The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1895-09-18
SABBATH SCHOOL,
INTERNATIONAL LESSON FOE
SEPTEMBER 90.
Lesson Text: "Joshua Renewing the
Covenant" Joshua XIV, 14-2o-
Golden Text: Joshua XIV,
24-Commentary.

S-SOHuleulaTS.
H. "Now. therefore, fear the Lord. and
serve Him in sincerity and in truth" Joshua
had fulfilled his mission and had now come
to the end of his sojourn in the mortal BODY.
being about 10 years old (verse 29) He
assembled the people at Shechem. and call
ing for the elders and judges and officers he
reminded them OF all the Lords goodness
and faithfulness and earnestly exhorted
them to serve Him sincerely. "Sere' is the
key word to this address. 1t Is found In
some form at least twelve times in our
lesson. and suggests very strongly TO US that
we are saved in order to serve Him who
saves US. See EX. w., %. %; Thess. l.. g.:
II Chron. xxx, II. We are also to serve
always in the fear of the Lord, which in
cludes nractical acquaintance with Him
and a profound reverence and cordial affec-
tion for Him prov. j., 7: tx. 10Y.
Is. Gas for me and my house we will serve
the Lori" 1t is evident from this and the
preceding verse that their ancestors beyond
the river Or. W were idolaters. From such
as these Abram was called out. God does
not compel, but He sets before us the RIGHT
and the wrong. drawing US strongly to the
right by His Holy Spirit, vet leaving US to
choose. The leaders. like Joshua, must
make the choice first. for the paople cannot
be expected to choose the good If the leaders
do not. If all teachers and preachers were
as decided and whole hearted for God as
Joshua there might be less worldliness in
many places. We are all too apt to consider
what others do and follow them. We should
have Joshua's spirit OF whole heartedness
for God regardless Of others. The race Is to
be run ''looking unto Jesus" which i'm
plies looking away from oil else (He5. Kill,
l,2).
1918. Therefore will we also serve the
Lord, for He is our God" This Is the con-
cluslon of the peoples reply to Joshua's
words. They acknowledge that the Lord
their God brought them out Of Egypt. pre-
served them in all the way and brought them
into the land. Therefore they should GER
tainly serve Him. and not other gods. Their
fathers had. however. made as gool resolH-
tiOns as these at Horeb when they said.
"All that the Lord hath spoken will we do"
(EX. xix, 81. but they broke their promises
in few weeks and were found worshipinS
golden calf. The law which is holy and
Just and good cannot help us because the
flesh is so weak Rom. viii. 81.
10, 90. "And Joshua said unto the people.
Ye cannot serve the Lori, for H. is Holy
God. He is a Jealous God" They could
not serve Him in their own strength. They
could not serve him and others. too (Math.
vi, 24). The people Of a Holy God must be
holy people (Lev. XIX, 2; xx.. 7, 26; xxi,
&; I Pet. l., Is, 16: Isa. vi, 8; Rev. iv.. 81.
Just seven times Is God called Jealous God.
Besides this verse see Ex. XXX. 5; xxxiv.. Il;
Deut. iv., "a; v, 9; vi. Is; Nah. l.. 2. Com
pare Jas. iv.. S. R. v. margin. The word
translated ''iealous' Is the same word that
is also translated "bousht' or purchased" !"
so that the thought in ''jealous" is simply
that of claiming what is rightfu!ly His own.
l,,& Lo,, ,,-,tl
price, that He NAV be glorifad in us. We
nre people for His own possession q Cor.
vi, 10. 90; Titus H.. IA. R. w.. We are to
serve Him with perfect or whole heart Il
Chron. xviii. 81, with humility (Acts xx
19), with Cladness (Ps. c.. 81. with the Spirit
(Rom. l., 81, aud continually (Dau. vi. 16.
20). OF ourselves we cannot do this, but
Christ can. and Christian should be- able
to say truthsuly. ~ live, yet not I, but
Christ liveth in me" (GaL H.. 20). It is
written of Him, "The Son Of HAN came to
sarveth, ""Ifany man serve Me, him will My
Father honor (NIa.h. xx.. 2S; Luke xii,
27; John xii, 26). When we are fully
yielded to Him according to Rom. Kill, |, 9.
H. will work in us both to will and to do
(Phil. H., 13; Heb. xiii, 2D.
2l. ''And the people said unto Joshua,
Nay. but we will serve the Lord" They
seem very sincere and determined by His
grace to serve Him. and we find that they did
serve Him all the days Of Joshua, and OF the
elders that outlived. Joshua. who had seen
the great works Of the Lord that He did for
Israel (verse 81: Judg. IT'D.
%. "And Joshua said unto the people, Ye
are witnesses against yourselves that We
have chosen you the Lord to serve Him. "
When we take stand for the Lord, 1t must
of necessity be against ourselves, for we are
by nature against God, '.Tne carnal mind is
enmity against God. for it Is not subject tc
the law Of God. neither indeed can be" (Rom.
viii. y. Our Lord also said, "If any man
(Math. xvi, "a. From beginning to end OF
the Christian life it is continued stand
against self for God. -''Even Christ pleased
not Himself" (Rom. Xv., 81. He never sought
His own will, nor His own glory (J0hn vi,
80: viii., 50), nor did He ever take credit to
Himself for either words or works (John Kill,
40; xiv. 1O). Paul's notices were Not I,
but Christ. ';Not I. but the grace Of God"
(Gal. H.. 20; Cor. Ky, 1o.) See also II Cor.
w.. II.
23. "Now, therefore, put away the
strange gods which are among you and in
cline your heart unto the Lord OF Israel. "
The idols. the old man, the weights AMI be-
setting sins. are to be put away, put off and
laid aside (Eph. iv.. %; Heb. Kill, l. q, and
eyes and heart must be ever unto Him. We
must be very sincere and truthful through
and through, for He desireth truth in the
inward parts and understandeth all the i'm
aginations Of the thoughts Of the heart (Ps.
Ii, L: Chron. xviii. 9; Sam xvi, y.
Here again we are helpless and must pray
"Incline my heart unto Thy Testimonies"
"a. "And the people said unto Joshua,
The Lord our God will We serve, and His
voice will we obey" The faithful servant
has only to be willing and obedient" lisa l.,
19) in order to be pleasing unto lis Master
It is ours to be wise enough to hear only
His commands and faithful enough to do
them; He will see to all the results, and sue
cess, us He counts it, is sure. There are
many voices to-day, but We must take good
heed to hear only His voice
25. so Joshua made 4 covenant with the
people tina: day. and set them statute and
an ordinance in Sheeham." Then he set up
q stone for witness. Compare Gen. xviii,
is; Ex. XIV. /; Joshua iv., s, 0; then see
Deut. yXXii., /: Isa. i, 2, etc., as TO inani-
mate nature being witness to words and
actions. But best of all remember the
''Stone Of Israeli who is the "faithful and
true Witness" (Gen. Xix. "a: Rev. H., ~,
and live wholly and always unto Him.
Lesson Helper.