The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1894-02-23
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.

GOLDEN TExT-By faith Abraham. when he
was tried, offered up Isaac. --Iieb IA: H.
SECTION on HISTORY includes chaps. eoc.
IiNL-Probahiy about d G 1874 Twenty
six years after Our last lesson. The exact
time Is uncertain. IL depends on tho ago OF
Isaac. who was born u &. 1850 lie was ocr-
taiay young man OF this time II be was
twenty-five. Us Josephus says. then the date at
the present lesson would be 1871
PLACE -Abraham's home was now Beer
sheba instead OF Hebron, as in our last lesson
II was q town on the southern border ~ Pales-
tine. forty-nve miles south Of Jerusalem Tho
sacrifice was upon Mount Moriah. on that part
which was aftcrward the site Of the temple Of
Jerusalem. or on Calvary. Just north OF tho
temple
ABRAHAM. now one hundred and twenty-five
years Old. living at Deersheba with Sarah. He
had two sons. Ishmael thirty.ninc years DID,
but banished from home. and Isaac, Living -
home.
ISAAC was born q: Beorsheba. D. C. isoa His
name Isaac, 1. e.. laughter, expresses parents
Joy at the birth OF n son In their old age.
LESSON NOTES.
The Circumstances Let MS take Z
glance over the intervening years.
First. Very soon after the destruction
of Sodom Abraham left that region,
and went southerly and dwelt in the
vicinity of the Ph;listines. Here again.
as in Egypt. Abranam's faith showed an
imperfection in its hold on his daily
life. After this he dwells at peace
with his Philistinc neighbors, passing
gently into quiet. serene old age,
and still strong and vigorous, though
one hundred and twenty-five years old.
Second. Isaac was born as the reward
of faith. AS he grew up Abraham
showed weakness in yielding to Sarah's
request. and the boys rough conduct.
and sending away Hagar and his son
Ishmacl, now grown to be an active
boy of fourteen to seventeen years. 1t
was bitter trial to Abraham. We
need only notice the instructive incl
dent Of iIagar and Ishmael almost dy-
ing of thirst, while well of
water was close at hand, unseen
till the angel showed it to her.
So often we mourn when con-
ISOLATION is close by us unseen. We
lament bitterly when the water of life
is at our side. We are weak, we are
despairing we cry in the dark when
God is very near with help. SO Bum
vans Pilgrims in Giant Despair castle
felt themselves utterly lost and hope
4 less, though the key of promise was all
the time in Ilopcfuls possession. So
the sailors at the mouth of the ANA
ION were perishing of thirst, not
knowing where they were, and that the
fresh waters of the great river were on
every side.
Third. There always comes special
danger in times of long-continucd
placid existence. moving on in the
80 l.. ILL.,,
without cloud or storm. Rust and
malaria may injurc as really as storms
and hard usage. a sudden and strong
trial would ~ Increase Abrahdms
faith: GU give him consciousness of
his faith. an assurance to his own
soul; 60 show his faith TO those who
were unbclicvcrs; ca call attention to
it as bell does to "a fire; 90 make him
o teacher and exemplar of faith to ali
after ages.
The Great Test Of Faith.-Vs. /. .. l.
"And it came to pass after these
things" The things described in the
previous chapter. 1t must have been
number of years after. God did
tempt Abraham" Tempt /. c., try
or prove as in the revision.
AahC 1iVN Wy HVis tiiht OAtS
SON. He was the only son by his
wife Sarah; he was the only son Of
promises; by the expulsion of Hagar
and lshnacl he was the only son left
to his fathers house. Whom thou
lowest" For whom he had waited
long. in whom his hopes had conferred,
who was the joy and comfort Of his old
ngc. Ills whole heart rested in him.
lie was the choicest thing on earth to
him lie would have given up every
thing he possessed rather than have
the least harm come upon his beloved
son. Get thee into the land of Mo-
riah:' The mountainous district of
Jerusalem. "'rhc height upon which
was the thrcshing floor Of Ornan. the
subsequent temple mount" e Chron.
.: ~. And offer him there for q
burnt ofrcring:" Even as the heather
around him gave their children in sac
rificc as Offering their most precious
things to God.
Abraham's obedience was prompt.
lie did not think he was doing wrong.
Cd lie had the direct command of
God. 1t Is true as urged by Canon
Motley that no miracle could be to us
an evidence of Divine command IL it
required contradiction of our standard
of morality. But at the same time we
might have commands the full reason OF
which we cannot understand, as when
one is commanded by the city anthori-
ties to blow up house, because 1t is
necessary to prevent the spread Of q
fire. even though he did not see the
necessity. CD In Abraham's day the
universal conscience had only appro-
baton to express for such deed as
this--this way Of giving the most pre-
cious things to God. So that probably
Abraham did not think it wrong to
sacrifice his son. His own conscience
did not clash with Gods command.
lie seems to have seen only the cost,
the duty, the yielding of his best to
God. lie was to learn the true way, his
conscience was to be enlightened, while
he retained the spirit of obedience and
trust.
I.I0HT on OUR PATHWAY.
Trials nre tests Of character and