armed men went before the
priests that blew with the trumpets The
armed men, the priests. the ark, all the peo-
pie. Such was the order of the procession
as they marched around the city. The ark
is the symbol ofthe presence Of the Lord and
all was being done ''that all the people OF
the earth might know the hand of the Lord
that is mighty, and that they might fear be-
fore Him" (iv.. pa. Whether the trumpets
were rams horns or silver their sound was
suggestive OF atonement = vtue of which
God can deal with NJ
10. ''Ye shnll not srs~, nor make any
noise with your voice, neither snail any
word proceed out your mouth. until the day
bid you shout. This was very trying to
their humanity. Their God had divided the
Red Sea and the Jordan for them, hal fed
them with food from heaven and brought
water from the rock for them He was the
mighty God of Jacob. and He was going to
make the walls of Jericho fall down fiat for
He said lie would (verse 81. and the hearts
of many must have longed to cIy out TO
those scoffers on the walls: "Our God will
bring down those walls. H will conquer
YOU" But there was to be not word from
Israel till the appointed time. With the ex-
ceptiOn of the blasts from the rams hOra7
the great host passed round in sileu .e. See
Zech. H.. 13.
II. $50 the ark Of the Lor composed the
city, going about it once" Not word
about the people doing it. 1T is God who
worketh." ." and ''the Lord alone must be ex-
aIted' (Phil. H.. 10; Isa. H., ID.
12-14, ''And thesecond day thew compassed
the city once and returned into the camp, so
they did six days" Day after day the same
procession and the same order, No sound
but the horns of the priests Nor q word
from the peOple-jus the silent mprching
Of the mighty host and the quiet and order
Iyreturn to the camp The walls of Jericho
stand firm, and probably the sc0ffers' hearts
grow harder as they find their peace undis
turbed, and it is even possible that they find
some amusement in watching the daily pro.
c8ssion, the priests aud their horns will have
their share ofridicule and there may have
been many a surmise and even joke about
W. at was under the blue cloth On those
mems shoulders (Num. iy.. 5, g.. 1ntideiity
is about the same in all ages, AMI the hard
speeches OF ungodly sinners dude, 15) are
always plentiful. Itis ours to bear the ark
in patience and meeknnss and faith, giving
q clear and consistent testimony as to the
only way Of redemption through the blood
of the Lamb. and at the appointed time the
walls Of infidAlitY will crumbIe and the king
dom will be the Lords (Ohadiah. 21).
49, "OnIy on that day they c0mpassed the
city seven times" This is the recorL of the
seventh day. There must have been unusu-
al interest in Jericho on this day rs they
heard the sound of the rams horns earlier
tha1 usual and saw the hosts. insteal Of re-
turning to camp, start to compass this city
second time. Then Il third time, and
fourth time, and q fifth. and sixth. TINS
interest must have been intense. and we may
imagine the walls fairly crowded to watch
these unusual proceedings.
Is. "ShOut, for the Lord hath given yo1
the city" This was the command of Joshua
to the people as they went round the seventh
time. How their pent up feelings woula
break forth; what shout it must have beg
from hundreds of thousands of voices; shOt
after shout, a prolonged shout that almost
if not altogether, made the earth to tremblel
The city was given to Israel before ever they
compassed the city once (yers8 p. It wa;
theirs by the word of the Lord. now it is tC
become theirs visiby and actually. Many
things are ours in. Christ which we will not
visibly and actually enjoy till His appointed |
time.
II. "Only Rahab, the harIot, shall live. |
BY faith She persisted not with the unbe. |
levers Heb. XII, 80. 81. The scarlet cord |
in 1er window was the outward evidence of !
her faith and she rested on the words of the !
spies whom she had befrended, saying, ac-
cOrding unto your words, 50 be it (ii.. 21). |
Through her faith deIiverance came to her |
father and mother and brethren and kindred /
(verse z3). She afterwar married Salmon |
(who may have been one OF the spies) and |
became the mother of B)aa (5ee Ruth iv., q |
and Math. j., 81.
18. ''Keep yourselves from the aooursed !
thing The whole city and all in it were |
devoted to be utterly destroyed (ver5e II, |
margin, and verse 21), and this was warn
ing for IsrGePs good. If we get mixed uE |
with cursed things we will bring a curse up |
on ourselves. The only redemption from the |
curse is through Him who Was made curse |
for us (Gal. ill.,, 13l. This was tyDidal in |
the scarlet cord in Rahabs window.
l9. But all the silver and gold and yes |
sells of brass and iron are consecrated unto |
the Lord" In Mum. XXI. we read that tho |
people were permitted to take of the spoil |
and give unto the Lord portion, cleansing |
everything by fire or water (Num. xxi, 49, |
but in the case of the city OF Jericho all wa7 |
to be the Lords, either for destruction or fox |
His treasury. Jericho being the first city |
taken may account for this first fruits !
unto the Lord. The story of Achan in the |
chapter shows the nature and pun
!shment of the sin of covetousness, with |
which see also Acts v, 1-10.
90. "The wall fell down fiat, so that the !
people went up into the city, every man
straight before him, and they took the city"
They slew every living thing aud burned the |
city with fire Oversees 81, "a, and Joshua
pronounced a curse upon the man who would |
rebuild it. 1t becomes us to say. "Jusr and |
true are Thy ways, Thou King of Nations"
REV. XIV, 81. His way is perfect, AMI |
some day we shall see q perfect agreement
between all His dotngs and the fact that
fGod is Love-" He IS good and d0rt h good,
and the Judge of all the earth cannot bat a.
-ight.--LesseU Helper.