The Tupelo journal., 1907-03-01
ABRAHAM PLEADING
FOR SODOM
Sunday School Lesson for March 3, 1907
Specially prepared for this paper.


LESSON TExT.-Gensis 1868. Mem
Org verses, 1926.
GOLDEN TExT.-"Men ought always
to pray and not to faint.'-Luke ISL.
TIME.-About Is years after last les
son.
PLACE.-The oaks of Memre at He
bron.
scRIPTURAL NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
cessory Prayer: Elk. 1921, 32; 3:9; JOSH
7:S; Judg. 5:31; 2 Sam. 24:27; ! Kings s;2o'
20. 3S, 80; / Chron. 29:1S, 19; 2 Chron.
30:1S: lisa. ell; Dan. 917; Luke, z:S4;
Acts 7:60; Rom. 10:1; p l:l6-ls; COZ.
1:9; Heb. 1920, etc. Allusions to Sodom:
Deut. 1928 comp. 32:32); lisa. 1:9; S:9;
Jer. 23:14; 1918; 50:40; LAM. AS; Eek.
1G:46. 4S. SO, IS; Amos an; Zeph. 2:s;
Matt. 1915 comp. Jude z; 2 Pet. 2:b);
Matt. 11:24: Mark GIL; Luke 1912; l7:2S.
Comment and Suggestive Thought.
In this story we have an example OF
one way in which God trained the
world to know and to realize that he
is in the world and knows and is con-
cerned with all that it going ON here.
Angels, one of them being "the angel
of Jehovah" came in human form to
Abraham sitting at his tent door, to
bring him a message of assurance, and
to see the great wickedness OF the
cities of the plain.
There is nothing improbable In God
appearing in human form in he early
ages of teaching spiritual things to
men, any more han in his coming in
the human form of Jesus Christ, and
for the same reason, namely, to i'm.
press indelibly and wildly upon the
human race the reality of the presence
and power and character of God. They
are object lessons teaching a great
truth.
1t has been a hard lesson to learn,
and many even now have not learned
it, that God is a living power among
the affairs of men, and participates In
them; that the word is true. Are
they not all ministering spirits sent
forth to do service for the sake OF
them that shall inherit sa~lvation?"
(Heb. 1:14), and that he "maketh
winds his messengers, his ministers a
flaming fire" (Psa. 104:4).
Answer to Abrahan's Prayer.
First.-As in all true prayer, it was
by praying and the answer to prayer
that Abraham became a closer friend
of God, became acquainted with MIN.
Thus we become acquainted with
others by seeking the same end, coun
selling together, asking and receiving;
as a son with his father.
Second.-It was answered in the es-
cape of Lot, the one righteous man in
| the city. He escaped, but lost his
home, some of his children, his flock
and herds, and all his property. He
escaped a poor, ~forlorn, seemingly
| broken down man. The poorest invest.
ment he ever made was in property
in Sodom. He was an illustration OF
the apostles appeal in 1 Cor. 3:12-15.
Listen to the angels warning. Stay
not in all the plain. 1t is not enough to
go outside Of the walls of the Sodom
| of fragrant acts of sin, open crimes,
and disreputable and degrading vices;
but we must not stay in that region,
but keep as far away from sin as
| possible, from thoughts of sin,' from
secret sin.
Listen to Christ's warning, remem.
| Der Lots wife. Look not back. Max
no delay in escaping from sin. Let no
regrets at the pleasures of sin stop
your onward course to the place OF a
holy life and heaven.
She did not merely turn her head
and look while hasting away, but
stopped behind, and the fiery storm
and eruption of liquid saline mud over.
took her.
Third.-Abraham's prayer was an
swered in the destruction of Sodom,
for that was essential to the promotion
of righteousness which Abraham had
most at heart, and also essential to
the best good of his nephew Lot. God
| often answers the soul of our prayers
while denying the form. When a little
child asks his father for the moon,
thinking it a bright %plaything, the
father answer the child's prayer by
giving him the plaything which he
really wants, and not the moon, which
he does not want, for the gift would
crush him to death. Giving him the
moon would not be answering his
prayer.
God wants all men to be saved
saved first of all from their sins, for
all other salvation depends upon this.
He longs for sinners to repent. He
desires with all his nature that all
men would so live that it may be pos
sible to save them. But they must be
saved from sin and not in sin. There
fore he sent his only begotten Son.
The one deadly enemy to the coun-
| try is unrighteousness. The ancient
civilizations have persisted by this
poison. Greece and Rome did not fall
till they were permeated with upright
eousness. And if ever there m to
pass Macaulay's vision of some trav-
| eler from New Zealand" who shall.
in the widst of vast solitude. stand on
a broken arch of London bridge to
| sketch the ruins of st. PauPs," or on
| Brooklyn bridge to sketch the ruins of
| New York, it will be because of I'M
| righteousness alone.
Practical Points.
Jesus sees the good and the evil in
us. as the angel of Jehovah did when
he came to Abraham's tent and to
Sodom.
The wicked have within them the
| elements of their W punishment
their moral natures, memory, con-
| science. bad character, remorse. These