The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1944-07-14
SUCCESSES AND FAILURES
OF ISRAEL

LESSON TExT-Judges 2:8-10.
| GOLDEN observation-disclosures exalteth
nation; but sin IL q reproach 10 any people
Proverbs 14:34.
The success or failure Of both ma
tons and individuals Is ultimately
determined by their attitude toward
the law Of God. He Is always right
and true. The constant factor In a
world order that swings wildly from
one extreme to another, Is His law,
which Is perfect and eternal.
God Is no respecter OF persons.
Even Israel, His own chosen nation,
found that observing Gods law
meant blessing, and failure to do SO
brought Judgment and sorrow. No
man Is great and powerful enough
to ignore this rule-and none Is ex-
empt from its operation.
1. Remembering God Brings Bless
ing wv. 6-9).
Although Israel had not fully
obeyed Gods command, and had
been rebuked by an angel OF the Lord
for their failure (Judg. 2:1-5), they
had come into a measure OF their
inheritance under Joshua.
They now possessed that inner
itance and entered into enjoyment
of 1t ". g.. It is one thing to have
an inheritance, but another thing to
claim it and make use Of it. Count
less Christians have never taken out
their inheritance in Christ. All they
have is the earnest (Eph. 1:14) or
'down payment"
God never meant that any child OF
His should live a poverty-stricken
spiritual life, or should go hating
on first one side and then the other.
He has made provision for a full
orbed, strong and joyful life. Why
not enter upon your full inheritance
in Christ now?
AS the people Of Israel took pos
session of the land, they went for
ward in the way of blessing as long
as Joshua, and the elders who re-
membered God, kept them steady
and true. We have here an excel
lent illustration of the power OF a
godly example. It is far stronger
than we think.
ii. Forgetting God Brings Back
sliding wv. 1919.
The fact that a people has been
highly privileged and has been ex-
allied to a place of power and honor
will not save it in the day when God
is forgotten. Israel no longer had
God-fearing men to bring it back to
God, and so began its awful drifting
away from God.
We Americans are rightly proud
Of our great land, its mighty re-
sources, it's fine past and promising
future. But wait-what is the future
to be? Oh, we say, the most glori-
Gus days are ahead. They may be,
but only if we, like our forefathers
who established this nation, recog-
nize God. If we do not, America
will 60 the way of the forgotten en-
pires of centuries past, and that in
spite Of all it's past achievements
and its present promise.
Let us always remember that
America Is not some vague entity
apart from us, for we, you and l,
are America, we determine what 1t
shall be, and how it shall relate it.
self to God. Let us be sure that no
one we know ever forgets God.
It is a significant thing that the
leaders Of our nation SO often come
from Christian homes, but it is sad
that they are so frequently not
Christians themselves. Their lives
are shaped by the teaching and in
fiuence of cody parents who reared
them, but what will their children
do if they are not brought up in the
fear and admonition Of the Lord?
Forgetting God is bad enough in
its immediate results, but just ahead
there is great and certain disaster.
iii. Forsaking God Brings Judg-
ment wv. 14-16).
God not only will not hold a back
sliding nation guiltless, but will
bring judgment even if He has to
turn over His people to despoiling
nation. He has instruments Of indi-
vidual and national chastisement,
and He is ready to use them.
Notice that wherever they went
the Lords hand was against them.
There is no place to flee from the
presence of God. Anyone who thinks
he can do it, should read Psalm
1912. It can't be done. That is
comfort to the believer, but it is
not little disquieting to the un-
believer.
God, however, always remembers
mercy in the midst of judgment Cps.
10l:D. He sent judges to deliver
Israel, when He was sure Of their
repentance ". 16). "If there was
ever a time when nations needed
deliverers, it's now. The systemat.
ic looting of subjugated peoples. the
deliberate murder of multitudes Of
Jews, the mass executions of many
innocent people in reprisal for some
patriotic act of resistance, are evils
| that cry to heaven.
eff men would call on God moi
merely for deliverance but in real
repentance for sins committed per.