The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1913-10-03
SUNDAY SCHOOL.
Lesson Fourth Quarter, Fol
Oct. s, 1913. 90
THE INTERNATIONAL SERIES

Text Of the Lesson, Mum. Xxi, 1918; "a
25-Mornory Verses, IL, 15-GoIdes
Text, JAS. v, 16-commentary Pre-
pared by Rev. .. M. Stearns.
The record Of Israel's forty years be
tween Egypt and Canaan is confined
to the first two years and part Of tn,
last year; about thirty-eight years ar,
a blank, because Of their rebellion q,
Kadesh Barnea and refusal to posses
the land. Thirteen years Of Abrams
life are a blank because Of Hagar (Gen
xvi, 10; xvii, u. The ninety-thret
years Of the captivities in the days OF
the Judges are not counted (Judg. iii
8, Il; Nv, 8; vi, l; xiii, y, and that ex
plains the seeming discrepancy be
tween the 480 from the Exodus to the
fourth year Of Solomon Il Kings, vi
u and the 573 years Of Acts xiii, 1922
The present age Since the refaction OF
their Messiah Is also a blank In Israers
story. 1t is between the sixty-ninth
and SEVENTEEN week Of Dan. TX, 24-27.
This great principle of time lost when
out Of fellowship with God should
make the believer very careful as to
how he spends his time, for oil Is lost
that is not for God. We have seen
that in the third month from Egypt
they came to Sinai, and a glance at the
map will show that it need not have
taken them as long from Sinai to the
land Of Canaan, but Deut. i, 2 tells us
that 1t was only eleven days journey
from Horeb to Kadesh Barnea.
We have noticed that while Moses
was in the Mount with God the first
forty days he received full instruc.
tons concerning the building Of the
tabernacle, and in Elk. xl, II we read
that the tabernacle was finished and
set up on the first day Of the first
month Of the second year.
On the day that the tabernacle was
set up the princes of Israel brought
their offerings, and although each
brought exactly the same, there is a
full and detailed record Of each ones
gifts (Num. vii, 1897. On the ami
versary OF eheir leaving Egypt they
kept the passover on the 18th day of
the first month of the second year
Num. *, 1-3).
On the first day Of the second month
Of the second year they began to num-
Der the people (Num. i, j., and on the
Goth day Of the second month Of the
second year the cloud was taken up
and they started on their first Journey
from Sinai, a three days journey, the
ark Of the covenant of the Lord going
before them to search out a resting
place for them (Num. <, II, 33). With
such patient loving care and guidance
and the assurance of the constant pres
ence Of the Lord in the cloud by day
and the fire by night and the mann
every morning, we might expect to
find a w~onC"ously contented and hap
by people, but the testimony Of Moses
was that from the day they left Egypt
they had been rebellious against the
Lord, and the Lords own testimony
was that they were a ~stifnecked peo-
pie Deut. TX, 7, ID, 24.
We have seer them murmuring at
Marah and In the wilderness Of sin
and at Rephidim, before they came to
Sinai, and now they have scarcely got
away from Sinai when they are again
complaining and weeping and finding
fault with the mama and longing for
the fish and vegetables Of Egypt and
despising the Lord Chapter XII, 10, 20).
We have seen Aaron failing sadly,
and now Moses seems very much cast
down as we hear him say, II am not
able to bear all this people alone, be.
cause 1t is too heavy for me- (verse
~. When the Lord said that He
would give the people all the flesh they
could eat for a whole month, Moses
seemed to forget to keep his shoes off
(Ex. iii, 81, and asked. SHALL the fiocks
and the herds be slain for them to suf-
fee themp Even Joshua also gives
way to himself when he says concern
ing the prophesying Of Eldad and
Madad, my Lord, Moses, forbid them"
oversees 27-29).
We think of John, whom Jesus loved,
saying concerning a certain one, ave
forbade him because he followeth not
with. us" duke TX, 49,. What a trial
we must all be to our Lord, and where
Is there any n qualified to throw a
stone at another? Surely, we all need
more patience and meekness. Many
things In u lives are too heavy for
us, but nothing Is too hard for the Lord,
and our song should ever be, HE is
able" Ger. xxi, IT; Dan. iii, 10. He
can provide spirit controlled helpers
as He did for Moses (verses 1e, ~.
and He who could send mamma from
heaven every morning for all Israel
could just as easily give them flesh.
Had Moses forgotten the quails Of Eek.
xvi, IL, IS? We cannot but think Of
the day when the hungry thousands
were about our Lord, and the disciples
would have sent them away, and to
prove Philip He asked him how they
could feed them, He all the time know
Ing what He would do. The replies
Of Philip and Andrew and the way
that the Lord did feed the 5000 have
many a time kept me from presuming
to think how He might do this or that
John vi, 4-14).
No, the Lords hand fs never waved
short, but our inquiries do often hin.
Her Verse IN; lisa. l, 2; Tx, u. We
have every ease to say, 1.-THE Lord
God will help me, therefore shall / not
be COMPOUNDED; therefore have I set
my face like a flint, and I know that
| shall not be ashamed" elsa. /, n. Tsa.