The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1920-04-15
SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON.
Especially Prepared for The Republi-
can by DIR. u. S. Wright.

7:2-7. 1921. Read chapters 6-8.
There is no restraint to Jehovah to
save by many or by few. l Sam. 14:6.
THE NEW LEADER.
Deborah is dead and Jehovah for
gotten. Attracted by the rich fields
the hungry hordes of the desert cross
the Jordan and Israel is again hunted
into coverts and caverns. In their des-
peration they called again to the God
of Abraham for help and once more
salvation came as it always does thru
some one willing to sacrifice self for
others. Gideon was farmer of Ma
nassau near forty years old for his ED
est boy tho youth was able to join the
dauntless three hundred. In one of the
Incurslons family blood had been shed
and the brothers of Gideon had fallen
(8:19) so that the old demand of blood
revenge entered into the passion of the
man. To the stirred spirit God could
speak for it is the deadly indifference
that closes ears to His call. So there
came the challenge to take up the task
of liberating his people and like other
great souls he hesltated. Moses did the
same thing. God overcame his hest
tation by approving his passion. GO
in this your might, he was told" R. E
Speer says: THE angel did not say:
God cannot use you. You will have to
have your will and spirit broken before
you can be used! No, he sail: Gideon l
like you. like the spirit, the strong
passion. with which you speak. Now
90 right out and serve God in this your
might and you shall save Israel from
the hand of Midan! "For God companies
with the stirred soul always; it is the
Indifferent that he refuses. But there
must be more than the acceptance of
the commissions. The leader must
make open proclamation of the stand
taken. All men must know where to
find him, no fence sitter can control a
crisis. Public sin fattens upon secret
vice. Jehovah could not honor a man
abroad who did not honor him at home.
On the hill above the house Was the
altar of Baal and in the darkness he
called ten trustv men about him and
asked if they would see the task thru
for Jehovah's sake and up the hill they
went and when dawn broke the old
altar had disappeared with every ves-
tlge of heathenish practices and the
sacrifice was ready for the God of Is
rael. There must have been great ex-
element In town that morning but the
sturdy farmer was not to be cowed and
the axes were evidently ready for other
cutting than an adopted God unable to
protect himself so there was listening
to the story and the acclaiming of readi-
ness to undertake great tasks for Je-
hovah. Again it was a revival of re-
ligion that saved Israel. Why are we
so slow to learn?
THE SECRET OF SUCCESS.
Every outstanding Allied leader has
been a religious man. And from buck
private to the Marshall of all the forces
partnership with God made a better
soldier for it both steadied the nerve
and quickened the wits. Gideon went
into partnership with Jehovah and tried
to find out what He wanted DONE Sure
that His plan was the overthrow of
indian he placed everything he had at
Gods disposal in carrying out that pur-
pose. But God always leaves His man
free to make his own plans for ac-
complishing the desired thing. The
pitchers, torches, trumpets, squads,
surprise, time and battle cry all were
Gideon's. The power of God works thru
the plans of man and no one will ever
become a leader who is not willing to
think his own way to Gods goal, The
entire temptation of Jesus turns about
the methods that would apply to carry
ing out His Father will for the saving
of the world. PauPs letters were his
own idea for meeting the situation but
Gods spirit breathes thru them to the
heart of the church today. Wyckliffe
was certain that God meant the people
to know His word but he broke new
ground when he put it into the speech
of the common people and wondrously
has God blessed that human plan. Lin
coin learned that only united nation
could endure and sure that God needed
America for great tasks dared to plan
as no other would for the Union and
the partnership has proved its worth
1t is when the power of God and the
brain of man are harnessed together
that new age comes.
THE ORGANIZATION THAT WINS
Volunteers came to the standard from
the northern tribes most vitality affect
ed and $4,000 men looked down from
Mt. Gilboa upon the seemingly count
less tents of indian in the plain of Es-
draelon below. Murmurs of dismay
came to the ears of Gideon who knew
too we'll what such talk would mean to
the army. One man is reported as be-
ing court-martialed in our own forces
for being "discourager IF you
are afraid, go home,' was the COM
mand carried to every tent. But I'll
guarantee that not one of the %, 600
who trailed off went because he was
afraid but. I've had bad news from
home or I'm getting rheumatism out
here in the woods or think | can get
some more men in''-or something else
equally good. But they went and the
10000 were left to face the enemy.
Gideon was hunting for shock troops
and was determined to find them. God
is never bothered about crowd; quality
is the only thing that counts with Him.
Gideon marched them under the har-
vest sun down to the skirmish line of
indian. Hot and sweaty they came to
the brink of that spring that sends it's
stream of clear cool water across the
plain. They stopped of course. Most
of them fell fiat on their faces and
drank and drank and drank. They de-
spised the foe and dared the arrows.
Others stood with arms ready and lifted
q bit to their lips. Alertness was in
their very pose and if there were foe
men worthy of their steel in the ranks
of the enemy they would not be caught
mapping. There were but 300 but God
said. "That's enough of the quality thev