Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1895-08-09
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
LESSON W, THIRD QUARTER, INTER-
NATIONAL SERIES, AUG. II.

Text of the Lesson. Mum. xxi, 4-o-NIem-
DRY Verses, 8, O-Golden Text, John III,
14-Commentary by the Rev. ID. NJ.
Stearns.
4. "Ard they journeyed from Mount
dor by the way of the Red sea, to compass
the land of Edom, and the soul of the poo
pie was much discouraged because of the
way" Edom was Esau, Jacobs brother.
So the Edomites were near kinsmen of Is
rael according to the flesh Yet they re-
fused to allow Israel to pass through their
land, although Israel offered to pay for the
water they might use while passing
through Xxx, 1921. In the previous chap
ter we have also an account of the death
of Miriam in the first month, and the death
of Aaron in the fifth month of the fOrtieth
year See chapter xxxiii, 3S. We find Israel
in this lesson about where we saw them
in the last lesson, but it is 80 years later
in the story Hundreds of thousands have
died in the Wilderness, and u now genera
ton has grown up, yet of those IS years of
wandcrngs because Of their unbclief we
know scarcely anything. They were out
of fellowship and it was lost time. We
arc reminded of the 3 years of Abrams
life of which we know nothing (Gcn. xvi
49, xvii, d. and of the lost time of the
/ Nazaritc (Num. vi, 12). When we arc out
Of fellowship with God through unbclief
or wOrldliness, the time is lost. We are
reminded that the journey of life is often
weary one to the flesh, but if we are in
Christ, who is "the way (John xiv 81, and
will continually "considcr Him" and
"look unto Him" CHcb. xii, ., -, we will
be greatly helped and strengthened and
81 III
own relations turn against us. Think of
the brother Of Abel, the brethren of Joseph
and of David, and even the brethren of .Ic-
sus did not at one time believe in Him
(John vii, o.
.. And the people spalc against God
and against Moses, Wherefore have ye
brought us up out of Egypt to die in the
wilderness? for there is no bread, neither
is there any water, and our soul loathcth
this light bread " Ps xvii tells the
story of their sin from beginning to end.
In Dcut. tx, a. Moses says, "Ye have been
rcbcllious against the Lord from the day
that l knew you" In Mum ri, /, it is
written that "when thcpeople complained,
it displcascd the Lord. " And in Ps Key,
10, the Lord Himself says Forty years
long was l grieved with this generation. ="
What a relief to turn to Him of whom it is
] said bV the Fnt her. '''IIlS Is NV Beloved
Son i'm whom am well pleased. " and to
hear the son Himself saw. Il do always
those THINGS that please Him (Nlath. xvii
=: John viii. 2O The Word for us is. "Do
ali tbinos without murn,urings or disput-
inr,. " "Be content with such things as
We have" CPhil ii. Ia: Heb xiii. 3; see
also Cor. \. GLIB
g. And the Lord sent fiery serpents
among the ncople. and they bit the people
and much pcople of Israel died" In James
ill., 3. il is said that the tongue is an I'M
ruIv evil full of deadly uoison. and of sin
ncrs it is said in Rom. iii. 10. "Thc poison
of asps i, under their Inns. p" The people
had been slandcrinu God with the poison of
tbrir tonorns and now tbny are roaming aq
tbrv so,yed They so,ycd the wind nrd
tbrv ore rcanino tbn v-birlwind Gol ri.
:. Hos viii ~ Sometimes n swift recl5
oninp overtol,cs the sinner. rs i'm the case
of Eorab and his comDanv. Achan also.
and Anonins and Sanniira but if is al.
WAYS preceded bv much long suffering and
patient forhcarance. as in the DAYS oi
Noah "Uo that being often removed