Lexington gazette. [volume] (Lexington, Va.) 1871-1962, 1907-02-13
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL
LESSON WI, FIRST QUARTER, lNTERNA-
TiONAL SERIES, FEB. II.

Dy hev. ~. W. Steufus.
copyright, 1907, by American Press Association
We have but one lesson assigned Us
in the two chapters xiii and xiv, but
we must endeavor to get an idea of the
contents Of the two. Last week we left
Abram in a bad way, wandering from
God, fearing he might be killed, en-
couraging a lie and being reproved by
a heather king. How blessed 1t is that
though we forget Him and wander
away still He doth love us wherever
we stray, and when we turn back to
Him ashamed of our wanderings He is
always ready to receive us. John vi, 81,
stands ever true for sinner or saint,
Him that cometh TO me l will in no
wise cast out" The lesson today opens
with Abram returning to God and to
his altar at Bethel and again calling on
the name of the Lord. If through
temptation we ever wander from God,
let us quickly return, for if we confess
our sins He is faithful and just to for
give us our sins, because of our advo-
cate q John /, 8; Ii, u. He who taught
us to forgive seventy times seven prac-
tees the same Himself, and what a
wonder it is that He so watches over
His wandering children that if any one
dares to touch them He at once stands
I'D for them (chapter xii, ID.
Abram and Lot have now grown so
rich that it is impossible for them to
dwell together, and when Abram saw
that his herdmen and those Of Lot
were at strife in the presence of the
inhabitants of the land he said that 1t
must not be, but that they must peace
ably separate. So he gave Lot his
choice of all the land and said that he
would take what Lot did not choose.
How this must have exalted Abram,
but specially the God Of Abram, in the
eyes of the heather, and that Is the
one thing the children of God are on
earth for, to magnify the name OF the
Lord that He may be known.
Lot did not know God as his uncle
Abram did, but was more apt to think
of himself and his own welfare, so he
took advantage of his uncle's offer,
probably with great alacrity, and was
soon settling himself in the cities OF
the plain toward Sodom, not seeming
to consider the wickedness Of the peo-
pie Of Sodom, though he doubtless
knew it verses II, 49,. Lot lifted up
his e. es, like so many now, just high
enough to see something which appear
ed to be to his advantage, regardless
Of what God had to say about 1t. We
do not read of Lot building an altar or
calling on the name of the Lord.
This separation of Lot from Abram
(verse IL was q good thing for Abram
and his servants, but it was bad day
for Lot when he went away from
Abram. There are those who being so
weak in themselves and not knowing
how to lean upon God, seem specially
to need some godly person ever near
them to counsel them and keep their
eyes upon the Lord. Blessed are all
who are willing to be separated from
all that is not of God that they may
live as near to Him as possible and
walk humbly with Him. Nothing sepa-
rates from the world like the conscious
and enjoyed presence of God, for so
Moses believed and taught and David
also (Ex. XXXiii, 16; ii Sam. vii, %, 24),
and the Spirit, through Paul, empha-
sizes the same great truth Oh Cor. vi,
II. 49,. On the other hand. as we
choose the world and the qualification
of self, we lose that fellowship with
God which is our high privilege. One
or the other we are choosing always,
and as you read this will you not lift
up your heart and say to Him who
reads the heart with His eyes as a
flame of fire searching every part,
lord, what dost Thou see my heart
choosing and longing forT"
To stop at verse Is would be to miss
q most important part of the lesson, for
after Abram had humbled himself and
given Lot the first choice, instead OF
insisting on his rights as the one whom
God had called and to whom He had
given the land. then the Lord said to
Abram, Lift up now thine eyes" and,
him to view the whole
land, treasured him that it was all
given to him and to his seed, which
would be as numerous as the dust OF
the earth. forever Q4-10. Abram
might justly have insisted that Lot had
no say in this, that all his wealth and
PROSPERITY were due to being with his
uncle and that he must make his men
behave themselves or else get away
back to Haran or somewhere else. To
day the head of the concern would be
apt to make the other man go under.
Contrast Lot going down into the
world and its sinfulness for the sake
of gain and Abram going still farther
away up to Hebron, which signifies
fellowship, and building his altar unto
the Lord Verse 49,. TO Lot it Is first
business, getting on in the world; but
to Abram it is first the Lord and His
In all the story Of Lot we must re-
that it Is written Of him, chat
righteous man. Oh Pet. H. 8, other
wise as we read of him and his doings
we will hardly think that he was right
eous; but, seeing him as such, we will
better understand Gods dealings with
him. In chapter xiv, II, where we read
that he and all his goods were taken
by the enemy, we see the uncertainty
Of riches q Tim. vi, 10, and God was
evidently teaching His unworthy
worldly child this lesson, but He had
pity upon him and allowed Abram to
rescue him. He had been getting on in
the world by getting more into the
world Compare xiii, -; xiv, 12), but
this Christening did not profit him, for,
after his return, he gets to be a ruler in
Sodom Chapter xix, y, one who sat in
the gate
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