The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1901-08-15
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
Lesson In the International Series
for August is. 100I-Abraham's
lntercessiOn.
THE LESSON TEXT.
20 ,fc On

10. And the men rose up from thence, and
looked toward Sodom: and Abraham went
with them to bring them on the way.
Il. And the Lord said. Shall l hide from
apraham that thing which do;
Is Seeing that Abraham shall surely be-
rome a great and mighty nation, and all
.he nations Of the earth shall be blessed in
aim?
-. For I know him. that he will COM
nand his children and his household after
him. and they shall keep the way OF the
Lord, to do Justice and judgment; that the
Lord may bring upon Abraham that which
ne hath spoken of him.
~. And the Lord said. Because the cry
ei Sodom and Gomorrah Is great, and be-
cause their sin is very grievous;
Il. will go down now, and see whether
ihey have done altogether according to the
FRY OF 1t, which Is come unto me; and II
not / will know.
y. And the men turned their faces from
thence, and went toward Sodom: but Abra-
nam stood yet before the Lord.
70 And Abraham drew near. and said.
| wit thou also destroy the righteous with
the wicked!
~. Peradventure there be 80 righteous
within the city: wilt thou also destroy and
not spare the place for the 30 righteous that
are therein?
]
manner, to slay the righteous with the wick
eu ana that the righteous should be as the
| WICKED, that be far from Thee; shall not
me Judge of all the earth do right?
~, and the Lord said, If fipd in Sodom
W righteous within the city, then | will
spare all the place for their sakes.
n. And Abraham answered and said,
Behold now. have taken upon ME to speak
unto the Lord. which am but dust and
| ashes
y. Peradventure there shall lack five Of
the 90 righteous; wilt Thou destroy all the
city for lack OF fve? And He said II find
there forty and five. will not destroy II.
y. And he spake unto Him yet again, and
said. PeradveAture there shall be 70 found
there. And He said. will not do 1t for
f0rty's sake.
50. And he said unto Him. oh let not the
Lord be angry. and vii speak; Peradven-
tuse there shall ~ be found there. And
said. will not do It. II l find 30 there.
81. And he said. Behold now, have taken
upon me to speak unto the Lord: Perad-
venture there shall be 20 found there And
ne SAID l Will not destroy 1t for twenty's
sake.
81. And he said. Oh let not the Lord be
angry, and I will speak yet but this once
Peradvsnturs ten shall be found there.
And He said. Will not destroy It for tens
sake.
>. And the Lord went His way. as soon
V ne had left consuming with Abraham:
and 20 Abraham h rsturnsd UNTO his place.
~oLD6N ThXT.-The e6ectual fer
vent prayer Of . .ishteous maa
Avaifeth nuch.-Jas. Bn8,
NOTES AND COMMENTS.
Ias scripture to be read includes
Me story Of the destruction of sodom
and Lots escape (aen. 1s:1-ls: 3o).
Entertaining Angels.-The visit Of
The angels 10 marked because it in
cluded an appearance Of Jehovah Hin-
self. Abraham did not recognize Him
1t first, but hs eyes were opened be-
fore tie departure Of his visitors.
What Abrshsm did as . welcome to
the angels, he would no doubt have
done for any Other travellers. 1t was
the custom of the time and the coun.
Try. and still is the custom Of the land,
to welcome visitors as though they
were eorferring q favor rather than
receiving one.
The Intercession for Sodom.-Abra-
ham. IN accompanying his guests as
they departed, was still following the
custom Of the time. The revelation Of
Gods intention concerning Sodom was
token Of the honor In which Abra-
ham was held by the Lord. The depar-
eure Of the angels left Abraham alone
in the presence of Jehovah. 1t had not
been said distinctly that the city was
to be destroyed, but Abraham knew
enough about the place 70 be sure that
destruction would result. The inter
session was not only for Lots salse,
however, but was made out Of pity for
al tho people. The righteous, In Abra-
hams sense, were not 30 much reli-
gious mon as men who made an honest
attempt to do right. Such an attempt
Includes some sense, though not al
ways an intelligent one, of the inter-
est Of God in the effort. The fearless
ness Of Abraham's appeal to the JUS
tics q God ". 25) is remarkable. The
argumest does not hold in practical
life, because the righteous suffer with
the wicked; but we are taught that tho
righteous are the means Of delaying
and tightening Gods judgments Us.
10; Matt. 5:13; 24:22). United with
boldness in Abrnham's petition Is q
marked humility. This characteristic |
appears in his speaking Of himself a.
dust and ashes, and in his deprecatsry
word in verses 30, 81, 80. The story
illustrates the value Of prayer to the
man who offers X. God was as ready
at first to spare Sodom for ten as for
80 righteous men.
The Rescue of Lot.-Lot was a right
eous man, but too tolerant of evil.
And just here Is where so many
Christians manifest fatal weakness. |
They know the good but are dominat-
ed by the evil. Sad tragedy was this
IN the life Of Lot. A tragedy which
had Ito beginning when Lot, on sep
arating from Abraham and his right
eous influence, pitched his ten TO-
wards Sodom. 1t was not long ere
he was in the city itself. Step by
step he became q dweller amidst |
wickedness if not an actual partici-
pant therein. But God plucked him
as brand from the burning. Have
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