The Durham recorder. [volume] (Durham, N.C.) 1879-19??, 1907-02-05
HE SUNDAY SCHOOL
IssoN VI. FIRST QUARTER, sNrERNA.
TloNAL SERIES, FEB. 10.

NS@xt OF the lesson, Gen. xh, s~s.
Memory Verses, I-3-GoIden Text
Zen. xii. 2-Commenssry prepared
~ Rev. ID. NJ. stesrAs.
Eopylght. 1907. by Amcrican Press Association.a
Not counting Adam, who In many
espects stands alone, there are seven
&ypicaI representative men In Genesis
Abei, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Isaac,
Jkrob and Joseph. We have had the
4Ixxt and third under consideration,
Wttll Just glance at the second. and
now we come to the middle one'of the
seven, the only man In Scripture who
IL opecially called 1.-THE friend of Cod"
and he is so called three different
times or ChroR. Xxx, Y; lisa. XII, s.; Jas,
81 23). Our Lord says that we are His
3fiends if we do His commandments,
md He also says thatif we do the will
of God we are His brother and sister
md mother John ~. ii, 10; Matt.
xI 5o). r.
The new people on earth, the de-
ecendants of Noah, the new head Of
The race. became degenerate. like the
nntediuFians, though possibly not to
the same 'extent but we find them In
chapter XII, 4. In organized rebellion
asalnst God, so much so that the Lord
bad to confound their language and
caiter them abroad upon the face OF
Wu the earth. Then In chapter xl,
ha Lao aNf fau
fions from Shem bringing US TO Abram,
Iconcerning whose times II Is written
thai mis- people served other gods
{Josh. xiv, p. From the surrounding
idolatry God called him out that He
NIGH transplant him and make OF
hIm and his descendants, In a separate
land, separate people unto Himself
that through them the nations might
know The only living and true God.
God DOES not drive people. but draws
then ny some revelation OF Himself
and dis glory; 50 we read that 'the
God Of GLORY appeared unto Abram"
{ArtS WILL p. NNe.are also told concord
inx him that he looked for a city
whicL hath foundations Heb. Il, i0l.
txtlently the city OF Rev. XXI. Moses
80 was encouraged by a glorious
aspect set before him which made
E<yptian prospects seem OF small ac-
Uni. The antedIluvIans, who be-
iIfred God. saw something In the
eherubIm which made them as siran.
Rers here. And when our Lord asked
fhe disciples 20 deny self aud follow
MEA, lie did not fail 20 tell them Of e
6npe Of reward and glory lAiatt xvi.
IS
Bellewsrs will never be content 10 90
5errn on earth as strangers TIL a glori-
~ .fntnre takes hold " their hearts.
- king them blind 20 the allurements
~ earth because Of the glory Of that
ukfL Then all things merely earthly
~ ~eem ~ nothing compared with
~ glory Of the kingdom. IL was the
t-@rd who appeared TO Abram and
Hp>Et sto him. aud we must hear His
roIse in our hearts for ourselves-that
u NEe must receive His word as n mes
xafe to our hearts. believing that lie
mNanssus.
fhrre verses Of our lesson included a
h~d n posterlty and q worldwide
b1ts sing and stIII awaits lis complete
vfmMllment The fourfDid n wiz Of
fheke verses Il suggestive Of the world.
Wl1< reach of tie promise. but one y
HiH OF God makes the thing sure.
81 Hnran Abram was detained Tin
~ father died lchapter ri. 81. 81.
Ju<i why Is not plainly told. but we
aer later In the Bible story that Caleb
ant Joshua were kept many years
frun entering the land OF promise by
- unbelief Of others. and there Is
r1oeihlllty that there was some unbe.
~ VI the part of Terah. for we know
zh4f unbeItef cannot enter. In dIeh.
Il ~ Abraham was sercnty.nve
xh<n he aud SaraI. his wife. and his
a<p7*w lot left IIaran and entered
4&&sn with all their possessions aud
zt1f' at Sichem (yerses 4 10 ~ with
II xAnaanite still occupying the land
= saw the Lord aud not the
\ an&ns lite. for
4tth snlghty faith. tie premise sees and
Dolls 10 that atone.
&wfs az ifupossibilities and cries u
al pail be done
M the Lord appeared again 10
Abfbm tyerse -. the FIRST time In the
~ and probably the frst time since
e appeared 10 him In his faraway
uNern home. and confirmed TO him the
pxnsDlse. Aud Abram bullded bis first
aIxr In The land aud worshiped God
II Ii appointed way according to the
49, bling Of Gen. Ill. q. aud the ex.
aznrle Of Ahai aud Noah
n verse 5 We lind that be removed 10
NV place. but he does not fail 90
mild an altar aud worship. We can
~ In peace anywhere on earth with
U&l, but one has we'll said that we
~ better net cross the threshold
Hhout IIlEn. The rest Of the chapter
~ OF further iourneyInEs. but this
II u down 10 Egypt. because there
q famlue In Canaan. aud we lind
liar 10 Egypt. We do see Abram
n Of his life and be and saraI
~ bling q iIe and afterwanl rebnked
by the king VI Egypt.
a a