The Globe-republican., 1894-02-23
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL


> 22:1-13.
Especially Arranged from Peloubers Notes.
GOLDEN TExr.-By faith Abraham, when h
vas tried. offered up Isaac-Heb. ii: H.
SECTION OF HISTORY includes chaps 3d.
, IIME-Probably about B. C. ISL TWENTY
six years after our last lesson. The exac
! ame Is uncertain 1t depends on the age O
Isaac. who was born B C. 1894 He was Ger
/. tainly young man az this time II he wa,
twenty five. as Josephus says, then the date a
Inc present lesson would be 1871
fLACk-Abraham home was now Beer
sneoa instead OF Hebron as in our last lesson
IL was town on the southern border Of Pales
tine, forty miles south Of Jerusalem Th<
sacrifice was upon Mount Moriah. on that par,
which was afterward the site OF the temple o,
Jerusalem. or on Calvary. Just north of the
temple
ABRAHAM. now one hundred and TWENTY-FIVE
years old. living at Bcersheba with Sarah He
mad two sons, Ishmael. thirty-nine years old.
out oanlshed from home. and Isaac living a,
home.
ISAAC was born at Beersheba B. C. 1895 Hi.
name Isaac, 1. e.. laughter. expresses parents
| JOY at the birth OF q son in their old age
LESSON NOTES.
The ClrcumStanceS.-Let us take a
glance over the intervening wears.
First. Very soon after the destruction
OF Sodom Abraham left that region,
and went southerly and dwelt in the
vicinity of the Philistines. Here again,
as in Egypt. Abraham's faith showed an
lmperfectiOn in its hold on his daily
life. After this he dwells at peace
with his Philistine neighbors, passing
gently into quiet. serene old age,
and still strong and vigorous, though
hnn6rod a nd ~ ~
Second. Isaac was born as the reward
of faith. AS he grew up Abrsham
showed weakness in yielding to Sarah's
request. and the boys rough conduct,
and sending away Hagar and his son
Ishmael, 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 Hagar 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 Bun
yan's Pilgrims in Giant Despair castle
felt themselves utterly lost and hope
less. though the key of promise was all
the time in Hopeful's possession. So
the sailors at the mouth of the Anna
zon 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-continued
placid existence, moving on in the |
even tenor of the way, like seasons
without cloud or storm. Rust and |
malaria may injure as really as storms
and hard usage. A sudden and strong
trial would Q) increase Abraham's
faith; (2) give him consciousness of
his faith, an assurance to his own i
soul; (3) show his faith to those who
we're unbelievers; (4) call attention to
it as bell does to fire; (5) make him
, teacher and eXemplar of faith to all
after ages.
The Great Test of Faith.-Vs. l, g 1.
And it came to pass after these
things" The things described in the
previous chapter. 1t must have been
4 number of years after. 'God did
tempt Abraham" ''Tempt,"i. e., try
or prove as in the revision.
2. Take now thy son, thine only
son." He was the only son by his
wife Sarah; he was the only son of
by the expulsion of Hagar
md Ishmael he was the only son left
% his fathers house. Whom thou
ovest:" For whom he had waited
ong. in whom his hopes had conferred
Who was the joy and comfort of his old
lge. His whole heart rested in him.
lie was the choicest thing on earth to
Tim. He would have given up every
hing he possessed rather than have
he least harm come upon his beloved
on. Get thee into the land of Mo-
iah:" The mountainous district of
The height upon which
vas the threshing floor of Ornan, the
ubsequent temple mount" e Chron.
/: y. ''And offer him there for a
'urnt Offering" Even as the heather :.
round him gave their children in sac
IuCC do oASAIAS uOSG
hings to God.
Abraham's obedience was prompt.
lie did not think he was doing wrong.
u He had the direct command of
iod. 1t is true as urged by Canon
lozley that no miracle could be to us
II evidence of Divine command if it
equircd contradiction of our standard
morality. But at the same time we
hight have commands the full reason Of
,hich we cannot understand, as when
ne is commanded by the city anthori-
les to blow up house, because it is
ecessary to prevent the spread of a
re. even though he did not see the
ecessity. (2) In Abraham's day the
niversal conscience had only appro-
alton to express for sucn a deed as
way of giving the most pre-
ous things to God. So that proba bly,
braham did not think it wrong to
lcrifice his son. His own conscience ,,
id not clash with Gods command.
e seems to have seen only the cost. !.
lie duty, the yielding of his best to
nj Ho fo loo tho fr,,a his