February, 1946 SUNDAY S C H O O L L E S S O N S
Outline and Exposition B. B. S u t c l if f e ,
Points and Problems H o m er A . K e n t
For the Children A l l is o n A rrowood
Lesson material is based upon outlines of International Sunday School Lessons, copyrighted by the International Council of Re ligious education; used by per mission. f
the fight of faith must be waged in order to take posession of what is his. The ownership is unconditional; the possession, or experience, is con ditional upon his faith and obedience. Spiritually, the limits of the land (v. 4) may be said to be: the wilder ness— self-confidence, or legalism; Lebanon — self-righteousness, or for malism; the river—self-seeking, or the line of least resistance; and the sea— self-will, or open sin, rebellion against restraint (Cf. Isa. 57:20). . II. I n s t r u c t io n fo r R e t a in in g t h e L a n d (23:1-11) The 'word “separation" might be chosen to cover .these verses. God had separated this people unto Himself and given them, as a separated peo ple, this land. To continue their en joyment of it, they must set them selves apart unto Him; this was their only hope of actually retaining the land. It was necessary for the children of Israel to cleave to the Lord, with Undivided h e a r t , separating them selves from both the people and the religion of Canaan. Such separation was to be the secret of their joy in service and their strength in warfare, and it would be secured by obedience, be maintained by obedience, and it could be lost by disobedience. They were directed to “take good heed” to themselves that they might not only possess this territory, but that they might have the greatest pleasure and the utmost- benefit from residing therein. Points and Problems 1. "Now therefore arise, go over this Jordan" (v. 2). What Moses could not do because of his failure (Num. 20: 7-13), Joshua was bidden to do. Is this not a beautiful picture of Christ’s accomplishing for needy men through
the turbulent waters of death what the law cpuld not do? “For what the law could not do . . . God sending his own Son . . . condemned sin in the flesh” (Rom. 8:3). 2. "Go over this Jordan" (v. 2). The Jordan is one of the most remarkable rivers in the world. It is well-named “the Descender.” It rises in the Leb anon mountains and Mount Hermon, which is 9,000 feet above sea level. It flows down through rugged ravines into the Sea of Galilee, about 600 feet below sea level. From Galilee it des cends rapidly until it empties into the Dead Sea, over 1200 feet below the level of the sea. This remark able river provides the natural sep aration between the land of Israel’s wanderings and the land of their rest and victory. The Jordan is a type of the death of Christ, for it was through His death that victory for God’s peo ple was made possible. 3. "Every place that the sole of your loot shall tread upon, that have I given unto you" (v. 3). A principle is set forth in these words that all men should heed. God has done much for the welfare of all. He has given of His richest blessings. But man must do something about what God has done. It is only as man acts upon what God has done, “treads upon” the land He has given, that benefit and enjoyment come. 4. "For the Lord your God is he that hath fought for you . . . he it is that fighteth for you" (23:3, 10). In the past God has fought for His people, overcoming for them their enemies. This undertaking was culminated at Calvary where He subdued man’s greatest enemies. The devil and death were conquered. Bu* God con tinues to fight for His people in the present. Through His Spirit who abides within, and with the armor He provides for every believer (Eph. 6), the saint of God can declare with confidence: “If God be for us, who can be against us?”
LESSON FOR MARCH 3 Entering and Possessing a New Land L E S S O N M A T E R IA L : Josh. 1:1-4; 23:1- 11 . G O L D E N T E X T : “ Thou shalt bless the Lord thy God for the good land which he hath given thee” (Deut. 8:19). Outline and Exposition I. I n s t r u c t io n s fo r T a k in g t h e L an d ( J o sh . 1:1-4) Moses, because he represented the law, was a hindrance to. Israel’s en tering the land—that was a matter for grace, not law. Hence, when Moses died, Joshua, chosen to take Moses’ place (Num. 27:12-23), received the word from the Lord: “Now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, thou and all this people, unto the.land which I do give to them, even to the chil dren of Israel” (vs. 1, 2). Joshua was promised that “every place that the sole of your foot shall tread upon” would be Israel’s (v. 3). The people already had title to the land; they owned it for it had been given to them, but they did not possess it in actual experience. The Lord desires to give His people the experience of actually enjoying what they already own. In the spir itual life, the land of promise is ever larger than the land of possession; God provides more than faith ever appropriates; always there is more to be experienced. The body of the be liever is still in “Egypt” where the need of faith is seen; as'to his expe rience, he is in the wilderness, where the rest of faith may be secured; but as to his faith, he is in Canaan where
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