The Montgomery tribune. (Montgomery City, Mo.) 1892-1910, 1907-02-15
LOTS
CHOICE
Sunday School Lesson for Feb. IL, 1907
Specially prepared for this paper.

LESSON TEXT.-Genesis iS:1-l3. Menu
Dry verses, s and ..
GOLDEN TEXT.-"Take heed and be-
ware of covetousness."-Luk 1916.
TIME,-Probably within n few years OF
Abraham's arrival in Canaan in 1921.
PLACE-At n place near Bethel, IL
miles north of Jerusalem. After the sep
aration he moved to Hebron. 80 miles
further south.
SCR1PTURAL REFERENCEs.-lllus-
trative of Abraham. Blessed are the
peacemakers: Matt. so. a soft answer
turneth away wrath: Prov. 1911. A new
commandment give l unto you: John
1874. In honor preferring one another:
Rom. 1910. Charity suffereth long and is
kind. etc.: ! Cor. 13.4-S. II 1t he possible,
as much as lieth in you, live peaceabiy
with all men: Rom. 1913, p. Walk In
love: Eph. 5:2. Let brothcrly love con-
iinue: Heb. 1871. Behold how good and
how pleasant 1t Is for brethren to dweli
together In unity, etc: Psalm 1893. Seek
ye first the kingdom OF God: Matt
s:3I-3I.
ILLUSTRATIVE OF LoT.-Not to
keep company with an idolater, railer,
etc: l Cor. 5:9-fl; 2 Thes. $50, IA, 10.
Evil communications corrupt good man
ners: ! Cor. 1888. Blessed Is the man
that walketh not In the counsel OF the
ungodly: Pisa. Ii. II sinners entice,
walk not thou in the way with
them: Prov. 1:10-16. Enter not the path
of the wicked: Prov. 4;l4; 22-24. 70. a
companion of fools shall be destroyed:
Prov. 1920. BE yet not unequally yokeu
together, ETC.: 2 Cor. 6:1f-1S. BE not par
takers of her sins, that we receive not Oh
her plaques: Rev. 1874.
Consider the moral problems at issue,
the arguments, the dangers, the results.
Comment and Suggestive Thought.
Two Imperfections In Abraham's
Faith and life.-Abraham was still In
process Of making. He had not yet
attained. He made two errors.
I. To escape a famine, which he
might have escaped by going to an
other part of Canaan, he left the
Promised Land and went down into
Egypt, which had already attained
a high civilization, full of h~eathenism,
worldliness and luxury, which has a
great fascination and charm to one
who first enters its enchanted circles,
especially when, as was the case in
Egypt, there were many good precepts
in it's religion. This environment, the
moral malaria of educated and bril-
liant worldliness, doubtless made him
more susceptible to the next tempta-
ton.
&. III GSypL ut iSlt III uohSSi VI h'o
life, because his wife was very beauti-
full. He feared that the Pharaoh would
kill him in order to obtain her
for his harem, o were his
fears %groundless. Possibly" says
Prof. Dods, "he nay have heard
the ugly story which has re-
Gently been deciphered from an old
papyrus, and which tells how n of
the Pharaohs, acting on the advice of
his princes. sent armed men to fetch
a beautiful woman and make away
with her husband" To escape this
danger he told a lie which was a for.
NAL truth. that Sarah was his sister,
for she was his half-sister.
Lots lmperfections.-Lot was a good
man at heart, We are told in 2 Peter
that righteous Lot was sore dis
tressed" by the lascivious life Of the
wicked, For the righteous man dwell.
ing among them, in seeing and hear
ing, vexed his righteous soul from day
10 day with their lawless deeds" e
Pet. 2: Z, 81.
But Lots life and character were on
a much lower level than Abraham's,
He was repealed by the gross wicked
ness Of Sodom, but the less obtrusive
sins of the heart were not SO repul'
sive to him
Lessons About Family QuarreIs.-
"a There Is special danger of quar-
rels in the family and among kindred
and in earnest churches where there
are strong belief and active work, be
.s1 4In.a MAO eA ,,onr onnGtrftno In
terests among them. Those with moth
ing in common may be In hundred
times worse in character, but thteil
evil deeds will not take the form Of
strife. (2) Quarrels almost always
begin in little things. Very often they
arise from the distribution of prop
erty. There Is always trouble about
money, or without money" (3) Fam
lily strife is an exceeding great evi
to all concerned. ca 1t is a great N
Jury to the community and to religion
when these strifes arise among church
members. For, as DR.. Parker says
'The Canaanite and Perizzite are still
in the land" (5) Stop every sucf
quarrel in the beginning, before !,
match's flame becomes a burning city
or a little leak a devastating flood
90 Trials, like that described in this
lesson, both reveal character Inc de
velop it, as the fire reveals the dros'
in the gold and puriies from 1t.
Abraham's 5rotherly Love.-D I
was a most unselfish act, renouncin.
his own interests in favor of hi,
friend. (2) It was a giving up of hi
rights. Abraham had the first RICH
10 the land. 1t vas promised to hin
and not to Lot. Then he was the eide
and the richer of the two. Lot ha,
accompanied him, not he Lot. (3) /
was an act of faith; for 1t seemed I.
be giving up to others, for the SAX
Of peece, the land promised to him