The Watertown weekly leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1912-1917, 1914-12-29

LESSON TEXT-Judges 2:7-le
GOLDEN TEXT will heal their back
sliding, l will love them freely.-Hos. 14:&
This year We again return to the
history of the chosen people and fol-
low them through the period of the
judges, the days of the monarchy I'M
der Saul, David and Solomon, and the
divided kingdom in the times of Eli
1ah, Amos, Hosea and Jonah, down to
the time of Daniel during the cap
tivity
|. Another Generation, w. 7-1o.
During the days of Joshua Israel
served Jehovah, but his influence did
not last long after his death. Ever
and anon God must needs raise up
a Joshua to lead his church. We
have another "Joshua"-Jesus-wh
is ever with his people and we do
not need any earthly leader Cps. 62:5;
Phil. 2:12). Still God is working
| through human agents and in every
crisis raises up his spirit-clothed
leaders. No doubt this another gen.
Grafton" honored Joshua as a hero
but they did not fellow in his obedi-
ence to Jehovah. 1t is easy to dis
miss Gods mighty deeds among men
by calling them myths and traditions,
or to deny the accuracy Of the rec
ords." Doubtless the Israeiites felt
their obligations to their neighbors
and fellow-tribesmen, but they lost
realizing sense of their obligations to
God. America today is charged with
an altruistic spirit but seems lacking
in deep sense of that obligation
to God which is primary.
Sin of ldoIatry.
II. They forsook the Lord, w.
| 1918. Backsliding Israel is a prov
erb. Over and again there was re-
turn to true worship and just as
often forsaking. For centuries Je-
hovah bore with, forgave, restored
and punished this "stiffnecked" peo-
pie, until the final overthrow and cap
tivity burned into their consciousness
the sin of idolatry. The reason for
this was their disobedience in not
putting out Of the land "the gods OF
! the peoples that were round about
| them" Liberality Of this sort always
results in spiritual ruin. A nations
| ideals about God not alone determine
| its moral status but eventually its
| physical and temporal welfare as well.
Their way was not evil in their own
sight and doubtless they were con-
| sidered very progressive, and their
| course an evidence of greater wisdom
than that of their fathers, but it
was "evil in the sight Of the Lord"
We do not understand that these
Israelites took up the worship OF
Baal, the sun god, with all of its
! denominations at once, but rather
sought combination, a comprcLlise
worship, which Of course led to the
| inevitable forsaking Of God. Verse IL
! indicates the base ingratitude OF
such course for he it was which
| brought them out of the land Of
Egypt" (Titus 2:14; Pet. 2:D.
III. The Anger of the Lord, w.
IA, IS. There is no anger like that Of
outraged love. We are apt to forget
| the other attributes of God, those Of
| justice, holiness and purity and that
God can not look upon iniquity (Hab.
| 1:13). The light men enjoy only
heightens and makes more black their
| offenses Gods anger can wax hot
and here he delivered them into the
hands of the spoilers that spoiled
| them"
God Keeps His Promises.
w. And the Lord Raised Up
judges, r. v. w. 1919. These were
men who felt the bitterness of the
distress of their nation. God keeps
| to the letter his promises, both, OF
blessing and of punishment, but I'm
wrath he remembers mercy" These
judges had higher aspirations than
simply to judge, for they Saved" the
people We who live in this present
| dispensation Of grace have one who
is now the savior but who shall yet
be the Judge. That these righteous
leaders of the people had difficult
task is suggested by verse II. The
hearts of the people went whor-
| ing" Iusted after the things repre-
sented by Baal and Ashtaroth, which
! history tells us were too vile to be
| enumerated. The judges secured for
the people Of Israel their rights &C
| cording to the mercy of Jehovah. At
| the same time they were rulers, and
as such secured for individuals their
rights. Professor Beecher has calcu-
lated that the period of their admins
| tration was about three hundred and
| thirty-two years, from the death OF
| Joshua, 1894 B. c., to the amounting
of Saul, 1890 B. G. 1t Is probable
| that at times one part of the land
was under oppression and other parts
were enjoying security under its
| Judge. It has been suggested that
Israel, during the time we have been
and now are studying, passed through
| four grades In Gods school: ID That
In Egypt; training in bondage and
contact with the highest civilization
of the day. (2) That In the desert;
training in faith, law and religious
| observances in the presence of peril
and hardships 90 That In the time
| of the Judges training in self-govern-
ment while in contact with enemies
and moral evils. "a That of the king
| dom; training In the arts and In re-
| ligious life as manifested by the
temple, the priesthood and the
prophets. Idolatry was fascinating, 1t
had a false freedom, 1t appealed to
every passion, and was the very anti
thesis of the Jehovah worship of pur-
| ity itself.
rlo x,orcbIp of Jehovah qJUqva