June 1930
316 for service and suffering, go back into the world as His ambassadors (Matt. 28: 18-20; Jno. 17:14-17). 4. Many of God’s heroes of faith have rejoiced on occasions to hear the Gospel of a second chance. Abraham heard it when he had stepped aside by going to Egypt. Jacob heard it as a fugitive after he had robbed his brother and deceived his father. Peter heard it after his shame ful denials. But remember there is no second chance beyond the grave. 5. It is well for God’s servants to learn, after humbling failures and God’s gracious restoration, how good for noth ing they are and how good for every thing the God of grace is. 6. Reverence and godly fear are the first essential traits of a true worshiper and faithful servant. 7. The God'who said, “I am come down to deliver,” also said, “I will send thee . . . that thou mayest bring forth my peo ple.” The divine and the human elements are beautifully blended. Moses without God wds helpless; God could not work without His willing servant. 8. Have you accepted your marching orders? There are many slaves of sin to whom God will send you when you are ready. 9. Human weakness laments: “Who am I that I should go?” Beware that you do not mean to say: “Who is God that He should send me?” 10. The secret of the ambassador’s power is found in the divine promise, “Certainly I will be with thee.” 11. To every command of God is added a divine enabling. * * * G olden T ext I llustration The following beautiful tradition about Moses is handed down to posterity. He led the flock of his father-in-law. One day, while he was tending the sheep in the desert, he saw a lamb leave the herd and run farther and farther away. The tender shepherd not only followed it with his eyes, but went after it. The lamb quickened its pace, hopped over hillocks, sprang over ditches, hastening through valley and plain, the shepherd unwearied- ly following it. At last the lamb stopped by a spring, at which it eagerly quenched its thirst. Moses hastened to the spot, looked sadly at the dying lamb, and said, “It was thirst then, my poor beast, which tormented thee, and drove thee from me, and I did not understand. Now thou art faint and weary from the long, hard way; thou canst not return to thy comrades.” After the lamb had drunk, and seemed undecided what course to take, Moses lifted it to his shoulder, and strode back with it to the flock. Then he heard the voice of God calling to him, “Thou hast a tender heart for My creatures. Thou art a kind, gentle shepherd to the flocks of man. Thou art now called to feed the flocks of God.” Moses Ex. 1:8-14 ; 2:1-22; 3:1-14; 11:1-10; 32: 30-35; Deut. 34:1-8; Heb. 11:23-29. . Memory Verse : “Certainly I will be with thee” (Ex. 3 :12)'. Approach.— God promised Moses that He would be with him, and God did not
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as spokesman. He went with Moses to the king and demanded that he release the Hebrews, giving them their freedom, that they might go and worship God in the wilderness. Of course, if they were al lowed to go they would not return. Pharaoh hardened his heart against the plea, and God sent ten plagues upon the Egyptians, a series of warnings, and com manded him to let the people of God go free. At the time of the tenth plague, the Passover was instituted, the most impor tant of all Hebrew feasts. It was called the Passover because on that night the death angel passed over every house upon which was the mark of the blood of the slain lamb—a type of the Lamb of God who was slain for the sins of the world and through whom we are saved if His blood is sprinkled upon our hearts. After the death and resurrection of Christ, the Lord’s Supper took the place of the Pass- over. Read for yourselves the wonderful story of Israel’s deliverance, the crossing of the Red Sea, the giving of the law at Sinai, and all the experiences of Moses and the Hebrews. Moses was reluctant to attempt the work to which he was called, until he believed God’s promise of help and guidance. God has given us the same promise and assurance that if we will obey, He will “certainly” be with us. — o — July 27, 1930 Deborah (A Leader in a National Emergency) Lesson: Judges 4:1-15. (Lesson Text: Judges 4:1-10.) Golden Text: “Say unto them that are of a fearful heart, Be strong, fear not” (Isa. 35:4). * * * L esson in O utline I. The Distress of Israel (1-3). ¡ft Sin—the cause (1). 2. Oppression—Jthe result (2). 3. Prayer—the only way of escape (3). II. The Deliverance (4-10). 1. The deliverer—Deborah. a. Her position—prophetess and judge (4, 5). b. Her vision and faith (7-9). c. Her courage for conquest ( 10 ). 2. The leader of the army—Barak. T HE weakness of human nature appears in the story of Israel’s conquest of Canaan. While Joshua lived the people served Jehovah (Judg. 2:7). But even during his lifetime there had been evi dence of failure to take all that God had given. When he came to old age Joshua complained, “There remaineth yet very much land to be possessed” (Josh. 13:1). And again at a later time he pleaded, “How long are ye slack to go in to pos sess the land, which Jehovah, the God of your fathers, hath given you” (18:3)? The reason for their failure appears in this little word slack. They did not repu diate Jehovah. They had not utterly failed to appreciate the privileges given a. His commission (6, 7). b. His lack of faith (8). c. His loss of honor (9). * * ^ A pproach to the L esson
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fail him; in His power, Moses became Israel’s leader and deliverer. Lesson S t o r y.—
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How we love the story of Moses, the baby w h o w a s found by a princess and brought up as her son 1 Nursed by his ow n mother, educated by t h e princess, he became especially fitted for that great work to which G o d called
him. Many years have passed since our last lesson. Israel had become a great nation, dwelling in Egypt. Read the story of Jo seph. Under Pharaoh they were in bon dage, and their lives at the time of our lesson were full of sorrow and bitterness and hardship. The father of Moses was Amram, a Le- vite. The tribe of Levi was especially religious, having great zeal for the true God, and the boy Moses was without doubt brought up to worship and serve Jehovah. The Egyptian king was jealous and afraid of the Hebrews who had become such a great people. So he commanded that every boy born to a Hebrew mother should be thrown into the River Nile. But Moses, was such a lovely baby that his mother was ready to risk punishment if only she might save him. She only par tially obeyed the king’s command. She did put Moses into the river, but in a rush basket made water-tight with pitch and hidden among the flags at the edge of the Nile. There the daughter of Pharaoh found him. She adopted him, and gave him the best education of that day, train ing him in all the arts and science known. Thus, under God, Moses was being pre pared for his life work. One day Moses saw an Egyptian task master beating a Hebrew slave, and he rushed upon him and killed him. Then Moses fled to the land of Midian, where he lived forty years. During this time of quietness he was further prepared for the mission to which God called him. Moses married the daughter of Jethro, who was a priest and the head of his clan. Moses took care of the flocks be longing to Jethro. One day God spoke to him from the burning bush, and called him to the task of delivering the He brews from the power of the Egyptians. Moses felt utterly powerless for this great work; he felt himself unable to meet the demands that would come, and he shrank from obeying the call. But God promised to be with him always, and with this assurance, Moses set out upon his great mission. Aaron, the brother of Moses, went with him to Egypt, and acted
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