The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1901-08-09

Gen. nv, documentary Prepared
by the Rev. ID. vi. stesrns.
Copyright, 1901, by American Press Association.l
1. After these things the word OF the
Lord came unto Abram in a vision"
Among the ''these things" must be in
Guided the Melchisedek story of the pre-
vious chapter which the Holy Spirit con
sidered Of such Importance that He
speaks Of it and its relation to Christ in
Ps. OK and in Heb. v vi and vii. Let no
teacher therefore pass il by. Note the
new name Of Deity 1.-THE most high God,
pOssessor of heaven and earth" and con-
slider its use elsewhere. The blessing Of
Him who owns all things enables us TO
rise above the temptation TO look at or
long for the things or the help of this
world. All believers, as children Of
Abram, must not fail to give at least the
tithes to our Melchisedek. Note the sug
gestiveness of the bread and wine. We
have in our lesson today a good many
words and phrases used for the first time,
such as 1.-The word of the Lord" fear
not" Shield" reward" believed"
righteousness" etc, and as the first use
of word helps us to understand its sig
nificance, we have a most important les
son. THE word of the Lord" may refer
to the message which came to Abram or
it may refer to the messenger, the Lord
Himself John l. !; Rev. xix, 49,. When
we read the word Of God, we must ac-
cept the messages as specially for US.
This first fear not" takes us to the
many other similar words in this precious
book, among which these have been and
are a great help, lisa. vii, 4; XII, 10, 13;
xiii, 1; Joel ii. 81; Mark V. SO.
2, 3. And Abram said, Lord God,
what wilt Thou give me, seeing | go child
less?" He reminded God that he was
still childless and seemed TO wonder how
and when the promised seed would come.
His faith was still weak, but growing.
Faith cometh by hearing the word OF
God (Rom. X. 10, and the more of His
word we hear and receive the more faith
we will have. In the New Testament
record the failings are omitted. and only
the mighty faith is seen. SO when our
story is finished il shall be seen that the
precious blood has put away all that was
OF us. and therefore sinful, and only that
which was wrought in us by God shall be
seen. Note Heb. xi, $40; Rom. iv. 1921.
As. "And he believed in the Lord. and
He counted it to him for righteousness"
Abram is assured that his heir shall not
be any one merely born in his house. but
shall be his very own child, whom heaven
shall in due time give him. How sug-
gestive the words Look now toward
heavenr This should be the attitude Of
every believer at all times, never rely
ing upon an arm Of flesh nor upon any
human device, but upon the Lord alone.
The record of the next chapter had new
or been if Abram had persisted in looking
heavenward. In last lesson we noticed
the promise that his seed should be as
the stars and its probable significance.
Abram received the word. Literally he
amend God or said amen TO God. The
! Holy Spirit has noticed this three times
| in the New Testament Rom. iv, 3. y, %;
/ Gal. iii, g; JAS. ii, 80 and strongly en-
! phasizes this great truth, that the right
eousness which God requireth can never
become ours by any works Of ours, but
only by faith in Jesus Christ Rom. iv, 81;
Eph. ii. 3. 8; Titus iii, -.
Z. Il am the Lord" That should set
tie everything and dispel every fear. No
tice how il begins and ends the seven
! great Il wills" Of Elk. vi, G-S. Notice it
as a sufficient reason for all that God re-
quires of them (Ex. Xxx, 2; Lev. xxi,
31-33: xiii. 49, and an all sufficient as
surance to them that He will do what He
says OEzek. xxxvi, %, %. 81. so, and the
great truth that all nations have yet to
learn (xxxviii. 23).
S-11. Lord God. whereby shall know
that shall inherit itY' Strong and weak,
steadfast and wavering. up and down,
seems 10 have been the way with him as
he grew in grace and in the knowledge OF
! God. Therefore be not discouraged, weak
and trembling one, for the Lord will per-
feet all that concerns you for His name $
sake. The creatures that he took at
Gods command and prepared as a sac
rfce comprised all ever used as types Of
the great sacrifice OF the Son Of God. If
you ask. "How shall | know?' the an
swer is, Behold the Lamb Of God"
See the love of God in the gift of His
dear Son and believe Rom. viii. 80.
1916. The shadow of coming events
casts itself upon him, and the Lord tells
him of the coming centuries, Of great
bondage and a great deliverance at an
appointed time. And so it came to pass.
He declares the end from the beginning
and from ancient times the things that
are not yet done, saying, "My counsel
shall stand, and | will do all my pleas
ure'' lisa XVI, 10). Compare Elk. xii,
HI, I'll, anu note HOW All CAME 10 pass
just as the Lord said. See also | Kings
xii, 2, and III Kings xiii, 16, II. as an
illustration of the literal and exact full
fllment of prophecy. Neither Abram nor
his seed could inherit the land just then
because the iniquity Of the inhabitants
was not yet full. One reason why our
Lord does not come and judge the ma
tons is because their iniquity has not yet
come TO n head. There is a proper time
to lance boil. Our Lord will not be
too late in attending to the gathering.
II. The smoking furnace and the burn
ing lamp describe the way OF the people
of God as they journey to the kingdom.
There will be the furnace, but His word
will prove an unfailing lamp. In the
world we shall have tribulation. We
must through much tribulation enter the
kingdom, but we need not be troubled
John xiv, 1, %; xvi, SO; Acts xiv, %;
Math. xiv. 6), for nothing can come to
us that will not prove to be the best for
us in the light OF the glory, and His pres
ence will always sustain US (Rom. viii,
IS; lisa. xiii, 1, y.