Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-02-23
for SUNDAY ScbM@.
STAR LESSON FOR FEBRUARY "a,
SECRETARY AMERICAN SOCIETY OF RELIGIOUS ATOM
GOODS COVENANT WITH ABRAM.' Genesis " lis
BY Rev. ]. E. Gilbert, DID,,

to be sacrificed under the Mosaic law. an
epitome of that which would afterward be
established in the ritual of Israel This
MAS zone. and the whole was arranged
ai.er the approved custom in two parts
with space lying between. These pre-
.iminaries were common at the time when
TWO parties were about to enter Into a sol
emn agreement for any purpose. In this
instance the intention was to establish be-
tween Jehovah and Abram n bond sacred
aiike to both, chiefly for the benefit OF the
questioned. Having completed his prepa-
ration. Abram stood watch. driving the
fowls away who gathered about the car
cases and waiting for Gods further pleas
ure.
DISCLOSURE oversees 1o-16).-There
$1,000 the man OF faith protecting the slain
beasts peas until, as the sun went down, he
fell asleep, and there was opened to him
IN vision the future of his people filing
his mind with horror Dob, iv:13). The con-
temptation OF the future as the curtain was
were given by the Divine Being. oGd told
him OF the days of bondage in Egypt which
would continue for four centuries. and of
the delfverance that would afterward be
granted with Judgment upon the oppres-
sors. He explained. moreover, the reason
for this delay in the settlement OF Canaan.
The people then inhabitng the land, who
would be expelled to make place for Israel
had not yet finished their course in sim He
also made Abram to know that long be-
fore the time of the settlement he should
De buried In a good old age. to rest in
peace with his fathers. Thus the fore
knowledge Of God is laid under contribu-
ton to strengthen the faith OF a patriarch
chosen to be the prosenitor of race.
COVENANT oversees 17-1S).-The speech
ended, and the remainder was done by
symbols Abram saw passing between the
two parts of the sacriiicial Offering, first,
a smoking furnace, then a burning lamp.
The first was an emblem of the sore afilic-
ton of Israel in Egypt; the other signified
the Divine presence der, XXxv:1S). In
this way was conveyed the beautiful truth
that divine care should attend the period
OF trial, the support being given IN the
midst of bondage. So that. however great
the suffering, the people of God should DO
delivered and the covenant made with
Abram should be kept. The more definite
boundaries were given to the land. 1t
should no lonoger be limited to that upon
which the eye might rest. as announced
upon the plain of Bethel Gen, xiii:15),
nor yet to that over which the foot might
tread, as promised on the plain OF Moreh
Gen., Xii:G-O. 1t should extend from the
river Of Egypt on the south to the River
Euphrates on the north and east. mag
nificent empire never possessed except in
the reign of David.
REFLECTIONS-We see here the
method of Gods dealing with man. He
takes centuries to work out His designs.
He suffers the agents of His will to be at
times in darkness that they may desire
the light and struggle toward it. He makes
them ready to act little part which shall
be woven in with the acts of others to
| make the aggregate of history by which
His purpose is reached. He never hastens,
but waits on men until they come to stature
and knowledge ready for His service. Out
Of the doubts and fears of the present He
brings the faiths and hopes of tomorrow.
Happy is the man who can believe the
| word Of God and rest In 1t, though some
parts of it are obscured. Happy is he
who asks God when shadows darken his
vision, who is content to know that what
he does faithfully shall rebound not to his
personal profit, but to the good of after
generations. who projects himself forward
and seeks to live in posterity and to glorify
God in the centuries to come
Questions Answered.
Any person may send any biblical ques-
ton to DR.. Gilbert. 1903 r street northwest,
this city, and receive answer in The Star
219. What was the yulgate version Of the
| Scriptures?
Answer. 1t was the translation into Latin
| made by Jerome about 3S5 A. D. Part OF
| it. including the New Testament, he took
| from an older Latin version called the
| Italic, but the greater part of 1t he trans
| lated from the original The Nulgate was
| adopted by the Latin church, and was the
| first book ever printed. When made 1t was
| a faithful rendering but in after centuries
| 1t was gradually changed. The present text
contains many errors.
| 300 What method was employed to pre-
serve the early biblical books?
| Answer. The writings of Moses were de-
| liyered to the priests, who were instructed
| to place them in the side OF the ark, also to
read them to the people at the end of every
| seven years. (Deut., Xxxi:9. ii, 26). Tho
| law was to be written on stones at Mount
| Ebat in the land of Canaan (Deut., xxvii:s),
and copy made for the king. IL one should
| be chosen from which he was required to
read "all the days of his life Dcut.,
xvii:1S, 19). Thus there was double pro-
! lection given, the priestly and the kingly.
|
| 221. Why should the Book Of Ruth be in
| cluded in the Scripture canon?
| Answer. 1t is generally believed that
| Samuel wrote this book. and as he was IL
! prophet it ought to be held sacred. Its
| value may be judged by the fact that 1t con-
| tains particulars of a Jewish family who
| lived in the time Of the judges, who mi
| grated to Moab in the days of a famine:
| and 1t shows how a Moabitess. reduced to
| wldowhood. returned to Judea with her
| mother-in-law and became the wife of Boaz
| and thus an ancestor OF David and OF the
| Christ.