The Progress., 1894-01-20
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
LESSON WEB. 4-BEGiNNING
OF THE HEBREW NATION.
Golden Text: 7 VIII Bless Ihee """
Mako Thy Name GREAT Nh"
Shalt Bo a blessing. .-GeneSls NiIi-"

Introductory. Abraham was the
son Of 1erah of the line Of Shcm. lie
was born at Ur, the holy city OF the
ChaId.ans. b. c. 1896. two years after
the death Of Noah, through whom his
father could easily have gained a
knowledge of the true God. More
than four hundred years have passed
since the flood. Again man goes
astray and falls into idolatry and
wickcdness Another method of re-
deeming man is now undertaken,
whose beginnings are recorded IN TINS
lesson. God chose n man, and I'm MN
family and nation, to be his VII
ness on earth and To preserve the an
cient truths Therefore God called
Abraham TO leave his country and
friends and move northward TO the
land Of Canaan. Abraham was called
because he was willing to listen to the
voice OF God. Such a man must first
have preached the truth in his family
and city. Part of Abraham's family
went with him and a large company
OF servants with hocks and herds
They moved northward up the Eu-
pirates until they came to Haran In
the modern Alcppo district Here his
father Terah died. Abraham and his
company renamed in Haran for
number of years. After his fathers
death the Lord showed him he was
not yet 1T the end of his journey.
H,lf 4
the Lori had said" Rev. vef Omits
had" sect thee out of thy cOun-
try" Haran. To separate him from
all the idolatrous Influences of friends
and country, from which it would be
almost impossible for him to escape II
he remained at home.
ii. Great and Precious Promises
vers. ., }. ,. Il will make of thee a
great nation" This will compensate
for the loss of his country. This
promise required much faith. Adam
was seventy-fvc years old, and had no
children. And bless thee" No
earthly good can he so great as the
blessing Of God. He that has Gods
blessing has the source of all good.
And make thy name great" Known,
hOnored. loved through all the CEN
turies by multitudes of people. Mo
hammcdans, Jews and Christians
honor Abraham. And thou shalt be
a blessing" He should be famous,
not for what no took from men, but
for what he gave TO men.
3. And | will bless them that bless
thee" Whosoever favored Abraham
favored God aud his kingdom. And
curse him that curseth thee" The
other side of the same promise. And
in thee shall all families" by family
Is meant here, n people, or nation.
"All families of the earth be blessed"
This promise was fulfilled in the ben
efits which the world received from
the industry, genius, and morality of
the Jewish people; in the law, litera-
ture and religious spirit OF the He
brew people; and, at last in the Mes
siah who was "Abraham's seed
Ill The First Pilgrim Father-vers.
40. 4. 80 Abram departed, as the
Lord had spoken to him" Here is
the record of Abraham's great faith in
God. "And Lot went with him" Lot
was the son of IIaran, Abraham's ell
der brother. And departed out of
Haran." Not the same word as Haran
the father of Lot, which begins with
a soft II; while Haran, the place, is .
written Charran. To this /
place bis grandson Jacob came for his .
wife, a descendant of Nahor, Abra- /
hams brother
;. "Sarai." She was ten years
younger than Abraham, and either his .
or the same as Iscah, Ha-
rams daughter, and sister Of Lot .
And all their substance" Property
Of all kinds And the souls they had
gotten. A few years later Abrahams
company numbered BIS armed men.
Into the land of Canaan" A dis
tance OF 300 miles. Unto the place
Of Sichem." Between mounts Ebal
and Gerizim
:. And the Lord appeared" TO
his discouragement. "Unto
thy seed A renewal of the promise
''And there builded he an altar" A
proof of his faith in Gods promise.
2. And he removed from thence" "
Perhaps the famine of " 10 was be-
ginning. Unto Bethel" Then called
Luz, and named Bethel by Jacob.
And Hal on the east" Five miles
east of Bethel And called upon the
name of the Lord" Sacrifices on the
altar were accompanied by prayer
0. "The South" There was a fam
inc in the land. This led him to move
toward Egypt, where new trial came
TO him. Even Abraham did not find
Il safe to run into temptation.