The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1913-11-21
SUNDAY SCHOOL.
Lesson VIII.-Fourth Quarter,
For Nov. %, 1918.
THE INTERNATIONAL SERIES.

oTy verses, ., o-SoIden ext, Josh.
1-9-Commentary by Rev. D. M.
Stearns.
The book of Joshua opens with an.
other reference to the passing from
earth of Moses, in some respects great
est of all prophets Oeut. XXXiv, 1912,
and again he is called by that great
name, the servant of the Lord CDeut.
xXxiv, 81. 1t is one of the titles of
the Lord Jesus Qsa. xiii, 1; Matt xii,
IS; Zech. iii, 81, and on that great
passover night, when there was strife
among the disciples as to who should
be the greatest, He taught that it was
greater to serve and said, 81 am among
you as he that serveth" luke xii,
24-2O. Paul rejoiced in the title
(Rom. i, 1; Phil. i, 1; Tit. i, y and per-
haps never said anything greater than
when he said, Whose am and whom
serve" (Acts xvii, 23). Joshua is
called Moses minister or servant or
the one standing before him (Ex. xiv,
13; XXXiii, II; Deut. i, 3S).
We meet him for the first time vic
toriously leading Israel against Anna
lex, while Aaron and Hur stayed up
the hands of Moses. Next we find him
as Moses minister going up into the
mount of God with Moses when he
went to receive the tables of the law
and returning with him after the forty
days. Then we find him abiding in the
tabernacle and afterward as one of
the twelve spies and one of the two
who encouraged the people to go up at
that time and possess the land, the
only two who left Egypt as men and
entered into the promised land (Ex.
xvii, S-16; xiv, 10; xxi, II; xxxiii.
II; Mum. xiii, 8, IS; xiv, 6, 80; XVI, go.
When Moses was told that he could
not enter into the land he asked the
Lord to set man over them who would
faithfully shepherd them, and the Lord
said, "Take thee Joshua, the son of
Nun, man in whom is the spirit, and
lay thine hand upon him" (Num. xvii,
1928.
Now Moses is gone, and Joshua is
the leader, and the Lord spake unto
JOSlud, uuI Jul ltSSOu SlNeS us Iut
message We read in one place that
the word Of the Lord came expressly
unto Ezekiel' CEzek. i, 81, and unless
the word of the Lord comes expressly
to each of us as we read we have not
read with profit as we might have done.
There is a Canaan to be possessed
and enjoyed, not after we die, but here
and now, and we may enter ourselves
and help others to enter. 1t is all
matter of faith, and 1--WE who have
believed do enter into rest" CHeb. iv,
81. The land was given to them, but
they We're to enter in and take posses
sion, only that which they actually
trod upon being really theirs (verses
2, 4; Deut. Xi, 24).
do not know any greater assurance
for believer in the word of God than
those wonderful words of the Lord to
men, 81 am with you" Even to Jacob
He said, Behold, am with thee and
will keep thee" To Isaac He said,
"Fear not, for l am with thee" To
Moses He said, Certainly l will be
with thee" and now He says to Josh
ua! "As 1 was with Moses, so I will be
with thee. I will not fail thee nor
forsake thee" (verse 5; Gen. xviii, 10;
XVI, "a; Ex. iii, 12).
The Lord Jesus could say nothing
greater to His disciples when He sent
them forth after His resurrection with
the good news for all the world than
40, am with you all the days" Matt.
xviii, POI. Just one suggestion from
this great assurance certainly is this
that He will do it all, all that is to be
done, if we will only be His willing
and obedient fellow workers Il Cor.
iii, 8; II Cor. vi, y.
His word is to be our continual and
only guide, our meditation day and
night, our sole reliance In every mat
ter, and at all times, then, there shall
be true prosperity and good success
and constant victory over all enemies
Verses 5, Z, s; Ps. i, q Jer. xvii, Z, 81.
In such an attitude of soul and with
a mind thus stayed upon Jehovah we
cannot but be strong and of good cour-
age. I have found this command ten
times, but possibly you may find 1t
more often-Moses to Israel, once;
Moses to Joshua, twice; the Lord to
Joshua, three times; Israel to Joshua,
once; Joshua to Israel, once; David to
Solomon, twice; Deut. XXI. 6, 7, %;
Josh. i, 6, 7, 0, 1S; X, "a; Chron. xii,
10; xviii, 20).
l remember well what a strength
Deut. XXI, 6, 8, were to me in the fall
of 1876 as l moved my family from
St John, N. B., to Boston, Mass, hav-
ing given up the position of principal
of a public school to give my whole
time to missionary work. The Lord
did certainly speak to my soul in those
words at that time and many a time
since.
AS to all truly Christian work, since
He cannot fail nor be discouraged lisa.
xiii, ~ those who believe and rely upon