Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1915-01-06

Text Of the Lesson, Judg. iv, 4-f6.
Memory Verses, "A, 15-GoIden Teyt,
J Pc. xxxiy, 17-commentary Prepared
! by Rev. D. M. Stearns.
The one great aim Of God In His
word is that we may know Him and |
let Him through us make Him i-~~
to others. those VI
$50 viii not read Els
No. Rs1ax Use to read of Him in our
n~s6, For that end He chose Israel and
brought them unto Himself that they
might be unto Him a Kingdom o.
priests, ministering unto Him and find
ing in Him their inheritance (Ex. XIX,
4-6; II Sam. vii, %; Ps. exivii, 20). The
end of the story, after centuries OF
failure on mans part, will be that Is
raeI shall know Him as never before.
and all nations shall know Him through
Israel (Ezek. xxxvii. 81, %, 2S; xxx,
I, q, %, 25 2S 20; xliii, I; Jer. Iii. IL.
In all the past history of the world
since Adam sinned. whether before the
call Of Abram or since the birth of Is
rael as nation or during the present
age of gathering people for His
name from all nations, those who
have known Him have been compa1a.
lively few, the vast majority doing
what seemed right in their own eyes,
which is always evil in the eyes Of the
Lord (Judg. iii, Z, II; iv, l; xvii, 8; xxi,
30.
The Lord is always looking over the
whole earth to find any one who Is
whole hearted for Him, who VIII walk
before HIM and be sincere, as He ex-
horted Abram to do III Chron. xvi, O.;
Gen. xvii, u. To that end He is ever
proving His people to see II they will
turn to Him alone or to their own
thoughts and ways Deut viii, 2, 3, is:
Judg. ii, %; iii, 1. 4; lisa. Nv. s, 81, and
His cry ever is. 'sOh. that my people
had hearkened unto me and Israel had
walked in my waysv Cps. lxxxi. 1877
So full Of compassion is He that when
people are in trouble because Of their
sin If they turn no Him with the whole
heart He hears them and sends deliv-
erance (Judg. b, 16: iii, o, Is. 81. The
rest which He gave Israel from time
to time Chapter iii. IL, 3O might have
been theirs all the time If they had not
turned to their own ways.
Our lesson today shows us the Lord
delivering by the hand of woman,
Deborah, the prophecies. and also u.s.
Ing another woman who feared God
more than man and preferred to stand
with God at any cost, Jael. the wife
Of Heber. the Kenite Chapter iv. 4, 5.
II, 2D. Let the sisters note for their
encouragement the stories of Huldah.
the pranhetess; Priscilla. the teacher:
the daughters OF Philip. the host of
women who publish the word of God
and those women laborers in the gos
pei whose names are in the book OF
Life Gil Kings xii, IA; Acts xviii, &c;
ri, 8. 9; Ps. xviii, II, R. "; Phil. ",
B.. Let the brethren be better believers
than Barak. who said that he would
not 60 unless Deborah went with him
(verses 8, 81. Yet Barak is mentioned
among the men Of faith in Heb. XII
oh, how great is the grace of God
which uses such weak ones as we are
and gives rs credit for what He Him
self does In and through us!
Note In lessen, verses Z. II, Is, %
that It was the Lords victory and de
hverance. and SO they sang of it In
chapter v. 2. 8. There was just one
thing that Israel did that was worth
mentioning they willingly offered
themselves oversees 2. o.. and this re-
minds us Of Chron. XXX, 8. II; II
Chron. xvi, 16; II Cor. viii, r.: Elk
XIV. 2; XIV, 20, and of the question
In | Chron. XXX, 5. There were some
who came not at all to help. and a
curse was pronounced upon them
verse 20. What aboQt the many pro-
Tossing Christians today who do moth.
Ing whatever to help deliver the op-
pressed from the power Of the enemy
May there be great searchings of
heart verses Is. 16) and readiness
to say. Thy servants are ready to do
whatsoever my Lord the king shall APP
Point, :For any manner of service
: wholly at thy commandment"
I'll Sam. XIV. Is: I 'Chron. xviii. 21).
Some jeoparded their lives unto the
Death. as did three OF David's mighty
men and as we are commanded to do
eve-se Is; II Sam. xiii, ~; Rev. ii, 10)
Tne saying in chapter v. II. Lead thv
captivity captive" makes us think of
! Is. xviii. Is; Eph. ". 8, and Of Him
\ Of whom all deliveries were the faint
II est foreshacowings. The desire that
Y those who love Him should be as the
sun when he goeth forth In his might
Verse 81, makes us think OF the great
morning Of victory, when He shall
naiiy deliver Israel. make wars to