April 1924
T H E
K I N G ’ S B U S I N E S S
235
and Hebron became his. The remaining chapters give us the story of the division of the land. (5) THE CHARGE OF JOSHUA, Chs. 23,24, “And Joshua called for all Israel” 23:1. Here we have recorded the last words of God’s honored servants. We should expect some strong, vigorous words from this old warrior, and we find them in v. 6: “ Be ye therefore very courageous to keep and to do all that is -written in the book o f the law o f Moses, that ye turn not aside from the right hand or to the le ft.” It is the old warning. Together with the 7th and 8th verses, it is very appropriate for our day. The danger of forgetting the old paths of our fathers is great. The Can- aanites are in the land and many of them. The path must be plain and straight upon which we are to walk, and the promise is unchanged, “One man of you shall chase a thou sand. For the Lord your God he it is that fighteth for you as He hath promised you.” “ Biow therefore fear the Lord, and serve him in sincerity and In tru th; and put aw ay the grods which your fathers served on the other side o f the flood and in E g y p t; and serve ye the Lord. And if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom ye w ill serve; ****but as for me and m y house, w e w ill serve the Lord.” (24:14, 15). Topics for Study (1) Is prosperity necessarily a proof of God’s favor? (2) Is adversity a proof of God’s disfavor? (3) Is the desire of the worldly-minded to be identi fied with the church a good thing? (4) Was the Gibeonites’ strategy a snare of Satan? (5) Are worldly affiliations by the church a blessing or a curse? (6) Was the annihiliation of the wicked kings in ac cord with the doctrine of the love of God? (7) Is fear of punishment an essential in establish ing just government? (8) Is there danger in a sentimental attitude in rela tion to enforcement of law? (9) Does success sometimes provoke a pride which God is compelled to rebuke? (10) What is the source of real devotion? (11) Are God’s threats as true as His promises? (12) Is there need of constant consecration of life to God? (13) Is there a challenge to the church in the voice of Joshua, “Choose ye this day whom ye will serve.” (14) Have you made a definite choice? God’s judgments are just. The question is often urged, on what principles can the righteousness o f God in exter minating the Canaanites be vindicated? 1. They were destroyed for their excessive, wilful, habitual and incur able wickedness. (Lev. 18:24-30). COMMEMTS Their abominable customs show that FROM THE the grossest vices had become inherent COMMENTARIES in their national character, and con- V. V. Morgan stituted even a part of their religion, for they were done “unto their gods.” Because of these heinous sins, and not to make way for the Israelites, they were cut off. 2. God’s treatment of these crimes was impartial. The Jews, the chosen and favored people, are told that for like sins the land shall “vomit you out also.” 3. God suffered long with the. Canaanites. In the days of Abraham, four generations before, it was said, “The iniquity of the Amorites is not yet full” (Gen. 15:16). For this reason Abraham was not given the country. They had not profited by thè pure example of Abraham, Isaac an-d Jacob, nor had they taken warning from the fate of
Sodom and Gomorrah. 4. If the destruction be just it matters but little whether they are destroyed by earth quake, pestilence or famine, which spare neither age nor sex, or by the hand of their enemies. In all national punish ments the innocent are of necessity confounded with the guilty. 5. In the destruction of th Canaanites by God’s people the nations were convinced, not only of. the supreme power of the God of Israel, but also of his utter abhorrence of the abominations for which they were destroyed. 6. Vice is infectious. If any of these idolatrous tribes were spared they would taint the Hebrews. See Deut. 20:17, 18. More over this growing corruption might have polluted the whole ancient world if it had not been removed.—Practical Com. The Conquered nations of Palestine were in a position of malefactors, criminals, lawbreakers, and corrupters of man kind); and their destruction and the taking away of their land were no more cruel and unjust than is the execution and imprisonment of criminals today, and the fining of men for wronging others.—Peloubet. They must be destroyed to save the world, or they must repent. They chose not to repent. For the Israelites to have lived with them would have ruined Israel as a nation, and destroyed the very purpose for which they existed.—^ Selected. If Israel had learned the ways of the heathen, if the wor ship of Chemosh and Molech and Astarte had superseded the worship of Jehovah, how had all the grand designs of redemption been frustrated in their development.— Bishop Wilberforce. The inheritance. People sometimes think of their inher itance in the religion of Christ as one of mere peace and happiness; and forget that the cross is there, and self-de nial, and hard fighting against sin, and hard duties to per form. It is to be won, every inch of it with marvelous divine help, but also by hard battles and persevering courage.—Peloubet. There are those who sigh for holiness and beauty of character, but they are not willing to pay the price. They sing, “more holiness give me,” and dream of some lofty spiritual attainment, some transfiguration, but they are not willing to endure the toils, fight the battles and make the self-sacrifice necessary to win these celestial heights. They want a larger spiritual inheritance, but they have no thought of taking it in primeval forests which their own hands must cut down.—J. R. Miller. 18:3. If Canaan be a type of Christ and the privileges of the risen life in Him, what a rebuke these words convey to many a Christian heart! How foolish we are, and how ungrateful to God to be satisfied with present attainments when there is so much more and so much better ahead. And do we say, “O, that our Joshua would stir us up to possess the land,” Is He not doing it? . Do we hear the rebuke of the still small voice? Let us get back to the Word of God and its great and precious promises. Let us “arise and go through the land and describe it,” that a holy passion may be quickened to possess it.— Gray. Joshua is a type of Christ as the “Captain of our Sal vation” (Heb. 2:10, 11 ). It is interesting that “Joshua” is a combination of Jehoshua, which means Jehovah-Sav- iour. The more important points in the typical relation of Joshua to Christ are indicated in the Scofield Reference Bible. , “ 1. He comes after Moses. Compare John 1:17; Rom. 8:3, 4; 10: 4, 5; Heb. 7:18, 19; Gal. 3:23-25. 2. He leads to victory. Compare Rom. 8:37; 2 Gor. 1:10; 2 Cor. 2:14. 3. He is our advocate when we have suffered defeat. Compare Joshua 7:5-9; 1 John 2:1. 4. He allots our por tions. Compare Eph. 1:11, 14; 4:8-11.”— Gray.'
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