Evening star., 1919-02-22
SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON
MOSES PRAYING FOR ISRAEL.
-32.1-349.
Golden Text-The supplica-
much in it's working. James,
b SIG.
BY REV. HUGH T. STEVENSON.

Washington's birthday recalls to
every American the memory of the
father of our country, under whose
were firmly planted in the nations life.
In the darkest hour of the colonies
struggle for freedom from the mother
land, when the outcome appeared un-
favorable, Washington was found in
prayer at Valley Forge pleading for the
young nation. In every crisis in our
country's history, from that hour to
the present, our political leaders have
sought the help of Jehovah through the
irresistible power Of prayer. In this
they have followed the example of the
founder of the first democratic govern
ment, who interceded for Israel when they,
discouraged by his absence, had per-
suaded Aaron, upon whom, as the high
priest, the responsibility of leadership
rested in the absence of Moses, to give
them some image of the unseen God.
Aaron. believing that he should let
stead Of being guided by the clamor Of
the mob for an idol and religious wor-
ship, which was contrary to the first
two commandments, the high priest
should have insisted upon their obedi-
ence to the eternal law of righteousness
to Jehovah. At that very moment God
was outlining to Moses in a conference
upon the mountain the ritual for the
nations worship, which was to symbo-
lize the Lords coming 70 dwell with
men. While their leader was hearing
from Jehovah how the taberna Gle was
to be constructed, and all its furnishings,
including the ark Of the covenant, mercy
seat, candleStick, brazen altav, table of
the Lord. as well as the robes of the
priests. and the sacrifices which were to
be made in accordance with the patterns
Of things in the heavens" the people.
having no vision Of God through their
sin. had become an idol-intoxicatinp
crowd Of jewellers, who filled the air with
their wild chorus of icentious oIgies
In less than six weeks they had forgot
ten their solemn pledges, and by their
idolatry were in danger of being de-
stroyed.
Israel's apostacy, which is record
ed in this weeks lesson. is the most
conspicuous account of idolatry that
can be found in Gods Word. It is
evident that they did not plan at the
proposed to worship the invisible and
spiritual God by some form of ma
terial symbolism. 1t quickly de-
veloped into a violation of the first
commandment when they initiated the
worship of the Egyptian god. Apis,
by the erection of an idol that re-
minded them of the sacred calf, which
Aaron proclaimed as the gods' that
had brought them out of Egypt. To
their disobedience of the first COM
mand they added the breaking of the
second. when they attempted to turn
the, worship of the image into that
of Jehovah.
Idolatrous Israel faced the danger
OF being completely destroyed. The
Whole nation appears to have speed
ny declined in it's morals. Impur-
ity is usually united to idolatry, so
that with the removal of the re-
straints Of religion their copying of
by the licentious orgies that de-
yeloped into an unholy riot, which
demanded the inf1iction of the full
penalty of the law in vindication of
: Jehovah's authority. The righteous
ness OF His character, the inviolabiI-
tty IT OF His oath and the authority of
the ten commandments had been
questioned by the stiff -necked, or
stubborn. nation that had substituted
ITS will for His commands. The
nation that so quickly turned from
ITS benefactor deserved to be pun
naneS lsnad: in accordance with the pre-
When Moses hastened down from
the presence of Jehovah, who had
been planning, with him for forty
days to- make the nation, whom He
had called a peculiar people. to pro-
nounce judgment upon them for seek
ing to be like the idolatrous nations
of the world, the great leader heard
the licentious revelings of the peo-
ple.' Moses was filled with righteous
indignation at their sin. He delib-
erately broke into pieces the stones
upon which the covenant had been
because it was no longer
upon God, since the people
had broken their part of the con-
tract. The small pieces as they scat
tered down the mountainside were
symbolical of mans inability to keep
intact Gods law
He Immediately commenced to save
hem from the danger of extinction as a
.ation by overturning the idol. grinding
t into powder which he mingled with
heir water. He followed this up by
separating the followers of Jehovah
rom the idolatrous host To purify the
lation required the adopting of drastic
Methods to eliminate the danger Of re-
by putting 5000 to death. The
fleet of the peoples sorrow when they
anne to J3coEnize their sin caused
doses, who recognized that the sword
4 justice was suspended over the ma
ion by a, thread, to sintercede for his
ellow-countfymen.' g. =
Moses proved hts patriotism when; be-
- -yAR - ktAA - 49, k<aI