The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1894-02-07
SABBATH SCHOOL,
INTERNATIONAL LESSON FOB
FEBRUARY IL.
Lesson Text: Goods Covenant With
Abram,'' Gen. xviii, I, g.
Golden Text: Gen. XIV, g.
Commentary.

Commentary.
]. "And when Abram was ninety years Old
and nine- the Lord appeared to Abram and
said unto him, am the Almighty God walk
before Me and be thou perfect. 1t is now
twenty-four years since Abram entered the
land OF Canaan (see chapter Kill, ~, during
which time Lot left him and went to dwell In
Sodom, while Abram removed his tent and
altar to Hebron (xlli.. II. 49, At this time
the Lord appeared and renewed the cove.
nant We next see Abram rescuinG Lot and
his goods from the four kings, and being
blessed by Melchizedec he gives him tithes
and is enabled to refuse the goods ofSodom.
In chapter XIV. the Lord comes to him again,
and we have for the first time fear not.
shield. reward. believe. righteousness and
other words. Then follows another story OF
human wisdom and weakness. and blank
OF thirteen years Compare xvi, IL, ana
xviii. y, after which in this lesson Jehovah
appears again.. but with new name-God
Almighty. or Ell Shaddai. Almighty. or
shaddai, signifies the all sufficient One: and
is suggestive OF bountiful. self saGrihelng
love pouring itself out for others. Jehovah
virtually said to Abram. You have again
listened to human wisdom, wandered from
Me and failed, now return and walk before
Me sincerely, uprightly (see margin). for I
am the powerful, all sufficient One-El Shad-
dai-and in Me alone you will find all your
need
2. "And will make my convenant be-
tween Me and thee and will multiply thee
exceedingly" Thirteen times do we find the
word covenant in this chapter and once In
xv.. 1s, making full twice seven, God per-
feet number. Nine times He says MY Gov.
enant," emphasizing the fact that it is all OF
Him. He Is the author and f1risher OF it,
and 1t cannot fail. The time will surely
come when, Notwithstanding all their wan
derings. He will yet give them repentance
and remission of sirs an will perform the
truth to Jacob and mercy to Abraham which
He has sworn from the days OF old (Acts W,
81 ;Zach. III. 10 xiii, ., / Mic. vii, 2C.
8. "And A5-al fell on his face, and God
talked with hin, saying" This position Is
suggestive Of weakness, unworthIness: notn-
ingness. on the part OF Abram, but OF Wor-
ship and aGoraticn toward God. Wnen
Jesus appeared to John o. Petmos John fell
at His feet as dead. SO, also Daniel, Wnen
he saw the glory OF the Lord, fell on the
ground, with Lis face toward the ground
(Rev. H., II Dan. q. 81. Isaiah said, woe
is me. for am urdone," and Job said, II
abhor myself Nsa. w.. S JOB xiii, g.. A
sight OF tts Lord crd His beauty and hoii-
ness delivers us from saying or thinking any
thing moro about ourselves, and enables US
to glory only in the Lord.
4. '.As for Me, behold, My covenant is with
thee, and thou sialt be father OF many
Nations" The details OF the covenant are
more fully unfolded with every new state
ment of 1t. First, God would make OF him
great Nation, then they should be Us nu-
merous as the dust of the earth, then as the
stars of heaven, then they should have great
substance, but now he Is to become multi
tude of Nations (see marGin). Whatever
fulfllment OF this there was in the descend
ants of Ishmael and OF the sons OF ketrrah
there is doubtless frlfllment to be mani
tested in the coming ages. We DO we'll to
hold fast thk promise and wait with ex2ecta.
ton. He will do exceeding abundaatly
above all our thinking.
s. Neither shall thy name any more be
called Abram, but thy name snail be
Abraham, for father Of many Nations have
I made thee" Somo Of tbs scholars may
not know that the part of the name Thioo
signifies father" is tie first two letters Ao.
The addition to his name is most suggestive.
Tne new ccnsolant added is 81. which is the
principal letter in Gods great tname-Jehovc1
q d v H)-so that i: appears as Il Goa
breathed Himself into Abran. The only
place the zane Almighty is found in the
Nav Testament outside OF Reve!atloa Is II
connection with the promise Twill dwell II
therl and walk In then" aad is conditioner
upon complete separation from an uaoeLei
and uncleannsss II Cor. vi, 16-1S).
6. ::And I will make thee exceeding
fruitful. and will make Nations OF tase, cnd
kings shall come out of thee IRE Few
feature hera is TIE last clause concerning
kings. Iaasnuca as all in Christ ara cailCr2a
Of Abraham, and all in Christ are kings and
priests unto God end shall reign oa tle
earth, we shall cert,ialy ses iuilillnent In
the coming Kingdom (Ga!. ill.,. 29 Rev. v,
9, 10; Luxe ziG.. 17). AS to f-ui:fulaess,
some OF the .ast words OF Jesus are concern.
ing the much fruit th.e glo-.fes God and
how We may bear it (see JOIN ST. }, and tae
secret of it IS evan il this lessen. our empti-
ness, AID Cod in us tie al sufficient one.
Read also RSra. viii. Z.
z. "And will establish NJ covenant be-
tween Me and thee. ard thJ seed after thee
in tAe:r generations, for al everlasting COW
enant. to be good unto tEee aad to thy SEED
afte. thee" The everlasting covenant ls
mentioned again in verse 19 n connection
with Isaac, the promised seed, type OF Christ,
the true seed who is also son of Abraham
(Gai. ILL.,, is ,.Math. j.. y, and son of David,
In and through whom all the promises SHALL
clear as MONDAY.
6. And will give unto thee and to thy
seed after tnee the land wherein thou art
stranger. all the land Of Canaan for an ever
lasting poss session. and will be their God. y
As to the breadth of the lard see chapter
xv., 1S, and notice that it reaches to the Eu-
pirates. That 1t shall be theirs forever. al
though they have as yot been longer out OF
it than in it. the prophets abuaGantiy tes-
tify. Among the plainest statements s,e
Eek. xvii. 81. %; Amos tx. Is: Jer.
xxi, 3s-40, and listen 10 these wonderful
words OF Jsr. xiii, ii. II will plant them
in this land assuredly with My whole heart
and with Ny whole soul Whosver can
doubt thst it shall be so Is surely worthy OF
the name OF inadel.
9. "And God said unto Abraham. thou
shalt keep My covenant. therefore. thou and
thy seed after thee in their generations.
Then follows An account OF that which they
were to keep. even the right Of circumcision.
as token OF the covenant. The bow in the
cloud did not make the covenant with Noah
any more sure, but was the visible token
that there was such O covenant. Circum-
cision did not make Abraham more right
eous (Rom. iv.. ~ nor the covenant more
sure. but was the outward sign that all such
we're included in the covenant which was
before established Its true significance is
seen in Deut XXX. 6 Jer. iv.. Coz. L.,
II Gal. VI. 15.-Lesson HELPER.