The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1902-10-08
THE SABBATH SCHOOL
INTERNATIONAL LESSON COMMENTS
FOR OCTOBER II.

. Subject: CIossing the Jordan. Josh. H.. 9
| to w.. 7-Goidon Text. lea. xliii.. p
Memory Verses. 15-l7- Commentary
on the Days Lesson.
Q. Hear the words" It seems that the
| Israelites had no intimstion how they were
| TO cross the river till shortly before the
event. The address of Joshua, taken in
; connection with the miraculous result ex-
| actly ~ he had described it, would tend
to increase and confirm their faith in God.
10. THE living God" This full assur.
ance OF the presence OF the only tree God
among them would encourage them against
tear at sight of what might appear to be
danger. In the land where they were
going, they were to combat with idolators,
whose gods were only wood and stone,
could give life or take it, and He would
show, BY the wonderful miracle. that He
would defend His people. Without fail"
| This was a strong promise, but even this
was not unconditional. See last lesson.
! When man fails God refuses" 1Drive
| out. A list Of seven tribes that inhabited
the land now follows. Some of them were
| powerful. There were formidable leagues
Of chiefs and kings, organized armies with
giants among them, warhorscs and iron
chariots, strong stone fortresses, in q
! country possessed by those who knew
every foot Of it. At the same time, We
cred that probably at this time they had
been greatly weakened by Egyptian con.
quest, and there was some such prepara-
ton for the lsraelites as there was among
the Indians when the Pilgrims came over
to New England. "Canaanites." Or "low.
landers." who inhabited the seacoast and
western bank Of the Jordan. But this
term is often used to include all the tribes
here mentioned. "Hittites." These were
descendants from Heth and were settled in
and around Hebron. q: 10. 90. Amor.
ties" The mountaineers, the largest and
most powerful tribe Of all. Their name il
sometimes taken TO include all the Canaan.
itish tribes.
II. ARK of the Covenant" This Sas
the sacred chest which contained the tables
rod that budded. Heb. 8: 4. It was the
symbol of Jehovah's presence. "Passeth
over before you" The ark was carried on
the shoulders OF the priests nearly three
quarters OF mile in advance OF the people.
II. Twelve men," These men were to
take memorial stones from the river as
described later on.
l3. The priests that bear the ark" On
ordinary occasions the Levites of the house
Of kohath, by special command, bore the
ark. But when removed from within the
veil. or when borne on festive occasions Of
extraordinary interest, the priests, the OF.
sy:ing OF Aaron, were the bearers.
u. when the people removed" This
was on the 10th day Of Abb or Nissan, the
same month IN which they departed from
Egypt.
Is. Feet. were dipped" etc. The
priests proceeded first with the ark. and
entered into the bed of the river, the
course Of which was Immediately arrested,
the waters collecting above the place where
the priests stood. while the stream fell of
toward the Dead Sea. 50 that the whole
channel below where the priests were
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 q mighty river Is
still rolling between them and Canaan.
All his banks" The Jordan had two
and IN some places three banks. At its
Hood it overflowed the first and second
banks and covered the whole space between
the terraces formed by the second and
third banks. The waters on each side
priests were to stand or rest in the shoa!
water on the eastern bank until the waves
receded, and the rivers channel was made
bare; then they advanced in the midst of
the channel and there stood until all the
people had crossed. This was the barley
harvest which was several weeks earlier
than the wheat harvest. The reason for
the overflow at this time instead of the
winter, which in that latitude is the rainy
season, is because the snow in the Lebanon
mountains melts with the increasing heat
Of summer.
l6. Adam. .Zaretan." See r. v.
Where these cities were is not known. but
they must have been up the river. Adam
the way from fifteen to fifty miles above
the place where the Israelites crossed the
Jordan. There are many opinions as to
the manner in which this stupendous 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 the eve
could see. Others think that the Lord
gave contrary direction to the current
and that the waters were distributed, over
the adjacent country towards the sea Of
Gaii'ee. The salt sea-" The Dead Sea,
called also the sea of the plain. It is
clear, but its waters are strongly tinctured
with salt. Right against Jericho" An
instance OF their boldness, and a noble
defiance OF their enemies. Jericho was
one OF the strongest cities, and yet they
dared to face it at their first entrance.
II. Dry ground" Not hard and dusty
ground: but dry only in the sense OF being
drained Of water. See chap. 4: Is. Clean
over Jordan" The forty years Of struggle
and trial are over, and the people stand
for the first time on their own Possessions.
]. "All the people" All the people Of
the nine and half tribes that were to
locate on the west of Jordan, and forty
thousand picked soldiers of the two and
half tribes that had located on the east
of Jordan.
2. Twelve men," These men were
chosen before the crossing. See 3: l2.
3-5. Twelve stones" etc. The twelve
chosen men each took a stone from the
river.bottom where the priests had stood.
and carried them to Gilgal where their
first encampment in Canaan was located.
8. a sign, etc. This accomplished two
purposes: !. The preservation of national
history and religious knowledge. 2. The
relis Gus education of the young. Object
teaching, which has recently been brought
forward in the art of education, il here
introduced as a method of instruction by
God Himself. BY the presentation Of Wis.
ibie objects to the eye, divine truth may
be most vividly photographed upon the
soul.
:. These stones . 3 memorial" The
erection Of huge piles of stones as monu.
mcnts OF remarkable incidents has been
common among all people. They are the
means OF perpetuating the memory OF
important transactions. These twelve
stones were to be standing record OF the
miraculous passage OF the Jordan.