March 1931
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6. Joshua Obeying God. In Josh. 1 :16 we have one of the rea sons for Joshua’s success. Study this passage in connection with John 14:15 and 15 :14. Are we willing to say with Josh ua (1 :16) : “All that thou commandest us we will do, and whithersoever thou sendest us we will go” ? Can we expect to receive additional commands for ser vice if we are not obeying the orders which have already been given to us? 7. Joshua Victorious. Having obeyed God, Joshua reaped the fruit of that obedience. Study the in cident of the fall of Jericho, in the sixth chapter, noting especially God’s promise to him in verse 2 and the final capture of the city in verse 20. Compare the thought to be found in Dan. 11:32. Search the preceding steps, as outlined in this les son, to discover why it is that so many of God’s children fail; then study Paul’s method of success as recorded in 2 Cor. 12:9. Can the Christian expect to have success apart from the power of the om nipotent Christ? How far is the victory of the Christian dependent upon obedi ence, Bible meditation, and the other qual ities which have been suggested concern ing Joshua? Does your experience of these things justify the conclusions that are suggested in the life of Joshua? * * * The above present only a beginning in the various lessons which might be de rived from the life of Joshua. Some" oth er subjects listed briefly are as follows: 1. The Testing of Joshua (Josh. 7: 4-9). 2. The Unwillingness of Joshua to Compromise with Sin (Josh. 7 :16- 26). 3. The Prominent Place which Joshua Gave the Word of God (Josh. 8: 30-35). 4. The Triumphant Faith which He Exercised (Josh. 10:12-14). 5. His Encouragement to Others to Enlarge their Possessions (Josh. 17: 14-18). 6. His Testimony to the Faithfulness of God (Josh. 23:14). 7. His Exhortation to Whole-Hearted Service (Josh. 24:14, 15). 8. The Fragrant Influence of His Life even after His Death (Josh. 24:31). — o — April 19, 1931 Practical Lessons from the Fifteenth Chapter of John T AST week’s lesson presented an ex- position of certain salient points in the life of one of the Old Testament saints. This week we present an exposi tion of a small portion of the “upper room” discourse of our Lord. The fif teenth chapter of John is one of the best- known and best-loved portions of the en tire Bible, and yet few Christians have ever attempted to fathom the depth of spiritual instruction that is to be found here. Jesus is speaking, and in this chap ter He uses the personal pronoun twenty times. In each instance He makes some statement worthy of careful considera tion. There are many ways in which the contents of the chapter may be analyzed. For the purpose of discussion in this meet ing, w e . are suggesting three general propositions for consideration. Several
faithfully? Discuss the value of regular ity in church attendance for young people. 2. Joshua Changed by God. In Num. 13:16 we have a very interest ing comment in the words: “And Moses called Oshea, the son o f Nun, Joshua.” There are a number of places in the Bible where a change in name indicates a change in nature; notably, when Peter’s name was changed. See John 1 :42. The old name, Oshea, implied “salvation that was in himself.” The new name, Joshua, means “the Lord is his salvation.” Coup ling this thought with the New Testament idea that is found in John 3, that we must be born again or changed in our natures, discuss briefly the importance of accepting the salvation that is to be found in Christ Jesus rather than the salvation that is to be found in oneself. Can a person merit heaven through his. own works? Is it possible for man to be good enough to gain entrance into heaven ? See Eph. 2:8, 9. What is the only basis for the salvation of mankind? Read Rom. 10:9, 10. 3. Joshua as a Witness. You will remember the incident of the twelve spies who were sent into Canaan to search out the land. God had already said that the land was good. Joshua re turned and testified that the land was all that God had said itVas. See Num. 14: 6-9. In other words, Joshua witnessed to the truth of God’s statements. Since we have had our lives changed, what is our next privilege as children of God? See Acts 1 :8. Are we being faithful witness es, or do we murmur and fear and com plain even as did the ten selfish spies? What kind of a testimony and witness should the Christian give concerning his faith? 4. Joshua Commissioned by God. God gave to Joshua his commission (Josh. 1:1-6). There are several points that should be carefully noted. In con nection with this passage, study the fol lowing questions: From the promises giv en to Joshua in verses 3 to 6, was there any cause for him to be fearful of the results ? Cite some of the promises to be found in the New Testament, which give assurance of victory to the Christian. See Rom. 8:37; Matt. 28:20; Acts 20:32. 5. Joshua Taught of God. One of the important lessons which God sought to impress upon Joshua was the importance of regular Bible study and meditation upon His Word. Do you see any relationship in thought between Josh. 1:7, 8, and 2 Tim. 2:15, and 2 Tim. 3 :14- 17? How faithful are you in studying and meditating upon the Word of God? If more time should be spent in this exer cise, what method should we use?
7. The climax of Paul’s argument in 1 Cor. IS is to be found in two practical exhortations. What is the relationship, as suggested in 1 Cor. IS :58, between stability of character and the resurrec tion? Note especially the “therefore” in the beginning of this verse. In like man ner, how does the apostle couple the knowledge that there is to be a resurrec tion with the teaching concerning consist ent Christian service? See also 1 Cor. 3 :12-15. 8. What would Phil. 3 :8-10 suggest to you concerning the relationship of the resurrection to one of the highest ambi tions of Paul as a Christian believer? Can you ascribe any reason why he should be willing to suffer the loss of all things and count them but refuse in order that he might know Christ and the power of His resurrection ? 9. Study carefully the argument _ in Col. 3 :1-17. How do all of the practical exhortations in verses 2 to 17 depend up on the thought of the resurrection as sug gested in verse 1? 10. In the light of these various prac tical truths that rest upon the validity of the resurrection, dare we consider this tremendous event as being of little im portance from a practical standpoint? L esson S ummary for the L eader Much care should be taken in handling a discussion meeting with questions such as the above, lest in the multiplicity of many arguments and much discussion the real heart of the subject be overlooked. Two suggestions are offered as preventa- tives: 1. The debate should be held to the questions in point; each person limited in the number of times he should speak and the amount of time allowed. 2. At the close of the discussion, a period should be given to a summary on the part of the leader, of the salient points of the discussion. —o— , April 12, 1931 Practical Lessons from the Life of Joshua 'T'HERE is nothing more fascinating or profitable than a devotional study of the characters of the Old Testament. All too often we neglect the lives of these great men of God and the lessons to be found in the various incidents of their lives. Among the most interesting of these Old Testament characters is Joshua. Joshua is the Hebrew name which is translated “Jesus” in the Greek. The fol lowing questions will suggest some of the lessons which may be learned from his life and work. 1. Joshua Seeking God. The tabernacle was the house of the Lord. In Ex. 33 :7 we read that “every one which sought the Lord went out unto the tabernacle . . . which was without the camp.” We realize today that those who seek God come to His house to learn more about Him. With this thought in mind, read carefully Ex. 33:11. What does the verse suggest to you concerning the desire of Joshua to learn the truth? Is there an advantage today in attending the services of the church regularly and
Beyond H um an Thought When you survey the spacious firmament, and behold it hung with such resplendent bodies, think—if the suburbs be so beau tiful—what must the city be! What is the foot-stool He makes to the throne whereon He sits! — Selected.
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