The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1894-01-31
SABBATH SCHOOL.
INTERNATIONAL LESSON FOR
FEBRUARY 4.
Lesson Text: ssBeginning Of the He
brew Nation" Gen. xii, 1-9-
Golden Text: Gen: Kill,
documentary.


documentary.
1. "Now, the Lord had said unto Abrarn,
| Get thee out Of thy country and from thy
Kindred, and from thy fathers house, unto
a land that I will show thee" We have
come down the stream of time over 400 years
since the first lesson. After the deluge God
began the race again with Noah and his sons,
| but as before. man left to himself proves
failure. Noah is drunken, Ham brings
curse upon Canaan, and iniquity consum-
mates in an organized union against God.
Lest they be scattered and to make them a
name they will build tower reaching to the
Skies At the close of the nineteenth century
! we find ourselves in an age OF tower
| building and man worship, but as the
Lord confounded and scattered them In the
plain Of Shinar. so again when all Sh1nar
associations shall have had their consum-
nation as in Zech. V, II; Rev. XVII. and
xviii, the Lord will humble all the pride
of man, and He alone be exalted In that
day Qsa. H.. IL, 1O. After the Babel judg-
| ment it seems from Josh. XIV, 2, that the
people fell greatly into idolatry, and from
such surroundings in the land Of Mesopo.
tamia, the God of glory called out Abram
(Acts vii. q to make Of him faithful wit
ness unto the truth. A study OF Gen. Il.
will show that Shem, Arphaxad, Salah, Eber,
Reu and Serug were all living when Abram
and Terah left Or Of the Chaldees, but
whether every one had become an
idolator or not is not clearly stated. The
new departure now Is that instead OF de.
stroying or scattering them He will take out
and separate one from them who will walk
with Him as Enoch did. It was mistake
to take Terah along. for Abram was only
hindered BIZ him until he died at 'Haran
(xi., 81, 80 Acts vii., 8, ~.
2. "And I will make OF thee great Ma.
ton, and will bless thee and make thy
name great, and thou shall be blessing" "
The people OF Shinar wanted to make them
selves name (xi.. ~, but Jehovah says to
who to-day try the Shinar plan will fall as
they did. but those who, like Abram, prefer
TO obey God will have name without seeking
II. Abram was to be blessed in order to be
blessing, and Israel is destined yet to be
blessing to all Nations Czech. viii, 13). When
we are willing to bel blessing to others and
forgetful of ourselves, then we shall indeed
be blessed. But it must be the Lords doing
from first to last, and he must have the
glory.
and curse him that curseth thee, and in
thee shall all families of the eartE be
blessed" Here Is true idea Of election as
taught In Scriptures choosing OF one or
more to make them blessing to others
whosever will may be elected, for him that
cometh will in no wise be cast out (John vi.
37). Who can possibly find fault with this?
See also how God takes man into union with
Himself. It makes us think OF these words,
"He that heareth you heareth Me, and ne
that despiseth you desplseth Me" (Luse T.
16). We shall find this covenant repeated
four times after this to Abram and once each
to Isaac and Jacob, making seven in all. The
fullness Of its meaning is yetto be seen.
4. 80 Abram departed as the Lord had
spoken unto him, and Lot went with him.
and Abram was seventy and five years old
when he departed out OF Haran. He went
out, not knowing whittier he went (Heb. xL,
81. he only knew that God knew and that
the end Of 1t all would be city which hat9
foundations whose builder and maker Is God
(Heb. xi., 1O), and with implicit confidence
in God he went on. He believed the gospel,
and all who believe to-day will be blessed
with him (Gal. ill.,, 8, 81 and made bless
ing to others.
S. "And Abram took Sarah, his wife, and
Lot, his brothers son, and all their SUBJ
stance that they had gathered and the souls
that they had begotten In Haran, and they
went forth to 20 into the land OF Canaan,
and into the land of Canaan they came"
Haran was but partial obedience. This 1s
now full OF obedience. which, It Is to be
feared, the Lord gets from very few OF US.
Many are content to be hindered BY the af-
fections of those who will go part OF the way
but not all the way to the promised land OF
whole hearted surrender to God. Yet Jesus
says, ''He thnt loveth father or mother, son
or daughter more than Me, Is not worthy OF
Me" (Math. K, S7).
6. "And Abraham passed through the
land into the place Of sichem, unto the plain
(or oak) of Moreh. And the Canaanite was
then in the land" To the neiGhborhood OF
Ebal and Gerizim he came (see Deut. xL, 29,
9O) full half way down through the land, and
he saw the land filled with people, yet be-
ieved that God would give It to him as He
had said. He walked not by sight, but by
faith, and was fully persuaded that what
God had promised He was able to perform
(Rom. w., 20, 21). If we think more Of the
Canaanites than OF God, we will be discour-
aged, like the ten spies. The only way Is to
see no man save Jesus only (Math. xviii, 81.
z. "And the Lord appeared unto Abram
and said, Unto thy seed will give this land.
And there builded he an altar unto the Lord.
who appeared unto him." We read OF no
appearance at Haran and no new communi-
cation, for Abram there had not done as he
had been told. ''To him tina: knoweth to do
good and doeth 1t not, to him it Is sin" (Jas.
w., 1T. Therefore II we are not living up
TO the light we nave and are consciously dis.
obedient we cannot expect any fresh revela-
ton of God to our souls, but to every ooedt.
ent soul there will be growth In grace and
in the knowledge Of our Lord and Saviour
Jesus Christ (II Pet. ILL.,, 1S).
8. "And he removed from thence to
mountain on the east of Bethel and pitched
his tent, having Bethel on the west and Hal
on the east, and there he builded an altar
unto the Lord and called upon the name OF
the Lord" He is pilgrim aud stranger,
Just sojourner (Heb. xL, 81; hence the
tent Is sufficient. He lives with God, and
hence the altar. His whole life, when IN
fellowship with God, might be designated
''the tent and altar"
9. "And Abram journeyed, going on still
goes into Egypt, but this Is evidently mis-,
step. for we read Of no altar IN Egypt, ana
not until he gets back to Bethel, where he
again calls on the name of the Lord (xlii., 3.
4. We might with profit take the phrase In
this verse-going on still and make 1t
good daily motto, provided we avoid all 60
Ing down to Egypt. Put 1t with II Sam. v,
10, David went on and grew great (margin,
going and growing), and the Lord God OF
Hosts was with him." and it will be very
helpfuL-Lesson Helper.
An Era or bridge Building.
The present seems to be an era OF Big
bridge building in both this and foreign
countries. The bridge across the Mersey at
Liverpool o TO consist cf three arcaea sus-
foak q