Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1901-08-03
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
Lesson In the international Series
for August 4, 1sO1-AbrahaA
and Lot.
Prepared by H. c. Lenington.l
THE LESSON TEXT.

Genesis 1S:1-1s)
/ And Abram went up out OF Egypt nss
and his wife, and ali that he nao, anu Aoe
with him, into the south.
6. And the land was not able TO pear
them, that they might dwell togetner: 10, Los
their substance was great so that tHeS
could not dwell together
Z And there was a strife between the
herdmen of Abrams cattle and the nero
men of Lots cattle; and the Cauaan1te anu
the Perizzite dWelled then in the iano.
s. And Abram said unto Lot, Let there
be no strife, pray thee, between me ana
thee, and between my herdmen and thy
herdmen; for we be brethren.
9. Is not the whole land before theet
Separate myself, pray thee, from me; II
thou wilt take the left hand, then 1 Will
go to the right; or if thou depart to the
right hand, then I will go to the left
10. And Lot lifted up his eyes, and be-
held all the plain of Jordan, that it was
well watered everywhere, before the Loro
destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, even as
the garden of the Lord, like the lano OK
Egypt, as thou contest unto zoar
II. Then Lot chose him all the plain OF
Jordan; and Lot journeyed east; and they
separated themselves the one from the
Il Abram dweIled in the land OF Canaan,
and Lot dwelied in the cities of the plain'
and pitched his tent toward Sodom.
Is. But the men of Sodom were wicked
and sinners before the Lord exceedingly
IA And the Lord said unto Abram, after
| that Lot was separated from him, LIT up
| now thine eyes, and look from the place
| where thou art northward, and southwark.
| and eastward, and westward:
Is. For all the land which thou seest, to
| thee will give it, and to thy seed forever.
16. And will make thy seed as the dust
of the eartn; so that ii a man can number
| the dust of the earth, then shall thy seed
| also be numbered.
II. Arise, walk through the land in the
length of it and in the breadth OF it; for
| will give 1t unto thee.
49, Then Abram removed his tent, and
came and dwelt in the plain of Manure,
which is in Hebron, and built there an
altar unto the Lord.
GOLDEN TEXT. - Whatsoever yS
would that men should do to you, do
even to them-Matt. 7:12.
NOTES AND COMMENTS.
| In the chapters Genesis 13 and 14)
which should be read in connection with
! the verses assigned for the present les
son, we have an opportunity for err
! Their study of the character of AbTa-
ham, which is made to appear the
stronger by it's contrast to that of Lot,
The character study of both men may
we'll be perused in the order of the va
rious incidents related:
| A Family Quarrel. bile
Abraham Rescues His Nephew .14:lS-24
A Family Quarrel.-Speakingl literal
ly and by the book, this was strictly not
a family quarrel, but might easily have
been but for the peaceable disposition
evinced by Abraham. 1t was really
quarrel between the servants of the
two men. It was case of two much
prosperity. Both men were exceeding
" prosperous. Both had great herds
of cattle and great floclks of sheep. So
great were these focks and herds that
there was not place for all to Craze in
the place selected. The shepherds and
herdsmen came to words and blows
with each other over securing the best
pastures. With the retinue of servants
upon each side Numbering in Abra-
hams case 31S men capable of bearing
arms), we can readily see how serious
the quarrel could have shortly become.
Abraham acted as the peacemaker. He
suggested to Lot that inasmuch as
there was not room in that place for
both, that they should separate, one
going to the east, the other to the
west. The way Lot settled this ques-
ton is, considering all the circum-
stances, quite indicative of the charac-
ter of the man. The plains on
either side were rich and fertile.
But to the west the land was still new
and unoccupied. To the east was So
dom and other cities. We remember
that Abraham came westward to get
away from the idolatrous city of Ur
of the Chaldees. Lot, choosing to pitch
his tents near Sodom, inevitably sug-
gests that he still had in his hear.
some of the old love for worldly pleas
ures.
The Land Given to Abraham.-On
the westward side of the Jordan was
the land of Canaan. It was here that
Abraham's cattle were to Craze. And
here Abraham had another of his vi
sions of God, and God revealed tc'
Abraham that his descendants were
to be as the dust for number. The
building of an altar to the Lord in the
plain of Mamre is another of the many
indications given of Abraham's re1i-
gious nature.
Lot Taken Prisoner and His Rescue
by Abraham.-This incident is fur
Their illustration of the noble char
acter of Abraham. The kings of the
plain of Jordan made war upon each
; other. The kings of Sodom and Co.
morrah met defeat, and in their pre-
) cipitous fight fell into the slime pit;
their cities fell into the hands of the
enemy, and Lot and his family and
servants and all his possessions also
were taken. Abraham gathered to-
gether his men and went in pursuit
By night attack he scattered the en-.
envy and rescued all the goods thai
were taken and Lot, his nephew.
When Abraham returned, he gavj
thanks to God for his victory, gave
tithes to Me1chizedelz, the high priest,
and returned not only the prisoners
he had taken but also all the goodn.
and this, in the light of the ancient
customs of victorious leaders, shows
a character far in advance of the then
current standard.
uT1T1ro ron uaYYoEwTurc