The Montgomery advertiser., 1901-08-31
SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON FOR TOMORROW
BY J. E. GIL BERT, IL. D.,

(Gen. xxi. 22) They attempted, more- over. the same method tried with
 Abraham. (Gen. xxi. 25) to prevent
 Isaac from increasing his possessions.
 Wells of water which he had received
 as a fathers gift were stopped up
 This was most grievous offence and annoyance. Without water neither
 man nor beast could live. Not satis-
 fled with infiicting this injury. Abime-
 lech, the king of the country came
 openly to Isaac and directed him to
 leave the land. This formal act of
 expulsion was based upon the ground
 of superiority.
 Removal-(Verse 1OWhat shall
 man do whose rights are invaded.
 whose property is taken from him?
 Ordinarily he should stand to defend
 what he has and recover what Is lost. This is the manly course by which one secures and merits the favor of others and developes those qualities which are , needed in a world of conflicting in- terests. This course is also dictated l by due regard for the general welfare. Evil doers must be overcome and re- | buked lest they should he emboldend to continue their depredations. But
 Isaac. after his wells had been stopped. removed to another place upon the order of Abimelech. What motives
 prompted him? Did he act wisely?
 Had he refused to go conflict would have ensued, in which he might have been successful. But that might have been a doubtful advantage. Other
 strifes might have followed. and league of the native tribes might have been formed against him. Besides, he | was in reality upon ground that did not then actually belong to him ex- | cept In promise. and while the day of permanent settlement would come in | the providence of God. 1t was hardly
 the thing at that time to go to war. i He preferred peace and sacrificed much | to gain if.
 Recovery-(Verses IS and 19) Isaac | did not leave the country altogether. He simply removed from the place in
 which by his close proximity he had | awakened the envy of the Philistines. He assumed that the land of Gerar | could support all. The new place select ed was a valley where Abraham had sojourned. which must therefore have | been familiar to him. (Gen. xxx, D He recovered the ol pastures and pitched | his tent where his fathers had been. | There he found that the wells dug by
 his father had been closed, showing | deep-seated purpose on the part of the l Phifistines to prevent the return of the Hebrews They were unwilling that these highly favored children of the
 covenant should be in their neighbor-
 hood, occupying lands which otherwise
 would be vacant. But Isaac came to the old spot as If 1t were his home, with feelings of contentment, and the purpose to do so may have influenced | his former removal. He caused the old wells to be re-opened and gave to them the old names, and he sunk new we'll in the valley. Probably he set | tied down with much comfort believ- ing he had lost nothing by the change. Disturbance-(Verses 20 and 2D There
 are three modes of securing peace. The | two parties may come together and consider the matters in difference and | adjust them to mutual satisfaction. If | both are reasonable and honarable this
 method is ever to be preferred as secur- | ing the most lasting results. (Matt.
 xviii, 15) It sometimes occurs that one | is disposed to take advantage of the
 other. so that no kind interview is pos
 sible. Tn that case the other may fight, and by his persistence and strength compel the offender to grant
 what is right and just. and thereafter | to feel a measure of respect. Or, there may be quiet submission to the | demands and thus an avoidance of diff | ficulty. This last peace is generally
 short-lived, as one demand is followed
 by another So it proved with Isaac.
 That well recently dug in the valley
 caused a new disturbance. The herd
 men of the Philistines claimed it. and
 he yielded and digged another well and
 that also was claimed and surrendered.
 Isaac was paying dearly for his peace,
 and he felt 1t and gave names to the two wells to express his feeling. The
 first he called Ezek. contention. and
 the other Stinah, hatred.
 Rehoboth-(Verses 22 and 23) Isaac | did not abandon his policy of non-re-
 sistance. peace making by surrender. l Whatever his motive he determined by l change of residence to be out of the | way of those who would contend with
 him to find a place where they would
 allow him to remain unmolested. He
 acted upon the theory that the world
 Is large enough for all. and that he | needed only to sek in order to find
 what others did not want. The policy
 was easy If not always applicable. In
 his next abiding place he digged a
 well and the Philistines dId not strive | for 1t. To it. therefore. he gave the | Hebrew name. "Rehoboth." signifying
 room. and acknowledged the goodness
 of God who had at last directed Jim