St. Tammany farmer., 1904-06-25


{ 11zzI$N UR text brings be-
AIkNEAN fore us beautiful,
,NzXIWMy yet sad picture.
mZNNN Moses pleading
T"'T(@ with his brother
!: ! ! :: : | !. ! ! / !.
4ysSAH in-law, Hobab, and
R ,GS@k Hobab Indifferent
F@T~2% and rejecting the
EIAU MIMI NJ appeal. Moses, the
WI WTlW | servant of God,
NV INN / earnestly seeking
nL1 Nv Ill toprevail upon him
nm M to cast his lot with
l. Ut0un Gods people and
~ llGuMxU receive blessing.
Moses, knowing by
1alth better land, longing to lead Ho-
bah to that place. Moses looking ahead;
Hobab glancing behind Moses with
higher aspirations for God; Hobab sat
isfied with the things of this life, and
the old home with its heather associates
Moses rejoicing in Gods promises;
Hobab caring nothing for them. This
is the picture We have before us. 1t sug-
gests servant OF God seeking to influ-
ence soul in the right direction. The
helping hand reaching out to grasp the
hand OF him who is slipping down, down
In sin in effort to save him. The invita-
ton faithfully given; the pleading, low
ing and fervent; the promise of blessing,
clear and certain. And in the face OF
it all, the unmoved heart; the unbend-
ing will; the fixed purpose to turn back;
the reply: Il will not CO." The world
is full of Hobabs to-day. Gods people
plead with them to 60 with them to the
promised land. They tell them of all the
good which God has spoken concerning
His children. They tell them of the
goodness and blessing that will come to
them If they will only 60 on the onward,
upward journey with them. But the
HObabs have no ears to hear, no eyes to
see, no heart to believe, and they turn
back to the old way and the old life
again Even a Moses could not per-
suade Hobab, and even though an angel
came from Heaven he would not be able
to persuade some people to-day to go
with Gods people on the journey to the
Celestial home. This story has it's mes
sage for to-day. 1t is of the invitation
given, and the invitation rejected. The
disciples of Jesus pleading with sinners,
and the sinners rejecting God'e offer AND
going back to the life of sin.
AM glad we have this picture of
i Moses-that great prophet and lead
er, the man who went upon. the noun
tain top and talked face to face with God,
and the man who came down again to
rule Gods people with a strong and
mighty and wise hand-this was the
man who, amidst the multitude of de-
mands upon him, could pause and be-
come the individual soul seeker He
was leading great company of people
up to the Promised Land, why should
he be troubled about one soul who want
ed to turn back? He had great respon-
sibilities upon his shoulders, why should
he take time to consider single indi-
vidual? But he did, and it is incumbent
upon every one of Jesus disciples to give
the invitation, to make the appeal to the
individual whom they find going in the
wrong direction The invitation may be
treated in the way in which Moses invi-
tation was treated, but that must not
deter the servant OF Jesus from giving
the message, from making the appeal.
This is one Of the discouraging features
to Christian work-the many Hobabs
turning back from Gods people, and
xuA hn nj
human ties and earthly possessions
proving stronger attractions than fel-
lowship with God and His people and
the sharing in the Divine inheritance.
This Old Testament incident is rich in
suggestive thought for to-day. Gods
people are on a journey to an eternal
possession promised by God to them that
love Him. There are many Hobabs (the
unregenerate who do not belong to
Gods people,, who mingle with Gods
oeople. who are familiar with Gods
promises and dealings with His chill
dren. but who after all are not of them.
They belong back in the world, and as
the time comes when they must choose
which way they will go-forward or
backward-they SO often make Hobab's
mistake and turn back to the things of
this life instead of choosing Christ and
eternal life. s
ND first of all we wish to call atten-
N tion to very important point OF
d;fyerence which existed between Hobab
and Gods people, which would not be
readily apparent, perhaps, just as there
is difference between the people OF
the world and Christians to-day which
is not apparent to the world. The chill
dren Of Israel had been redeemed out OF
bondage in Egypt by the shedding OF
blood. but Hobab had never own tnat
REDEMPTION which gave to the children
- israel a peculiar relationship to God.
He had come from his home IN Mlolan'
and II pleased him to, abide with COOS
noonle while they were encampeo at
Mount sinai. He partook OF the mama
which God rained upon them, he beheio
~, no wonderful events as they trans
n;rad the speaking of God from the
burning, smoking mountain, the giving
~ the law the rearing OF the taoernacle.
the organization of the priestiy service
Ia s the sacrificial worship OF the true
Cod and yet all this association anu
49, ''ov,adge did not make him one OF
nas,s go children. He was with the jews
~ 49, not Of the Jews. II he was TO De-
come 4 Jew and cast his lot IN VIA 'ns.n'
10 must be circumcised ana come un
uc a - tho sacriflCtal lamp.