Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1907-03-03
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL
LESSON TX, FIRST QUARTER, INTERNAL
TIONAL SERIES, MARCH 8.


Luke xviii, l. Commentary Pre-
pared by Rev. D. Nj. stearns.
Copyright 1907, by American Press Association
l cannot find ia me a willingness to-
pass over chapters xvi and xvii with
their many important events, written
for us by the Holy Spirit, and one i'm
portant lesson Of chapter xvi is that
God will always do as He has said,
and not in any roundabout or wrong
way, for He cannot be partner to-
anything wrong. Concerning the prom
Used son it is 6nally written, THE
Lord visited Sarah as He had said,
and the Lord did unto Sarah as He
had spoken xxi u.
Ten years had passed since Abra-
ham entered the land xvi, 3, and, no
son having been given, the devil has
a trap for Abraham, into which he
falls, making a lot of family trouble
and seemingly breaking intimate fell
lOWship between Abram and the Lord
for thirteen years. Compare xvi 16,
and xvii, 1. In chapter xvi, I'll, note
the first mention Of the angel of the
Lord -four times), and in connection
with a poor, wronged outcast wom-
an, and take comfort from the min
istry of angels Heb. j. I'D. Find
greater comfort in the truth that
God lives and sees and cares xvi, Is,
II, and margin). Note how important
| is submission not only to the good and
gentle, but also to the froward xvi, 8;
l Pet. ii, 49,. Submission is said to be
the highest mission on earth. 1t is in
teresting to notice that Of the seven
men mentioned in Scripture as being
named before their birth Ishmael is
the first
After the thirteen years of silence
the Lord revealed Himself to Abram
by q new name, the Almi ghty God Gel
ShaddaD, or the God who is all sufi-
cient or enough. This name is used
more often in the book of Job than in
| all the rest of the Bible and can only
be understood and appreciated when
we are brought to the end of ourselves
and our own resources Dob xiii, 5, g.;
then if we walk before God uprightly
sincerely xvii, /, margin), we will see
the all suficiency of God. Then fol-
low in this wonderful chapter the
covenant with Abram confirmed
Abrams change of name to Abraham
| by putting into it the principal letter
of Gods name Jehovah; the rite of cir
cumcision, suggesting death to the
flesh, and the assurance that the long
promised son would be given the next
year and his name would be Isaac
Today's lesson chapter begins with
another appearance of the Lord to
Abraham, the sixth, | think if | have
counted correctly, and this time He is
accompanied by two angels, the three
| appearing as men, and they accept
| Abraham's hospitality and rest under
| the tree while water is brought for
| their feet and an abundant meal pro
vided by Abraham and Sarah, Of
which they all partake Contrast the
unleavened cakes which Sarah quick
| ly makes with her three measures Of
meal with the leavened bread Of the
woman of Matt. xiii, 33. If you feel
| like saying how gladly you would have
stood by or helped prepare the food or
XII, 1-3, and see the same Lord, and if
that does not help then believe Rev
| Iii, 20.
See the reinsurance of a son for
Sarah, hear her unbelieving laugh and
the Lords patient rebuke and His
searching question, is anything too
hard for the Lord?' VERSES 9 to 15.)
Compare Jer xxi, II, q, and say
before Him if you are believing or I'M
believing.
The visitors rose up and looked to-
ward SOdOm, and Abraham went with
them to bring them on their way and
so the four start off, and we can easily
imagine Sarah following them with
her eyes as far as she could see them
| and thinking many things in her heart
Soon the two angels are on their way
to Sodom, and the record of their visit
to Lot and their hurrying him and his
wife and daughters out of the doomed
city is found in chapter xix along with
| the story of the destruction of the cities
because of their sin. The angels inabil-
| ity to destroy the cities until Lot was
safely out suggests that the church
| must be taken out of the earth before
the judgments can come upon it. Our
Lord Jesus indOrses this record also
duke xvii, 28-30) and tells US that as
it was SO it shall be again at His com
ing Contrast the willingness with
which the visitors accepted Abraham's
hospitality and Lots difficulty in con-
straining the angels to enter his home.
Turning back to our lesson and to
our Lords words, ''Shall | hide from
Abraham that thing which / do?"
(yerse 10 we are reminded of Amos
iii, Z, Surely the Lord God will do
nothing, but He reveaIeth His secret
unto his servants the prophets" We
therefore do well if we take heed to
all prophecy and are foolish if we do
not III Pet. i, 10; Luke xiv, 90. The
Lord is looking for those with whom