The Montgomery advertiser., 1901-08-10
SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON FOR TOMORROW
BY J. E. GIL BERT, IL. D.,

GUS, a steward. To him would descend all his possessions and there would be no one to execute the Lords purpose. How then could the promise be kept?
 Offspring (verses 4, ,, 6.) Every good man comes at times into perplexity through his inability to see the way to an end which seems to be in harmony with Gods will. 1t is hard for one to beiieEe~ that to be possible which ap- pears to be impossible. Abrams di- lema could be removed only by further truth. and that was given. The Lord assured him that the Syrian would not be his heir. but that he should have descendants through whom the promise should be fulfilled. And then to en- large his conceptions, he was made to look upon the host of heaven and in- formed that his posterity should be like the stars for number. Jer. xxxiii: 22). This statement was very brief. There were difficulties In the way of such result which might have caused many doubt. (Gen. xvi:D. But truth is always broken little by little to the human mind, whether by revelation or by patient seeking. It is better to have 1t so. Were all obtained at once it's educational value would be gone If part is withheld. while enough is given for present needs, there is room for faith. And in this case Abram believed the word of God and was rcckoned righteous on that account.
 Assurance (verses : and 8. The promise of numerous posterity, com forting as it must have been to a child less man. was not left to stand by it. self. It was joined to an earlier prom ise which it was made to explain and support. Gen. xiii:15), and which is here repeated. The Lord informed Abram that he who now pledged chld- ren was the one who had pledged a land. who in fact had led the patriarch out of Chaldea into Canaan. The two promises were, therefore, inseparable "a people and a country for those peo- pie. So it ever is that new truth fits | into old truth and completes 1t. and knowledge grows from single facts to broad generalization. Now comes an- other question in the mind of Abram.
 It was not by any means an indicatior or doubt. but an earnest wish to have the surest possible resting place for his Ialtn, most commendabIe state of mlnd. What assurance had he. what assurance would God grant him that this last promise should be fulfilled? IT
 was an humble pleading for some | method by which to establish him in that which was necessary to his future Saerince tverses 9, 10, ID. That there C | evidenced by the fact Shat no rebuke or refusal followed On the contrary
 God condescended to give what was de, l sired. Abram was directed to take o calf. a goat, a ram, a dove and A pig | eon-eNery animl commanded or allow ed to be sacrificed under the Mosaic law. an epitome of that which would afterWard be established in the ritual or Israel. This was done, and the whole was arranged after the approved GUS tom in two parts with a space lying between. These preliminaries were common at that time when two parties were about to enter into a solemn agreement for any purpose. In this in- stance the intention was to establish
 between Jehovah and Abram d bond 1 sacred alike to both. chiefly for the | benefit of the latter on the point about
 which he had questioned. Having com pleted his preparation Abram stNrd
 watch. driving the fowls away who l gathered about the carCasses and wait l ing for Gods farther pleasure.
 Disclosure Oversees 12 to 16). There stood the man of faith protecting the
 slain beasts. until. as the sun went
 down he fell asleep. and there was | opened to him in a vision the future of
 his people. filling his mind with hor- TOT. (Job iv:13). The contemplation of | the future as the curtain was lifted
 prepared him for explanations which
 were given by the Divine being God
 told him of the days of bondage in | Egypt which would continue for four
 centuries. and of the ieliverance that
 would afterward be granted with judg-
 ment upon the oppressors. He explain ed. however the reason for this delay | in the settlement of Canaan. The peo- ple then inhabiting'the land who would
 be expelled to make place for Israel.
 had not yet finished their course in
 sin. He also made Abram know that
 long before the time of the settlement
 he should be buried in a good old age,
 to rest In peace with his fathers. Thus
 the fOreknowledge Of God Is laid under
 contribution to strengthen the faith of
 a patriarch chosen to be the progeni- | to" cf a rac"
 Covenant Oversees IT. 1SO-The speech
 ended. and the remainder was done by
 symbols. Abram saw passing between
 the two parts of the sacrifcial offering first smoking furnace, then a burn Ing lamp The first was an emblem of
 the sore sff1iction of Israel in Egypt; the other siEnified the Divine presence. | CTer. xxxiv:1SD Tn this way was con-
 veyed the beautiful truth that Divine care should attend the period of trial.
 the support being given in the midst