Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1924-02-19
SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON
For March 2, 1924-The Judges
BY DR. MARION McH. HULL
Golden Text: II will heal their back
sliding, l will love them freely"
Hosea 14:4

Hosea 14:4
After the conquest of Canaan and
he allotment of the land to the
RIDES. Joshua seems to have lived
b quiet life in his inheritance in the
hill country Of Ephriam. Just be-
Fore his death, at the age Of one
hundred ten, he summoned the PEG
[ple before him and warned them
against forgetting all that God had
hone for them. and especially against
burning to the gods of the people
around about them. They very sol
Amnly declared their purpose Of obey
ing God fully and forever. But
Joshua seemed to know them too
well to accept their statement and
again urged them to be true to
&Jekovah; which they fully declared
hey would do.
And they were-as long as Joshua
lived and the elders who outlived
him. Then they forgot Joshua, for.
got their solemn oath, forgot all
that had been done for them and TO
hem in the wilderness and In
canaan, forgot God!
Then God left them to themselves
and they were oppressed by the ma
lions round about them; when their
lot became so bitter that they could
stand it no longer they cried out to
God, and He sent men to deliver
Them. Such was the record for $50
Years.
Who the Judges Were
e must not get our ideas con,
These judges were not for
Ehe purpose of sitting judicially and
deciding points of law for the gov.
ernment Of the people. They were
Father heroes; men whose hearts Coz
had touched. and who rose above
their fellow.men in their appreciation
pf God and His will for His people
n day when others were filled
with thoughts Of things they were
Filled with thoughts of God. They
were men who were leaders, leaders
n things spiritual. They were men
who, seeing the sad state of their
people, recognized that God alone
fould deliver them and put them
selves at His disposal.
1t is very important for us to
grasp this fact not only for a proper
understanding of that portion of
sraePs history and Gods dealings
with men, but also that we may ap
preciate our task in these days, and
n the coming days when Jesus shall
be reigning in person on the earth
for then we shall judge the nations
n the same way that these heroes
6udged Israel.
The Book of Judges
Our lesson today includes the
whole book Of Judges. Just a glance
therefore at the book as a whole be-
fore we glance more at the details.
1t is a record of apostasy, servi-
tude, cry to God and deliverance.
There are six apostasies, six servi-
tudes, six cries to God, siv deliver
ers, and six other judges. There is
also a record of one usurper king
bnd one prophecies. There are three
hppendices-one describing the idol
htry, one the immortality, and one
1.-The book of Ruth the petty and
loyalty of the people Of that day.
Some Of the judges or heroes were
men of interesting characteristics or
Personalities. The first one, Othniel,
was a warrior Of some note and
the son-in-law of Caleb, who had
won his wife by a signal victory
n a contest. The second one, Ehud,
WAS left-fandeG and had an interest
Ing experience with a fat man. The
third, Shamgar. slew six hundred
(neu with All oX-goad. Gideon was
hn outstanding man from many
points of view. Three of them seem
to have been known best because Of
he large number OF sons and daugh-
ters they had. Jeptha was Cad
lite, true to form, "a trooper shall
Troop, An illegitimate son who was
driven away fro m home then sought
Rs the leader of his people, and rash
Enough to make foolish VOW and
slay his only daughter and only
child in performing it. Samson, Dan
tie who could not be trusted. The
strongest man ever known, man
Pf anything but exemplary life, and
yet one whom the Spirit of God used
nightly. A careful study of each
pf these heroes will well repay any
pne, but space forbids it here.
A Typical Story
From all of these we take one as
typical story. In spite of the fact
that God had shown Himself very
2gracious to them again and again,
the children of Israel did evil in the
ivered them into the hand of INDIAN
seven years. indian handled Israel
roughly. They drove them from
their fields, their cities, their homes.
They had to live in dens and caves
n the mountains. When they plant
led a crop and tended 1t, INDIAN
would wait till it was ready to be
harvested and come against them
end take 1t. They left Israel no sus-
nance, neither sheep, nor OK, nor
esA The children of Israel were
reaNy impoverished because Of the
Midiaites. Can you visualize their
condition? Can you appreciate their
Mistress? Do you wonder they cried
TO God?
No. that is easy to understand.
The wonder Is that God heard their
cry. He wouldn't if He hadn't been
God, You wouldn't have heard it,
he you had been treated as they had
treated God,s But God--oh, there is
an immeasurable difference between