The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1915-01-14

Text of the Lesson, JuGg. vi, lis, 3d.
4o-Mer;ory Verses, a. - Golden
Text, Ps. XIV, 4-Commentary Pre-
pared by Rev. D. M. Stearns.
often read what | copied from one
of DR.. Andrew Murrays Bibles in his
study in Wellington, South Africa, in
August, 1898: The central thought of
this book is God. Its one object is to
reveal God-His glory, His will, His
love. In reading it our chief desire
ought to be to know God" | am re
minded of this as | read carefully our
lesson chapter and note in these forty
verses some name of the Deity forty
four times UORD or GOD. 81; God, 7;
Lord, >; Spirit. l; Angel, y. Thus the
sin Of Israel draws forth the love and
grace of God and this time in connec-
ton with great deliverance through
seemingly very weak man called
Gideon.
The chapter opens with the oft re-
peated saying, The children of Israel
did evil in the sight of the Lord"
This led to great oppression by the
Midianitcs for seven years. Then they
cried unto the Lord in their trouble,
and He saved them out Of their dis
tresses (vcrses /. 6; rs. evil, 6, IS, 10,
80. In our lesson verses, 40 He re-
minded them by prophet Of how He
had brought them oGt Of Egypt and
planted them in this good land, warn
ing them against any fellowship with
the people or the land, but they dis
obeyed His voice (chupter ii. 1, p. He
calls us still TO separation from this
evil age unto Himself, but the god of
this age, the devil, who also ruled the
inhabitants OF the land lie gave to
Israel. is still binding and deceivins
the people Of God and running the so
called church for his own ends, and
those who are willing to see Jesus
only and follow Him fully are com
pardtively few.
Since Adam sinned God has been pa
tiently and persistently seeking man,
and mankind has been as persistently,
| under the power OF the devil turning
away from God. God has myriads of
angels who delight to do His will, but
He never had but one man wholly
and utterly at His disposal and under
His control Many redeemed men and
women have been in greater or less
degree yielded to Him, but none alb
solutely except the Son of Mary, the
Son of God, the Lord Jesus Christ.
We have already read in this book of
Judges of His selection of Othniel.
Ehud, Shamgar, Deborah and Barak,
and now His choice falls upon Gideon
of the tribe Of Manasseh, whom He
visits in person and talks with him as
a man with his friend.
These appearances of God in human
form before He came as the Son of
Mary are some of the most fascinating
as well as the most profitable of Bible
studies. In each instance it is the Son
of God whom we see, whose gOingS
forth have been from of old. from the
days of eternity (Mic. V, ., margin),
for no man hath seen God at any
time; the only begotten Son hath
| declared Him" John /. 49,. The glory
of God can be seen only in Christ Oh
Cor. iv, 81. We are more likely to
have special manifestations of God
when about our ordinary work rather
than when We go aside to seek such.
Gideon was thrashin& wheat Verse
IL; Moses was keeping sheep, as were
also the Bethlehem shepherds; Elisha
was in the field blowing; Zacharias
was ministerin@ as usual, and Mary
of Nazareth was probably about her
household duties. How beautiful and
wonderful the words from the Lord to
Gideon: The Lord is with thee. Go
in this thy might have not l sent thee.
Surely l will be with thee"
GideOn's seeming unwillingness and
! probably his conscious unworthineSs
| Verse 10 remind us of Moses and
jeremiah Gen. iii, Il; w.. 10; Jer i, 81
and show us the Lords difficulty in
finding willing instruments. The Lords
announcements to these three and to
others We're written for US that we
may not hold back as they did. 1t is
never a question of what we are or
can do, but only and always, Who is
he, and what can He do? The Incl
dent of verses 1924, the Lord tarrying
while Gideon prepared the kid and the
unleavened cakes, reminds us Of the
Lord and the two angels waiting for
Abraham and Sarah's preparation, but
in that case they ate the food; in this
1t was consumed by fire, while in the
incident Of Manoah, the father of Sam
son, the angel Of the Lord assembled in
the flame which consumed the offer
ing Gen. xviii, 8; Judg. vi, 6-21; xiii,
10, 20.
! Gideon's readiness when encouraged
by this sign is seen in his fearless de-
struction of his fathers altar to Baal.
1t is refreshing to see Joash stand
with his son In this matter and to
hear him say concerning Basl, IF he
! be a god let him plead for himself"
! oversees % to 32). If we would be
used of God we must break with all
idolatry and serve only the living and
true God. There must be no con
formity unto or compromise with the
world lying in the wicked one AS the
spirit of the Lord clothed Himself
with Gideon Verse 81. margin). so He
y