The Tupelo journal., 1902-11-07
THE N D SCHOOL.
Lesson In the international Series
for November o, 1OO2-Joshua's
Parting Advice.
THE LESSON TEXT.

Joshua 2:14-25)
a. Now therefore fear the Lord, and serve
Hin In sincerity and in truth: ard put
away the gods which your fathers sc rived
on the other SIDE of the flood. and In Egypt:
and serve ye the Lord.
10. And II 1t seem evil unto YOU to serve
the Lord. choose you this day whom ye will
serve; whether the gods which your fa-
theirs served that were on the other side
OF the HOOD, or the goGs of the Amorites,
In whose land ye dwell; but as for me and
my mouse, We VIII serve the Lore.
10. And the people answered and said,
God forbid that we should forsake the
Lord, to serve other gods;
IL. For the Lord our God, He it Is that
Drought US up ard our fathers out of the
land of Egypt, from the house Of bondage,
and which did those great signs in our
iight, and preserved US in all the way where
in We went. and among all the people
through whom We passed:
Is. And the Lord drove out from before
us all the people, even the Amorites which
dWeit in the land: therefore will we also
serve the Lord; for He is our God.
~. And Joshua said unto the people, Ye
caEnot serve the Lord: for He is an holy
Goo; He Is a jealous God; He Will not
forgive your transgressions nor your sins.
70 II ye forsake the Lord, and serve
strange gods, then He will turn and co
you hurt, and consume you, after that He
hath done you good.
u. And the people said unto Joshua,
Nay; but we will serve the Lord.
Y. And Joshua said unto the people. Ye
are witnesses against yourselves that ye
h.re chosen you the Lord, to serve Him.
mo they said, We are witnesses.
% Now therefore put away, said he, the
ge gods which are among you, and
tnc ne your heart unto the Lord God of
Israel.
"a. And the people said unto Joshua, The
Lord our God will we serve, and His voice
will We obey.
%. So Joshua made a covenant with the
people that day, and set them a statute and
an ordinance in Shechem.
GOLDEN TEXT.-ChoOse you this day
whom We Will serve.-Josh. 24:l5.
OUTLINE OF SCRIPTURAL SECTION.
The cities of the Levites .........Josh xxi.
The misa~pprehension ............Josh xxi.
Joshua's charge to the elders. Josh. xiii.
Joshua,s charge to the people. Josh. 24:l-28
TIME.-B. C. 1444 and 447.
PLACE.-Shi,oh. Timnath-serah, and
Shechem.
NOTES AND COMMENTS.
The Cities of the Levites.-With
to-day's lesson we see the compile
ton of the division OF the land
among the tribes. Only the Levites,
who were set apart to the Lord, re-
manned. Joshua now located them in
cities here and there throughout the
country. Probably the whole city
in each case was not turned over to
them, but only such part as was
needed, with the privilege of pastur-
ing cattle in the Suburbs as the
strip of pasture land just outside
the city wall was called. Thus Heb
ron is said to have been given to
Caleb (14:D and also to the Leyites
(21:13.)
The Observation-Disclosures in
dignation of the people over the ac-
ton of the two and a half depart
ing tribes, in building the altar by
the Jordan, was natural. They
seemed to have forsaken jehovah,
which would have amounted to a de-
ciaration of war, and it was feared
that, because they were Hebrews,
the whole nation would be punished.
settle the matter ~peaceably if pos
sible, and hat untold suffering was
averted by patience in dealing with a
suspicion hat was afterwards found
to be groundless.
The Charge to the Elders.-In
chapter xiii we have the first of
Joshua's two farewell addresses. In
it he urges them to be faithful to
the law, and to avoid all intercourse
with the Canaanites.
The Charge to the People.-The
second of the addresses was to those
of the people who were gathered at
the sanctuary at Shechem. Joshua
reviews the goodness of God from
the days of the patriarchs on. and
makes that a reason why the people
should abandon the ancestral idols
still worshipped more or less
among them,-and follow Jehovah
only.
"Now, therefore," Because of
Gods goodness. Beyond the river"
Beyond the Euphrates, in Mesopot-
amia, whence Abraham had come.
Choose you this day whom We will
serve:" Times of rededication to
God are necessary. Joshua put the
case for Jehovah just as strongly as
he knew how, and then left the. de-
cision with the people. Eye cannot
serve jehovah" Joshua seemed to
say, at is no small matter,-this
serving of Jehovah, for he is holy,
and expects his people to live holy
lives. Are you sure you are equal
to it? If you are unfaithful you
must expect to reap the reward of
unfaithfulness. Have you counted
the cost?' PUT away for
eign gods" Begin at once. You
must be wholly Gods or not at all.
"Joshua made. a covenant with the
people:" He acted for Jehovah,
declaring the mutual obligations
which both parties, Jehovah and the
people, assumed. This was probably
done with impressive ceremonies.
Judging from Ex. 1920 and Deut.
29:1.
Joshua's Death.-After the renew
ing of the covenant, this sturdy sol
der felt that he could die in peace.
The following paragraph names two
other noted men who were also
buried in Ephraim.
Wheat and Chat.
Shadows do not stop the sun.
God lifts nm the he~ayy-hearted nv