Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1923-10-16
Golden Text: "LoOIx unto me and
be We saved, all the ends of the
EARTH" lisa. 1922.

EARTH" lisa. 1922.
Nestled along the eastern shore of
the Mediterranean Ghe very name
Of the sea means middle of the
earth), is a narrow strip Of land.
It is bounded on the north by noun
tains, on the east and south by des-
, erts, and on the west by the great
sea. 1t is only $50 miles from north
TO south, and 45 miles at its widest
.part. If you could pick it up and
place it on the state of Georgia it
would only cover the northwest one
fifth of the state.
Yet it has within those narrow
Limits almost every variety Of eli
stnate There is perpetual snow on
ythe, SUBMITS of Mt. Hermon in the
north, and tropical heat in the val
ley of the Jordan, 1900 feet below
sea level. It has the invigorating
air of the mountains round about
Jerusalem, and the balmy salt air
of the coast. You can find almost
every kind of soil there-from the
loanfy soil of the plain of Esdraelon
to the barren rocks of the mountain
sides. It's fields produce everything
that grows, from cotton and wheat
to olives and oranges. In its hills
are found metals in abundance; and
its water courses are capable of pro-
d1eing hydro-electric power suffi-
eeient to furnish light and heat and
power to every factory and home
ewithin a. radius of many miles.
That little land is the center of
the world, geographically, political
ly and religiously. Not only is il
situated on the sea whose name
means middle of the earth, but it is
the bridge that connects Europe and
Asia, the eastern hemisphere with
the western. It is the center of the
population Of the world; it is nearer
the millions of China and of India,
the, millions of Africa, the millions
of eastern Europe, and of western
Europe and the Americas than any
other one place.
- TT Is the political center Of the
world. The real problem Of the
World war was as to who should
have the control of Palestine, the
bridge of the nations. Germany
needed it for the completion of her
Berlin to Bagdad project and her
eastern trade. England and the al
ffes needed it for trade and access
ito Egypt.
It is the religious center Of the
sworld, for out of it came those
things we discussed last week-the
knowledge of the true God, the
moral law which is the basis of
civilization, and the law which is
the foundation of all Of civil law to-
day. Out of it also. came the Christ
who is the one outstanding figure
zof the world today in every land,
heather and so-called Christian. And
while at present there is no active
positive influence from that little
land, its past history enables it to
occupy a unique place and power in
today. OF its future in this re-
entity
IsraePs Land
That bit of land belongs not to
England but to Israel. 1t is true
England is at present in possession,
but the title is in Israel. God gave
that land to Abram the day he and
Lot separated. He repeated His
promise of the land to Isaac and to
Jacob, ann then to Moses; and after
Moses death, to Joshua Gin one of
the passages selected for the lesson
today. In Deut 1878 we learn that
God has set the bounds of other ma
3fons with reference to the number
.nf- the children Of Israel While
Israel never possessed all of her pos
sessions, Gods promise was not all
tered and the title is still in$ Israel.
Last week we learned that God
had chosen Israel to be a missionary
nation, to be a kingdom of priests,
to be a witness to the nations of
Him, the one God. 1t is quite nat
fEnr Il.
chosen as a place for His people who
mad such a unique responsibility a
land with such strategic position
as this land. The death of Moses
might have made some of them won
der if the promise would not be real
'ized, so God confirmed it to Joshua.
Note that He says (which I do give"
- HAT have | given" Moses
death had no effect on the validity
Of Gods promises.
In that land their glory was to be
in the keeping of Gods command
+ ments. AS they keep Gods COM
mandments other nations, in the
midst OF whom they had been placed,
would say, Surely this great nation
Is a wise and understanding people,
for what nation is there so great
who hath God so night unto them
=; and what nation is there so
great that hath statutes and judg-
mentS so righteous as all this law?"
How good was Jehovah to this
people! The land that He gave them
eWas a good land, a land of brooks of
water, of fountains and depths that
spring out of valleys and hills. a
land OF wheat, and barley, and vines,
ana Zig trees, and pomegranates; a
land of oil, olive and honey: a land
OF plenty; a land whose stones were
OF iron and out of whose hills thew
might dig brass. God drove the
Canaanites out Of this land and
gave to Israel vineyards that thew
had-not planted and fields that thew
mad not sown. In this He was not
dfnJust to the Canaanites, for thew
had failed in their trust; He was
gracious to Israel, for they had what
they did not deserve.
And yet low little did they appre-
,clate these blessings. They failed to
Keep His commandments. the keen
ing OF which was to be their glory.
and they were satisfied to take DOS.
session of only a small part of what
God had decided to them. True to
His word, because of this God scat
tered them among the nations and
let their goodly land become desc
lation in the hands of hostile PEG.
pie. There is not a nation worth
mentioning today that has not its
quota of Jews. Distinct they are,
intermarrying within their race, and
thrifty. But Israel among the ma.
tons is different from Israel in the
midst of the nations. Among the
nations today Israel is not witness.
ing to God as the great and holy
God. but Israel scattered has allowed
her testimony tn ha ohso,,red h1, L a.,