Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1901-08-24
9nteraatiunal gfssola.
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
LESSON TX, THIRD QUARTER, INTER-
NATIONAL SERIES, SEPT. I.
Text of the Lesson, Gen. XVI, 1928.
Memory Verses, "a, 25-Goiden Text,
Math. v, documentary Prepared
nv the Rev. ID. NJ. Stearns.

Memory Verses, "a, 25-Goiden Text,
Math. v, documentary Prepared
by the Rev. d. NJ. Stearns.
copyright, 1901, by American Press Association
12. IS. "Then Isaac sowed in that land
and received in the same year an hun
drcdfold, and the Lord blessed him" "
The previous chapter told US not only of
the death and burial Of Abraham and his
son Ishmael, but also Of the birth Of
Isaac's two sons, Jacob and Esau, and
how Esau despised his birthright, pre-
ferring a present enjoyment to future
inheritance Heb. xii, 16, 10. The be-
ginning of our present chapter tells Of a
second famine and Of Isaac going to So
journ among the Philistines at Gerar.
The Lord appeared to him and confirmed
His promise to Abraham and gave him
"the stars Of heaven" portion Of the cove
nant. He fell into his fathers sin con-
cerning his wife and was rebuked by
Abimelech; truly the heart is deceitful
above all things and desperately wicked
(Jer. xvii, 81, even the heart Of Abraham,
and the heart Of Isaac, and your heart
and mine. All that God does He does
for His great names sake, pardoning
our iniquities when we confess our sins
Il John i, 8; Jer. xiv, q.
II, Is. 1.-THE Philistines envied him."
The majority Of mere natural people
would be apt to envy one whom they saw
blessed and increasing, as Isaac was. 1t
was contemplate to fill his wells with
earth, but that was human, too, and dcv-
ilish, for the merely human is apt to be
much used by the devil. To see him pros
pering Notwithstanding these hindrances
was more than they could stand and
must have made them full Of Indignation.
Envy and strife is earthly, sensual, devil
ish, and leads to confusion and every evil
work JAS. iii, 14-1G; Titus iii, -. 1t is
bad enough among those who know not
God, but when it gets into churches and
families it works great havoc and greatly
grieves the Holy Spirit (Acts vii. 8; Eph.
iv, 30-30.
18, II. "Go from US, for thou art much
mightier than we." Thus they sent him
away, as he said afterward when they
wanted his favor. "Wherefore come ye
to me, seeing ye hate me and have sent
me away from you?" (verse 20. The
presence Of the righteous is often great
torment to the ungodly; they cannot
stand the sight; 1t is too strong for their
weak eyes. Isaac might have reasoned
and argued with them and have insisted
on remaining where he was, and have de-
fed them to send him away, but he was
not that kind Of a man; he was more in
clined to yield for peace sake; he was a
man of peace.
IS, 10. Unless we know something Of
the meaning of scarcity Of water we shall
not appreciate what these wells meant,
and the enormity Of the sin Of stopping
them. 10 many people in India, where
they have to go miles for water, we'll is
an inestimable boon. When in South
Africa, spending a day at a mission in
Natal. my wife, having washed her hands,
was about to throw out the water, when
she was greeted with such an exclama'
ton of surprise and fear from several
lady missionaries as she will not soon for
get. They then told her that water was SO
scarce that they must all wash in that
water. To stop the wells as the Philis-
tines did because Of their hatred was
about equal to murder. See John iii. 10.
20, 21. The contention and hatred man
ifested by these unrighteous and wicked
Philistines (see the marginal meaning Of
the names Isaac gave these wells because
Of the strife) were certainly hard to put
up with, and only by the marvellous grace
Of God could Isaac have acted as he did
and yielded again and again to these un-
Just people the wells his servants had
digged. Make the case your own; put
yourself as far as you can in his place,
that you may in some measure appreciate
it.
%, %. "Now the Lord hath made room
for US, and We shall be fruitful in the
land" This he said when, after dig
that one. After that he removed to Reer-
sheba. Submission to wrong and oppres-
sion for the Lords sake is not human,
but it is Christlike and is q strong testi-
mony for Him as we shall see. If we
had anointed ears, We might often hear
our Lord say to us. Suffer 1t to be so
now" (A1ath. iii, 15), and it would not
seem so difficult if we would consider
Him who endured such contradiction of
sinners against Himself; who, when He
was reviled, reviled not again (Heb. xii,
g.; Pet. ii, 23.
"a. And the Lord appeared unto him
the same night and said, | am the God
of Abraham thy father; fear not, for l
am with thee and will bless thee" What
q reward for his meekness, q new revela-
tion Of God to him that very night with
His glorious Fear not, am with thee "
How small we'll, or dozen wells, and
all one could be called upon to bear
seem in comparison with such revelation
and assurance! Truly the sufferings Of
this present time are not worthy to be
compared with the glory that is and shall
be ours Rom. viii, 1S).
%. "And he builded an altar there and
called upon the name Of the Lord and
pitched his tent there; and there 1saac's
servants digged we'll" 4 tent with the
Lord is enough; the Lord without the
tent is enough, for q believer should be
able to say with much assurance, Lord,
Thou art my dwelling place" FPS. &c, -.
The tent, the altar and the words from
God, "Fear not, for l am with thee and
will bless thee" are all and more than
heart can wish. 1t must have been the
power Of the presence Of God that en-
ablcd Isaac to act so meekly. See in
verse % the sequel and note the testi-
mony Of Abimelech and his officers, "We
saw certainly that the Lord was with
thee" The Lord was seen in Isaac in
his yicldingness. for yielding pacifeth
great offenses," and we are exhorted to
let our yieldedness be known to all men,
for the Lord is at hand (Eccl. X, 4;
Phil. iv, 81. Had Isaac stood for his
rights, as we say, in the matter Of the
wells, God would not have been seen in
him. We must contend earnestly for the