The Tupelo journal., 1902-11-14
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
Lesson In the international Series
for November 10, 1D02-The
Time OF the Judges.
THE LESSON TEXT.
Gudpes 2.f0-1R)

-- 4
THE LESSON TEXT.
Judges 2:f0-18)
10. And also all that generation were
gathered unto their fathers; and there
arose another generation after them, which
which He had done for Israel.
II. And the children of Israel did evil in
the sight of the Lord. and served Baadm.
IL. And they forsook the Lord God Of
their fathers, which brought them out of
the land of Egypt, and followed other
gods. of the gods of the people that were
rounda about them, and bowed themselves
unto them, and provoked the Lord 70
anger.
10. And they forsook the Lord, and served
Baal and Ashtaroth.
IA. And the anger of the Lord was hot
against Israel, and He delivered them into
the hands OF spoilers hat spoiled them,
and He sold them into the hands OF their
enemies round about, so that they could
not any longer stand before their enemies,
IS. Whithersover they went out. the hand
of the Lord was against them for evil, as
the Lord had said, and as the LORD had
sworn unto them; and they were greatly
distressed.
IL. Nevertheless the Lord raised up
judges, which delivered them out of the
hand OF those that spoiled them.
GOLDEN TEXT.-They cry unto the
Lord in their trouble, and He aveth
them out of their distress.-Ps. 1O7:10.
OUTLINE OF SCRIPTURE SECTION.
The condition of Israeli. Judges 1-2:5.
The 2:l6-22.
TIME-B. C. 1425.
PLACE-Canaan.
NOTES AND COMMENTS.
The text selected for this lesson
Uivas n Uanaral n - Of tb;c b;e+orx-
during the whole 800 years, during
which, from time to time, these
judges or special deliverers APP
peared. They were heroes for the
most part; men of fight, who
here and there arose and led the peo-
pie of the tribe especially oppressed to
victory. Then they were naturally eX-
allied by them to general leadership,
which included the duties of judges.
With the opening of the book OF
Judges, Israel is encamped in the Jo<-
dan valley near Jericho. They inquire
ofthe oracle OF Jehovah Compare Mum.
27:21; Judges 1875; / Sam. 22:10-15; 1
Sam. 23:9-11, etc. which tribe shall
go up first to attack the Canaanites,
who are in possession of most of the
country. Judah, who is chosen, with
Simeon and the "house OF Joseph" are
successful in the hill country but IAN
not conquer the lowlands. In the
north, the Hebrews generally settle
down among the original inhabitants,
and in the west the Amorites force Dan
back into the hills. The last five verses
of this survey tell of the moving of the
center of worship from Gilgal, where
it had been during the invasion, to
Bochim (perhaps Beth-eD. The writer
declares emphatically hat the failure
to make a complete conquest was not
because of the strength of the Canaan
ties, but of the d~isobedience of the
Hebrews.
The generation which; grew up in
Canaan was less faithful than the for
mer had been. Served the Baalim:"
That is, served the local Baals. which
were almost as many as the Canaanite
cities. The Baals were the godsof fer
tility, both in plant and animal life.
They were supposed to shine Upon and
water the land and make it fruitful. and
their worship was just as much a part
of farming in Canaan as was preparing
the ground and sowing the seed. The
Hebrews learned how to farm in
Canaan from the C~anaanites. 1t was
natural that, with all the rest. they
should take up the Baal worship. which
was considered among those peoples
the most important part of farming.
At first the Hebrews probably thought
of Jehovah as their Baal. but soon they
forgot Him in the fascination of this
sensual Canaanite worship. Instead
of discriminating the native races,
the Hebrews were being rapidly alb
sorbed into the older population.
Under this less rigorous life and i'm
moral worship, they were weakened,
oppressed and enslaved by the very
people for whose religion they had
forsaken Jehovah. 1.-THE Ashtaroth:n
Ashtaroth is the plural of Ashtoreth,
one of the principal Semitic deities.
She vas sometimes called Astarte,
and sometimes Ishtar. Like the
Baals. the Ashtaroth were supposed
to influence fruitfulness in plant and
animal life. Ashtoreth was the
Venus of the Semitic peoples and
was worshiped with a great variety
of disgusting rites. 1.-The Israelite
found in Syria a land teeming with
holy places, and voicefJ with a
thousand oracles. 1t is hardly to
be wondered at that the people. in
toxicated with the lavish gifts of
their new home, went astray on
every high hill and under every
green tree.'"-Aglen. "The hands of
spoilers:" Better, of pillagers. And
all this, says the historian, was the
result of disobedience. God com
handed His people. as He always
does, only what would have been for
their good, but they thought they
knew better.
In this dark period. when the tribes
were scattered and almost wholly in
dependent of each other, deliverers
arose, under whom the tribes final
~ emerged into national life again.
Here and there, under these deliv-
erers, the people made successful re-
volts against the oppressors, and
then exalted their deliyererS To he