Belington progressive. [volume] (Belington, W. Va.) 1912-1927, 1919-02-20
IMPROVED USIfoHM INTERNATIONAL
SUNDMSGlOOL
LESSON
(By Rev. p. b. FITZw AFTER, ID. d,
Teacher of English Bible in the Moody
Bible Institute of Chicago.)
Copyright, 1918. Western Newspaper unIonl
LESSON FOR FEBRUARY 20
THE BREACH OF THE COVENANT
AND MOSES PRAYER FOR is
RAEL.

RAEL.
tMay Be Used With Missionary Applica-
tion.)
LESSON TENT-Exodus 32:l-34;9
GOLDEN TEXT-The effectual fervent
prayer of a righteous man availeth
much.-James SIG.
ADDITIONAL. MATERIALs-Deut &c.
%; Eph. 3:14-2l; James 5:i6-1S.
PRIMARY TOPIC-Ask Gods help for
others. Memory verse-James 5;16
JUNIOR ToPIC-Praying for other
people
INTERMEDIATES ToPIc-Interceding
for others
SENIOR AND ADULT ToPIc-The
value of microscopy prayer.
Less, than six weeks have elapsed
since Israel took the oath Of allegiance
to Jehovah. In less than forty days
they flagrantly break the first and Sec
ond commandments.
|. The Golden Calf (32 ;1-6).
1. Moses delay ". y This they in
terpreted to mean that their leader
had either lost his way in the dark
ness or had persisted in the fire that
HONeTtu over iDe IuOullt-
.. The peoples demand ". y. They
demanded of Aaron that he'make them
god to go before them. Their pro-
fession of allegiance to God collapsed
as soon as the strong personality of
their leader was no longer felt.
3. Aaron's cowardly compliance wv.
2-D. He was an eloquent man, but
lacked moral courage. Many today
can talk fluently, but vacillate before
the real issues of life. In order to
gain time with the rebels he demand
ed that they cast off their jewelry and
bring ii TO him. Perhaps he thought
that their love for II would cause them
to forego their demands, but they
cheerfully gave up their iewelry for a
false god. Aaron, like many eompro-
missing men of this age, opened door
which he could not shut.
4. Wanton revelry wv. 5, 81. See
ing their%llsposition Aaron erected an
altar and proclaimed fast unto Je-
hovah. He no doubt wished them to
worship the Lord through the image,
but he had made god for them and
1t was a very short step TO the heath
en- orgies connected with idolatrous
worship.
II. Gods Burning Wrath (82:7-10).
Gods nature is such that he cannot
tolerate a rival. No gods shall be be-
fore his face. The rival must be re-
moved or the people must be consumed
with divine wrath God does not own
them as his people, for they had cast
him off.
M. The Mediation of Moses (32 IL
14).
The declaration of a divine purpose
to destroy the Israelites did not deter
Moses from making intercession for
them. What was his threefold plea
wv. IL, -, 49,.
Moses knew full well that the people
deserved to die, therefore he could not
plead any merit on their part. His
plea was based wholly on Gods pur-
pose for Israel. Through his interces-
sion God relents.
w. Judgment Falls (32 1885.
/. Moses broke the tables of testi-
mony wv. 1919 emblematic Of the
breach of their covenant with Cod
2. Moses destroyed the image ". 20)
and made the people drink Of the wa
ter which contained its dust, thus max
ing them to experience in a physical
sense the bitterness which results from
sin.
3. Moses showed Aaron that he was
inexcusable for his part In the DIS
graceful affair wv. 21-24).
4. Moses called for those who would
take stand for the Lord to grid their
swords and slay all who stood out In
rebellion. The tribe of Levi ranged
themselves on his side and became the
instrument by which God chastened his
people wv. 1920.
5. Moses confessed the great sin of
the people and begged that God would
forgive them. He was willing to suf-
fer the punishment himself, If possible,
and let the people go free. The Lord
declared to him in answer that every
man should bear his own sin wv. 30
35).
v. The Covenant Renewed (33 l.
4-9).
1. Moses commission renewed (Ch.
33).
2. The second tables of the law
given ga :19). In the giving of these
tables he reiterated Gods justice, but
gave particular emphasis TO his mercy.
THE Lord God, merciful and gracious,
long-suffering and abundant in good
ness and truth, keeping mercy for
THOUSANDS forgiying iniquity and
transgression and sin, and that will by
no means clear the guilty; visiting the
iniquity Of the fathers upon the chill
dren, and upon the children's children,
unto the third and fourth generation"