The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1902-09-13
SUNDAY-SCHOOL
LESSON FOR SEPT. ia
LOVING AND oBEYING GOD.
Duet. xxx:11-2O.
BY REV. J. r. GILBERT, D. D.
Secretary Of American Society Of Religious
Education.

| 1NTRODUCTION.--L week our les
| son pertained to the method of religious
instruction deuteronomy, xviii, 9-o2),
| which God appointed for Israel, as made
known by Moses. Today we study an
| other section of that same address in
which Moses set before the people the
| duty of loyalty to God and the conse-
quences of their obedience and disobedi-
ence. The passage is near the close df
the address. 1t is filled with the tender
solicitude of the great leader, who at
the advanced age of six score years
deuteronomy, xxi, y, after forty years
of responsible public Office, was required
to transfer his trust to younger hands.
If. at any time one would deal honestly
with those who looked to him for guild
ance this was surely one Of the times.
We may almost hear the throbbing Of
the great heart AS we study the words
which were appropriate, not for that
occasion only. but for all the after years
of Israel
IllDDEN.-(Verse 11.)-Moses turns the
people back to the commandment of God
spoken by him. He would not have them
regulate their conduct by supersttions
or traditions much less by arts and de-
vices practiced in the heather world, but
by the express utterances of the AL
which had been delivered unto them,
This enforcement of the law of God as
the rule of faith and practice, made at
such time, when people were in great
ignorance. showed that 1t was by an
educational process only that Israel
would be advanced. To commend this to
them Moses callen attention to the fact
that the command was not hidden not
obscure and ambiguous, but plan-a fact
of very great Importance. No one need
be ignorant of what was required, There
could bo no just pleading on that score
to be excused from obedience. All had
been set forth i'm such unmistakea bile
terms as to be understood by the ordln-
airy intelligence.
REMOrE.-Verses IL and l3.)-The
entire heather world az that time con-
Quoted all religious matters upon the
supposition that they were mysteries,
that information concerning them was
not only hidden, but that If obtained at
all II must be brought from a great dis
tance. That was the secret of the witch
craft, the auguries and the incantations
deuteronomy xviii, l0-lD that were so
generally practiced. What was needed in
the shape OF knowledge was In heaven
and some method must be devised to
bring II down, or it was in some remote
iand, peopled by strange beings with
whom communication might be estab-
lished, but with great difficulty. The re-
suit was that all mapner of impositions
were introduced and the people We're
slavishiy led by those In authority or left
In great uncertainty and doubt. Moses
declared that this was not true with Is
raei The commands of God were not far
away, and therefore beyond reach by
any one who might desire TO know
them. What an immense advantage this
fact gave to these people over all their
neighbors.
NEAR.-tVerse H.)-How near was this
word OF God which the people were re-
quired to obey? 1t was in part on the
tables OF stone which were laid up In the
ark. and kept in,the holy of holies OF the
tabernacle. EXODUS, XIV, l6) A copy
OF that was In the hands of the rulers of
the people, at least with the successor of
Moses (Joshua. !. 81, pursuant TO in
structions given in this address (Deuter-
onomy, xvii, lS and still third copy