The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1913-10-29
Sunday School Notes
Side Lights on Next Sundays Lesson
for Teachers and Pupils.
Edited by Charles K. Meyers

Nov. 2-Balak and f(,laam. Num-
bers %. 90 and "a 1913.
Our lesson this week relatives to an
incident in the travels of the Children
of Israel through the wilderness. OF
course the country through which they
passed was inhabited. and it was a
question whether the residents would
peacefully allow their pastures grazed
and wells used by the hosts under
Moses. The chapters in Numbers 21
to "a tell about the passing through
the territory Of different kinds of peo-
pie.
First, it is told OF the Canaanites.
The king OF these people took some
of the Jews prisoners when they came
near his domain. Because of this the
hosts under Moses advanced and ut
terly destroyed the Canaanites and
their cities. Next follows the account
of the presence of the poisonous SER
penis. and the placing on the pole of
brazen serpent the glad news that
whoever was bitten and looked with
faith at the serpent would be cured.
After further wanderings the Children
Of Israel came to the borders of the
land of the Amorites. Moses sent a
message to the king Sihon, asking per-
mission to pass through his country,
promising that if allowed to do so, the
vineyards would be untouched, the
pastures ungrazed and the wells of wa
ter undiminished. Sihon refused to
let them pass and gathered an army
~ II
| fought with the Amorites, defeating
| them and occupying their cities. King
! Og, at the head of another nation. al
so opposed Moses and his people were
defeated in battle.
We now come to the lesson of this
date The Israelites had now come
to land inhabited by the Moabites,
on the east of the river Jordan. The
king of the Moabites, Balak, was
aware of what had happened to the
Amorites and was in much fear for mis-
country and his people. This the
more in that he had CURLY refused
the Jews permission to pass through
his land This is seen in Judges IL:
II. King Balak sought to stop the
further advance of the Children of
! 1911 del Wy Supel udluldI lHeduS. DC
knew of famous prophet in a place
distant from Moab. who was follow
er of Jehovah, and whose words of
prophesy came true and who thus had
much influence with the people. This
prophets name was Balaam. The king
reasoned that if he could get Balaam
to curse or prophesy against the Is
raelites they would turn back. or he
| would be able to overcome them with
:: his armies. He thus sent messengers
to Balaam telling him of the invasion
of the Jews and asking him to curse
them and thus stay their progress.
Balaam asks the messengers to re-
main over night before he gave an,
swer He then asked God as to what
he should do. In reply the Lord told
him not to go and that he should not
curse Israel. but rather bless it. as
the people We're His chosen ones. In
the morning Balaam told the messen
gers that he would not go with them
King Balak would not take this fol
answer. and sent second time. prom
Using Balaam much honor if he would
curse" Israel. Note the answer Bal
aam made to the king:
| eff Balak would give me his
house full of silver and gold can
not go beyond the word of the
Lord my God to do more or less"
Despite this strong and proper re
ply. on further urging from the king