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June 1930
T h e
K i n g ’ s
B u s i n e s s
Deborah Judges 4:1-10
which volunteers should come? What other tribes added recruits (cf. S:14-18) ? 7. Who would draw Sisera to the place of his destruction ? Should this have been sufficient guarantee to Barak to move forward ? 8. What did Barak ask of Deborah? Did he seem to have more confidence in Deborah than in Jehovah? 9. Did Deborah yield to Barak’s plea? What advantage was there to the army in her presence? Have we the promise of a greater than Deborah to go with us (Matt. 28:19, 20)? How did Barak lose honor by his lack of courage? 10. Where did Barak’s army gather? Where was this place located? How many men had he? * * * P ractical P oints 1. All sin is “evil in the the sight of Jehovah” (cf. Luke 15:18-21). 2. God forsakes those who forsake Him, but He draws them back to Him self by His chastenings. 3. How much depends upon leaders! While Joshua lived, Israel were true to Jehovah (cf 2:7). After his death there came apostasy, but from time to time there was relief from distress under the leadership of judges whom God raised up. Left to themselves or under bad leader ship the people were always “prone to wander.” 4. The enemies of God’s people are always mighty, but “if God is for us, who is against us?” (Rom. 8:31). 5. God’s chastening hand is heavy, but it is at the same time a hand of mercy, stretched out to all who turn to Him in penitence. 6. It is easy to forget God in days of prosperity and just as easy and natural to call upon God in times of trouble. 7. God has always had an honorable place for woman in His service. 8. The command and promise of Je hovah should have been sufficient for Barak. Why do we find it easier to take the word of mortals than to trust the word of the living God? 9. God fights the Christian’s foes (cf. 1 Sam. 17:47; 2 Chron. 20:15-17). 10. How much better it is to have the promise of Jesus Christ, “Lo, I am with you alway” (Matt. 28:19, 20), than to be backed by the greatest of earthly powers. 11. Deborah teaches a lesson in humil ity ; she took no credit to herself. It was Jehovah, not Deborah or Barak, who won the battle. * * * G olden T ext I llustration The word “courage” comes from the Latin, cor, meaning heart. Courage is not a matter of the head, but of the heart; not of the understanding, but of the feel ing. You may know the theory of cour age perfectly and still be a coward. What you need is the hero’s heart. Love prompts courage—love of some dear one, love of one’s church, love of one’s country, love of one’s home, love of Christ. If you want to be more coura geous, become more loving.— C, E. World.
Memory Verse: “Say to them that are of a fearful heart, Be strong, fear not” (Isa. 35:4). Approach. —Deborah was raised up in answer to prayer. When the Israelites were in sore trouble they cried to God for help, and God used Deborah, the prophetess, to help them. Lesson S t o r y .—
Deborah’s home was in Ephraim, north of Jerusalem. Barak lived in Kedesh, in the north of the country. After the death of Moses, there were t w e l v e judges in succession who de
Homeward. Bound B y K enyon W ade 1 find it sweet to walk the road That leads me always with my God; O’ershadowed by His constant care, His Love goes with me everywhere. The banks on either side are strewn With flowers of everlasting peace, And morning, night and afternoon, His showers of blessings never cease. Friut of the Spirit, present joy, Upon the trees of trusting grow; And softly through the balmy air The gentle winds of mercy blow. The birds of promise sweetly sing; The promise of His smile doth shine; An inner grace accompanies me, For Truth and Love are friends of mine. The road is easy, happy,1 gay; And it can be for you, my friend; For He who walks with me today Will zvalk with me unto the end. Changing New Guinea A LBERT HOFMANN was for many ^ years a missionary to the Papuans. Obliged to return home he became a mis sion secretary of the Rhenish society, and in that capacity recently revisited the scene of his early mission life. That there has been a transformation in the civiliza tion of the country goes without saying, but far more wonderful and delightful has been the spiritual reformation, a fresh proof of the power of God unto salva tion. At his first landing he was greeted by a large choir of Papuans singing the German hymn, Lobe den Herrn, o meine Seele (“Praise the Lord, O my soul”). It was sung in three parts by these ex-sav ages 1 In Keku, which once was in the closed hinterland, he was greeted by an army of natives with their chief at the head who cried out, “Hofmann, we greet you in the name of Jesus Christ. We are no longer Kanakas of the jungle.” The chief at Bogadjim said with tears in his eyes, “Twice in my ignorance I planned to kill you. God prevented it. Now I am really thy brother.” “Many old sin ners,” adds Hofmann, “whom I formerly knew when they did not dare to lift their eyes had now a free and open expression.” —Sunday School Times.
livered the Israelites from the oppression of the heathen tribes around them. Over and over again the Hebrews lapsed into idolatry andintermarried with their heathen neighbors. At the time of our lesson they were under the oppression of Jabin, king of Canaan, in the north of Palestine, where the descendants of the tribes lived, which were not conquered by Joshua. In their affliction the Israel ites remembered God, and cried to Him. Never does He turn away from the cry of any soul. Deborah at this time was judge of Is rael. When she knew of their trouble and despair she had faith in God and courage which enabled her to go to the rescue, like Joan of Arc. Consulting with Barak, she told him what God had revealed to her. God had promised, “I will deliver him into thy hand,” and that was enough for Deborah. She believed God, trusted Him absolute ly. She was ready to go forth at His bid ding, even into what seemed to be danger, because she knew that the power and might of God would keep and deliver her and the Hebrews. Can you think of women in later times who were brave and self-sacrificing like Deborah when their country needed them? The story of the defeat of Sisera is thrilling, and the song of Deborah after the battle is patriotic and inspiring. Deb orah dared to do great things because she depended upon God to carry her through. We may never be called into actual battle as Deborah was; but we too have enemies to fight and conquer: bad habits, temptation, fear; but if, like Deborah, we look to God for help, He will give us, the victory. Prayer.
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