The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1894-02-08
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.

1-8.
Especially Arranged from Peioubet's Notes
GOLDEN TExT--He believed in the Lord and
he counted it to him for rightcousness.-Ge
1915
THE SECTION OF HIsroRY extends over
chaps 1917 the main incidents OF which we
should bring into the lesson
TIME-The separation of Abraham and Lot
was about b. c. 1918 The military expedition
to rescue Lot about five years later, 1914 The
convenant Of circumcision In 1897, when Abra-
ham ninety y-pinc years old, twenty-four
years after he left Haran in 1921
PLACE 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.
INTRODUCTION. AT the close OF our last les
son praham had gone down into Egypt to es.
cape famine in Canaan and fell into diff
culties greater than famine. In the British
museum is 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
to his court and numbering her husband, as
! Abraham feared TO be murdered on account Of
| Sarah Abram soon returned TO Canaan, and
| gradually journeyed northward to his old altar
| betw ween Bethel and Hal There Is period OF
! twenty-four years between the entrance into
! Canaan and the covenant OF circumcision
| LESSON NOTES.
| The Separation of Abraham and
Lot.-Chap. l3. Abraham and Lot
had both been greatly prospered, and
were very rich. Dean Stanley describes
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 herbage for the sub
sistence of their flocks, 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 coun-
try like ours, made separation neces-
sary for peace.
Abrahams Brotherly Love.-W 1t
was most unselfish act, renouncing
his own interests in favor of his
friend. (2) 1t was a giving up of his
rights Abraham had the first right to
the land. 1t 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 up 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 it's wick
edness. He Immediately pitched his
tent toward Sodom." He did not go
there all at once, but ere long (chap.
1s) we find him dwelling in the city.
1) 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
unfairly. 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
iel in the court of Nebuchadnezzar, Jo-
seph in the court of Pharaoh, mission
aries in any heathen land.
An Act of Herois1n. 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
Euphrates. AS soon as Abraham
learned of this fact, he armed 318 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
taken with him.
A Vision of Encouragement
16. The fact that Immediately after
this battle there came another vision
from God leads us to think that prob
ally the father of the faithful may have
fallen into state of encouragement.
a. There was the natural reaction
after 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
tion of what ministers call their "blue
Monday" (2) The long rapid, unwonted
journey produced physical and nervous
exhaustion, 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. (3) He, as the
head of small clan, had incurred the
enmity of several of the great and
rising powers of the east, who had
large armies at their command. How
did he know that the defeated kings
might not soon return in overpower.
ing force, and bring swift destruction
on him and all his. (4 Disappointed
hopes. The promise, three times
, given, had not yet been fulfilled
though more than dozen years had
elapsed since the It call. He haG
! no child, and yet he Lad beer
! promised descendants as the dust o.
) the earth for multitude. (5) AS Kitte
saws. ssTOt whose alienated heart hf