The Progress. (Shreveport, La.) 1892-1900, 1894-03-10
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL,
LESSON xl-MARCH 10
RLESSING TO ALL NATlONo'
c,Jdop Tcyt: All the Nations OF the
Earth Shall Be blessed III
Genesis XVIII: 1919.

/
Earth Shall BE Blessed In Him
Genesis XVIII: 1919.
Introductory. This lesson Woul'
come in more naturally just before
t he one on Gods Judgment OF
Scdom." The incidents preceding
the passage are familiar to all, Inc
| Lord and two attendant angels, all IL
human form. had been the guests o.
Abraham. As they departed, he
courteouslv went with them Tor
space: and as he went the LORD olS
closed to him the fate of Sodom.
The Blessing of Abraham, lverseS
II -2l. II. Shall | hide from ADra'
ham that thing which | do:' by his
strong faith Abraham had become
1.-THE friend of God" and was conse-
quently entitled to know even Gods
secrets.
IS. Seeing that . all the nations
of the earth shall be blessed IN INN.
As the promise had been made to HIM
that he should be a blessing to all ma
tions, it was only right that when one
nation or people is about to be blotted
out he should be made aware OF the
fact and of tIt reasons for it.
10. For know that he will com
mand his children and his household
after him" The Revised Version reads:
81 have known him, to the end that
he may command his children and his
household after him The thought
is: 81 have chosen him, and will now
communicate my plans and purposes
to him, 50 that he may explain and
teach them to his children and his
posterity. design that future gen
erations may understand why blotted
out Sodom, and may know that | am
a God of Judgment as well as of
mercy"
20. Because the cry of Sodom and
Gomorrah is great" The wickedness
Of these two cities is spoken Of in a
vivid figure of speech as if it were a
human being endowed with tongue,
and crying out in bold and blasphem-
GUS speech, and so loudly as to be
heard even in heaven.
81. 81 will go down now, and see
whether they have done altogether
according to the cry of it," God here
speaks after the manner of men. He
of course knew in advance what the
actual condition Of things was in
Sodom; but, in cOndescension to the
intirmities of the human mind, he rep
resents himself as making an investi-
CATION and as seeking to find out.
The idea is also perhaps implied that
he is ready to be merciful if Sodom
shows any signs of penitence.
Moses, the author Of the book
of Genesis, is one of the most
interesting characters in human
history. The story of his birth, in
fancy ani early childhood reads like a
romance. He was brought into the
royal family of Pharaoh by a series of
remarkable providences, and thus
strangely prepared for his wonderful
life work. He was educated in 'sall
the wisdom of the Egyptians" and
was mighty in word and deed" Acts
vii: a). Adopted by the daughter of
Pharaoh, he remained an Egvp-
tan until he was "full forty wears
DID," when he visited his breth-
rem, the children of Israel"
and in defending one of them
against an Egyptian who was CD,
pressing him slew the Egyptian and
had to fee into INDIAN in Arabia.
where he remained for forty years as
shepherd. At the end of this period.
while still in INDIAN, Jehovah ap-
peared to him in the burning bush
and commissioned him to lead the
children of Israel out of Egypt to the
land OF Canaan. He obeyed the divine
command and conducted the Is
raelltes to the borders of the Promis.
ed Land, where he died. Joshua, the
son OF Nun, succeeded him as leader.
and conducted the Israelites into
Canaan. Moses was one hundred and
twenty years old when he died, hav-
ing spent forty years in Egypt, forty
years in Arabia, and forty years as
leader and lawgiver of the Israelites
Although one hundred and twenty
years old, "his eye was not dim, nor
his natural force abated." A wonder.
full old man.