The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1901-08-08
The SABBATH SCHOOL.
International Lesson Comments For
August II.
Subject: Gods Promise to Abraham, Gen. Nv,
l'I8..GoIden Text, Ger. xv., l--Mem'
ory Verses, 57.,Commentary
90 the Days Lesson.

j. After these things" The fact that
immediately after the battle with the kings
there came another vision from God to
Abram leads us to think that he may have
been passing through testing time and
perhaps he was tempted to discourage.
ment. He was also disappointed in not
receiving the fulfiment of the promise God
mad made him regarding his descendants
ior as yet he had no child "In a vision.
Which supposes Abram awake, and some
presence of the divine glory. Fear not"
Fear not thy enemies, neither fear lest My
promises shall fail tnee. II am thy
shield. God was Abrams portion. and
tic is the portion of every righteous soul
"Great reward There is surely a refer.
ence here to the battle and the victory.
When God is ours we have all that is sufh-
eient for defense and reward; this promise
involves eternal life.
2. Il go childless." Seeing / am going
childless; that is, l am going out OF the
word in this condition Abram desired
son, for he knew upon divine authority
thai his seed should inherit the land.
Sonship and heirship are inseparably con.
nected IN the thoughts of God. Steward
OF my house." The heir into whose hands
Abrams possessions must descend in con-
sequence of his childless condition as
this ElezerY' How could the promise be
fulfilled when stranger" is likely to oe
his heirg
g. Given no seed" Though we should
never complain of God yet we may COM
plain to Him, and tell Him al our griev-
ances. "One born in my house, That is,
''one attached to or dependant OF his
house. This is a reference to the servant
who, from all appearances, would become
his heir.
4. Shall not be thine heir" There is
no limit to the power of God, for He who
can quicken the dead can do anything.
g. "Look-tell the stars" The stars in
| that climate are brighter than in ours.
| Professor Hall says he has known Venus
| to shine SO bright as to cast a shadow.
| Brighter than me stars, steadier than their
| flames shall be the fulfilment of Gods
promises. God points to the stars as
| sign to Abram. 80 shall thy seed be-"
| The descendants OF Abram included not
| only Israelites, but the Arabians the Mid
| ianites, the Ammonites and Moabites were
g numerous people, and were for more
| t1an a thousand years among the most inn
| portant in Asia. AT least two branches of
| his strong stock yet remain--the Jews,
| VINO are found in every part of the EARTH
| and the Arabs, who still roam, uncon
! Cuered over the desert; But the highest
are, by faith, children OF Abraham," and
"heirs according to the promise" Gal. 3;
| Z, 8, 80.
8. Believed in the Lord" God speaks
| Abram believes, and all is settled and all
| is sure Abram believed the truth of the
promise that was now made him, resting
| uqon the power and faithfulness of God
VINO had made it. See Rom. 4: 1921.
Counted it," There was no act but that
| og the mind and heart, no work of any
| kind; hence the doctrine of justification
| by faith, without any merit of works; for
in this case there could be no works of
| Aoram which would merit the salvation of
| thp unn1o human stEpr ti0nf
ness" Or justification.
:. II am the Lord" The promises of
| God are very broad, very high and very
ioag. They look far down the future, but
we may remember that there is omnis-
c.euee in their utterance and omnipotence
in their fulflment.
8. WHEREBY shall know?" That is,
"by what sign shall | be assured that [
| shall inherit this land!'
Q. Take me an heifer," etc. The ami
mais prescribed are o. the three kinos af-
terwa-d allowed by the law for sacrifice,
end the birds are those repeatedly men
oioued in the law as those to be brought
for offerings
10. He took-all these" Abram fol-
lowed to the very letter the directions God
had gwen him; so we must obey God fully
beiore we can have reason TO expect HIM
to filfl His promises to US. Divided
| them" etc. The manner OF ratifying a
covenant was to divide the animals length.
wise, as near as possible in two equal
parts, which were placed opposite to each
other a short distance apart; the covenant
ing parties would then meet in the centre
and take the customary oath.
H. Game down" Having made ready
the sacrifices he waited for the fire of God
to consume them, which was the usual
token of acceptance. While he waited
ravenous birds of prey which feed upon
dead bodies came down to consume the
sacrifice. How often do intrudine cares,
like unclean birds, seize upon that time
and those affections which have been given
to Cod
l2. WAS going down. About the
time of the evening sacrifice. "A deep
sleep" Not common sleep through wea'
riness or carelessness, bat such sleep as
God caused to fall upon Adam. Great
T, darkness.Y Which God designed to be ex
pressive of the atiiicticn and misery into
which his posterity should be brought dur
ing their bondage in Egypt, as the next
verse particularly states.
l3. "Shall afiiet them" From the
time God called Abram at Haran it was
43) years before Abrams descendant;
came inco possession of their own land
but the children of Israel were actually il
Egypt only half that time. or 2l5 years,
IA. THAT nation The Egyptian ma
ton. "Will Judge" God brought plague
and destruction upon the Egyptians
| Come out Israel was redeemed iron
bondage and came out of Egypt with grea
wealth. This promise was literally ful
filed, but there was long time OF waiting
To- I'm peace" This verse strongly i'm
plies the immortality OF the soul.
10. "Amortes." This was the genera
name for the Canaanitish tribes. "Iniquit
mot yet full" From these words W
learn that there is a certain pitch OF ini
ouity TO which nations may arrive befor
they are destroyed, and beyond which Coz
will not permit them to pass.
H. "A smoking furnace" This signi
fed the affection OF the children Of Israe
in Egypt. There were there in the fur
mace OF affection. Burning lamp" Tn
symbol of the divine presence. Faith ma,
be strong, but light comes while we stan,
before the Lord, by the holy altar of burn
offering.
49, "Made covenant" A covenant i
a mutual agreement between two contract
ing parties, each of which is bound to ful
i'll certain engagements TO the other. II
Holy Scripture It is used mostly to denot
certain defined relations between God an,
man. River of Egypt" Probably tn
River Nile.
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