The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1895-08-30
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
LESSON TX. THIRD QUARTER, INTER-
NATIONAL SERIES, SEPT. I.

Org Verses. ~. iO-Golden Text. Heb.
ri. s0--Commsntary by the Rev. ID. M.
stearns.
8. "The seven priests bearing the seven
trumpcts OF rams horns passed on before
the Lord" At Gilgal the reproach of
Egypt was rolled away In connection with
the rite of circumcision, the feast Of Pass
over was kept, and the mamma that had
come from heaven so faithfully all those
40 years ceased after they had eaten the
old corn OF the land (chapter v, s-l2).
Joshua also had taken second place In
command, the Lord Himself being the
Captain Of the host ". IA, l5). Now under
their Captains orders they are beginning
their march around Jericho, which city
was straitly shut up because of Israel
(verse u.
9. "And the armed men went before the
priests that blew with the trumpets. {"
The armed men, the priests, the ark, all
the people. Such was the order of the pro-
cession as they marched around the city.
The ark is the symbol Of the presence OF
the Lord and all was being done THAT all
the people of the earth might know the
hand of the Lord, that 1t is mighty, and
that they might fear before Him" Ov, 24).
Whether the trumpets were rams horns or
silver, their sound was suggestive OF atone
ment, by virtue Of which God can deal
with man.
10. "Ye shall not shout, nor make any
noise with your voice. neither shall any
word proceed out Of your mouth, until the
Ia,, 7 trv
ing to their humanity. Their God had di-
vided the Red sea and the Jordan for them,
had 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 He would (verse
81, and the hearts Of many must have
longed to cry out to those scoffers on the
walls: "Our God will bring down those
walls. He will conquer you" But there
was to be not word from Israel till the
appointed time. With the exception OF the
blasts from the rams horns the great host
passed round in silence. See Zech. ii, 13.
II. $50 the ark of the Lord compassed
the city, going about 1t once" Not a word
about the people doing it. 1T is God who
worketh," and ''the Lord alone must be
exalted (Phil. ii, 10; lisa. Ii, ~.
1914. And the second day they COM
passed 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.
Not word from the people-just the ST.
lent marching Of the mighty host and the
quiet and orderly return to the camp. The
walls of Jericho stand firm, and probably
the scoffers' hearts grow harder as they
find their peace undisturbed, and 1t is even
possible that they find some amusement
in watching the daily procession, the priests
and their horns will have their share Of
ridicule, and there may have been many a
surmise and even joke about what was
under the blue cloth on those mems shout
ders (Num. iv, 5, 81. Infdelity Is about
the same in all ages, and the hard speeches
of ungodly sinners dude, 15) are always
plentikil. 1t is ours to bear the ark in
patience and mcekness and faith giving q
clear and consistent testimony as to tn,
only way of redemption through the blood
Of the Lamb, and at the appointed time
the walls of infidelity will crumble and the
kingdom will be the Lord s Obadiah, 21).
10. "Only on that day they comprised
the city seven times" This Is the record
of the seventh day. There must have been
unusual interest in Jericho on this day as
they heard the sound of the rams horns
earlier than usual and saw the hosts, in
stead of returning To camp, start to COM
pass the city second time. Then a third
time, and u fourth time, and fifth, and a
sixth. The interest must have been in
tense, and we may imagine the walls fair
ly crowded to watch these unusual proceed
ings.
AZ g. 81 n - n. II.
the city" This was the command Of
Joshua to the people as they went round
the seventh time. How their pent up feel
ings would break forth; what shout it
must have been from hundreds of thou
sands of voices; shout after shout, pro-
longed shout that almost, if not altogether,
made the earth to tremble! The city was
given to Israel before ever they compassed
the city once Verse q. 1t was theirs by
the word Of the Lord. now 1t Is to become
theirs visibly and actually. Many things
are ours in Christ which we will not Wis
IDLY and actually enjoy till His appointed
time
IL. "Only Rahab, the harlot, shall live"
BY faith she perished not with the unbe-
levers Heb. xi, 80, 81. The scarlet cod
In her window was the outward evidence
Of her faith, and she rested on the words
Of the spies whom she had befriended, say
ing, according unto your words, so be 1t
iii, 2D. Through her faith deliverance
came to her father and mother and breth-
rem and kindred (verse 23). She afterward
married Salmon (who may have been one
Of the spies) and became the mother of
Boaz (See Ruth Nv, 81 and Math. 4, 81.
Is. Keep yourselves from the accursed
thing" The whole city and all In 1t were
devoted to be utterly destroyed (verse IL,
margin, and verse 21), and this was
warning for Israels good. III we get mixed
up with cursed things we will bring
curse upon ourselves. The only redemp-
ton from the curse Is through Him who
was made q curse for us (Gal. iii, 49,.
This was typiied In the scarlet cord in
Rahab's window
10. but all the silver and gold and YES
sells of brass and iron are consecrated
unto the Lord" In Mum. XXI, we read
that the people were permitted to take of
the spoil and give unto the Lord portion,
cleansing everything by fire or water
(Num. XXI, 23), but in the 1Tise of the
city of Jericho all was to be the Lords,
either for destruction or for His treasury.
Jericho being the first CITY taken may ac-