Morgan County republican. (Versailles, Mo.) 1906-1914, 1907-10-10
Israel Enters the
Land of Promise
Sunday School Lesson Tor Oct. -, 1907
Specially Prepared for Thl, Paper

Israelites had been directed to take up
the lambs for the FIRST Passover In
~Egypt."-Deane This lesson closely fol-
lows the last.
PLACE.-At Abel shlttim. ''Ths Nea-
dow OF the Acacias," near the fords OF
the Jordan on the east bank, opposite
Jericho. At the foot Of the Moabste
mountains.
Comment and Suggestive Thought.
The Two Accountable history OF
the conquest Of Palestine in Joshua
and the account In the first chapter OF
Judges are assumed by certain schol
ars to be parallel accounts covering
the same ground. BY assuming % that
Joshua was written at a late date and
therefore u~nhistorical: t2) that the
first statement in Judges to the ef'
feet that the events described In thai
chapter took place after the death
OF Joshua is untrue and a late add
ton: and (3) that the conquest de
scribed in Joshua vas so complete
that there need be no further conflict
it Is taken for granted that the two
accounts describe the same period,
and are. therefore, contradictory and
unhistorical.
Preparation Of the People for Cross
ing the Jordan.-Josh. 1:10-3:b.
/. The announcement that the time
to cross was at hand to q people who
saw an impossible flood in front OF
them.
2. Preparation OF victuals; not
merely the mama, but the fruits Of
the fertile country in which they were
encamped.
3. Spies who could swim the deep
and swift river were sen across to
investigate the condition of things on
the other side and to report.
4. The camp was moved to the
lower level nearer the river.
8. Oficers were sent throughout the
camp to instruct the people what
to do.
6. The people were commanded to
". 81 sanctify themselves, make spe.
cial spiritual preparation. by wash
ing their persons and their garments,
and abstaining from everything that
might indlspose their minds to a Sc.
rious and devout attention to the mir.
dNlt dboul l " pc WiouShl III thNii VIC
half. The object was to turn their
hearts to God in faith, snd prepare
them to obey willingly, and to under.
stand the full meaning and power Of
what God was doing for them.
Compare the "sanctifying'' before
they received the law at Sinai. See
also Lev. 2O:7. 8: l Sam. 1865: Joel
2:16.
The Training Of the People in cour.
age and Faith.-Vs. Gil. Before the
actual entrance upon the conquest,
which meant life or death. and from
which there was no possible return
over the swollen river-for the cross.
ing was like Cortez' burning OF his
ships-it was needful once more to
test the people and prove to them
that God could and would make them
successful.
~ 8. They tool up the ark Of the
covenant" The symbol of Gods pres.
ence and of his covenant promise and
their covenant Of obedience. Went
before the people" There was to be
a space OF 1000 cubits. or nearly three
quarters of a mile. between the ark
and the people, so that all could see
the sacred symbol OF the divine pres
e,ce Josh. 3:4). which could not be
done II the ark was closely surround.
ed by a crowd.
(2) Z. And the Lord said unto
Joshua, This day will | begin to mag.
ninfy thee" Make thee great, put
hnpnr ,,nAn thon No tho lauhar md
commander Of the people. Hence.
forth he would be accepted as the
true successor OF Moses. Henceforth
no doubling, no questioning who
should be the leader. nor whether
their leader was worthy of trust.
go The assurance Of faith.
The P~rovidentiaI Miracie.-V. 16.-
THE waters rose up upon an
heap very far from the city Adam
The revisions give the correct trans.
lation "in one heap, a great way OF,
at Adam" Adam was probably at
the Damien ford Just above the mouth
OF the Jabbok, II miles above the Is
raelites' encampment. Here are the
remains Of an ancient bridge. Here is
q sudden break In the geological form,
alton, and the river flows between
two ridges of mountains on either
side, or, as Prof. G. F. Wright sug
gests, the elevation Of the bed OF the
river In this volcanic region, where q
landslide or the fall OF a cliff could
easily block up the waters, In which
case the waters would accumulate
above the dam, and form a great lake
extending far up the river, while thu
waters below would all flow away into
the Dead sea, leaving the bed OF the
river comparatively dry.
The wonderful story OF God.
chosen people is itself a greater mir
acle than any exhibition OF divin.
t power it records. "-Foakes-Jackson.
The church sees before her heI
!. promised land, the whole earth re
deemed to Christ. Those parts of our
country which are more settled, like
the two and one-half tribes, are tc
send their warriors to help the otheri
to subdue the newer portions tC
!, Christ.
5 The whole world has received IL,
!, marching orders. Onward. forward, t
Christ, To God, to goodness. 70 use
fulnssA.
A Weigh on.
81 want to get a pair of s%cales.' RI
marked the customer. Have you tn
ambuscade make?'