The Bolivar bulletin. (Bolivar, Tenn.) 1888-1946, 1904-01-08

i: i: T.. !; ;:;:: {; s; ::
F,1/.m \\A:= instead of bless
l//N1HH X ing! Failure, in
" il't y n stead of victory!
eezsesEsSz-Z Suffering and pri-
" ::::: 4: ::::::: ::::.: :: ::
"SS-E- joyi WEAKNESS
"sZZ "z.gZzS-- of the journey,
instead of rest
and peace of home, Doubtings and
fears, instead of confidence and hOpei
This was the penalty which fell upon
Israel because of unbelief and rebel
lion. To-day they might have gone
over into the Promised Land; to-mor-
row they must turn back into the
wilderness. To-day the door of Op-
portunity stands open before them;
tomorrow it is shut and barred
against them. To-day that which
they left Egypt to obtain is within
their grasp; tomorrow that hope has
gone far down into the future
Unbelief and rebellion could rob the
children of Israel of the blessing of
God, and unbelief and rebellion can
rob the children of God to-day. And
not only do they rob of blessing, but
they delay the realization of the
plans and purposes of God. Unbelief
and the rebellion resulting therefroIn
pay the penalty of the wilderness jour-
ney. 1t is weary discipline, the way
seems long and hard, but by and By,
when the discipline is complete, the
Lord leads out to the border of the
Promised Land again. In Israel we
find portrayed the experience of very
many of Gods children. They are
faithfully led by God to the border of
land of great opportunities and pos
sibilities 1t is the will and purpose
OF God that they should go up and
possess the land. God says: go
forward" But the walled cities look so
impregnable and the giants so mighty
and terrible that the heart grows faint.
Unbelief takes possession and urges
flight back to the Egypt of former
bondage. Self is chosen captain in
stead of God, and while rebellion is
keeping the stubborn feet from going
portunity is lost, and the command of
God is then heard: Tomorrow turn
you, and get you into the wilderness"
Then it is folly to attempt to rush on
into the Promised Land. Disaster lies
ahead; safety can only be found with
God in the wilderness behind. Let us
seek to learn with patience the lessons
God would there teach us.
THE purpose OF this discipline was
| three fold: Punishment, purifca-
tiCn and preparation. And these are the
reasons why God to-day drives His chill
Gren back into the wilderness. Their
sin of unbelief and rebellion must
be punished. The dross of unholy
desires and purposes must be burned
out of their lives even as the gold
is purified in the fire, and they
must be prepared anew for entrance
into the land of promise. Punish
ment for wrong doing is necessary
and wholesome. 1t is wise and loving
parent who Furnishes his child for the
evil deed. Many a child is ruined for
time and eternity because the foolish,
misguided parent believes that indul-
gence and the excusing and overlooking
of sin is love. So was it with the sons
of the Prophet Eli, really godly man
but q weak and indulgent father. See
the awful fruitage OF his lack of dis
cipline through punishment Behold
David in anguish of spirit mourning over
his son Absalom. How could such a
godly man have such a wayward son?
Why was it that Amnon and Adonijah,
two others OF his sons, wrought so dis
gracefully? Go back to the childhood
and youth of these men. Indulgence in
stead of discipline. David truly great
and strong man when ruling a nation,
but an indulgent and weak fl her. 1t
was not love, real love, which withheld
punishment. HE that spareth his rod
hateth his son; but he that loveth him
chasteneth him betimes." And delay
not the punishment. but "chasten thy
son while there is hope, and let not thy
soul spare for his crying Wrong do
ing must be punished. Love finds ex-
preston in punishment of evil. And SO
God Furnishes because He loves. The
children of Israel must be punished for |
their unbelief and rebellion. Gods |
children to-day must be punished for |
sin. But mo chastening for the present |
seemeth to be joyous. but grievous; |
afterward 1t yieldeth the |
peaceable fruit of righteousness unto |
them which are exercised thereby
Punishment is part of the wilderness |
discipline.
DURIFICATION was another purpose |
of the wilderness discipline. Israel |
must needs be purified from the element |
of unbelief before they could enter the |
land of promise. During those forty /
years of wandering one by one those |
who in unbelief and rebellion had |
thwarted the purpose of God perished in
the wilderness. Not one unbelieving
heart could possess the land. 1t is so
with the child of God to-day. The will
derness experience comes that the heart
and life may be freed from those things
which thwart Gods purposes and plans
One by one the fruits of unbelief and
self-will must be plucked off and perish
IN the wilderness until the soul is free
from all that hindered the entering into