The Watertown weekly leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1912-1917, 1913-11-14

do not happen in the kingdom of God,
they come to pass. This world, ma
tions, families or individuals were not
set in motion by creator who has
gone of neglectful of his creatures.
nor has he left them to blind fate
or infaxible law. Attention is also
drawn to the time, after the death
Of Moses
The call was clear and unquestion-
ed for the Lord "spake.'' Our high
est responsibility is to that call which
comes from the highest source OF au-
thority. This call came in the time OF
great need, Israel is without a lead
er. Then follow the first words OF
Jehovah to this newly chosen leader
". q and which constitute his
charge, Moses my servant is dead,
now. therefore arise This suggests
prayerful attitude on the part Of
Joshua, but in no way Is it to be con-
strued that Moses was q hindrance
to this forward march of the people of
God. Rather, that Moses work was
completed and on the basis of his
work an advance was to be made.
Moses brought Israel under a gov
eminent of God, he nationalized Is
rael. Joshua is called to conquest.
Verse three reveals the scope and the
assurance of success in this new
era, and notice, it is based upon Gods
word, las | said unto Moses This
charge is two-fold, Gods covenant on
no h,a
terms Of the agreement on the other
hand. Verse four tells Of the bound
aries of this new kingdom 1t is SAD
to remember that several hundred
years elapsed before the time when
under David Israel Appropriated
these borders With them In this adj
vance was to be Jehovah's presence
even as he had accompanied Moses.
Obedience to Law.
The conditions laid upon Joshua
We're: % Confidence due to this prom
Use Of the presence of Jehovah ". s..
The personal pronoun 81 is used
seven times in these nine verses as
though God would make confidence
doubly assured. But confidence alone
was not enough, hence the necessity
Of courage ". g.. Strength is due
to confidence and Guietness, Isa 30:
Is, but courage is the active principle
which is the evidence OF our strength
and courage. Conquest was not alone
conditioned upon courage ". 81, but
also upon the sure foundation Of the
word and oath Of Jehovah. But
strength and courage are maintained
by obedience to law whether 1t be
words Of verse Z. the possession Of
this land depended upon absolute I'M
| f1inching, inyar1able adherence and OBJ
servance of the law, which Moses my
servant commanded" There Is in
these last words the suggestion that
Moses had best served and led Is
rael because he was the close per-
sonal servant Of Jehovah. This thought
must undoubtedly have remained a
vivid and potent factor governing the
life of Joshua in the conduct of his
newly appointed office
Confidence ana Authority.
| But Jehovah never leaves his own
| w. 81, Matt $500 nor does he leave
| man to blind fate or fortuitous cir
cumstances Therefore we read in
verse the counsel of Jehovah as to
the method whereby Joshua and Is
rael may prosper" (v7) or according
to the margin do wisely viz, they
shall mediate upon the books of the
law This verse is enough for the
entire class session. The leader, be
he preacher or teacher, who has any
doubt about the word of God, or
stands dumb before the empty tomb
had better seek a new vocation for
he is the apostle Of dying, dfsinte-
grating class or church and a decad-
ent faith. The origin of man, the
mystery of life, the destiny of the
soul, demands the voice of confidence
and authority not Of uncertainty and
doubt. True prosperity and wisdom
are conditioned upon our taking the
word of God as the man Of our coun-
| sci, the light of our path, our daily
meditation The definite result Of
such a course is set before Joshua,
and in addition he was promised the
companonship " 81 of Jehovah every
step of the way. 1t is interesting in
this connection to remember that
| Joshua was associated with Moses in
the first experience of war in the his
| tory OF this young nation.
Conclusion. The greatest lesson be.
| fore us at this time is that of continu-
| ity of the purposes of God. AS great
and important as Moses has been dur
| ing his 40 years of leadership, yet he
was not necessary The instrument
| of divine deiiverance, direction and
discipline, yea, the voice of God to Is
| rael. the receiver of their complaints
and of their confessions, yet now he
has been removed. What a tremen-
| dous blank he must have left Yet
Israel is to go forward, there is to be
no halting in It's progress Gcd had
| been training men for 80 years, one
! of whose faith failed not at the sight
| of the giants, one who had fellowship
with the old and is now to face the
! new We recall the words of John
| Wesley. inscribed upon his memo
| rial tablet in Westminster abbey, God
| buries his workmen, but carries on
his work. Each individual in the
Iopo 0f 1oo6orc hi ,r-