The Tupelo journal., 1903-11-20

WE3&3- Vi the Hdtuidi Audh'
\lLMW@ Is there less stub
& bornness in the
S human heart in
this twentieth century of the Christian
era than there was fourteen hundred
years before its dawn? Are the people
of to-day ruled less by their own de-
sires and purposes and ambitions than
were the Israelites of old? And an
other question we want to ask: is
st~ubbornness any less a sin to-day, ls1t
less offensive to God than it was IN the
days when the anger Of the LORD was
hot against Israel" because of stub
bornness and when it cost Saul a king
dom? Have the people of to-day a bet
ter right to do as they want to than dld
the people of whom our text declares
''they ceased not from their own do
ings?" AS we read Gods warnings to
those people, as we follow their history
and see the evils and calamltles into
which their stubbornness plunged them,
we climb up into the judges chair
with God and condemn them, and
then, having passed judgment on a
case over three thousand years old, we
rush off into the present of our own do
ing and our W stubbornness. In the
centuries which have passed since this
self-willed, stubborn people dwelt in the
land of Palestine, has Gods attitude to-
wards the self-will and stubbornness of
the human heart changed? Samuel, the
prophet of God, told Saul that stub
bornness was as iniquity and idolatry,"
and to-day is it less iniquitous and less
d~ishonOring to God than it was then?
We have asked these questions that
they may set you to thinking. We want
to take some pages of history from Gods
sacred Book and let them shed their
light upon the pathway of the present.
for these things were our examples"
and have been recorded by God for Dur
instruction and warning.
THE brief words comprising our
i text are a wonderful index to the
conditions which prevailed in the ma
ton of Israel. 1t is not necessary that
the historian should enter into lengthy
details to understand exactly what the
people were doing. When we are told
that they ceased not from their own
dolngs, nor from their stubborn way"
we know that every desire of the flesh
was INDUCED and every vanity and
imagination of the heart was given
full rein and scope. The natural way
ward tendencies were not checked, and
step by step they plunged farther and
farther n sin. The natural tendency
OF man is always downward. God
placed man in the earth pure and spot
less. Mans desire led to the act of
disobedience, and succeeding genera
lions ceased not from their own
doingS nor from their stubborn way"
until the elimination came in the
flood, and only n man was found
who would listen to God and yield
obedience to Him. But notwithstand-
ing the judgment of the flood the
tendency of man to seek his W way
and ~stubbornly resist God was not
cured, and the human race again
plunged downward until the judg-
ment thunders burst upon Babel's
tower and man was scattered and his
tongue confused. Man ceased not
from his own doings nor from his
stubborn way. Then came the call
of Abraham and the establishment of
a nation out of his loin5, which was
to be peculiarly Gods people and to
do His will. In the wilderness jour
ney they ceased not from their own
doings nor from their stubborn way"
and thousands were consumed by
peStilence and the sword. They cease
not from their own doings but re-
fuse to enter the promised land, and
wander other 40 years as a penalty.
When finally they did take possession
of h promised land at the point of
their history where our text brings us,
we find that they ceased not from
their own doings nor from their stub
born way" The judgment of God
would fall, and under the stress of
the lash, temporary obedience would
be yielded to God, but soon the nat
ural tendency downward would assert
itself. and again God would have to
write: They ceased not from their
own doings nor from their stubborn
way" 1t was repeated failure under
the judges; it was failure and ruin and
destruction of the nation under the
kings. "They ceased not from their
own doings nor from their stubborn
way" And the indictment written by
God against the Jewish nation is one
which must be written against the
whole race of mankind. Natural de-
sire leads away from God, and stub
bornness of heart dulls the ear to
Gods voice OF warning and blinds the
eye to the impending judgment.
ETAN likes to have his own way,
1V1 and it is a long sad record of
sin which stands against him. God
said to Israel: This is the way
walk We in it." But Israel said, This
is the way / want to walk, and the
people walked after the n of the
heather nations about them. God says
to man to-day: This is the way
walk We in it," But man says, | want
to walk in my own way; l want to
be my W master; ! want to go when
l please and come when l please. The
prodigal son liked to have his OWL