Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1895-10-10
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
LESSON n, FOURTH QUARTER, INTER-
NATIONAL SERIES, OCT. 13.


NATIONAL SERIES, OCT. t3.
Text OF the Lesson, Judg. VII, 13-23-Mem-
Org Verses, Ie, 20 - Golden Text, Ps.
xvii, 3-Commentary by the Rev. d. vi.
stearns.
13- "And when Gideon was come, be-
hold there was man that told dream
unto his fellow" Gideon had been called
and encouraged by the Lord to deliver Is
rael from the Midianites, their oppressors,
his principal strength being the Lords
assurance: Have not sent theef Surely
I Will be with thee" (chapter Vi, "A, 16).
The Lord, however, gave him three signs
to strengthen him yet further-the meat
Offering, accepted by fire, the fleece wet
and the fleece dry. After sitting the army
Of 32 900 down to 300 by sending home all
the fearful ones (22, 0o0), and out Of the
remainder all that loved their own ease
(9, 700), He still further strengthens him
by sending him down to the Midianite
host by night to hear what they talked
about in the camp. just a. Gideon came
to the camp one soldier was telling anoth-
er this dream. The dream was evidently
from the Lord, and also the telling Of it at
this time.
IA. This Il nothing else save the sword
Of Gideon, the son Of Joash, man of Is
rael, for into his hand hath God delivered
indian, and all the host I" The interpre-
tation Of this dream by the soldier was also
Of the Lord as surely as were the interpre-
tations by Joseph and Daniel This does
not prove, however, that the Midianite
soldier was a man Of God, for the Lord
used the mouth of BalaaIn, and also the
mouth Of the ass on which he rode to utter
His messages.
15." Arise, for the Lord hath delivered
into your hand the host of Midian. Gid
con was so strengthened BY this dream and
its Interpretation that he FASTENED at once
back to the camp Of Israel with these
words. Whatever God commands US to do
He Is ready to do also, and when He asks
Us to do what seems impossible 1t j. that
we may see our weakness and trust Him
to perfect His strength in our weakness,
for He giveth power to the faint, and to
them that have no might He increaseth
strength.
10. He put trumpet in every mans
hand, with empty pitchers, and torches
(margin) within the pitchers" Thus he
did with the tAree companies Of 100 each.
Three Is a mighty number and makes Us
think Of the Holy Trinity and also Of res
direction The trumpet l. suggestive Of
testimony in connection with stonement.
for both rams horns and silver speak Of
atOnement, and we overcome BY the blood
Of the Lamb and the word Of our testirno-
ny ready to lay down our lives for Him
vii
consistent life, for the life is the light -
To be a good soldier of Christ there must
be good testimony and consistent life.
II. Look on me and do likewise. As
| do, so shall ye do. The secret Of victory
is to see Jesus only (Math xvii, s; Heb.
xii, l, p, and follow Him fully walking
as He walked Il Pet. ii, FL; John ii, 81
DO as / have done unto YOU was part
Of His advice to His disciples John Kill,
l5), and there l. no perfect example but
Himself We may well say, "Who l. sufi-
cient for such a lifef- But He answers.
NY grace j. sufficient for thee" ssOur
sufficiency il Of God OH Cor ii, is; iii,
b; xii, g).
As. Blow We the trumpet and say, The
sword of the Lord and of Gideon. The
sound from the mouth suggests the two
edged sword which proceeds from the
mouth (Rev. i 16) the word of God which
Is sharper than amy two edged sword CHeb.
iy, ~, the sword Of the Spirit which l.
the word Of God (Eph. vi, ~ This victo-
~ was accomplished by the Lord through
Gideon, Gideon's part being simply that
of visible and obedient partner 1t was
so with all the prophets, the word was the
Lords, but the mouth was the prophets,
as in II sam. xiii, 2; Jer. i, g. Even our
Lord Jesus gives His Father credit for all
His words and works John XII, 40; xiv,
1O).
49, 20. "And the three companies blew
the trumpets and brake the pitchers and
held the lamps in their left hands and the
trumpets in their right hands to blow, and
they cried, The sword Of the Lord and OF
Gideon" / do not know just how they
managed with two hands to accomplish
these three things all at once, but some
day Gideon will tell us how they did ii IL
we ask him. The principal item in the
story j. their cry and it, results The
strength of my life and it, joy and peace
il the partnership with Him who does all
the work, suggested by the phrase, THE
Lord and Gideon lit il God who work
eth in Us both to will and To do (Phil. ii,
ID; Heb. xiii 21). The Lord could a. eas-
lily have delivered Israel without Gideon.
but He saw fit to use Gideon. 80 with u.s.
We are none Of US essential to Him. but
He is willing to use US if we are willing
to be used by Him as He shall please.
81. "And they stood every man in his
place. l believe from Eph ii. 10, that
God has place and work for each Of His
redeemed (see also Mark xiii, "a; Math.
XIV, 15), and that, as one has said, Cad
" man is Gods man in Gods place doing
Gods work in Gods way for Gods glory
As in the tabernacle and temple, neither
Moses nor David nor solomon had any say
in the plans, but received all from God
and had only to be Obedient SO believe it
should be in all the work of the church
and in the individual life Of every believer
We have the promise Of thoughts, words.
steps and actions, an controlled by Him
who says, Behold, Imake all things new
Let our motto, then. be Not Il, but Christ.
who hveth in me, the son Of God, who
loved me and gave Himself for me- CGal.
ii, 20).
22. THE Lord set every mans sword
against his fellow % ii was III sam.
xiv, 20, and in iii Chrun. *, 25. In the
later case the people went out pr7lising the
Lord a. they went to the battle for the
them, for they believed God In the storm
at sea Paul was Of good cheer because Of
the deliverance promised, though there
seemed, humanity speaking no possibility
of deliverance, but he believed Sod (Acts
xvii, 25). 1t is safe to keep right on as
God directs and trust Him to manage all
our enemies, our reputation and all else.
"Be not afraid. Only believe"
23. And the men of Israel gathered
themselves together and pursued
after the Midianites Those mentioned
in this verse were such as responded to
Gideon's first call for helpers tv1, 35).
Then I'm the next verse we read that Eph-
RAIN came also. Sec In chapter vii, is,
how wisely Gideon appeased their anger
at not being called earlier, and remember
that "a soft answer turneth away wrath
prov. xv, ID. May the fact that God
sends IL and l. with H. be our constant
strength (chapter Nj. 1870.