Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1902-10-11
THE SABBATH SCHOOL.
International Lesson Comments For
October II.
Subject: Crossing the Jordan. JOSH ill.,, | t,
w. f-uolden Text. lisa. xiii, 2-slemcry
Verses, Commentary on the
Days Lesson.

~ near t;le words. II seems lnat tlN
lsr2eEtes had no ntimItion how they wer'
10 cross the river TIL shorty before III,
event. The address OF Joshua, taken II
connection with the miraculous result cX
aetly As lie had described ii. would ten(
TO increase and confirm their faith in God
10. The living God This full assur
ance OF the presence OF The only true Coo
among them would encourage them agains'
lear at sight OF what might appear to Ut
danger. In the land where they were
going, they were to combat with idoators
whose gods Were only wood and stone
but they were 10 have ! living God. who
could give lite or take il. anG lie woulc
show, by the wonderful miracle, that liz
would defend His people. Without fail.
L MS WAS strong promise. but even thin
was not unconditional. See last lesson
When man fails God refuses Drive
out" y list OF seven tribes that inhabited
the land now follows. Some OF them wer,
powerful. There We're formidable leagues
OF chiefs and kings. organized armies viii
giants among them, warhorses and iror
chariots, strong stone fortresses, i'll
country possessed by those who knew
e"ery foot OF it. At the same time, We
learn from the monuments lately discov.
cred that probably at this time they haC
been greatly weakened by Egyptian con
quest, and there was some such prepare
ton Tor the Israeites Is there was among
TO New England. 'Canaanites.' Or low
landcrs, who Inhabited the seacoast and
western bank of the Jordan But thi.
term Is often used 10 include all the tribes
here mentioned. 'Hittites' These were
descendants from Heth and were settled il
and around Hebron. %: -, ~. Amor
ties he mountaineers. the largest and
most powerful tribe OF all The; name is
sometimes taken 70 include all the Canaan
itish tribes.
IL. Arr; OF the Covenant" This was
the sacred chest which contained the tables
OF the law, a. pot OF mamma and Aaron's
rod that buddei. Heb. 8: J. 1t was the
oyer before YOU The ark was carried OF
the shoulders OF the priests nearly three
quarters OF 4 mile in advance of the ncople
y. Twelve men," These men were to
take memorial stones from the river az
described later on.
Il. The priests that bear the ark" On
ordinary occasions the Levi;es OF the house
OF kohath. by special command. bore the
ARK but when removed from within the
ven, q" when borne on festive occasions OF
extraordinary interest. the priests. the off.
spring OF Aaron. were the bearers.
~. w hen the pcop.e removed" This
was on the 10th drv .: Abb ~ Nissan. tho
Egypt.
priests proceeded first With .he ark. and
entered into the bed q! the river. the
course Of whlci was Immediately arrested.
the waters collecting above the pace where
the priests stood: while the stream fell off
toward the Dead Sea. so that the whole
standing became dry. What strong faith
they had IN God. When they crossed
through the sea the ground was made dry
before they advanced but now they start
on their march while a mighty river i
stiIi rolling between them and Canaan.
Az ms banks" The Jordan had two
ana N some places three banks. AT its
banks and covered the whole space between
inc terraces formed by the second and
thlrd banks. The waters on each side
Would De comparatively shallow. Here flo
priests were 10 stand or rest in the sho,l
water on the eastern bank until the wares
Ieceoed; and the rivers channel was made
nare; then they advanced in the midst az
the channel and there stood until all The
people had crossed. This was the barley
harvest which was several weeks earlier
IMAM the wheat harvest. The reason for
me overflow at this time instead Of the
winter. which in that latitude is the rainy
season. Is because the snow in the Lebanon
of summer "'
w! 10. Adam. .Zaretan." See Il. V.
here these cities were is not known. but
they must have been un the river Adam
mas been placed by different writers Nil
me way from fifteen to fifty miles above
the place where the Israelites crossed the
Jordan. There are many opinions ~ n
the manner in which this strpendous mir.
ac!e WAS performed. Some think the water
was heaped up many miles away and that
the river bed was dry as far as tho cve
could see. Others think that the Lord
gave a contrary direction to the current
ana that the waters were distributed over
G me adjacent EN-. country towards the sea of
naii.ee. The salt sea" The Dead Son
called also the sea OF the plain. 1t Is
clear, hut Its waters are strongly tinctured
with SAT-. Right against Jericho" An
instance OF their boldness, and = noble
dehance Of their enemies Jericho WAS
Jie 81 me strongest cities. and yet they
aared TO 70 face 1t at their first entrance
IL. Dry ground" Not hard and dusty
ground; but dry only in the sense OF beinr
drained 81 water; See chap. !: Is. Clean
over Jordan" The forty wears OF strugga
and trial are over. and the people stand
!or the hrst time on their own possessions.
~ All the people. Al the people OF
,he nine and halt tribes that were TO
locate or the west OF Jordan. and forty
thousand picked soldiers OF the two and \
OF Jordan. @''s'
p Twelve men" These men were
chosen before the crossing. See b Il.
80. Twelve s;ones,' etc. The twelve
chosen men each took stone from the
river-5otiom where the priests had stood,
and carried them to Gilgal, where their
hrst encampment i'll Canaaa was located.
q. "A sign" etc. This accomplished Two
purposes: The preservation OF national
history and religious. knowledge. >. The
religions education of the Young. Object
tan. h. Ia. =.
forward in the art OF education. is here
introduced as a method OF instruction by
God Himself. BY the presentation of vis
blc objects 70 the eye. divine truth may
be most wildly photographed upon the
soul.
I. These stones. "a memorial" The
erection OF huge piles OF stones rs monu
ments of remarkable incidents has been
common among all people They are the
means OF perpetuatinS the memory OF
important transactions., These twelve
stones were to be standing record OF the
miraculous passage OF the Jordan.