Lexington gazette. [volume] (Lexington, Va.) 1871-1962, 1907-09-11
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL,
Lesson M.-Third Quarter, For
, Sept. IS, 1907.
THE INTERNATIONAL SERIES.
Text Of the Lesson, Deut. vi, 1-15.
Memory Verses, Al - Golden Text
peut vi, documentary Prepared
by Rev. D. M. Stearns.

copyright, 1907. by American Press Association
1t was In the eleventh month of the
fortieth year after they left Egypt
Q-3) that Moses rehearsed to Israel
all the Lords dealings with them
and urged them TO whole hearted
obedience that the Lord might bless
| them to the full and so magnify Him
! self In them before all nations that
they, too, might learn to know Him
and be blessed by Him. All through
their history they were continually re-
minded that God had never dealt so
with any nation Deut. w. Z, s; ii Sam.
vii, %, "a rs. cXlvli, 20; lisa. kill, IL
40, but it was to so reveal Himself in
and through them that others might
be blessed. The word to Abram in
Gen. xii, .. stands all through their
story and ours, Il will bless thee, -
and thou shalt be blessing"
ANYTHING like a selfish or self cen
| tered life is wholly contrary to Gods
plan. "He died for all that they who
| live should not henceforth live unto
themselves, but unto Him who died for
them and rose again" Oh Cor. V, 49,.
Then there is this great fact so often
| oyerlooked-God always does for us
before He asks us to do aught for
| Him. No commands were given to
Israel until He brought them out Of
Egypt; then all commands were based
upon that (Ex. Xxx, 2; Deut. V, 6; Ps.
lxxxi. 1O. God justifies us freely by
His grace, assures US Of mo condemna-
ton in Christ and then asks that we
walk not after the flesh, but after the
Spirit, fulfilling the righteousness OF
the law ROm. iii, "a; viii, l, A..
Notice in connection with tOday's les
son the difference between the uncoD-
ditional covenant with Abraham, Isaac
and Jacob, in which God assured them
| of things He would do for His own
| names sake. and the covenant at HO-
reb, which depended upon their faith
fulness Deut V, 1-3). In redemption
God does all for Jesus sake by reason
Of His great sacrifice (Eph. |, 6, Z; !
John il, ~ and then asks for our
obedience Rom. xii, l, 2; Eph. ", II
that He may reveal Himself yet more
fully to us.
God brought Israel out of Egypt that
! He might bring them into the promised
land, and It was in the land that He
expected from them this obedience
wi, 1. 9, 21-25). assuring them that thus
their days would be "as the days of
heaven upon the earth Oeut. Xi, 49,
21), the only place where | nave found
this expression. l suppose that the
saying Heaven to 90 to heaven in" is
founded upon this. If we may learn
something of the nature Of heaven
from the angels, it Is doing His COM
mandmentS, hearkening unto the voice
Of His word" Cps. Gill; 20). Hear, OBJ
serve, do seem TO be the three prom
inent words ", 80; vi, 3, 25), remind
ing of lisa. ", 8, Hear, and your soul
shall live" and verse ., "Hearken dill
gently unto me, and eat We that which
is good, and let your soul delight it.
self in fatness." Compare John V, a.
Our blessed Lord summed up the
whole law as flowing God with all
our heart and soul and mind and our
neighbor as ourselves" Matt. xii, 81
40; Luke X, 26-2S), and the Spirit
through Paul says that "love Is the
fulfilling of the law" Rom. xiii, 8, 1O),
but we must remember that 1--WE love
because He first loved u.s. q John
iv, 19).
In verses G-S Of our lesson we learn
that His words must first be In our
hearts, for only as they are there will
we use them as these verses teach us.
We are to "let the word Of Christ
dwell in us richly" (Col. iii, 10, hide
it in our hearts Cps cxix, II; Eek. ill,
10), receive it with all meekness, hold
it fast and hold it forth JAS. /, 81;
Tit. i, 8; Phil. ii, 49,, that God may be
glorified in us, for, like Israel, we are
q holy people unto the Lord our God,
a special people unto Himself above
all people Oeut vii, 6; Tit. ii, IA, r. ";
l Pet ii. 3, o..
IS in the case of Israel, the good
| land into which the Lord brought them
was one they had no claim to but by
! His grace. Cities they builded not full
houses which they filled not; wells
/ they digged not, vineyards and olive
yards they planted not oversees 10, III,
! so all the fullness of God which is ours
in Christ Col. /, 10: ii, Q, 10) is ours
wholly and only because of His great
sacrifice. We are a good deal like the
ten spies, acknowledging the truth
Of it all, yet refusing to enter in, and
the little we seem to enjoy we are I'M
grateful for. like nine of the ten lepers
who were healed.
Beware. lest thou forget the Lord"
(verse ~ is an appropriate word for
us always. for the majority of present
day believers as well as Israel of long
ago too often give occasion to have 1t
said Of them. They forget His works
and His wonders that He had showed
them" Ps. xviii, IL. If ever trou-
bled by fears or people we need to
hear "WhQ art thou that thou shOuldst
be afraid of q man and forget
test the Lord thy Maker" Qsa. Ii. IL,
| The Lord, having brought Israel from
the bondage Of Egypt, loved with ever
lasting and Interchangeable love DER.
XXI, g. Nal. i, 2; iii, g, desired her
wholly for Himself that He might do
! for her all that was in His heart, and
so He is called a jealous God (verse
49, lie IL so called here and in six
other placVs-Ex. Xxx, 8; Xxxiv, IA;
Deut ", %; V, .; Josh. xiv, 10; Nab.
i,2.