THE KING’S BUSINESS THE LESSON OUTLINE
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(4) The Downward Trend of Israel. —Chap. 2:16-19. God raised up Judges to deliver them, v. 16; Acts 13:20. They would not hearken to the Judges, v. 17; 2 Chronicles 36:15-16. They went after other gods, v. 17; Le viticus 17:7; Psalms 73:27. They turned away from the path of their fathers, v. 17; Exodus 32:8. They corrupted themselves more and more, v. 19; Jeremiah 16:12. They went in stubbornness from bad to worse, v. 19; Matthew 23:32. Practical Points. 1. God’s men die hut God’s work goes on. 2. The son of Nun was the servant of the Lord. 3. The fixed faith of Joshua kept Israel from idolatry. 4. Find here the power of personality. 5. The heritage of the Church is the his tory of its heroes. 6. When men forsake the Lord and follow the fashions of men God gives them over to their folly. 7. When God’s altars are forsaken men are God forsaken. 8. When men refuse the will of God they give place to the devil. 9. The end of sin is sinning.
(1) The Death of Joshua. —Chap. 2:7-10. ■The Servant of the Lord died, v. 8; Joshua 24:29-30. He was buried in his own estate, v. 9; Joshua 19:50. ' While Joshua lived Israel served the Lord, v. 7; Joshua 24:31; 2 Kings 12:2. A new generation knew not the Lord, v. 10; Exodus 5:2; Galatians 4:8-9. (2) The Delusion of Israel. —Chap. 2:11-13. They did evil in the sight of the Lord, v. 11; Genesis 13:13. They served Baalim, v. 11; 1 Kings 18:18. They forsook the Lord, v. 12; Deuteron omy 13:5, 32:15. They followed other gods, v. 12; Deute ronomy 6:14-15. They provoked the Lord to anger, v. 12; Deuteronomy 4:25. (3) The Deliverance of Israel to the Spoil ers. —Chap. 2:14-15. God’s anger was hot against Israel, v. 14; Leviticus 24:28; Psalms 106:40-42. He delivered them to the spoilers, v. 14; 2 Kings 17:20; 2 Chronicles 15:5. He sold them to their enemies, v. 14; Judges 3 :8, 4 :2. The hand of the Lord was against them, v. 15; Jeremiah 21:10; Micah 2:3.
TANUARY 10, 1915. D eborah and B arak D eliver I srael . LESSON II Judges 4:4-16. (Commit vs. 14, 15.) G olden T ext : The righteous cried, and Jehovah heard, and delivered them out of all their troubles. —Ps. 34:17. EXPOSITION AND PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS
but they were of brief duration. As they again and again forsook the LORD, so He forsook,them, and thus they became ah easy prey to the enemy. The lesson of it all is that those who withdraw from God’s serv ice also withdraw from His protection. But again God comes to their deliverance. This time the chosen deliverer is a woman. She was given in answer to prayer (v. 3). The one from whom she was to deliver them
v. 4. “And Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lapidoth, she judged Israel at that time.” In the chapter between the last lesson and this we have the story of the constant backsliding and consequent miseries of the Children of Israel, and their brief deliverances under the saviours whom God raised up. Again and again we read “the Children of Israel again did evil in the sight of the LORD.” There were revivals,
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