The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-11-08
Fourth Quarter. Lesson vi. Nov. o,
1909. Joshua xiv, 1895.
Joshua's Parting Advice,


Fourth Quarter. Lesson vi. Nov. O.,
1902. Joshua XIV, 1895.
Joshua's Parting Advice.
Joshua Is one Of the worlds ever-liv-
ing heroes. He bursts into Hebrew his
tory as the successful commander OF
Israel's hosts at Rephidim. His career,
henceforth, 10 as stainless as brilliant.
Like Him whose name he was tho first
mortal to wear, mo fault was found in
him." The ex-slave from Pharaoh 6
brick-yard had prime opportunities to
have enriched himself when the partition
Of Canaan was made under his own SUI
pervision. He prefers no claim on ground
of distinguished services. He attempts no
sequestering of a fat vineyard or lordly
manor. He asks only modest portion in
the barren mountains of Ephriam. Such
disinterested patriotism has never been
surpassed.
Now, after more than half a century Of
services, military and executive. to his
countrymen, by infallible tokens he
knows that his departure is at hand. He
will fain,, after the example Of Moses, his
noble chief. project his influence beyond
his mortal life. He summons his powers
of body, mind, and spirit, and pours them
out in an historic resume. in discriminate
ing analysis of cause of national pros
perity, and an appeal and exhortation
worthy Of Moses or Elijah.
The local environment made frame
worthy of this picture, at once pathetic
and sublime. The place was Shechem
where. four hundred years before. Abra-
ham had tent and God had an altar
There stood that ancient and spreading
oak, under which Jacob buried the PEN
ates brought from beyond the Euphrates
There were Ebal and Gerizm, Mountains
of the Nurse and the Beatitude, their
fiinty sides craven with the prohibitions
and injunctions of the law The ark Of
God may have been brought from Shiloh
to grace and give sanctity to the scene.
In a scene like this stood the tribes Of
Israel, II not bodily present, at least
present in the person of their legal rep
resentatives. The company was alert to
hear the parting words of the old hero,
to whom, humanity speaking, they were
| indebted for their goodly inheritance.
Joshua held up one by one the golden
| links In the chain of a Divine providence.
| which stretched from Haran beyond the
| Euphrates, through Canaan, Egypt, the
| wilderness. and thence back to Canaan.
He estops pride by reminding them that
| their victories were achieved supernat-
| urally-not with their swords and bows.
| Turning to the future, the warrior says
| naught of war. His speech takes on a
| millennial cast. Swords are already beat
| en- into plowshares, spears into pruning
| hooks. He speaks of moral qualities. of
| obedience, of holiness. He will forewarn
| his people of a peril. He will enjoin a
| duty.
The Hebrews had an hereditary ten
dency to idolatry. Their fathers served
other gods beyond the flood. They suf-
| fered for four hundred years the debasing
influence of Egyptian polytheism. I'm
happily they had allowed the dregs Of
| the grossest idolatry to remain in the
| conquered territory. Joshua recognized
| the incident of the golden calf as only
| the Eruption of the idolatrous spirit and
| practice which was secretly maintained.
Like the kings evil, this vice seemed IN
| the blood The vision of the centenarian
| was not too much dimmed to see the Iliad
| of woes impending.
| Joshua sets up a standard Decided
| himself he calls for decision on the part
| Of the people. Once for all, let 1t be de-
termined who is God, and let him be
served. If they think the ugly little i'm
ages surreptitiously brought from Haran
are gods; II they prefer the filthy deities
| of the Amortes to the Jehovah of Abra-
| ham, Isaac, and Jacob-to the Wonder
| worker of the Red Sea, the wilderness,
| and Sinai-then let them turn to idols.
| But like a high clarion blast that has
kept the air pulsing ever since comes
| Joshuas personal decision: las for me
and my house. we will serve the Lord"
The place. with IT'S hallowed associa-
| tons; the speaker, venerable and vener-