Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1912-01-02
PREPARING FOR THE KINGDOM.
uke i. 5-23-Jan. z.
Z BiE .GTtJEag7Gs.. 6.

IYear has been mapped out by the In
lternational Committee. 1t consti
flutes very thorough investigation of
our Lords earthly life. from His birth
Ito His ascension. Today's study very
calls for Investigation of
lGod's dealings and promises up to the
birth of John the Baptist, the Re
ldeemer's forerunner and herald.
Four thousand years before the birth
luf Jesus God declared that the Seed Of
1.-THE woman should bruse the Serpents
HEAD. This dark saying we now see
lsignilies that sin with all its work of
havoc iii the world is to be offset and
destroyed in due time, and that the
lpower of God to this end will operate
Through a wonderful Son of the dis
Icbedient Eve. Centuries passed with
Inc sign of a fulfiment of this prom
Iise. Our race became more degraded
land lapsed more and more into unbe-
tlief Then EnOch was born, of the
lline of Seth. He walked with Cod,
land was used as a Divine mouthoiece
Ito give a further prophecy. saying.
i"Behold, the Lord eometh with mTriads
lof His holy ones, to execute judgment
Gustice) in the earth.e-Jude Il, Is.
Another thousand years elapsed be-
fore God made any further suggestion
lcf His benevolent intention of giving
1.-THE world a fresh trial or judgment.
lThen to Abraham, the friend of God.
HE made known more fully still the
hope of the world-the Gospel. God
declared to Abraham His intention to
lbless all the families Of the earth. and
tseeondly. that this blessing upon man
kind would come to them through
Abraham's posteritv: In thee and in
THY Seed shall all the families of the
lcarth be blessed. Genesis xii. 3.
This statement to Abraham, st. Paul
lpronounces the first Gospel message,
because the other statements did not
make certain human recovery. Sin
and the Serpent might have been
destroyed without the seed of the wo-
man being specially blessed and the
Judging of mankind mentioned by
Saint Enoch implied, but did not posi-
lively say that human blessing would
result
St. Paul reminds US that God not
only declared His coming blessing. but
that He made oath To the same. Gods
oath was not necessary to Abraham.
He confidently believed; but, as st,
Paul said, the oath was for our sake.
The fulflment of the promise would
be so long deferred That we. who arc
so specially interested in it, might
have feared some change in the Divine
Program ST Paul assures us that
the oath was in order that, by two
Ifmmutable things Goods Word and
lGod's OATH, we might have strong
consolation 1--WE, the Chpreh). who
have fed for refuge to lay hold upon
the hope set before us Gin the good
tidings, the promise), which hope we
Have as an anchor to our souls, sure
and steadfast within the veil, whittier
our Fererunner has for us entered
| Hebrews vi 1920 We see. then, by
the Apostles words, that the Abra-
hamic promise or Covenant has not
yet been fulnlled-it is still an anchor
for our faith.
Seeking Abraham's Seed.
| Ishmael was not the heir of the
promise, but Isaac was; Esau was not.
but Jacob was. Finally. all Of Jacobs
family were accepted as Abraham's
seed, and in due time they were all
baptized into Moses in the sea and the
cloud and became heirs Of the promise,
on condition that they would keep the
Law given at Mt Sinai. Obedience to
1.-THE requirements of that Law would
, give them eternal life and forthwith
, 1.-THE approved ones would be Gods
agents in fulfilling the nromise-in
, blessing all the families of the earth"
But, imperfect like all the remainder
, tof our race under the death sentence,
, the Israelites were unable to keep the
perfect Law OF God; hence they all
. died, like the remainder of the race
because they were sinners. As Jesus
lsnid, None of you keepeth the Law; as
st. Paul said, BY the deeds of the
Law shall no flesh be JUSTIFIED in Gods
sight" Nevertheless. the endeavor of
the Jews to obey their Law brought
great blessing upon them, though
some were hypocritieal and said
prayers. not from the heart, others
were "Israelites indeed in whom was
10 guile
The heart loyalty of the "Israelites
indeed" God appreciated, and they
were granted the privilege at Pente-
icost of stepping from the house of
Moses, as faithful servants, into the
house of Christ, as faithful sons.
GIebrews ii, ). O. ITO as many as
ireceived Him (Jesus), to these gave lie
liberty to become sons of God" (John
Ii. 10 They were accepted into this
isonship after Jesus had laid down His
life SCIENTIFICALLY, had been raised from
the dead to the divine nature, and had
descended far above angels. principali-
ties and powers to Gods right hand of
favor and had appeared as the Advo-
cate for all "Israelites indeed all
willing to walk in His steps.
Other Gracious Promises
AL of Gods promises were to Abra-
ham and his seed (his natural seed.
primarily. Consequently all through
the Jewish Age, while they as a people
were trying to commend themselves
as worthy to be the Seed of Abraham,
by endeavoring to keep the Law, God
spoke to them prophetically. He in
formed them that it was His intention
ultimately to make a New Covenant
with them, still better than the one
which Moses mediated. Under that |
New Covenant He would take away
/