The Yale expositor. (Yale, St. Clair County, Mich.) 1894-current, 1907-02-15
LOTS
CHOICE
Sunday School Lesson for Feb. IT. 1907
Specially prepared for this paper.

LESSON TEXT.-Genesis 1S:1-13. Men,
DRY verses. and 2.
GOLDEN TEXT Take heed and be-
ware of covetousness. Luke 1915.
TIME.-Probably within a few years OF
Abraham's arrival i'm Canaan in 1921.
PLACE-At a place near Bethel, IL
miles north of Jerusalem. After the sep
aration he moved to Hebron, 80 miles
,urther south.
scRIPTURAL REFERENCEs.-Illu
trative of Abraham. Blessed are the
peacemakers: Matt SO. A soft answer
turneth away wrath Prov. 1871. new
commandment give l unto you: John
1894. In honor preferring one another:
Rom. 1910. Charity suffereth long and is
kind, ETC.: / Cor 13:4-S. If IL be possible,
as much as lieth i'm you, live peaceably
with all men: Rom. 1918. p. Walk in
love- Eph SO. Let brotherly love con-
tinue: Heb. 1871. Behold how good and
how pleasant IL Is for brethren TO dwell
together I'm unity. etc. Psalm 1885, Seek
we first the kingdom of God: Matt.
6:31-4
ILLUSTRATIVE OF LoT.-Not to
keep company with an idolater, railer.
etc: l Cor. SELL; Thes. 3:6, IA. 10.
Evil communications corrupt good man
ners: ! Cor. 1888. Blessed is the man
that walketh not in the counsel OF the
ungodly: Psa. Il. IL sinners entice,
walk not thou In the way with
them: Prov. 1:10-16. Enter not the path
of the wicked: Prov. 4:14; 22-24, %. A
companion of fools shall be destroyed:
Prov. 1920 Be yet not unequally yoked
together, etc: Cor. 614-1S. Be not par
takers of her sins, that ye receive not OF
her plaques: Rev. 1874.
Consider the moral problems at issue,
the arguments, the dangers. the results.
Comment and Suggestive Thought.
Two lrnperfectlons in Abraham's
Faith and Life.-Abraham was still In
process of making. He had not yet
attained. He made two errors.
/. 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 heathenism,
worldliness and luxury, which has q
| great fascination and charm to one
who first enters it's enchanted circles
especially when, as was the case in
Egypt, there were many good precepts
| in its religion. This environment, the
| moral malaria of educated and bril-
| liant worldliness, doubtless made him
more susceptible to the next tempta
ton.
2. In Egypt he felt in danger OF his
life, because his wife was very beauti
full. He feared that the Pharaoh would
kill him in order to obtain her
for his harem, nor were his
fears groundless. Possibly" says
Prof. Dods, "he may have heard
the ugly story which has re-
Gently been deciphered from an OLD
papyrus, and which tells how one oil
the Pharaohs, acting on the advice oil
his princes, sent armed men to fetch
beautiful woman and make away
with her husband" To escape this
danger he told lie which was a for
NAL truth, that Sarah was his sister
for she was his half-sister.
Lots mperfeetions.-Lot was good
man at heart. We are told in 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
to day with their lawless deeds" G
Pet. 9: Z, 81.
But Lots life and character we're or
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 Quarrels.-
"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
cause there are so many conflicting in
terests among them Those with moth
ing in common may be an hundred
times worse in character, but their
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" CD Fam
| lily strife is an exceeding great evil
to all concerned. ca 1t is a great in.
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" CO.. Stop every such
| quarrel in the beginning. before a
match's flame becomes burning city,
or a little leak devastating flood
| (6) Trials, like that described in this
lesson, both reveal character and de
velop II, as the fire reveals the dross
in the gold and purifies from it.
Abraham's erotherly Love.-O 1t
was a most unselfish act. renouncing
his own interests in favor of his
friend GU It was giving up of his
| rights. Abraham had the first right
to the land. It was promised to him
and not to Lot Then he was the elder
and the richer of the two. Lot had
accompanied him, not he Lot. (3) 1t
was an act of faith; for it seemed TO
be giving up to others, for the sake
OF peace, the land promised to him.
self.
Practical Points.
Selfishness is the climate in which