The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1901-08-02
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
LESSON v, THIRD QUARTER, INTER-
NATIONAL SERIES, AUG. 4.
Text Of the Lesson. Gen. xiii. lis.
Memory Verses, 5-o-Golden Text,
Math. vii, 12-Commentary Prepar-
ed by the Rev. ID. VI. stearns.

ed by the heN. ID. vi. stearns.
copyright, 1901, by American Press Association.l
Ia Abram went up out Of Egypt to
Bethel, unto the place OF the altar which
he had made there at the first, and there
Abram called on the name of the Lord;
such is a brief summary of these four
verses. We do not read Of any altar in
Egypt, for there Abram was out OF fel-
lowship with God. thinking of his own
personal safety rather than the glory of
God. If you have wandered from God,
and neglected the altar and allowed any
thing 10 come between God and your soul,
return TO Him rs quickly rs possible, for
nothing can make up for lack Of fellow
ship with Him, and He is saying, only
acknowledge thine lniquity; turn. . back
sliding child. for am married unto you"
der. iii, Is, II; Rom. vii, A.. His wife
and Lot and all that he had were affected
by his wanderings and return; no one
liveth unto himself. and We must be care
full not To put Il stumbling block or occa-
sion TO fall in another's way Rom. xiv,
7-13).
80. Ahram said unto Lot, Let there be
no strife. ! pray thee, between ne and
thee, and between my herdmen and thy
was rich in nocks and herds and tents,
and the substance of these two men was
so great that they could not dwell to-
gether. They were in the land for God,
and the heather were in the land, the
Canaanite and the Perizzte, and before
these people they must witness for God,
therefore there must be no strife, for 1.-THE
servant of the Lord must not strike" III
Tim. ii, pa. Who shall yield? For if
strife is 10 cease some one must yield.
See the greatness Of Abram, the one To
whom God had given the land, with
whom Lot was sojourning by Abrams
consent who might have said, This is all
mine, given me by God, and you and your
herdmen must be quiet or else go away
TO some other land. This would only
I have been right in the eyes of many, but
listen to Abram as he offers Lot the first
choice, meekly saying, 1t will be better
for us to separate; choose whatever part
of the land you prefer, and | will be con-
tent to 20 elsewhere. This is greatness
in the sight of God.
10, II. Lot lifted up his eyes and be-
held all the plain OF Jordan, that it was
| well watered everywhere; then Lot chose
him all the plain Of Jordan, and they
separated themselves, the one from the
other. This life set before US in Abram
consisted Of series of separations unto
God more and more fully unto Him,
from Ur. from Haran. from Terah, from
Canaan. i'm which he had only his tent and
altar, from Egypt. and now from Lot. 1t
is only rs we, are willing TO be separated
unto God from all others and all else that
we can know anything Of the sutiiciency
Of God. for while we lean on aught else
He cannot reveal Himself TO us I'll Cor.
vi, 1918. Lot. like most people, seemed
glad enough 10 take advantage of
Abrams generous offer; he had not the
grace of unselfishness He lifted up his
eyes but not even to the hills much less
TO the Lord. from whom every good gift
comes Jer. iii, %: Jas. i, 10. He saw
only the well watered plain Of Jordan and
its seeming advantages TO himself.
- 13. Abram continued in the hill
country, but Lot dwelt in the plain, and
not needing the wickedness Of the men OF
, Sodom he even pitched his tent toward
Sodom. The stories OF the plains in
Scripture are not as rule so refreshing
as the stories Of the mountains. See the
; plain of Shinar and the plain of Dura
Gen ri. 81; Zech. V, II; Dan. iii, /
and contrast Elijah on Carmel. the trans
, fguration, the ascension and other hill
stories. The air of the hills is better
Sometimes God allows us to be place.
among the wicked that we may Their,
shine for Him, making His grace sufli
cient for us. but if He leaves the choice
TO us we should remember Ps. i, l. cxix
! /, and keep as far away as possible from
{ every appearance Of evil. Holiness is no
as contagious as sin alag. ii. 1913. Tn,
| 4 l,,-, ,,,1
wicked in the eyes of Lot. but they wer,
; sinners exceedingly before the Lord.
14-17 Arise, walk through the land, il
the length of it and in the breadth OF it
for will give it unto thee. Separation
) unto God always bring increased bless
ings and new revelations OF God to tn
: soul; having by the grace of God mag
unanimously yielded and in a sense takeI
second place, God now confirms to hin
the gift Of the land with a new statemen
I, that his seed should be as the dust of tn
: earth I'm Il later appearing teen. XIV. 3
2 the Lord told him that his seed should b.
as the stars Of heaven: then still late
(xxii, 10 the Lord combined the two, an,
in connection with his giving up of lsaa
told him that his seed should be as tn
stars of the heaven and as the sand whicl
: is upon the seashore. Afterward tn
g twofold promise is divided and the heav
| enly part is given TO Isaac and the earth
, " 10 Jacob (xXvi. 4 xviii IA. The frs
. becomes last and the last first and to m
mind refer 10 Israel and the church
through whom as Abraham's earthly an
; heavenly seed God will yet bless all ma
[ tions. These two companies OF the re
deemed may be seen in Gen. i and ii: o.
G the fourth day sun, moon and stars ar
o for signs, and Jer. XXI, 80. Sc tells u
i that they are signs or tokens that IsraC
is always a nation before God: in Epl
V, 81, 81 we note that Adam and Eve ar
typical of Christ and the church.
Is. Then Ahram removed his tent an
= came and dwelt in the plain of Mamr,
{ which is in Hebron. and built there n
T altar unto the Lord" Hebron was a hi
$ country. for Caleb said 10 Joshua. Civ
$ me this mountain. and Hebron becam
his Inheritance tJoshua xiv, 12-15); thi
plain of Mamre must have been a tabl,
land, a plain among the hills wher
Abram long continued TO enjoy FELLOWSHIP
@ with God far above and away from tn
n atmosphere Of Sodom. There in due tim
e Sarah died, and he bought the field {
~ 4. A.. \ Al, ii.