The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-11-16
International SundaySchool
 Lesson
Fourth Qaarter. Lesson vIE SuuEe"
 vii, 0-23
 November IF, 1907.

Feurth eaarter. Lesson VII. Judges vii, 0-23
 November IF, 1DOT. GIDEON AND HIS THREE HUNDRED' The Hebrew Church had a catacomb experience as well as the Christian Church. The fierce oppression or the Midianites drove them to the device or carving grottoes in the mountains, and and corridors onto which cell-iKe dwellings opened, dimly lighted wirn holes like windows"
 The Christian Church was ground pe- meath the earth by the iron heel or So- man despotism, and without cause. But the Hebrew Church richly deserved lts affliction because of its black apostasy' It was following greedily in the way of Baal. The generation which nao seen | khe splendid deliverance of Deoorah and Baralk was still alive. But these | lustrous characters and their valorous deeds were already forgotten, and the land was full of altars to the Sun-God and the wanton groves of his volup- tuous consort, the Star-Queen. At length, after seven years the apostate grew weary or raisins har- i vests 5niy t5 sec them ruthlessly burn ed or trampled by the camel-droves or the enemy These eXiles in mountain dens sighed for their happy homes in the luxurious valleys Their hearts were broken at sight of their sons slain ana their daughters meeting worse fate They cry Enough" to Gods punitive providence. Instantly Jehovah prepared for their deliverance. Gideon. the son of Joash, is engaged in the homely task of threshing wheat. No moonshiner ever ran his still more clandestinely. He has strewn a few sheaves in the stone vat beneath the wine-press; and there, hidden from view, as noiselessly as possible, with a loop-pole perchance, he is whipping out a few measures of grain. The persist ence and inventiveness of the man mark him as one we'll qualified to out wit even a willy Toe. - Sarcasm was matter of -heredity with CIdeon. His Jehovah is not with me, or would not be threshing wheat in wine cypress" is matched by his fathers "If. Baal be a god. let him contend for himself with one who has cast down his altar"
 Gideon was as humble and self-de- precat ting as Moses. He deemed himself the least member of an insignhcant house, and deprecatingly crled' "Wherewith shall save Israeli"
 Religion as well as charity begins at home. Gideon first reformed ms fathers house His sanctified artfulness is apparent again. Had he taken the
  idol, pull down the altar, and open the Iicentious shade of the star goddess's' grave to the sunlight, he would nave Lhad a fight on hand, and that, with his own kindred. When sunrise revealed the thing done, it was no use crying over split milk" The fathers t. ,r Iscie daGe- name he gave his son. Jerubbaal- Let Baal have it out with him"
 The first sign by which, at touch Of the rod in the angels hand' the rocky table was converted into an altar, on which the savory meal spread for his rAfresbment was suddenly consumed hx nreternatural hre--that sign heart ened Gideon for the first steps in his great task. But when he looked down upon Esdraelon. that battle-plain of Palestine, and' saw the swarming Mid Ianites. he coveted further tokens; and the signs of the fleece. wet and dry were given to him. In the Midianite soldiers dream of the contemptible barley loaf upsetting the camp and his comrades comment upon It, both or which Gideon was permitted to hear as he was further encouraged In his eX- tremely exacting task.
 petty army NUf Israel, already so mad eouate. The process reduced thirty-two repiments to three companies. This paltry band had ridiculous armament leach a pitcher. torch. and horn. But under Gideon's artful manipulation these strange weapons were invincible The faring torch suddenly uncovered, inc inexplicable sound of the crushing nottery. the trumpet blast. and the ut terance of those awe-inspiring names of Jehovah and his captain, Gideon-it is enough! Three companies throw one hundred and twenty regiments into completest panic. Each Midianite be- comes his fellows foe. The remnants of that proud army, broken and wreck ed. are hotIy pursueo. Israefs seliver,- ance is complete. With bowed heads the confession is devoutly made that the arm of the Lord hath done it."
 ANALYSIS AND KEY.
 | Catacomb experience of Hebrews
 and Christian Churches.
 Contract and Analogy.
 9. Hebrews brought to Repentance
 3. Deltveranee and Deliverer Pre-
 pared.
 1. Personal History of Gideon.
 Traits and Characteristics.
 b. Domestic Reformation.
 6. Signs and n-seekinE