Evening star., 1907-11-16
Christian Endeavor Hour


For Sunday. November IL. l%..
/ Topic: Wanted Men for Gideons Band. "
Judges. vii -.
/ . And the Lord said unto Gideon.
The people that are with thee are too
! many for me to give the Miditnites
! into their hands. lest Israel vaunt
! themselves against me, saying. Mine
own hand hath saved me.
3. Now therefore. go to, proclaim in
! tie ears of the people. saying, "hoso-
ever is fearful and afraid, let him re-
turn and depart early from Mount
| Giiead. And there returned of the peo-
pie twenty and two thousand; and there
/ remained ten thousand.
4. And the Lord said unto Gideon,
The people are yet too many, bring
them down unto the water, ana l will
try them for thee there: and IT shall
be. that of whcm L say unto thee. This
shall go with thee, the same snail go
with thee: and of whomsoeVer l say
unto thee. This shall not go with thee,
the same shall not go
j. So he brought down the people unto
the water; and the Lord said unto Gideon,
Every one that lappeth of the water with
! his tongue, a dog lappeth. him shalt
thou set by himself; likewise every one
that boweth down upon his knees to
drink.
| g. And the number of them that Tapped,
putting their hand to their mouth, were
three hundred men: but all the rest OF
the people bowed down upon their knees
to drink water.
I. And the Lord said unto Gideon. BY
the three hundred men that Tapped Will
save you, and deliver the Midianites into
thine hand; and let all the other people
go every man unto his place.
The Lesson.
How many times has 1t been remarked
that the work of the church has to be done
by a few Yes, and the same few. who do
everything else. Why Is it? Since the
time of Gideon's band it has been the
same way. Does God single US out to
bear the burdens and give Him the glory,
now as then and send some Of us back to
our places because we are not of the
right temper for the work? If you think
back over the great reforms of the world
they have been wrought by the few
every time. And 1t does not DO Tor
cause to be too popular, because 1t then
becomes the fashion to be reformer ana
there gathers great army who wou q take
the glory without doing the work, ara
who when the time comes to face the &C
tual foe would probably turn tail and
run. And SO God sits out His hosts,
down to the ten thousands of the brave,
and then again down to the three hum
dreds who will take their lives in ,neir
; hands for the cause. VINO Will stop
neither to eat nor to drink If the LORDS
service have need for work. These peo-
Die are often termed "cranks,' but 1t is
we'll to remember when we hear them so
framed that a crank" usually turns
something.
When we hear of large accasslons to
church we naturally expect to find the
working force greatly enlarged, and are
perhaps surprised to find year or two
years later, when we come to the Chris
tau Endeavo- meeting, to the prayer
meeting to the Sunday school, to the mis-
sionary meeting, that the same old force
of workers are still at it. with here and
there new one TO fill the place of one
wko has moved away or been called
p e-'home."
After all. do We not recognize that this
sitting out and narrowing down to the
few is absolutely necessary today as 1t
was when the Israeiitcs faced the Mdlan-
ties? Are there not some among our
working force who ought to b. siftad out?
| Take Gods first text, fl st. Who are
afraid? Who are the teachers in our
Sunday schools who are afraid to bring
the actual truths of the Bible plainly
hOm" to their scholars hearts and to
press the question of personal salvation
until the scholar shall have 10 attend:
Who are the teachers who vii! take de-
ciGed stand on moral questions and be on
the right side in all ethical problems?
Who are lii" ones that will teach what
they really heieva? These are the first
ones to be rhosr.'. and this test would
throw out many teacher from our Sun
day schools if it We're applied. All those
Who merely ask the questions on the les-
son leaf. and than turn to an easier theme
with relief. talking giibly with their
scholars about the last foot ball game
the latest book These are afraid to bring
their own hearts face to face with the
real truths in the Bible that should be
taught They call things by faraWay,
Understanding names, and never by any
chance bring accusation and conviction of
sn TO the souls of their scholars.
Tho test of those who Tapped would
would bring che number down still more
The workers who go about things in a
laisurey way. laughing and confessing
thGir Grlh.GuencieS as If they were not of
much consequence, these would have TO
go TO their own place. Also those who
CanrJt go out in the rain Except. of
ooUrsn. the occasion be one of gayety);
those who seek their own ease, and could
not possibly soil their hands with contact
with the d.sagraeable.. These are not
real wGrke S. either; they are only PLAYING
at work. There would be none left but
the GiCeon's band OF true and tried, who
take no thought for their own lives
ease, who are ready to sacrifice the easy
char aud the new magazine to go out in
the cold 10 help a fellow-mortal. who real
iZe that life is short, and real and ear
nest; that tie opportunity once gone may
never return. and that they must work
while It's called today. for the night com
he Chos N few whom God calls to deliver
the Midianites into their hand 1t would
be well for every one Of us to put our
selves to these two tests today for it may
be We shall be found wanting sometimes
! when God wants a chosen army. unless
| we bring up our characters TO the right
standard.
Matthew Henry SAYS:
"One would have thought there had been
scarcely one Israalite to be found that
against such an enemy as the Midianites
and under such a leader as Gideon would
have owned himself fearful. VET aloye
two parts OF three took advantage OF this
proclaim alton and filed off when they saw
the strength of The enemy and their own
weakness, not considering the assurances
of the divine presence which their leader
had received of the Lord, and, it is likely,
delivered unto them. Some think the oD-
preston they had been under so long had
broken their spirits, others, more proba-
/ bly,. that consciousness of their own guilt
deprived them of their courage. Sin stared
/ them In the face, and therefore they durst
( not look death in the face. Note faint
heated people are not At to be enlploved
/ FOR God; and among those that are listed
under the banner Of Christ there are
more such than we think there are.
But God saith They are too
many. and then diminished to third
part, they are yet too many; which may
| help US to understand those providences
which sometimes seem to weaken the
church and it's interests; its friends are