From Eternity Past

Page 203

affections from the Lord’s promises and requirements, the greater diligence is needed to fix them in the mind. {EP 357.1} The facts and lessons of Bible history should be presented in simple language, adapted to the comprehension of the young. Parents can interest their children in the varied knowledge found in the sacred pages. But they must be interested themselves. Those who desire their children to love and reverence God must talk of His goodness, His majesty, and His power, as revealed in His Word and in the works of creation. {EP 357.2} Every chapter and every verse of the Bible is a communication from God to men. If studied and obeyed, it would lead God’s people, as the Israelites were led, by the pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night. {EP 357.3}

Chapter 47—A Canaanite Tribe Deceives Israel This chapter is based on Joshua 9 and 10. From Shechem the Israelites returned to their encampment at Gilgal. Here a strange deputation represented that they had come from a distant country. This seemed to be confirmed by their appearance. Their clothing was old and worn, their sandals patched, their provisions moldy, and the skins that served them for wine bottles were rent and bound up as if hastily repaired on the journey. {EP 358.1} In their “far off” home—professedly beyond the limits of Palestine—they had heard of the wonders which God had wrought, and had sent to make a league with Israel. The Hebrews had been specially warned against entering into any league with the idolaters of Canaan, and a doubt as to the truth of the strangers’ words arose in the minds of the leaders. {EP 358.2} “Peradventure ye dwell among us,” they said. To this the ambassadors replied, “We are thy servants.” But when Joshua directly demanded of them, “Who are ye? and from whence come ye?” they added, “This our bread we took hot for our provision out of our houses on the day we came forth to go unto you; but now, behold, it is dry, and it is moldy: and these bottles of wine, which we filled, were new; and, behold, they be rent: and these our garments and our shoes are become old by reason of the very long journey.” {EP 358.3} The Hebrews “asked not counsel at the mouth of the Lord. And Joshua made peace with them, and made a league with them, to let them live: and the princes of the congregation sware unto them.” Thus the treaty was entered into. Three days afterward the truth was discovered. “They heard that they were their neighbors, and that they dwelt among them.” The Gibeonites had resorted to stratagem to preserve their lives. {EP 358.4} The indignation of the Israelites heightened when, after three days’ journey, they reached the cities of the Gibeonites near the center of the land. But the princes refused to break the treaty, though secured by fraud, because they had “sworn unto them by the Lord God of Israel.” “And the children of Israel smote them not.” The Gibeonites had pledged themselves to renounce idolatry and accept the worship of Jehovah, and the preservation of their lives was not a violation of God’s command to destroy the idolatrous Canaanites. Though the oath had been secured by deception, it was not to be disregarded. No consideration of gain, of revenge, or self-interest can in any way affect the inviolability of an oath or pledge. He that “shall ascend into the hill of the Lord,” and “stand in His holy 202


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Chapter 73 A Man After God’s Own Heart

11min
pages 304-307

Chapter 71 David’s Sin of Adultery and His Repentance

11min
pages 291-294

Chapter 72 The Rebellion of Absalom, David’s Son

25min
pages 295-303

Chapter 70 The Prosperous Reign of David

17min
pages 285-290

Chapter 69 David at Last Crowned King

5min
pages 283-284

Chapter 68 David’s Heavy Trial

8min
pages 280-282

Chapter 67 Ancient and Modern Spiritualism

5min
pages 278-279

Chapter 65 The Largeheartedness of David

17min
pages 269-274

Chapter 66 Saul Takes His Own Life

8min
pages 275-277

Chapter 63 David Kills Goliath

9min
pages 261-263

Chapter 64 David Flees

14min
pages 264-268

Chapter 62 David Anointed as King

5min
pages 259-260

Chapter 61 Saul Rejected as King

11min
pages 255-258

Chapter 60 Saul Makes a Terrible Mistake

11min
pages 251-254

Chapter 59 Saul, the First King of Israel

17min
pages 245-250

Chapter 57 Punishment: The Ark Taken

17min
pages 236-241

Chapter 58 The Schools of the Prophets

8min
pages 242-244

Chapter 55 God Calls the Child Samuel

6min
pages 232-233

Chapter 54 Samson, the Strongest Yet Weakest Man

14min
pages 227-231

Chapter 56 Eli and His Wicked Sons

5min
pages 234-235

Chapter 53 The Judges, Deliverers of Israel

20min
pages 220-226

Chapter 52 Annual Feasts of Rejoicing

7min
pages 217-219

Chapter 51 God’s Care for the Poor

9min
pages 214-216

Chapter 50 The Blessing of Tithes and Offerings

2min
page 213

Chapter 49 The Last Words of Joshua

5min
pages 211-212

Chapter 48 Home at Last

17min
pages 205-210

Chapter 47 A Canaanite Tribe Deceives Israel

5min
pages 203-204

Chapter 45 The Miraculous Fall of Jericho

14min
pages 196-200

Chapter 46 The Blessings and the Curses

5min
pages 201-202

Chapter 44 Crossing the Jordan

9min
pages 193-195

Chapter 37 Moses Fails on the Border of Canaan

9min
pages 165-167

Chapter 43 The Death of Moses

11min
pages 189-192

Chapter 41 How Balaam Led Israel Into Sin

11min
pages 182-185

Chapter 42 God Teaches His Law to a New Generation

9min
pages 186-188

Chapter 40 Balaam Tries to Curse Israel

16min
pages 176-181

Chapter 39 The Conquest of Bashan

8min
pages 173-175

Chapter 38 Why the Long Journey Around Edom

14min
pages 168-172

Chapter 36 Forty Years of Wandering in the Wilderness

5min
pages 163-164

Chapter 35 Korah Leads a Rebellion

11min
pages 159-162

Chapter 34 Twelve Spies Survey Canaan

11min
pages 155-158

Chapter 33 The Terrible Murmurings of God’s People

11min
pages 151-154

Chapter 31 The Sin of Nadab and Abihu

2min
page 145

Chapter 32 The Grace of Christ and the New Covenant

14min
pages 146-150

Chapter 30 The Sanctuary: God’s Dwelling Place in Israel

20min
pages 138-144

Chapter 29 Satan’s Hatred of God’s Law

14min
pages 133-137

Chapter 28 Israel Worships a Golden Calf

19min
pages 126-132

Chapter 27 God Gives His Law on Mount Sinai

14min
pages 121-125

Chapter 26 Israel Meets With Difficulties

14min
pages 116-120

Chapter 25 The Israelites Leave Egypt

8min
pages 113-115

Chapter 23 The Ten Plagues of Egypt

20min
pages 103-109

Chapter 22 Moses, the Leader of God’s People

18min
pages 97-102

Chapter 24 The First Passover

9min
pages 110-112

Chapter 21 Joseph and His Brothers

28min
pages 87-96

Chapter 20 The Amazing Story of Joseph

11min
pages 83-86

Chapter 19 Jacob Comes Home

11min
pages 79-82

Chapter 18 Jacob’s Terrible Night of Wrestling

11min
pages 75-78

Chapter 17 Jacob’s Flight and Exile

12min
pages 71-74

Chapter 16 Jacob and Esau

8min
pages 68-70

Chapter 15 Isaac’s Marriage: The Happiest in the Bible

11min
pages 64-67

Chapter 14 The Sin of Sodom and Gomorrah

14min
pages 59-63

Chapter 13 The Offering of Isaac: Test of Faith

14min
pages 54-58

Chapter 11 Abraham, the Father of All Believers

8min
pages 46-48

Chapter 12 Abraham, a Good Neighbor in Canaan

14min
pages 49-53

Chapter 10 When Languages Were Changed

5min
pages 44-45

Chapter 9 The Beginning of the Literal Week

8min
pages 41-43

Chapter 7 When the World Was Destroyed by Water

15min
pages 34-39

Chapter 6 Seth: When Men Turned to God

12min
pages 29-33

Chapter 8 After the Flood, a New Beginning

3min
page 40

Chapter 5 The First Murderer and His Victim

8min
pages 26-28

Chapter 3 The Predicament of Our First Parents

14min
pages 16-21

Chapter 4 The Plan of Redemption Is Unveiled

9min
pages 22-25

Chapter 1 Why Was Sin Permitted?

11min
pages 8-11

Chapter 2 Creation: God’s Answer to Evolution

9min
pages 12-15
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