The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1907-02-07
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Sunday School Lesson Tor Feb 10. 1907
Specially Prepared for This Piper.

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LESSON TEXT.-Gen. 121-S. Memory
GoIDEN TExT-"I will bless thee
and make thy name great and thou
shalt be a blessing. ."-Gen l2:2
TIME. Abraham was born about 1000
r.. G. Ussher's date Din margin of our
Hommel. He was probably contempor-
airy with Bammurabi, whose date is put
vsriously at $500, 2SOo and 1000 b. G.;
Of the Chaldees, the ruins OF which,
called Mugheir, are now being excavsted.
It is near the Euphrates. 120 miles from
HsMs HssSMFssPTGFE LIFE Sb 3SSTLiGHF GHAR%crhR 3E ERR.
s III Ane''i5y ~, nTsbe.ss Gebssis II asa and Lux
9, His Marriage: Gen. II ~; 1 Pet. 3:s:
Gen. ls:s; 5i. T. His Children: Gen.
sje' 5a.,E sla S;s o,l His iProspeFity' Gen
Neh. 81; Gen. 12:1-s; Josh. n:s; lisa. 5i:2:
Gen; 1910; N1 Z. Names OF Places:
T,,s rind how many places are connected
tors. Josh. Ma. .. Deeds: Gen. llsi;
1873. 0; 14J3,2o; Heb: 7:l-lo; Gen. IS; 2l-n:
snS s' nSoD,sds 81 Mh iS7 lst 70 Vision.
Cen % lsis @ X ass j. $?}S aes ana s hfj'i5ss. Pss
Jas o asia Eoa ~! chron s ~ sS-' i,a heG s ''
Comment and Suggestive Thought.
'bO ltui, tSbSHlldls DTOB-
ress Of the world is moral, spiritual,
religious. This is progress worth re-
cording in the Book of God. In this
progress Abraham stands out as
lighthouse landmark, lighted by God,
| and shining down all the ages. He Is
the third of the representatives OF
eras In the history: Adam-Noah-
Abraham
His first name was Abram, "exalt-
ed father" and changed later in a
vision from God to Abraham. father
of multitude" The derivation of the
name is unknown. Professor Sayce
| says that the name Abram (Abu-ramu,
the exalted father') is found on
early Babylonlan contract tablets
V. 1. Now the Lord had said"
| Omit had" Am. X. The Lord said,
FIRST at Ur (Gen. 11:3D, and now
| again in Haran. where he was at the
| beginning of this chapter. Terah, Ab.
raham's father, led the first migration
from Ur to Haran, nearly coo miles
northwest up the Euphrates, on the
road toward Palestine.
Get thee out of thy country and
from thy kindred" why must he get
away from these influences? Because
only in a new country, free from the
restraints of old customs and old
friends. could the family and religion
| of Abraham best develop. Unto a
land that I will show thee" Here
was another test of his faith. And
tho difficulty was greatly enhanced
by the fact that he did not know
where he was going.
V. 2. 81 will make OF thee a great
nation" Great and good motives are
involved in this promise. Personally
It would compensate for the loss of
his own country. This promise was
fulfilled in the Hebrew race, which
has had a greater religious influence
than any other, and which still exists;
but more completely in the spiritual
sons of Abraham. the whole Christian
church (Gal. 1920. So Christ says
of Abraham, "He rejoioed to see my
day; and he saw 1t, and was glad"
John $3.50. And | will bless thee"
No earthly good can be 80 great as
the blessing of God.
And make thy name great"
Known. honored. loved through all the
centuries, and by multitudes OF peo-
Pile. To one who is really worthy Of
it. II is great blessing to be the
hero, the example. the ideal Of many
people.
And thou shalt be blessing" A
blessing In thyself and a source of
blessing to others. It is more blessed
to give than to receive.
v. 3. "And will bless them that
bless thee" Abraham's cause was
to be so identified with Gods cause
that whosoever favored Abraham fav.
ored God and his kingdom. So far as
we are the true children of God this
Is true also OF us.
"And curse him that curseth thee"
This is the other side of the same
promise. Abraham In character
works, and representative position as
the founder of the church was so
identified with God that whosoever
hated and opposed him hated and op-
posed God "The good man is not
alone. Touch him, and you touch
God"
I'm thee shall all families Of the
earth be blessed" Az they have
been, by the race he founded. by the
spiritual training Of that race. by the
religious influences and the word Of
God given through his descendants,
and most Of all by Jesus Christ, the
Messiah, who was Of Abraham's seed
We, too. have great and precious
promises. In Jesus Christ, OF better
things and y better country than Alb
raham had. Great lives are trained
by great promises.
v. 4. 80 Abram departed" with
all that he had ~. 81, "and into the
land of Canaan they came"
Canaan-"Lowlands," was original
ly the low land on the Mediterranean
L. III ~.