The Green Forest tribune., 1915-01-01

LESSON TEXT-Judges 2:7-19
 GOLDEN TEXT-I will heal their back Eiiding, will love them freely.-Hos. 14:4.
 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 un- der Saul, David and Solomon, and the divided kingdom in the times of Eli jah, Amos, Hosea and Jonah, down to the time of Daniel during the cap- tivity.
 |. Another Generation, w. 7-tO. 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 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. eration' honored Joshua as a hero but they did not follow in his obedi- ence to Jehovah. It 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 Israelites felt their obligations to their neighbors and fellow-tribesmen, but they lost realizing sense of their obligations to God.
 Sin of IdoIatry.
 II. They forsook the Lord, w. 11:13. Backsliding Israel is a prov erb. Over and again there was a 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 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 it's 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 it's abominations at once, but rather sought a combination, compromise worship, which of course led to Me inevitable forsaking of God. Verse 12 such course for he it was which brought them out of the land of Egypt" (Titus 2:14; 2 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. 16-19. 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 "in 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 a difficult task is suggested by verse IT. The hearts of the people went whor- ing," lusted after the things repre- scented by Baal and Ashtaroth, which history tells us were too vile to be enumerated. The judges secured for the people of Israel their rights ac- cording to the mercy of Jehovah. At the same time they were rulers, and as such secured for individuals their rights.
 The worship of Jehovah always taught and impressed moral and spiritual truth and required the con- fessing and forsaking of evil. These judges were God-endowed and did not prostitute their gifts. They were God led, saw IsraeFs need and had cour- age, faith and zeal enough to show Israel that the first thing they needed to do was to forsake the evil and re- turn to life of obedience to God
 Their equipment was in that "the Lord was with the judge" (v. 1S). Notice that God was with those whom he raised up." Of course not all of the time, nor all of the land at all times was thus torn and being punished as is clearly suggested by the stories of Ruth, Hannah and Samuel. As Jehovah was with the