The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1901-08-08
Subject: Gods Promise to Abraham,
Gen. XIV, 1-1S-Golden Text, Gen. XIV,
1-Memory Verses. 5-.-Commentary
on the Days Lesson.

Great reward" There is surely refer
ence here to the battle and the victory.
! When God is ours We have all that is suifi-
clcnt for defense and reward; TINS promise
| involves eternal lie.
=. Il 20 childless.' Seeing | am going
childlcSs; that is, | am going out OF tne
world IN this condition. Abram desired a
that 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. is
this Eiiezer:' How could the promise De
fulfilled when stranger is likely TO be
las heir?
s. Given no seed" Though we should
never complain Of God yet We may COM
plain to Him, and tell Him all our griev-
! anceS. "One born in my house" That is,
''one attached to or a dependant OF his
house" This is 4 reference TO the servane
VINO, from all appearances, would become
his heir
4. Shall not be thine heir" There is
no limit to the power OF God, Tor He who
can quicken the dead can do anything.
5. "Look-tell the stars" The stars in
that climate are brighter than in ours
to shine so bright as to cast a shadow.
Brighter than the stars, steadier than their
flames shall be the fuitilment OF Gods
promises. God points to the stars as
sign to Abram. so shall thy seed be-
The descendants of Abram included not
only Israelites. but the Arabians, the Mid
ianites, the Ammonites and Moabites were
numerous people, and were for more
than a thousand years among the most I'M
portant in Asia. At least two + inches OF
his strong stock yet remain-the Jews,
VINO are found in every part Of the earth,
,, and the Arabs, who still roam, uncon-
Quered over the desert. But the highest
fulflment was in Christ. Gods people
are. by faith, children OF Abraham" and
heirs according to the promise" Gal. 9:
7, 9, %.
f. 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
upon the powc- and faithfulness of Gcd
who had made it. See Rom. 4: 1921.
Counted it." There was no act but that
OF the mind and heart, no work OF any
kind; hence the doctrine of justification
by faith. without any merit of works; Tor
in this case there could be no works or
Abram which would merit the salvation o.
the whole human race. For righteous
ness" Or Justification.
7. 81 am the Lord" The promises OF
God are very broad very high and very
long. They look far down the future, but
we may remember that there Is omnlS-
cience in their utterance and omnipotence
in their fulfiment.
s. Whereby shall 1 know That is,
''by what sign shall ! be assured that L
shall inherit this laHd?'
9. Take me an heller" etc. The ami
mails prescribed are OF the three kinds, al
terward allowed by the law Tor sacrifice,
and the birds are those repeatedly men
toned in the law as those TO be brought
for offerings.
TO- He took-all these" Abram fol-
| lowed 20 the very letter the directions God
| had given him; so we must obey God fully
before we can have reason to expect HIM
to fulfil His promises to us. DIVIDED
| them," etc. The manner OF ratltyng 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.
II. "Came'down." Having made reaoy
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 intruding cares,
like unclean birds. seize upon that time
ard those affections winch have been gwen
to God!
tine OF the evening sacrihce;; deep
sleep" Not common sleep through wea-
riness or careiessness, but such sleep as
God caused to fall upon Adam. Great
darkness" Which God designed to be ex-
pressive of the atiiiction and misery into
which his posterity should be brought dur
| ing their bondage in Egypt, as the next
verse particularly states.
is. Shall atiiic: them From the
time God called Abram at Haran it was
43O wears before Abrams descendants
/ came into possession of their own land,
but the children of Israel were actually IN
Egypt only half that time, or 2l5 years.
il. That nation" The Egyptian ma
ton. "Will 1 Judge" God brought plaques
and destruction upon the. Egyptians.
Come out" Israel was redeemed from
bondage and came out Of Egypt with great
wealth. This promise was literally tui-
fled but there was long time OF waiting.
Is. In peace" This verse strongly I'M
plies the immortality of the soul.
l6. "Amorites." This was the general
| name for the Canaanitish tribes. 'Iniquity
not vet full" From these words we
| learn that there is certain pitch OF ini-
ouity to which nations may arrive before
| they are destroyed, and beyond which God
| will not permit them to pass.
II. "A smoking furnace This signi.
| fed the afiliction OF the children of Israel
in Egypt. There were there, in the fur
mace OF affliction. Burning lamp The
symbol of the divine presence. Faith may
be strong, but light comes while we stand
before the Lord, by the holy altar OF burnt
| offering
Is. Made covenant" A covenant is
| 4 mutual agreement between two contract
| ing parties, each OF which is bound to full
| I'll certain engagements to the other. In