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should erect in our hearts tablets of enduring memory—a testimonial to His faithfulness and gracious deliverances. And we should be able to look upon these memorials in testing times and remember that He is always the same. What He has done, He can do. Pity the Christian who can not put his hand upon such “tablets” and bear witness to God’s love and faithfulness. Then, our own lips and lives should also be memorial stones, telling out always the story of His grace and keep ing power. God needs such witnesses. Far beyond any attainments we possess are these immortal testimonies to the praise and glory of His grace, His salvation, His keep ing power, His unchanging love, His precious promises which stimulate our faith and inspire our hopes for the glorious future. These are the memorials which gladden His heart and encourage sinners to believe in His unchang ing work. (3) THE CAPTAIN OP THE HOST, Ch. 5. “There stood a man” v. 13. The Passover Feast had been kept. The broken coven ant had been restored and the manna ceased. They were out of the wilderness and into the land. God’s promise was fulfilled, but they were facing the fact of warfare for pos session of that which God had given them.. The Lord appeared to Joshua. He needed Him, as did Job (Job 42:5, 6 ) and Isaiah (Isa. 6:5) and Jeremiah (Jer. 1:5, 6 ) and Daniel (Dan. 10:5-8) and Saul (Acts 9:3-6). When Moses was called he had the vision of the burning bush. Joshua was to enter a field of service in battling for the land and here our Lord appears as a man with a drawn sword. The attitude of Joshua was characteristic. There was no fear at first, but his challenge was “Whose side are you on?’”:' That is what we need to know and have a right to know in the professed church,—whose side, and which side? Joshua is the leader of Israel, but he bows to the Captain of the hosts of the Lord. Who could say “This place is holy” except our Lord Jesus Christ? How can men today deny His Deity when the Old Testament describes Him as the Lord of hosts? He carries a sword and He is unchange able. Woe unto those whose wickedness will demand Its use! Topics for Study (1) Did God demand the utter destruction of the Can- aanites, and why? (Deut 20:16, 17; Num. 21:2). (2) What conditions of true success are recorded in 1:7? (3) Did Joshua show himself great when he resisted the clamors of the people? (4) What are the elements of greatness manifested in the life of Joshua as recorded in this lesson? (5) How would you relate v. 3 with the subject of faith? ( 6 ) Has God a plan for every man’s life, and what is the great essential in the individual for the per fection of the plan? (7) Why did God choose this particular season of the year for Israel to cross the Jordan? ( 8 ) What was the purpose of the memorial stones?
Joshua (Jesus, Heb. 4:8 and margin) of the Gospel (cf. Jno. 1:17).—Torrey. COMMENTS 1:4 Observe the reference to the Hit- FROM THE tites. They were the dominant nation COMMENTARIES of Canaan and rivals of Egypt, and to V. V. Morgan merely human eye It seemed prepos terous that Israel could dispossess them, but “Is anything too hard for the Lord?” Notwith standing the greatness of the Hittites secular history has known nothing about them until recently, and archaeolog ical discoveries revealing their record have been one of the triumphs of the past century and one of the strongest evidences to the historicity of the Old Testament.—Gray. 1:6 Only one condition is required of Joshua for the fulfillment of these promises-—strength and courage. But this strength and courage is not physical, but the moral quality found in obedience to God. And even this is nar rowed to one thing—the observance of the written law, knowledge of and ELEMENTARY Kate H. Haus After they came close to the land of Canaan, Moses was called by God to the top of Mount Nebo. There he died and was buried by the angels. 1:3 The death of a great leader is no reason for giving up a great work, but a call of God for some one else to arise and take his place. Moses was type of the law;
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