Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1913-11-28

GOLDEN TEAL II ear ilOu AOe ApA
m with thee."-Isa. A:10.
The spies sent out by Joshua (ch.
} were animated by quite a different
1otive than that which governed
hose who first visited Canaan, and
hey brought back much different
eport (Num. ch. 13). The story OF
heir experience In Jericho with RAJ
alb, their escape from her house, and
he incident of the scarlet thread"
7ill prove an interesting introduction
or today's lesson. There are two
uggestions in the preparation for the
rossing of the Jordan mentioned In
he first seven verses of this chapter:
u It was to be an orderly advance
v. A.; no disorderly crowding about
hose who led. This was also to be a
ure path, though they had not passed
hat way before, for God was leading.
- 1t was to be a prayerful advance
". 81. Literally, they were to 'un-
lertake great things for God and to
expect great things from God"
Jesus Must Lead.
l. The Leader, wv. 7, 8. The cir
surrounding this episode
ire far different from those at the
of the Red sea- Moses en-
counter with Pharaoh had stamped
him as the one who should save the
nation. True, fn the battles and in
his association with Moses Joshua
1ad occupied position Of leadership,
but now he is to deliver Israel from
the death OF the wilderness into the
life and possessions of Canaan, hence
the words, sI will magnify thee In
the sight of all Israel" 1t is notice
able, however, that Joshua did not
lead this forward march, but rather
The priests. The ark which they bore
Is type of Christ and he must al
ways lead. Jehovah magnified Joshua
because Joshua had magnified Jeho-
yah, see /. Sam. 2:30, John 17:4, 5.
II. Those Led, wv. e-fa. Joshua at
once communicates Jehovah's order
tor forward march to the people IL
Thess. 2:13). But God graciousiy ac-
companies his word by a visible mani
testation of his presence ". 10, III
#. l. John III, Col. 2:9. 1t was the
word and presence of the Swing
God" ". 10) that was to work this
miracle, and to accomplish the victo-
rious possession of the land in ac-
cordance with his own sure promise.
This lesson is great lesson Of
types. God, through the leading Of
his priests bearing the ark "a type Of
Christ), leads man from the failures
Of his wilderness experience, through
death (the Jordan, into newness Of
life (Canaan). Rom. GA, Q. Previous
ly the mention Of the names Of these
enemies (v. 10) had SO frightened
Israel that they turned aside in q
panic, but Israel had been learning
In the bitter school Of discipline and
failure. "The Lord Of all the earth"
". III is to lead, why then fearf
There was, however, to be test. viz,
the path was not to open until their
feet were in the waters. There was
no such test at the Red sea, for they
did not then have sufficient faith, L
Cor. 1913, l, Peter III.
IsraeI's One Way.
III. The Dry Ground, w. 14-17. Up
until the moment they stepped into
the water, priest and people alike re-
lied upon the bare word of Jehovah.
I. Sam. 1922. We, too, will surely
find way of escape If we yield him
implicit obedience, lisa. 1872; !. Cor
1918. AS If to heighten this miracle
we need to remember it was the sea-
son Of food tide ". 15). The river
Jordan is great type Of the judg-
ment passed upon sin. Verse sixteen
tells us that the waters were backed
up beyond 'the city of Adam" Our
Joshua delivers not only us from all
sin but his deliverance is also suffi-
cient for the whole human race. Heb.
9:2S, 1. John 1T. Our deliverance Is
complete, let us praise him. The
Jordan would not, however, have
opened had those bearing the ark
paused upon the bank. The people
could not have been delivered except
as the ark remained in the river bed.
Jesus went into the waters for us, .
Cor. 5:21; Gal. 3:13. He has con-
demned sin for US, Rom. S:3. He
alone has opened a pathway for our
deliverance. There was no other way
whereby Israel could be delivered and
further they were delivered right
against Jericho" (v. 16) viz, before
their next big task, and "all the ma
ton were passed clean over Jordan"
". I'D, John 17:12.
Representatives of each tribe (ch.
A. carried from the river twelve
stones for the building of an altar so
that the history of that deliverapce
might be perpetuated.
w. The Lesson. In this lesson we
are brought, in company with Israel,
into the land at last. Abraham saw
and believed. Jacob and his sons
left it when threatened with moral
contamination and physical death.
Much has happened since that time.
but Gods purposes have gone on un-
changed. Nor has Jehovah ever been
defeated. Israel is delivered because,
in the language of Ps. 114:2, Judah
became his sanctuary, Israel his do
minion." Note how Ps. 114:3 united
forty years of history, ''The sea saw
1t and fed; Jordan was driven back
This is the history of God-possessed
people. Judah, the tribe from which
Messiah is to spring, is his sanctuary
and this is the nation through whom
he will accomplish his larger pur-
poses in the world.
Again the golden text emphasizes
responsibility, BE strong and of a
good courage" It epitomizes the
privileges which create responsible
ity, Fear thou not, for I am with
thee" When Jehovah is with a peo-
pie they are strong and OF a good
courage. They are persistently strong
and Of good courage because Jehovah
Is with them; the two are mutually
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