THE KI NG' S BUSINESS
252
June, 1938
quer the land from those giants. Only Caleb and Joshua said that the people could and should go in at once. They were not afraid because they knew God had promised them the land and He could see that they got it. But the people were afraid to go. Lesson Story: It was thirty-eight years later that the children of Israel crossed over into that land. Only Caleb and Joshua were alive of all those men and women who had listened to the spies! Caleb was an old man now, eighty-five years old, but he was fresh and strong as the day that he had gone to look at this country. It was now that Caleb came to Joshua, the leader of the people, to remind him of a promise which Moses had given him. It was this, “ Surely the land whereon thy feet have trodden shall be thine inheritance, and thy children’s for ever, because thou hast wholly followed the Lord my God.” And now Caleb was asking for this land. It was not going to be any easy place to live, for he was asking for the city of Hebron, a fortified city in a hilly country where there were strong enemies. But Caleb was not afraid. He knew that God’s prom ises were sure, and God had promised him the land.
parts o f the land. Caleb had the privilege of choosing, and he chose a mountain rather than a fertile valley. It was more difficult to conquer the enemies there, and he wanted a hard task.
I think you will agree with me that the small pencil which has served its master so faithfully should receive the blue ribbon. As you and I serve Christ faithfully, we, too, like Caleb, will receive a reward.
JULY 17, 1938 DEBORAH : EMERGENCY LEADERSHIP J udges 4
:1 to 5:31 for Israel. It may have looked as though this course of events was quite natural and that none could suspect that God was giv ing Jabin his strength for the sole purpose of fulfilling His will in relation to Israel. Could we see with opened vision, we doubt less would discern the hand of God in all the movements of nations, and those move ments would be seen to have a direct rela tion to Israel even today. The record in Judges shows that the oppression continued for twenty years, until Israel turned to God and cried for relief (v. 3). II. T he O pportunity (4-9) God never leaves Himself without a wit ness. In the midst of the national distress, God had a prophetess, Deborah, whose voice was raised against the nation’s sinfulness (vs. 4, 5). She appears to have been a sort of judge among the people, being evidently in touch with God, and Israel turned to her for advice and decision. Moreover, God is never left without a people, however few in number and weak in power they may appear to be (vs. 6, 7). In her day, Deborah knew where these people were, and she also knew the man who was capable of leading them to victory. She sent for Barak, of the tribe of Naphtali, and gave him a message from the Lord. The instructions were that he should gather ten thousand men from the tribes of Naph tali and Zebulun, and then go against Jabin’s army. He was given the promise that when he would come to the river Kishon, God would deliver Jabin’s army into his hand. God was giving Barak an opportunity to destroy Jabin’s army, but he hesitated to go without Deborah (vs.. 8, 9). He seems to have had plenty of courage, but a tendency to desire also something or some one to lean upon. But we must remember that when the Holy Spirit makes His comment upon this history, it is Barak’s faith, not Deborah’s, to which He refers-(cf. Heb. 11:32). III. T he O utcome (12-14) Sisera, the commander of Jabin’s army)' soon heard that Barak had assembled the ,ten thousand men and had gone up to Mount Tabor (v. 12). Sisera at once decided to go thither with his hosts, expecting an easy BLACKBOARD LESSON "siatMi-miGHTiLy owucssed - isenEL- JUOOES*. f £
Judges 4:1 And the children of Israel again did evil in the sight of the LORD, when Ehud was dead. 2 And the LORD sold them into the hand of Jabin king o f Canaan, that reigned in Hazor; the captain of whose host was Sisera, which dwelt in Harosheth of the Gentiles. 3 And the children of Israel cried unto the LORD; for he had nine hundred chariots of iron; and twenty years he mightily oppressed the children of Israel. 4 ' And Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lapidoth, she judged Israel at that time. 5 And she dwelt under the palm tree of Deborah, between Ramah and Bethel in mount Ephraim: and the children of Israel came up to her for judgment. 6 And she sent and called Barak the son of Abinoam out o f Kedeshnaphtali, and said unto him. Hath not the LORD God of Israel com manded, saying, Go and draw toward mount Tabor, and take with thee ten thousand men of the children of Naphtali and of the children of Zebulun ? 7 And I will draw unto thee, to the river Kishon, Sisera the captain o f Jabin’s army, with his chariots and his multitude; and I will deliver him into thine hand. 8 And Barak said unto her, If thou wilt go with me, then I will go: but if thou wilt not go with me, then I will not go. 9 And she said, I will surely go with thee: notwithstanding the journey that thou takest shall not be for thine honor; for the LORD shall sell Sisera into the hand o f a woman. And Deborah arose, and went with Barak to Kedesh. 12 And they showed Sisera that Barak the son o f Abinoam was gone up to mount Tabor. 13' And Sisera gathered together all his chariots, even nine hundred chariots of iron, and all the people that were with him, from Haro sheth of the Gentiles unto the river of Kishon. 14 And Deborah said unto Barak, U p; for this is the day in which the LORD hath de livered Sisera into thine hand: is not the LORD gone out before thee? So Barak went down from mount Tabor, and ten thousand men after him. Lesson Text: Judg. 4:1-9, 12-14. Golden Text: “Who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” (Esth. 4:14). Devotional Reading: Psa. 46:1-3, 8-11. Outline and Exposition I. T he O ppression (1-3) S INFULNESS brought about the oppres sion under which Israel groaned. The nation “ did evil in the sight o f the Lord” (v. 1).. Possibly the evil was not apparent to other peoples, and perhaps Israel was unaware of its magnitude. We sometimes overlook the fact that Israel’s downward progress, as recorded in the Book of Judges, was due to the fact that she did right in her own eyes (cf. Judg. 21:25). Not until one does right in God’s eyes is he above reproach. The Word of God is the only standard for the determining of what is right or wrong in God’s sight. Because of the evil, and to recover His people from it, God “ sold them into the hand of Jabin king of Canaan” (v. 2). The power of the Canaanites over the people of Israel was traceable to Israel’s disobedience of the Lord’s command. The Lord’s people had allowed the inhabitants to remain in the land instead of driving them out when first the land was conquered. The Canaan ites gradually gathered strength, amassed a great army, and finally proved too strong
Object Lesson A P rize P encil
Objects: Tw o pencils, one new and un sharpened and the other very short, and a blue ribbon. Lesson: Which one of the pencils do you think is the prize winner and should receive this blue ribbon? “ The long one.” I thought you would say the long one, but you are wrong. Prizes are given for achievements. This long pencil looks pretty, but it has never done anything. W e will have to tie the ribbon on the short pencil, because it has been used a great deal by its master. In looking at these two pencils, I am re minded of Caleb, Joshua’s friend. You will recall that he, with Joshua, went into the land of Palestine, to spy it out and to see whether it was safe for the children of Israel to enter. He and Joshua returned saying: “Let us go.up at once, and possess it; for we are well able to overcome it” (Num. 13:30). The other ten spies, who had gone with them, were filled with fear and advised the children of Israel not to enter the land. Because the children of Israel obeyed the advice of the ten, they had to stay in the wilderness for a total of forty years. God remembered the faith of Caleb, and saw to it that he received a reward for his faith. When the children of Israel finally entered the land, they were given various
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