The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1907-09-26
JOSHUA, ISRAEL'S
NEW LEADER
Sunday School Lesson Tor Oct. 6, 1907
Specially Prepared for THIS Paper
Specially Prepared for This Paper

GOLDEN TENT will not fail thee
nor forsake thoe."-Joshua I: s.
TlME.-The last OF March or early In
April Josh. A. 10 compared with Josh.
l; I'D. b. c. 1851 according TO our Bible
margins Many scholars place II two
centuries earlier. IL was directly after
the Exodus
PLACE.-The plain Of the Jordan on
the east side. at the foot OF the Moabite
MOUNTAINS. opposite Jericho.
Comment and Suggestive Thought.
Joshua. the New Leader.-His Name.
originally Hoshea, the same as the
prophet Hosea. signifying salvation"
or help" To this was added after
wards (Num. 10: 16l "Je" for Jeho-
yah, and the name became Jehosua.
Jehovah is salvation" shortened TO
Joshua. later modified in Neh s: II
to Joshua. from which came its Greek
form in the Septuagint Jesous. Jesus.
Of whom Joshua was In some respects
a type.
His Ancestry.-He was an Ephraim-
ite. descendant of Joseph. through
Ephraim. and according TO Chron. ::
22-27 he was the eleventh generation
from Joseph. His fathers name was
Nun. and his grandfather. Ellshama.
was a captain OF the army OF the
Ephraimites. 4O.5O0 In number. at the
organizations of the lsraelites soon
after the exodus mum. ? rs. etc.
compared with l Chron. 7: 2O.
His Birthplace must have been
born in Goshen in Egypt. where his
parents were In slavery.
We would know all OF life II We com.
pietely understood any one life. II Is
well to read what we can in Joshua's
Book OF Life.
|. Matbeson calls his life prosaic,
commonplace that OF an assistant 10
Moses. or the three classes OF men
those in advance OF their time. the
men up to their time. and the men FOL.
lowing their time"-Joshua WAS one
OF the last type. without originality,
obeying orders: his deeds only breathe
through him. not from him" Thus
the blind preacher makes Joshua a
comfort and strength and hope 10 the
vast majority Of men.
This may be true OF the earlier por.
lions OF his life up to the time OF this
lesson. But now ne comes 20 the re
ward OF his faithfuiness as one who
obeys orders by obeying he has
learned TO command. BY faithfulness
In little things he is able TO do great
things This Is the only ladder that
may he climbed 20 the best The
one who would be an orator II
told TO learn the great orations by
heart The one who would be paint
or studies and copies the great artists.
When the time came he was able 90
enter the door 90 his great Network.
q A well-known scholar. says the
Temple Bible. considers the finest re
ligious conception In the book the ap-
pearance to Joshua Of the angelic Cap
tain Of the Lords host Josh. 5: l3-
15l II is noble Illustration OF the
truth that in the great causes Of God
upon the earth. the leaders. however
supreme they seem. are themselves
led" Joshua WAS great because he
was under divine guidance. taught by
divine wisdom, aud therefore. humble
and strong
3. He was a man OF great courage
both physical and moral. as he had
shown IN the battle with Amalek. and
still more IN action. in spying out the
land and in almost alone resisting
the clamors of the people.
4. He was a man OF faith.
g. He was deeply and intensely re-
liglous. through and through.
g. He came to have fine qualities
as general.-keen observation.
power to control. wise leadership, ce-
lerity OF movement skilful, strategy.
holiness OF attack.
Ebers. In his romance Joshua"
makes him. not without some proba-
bility a captain prior TO The Exodus.
in the Egyptian army, weH accustom-
ed TO campaigning.
The Difficulties In the Wsy.-These
were very great indeed.
!. The Jordan was at It's flood
Josh. 3: $50. absolutely impossible
for an army. much less for the whole
people ol ihFaelf MS maze them SAFE
from attack. but also prevented them
from taking possession.
q The people OF the land dwelt in
walled cities against which the Israel.
ties had no sufficient weapons.
These obstacles rose like an i'm.
passable barrier Of mountains before
the people. Impossible TO overcome"
was written all over them. II was like
the task which Jesus set before his
disciples when he was about 10 be
crucifed-twelve unlearned, unarmed.
poor men to conquer the Roman EN-.
pire. when one breath OF Cesar could
sweep them from the earth: to over.
come the wealth. the worldliness the
selfisbness. the sin. and crime OF the
world. Lebanon was but a molehIn TO
this mountain of difficulty. The peo.
pie were dismayed. disheartened.
hopeless almost to despair.
Practical Points.
The path of duty Is like a direct
road to success. and moving from IL
In either direction leads TO disaster
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