Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1907-05-19
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL,
Lesson VII. Second Quarter,
For May 10, 1907.
THE INTERNATIONAL SERIES.

HE TN EMMA IUNAL DENIES.
Text of the Lesson, Eek. i, 1-14-Mem-
ory Verses, 10, 14-GoIden Text, Ps.
evil, 1a-commentary Prepared by
Rev. .. M. Stearns.
copyright 1907, by American Press Association
While the book of beginnings center
ed around seven men, all of whom are
mentioned in the first twenty-five
verses Of Heb. XII and each one charac-
terized as a man of faith, the book of
Exodus has but one prominent man,
whose faith is also commended in Heb.
xi. Back of and through each of these
men we see God working out His eter-
nal purpose, and by believing God they
become one with Him in that purpose.
We must remember, known unto God
are all His works from the beginning
of the world (Acts XIV, 49,, and again,
az am God, and there is none like Me,
declaring the end from the beginning
and from ancient times the things that
are not yet done, saying, My counsel
S1AClA1 anu l. w IA GA AhAJ pA\etS
ure" Qsa. XVII, 8, 10).
Exodus opens with the children Of
Israel still in the strange land and in
great aff1iction, according to Gen. XIV,
13, but it closes with the nation de-
livered and the Lord dwelling in their
midst, in the tabernacle which Moses
had built at Gods command. The end
fpcrc af n rood many paYtc of tho
Bible point onward to the consumma-
ton of Rev. xxi, when God will indeed
tabernacle with men on the earth and
there shall be no more curse nor pain
nor sorrow, but the kingdom shall have
come and Israel shall be the earthly
center.
The same sentence with which the
book of Exodus opens is found also in
Gen. XVI, 8, and the verses following
give the full list Of names. Here we
have just the eleven sons of Jacob
Joseph being in Egypt already, verse
81, and the order is first the six sons of
Leah, then Racheps Benjamin, then the
four sons of the two maids. The order
Of birth is found in Gen. xxx and
at Joseph'S table before they knew
him (Gen xiii, 33), and in that order
they were engraven on the onyx stones
on the shoulders of the high priest eek.
xviii, o, 10Y
In Rev. vii we have $4,000 of the
twelve tribes sealed in their foreheads,
and in chapter xiv we see them before
ho tn 1,O 0f &Ic
| creatures and elders, while the last
mention Of them is on the twelve gates
of the New Jerusalem, the names of
the twelve apostles being on the twelve
foundations of the city of which the
Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are
both the temple and the light (Rev.
xxi, 1914, %, 23). Looking onward, we
cannot but remember that our Lord
said that In the kingdom the twelve
apostles would sit on thrones judging
the twelve tribes of Israel duke xxi,
20, 30; Matt. xix, 90. Where the re-
sponsibility lies for dropping the tribes
of Israel from the purpose of God and
calling the church Israel, God knows
and will see to it. Let us have no part
nership with such teaching.
Joseph and his brethren and all that
generation passed away Verse g., but
the purpose of God alters not "The
gifts and calling of God are without
repentance" (Rom. XII, 29). There is a
lot of comfort in lisa. xiv, "a; Ps. xxxiii,
10, IL. If we believe God we shall be
established, but not otherwise Oh
Chron. Xxx, 20; lisa. vii, 81. The hand Of
God is seen manifestly in the abundant
increase of Israel in Egypt, in spite of
all the oppression and cruelty of their
enemies oversees z, II, 20), and makes
us think Of Ps. ii, 1-3; lisa. viii, 8, 10.
The God Of Israel still lives and says
concerning them, "He that toucheth
you toucheth the apple Of His eye,"
and again, "Sing and rejoice, o daugh-
ter Of Zion, for, 10, come, and will
dwell in the midst of thee, saith the
Lord Czech. Ii, 8, 1912.
The king who knew not Joseph and
in his own wisdom sought to prevent
Israel from multiplying oversees SID and
the king who eighty years later said
to Moses, II know not the Lord; neither
will let Israel go'' verse ., were sam
pies of the anti-Christian spirit of today
which may soon be consummated by
the appearance of the antichrist him
self, who will Cypress Israel terribly
and even dare to fight against God
(Rev. I-xiii; xix, 1921; II Thess. ii,
7-10)
In the vision granted to Abraham
there were a smoking furnace and a
burning lamp Gen. XIV, 10, and Egypt
became to Israel an iron furnace of
cruel oppression, but the same God
who walked with the friends of Daniel
in their fiery furnace was watching
over Israel and is watching over them
now in their Russian furnace