The Globe-republican., 1894-02-09
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL

Especially Arranged from Peloubet's Notes
GOLDEN TExT-He believed in the Lord, and
he counted It 70 him for righteousness.-Gen.
l5:6
TIE SECTION OF History extends over
chaps 1917 the main incidents OF which We
should bring into the lesson
TIMk-The separation Of Abraham and Lot
WAS about b c. 1919 The military expedition
70 rescue Lot about 1--WE years later, 1914 The
covenant Of circumcision in 1891, when Abra-
ham was ninety nine years old. twenty-four
years after he left Haran in 1921
PLACR-Abraham and Lot lived near Bethel
twelve miles north OF Jerusalem, when Lot
separated and went into the plain near the
mouth Of the Jordan After that Abraham
made his home At Hebron. twenty miles south
| Of Jerusalem
lNrRoDUcrIoN-At, The close Of cur last les
son Abraham had gone down into Egypt to es.
cape famine In Canaan, and fell into din
culties greater than famine In the British
museum il an Egyptian papyrus one Of the
oldest writings in existence, containing the
story OF THE Two Brothers," in which the
Pharaoh OF the time is represented as fetching,
by means Of military force, . beautiful woman
70 his court and numbering her husband, as
Abraham feared to be murdered on account of
Sarah Abram soon returned to CarEan and
! gradually ,ourneyed northward to his old altar
between Bethel and Hat There Is period Of
! twenty-four years between the entrance into
/ Canaan and the covenant Of circumcision
| LESSON NOTES
i The Separation of Abraham and
Lot.-Chap. ls. Abraham and Lot
had both been greatly prospered. and
were very rich. Dean Stanley describes
a Bedouin chief of the present day as
very like, except in character, these
chiefs of four thousand years ago.
A quarrel among their herdsmen,
originating. doubtless, in the increas-
ing scarcity of heritage for the sub
sistence of their Aocks. and in their
eagerness for the possession of the
wells, or fountains of water, which in
that rocky, arid region have a value
unknown to the inhabitants of a coun-
try like ours, made a separation neces-
sary for peace.
Abraham's Brotherly Love.-D 1t
was most unselfish act. renouncing
his own interests in favor of his
friend. (s) 1t was giving up of his
rights Abraham had the first right to
the land. II was promised to him and
not to Lot. Then he was the elder
and the richer of the two. Lot had
accompanied him, Lot he Lot. (3) 1t
was an act of faith; for it seemed to be
giving mp to others, for the sake of
peace, the land promised to himself.
Lots Unwise Choice.-Lot chose
the most beautiful and fertile tract of
land, in the valley near the mouth Of
the Jordan at the head of the Dead sea,
in spite of the fact that it was under
the influence of the city of Sodom, the
most famed in the world for its wick
edness. He Immediately pitched his
tent toward Sodom." He did not 60
there all at once, but ere long (chap.
1s) we find him dwelling in the city.
0) Lots choice was selfish. He should
have been generous toward his uncle,
instead of greedily taking the best for
himself. (2) The choice was made in
the wrong spirit; for worldly advan-
tage without regard to spiritual things.
(3) BY this choice he left the company
of Gods people. lost the influence of
their daily lives, the atmosphere of
love and piety. (4) He went into the
company of sinners. He chose it vol
One is safe with wicked men
so long as he is endeavoring to make
them good, but is never safe when he
chooses their company. Compare Dan
lei in the court of Nebuchadnezzar, Jo- |
seph in the court of Pharaoh, mission
aries in any heather land.
An Act of Heroism.-Chap. IA. One
of the results of Lots folly was that
by being in bad company he was cap
tured together with the SOdomites and
carried away captive by a horde of
soldiers from the regions beyond the
AS soon as Abraham
learned of this fact, he armed 31s of
his retainers, and with three cOnfeder-
ate friends went in pursuit. He over
took the army in the vicinity of Damas-
Gus, and by a stratagem and night at
tack he gained victory over the much
larger host, and rescued not only the
family and possessions of Lot, but also
those of Sodom, which had been
taken with him.
A Vision of Encouragement.-C
Is. The fact that Immediately after
this battle there came another vision
from God leads us to think that prob
aly the father of the faithful may have
fallen into state of discouragement-
~ There was the natural reaction
after q brave and exciting deed, which
had wrought his soul up to high and
noble enthusiasm. To almost all there
comes such a reaction, an intensified
ton of what ministers call their blue
(a) The long rapid, unwonted
Journey produced physical and nervous
which acted upon his feel
ings like blue glass, seen through
which even the most charming pros
pect and the most radiant sunlight
seem dark and gloomy. 81 He. as the
head of . small clan, had incurred the
.nmity of several of the great and
rising powers of the east. who had
arge armies at their command. How
lid he know that the defeated kings
might not soon return in overpOwer-
ing force, and bring swift destruction
On him and all his. az Disappointed
hopes. The promise. three times
yiven, had not yet been fulfilled,
though more than a dozen years had
elapsed since the first call He had