The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1901-08-15
THE SABBATH SCHOOL
INTERNATIONAL LESSON COMMENTS
FOR AUGUST le.

NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. lesson contains the
| preliminary events of one of the most aw
| full tragedies in the worlds history. The
| cup OF Sodom's iniuuity was full, making
| that city ripe for destruction. Although
God is merciful yet He will not always
strive with man, and there is a line which
| individuals or nations cannot cross with
impunity. The only safe place Is in the
| mountain, far away from the smoking
plain. In Abraham prayer We see hrs
great faith his humility, his charity and
his boldness.
I6. The men" The three angels;
Toward Sodom." " AS with the Lord
vengeance belongs They looked toward
Sodom for the purpose of destroying II.
Went with them Public roads did not
exist and guides were necessary.
Il. Shall hide" That is. will not
hide" Abraham was the friend OF
God. and communication of secrets is one
OF the special privileges OF friendship
The way to know the divine purposes
about this present evil world is not to be
mixed up with it in its schemes and Specu-
lations, but to be entirely separated from
it, The more closely We walk with God,
the more we shall know His mind about
l purpose doing, or am about to do. God
gave Abraham the lool; of kindness and
love, but to Sodom it was look OF indig-
nation and wrath. The right hand OF the
judge implies his left.
Is. Mighty nation" The Jewish ra-
tion Shall be. blessed N him" "Tne
world" would be blessed in the Messiah
that was to spring from Abraham.
10. Il know him." Ills character and
destiny. viii command his children
He not only prayed with his family. but
he taught and commanded them. and was
prophet and king, as we'll as priest"
Abraham made it his business to promote
practical religion in his family, and this Is
given as the reason why God would make
known to him His purpose concerning So
dom.
20. "Cry-is great" That is, these cities
have sinned very grievously.
2l. II will 60 down" / will inquire
into the facts. God could not have been
in doubt, but He desires to snow to Abra-
ham that He was not judging hastily, or
without full knowledge OF all the facts.
% The men turned etc. The two
angels who accompanied Jehovah were
now sent toward Sodo:n. While the third,
which is called the Lord or Jehovah, re-
mained with Abraham. As God is never
seen in any bodily shape. consequently the
great angel of the covenant, Jesus Christ,
must be meant.
23 Abraham drew near" Q) In bod
lily presence, (2) in spiritual nearness: (3)
in holy fervency. a. with boldness. (5l in
humility, (6) with confidence. Wilt Thou
also destroy" 1t IS a principle OF justice
that the righteous shall not be punished
for the crimes of the wicked. and this
Abraham lays down as the foundation or
his supplications.
a. Fifty righteous" These were more
righteous than existed in the city. We
would not even know that Lot was right
eous had not the apostle Peter tod us.
But true charity and goodness always hope
the best and not the worst.
%. Shall not the Judge-do right
Abraham must have had divine teaching
concerning the fact that Jehovah was the
worlds Judge" This implies that God
would certainly do right, although Abra-
ham might not see how.
26. III l fnd-I will spare So faith
fully would God protect His chosen ones
when appealed TO by Abraham in their oe-
half. Nor does this go to show that he
will not protect them unless urged to 90
so by Others 1t does show, however, tae
power and value of prayer.
81. Dust and ashes Dust is my oT!-
Gin and ashes is my end. BY these ex..
pressions he shows how deeply his soul
was humbled in the presence OF God. They
who stand nearest to God are the most
humble. The bo.dness OF prayer must De
eve- tempered with humility.
o. There shall lack" The safety or
the city being granted on the condition
that fifty righteous could be found, Abra-
ham takes courage and asks still larger
things He drops to forty-hve, then to
forty. then to thirty, then to twenty, and
finally to ten. He was climbing the ladder
OF ..ope and faith; with each promise ne
took courage to ask for more; ne grew
into larger visions OF God goodness
81. But this once" Abrahams inter-
cession was limited because sne interces-
sor was but man; it did not reach the
need. He said, will speak yet but this
once. and there he stopped short, as II
afraid of having presented too large draft
at the treasury o. infinite grace, or forget
ting that faiths check was never yet dis
honored at Gods bank 1t was not that
God was not able to give, for there was an
abundance of grace and patience IN Hmm
to have hardened to His servant had he.
proceeded to three or one; but the servant
was limited. and afraid OF overdrawlng h-s
account He ceased to ask and God ceased
to give. Not so our blessed Intercessor;
OF Him it can be said. He is ao!e to save
to the uttermost-seeing He ever llveth
to make interceSsion." May our hearts
cling to Him in al our need, our weakness
and our conflict.
33 The Lord went His way" The an:
ge,-Jehovah-with whom Abraham had
been communing, went. His way, Abra-
hams payer was answered, though not in
the way he expected l. The righteous
were delivered from the city. ,. By the
destruction OF the city Righteousness was
promoted Sin was bringing forth death;
such vile cities would cortaminate and cor
rupt the race; the cancer must be cut oas,
lest the whole being be destroyed.
In chapter 10 We have an account OF the
destruction of Sodorn and the cities OF the
plain. The two angels that left Abraham
went to Sodom Q9: u. where they were
received kindly by Lot. but shamefuilv
used by the people OF Sodom. the angels