The Wilmington morning star., 1946-02-09
Sunday School
LIE S S O n
a PEOPLE DISCIPLINED

A PEOPLE DAo
The Book OF NUM- ers'
esnecially Chapter 14:11-24
D. WTILIAM E. GILROY, d. D.
when one reads with a sense
~ realism much in the story OF
ancient Israel, and especially IN
the story of Egypt, the wandering
-; ~ tho wilderness and the conquest
of Canaan, is full Of strange con-
trasts. -.
2 loving and merciful God, as IN
verse IS, Of the 18th chapter OF
Numbers: Jehovah is slow to
anger, and abundant in loving
kindness. forgiving iniquity and
transgression.'' But elsewhere
events and happenings are repre-
sented as the judgements and in
flictions of punishment by an angry
God. Prosperity and adversely are
represented, respectively, as mark
ing Gods. favor or Gods disap-
proval.
For this there was much war
rant in the nature of the times
and the life Of the people. To
day great masses of innocent and
unoffending people may be sub
ject to great suffering and dis
aster from causes over which
they have no control. Remote
events in the world may bring
upon them starvation and death;
or merciful and helpful attitudes
on the part Of peoples removed
from them by oceans may give
them hope Of survival and OF
ultimate restoration and happi-
ness.
All this we see in our own
times. We are conscious of how
much depends upon us, the people
of America, who are given the
opportunity of playing the part OF
providence to millions of needy fell
low-mortals. But in ancient Israel,
particularly in the wilderness life
of a closely-knit community, health,
safety and prosperity-or disease,
adversely and disaster-depended
much more directly upon the peo-
pie themselves, in their moral
character, their consideration for
one another and their willingness
to accept disciplines in behalf OF
common protection and welfare.
The early interpreters Of God S
purposes and will did not allow
for the moral uses and adversely.
They had no adequate religious
philosophy to meet, or explain,
the infections of suffering that
seem to fall upon the good, as
well as upon the evil, in the com
mon experiences of life. This was
the problem faced in the Book
OF Job, and by the later prophets,
with a suggested solution in the
admonition, Whom the Lord low
eth He chasteneth.
Nevertheless, apart from the
experiences that are beyond ones
own control, and which must be
borne with faith and fortitude,
and which yield what Paul calls
the peaceable fruit of righteous
ness" the primitive life of Israe
makes plain what happens when a
people refuse to accept and exercise
the reasonable disciplines that are
inevitably associated with moral
character and social responsibility.
Disaster came upon them when
character failed. And no nation
Is secure when moral and social
dlsclplnes are disregarded and re.
fused.
Here in our country today we
are facing serious consequences
because large numbers of people
are morally and socially undis-
clplined. At the lowest scale are
the Wllfully criminal, caring NOTHING
ABOUT what happens to others or
now they suffer, as long as they
themselves get their ill-gotten
gains. A little higher are those
VINO operate within the law. but
whose greed and selfishness are
n'tle less than criminal in their
results. Much higher, but morally
ana socially ineffective, are the
good" people who live to them.
serves, but who do little to restrain
evil Social discipline, as well as
self-dlsclpline, is at the very
foundation of social welfare. It
IS as true today as in the day that
God spake on Sinai.