Lexington gazette. [volume] (Lexington, Va.) 1871-1962, 1907-11-06
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL,
Lesson W.-Fourth Quarter, For
Nov. 10, 1907.
THE INTERNATIONAL SERIES.
Text Of the Lesson, Josh. xiv, 1929
Memory Verses, 22.24-eolden' Text,
Josh, xiv, IS Commentary Pre-
pared by Rev. D. M. Stearns.


The Lord had given rest unto Israel
from all their enemies (xxiii, u; the
tabernacle had been set up at Shiloh
and was still there when Samuel was
brought as a little lad to minister to
the Lord in the days of Ell xviii, il
xix, 81; / Sam. l, 8, "a; Joshua was
old and felt that his sojourn on earth
would soon be over, so he called TO-
gether the elders and officers of Israel
and rehearsed to them all that the
Lord their God had done for them and
how He had fought for them as lie
had promised, bringing the record
down from the days of Abraham to
the time when he was speaking. He
reminded them that it was 'the Lord
their God" who had done it all, using
that particular phrase about fourteen
times in chapter xiii. and In chapter
xiv, 1-13. the Lord Himself, through
Joshua. spoke Of more than twenty
things he had done for them. Joshua
testified to the faithfulness Of God In
these words: Not one thing hath
failed of all the good things which
the Lord your God spake concerning
YOU. All are come to pass unto you,
and not one thing hath failed thereof"
(xxiii. IA. Solomon at the dedication
of the temple used almost identical
words q Kings viii, So, and 1t is our
privilege to this day and always to
live in the faithfulness of God, re-
Numbering such assurances as 1 Cor
10; x, 10; II Thess. ill, 8. Now, in our
lesson we have the burden Of Joshua's
heart for this people whom he was
about to leave, Fear the Lord and
serve Him in sincerity and truth"
(verse 14), and three times the people
reply that they will serve the Lord
oversees IS, 81, pa, emphasizing 1t in
verse "a in these words: "The Lord
our God will we serve, and His voice
will we obey" Joshua's declared de-
termination, "As for me and my
house, we will serve the Lord" Verse
49,, and his very strong plea had a
grand result, for we read that Israel
served the Lord all the days Of Joshua
and all the days Of the elders that
overllved Joshua, which had known
all the works of the Lord that He had
done for Israel Verse 81. The people
considered the Lords mercies to them,
saying, ''The Lord our God brought us
up out of the land of Egypt and did
those great signs and preserved us in
all the way and drave out from before
us all the people; therefore will we
also serve the Lord. for He is our God"
oversees II. 49,.
Joshua warned them that the Lord
is holy and jealous Verse 19), that
He will not tolerate other gods, but
the people insisted that they would
serve Him. Note the other six places
where he is called jealous-in Elk. Xxx.
5; xxxiv, IA; Deut. ~, "a; v, 8; vi, 10;
Nah 1, 2-indicating that He will
zealously care for and defend His
own, but He covets His own all for
Himself that He may do His utmost
for them. In verse % we learn that
to serve the Lord means a very de-
cided stand against ourselves. a de-
xvi. pa; Phil iii. 81, knowing that in
us-that is, in our flesh-there dweleth
no good thing Rom. VII, 1S). AS was
the custom. stone was set up for
witness, as If it had heard all the
words oversees 26 20. See also xii,
20, 81: Gen. xviii, 18, %; XXI, 1910.
May it not suggest to us that "the
stone Of Israeli Gen. Xix. 24, 1.-THE
tried stone, the sure foundation, the
precious cornerstone" lisa. xviii, 16)
is a witness always to every word and
act and thought of ours? May we lay
1t to heart that our God is a jealous
God and that we cannot serve God
and Mammon Quke XVI, 49,.
Israel was redeemed from the bond
age Of Egypt that they might serve
the Lord who redeemed them Eek.
iv, %: X, 26). and to do this they
needed all that they possessed. Not
a hOof was to be left behind. Sam
uel'S great plea was, "Only fear the
Lord and serve Him in truth with all
your heart, for consider how great
things He hath done for you" q Sam.
xii, 24). One of our Lords replies
to the devil was, "Thou shalt worship
the Lord thy God. and Him only shalt
thou serve" Matt. ~, 10). The height
of future bliss for many Is described
in the words, THE throne of God and
Of the Lamb shall be In it, and His
servants shall serve Him, and they
shall see His face, and His name shall
be in their foreheads" (Rev. xxi, 8, A..
Paul, who testified of his relation to
the Lord Jesus In these words.
Whose | am and whom serve" and
who delighted to call himself q bond
slave of Jesus Christ, wrote to the
Thessalo1ians, "Ye turned to God
from idols to serve the living God and
to wait for His Son from heaven"
(Acts xvii, %; Thess. /, 0, 10). OF
himself he said elsewhere, Serving
the Lord with all humility Of mind
and with many tears and temptations
which befell me by the lying in wait
Of the Jews" (Acts Xxx. 1O. If the
queen Of Sheba was constrained to say
of Solomon's servants, Happy are
these thy servants which stand con-
tinually before thee and hear thy
wisdom" I'll Chron. TX, y. how much
more happy and how much higher
the privileges of the servants of the
living God. Those who hear the name
Of Jesus Christ and yet turn to the
vanities Of this present evil world
have not heard and observed Him