The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1907-11-08
Joshua Renewingthe
Covenant With Israel
Sunday Sch0olLessOn for Nov. 10. 1907
Specially Prepared for This Paper

GOLDEN TENT.-"Cho0se you this
day whom We viii serve. Joshua 2i.l5
TIME Near the close Of Ioshua's hfe.
According % our Bible margins. y. a..
1927 3 years after crossing the Jordan.
and Il after our last lesson. Prof Beel h.
er thinks that the time since the crossing
% Jordan was much bricfer
lIA1E-rhc religious capital was az
shiloh Josh iS.N. The great assembly
Tor renewing the covenant was az She
chem. between Mounts Ehal and Gcri-
xim
JOSHUA was nearly no years Ola. liv-
ing az Timnath SeFah. not FAR from she
chem
Comment and Suggestive Thought.
The conquest OF the country took
several years. not Of uninterrupted
warfare. but OF wars intermingled with
cultiyating the fields and making
homes and becoming citizens Al
though the Canaanites were not wholly
eNtersinated Josh. 23:l2; Judg. >:
>, 81, yet the war was practically end.
ed. and the people gave themselves
TO the positive work OF settling down
As prosperous citizens OF the Prom
Used Land Josh 21:43-45)
Joshua was drawing near 10 the
close OF long and useful life Of 10
years. He had been watching the
tendencies Of the times. and knew well
the character of his people and the pc
culiar dangers 10 which they would
be exposed Therefor he determined
10 make. before he died. one more ap-
peal To them. under the most solemn
circumstances possible.
Ii is uncertain whether the last two
chapters Of Joshua are two different
addresses or two reports of the same
address. The only Importance OF the
question is its bearing on the struc-
ture OF the book.
The Polychrome Bible, the Exposit-
or's Bible. and others regard them as
two Trustworthy reports Of the She
chem address. given separately as the
editor received them. and not inter
woven according 10 the plan usually
adopted.
Others regard them as two similar
addresses on the same great occasion
TO different audiences. the first TO
mass meeting OF tie people. and the
second 10 the officers and judges OF
all the tribes assembled at Shechem
probably on the sloping sides OF Mts.
Ebal and Gerizim. where they had
gathered % years before. on the first
entrance into the Promised Land. and
made the most solemn promises TO
God
VS.. 1-l3. No circumstances could
be more impressive. as. amid these
hallowed associations and memories.
the white-haired. beloved leader. saint
" in character and touched with the
light OF a near eternity. arose and
made his dying appeal. somewhat as
the Apostle John. when very old. went
ieebly among the disciples. saying
continually: Little children. love
one another" In this place all the
assembled multitudes could see and
hear him. For the air is so clear
that a single voice can be heard by
many thousands" The longest re-
corded distance at which a mans
voice has been heard is is miles in the
Grand Canyon Of Colorado. Dr. Young
records that at Gibraltar the human
voice has been heard al a distance OF
ten miles
Joshua first pToclaims what God has
done in the past. as a motive for
trusting and obeying him in the pres
ent. Gratitude and love are awakened
by his wonderful goodness to them.
Faith in him and reverence and awe
are inspired by the manifestations Of
his divine power Tvs. 1-13).
Joshua's Conference with the Peo-
ple.-Vs 1924. Urges the people TO
choose you this day whom We will
serve VS. II. Is v IL Now there.
fore. in view OF these facts. fear the
LORD" Not be In terror before
him. nor driven from him by fright.
but hold him in reverential awe and
respect. realize his power TO help and
TO punish so as to devote yourselves
TO him in perfect trust There can be
no trifiing. Serve him in sincerity
and in Truth" Not in outward farms
merely. but also in tho heart and the
life John 4:23. 2D. The idea. saws
Prof. Beecher. is rather OF Wilderness.
integrity than sincerity.
The Double Witness. VS.. 25-2s.
First The Covenant-V. %. Made a
covenant with the people that day."
1. e.. he solemnly ratified and renew
ed the covenant Of Sinai lex. l9:2O).
as Moses bad done before him in the
plains of Moab Deut 29:n."-Cook.
Set them a statute" lie determined
and established what in matters D.
religion should be with Israel Law ard
right"
V. IS. And Joshua wrote" AS
Moses at Sinai wrote all the words
that Jehovah had spoken in a book.
s-~sably papyrus-roll lex. 24:4). so
Joshua now Inscribed minutes OF
the transactions connected with the
renewal of the covenant at Sechem.
In the book Of the law Of God" This
protocol he placed inside the roll NJ