The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1907-08-21
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
INTERNATIONAL LESSON COM
MENTS FOR AUG. Is BY THE
REV. I. w. HENDERSON.

Subject: Israel J~ourneying T0WaFN
Canaan, Mum. 1O:11.13, 29-36
Golden Text, Elk. 1S:21-Mem.
DRY Verses, IS, SO.
After a season of perpendicular
Vie wilderness at Sinai the Lord led
Israel along the way to the promiseda
land as far as Paran.
The period Of preparation that God
required before He led them farther
along the way Is worthy of attention.
God promised to deliver the Children
of Israel out of the hands of Pharaoh
and out Of the land and bondage OF
Egypt. But He did not deliver them;
into the possession of the full PROM
he that He made to them until He
had prepared them to receive It. And
shat was wise.
Another noticeable feature issthat
SO soon as Israel had made ready .ac4d
cording to. the commands of tJeh0Yaha
He led them on. Cod negers1etsguT
stand still If we do His, will. The
man who moves ahead for ,GodaIMayE
finds God ready to lead him into aSl
larger life and into a fuller realize
ton Of His promises and Himself. If
Israel had not obeyed at Sinai Israel
would never have gotten as far az,
Paran. And the reason why 80 many
people do not get any further along
in life, spiritually, mentally and n1a-
terially, than the Sinai period ts bes
cause they do not use Sinai to pre-
pare themselves for the journey
through Paran and for entrances into.
the promised land. 1t Is not Gods:
fault that so many people fail to:3exl
Use In the Christian life. The fault.
is theirs. II they are content, as s1
many are content. with the lesser and
the smaller things that are relative
to Christian experience and do snuts
use their earlier relationships withsi
God and His truth to prepare them
for q larger knowledge Of 5HisStrutk
and of Himself ,theyrcannot bIarne
God If they do not fmoYesone For
God is ready to reveal larger mes
sages to those who prove fheMSeIyez'
fit to receive them.
Moses invitation to Hobab and SthsT
circumstances surrounding 1T afford
much suggestive material for studysss
The tribe to- which Hobab belongs6a
was a wandering people. They had
no such promise OF expectation 2
fixed" territory as God had sspr0fnfseda
and prepared for Israel. Moses loved
Hobab and his people and WA there
fore DESTROYS to have him and thenSA
enter into the same Joys that he WaEss
to possess.
DR.. Robert Watson well says that
Hobab and his followers may be-
taken as representing tlsclaSSr In thez
present day to a certain extent att
tracted, eve fascinated, u tAes,
church, who standing are appealed Z 2
in terms like those addressed BY
Moses to Hobab. They feel q CERTAIN
charm, for in the wide 30r~ganizattotns
and the vast activity OF GhrtsuanE
church, quite apart from thescreeG
on which tits based, there are signs
Of vigor and Of purpose which con
trast favorably with .endeayorss de
rected to mere material gain In idea
and in much of Its effort the church.
Is splendidly humane, and It Provides
interests, enjoyments, both OF an tn-t,
tellectual and artistic kind, In WHICH
all can share. Not so much Its uniyer--s
salty nor its mission OF converting
the world, nor its spiritual Eorships
but rather the social advantages q
the culture 1t offers draw towards r;
THOSE minds and lives. And to theg
it extends, too. often without avail
the invitation to join It's march.
attracts, but Is unable to command,
because with all its culture Of art IL
does not appear beautiful WILD az
It's claims Oh s~plrltuaity HIS not -