The times-news. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1927-current, 1938-06-30
WEEKLY SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON
Joshua: A Choice Of Loyalties
gy HIGHT {. MOORE
BY HIGHT {. MOORE
Sunday, July ).

Golden text: AS for me aud my
house, we will serve the Lord
Joshua 2l:l ,,
Joshua made his choice OF loyal
tics as a spy from the wilderness,
as the conGucror of Canaan ana
ne the leader OF his people IN thelr
GO, cnant of service to Jeh9Van:
Joshua was one of the II spies
sent out from Kadesh-Barnea 10
, search the land of Canaan WIN d
view to its capture. They went
and saw and returned ana re-
norted. But Joshua and Caller,
were in the minority. They urged
! Israel to go forward; they beiicV-
cd in God aud his people; but TOR
their interest they exposed them
selves to popular wrath and came
near being stoned. AS a result
Israel fell back in the wilderness
! for more than 81 years--ln 1acV,
till all the warriors were deao
save these two faithful spies.
I At last Israel reached the Plains
of Moab, east Of Jordan, and the
{ 40 wears of wilderness wandering
were over. Thence Moses ascend
ed Mount Nebo where he died I'D
ecstasy. He was succeeded ny
! Joshua who received from God
4 his orders to invade Canaan.
1t was perhaps % years after
the invasion of Canaan and Is
wears after the conquest, That
/ Joshua calling together the elders
of Israel, possibly at his home IN
| Timnath-Serah, addressed them IN
solemn warning against compro-
mise with the idolatrous nations
I still left in the land.
LOYALTY FOR CONQUEST
/ (Joshua y
. The Call to Conquer came to
Joshua and proved his loyalty for
conquest. CD Summons to con-
quest came from Jehovah to
Joshua, the assistant and success
sor of Moses, who had just passed
away. He was the son of Nun;
grandson Of Elishama, a captain
in Israel's army after the exodus
of the tribe Of Ephraim and so a
descendant of Joseph; and bear
ing a worthy name which means
Jehovah is salvation" Born in
Goshen, he spent more than 40
years in the land Of bondage-a
reriod Of subsection, discipline,
Self-denial, struggle, yearning for
better 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 Kadesh-Barnea spying out
the Land of Canaan. No filter
man in Israel could be summoned
to succeed Moses. (2) Stimulus
in conquest was guaranteed the
new leader. The urgent, all-impor-
tant task before him was the i'm
mediate invasion of Canaan. He
must cross the Jordan, then swol.
len, with it's sprinrtime flood into
a foaming, surGing torrent, per
haps five hundred feet wide. He
was to lead over it all the people
with all their belongings. Hence
forth Israel should traverse M
TERRITORY they could not call theiI
own. Before them lay their lane
full length which twice in histor!
the ycontrollcd to the extremitie
here specified: Southwark TO kad
csh- Farnea: northward to Leban
on. Mountains; eastward to thu
Euphrates river: westward to thu
Mediterranean sea. In winnint
the TERRITORY thus divinely assign
ed to Israel. the new leader wa
certain Of victory because he wa
promised the presence and powe
Of God. ca Strength for con
"r"st was thrice Cnioired~ uror
Joshua. He needed STRENGTH fo
conflict: for the path ahoad VA
hrset with all sorts Of difficultie
from tho crossing Of tho impass;
able Jordan Immediately bcfor,
them. to the capture Of the Ca
naanit,sh stronEholds in thu
mountains beyond. No mollN-cod
die could fulfil such mission, II,
must have the strength of cour
age and the courage Of strength
in order 10 conquer. But in anC
after conquest he must fine
strength in obedience for he mus
personally observe the mandate
Of Moses, lettering neither to th'
right nor to the left along tn,
path Of duty; and he must teacl
it to others so that it would b,
regnant in the law and order o
tho new country. The end of sucl
a course could but be most happy
browning leader and people alik,
with good success. They must re
member, however, that Will
strength for the conflict comes il
the path of obedience, it mus
come direct from God who com
mands, strengthens, encourages