The midland journal., 1945-04-27
SETTLEMENT AND STRUGGLES
IN CANAAN

LESSON TExT-Judges 2:e. 2. II. Il. 10
10: 6:l1-l6.
GOLDEN rExT-Be strong and Of Q
good courage: be not afriad. neither be
thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God 10
with thee whithersoever thou goest.--
Joshua 1:o.
| GOO keeps his promises. Israel
found that to be true as He brought
them into the promised land Of
Canaan. Those who rebelled against
Him had died In the wilderness, but
now a new generation had come
into possession Of the land.
| Here they met the challenge of the
heathen, and were victorious over
them as they trusted the Lord.
Joshua, their leader, after faithful
services was ready to 60 to be with
the Lord, but before doing so, re-
minded them of Gods promise and
of the danger of unbelief and sin.
AS our lesson opens, we find the
people settled in the land, as far as
they had taken it. We find:
I. Gods Promise Fulfilled (2:6)
The Lord had promised the land
to them ns they went in and pos
sessed it by faith in Him. He
fully kept that promise in the meas
ure that they believed Him. They
never did take the whole land, but
that was because of their failure,
not Gods.
The story speaks to us. God has
| vHr0xy;dnI v.;nI, ;r,har;faroa for ft,n
believer in Christ, but it must be
appropriated by faith. How much
have we taken out of the riches
we have in Christ?
We are also reminded of the abb
solute faithfulness of God. There is
little in this world in which we may
repose complete confidence, but we
may and should trust God. He has
never failed anyone, and He will
not fail lis.
III. Mans Promise Broken (2:7,
II, 12).
The people had solemn1y prom
ised to keep Gods commandments
| (see last weeks lesson). That prom
Use they had renewed in response
to Joshua's farewell challenge (see
Josh. 24:I0, 21). They kept their
word only as long as those who
remembered Joshua were alive,
and then they "forsook the Lord"
This fall of Israel has its counter
part in what is taking place in our
land today. The great mass of de-
cent people in America were reared
in Christian homes. They know what
is right, and they live on the spir-
itual and moral momentum re-
ceived from their godly parents.
The next generation now COM
ing into power, without the bene-
fit of spiritual training in the home
and church, are forsaking the Lord
and following other gods, the gods
of pleasure, of money, of lust.
iii. Gods Plan of Deliverance
<2:18, 19).
One would have thought that God
would give up a people so set on
SHINING, but He did not. He pro-
vided deliverance for Israel. That
gives us courage, for we know that
He has not given us up, but has
provided in Christ sure deliver
ance-if America will but turn to
Him.
For Israeps deliverance God pro-
vided judges, who were not only
judicial, but, in fact, primarily ad-
ministrative in their work. They
were Gods men to call Israel
back to Him. The repeated failure
and backsliding Of Israel brought
new acts of mercy on Gods part
in calling out new judges.
II is interesting to note that God
works through men. Some of these
judges were great men. Others
were just ordinary men. But each
in his appointed place, at the ap-
pointed time, was Gods man.
God Is looking for men today
who will serve Him. He wants bril-
liant, capable men, but He also
calls the ordinary, everyday vari-
ETY., and as they are faithful, He
blesses them. Has He called you?
Have you responded?
Nv. Gods Presence and Power
(6:11-16).
Israel had long been under the OPP
preston of the Midianites, who
would sweep over the land and steal
their crops and their fiocks. Israel
finally turned to God for help, and
He mel their need by calling Gideon
as the fifth of the judges.
God knows better than to can an
idle man, one who is sitting around
waiting for opportunity to knock.
He seeks out the busy person and
gives him more to do.
Note the entirely adequate pro-
vision made for Gideon's success.
Surely will be with thee" That
means both the presence and the
power of the eternal and omnipo-
tent One.
Gideon at once began the tear
ing down of the heather places Of
worship in his own community. It
was the hardest place to start. It
always is. But the one whose light
is to shine afar must see that it
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