Lexington gazette. [volume] (Lexington, Va.) 1871-1962, 1907-10-02
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL,
Lesson Fourth Quarter, For
Oct. 6, 1907.
THE INTERNATIONAL SERIES.

orv Verse, 7-Golden Text, Josh. 1-5.
Commentary Prepared by Rev. D. M
Stearns.
downright. 1907. by American Press Association
This book Of Joshua is to the preced-
ing books something like the Acts OF
the Apostles to the Gospels. Moses mas
gone from the earth, but not before he
has laid his hands upon Joshua and
appointed him his successor, at the
commandment of the Lord (Num.
xvii. 1923; Deut xxxiv, 81, to lead
Israel in to possess the land.
He whose goings forth have been
from of old, from the days of eternity
(NIic. V, 2, margin), having sojourned
here In humiliation and fulfilled all
Scripture concerning the same, is now
alive forevermore and has all power In
heaven and earth and has the keys of
hades and death, and in Him the
whole Of Gods eternal purpose shall
vet be accomplished Matt xviii, IL;
Rev. i, IS: Eph. iii, ~. The redeemed
of the Lord have right to say, COD
has by His grace made us accepted IN
the Beloved. blessed with all spiritual
blessings in Christ, and has given us
the spirit that we may know the things
that are freely given to us OF Coo"
(Eph. I, 3, 6, Z; 1 Cor. Ii, 12). This is the
Canaan life into which our Joshua
leads us now that we are In Christ
who is the end of the law for righteous
ness TO every one that believeth.
In Moses and Joshua we see these
truths illustrated, the law failing be-
cause Of the weakness of the flesh ano
Jesus doing what the law could mol
do ROm. viii, 3, A.. The law as the
servant of God leads us to death and
resurrection in Christ, in whom we
have all things, but we must learn 70
appropriate by faith the things that
are ours as Gods free gift, for only
the things thus trodden upon are really
enjoyed by the believer q, -, and 1t Is
sadly true of us all that there remain
eth vet very much land to be pos
sessed" xiii, y. 1t is a grief to the
spirit and a dishOnor to Christ Wnen
we do not possess our possessions"
(Obad. 10.
Who is there that knows, as he
should, the power of such words as: Il
will be with thee. l will not fail thee
nor forsake thee" Verse 81. Yet hear
them again and again in Gen. XVIII,
10; Deut. XXI. 6, s; Elk. iii, -; Nv, Il;
Judg vi, 1G; lisa. xii, 10; Matt xviii
90. What more can we ask or desire
than the presence of Him who has all
power and the assurance that lie VIII
work both to will and to do of His
good pleasure, saying, 81 Will work
and who shall hinder it?" Phil. IL, IL;
Isa. xiii, 49,. We are here to help anu
encourage others 0sa. XII, 6, y, but we
cannot do this unless we are ourselves
of good courage (6, Z, 8, 49,. See also
I Chron. xii, 10; xviii, 20; ii Chron.
XIV, Z; xxi, Z, and Hag. ii, 4, the last
having threefold BE strong and
also II am with you" | am contin-
ually helped by the fact that nOtwith-
Is never discouraged and cannot fail
and has assured us that the power and
wisdom of hell cannot prevail against
His church lisa. xiii, 4; Matt. XVI, 1o).
While there is no doing Of ours in
the matter of our redemption, for it Is
to him that wOrketh not, but believeth
Rom. iv, 81, the word for the redeemed
is observe to do" oversees I, 3. We
prove our love to God and bring to our
selves the fullness of blessing, that is
the conscious possession and enjoy
ment of the things that are ours In
Him. by observing to do what He com
mandS us. In Israeps case see Eek.
xix, 5; xiii, 20-25, etc, and note eV-
erywherc the results of their disobedi-
ence and what might have been if they
had but Obeyed. In our own case re-
member the words of our Lord in John
xiv. 81. %. concerning His manifesting
Himself to US and making His abode
with us.
The only book which can guide us
In that which we are to observe to do
is to be ever with us, and we are to
mediate therein day and night verse
| 81. See also Ps. i, 3 3, and remember
that one test of our lOye Of God is our
love of His word and the way we lay
| It up in our hearts. His "Iave not |
commanded thee" (verse % reminds
us of His word to Gideon, GO in this
| thy might; have not | sent
| thee?" Judg. vi, AZ and also His
granu message to Jeremiah q, 30. In
asmuch as all these were written for
you and for me, dear reader, and not
for Joshua or Gideon or jeremiah
(they were spoken to them, but written
for us-ROm. XIV, A., let us lay them to
heart and observe to do them.
Note in this lesson chapter the fact
repeated five times that God had given
them this land oversees 2, 3, II, Is, 49,.
1t was wholly of grace. They had not
| labOred for it nor in any way deserved
| It, 1t was theirs by His covenant
with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and
! they bad only to enter in and possess
| Il and see the God who gave 1t to them
| cause all their enemies to fall before
| them, but there was to be no comprO-
| mise with their enemies in any way
| To us who have to contend with the
world, the flesh and the devil and over
| come them, If we would possess our
possessions, the exhortatiOn is, BE not
| confOrmed be transformer
from. XII, /, g.
The same God who fought for Israel
will work in us both to will and to do
and the victory that overcOmeth Is our
faith, His blood, the word Of our testi'
mony and not loving our lives for His
sake phil. H. IS; Heb. Kill, 81; John
v, 4 Rev. xii. IL.
| - N e,EnN "a g a