Lexington gazette. [volume] (Lexington, Va.) 1871-1962, 1907-03-06
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL
LESSON X, FIRST QUARTER, INTERNA-
TloNAL SERIES, MARCH 10.

Memory Verses, 10, 17-GOlden Text,
Matt. v, g. Commentary Prepared
by Rev. d. NJ. stearns.
Copyright, 1907, by American Press Association.
That we should be asked to omit all
these intervening chapters and spe-
cially chapters xii and xiv seems
too bad indeed, and we simply can't
do 1t and have the mind of God. The
weakness and wickedness Of man are
seen in Abraham's SHINING again be-
cause he gave way to thoughts and
fears Xxx, III. The birth OF Isaac
when his father Abraham was 100
years old, the casting out OF Hagar
and Ishmael, the angels care OF Ha-
gar and the new name Of God, the
everlasting God (El-olam), are found In
xxi. Chapter xxi gives US the most
wonderful picture In the whole Bible
Of the father offering up his only
son, the father carrying the fire ana
the knife, and the boy carrying the
wood and asking, where Is the lamb
for a burnt offeringT Abraham re-
ceiving Isaac back from the dead In
figure (Heb. xl. 49, on the third day,
and on Mount Morlah, where the roun-
dalton of Solomon's temple was after
ward laid; the ram offered In 1saacs
stead. the new name Of the place (Js-
hovah Jlreh, the Lord will see or pro-
yide). The union Of the two previous
separate promises concerning the seed
as the sand and as the stars and many
other wonders of grace and glory
make us sorry to pass such chapter.
Chapter xiii tells Of the death OF
Sarah, the purchase Of the cave OK
Machpelah and her burial there at
Hebron. In chapter xiv we have
such a fascinating foreshadowing OF
the Holy Spirit telling Of the riches,
Of the Father who gave all His wealth
to His only Son that He may obtain
a bride for that Son. Chapter XIV
tells Of the death of Abraham and his
burial by Isaac and Ishmael In the
cave of Machpelah, the birth OF jacob
and Esau and how the latter sold his
birthright for mess Of pottage.
Our lesson chapter opens with Isaac
sojourning with the Phllistines In
stead of at the well Of him that hveth
and seeth (Gen. xvi, IA, margin; XIV
III because Of famine In the land.
The Lord blessed him there and con-
firmed the promise to Abraham OF
blessing to all nations and gave him
the star end of the promise, the dust
Of the earth or sand portion being ait
erward given to Jacob (xxviii, la.
We find Isaac falling into his fathers
sin of calling his wife his sister, lest
he should be killed for her sake, and,
as In his fathers case, reproved by
heather king. Yet God bore with His
erring child and cared for him and
blessed him for His own names sake
in spite of his sin. IF we believe not,
He abideth faithful. He cannot deny
Himself Oh Tim. Il. 49,. The I'M
changeable faithfulness Of God Is our
only resting place (Mal. |, 2; Ill, o..
In verse we hear God saying to him,
81 will be with thee and will bless
thee" and In verse II we read, And
the Lord blessed him." and the next
two verses tell something Of the ex-
tent of the blessing. There Is nothing
that can compare with the blessing OF
the Lord which maketh rich and to
kou
K, %, R. W. In Isaac's case 1t brought
a hundredfold; but in Israel the prom
Use was that If they kept the Sabbath
year the ground would give three
years harvest in the sixth year Oev.
XIV, 20, Ply. The blessing upon the
lads Eve loaves multiplied them suf-
fciently to feed perhaps 10000 people,
and what about the draft Of fishes In
Luke and John xxi after the nights
of frultless toll? Is not His blessing
everything? But II will always pro-
woke envy and opposition and even
persecution, as In verses IA and 10.
This we are taught to expect for HIS
sake John XIV, 1921; xvi, 49,, and II
we receive 1t in a proper spirit He will
be magnltied.
Where we are not wanted 1t Is not
wise to stay, so Isaac, being request
ed to move on, did so oversees 16 and
ID. and he evidently did so very meek
", without any arguing or talking
back. James and John would have
burned up town on one occasion IL
they had been permitted, because mel
Their they nor their Master was want
ed in that town duke tx, $3.50.
Isaac began to reopen his fathers
wells, which the Philistines had stop
ped and filed with earth after the
death of Abraham, but as fast as he
reopened them the Phillstines claimed
them, and he, without strife, yielded
the first two. 1t Is not our way, as a
rule. to take such injustice meekly.
Much trouble has often come from less
provocation. Isaac meekly reopened
a third, and they did not claim that,
30 he said, Now there Is room for US
all" But who of us would have act.
ed so? We next find him at Beer
sheba (the we'll of the OATH, and the
Lord appeared to him the second time,
saying, "Fear not, for / am with thee
and will bless thee" oversees "a, 25)
There he built an altar and worshiped
and his servants dug another well.
Now note the sequel to his yielding
the wells. Those who had driven
him away from them came to him, de
string to make a covenant with him
They come with lot of talk that does
not sound true (29), but Isaac does moi
notice it, and we better not. But what
we do notice Is their testimony to God
as seen I'm Isaac-"We saw certainly
that the Lord was with thee" (2S)
How much are we willing TO bear thai
God may be seen in us? The same day
that Isaac received these men kindly
his servants brought him word that they
had found water. Is there not con
nectlon?