The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1901-08-02

Lsssos n the International ssrses
for August 4, 1OOl-ASsahsA
and Lot.
Prepared by III. c. Leningtos.l
THE LESSON TEXT.

tGeresis .3;l-ls)
I. And Abram went up out OF Egypt. ne.
and his wife. and all that he had. and Lot
with him. into the south
.. And the land was not able TO bear
them. that they might dwell together: for
their substance was great that they
could not dwell together.
7. And there was a strife between the
herdmen OF Abrap's cattle and the herd
men Of Lots cattle and the Cauaanite and
the Perizzlte dwelled then In the land.
B. And Abram said unto Lot. Let there
be no strife. pray thee. between me and
thee. and between my herdmen and thy
herdmen. for we be brethren.
v Is not the whole land before thee?
Ss9arate thyself. pray thee, from me; II
thou wilt take the left hand. then | Will
go TO the right: or IL thou depart to the
right hand then l will go TO the left.
10. And Lot lifted up his eyes. and be-
held all the plain OF Jordan. that II was
well watered everywhere. before the Lord
destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah. even as
the garden OF the Lord, like the land Of
Egypt, IS thou contest unto Zoar.
II. Then Lot chose him an the plain OF
Jordan; and Lot Journeyed east; and they
separated themselves the one from the
other.
u. Abram dwelled in the land OF Canaan.
and Lot dwelled In the cities OF the plain.
and pitched his tent toward Sodom
l3 But the men OF Eodom were wicked
and sinners before the Lord exceedingly.
a. And the Lord said unto Abram. after
that Lot was separated from him. Lift up
now thine eyes. and look from the place
where thou art northward. and southwark.
and eastward. and westward:
Is For all the land W hitch thou seest to
thee will give II, and 10 thy seed forever.
Is. And | will make thy seed as the dust
OF the earth: o that III a man can number
the dust of the Earth. then shall thy seed
also be numbered.
IL. Arise. walk through the land In the
length of 1t and In the breadth of IL; for /
will give 1t unto thee.
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.
GOLDEN TEXT. Whatsoever ye
would that men should do to You, do
even 50 to them.-Matt. 7,12.
NOTES AND COMMENTS.
In the chapters Genesis - and 14)
which should be read in connection with
the verses assigned for the present les
son, we have an opportunity for fur
Their study of the character of Abra-
ham, which is made to appear the
stronger by its contrast to that of Lot.
The character study Of both men may
well be perused in the order of the va
rious incidents related
A Family Bib
The Land Given TO Abraham. lib :l4-ls
Lot Taken Prisoner. ................
Abraham Rescues His Nephew 49,. IA 1924
a Family Quarrel.-Speaking literal
" and by the book. this was strictly not
a family quarrel, but might easily have
been but for the peaceable disposition
l.. l..
quarrel between the servants Of the
two men. II was a case Of two much
prosperity. Both men were exceeding
ly prosperous. Both had great herds
Of cattle and great ficcks Of sheep. s.
great were these hocks and herds that
there was not place for all to Craze in
the place selected The shepherds and
herdsmen came TO words and blows
with each other over securing the best
pastures. With the retnue of servants
upon each side Numbering in Abra-
hams case BIS men capable Of bearing
arms). we can readily see how serious
the quarrel could have shortly become.
Abraham acted as thc neacemaker. lie
suggested to Lot that inasmuch as
there was not room in that place for
both, that they should separate. one
going to the caste the other to the
west. The way Lot settled this ques-
tion is. considering all the circnm-
stances, quite indicative Of the charac-
ter of the man. The plains on
either side were rich and fertile.
But TO the west the land was still new
and unoccupied. To the east was So
dom and other cities. We remember
that Abraham came westward to get
away from the idolatrous city Of Ur
Of the Chaldees. Lot, choosing to pitch
his tents near Sodom, inevitably sug-
gests that he still had in his heart
some Of the old love for worldly pleas
ures.
The Land Given to Abraham.-On
the westward side Of the Jordan was
the land Of Canaan. 1t was here that
Abraham's cattle were to Craze. And
here Abraham had another Of his vi
sions of Cod, and God revealed to
Abraham that his descendants were
10 ne as the dust for number. The
building o. an altar to the Lord in the
plain of Mamre is another OF the many
Indications given Of Abraham's reli-
gious nature.
Lot Taken Prisoner and His Rescue
BY Abra ham.--Ths incident is fur
Their illustration of the noble char
acter Of Abraham. The kings Of the
plain OF Jordan made war upon each
other. The kings OF Sodom and Co
morrah met defeat. and in their pre-
-ipitous fight fell into the slime pit;
their cities fell into the hands of the
enemy, and Lot and his family and
servants and all his possessions also
we're taken. Abraham gathered to-
yether his men and went in pursuit.
By night attack he scattered the en-
smy and rescued all the goods that
we're taken and Lot, his nephew.
When Abraham returned. ne gave
hanks to God for his victory. gave
tithes to Melchizedek. the high priest,
Ind returned not only the prisoners
,e had taken but also all the goods,
Ind this, in the light Of the ancient