The Dolores star., 1907-10-18
RELIGIOUS,
THE CAPTURE OF JERICHO.
Sunday School Lesson for october zo.h.

Sunday School Lesson for october goth.
LESSON TEXT.-Joshua 6: $40. Mem
ory verse. 20.
GOLDEN TEXT.-"By faith the walls
OF Jericho fell down after they were com,
passed about seven days.''-Heb. II: 30,
TIME.-April about b. C. 1851. accord
ing to the margins OF our Bibles. Schol-
ars are divided as to the period, whether
1t he In the vicinity of the Tel-e-Amarna
ietters before p. c. 400. or in the century
following Rameses ii. between r.. c. 1900
and 1900.
PLACE.-Gilgal and Jericho In the
plain on the west side of the Jordan.
Comment and Suggestive Thought.
The Right Of Israel to the Land
The representation of the books Of
Joshua, Judges esq. and OF Denter;
onomy is that the conquest Of Canaan
was in accordance with the plan and
the command of God. And God al
ways does and always commands only
what is right. But how could 1t be
right for one nation to drive another
from their homes and destroy them?
The Fall Of Jericho. And it
came to pass" etc. Better. And 1t
WAS according as Joshua said" in the
previous verses of the chapter.
The plan of the attack was for all
the men of war (v. 81 to march around
the city once day for six days and
on the seventh day to march around
1t seven times. the last time with n
long blast of the trumpets and great
shout from all the men when the
walls were to fall.
From the whole account we learn
the order of procession. From what
ever different sources the present ac
count may have been drawn. the story
is one harmonious statement Of the
facts. The order OF march seems to
have been AS follows:
First. A vanguard Of armed men
who marched in silence at the head
of the procession Tvs, 9, 10). They
were to utter no vainglorious speeches
such as Goliath did when he met
David. and De Bohun at Bannockburp
TO give no answer to the taunts
which the men on the walls may have
thrown at them. 1t was an omipous,
portentous silence ''as deep as eter-
nifty" silence that oppresses with too
great a weight" the silence in the
center of the cyclone before 1t bursts
forth in its career of devastation.
Second. VS.. s, 13. Then followed
less in their rich, priestly garments.
showing to the Jericho people on tho
walls that what they were doing was
in the service and with the power OF
Jehovah, who had made path for the
Israelites through Jordan. These
were blowing "trumpets of rams
horns the jubilee trumpets, the kind
that ushered In the new year Uev.
23:24 and announced the year OF
jubilee uev. 25:9). These were like
the bands which lead professions in
our day with marching music to which
the people keep step.
Third After these came the Ark
of the Covenant borne by priests, the
Ark which stood in the river-bed while
the people were crossing, the Ark
which showed that the Lord God was
leading and defending them, but on
condition that the Israelites kept their
part of the covenant.
Fourth. After these came the (v.
| 13) 'reeward," l. G., rear guard, con-
| sisting of the rest of the men of Is
rael marching in silence around the
| city. No sign of triumph was to he
| raised, no words of rejoicing over the
| foe, nor of conscious strength. But
in solemn, reverent silence. as if God
alone was speaking to them, in medi-
tation and silent prayer they were to
move around the city.
For Six Successive Days.-v. IA.
This was trying to their faith, and
may have seemed to some to. be q
hopeless waste of time. Some one of
the seven days must have been a Sab
bath. and the action breaking OF the
Sabbath; but it was solemn. re-
ligious service. and no more broke
the Sabbath than does the marching
of the Salvation Army to draw men
to their meetings.
The Seventh Day-Vs. Is. 49, 90
On this day the circuit was made
seven times in succession AT the
seventh time, while the men were
still somewhere around the city walls
but probably not wholly surrounding
the city. the signal was given as ar
nounced ". 81 by long blast Of the
trumpets, different from the march.
ing music, and all the men (v. 20)
shouted with a great shout"