Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1901-07-27
international 9es5on.
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
LESSON V, THIRD QUARTER, INTER-
NATIONAL SERIES, AUG. 4.
Text of the Lesson, Gen. Kill. lis.
Memory Verses, T-0-Golden Text
Math. vii. documentary Prepar-
ed by the Rev. ID. NJ. Stcarns.

Memory verses, I-b-GOioeh AeAt'
Math. vii, documentary Prepar-
ed by the Rev. d. NJ. Stcarns.
downright, 1901 BY American Press Association
II. Abram went up out Of Egypt TO
Bethel, unto the place Of the altar which
he had made there at the first, and there
Abram called on the name Of the Lord;
such is brief summary Of these four
verses. We do not read Of any altar in
Egypt, for there Abram was out Of fel-
lowsnip with God. thinking of his own
personal safety rather than the glory Of
God. If you have wandered from God,
and neglected the altar and allowed any.
thing to come between God and your soul,
return TO Him as quickly as possible, for
nothing can make up for lack Of fellow.
ship with Him. and lie is saying, Only
acknowledge thine iniquity; turn, back
sliding child. for am married unto you
(Jer. iii. Is. II: Rom. vii, ~. His wife
and Lot and all that he had were affected
by his wandcrings and return; no one
liveth unto himself. and We must be care
full not to put stumbling block or occa-
sion to fall in another's way tRom. xiv.
7-13).
SO. Abram said unto Lot, Let there be
no strife, | pray thee. between me and
thee, and between my hcrdmen and thy
herdmen, for we be brethren. Lot also
was rich in focks and herds and tents,
and the substance of these two men was
so great that they could not dwell to-
gether. They were in the land for God.
and the heather were in the land, the
Canaanite and the Pcrzzite. and before
these people they must witness for God.
therefore there must be no strife, for the
servant Of the Lord must not strike" I'll
Tim. ii, 24). Who shall yield? For if
strife is to cease some one must yield.
See the greatness Of Abram, the one to
whom God had given the land, with
whom Lot was sojourning by Abrams
consent, who might have said. This is all
mine, given me by God, and you and your
herdmen must be quiet or else go away
to some other land. This would only
have been right in the eyes Of many, but
listen to Abram as he offers Lot the first
choice, meekly saying. 1t will be better
for us to separate; choose whatever part
Of the land you prefer. and will be con.
tent to 60 elsewhere. This is greatness
in the sight Of God.
10, II. Lot lifted up his eyes and be-
held all the plain Of Jordan. that il was
we'll watered everywhere: then Lot chose
him all the plain Of Jordan. and they
separated themselves, the one from the
other. This life set before US in Abram
consisted Of series Of separations unto
III. Full
from Ur. from Haran. from Terah. from
Canaan. in which he had only his tent and
altar, from Egypt. and now from Lot. Ii
Is only as we are willing to be separated
unto God from all others and all else that
we can know anything Of the suticiency
Of God, for while we lean on aught else
He cannot reveal Himself to us I'll Cor.
vi, 1919. Lot. like most people. seemed
glad enough to take advantage Of
Abrams generous offer; he had not the
grace Of unsel6shness. He lifted up his
eyes. but not even to the hills, much less
to the Lord, from whom every good gift
comes tJer Iii. %: jas. i. IN. He saw
only the well watered plain Of Jordan and
its seeming advantages to himself.
IL. l3. Abram continued in the hill
country. but Lot dwelt in the plain. and
not needing the wickedness Of the men Of
Sodom he even pitched his tent toward
Sodom. The stories of the plains in
Scripture are not as rule so refreshing
as the stories Of the mountains. See the
plain Of Shinar and the plain of Dura
(Gen. ri. 2-4: Zech. v. II: Dan. iii. Il
and contrast Elijah on Carmel, the trans.
6guration. the ascension and other hill
stories. The air of the hills is better.
Sometimes God allows US to be placed
among the wicked that we may there
shine for Him. making His grace sufti'
cient for us. but if He leaves the choice
to us we should remember Ps. |, l: cxiS.
l, and keep as far away as possible from
every appearance Of evil Holiness Is not
as contagious as sin tHag. ii. 11-13). The
men of Sodom may not have seemed very
wicked in the eyes of Lot. but they were
sinners exceedingly before the Lord.
14-l7. Arise. walk through the land. in
the length Of it and in the breadth Of it.
for will give it unto thee. Separations
unto God always bring increased bless
ings and new revelations Of God to the
soul: having by the grace of God mag
unanimously yielded and in sense taken
second place. God now confirms to him
the gift Of the land with new statement
that his seed should be as the dust of the
earth. In later appearing tGen. xv. 81
the Lord told him that his seed should be
as the stars Of heaven: then still later
(xxi;. IN the Lord combined the two. and
in connection with his giving up Of Isaac
told him that his seed should be as the
stars Of the heaven and as the sand which
is upon the seashore. Afterward the
twofold promise Is divided aud the heav-
enly part is given to Isaac and the earth
ly to Jacob (xxvi. 4; xviii. 14. The first
becomes last and the last first and to my
mind refer to Israel and the church.
through whom as Abrabam's earthly and
heavenly seed God will yet bless all ma
tions. These two companies Of the re-
deemed may be seen in Gen. ! and ii: on
the fourth day sun. moon and stars are
for signs. and Jer. XXI. 35. 36 tells us
that they are signs or tokens that Israel
is always a nation before God; in Eph.
v. 81. 80 we note that Adam and Eve are
typical Of Christ and the church.
Is. Then Abram removed his tent and
came and dwelt in the plain Of Mamre.
which is in Hebron. and built there an
altar unto the Lord" Hebron was hill
country. for Caleb said to Joshua. Give
me this mountain, and Hebron became
his inheritance Joshua xiv, 12-15); this
plain of Mamre must have been q table.