Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1924-02-05
SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON
For Feb. 10, 1924-Numbers 10, IA. Deut 1850
BY DIR. MARION McH. HULL

light in us, then He will bring us
into this land give it to us, a land
which floweth with milk and honey.
Only rebel we not against Jehovah,
neither fear We the, people of the
land; for they are bread to US; their
defense is departed from them, and
Jehovah is with us; fear them not. "
Think through here. See what
men these are who are speaking.
Hear what they say-the land is
fine. God will give it to US. The
people are our meat! They have no
defense. God is with us. Brace up!
This was the minority report. Did
they accept it? No! They were
about to stone them to death and
would have done so except that the
glory OF Jehovah appeared in the
tabernacle just at that moment, and
God spoke. His patience with them
was Well-nigh exhausted. God is in
finitely patient; but even Gods pa
thence has a limit. He is merclful
and gracious, slow to anger and
abundant in loving kindness-but
When he keeps on doing and doing
and doing for you, and you keep
on rebelllng against Him, the time
comes when He must bring you to
a stop, for your own good as well
as for His glory. Notice His ques.
tons. How long will this people
provoke me? How long will it be
before they believe me, for all the
signs which l have showed them?"
Think back bit. He had turned
rod into a serpent which had swal
lowed up other serpents. He had
turned water into blood and brought
frogs above measure from it. In a
moment they had all died. He had
turned dust into lice. He had made
flies to come into the homes of the
Egyptians, but not in theirs. He
had smitten Egyptian cattle with
deadly pestilence when not one
OF theirs was even sick. He had
brought boils on Egyptians and not
one on them. Egyptian cattle had
been beaten down in the fields with
hail and not one of their was hit.
Locusts had devoured every blade
of grass in Egypt. The whole land
of Egypt had been in a darkness
that could be felt, for three days,
but there had been light in all their
dwellings,. In Egypt there was on
a particular night one dead, the
first-born, in every house and Of
every animal, while all lived among
the Israelites. He had guided them
by a pillar Of fire by night and e
pillar of cloud by day. He had made
a way for them to pass over the
Red sea on dry land which the
Egyptian pursuers in attempting to
do met death by drowning. He had
thus delivered them miraculously
from the picked regiment Of the
Egyptian soldiers. He had made
bitter waters sweet for them. He
had fought for them against Amalek
and won the victory. He had
brought water out Of a rock for
them when they thirsted. He had
given them bread from heaven
every day except the seventh and
twice as much on the sixth day for
their need that day and the next
He had given them quails every
day for a month until they could
eat no more. He had manifested
Himself on Mt. Sinai, bringing them
out of Egypt to that very mount as
He had promised Moses for sign.
He had spoken to them audibly the
ten words, and then had written
them on a tablet of stone with His
own finger. He had caused the
earth to open and swallow up Korah
and his followers when they had re-
belled against Moses. He had smlt-
ten Miriam with leprosy when she
and Aaron had rebelled, and then
had healed her in answer to Moses
prayer. He had led them safely to
this point by the pillar OF cloud and
not trust Him to overcome few
walled cities and a few men that
were a bit taller than themselves!
No wonder God asked, How long
before they will believe Me?" He
was perfectly justified in saying /
will smite them with a pestilence
ana ddsinherit them" land since
Moses had trusted HIM 'and will
make of thee a greater nation ana
mightier than they"
Stop a moment. Where Israel mad
had one sign you have had a thou-
sand. How long will it be before
YOU will believe God? How long
will it be before you will trust Him
to save you from him who now
has the power of death and give you
everlasting life? Wait. Listen! You
have already accepted the gift OF
life from Him in Christ Jesus as
YOUR Savior? Then, how long, Chris
tan, will it be before you will be-
lieve that the same God is able ana
willing to lead you victorious over
every sin now? Having trusted
Him to bring you out Of Egypt, are
YOU going to fail at Kadesh? His
promise and His plan is not only to
bring you out, but also to bring you
in, and give it to you. You cannot
win it. Israel tried that and was
defeated. Eventually He did bring
them in and give it-yes, He gave
it to them; they didn't win 1t. But
notice what they suffered in the
meantime.
God didn't do what He threatened
because Moses prayed. Think of 1t!
Moses might have become the lead
err of a great nation; but he begged
God not do it because then Egyp-
tians would think as much of Him!
Gods glory was Moses chief desire
not his own advancement. So God
answered Moses prayer and with
held the judgment from the people.
He forgave and punished them at
the same time. He didn't destroy