The times-news. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1927-current, 1933-06-29
WEEKLY SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON
JOSHUA
By HIGHT c. MOORE

JOSHUA !: l-9; 23j l, Z, IL
Golden Text--Be strong and
of good coura&e----for the
Lord is with thee whithersoeVer
thou goest. Joshua l: 9.
At last Israel reached the
Plains of Moab, east of Jordan,
and the forty years Of wilderness
wandering were over. Thence
Moses assembled Mount Nebo
where he died in ecstasy. He
was succeeded by Joshua who re-
ceived from God his orders to in
wade Canaan.
1t was perhaps twenty-five
years after the invasion of Ca
naan and eighteen years after
the conquest, that Joshua calling
together the elders Of Israel, pos
sibly at his home in Timnath-
Serah, addressed them in solemn
warning against compromise with
the idOlatrOuS nations still left IN
the land.
THE NEW LEADER
Summons to service came from
Jehovah to Joshua, the assistant
and successor Of Moses, who had
Just passed away. He was the
son Of Nun; grandson OF Ellsh-
anna, a captain in lsraeIS army
after the Exodus; Of the tribe OF
Ephraim and so a descendant of
JoSanh. and hearing a worthy
name which means "Jehovah IS
salvation" Born is Goshen, he
spent more than forty years in
the land of bondage--a period
of subsection, discipline, self-de-
NAL, struggle, yearning for bet
ter things. During the wilder
ness period he became Moses
minister, attending the great law
giver in his legislation, leading
Israel against the Amalekites, and
from Kadens- Barnea, spying out
the LOnd Of Canaan. No finer
man in Israel could be summon
ed to succeed Moses.
THE NEW LAND
Stimulus in service was guar
anteed the new leader. The ur-
gent, all-impOrtant task before
him was the immediate invasion
| Of Canaan. He must cross the
Jordan, then swollen with its
spring-time flood into fOaming,
surging, torrent, perhaps five
hundred feet wide. He was to
lead over it all the people with
all their belongings. Henceforth
Israel should traverse no terri
tory they could not call their
own. Before they lay their land
full length which twice in history
they controlled to the extremities
here specified; Southwark to
Kadesh-Barnea; northward to the
Lebanon Mountains; eastward to
the Euphrates River; westward to
the Mediterranean Sea. In win
ming the territory thus divlnely
assigned to Israel, the new lead
er was certain of victory because
he was promised the presence and
power Of God.
THE NEW LAW
Strength for service for thrice
enjoined upon Joshua. He need
ed strength for conflict: for the
path ahead was beset with all
sorts of difficulties from the
crossing Of the impossible JOr-
dan Immediately before them, to
the capture TO the Cannaitish
strongholds in the mountains be-
yond. No molly-coddle could full
fiji such a mission. He must have
the strength Of courage and the
courage of strength, in order to
conquer. But in and after con-
quest he must find strength in
obedience for he must personally
observe the mandates of Moses,
lettering neither to the right nor
TO the left along the path of
duty; and he must teach it to
others so that it would be reg
nant in the law and order Of the
new country. The end Of such
course but be most happy,
browning leader and people alike
with good success. They must
remember, however, that while
strength for the conflict comes
in the path of obedience, it must
come direct from God who COM
'mands, strengthens, encourages,
accompanies, effectualizes. What