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T HE K I N G ' S B U S I N E S S
MARCH 23, 19X9 ISRAEL WARNED AGAINST COMPROMISE Golden Text: “Evil communications co rrup t good m anners.” 1 Cor. 1 5 : 3 3 . LESSON TEXT Josh. 23:1-13. (Read Josh. 23:1 -14 :28 .)
(1) And it came to pass a long time after th a t the LORD had given rest unto Israel from all their enemies round about, th a t Joshua waxed old, and well stricken in age. (2) And Joshua called for all Israel, and for their eld ers, and for their heads, and for their judges, and for their officers, and said unto them , I am old and stricken in age: (3) And ye have seen all th a t the LORD your God hath done unto all these nations because of you; for the LORD your God is he th a t hath fought for you. (4) Behold, I have divided unto you these nations th a t remain, to be an inheritance for your tribes, from Jordan, w ith all the nations th a t I have cut off, even unto the g reat sea westward. (5) And the LORD your God, he shall expel them from before you, and drive them from out of your sight; and ye shall possess their land, as the LORD your God hath promised unto you. (6) Be ye therefore very courageous to keep and to do all th a t is w ritten in the book of the law of Moses, th a t ye turn not aside there from to the right hand or to the left; (7) T hat ye come not among these nations, these th a t rem ain am ong you; Introduction. Some years passed between th e set tin g a p a rt of th e cities of refuge, which was th e subject of our la st lesson, and th e gathering togeth er of th e people to h ea r from th e ir old LESSON leader, which is th e EXPOSITION subject of today’s Jo h n H. H u n ter lesson. Get in m ind th e setting of th e story as suggested in verse 1 and 2. Three topics are dealt w ith by Joshua in th is address. I. W h at th e Lord H ad Done. I t is always inspiring and helpful to review God’s p ast dealings w ith us as individuals, and H is dealings w ith us as a nation. Our nation al holidays,— Independence Day, Thanksgiving Day and Memorial Day, if properly observed, would be sources of g reat blessing to us as a nation. How impressive th e Memorial Day service is when partici pated in by a group of old veterans.
neither make mention of the name of th eir gods, nor cause to sw ear by them, neither serve them , nor bow down yourself unto them : (8) B ut cleave unto the LORD your God, as ye have done unto this day. (9) F or the 'LORD hath driven out from be fore you g reat nations and strong: but as for you, no man hath been able to stand before you unto this day. (10) One m an of you shall chase a thou sand: for the LORD your God, he it is th a t fighteth for you, as he hath prom ised you. (11) Take good heed there fore unto yourselves, th at ye love the LORD your God. (12) Else if ye do in any wise go back, and cleave unto the rem nant of these nations, even these th a t remain among you, and shall m ake m arriages w ith them , and go in unto them , and they to you: (13) Know for a certainty th a t the LORD your God will no more drive out any of these nations from before you; but they shall be snares and traps unto you, and scourges in your sides, and thorns in your eyes, until ye perish from off this good land which the LORD your God hath given you. Jo shu a directs th e though t of th e people to God’s p ast goodness. In verse th ree he says “The Lord fought for you.” Seven g reat nations did the Lord over throw to make way for His people. Israel had possession of th e land, not because of Jo shu a’s superior skill, or th e superio rity of h er soldiers, bu t because God h ad fough t fo r her. Simi la r testim ony is borne by some of our g reat generals over in F rance. , Jo shu a also assures them th a t the Lord had given them th e land and th a t He would deliver th e g ift when they were ready for it, b u t no t u n til then. See verse 13. H . W h at th e P eople Must Do. The Lord had done H is p art, b u t if th e people were to enjoy w hat th e Lord had made possible for them , they m ust en ter into it, for they had no t yet tak en complete possession, and sad to say, they never did. R estored Israel (and do we no t see th e resto ration begin-
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