The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1913-11-28

lisa. xii, 1o-Commentary by Rev. D.
M. Stearns.
In our last lesson we saw Joshua
specially commissioned and encourag-
4 ed as Israels new leader. The re-
4 mainder Of the chapter told of his re-
+ minder to the Reubenites, the Gadites
and the half tribe of Manasseh, who
had received their inheritance under
Moses on the east of Jordan, that they
should leave their wives, their fami-
lies and their cattle and cross the Jor-
4 dan with their brethren until they, too,
should receive their inheritance.
The two and half tribes stood by
their agreement and encouraged Josh
ua with good words. 1t is worth not
ing that the oft quoted text, "Be sure
your sin will find you OUT (Num. xxxii
23), is in connection with the possible
failure of the two and a half tribes to
help their brethren to find rest. 1t
may well apply to believers who fail
to carry the Bread of Life to those
who have never heard of Him. Chap
ter ii tells US of Rahab, her faith in
two spies, her desire for the safety of
her household and her promptness in
binding the scarlet line in her window
iii, lib 1S, 2D. Honorable mention
of her is found in Heb. xi, 81 Jas.
ii, 1926. She became the mother of
Boaz, who married Ruth, and therefore
the grandmother of David (Matt
i, 5; Ruth iv, 81, 22).
1t is possible that Salmon, her hus-
band, may have been one of the two
spies whom she hid. She certainly
lied, and her sin is not excused or
overlooked, but she truly repented, and
there is forgiveness for all such.
Josh. iii tells of the passing through
Jordan, and chapter iv tells of the
twelve stones set up in the bed of Jor-
dan and at Gilgal. We must ever keep
in mind the reason why of all Gods
dealings with Israel, THAT all the peo-
pie of the earth might know the hand Of
the Lord, that it is mighty, and that
they might fear the Lord God of Israel
Josh. iv, "a; see also l Kings, viii, 43,
60; II Kings, xix, 10; Ps. cvi, 81.
If believers were living to honor the
Lord more would testify as Rahab did.
81 know, for we have heard
y the Lord your God; He is God in
heaven above and in the earth be-
meath" chapter ii, SID. The central OBJ
ject of our two lesson chapters today
is "the ark of the covenant of the Lord
Of all the earth" Gii, 11), mentioned
ten times in chapter iii and seven times
in chapter iv. The central person is the
living God Qii, 10), who is called by
that name at least seven times Deut.
v, 26; Sam. xvii, 26; II Kings xix, d,
Hos. !, 10; Matt. xvi, 16; Thess i, g.,
and in our lesson).
The great event is the crossing
through Jordan ON dry land. The
great human instrument is Joshua,
concerning whom the Lord said, "This
day will begin to magnify thee in the
sight of all Israel, that they may know
that as 1 was with Moses so will be
with thee" Qii, y. Those who honor
the Lord He will honor.
This is another third day story
(verse 2; see also ii, 16, 22). 1t may not
appeal to some, but to me all safety
and victory are associated with the
greatest third day event in all history,
the resurrection of our Lord from the
dead, for if He be not risen all is vain.
Jordan signifies river of judgment.
The twelve stones Of Gilgal suggest
risen with Christ all reproach rolled
away ", 81. The ark Of the covenant
was the most remarkable type of Christ
in the whole tabernacle, although every
whit of it spoke of Him. What could
be more suggestive of all safety de-
pending upon Christ than the ark upon
the shoulders of the priests in the
midst of Jordan until everything was
finished and all the people were clean
passed over? dv, 10, H.
The priests who bore the ark had to
step into the water before the waters
stood up upon heap on the one side
|, and ran off to the Dead sea on the 9TH
er oversees 1910. This must have been
trial Of their faith, unlike the divid-
ing of the Red sea, which seems to
have divided before the people came
actually to it.
AS we go in life's journey our faith
should be ever increasing, but He al
ways deals with US as we are able,
though longing ofttimes that we might
have greater faith and grieved by our
little faith, as He often was with His
disciples (Matt. vi, 80; viii, 20; xiv, 81 /;
xvi, s.. while the only two who pleased
Him by great faith were the Roman
eenturion and the woman of Tyre and
Sidon, both gentiles. 1t is profitable
to notice that they were to watch the
ark that they might know the way by
which they should go Cii, 3, A., and we
are reminded of our instructions in
Heb xii, 1, 2, to run with patience,
looking unto Jesus and to consider Him
who endured. In the summer of 1873
1 heard sermon on the last clause of
verse at st. Catharines, Canada, "For