The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-07-06
International SundaySchool
 Lesson

8N lN1 IiN& &kEg8 lsllX XIh Lh 1MN AHu 1h Third Quarter. Lesson I. Exodus
 xvi, 1-l5. July ., 10O7.
 0ea Feeds Israel in the Wflderness.
 That march of mystery-<Israefs journey through the wilderness has been aptly called so. A desert any where has a fascinating weirdness all its own. The absence of shade. wate., and life makes 1t almost e phantom place. It has a singular effect of un- reality. In these characteristics the Sinaittc Peninsula perhaps surpasses all othefs No wonder the Hebrews called 1t great and terrible, and how linz wilderness.
 Such unnatural environments can not fall to have Its powerful influence upon the human mind. The traveller over that route today. with all modern facili- ties and safeguards. yet feels the subtle I1influence of the place. He can ap- preciate. to some extent. the depress- ing sensations of the caravan nation as 1t experienced what has been called It's weird adventure In addition to these physical discomforts was the fear of enemies. Powerful hostile tribes, used to the desert, surrounded them, and they were still haunted with the apprehension of pursuit by dTdOH. HC pAOOtSm was also deep and urgent. Under most favorable conditions the pro- | visionlng of such an emigrant host would have taxed an expert quarter master general. But the exigencies | of this case make it the most remark able of its kind in history. For the I people in such an environment not to have "murmured" would have been un- natufal. When the subtle effect of ! ~ L EN -A .tv-A AA | of attack. and the sea 1tiness of pro- visions are all taken into considera- tion, the repinIng is not a surprise. Yet, in view of the wonders God had done in Egypt, and even already in the wilderness. the faith of the Hebrews | should have been more buoyant Yet fear is catching It is the very worst of epidemics In the short l est possible time the whole nation was innoculated. As always happens under such conditions. the people very much I overrated their past advantages. So we find them signing for the flesh pots and bread of Egypt. As also ! happens, they underrated past evils. | The bitterness of the bondage was softened by the happy release from it. They had almost forgotten the sound of the taskmaster's lash. Their lamen- tation reached its very lowest note when they regretted that they them | selves had not suffered the last plague l of Egypt and died by the Lords hand And so the whole congregation of the | children of Israel murmured against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness. | This melancholy stampede was a real disgrace. Had they taken time to calmly consider, they would have found | ground for hope. The situation was really not extreme The Hebrews had brought with them large flocks and herds. They must have found pasture. as there Is no account of their cattle | dying on their hands. From this source they would derive milk. butter. cheese. And though t was not the custom of these nomads to kill stock. | except for hospitality, yet, in emer- | gency, they could have flesh for food, land that, too, without diminishing their herds using only the natural increase. Other large tribes found sufficient
 means of subsistence in that very
 desert where the Bedouins still SOW and reap Again, the Israelites could
 supply many wants by purchase from passing caravans. Even if they should
 come to certain districts, and ther, should be some seasons when natural
 resources were insufficient, or ever l failed, 1t would do them no harm to go on half rations for a while. Again.
 the sequel shows that they were not
 to be always wandering about They
 remained months. and even years, in certain localities. So ruling out the miraculous element entirely. the real | situation of these emie. ants was far from desperate.
 The kind forbearance and long -suf- fering patience of God have remark
 able example in this instance. gracious redress of the peoples griev.
 ance is immediately promised. The
 last word of the peoples complaint | Is hunger" Gods first word in reply
 is. T will rain bread from heaven" 1 With reference to the nature and origin of mama, 1t will be found best to take the middle course between the "baldly literal" and the "embellish-
 ments of wonder loving legends There Is in this very locality a natural prod d--tion still called mama by the Arabs. It oozeS and distills from the l tarfa- -tree a species of tamarisk. It must be collected before sunrise, for | only then is it 4ound in a coagulated state. It d!Ssolves as soon as the sun l shines on it. This undoubted natural product seems to be the physical basis of one the surprising means. of sus- | tenance of the wilderness. How far 1t may have been idealized by a grate- I | Keirs profound words are worthy of all attentIon when he says: This bread of heaven was the production and gift of the grace of God, which fills 1 all nature with its powers and pro- | auctions, and so applies them to the purposes of salvation as to create out of that which is natural something al- together new, which surpasses the ordinary productions of nature, both in quality and quantity, as far as the kingdom of nature Is surpassed by the kingdom of grace and glory"
 ANALYSIS AND KEY.
 1. Trials of the Wilderness
 Subtle effect of physical scenery.
 Imminence of attack.
 Scantiness of provision.
 Result. fear and complaint
 3. Past evils underrated.
 Past advantages Overratsd.
 g. Ground for confidence.
 Provisions in hand.
 Purchase of additional possible,
 Stationary for considerable periods.
 A. Patience of God exemplified.
 Bread from heaven.
 Natural source of it.
 Ideallzed in grateful memory.
 5. Substance of the miracle.
 Bringing people where supply was to be had.
 The Teachers Lantern.
 The inutility and moral ugliness of the grumbling habit has it's historic illustration Tn the wilderness life of Israel. Fault finding becomes an end