Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1895-07-13
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
LESSON u. THIRD QUARTER, IN
TERNATloNAL SERIES, JULY -.

'. 81 Commentary by the Rev. ID. NJ.
Stearns.
!. up. make us gods" Some one has
said that whenever we turn away from
leaning exclusively upon God either for sal
walton or for the necessities of the path
We are virtually saying, Up, make us
gods" This is equal TO a rejection Of
God. They had not seen Moses nor heard
from God for several weeks, and they can
trust no longer. They cannot walk by
faith. they must have something to look
upon. Blessed are all who are content TO
to live by faith.
2,3 Aaron, the anontcd high priest,
seems to have no word of warning or help
for them as from God. He was Moses mouth
or spokesman, and Moses was TO him in
stead OF God tEx. is. Ii: vii. u, and Moses
being absent he, like a false prophet. speaks
ont of his own heart this evil advice (Jer
xiii. 10y. 1t is sad when we depend upon
man instead of upon God for the message
then when the man is absent we have
no message Observe also that as they
an idol. SO they gave thgr ears to the
devil Ueut. Xxi. III. ~.
j. Instead Of receiving Mt their hand the
gold to make an idol. they should have re-
ceived at his hand and from his lips the
living words of the living God. 1t is sad
case indeed when the one who ought to
represent the people before God misrepre-
sents God 10 the people and joins the peo-
pie in heathenish desires and customs.
Through him who should have led them TO
the God of Glory they changed their glory
into the similitude Of an OK FPS cvi, a0).
IL looks as II Aaron had wholly lost his
reason when we hear him say, These be
thy gods. o Israel" Compare III Thess. ii,
10, II.
5. And when Aaron saw it, he built an
altar before it," See this sin repeated in
the case of Jeroboam and the very words
of Aaron used q Kings xii. Is, 3D. This is
all the work of the devil from beginning TO
end. and so is everything like it in the
churches and among the people of God to-
day. God lisa Spirit, and they that worship
Him must worship Him in spirit and in
truth. And when any person or thing
comes between the soul and God il Is idol
airy.
d. The people sat down to eat and drink,
and rose mp to play" See Cor. X, Z, and
it would he well to read the whole chapter.
Is il not on the same line of things when in
houses built for the worship of God people
bearing the name of Christ meet to eat and
drink and be entertained or amusedf There
is wonderful likeness TO the dancing and
singing Of the naked people around the
golden calf oversees 10, 20 in some things
done in our midst in the name of religion.
T. The Lord said to Moses that the people
had corrupted themselves, and lie ordered
him down from the mountain to see 10 il.
All the good is from God, all the evil Is on
our side with satan back of it. Long after
ward the Lord said to this people: 20 Israel,
thou hast destroyed myself, but in Me is
thine help o Israel, return unto the Lord
thy God, for thou hast fallen by thine in
iquity" {lios. xiii, Q: xiv, D. The sin is
ours, the salvation is all His
s. They nave turned aside quickly ont
of the way which l commanded them y
Blessed are the indebted in the way who
walk in the law Of the Lord FPS cxix, y.
There is no way for the child Of God TO walk
in but THE WAY, which il Jesus Christ
Himself John xiv. g.. We are not to turn
from Him either to the right or the left
Joshua j, y, and when tempted TO turn We
have the promise of help and guidance il
We are only willing to be guided lisa. xxx
81: Cor \, 49,.
30. Il Will 20 up unto the Lord, perad
venture | shall make an atonemcnt fol
your sin" Before coming down from tn,
mount Moses had pleaded for Israel and
obtained the assurance that God would
spare them as a nation. The account oi
this, and the meeting with Joshua, and tn,
destruction and disposition of the calf i.
found in the intervening verses, also tn,
significance of the question who is on tn,
Lords side" and the tru. meaning Of con
secration. Compare Luke xiv, III. %; Math
x, 81, IS.
81. And Moses returned unto the Lord ,
While all sin is sin. and even the though;
of foolnhness is sin prov. xiv. %, YET
some sins are more heinous than others
Moses calls this great sin. Jesus himself
spoke Of a sin that hath never forgiveness.
at the same time that he spoke OF the for
giyeness Of all manner of sins except thi.
particular sin Mark iii. Is, 20. The sin
that overtops all others is the rejection Of
Christ the Son Of God.
81. And, IL not, blot me, pray thee, out
Of thy book which thou hast written" II,
is willing 10 suffer in their stead if neces
sary in order To save them The sam,
spirit il seen in Paul on behalf of this sam,
people Israel (Rom tx, 81. The reality i,
seen and fully carried ont in the Lord Jesu.
Christ, who was made "A sin offering fol
Israel and for us that we might be saved
Oh Cor. Y, III
3d. whatsoever hath sinned against me
him will blot out of my book In Rev
xx. IL we read Of books being opened. and
another book which is the book of life In
Nal iii. IL we read of book of remem
brance. What book is referred TO in oul
lesson we may not now know. but we may
be sure that il it were possible To have q
name blottcd ont of the book Of life oui
Lord would not have made il such great
ground of rejoicing TO have ones nam,
there luke \. 20; Rev. iii, -.
-. Behold, mine angel shall 90 befor.
thee. Nevertheless, iii the day when visit
| will visit their sin upon them" The Lord
is slow TO anger and plenseous in mercy
but sin that IL not rcpented of and forgiven
shall in due time be visited Every peniten,
sinner may he forgiven by accepting Him
who died in his stead, but there il no other
way but by the atonement. The guiding
and protecting angel is mentioned in TX
xiii, 70. Behold send an angel befor.
thee to keep thee in the way. and to bring
,hec into the place which have prepared. y
''The angel OF His presence saved them
lisa. xiii, %. Well may we say, IF thy
presence go not with me. carry US not NJ
hence" zen xxxiii, l5). But thank God for
Math. xviii. 20: lisa xii. 10, l3; Deut. xxxi
9; Heb. xiii, ). etc
IS. And the lord plagued the people
becaus" they made the calf which Aaron
made" The Lord judgcth righteously for
there is no unrighteousness with Him. He
looketh upon the heart and will render 10
every one according to their works. Part.
nership in evil is an evil partnership.
Robert Louis Stevcnson's literary earn
ngs in the lost eight years are said to
lave been No less than $200.000