The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1894-02-01

l
leave them alone. But thing has come to
Calabar, even Gods Word, and it has broken
| up and scattered customs that our fathers
| thought would remain forever! What must
| you say concerning that Word but that it is
| more powerful than the customs of our coun-
try2 You know how strong your hearts are ;
hearts as strong as yours have been changed in
our town-have been changed by this Word !;
and what must you, therefore, say but that
this Word is more powerful than a Calabar
heart? Bend your heads, then. before this
Word"
Flayel declared: "The sacred Scriptures
teach us the best way of living the noblest
way of suffering, and the most comfortable
way of dying"
"Over and over again,
No matter which way turn,
Railways find in the Book OF Life
Some lesson have to learn"
missionary making his visits, in Alaska
went to the sick-bed of an old man. He
found copy of the Bible. tied at the top Of
an erected stick about three feet long, and
placed near the patient Asking the reason of
this. the sick man replied: ~ cannot read, but
/ know the Word Of God ia there. and / look
up to Heaven and say, Father that is your
book; there is no one to teach me to read !;
very good, you help me- Then my heart gets
stronger and the bad goes away"
Abraham
We shall be the more interested in our les
sons as we grow more familiar with the lead
ing Observation-Disclosures.
]. Name His first name was Abram, which
means exalted father. He bore this name till
SO years old. God then changed it TO Abra-
ham, Gen, II: 5; Ch,, 1: 27; Neh. 8: u which
signifies father of q multitude, having reference
to the promises made to him that his offspring
would be numerous as the stars, or dust or
sand-granules the seashores. From him
descended the Hebrews, the Arabs, and the
Edomites. 1t is claimed the Caffres have
Hebrew origin; that the Zulus can boast de-
scent from Abraham. An interesting article
appeared in Continental journal setting forth
this claim. The Jewish World reproduced it
here: Such religion as the Caffres possess
calls, we are told. the principles and elements
of Judaism. They recognize Supreme Being,
have sincere faith in a future life; they pos
sess prophets, whom they honor; sacrifices are
offered up under the direction of priest; the
blood must not be split on the ground. but is
caught in special vessel prepared for it, while
the bones are burnt. Their high consideration
for their chiefs, their pastoral life, the purchase
Of wives, their peculiar ornaments. their OBJ
servance of a sort of Feast of First-fruts their
very traditions, which appear to be perversions
of Old Testament stories all seem to prove that
the Znlus have in their veins the blood of
Abraham"
to Abraham's spiritual projeny, the Jewish
economy, the Christian Church. that body of
men and women who partaks of the spirit and
faith and righteousness of Abraham. (Gen.,
1872. 3; ID: IS; 1875; 17:4, 5; Gal, 3:29)
Abraham is known as !" the friend of God"
+ e Ch., 2o:7; Is, Al: St. James, 2:23) He
is also styled the father of the faithful"
9. Parertage. Abram was the youngest son
Of Terah, born when his father was 100 years
Old Terab descended from Shem. Nothing as
to name, birth, parentage, or death is known as
TO the mother of Abraham. Terah died at the
age of 205 years, leaving Abram rs years old.
III: 30; ~: ~
g. Relations. He had two brothers-Nahor
and Haran. III: 26.) His brother Haran had
three children-Lot, Micah, aud Iscah. 1t is
generally held that Iscah is another name for
Sarai. Jos Ant, /. 6. 81 The two daughters
of Haran married their uncles: Micah becom-
ing the wife of Major and Iscah (Sarai) wife
of Abram. Hence. Abram married his niece.
IF the tradition that Iscah and Sarai are two
names for the same person be true, then in 20:
~ we should read "she is the [grandl daughter
of my father" Evidently Abrams idea in 20:
12 was to mislead Abmoech. Haran, father
of Sarai and Lot, died before Abram left Ur.
III :28) We see Lot was nephew of Abram
The fact of Lots father being dead may &C
count for Lots going with Abram to Canaan.
A. Date Of Birth. Abraham was born 2008
A. NJ or 1896 B. c. He was therefore contem-
poraneous with Minus, the King of Syria. and
Semirsmis his Queen; with Chedoraomer
King of Elm, another name, as some think. for
Persia; with the founding of Sicyon, the earli
est town in Greece; with the Pulasgi, and with
the Shepherd Kings of Egypt.
5. Place of Birth. Abraham was horn In Ur
of the Chaldees. This was in Mesopotamia
The city was known to the Romans as Odessa
Its present name is Orfa. Abraham lived in
Ur till he was about 20 years old.
g. Vocation. Abraham was hsrdmau, or
grazer. Q3:2, 5, 6, Z; 2l:7)
Literature on abraham.
l. Good Words. 10: 1877.
2 L. T. Palmer on the Covenant with Abra-
ham, Bapt. Quart, 5: 3l4.
g. Promise to Abraham. J. Priestley, In
Theological Repository. 4: 361; 5:108 Bibli-
otheca Sacra. 70.
H. Abraham and His Day, ]. w. Thompson,
in Monthly Reig. Mag 8: Ia.
GENESIS, II: 1-s, INCLUSIVE
Time.
The events of this lesson occurred A. M
2107. or 3. C. 1897. Abram was 80 years old
and Sarai, his wife, SO.
Place.
The scene Of the lesson Is Hebron, IS miles
south of Jerusalem. Abram took up residence
there A. III. 20S7. and had hence lived there
about 80 years. Born at Ur, when rs years old
he set out for Canaan. After that we find
him successfully at Haran, Sheehem, Bethel
Egypt, Bethel, Hebron. Dan, Hobab, Jerusalem,
Hebron.
Notes.
l. Appeared. w. ~ We do not know In
what form. 1t was in some communicable
way. God talked with him. ". 81 God
issued orders to Moses from burning bush
In this lesson there may have been an extern
pOrizcd incarnation. g
q Almighty God. (Y, ~ This is a new
name, i'll the Hebrew, for God. We notice the
introduction of this new name for Deity in
connection with new names for Abram and
Sara U.s. 5, 49,
g. Walk before nie. 0 ". ~ Obey mo.
Always conscious an, looking at you. If this
fact embarrasses, it also comforts. 1t means
God not only sees. but is ready to assist.
A. Perfect. ". ~ Special reference may
be made to Abrams defective faith. He was
not TO waver iota in his confidence that
Gods promise would be fulfilled. Some think
Christ had this incident in view in ST. Mt,
5 as. The aim should he perfectness in all re-
spects possible to humanity and in the sphere
of each individual.
s. Covenant " p This is a renewal or
progression of the covenant reported in Chap
ter 15 Verses /; 1921.
g. Nations. Verses 6-s Compare Is: 1s- 81.
The Jews never obtained conquest so far as
is mentioned in Is: 49, They reached near
est to this in the reigns of David and Solomon