Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1915-01-01


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. 7-1o.
During the days of Joshua Israel
not last long after his death. Ever
and anon God must needs raise up
Joshua to lead his church. We
have another "Joshua"
is ever with his people and we do
not need any earthly leader (Ps. 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 follow 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 Israelites felt
their obligations to their neighbors
and Acknowledgement, but they lost a
realizing sense of their obligations to
God. America today is charged with
an altruistic spirit but seems lacking
in a deep sense of that obligation
to God which is primary.
Sin of Idolatry.
II. They forsook the Lord, W..
1913. Backsliding Israel is prov
erb. Over and again there was a re-
turn to true worship and just as
often a 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 we'll
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 1t
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
co,,ch+ q oo,oh;,ot{o, a oo,,opro,,,i G c
worship, which of course led to the
inevitable forsaking of God. Verse II
indicates the base ingratitude of
such a course, for he it was which
brought them out of the land OF
Egypt" (Titus 2:14; 2 Pet. 2:1).
III. The Anger of the Lord, w
IA, IS. There is no anger like that o.
outraged love- We are apt to forge
the other attributes of God, those o
justice, holiness and purity and tha
God can not look upon iniquity (Hab
1:13). The light men enjoy onl,
heightens and makes more black theil
offenses. Gods anger can wax hot
and here he delivered them into tht
hands of the spoilers that spoiled
| them"
God Keeps His Promises.
Nv. And the Lord Raised Vi
Judges, r. v. w. 1919. These were
men who felt the bitterness of th'
distress of their nation. God keep:
to the letter his promises, both o
blessing and of punishment, but iii
wrath he remembers mercy" These
judges had higher aspirations thar
simply to Judge, for they saved" thu
people. We who live in this presen
dispensation of grace have, one wht
/ is now the savior but who shall ye
be the Judge. That these righteous
leaders of the people had a Difficult
task is suggested by verse IT. Th'
hearts of the people went a whor
ing" lusted after the things repre-
sented by Baal and Ashtaroth, which
history tells us were too vile to b'
enumerated. The judges secured fo
the people of Israel their rights &C
cording to the mercy of Jehovah. A
the same time they were rulers, ant
as such secured for individuals thei
rights. Professor Beecher has calcu
lated that the period of their admins
tration was about three hundred AM
thirty-two years, from the death o
Joshua, 1434 B. c., to the anointin,
of Saul, 1880 B. C. 1t is probabl'
that at times one part of the LIANT
was under oppression and other part
were enjoying security under its
Judge. It has been suggested tina
Israel, during the time we have beeI
and now are studying, passed through
four grades in Gods school: (D Tha
in Egypt; training in bondage ant
contact with the highest civilization
of the day. (2) That in the desert
training in faith, law and religion
observances in the presence of peri
and hardships. (3). That in the tim
Of the judges; training in self-goverr
ment while in contact with enemie
and moral evils. (4) That Of the king
dom; training in the arts and in re
ligious life as manifested by tn
temple, the priesthood and tn
prophets. Idolatry was fascinating,
| HdQ ldlSc IIOCuOAl, IL dPpOdlOu l
every passion, and was the very ant
thesis of the Jehovah worship of pul
ity itself.
The worship of Jehovah alway
taught and impressed moral an
spiritual truth and required the col
Tossing and forsaking of evil. Thes
judges were God-endowed and did nc
prostitute their gifts. They were Goo
led, saw Israels need and had coul
age, faith and zeal enough to sho'
Israel that the first thing they needle
TO do was to forsake the evil and r'
turn to a life of obedience to God.
Their equipment was in that eth
lord was with the Judge" ". IS,
Notice that God was with those whoI
ne raised up" OF course not a
of the time, nor all of the land a
all times was thus torn and bein
punished as is clearly suggested b
the stories of Ruth, Hannah an
Samuel. AS Jehovah was with tn
judges, as they were exercising fde
ity in their obedience of his wore