Belington progressive. [volume] (Belington, W. Va.) 1912-1927, 1913-02-13

The Bible does not profess to a be
chronological history of the world
1t does profess to reveal the steps of
the redemptive process of God where
b. fallen man shall be justified in his
sight. So it is that we find but little
record of those hundreds OF years be-
tween this lesson and the events re-
corded in that of last weekly We do,
| however, find all that is essential in
the history of the plan Of salvation.
| The cleansing of the earth by water
was not Tor long, since we soon see
men relapsing into sin.
| l. "Get thee out of thy country Wv
1-3. In this lesson we behold God
again selecting a single man who shall
! be the head of race We do not of
| course infer that Abram received an
| audible call, though God could certain
| ly speak as he did on other and numer-
Gus occasions. God calls today by
! those inward impulses and desires, by
! the voice of duty and conscience, by
the force of circumstances, and by
| the word, The Bible is Gods great
est organ of speech.
| Abrams Journey.
| From Acts 7:2 we learn that the call
! first came to Abram when he was in
! Mesopotamia, probably on the right
bank of the Euphrates river. and that
his obedience to that call was only
| partial. Abram got out of his own
/ country, but not into the land prom
| ised unto him. He journeyed probably
| 500 miles to the northwest but got
| only as far as Haran, which was not
the promised land. 1t took, evidently,
| the death of his father to move him
| from that place, Acts ia Abram
went not knowing the kind of lard,
nor was he told where 1t was to be,
Heb. 11:8. His call was threefold.
! G) 'for thy country" (2) "thy kin
dred," 90 thy fathers house" Thus
we see that God demanded a complete
separation from the old life, associa-
| tons and affections.
II. And Abram departed" w. 4-6.
s'To obey IL better than sacrifice and
to hearken than the fat OF rams" |
Samuel 1922 Abran had Just enough
faith to obey. We do not read that he
asked for enlightenment; he saw not
the land, but he heard the call and
staggered not at the PROMISE He was
fully persuaded that God was able to
perform and therefore it was reck-
oned unto him for righteousness, Acts
7:20-22 But he did not go alone. AL
ready God had begun to redeem his
promise (v. o. Abrams character
was such and his name of such import
| that his nephew Lot accompanied
| him. Lot, however, did not possess
| that same faith nor a like character.
Lot went with him" and not like
Abram, with God Abram also took
his own family with him, and all their
substance" v. 5. Nothing was left be-
hind to tempt him to return. And
| they went forth into the land OF Ca
man." a type of the life into which
we are called in Christ Jesus Thus
at once another part OF the promise ia
| fulfilled.
III. "And the canaanite was in the
land" w. 60 All was not so easily
! settled for Abram Man that is born
of woman is Of few days and full Of
troubles" no life is devoid of its test
ing, Eph., 612, r. ", and 80 as Abram
iourneyed he met with enemies.
His Place OF Rest
Passing on from thence he reached
3 place of rest ". 81. This is a beau
tiful lesson on conservation. Here fl
Abram at "a mountain on the east Of
Bethel" (house of Cod. Notice he is
on the east of Bethel facing westward.
the direction in which he has beer
| journeying, having Hal ruins) at his
back, and there he builded an altar
unto the Lord and called upon the
name of the Lord" ". 81. Let us all
remember to turn our backs upon the
world, and as we face the house, the
altar of God, render him undivided,
whole-hearted worship and service.
Gods appearance to Abram was again
in connection with obedience. God is
| just as ready to assure us as we jour
ney through this humdrum, toilsome
journey of life, ever ready to meet us
and to make us glad by the way.
Notice that Abraln in strange land
did not neglect Gods altar like many
present-day pilgrim, nor to give tes-
timony of his faith for called upon
the name of the Lord" Like the
Christ who had not where to lay his
head SO Abram was pilgrim"
For the older classes consider such
questions as, Every Mans Life Plan
of God; Our Debt to Judaism; Our
Treatment Of Others Who Are Pill
grirns Strangers, e. g., immigrants
For the younger DO not omit Lot
and the dramatic, high-light picture OF
that journey from ur of the ChaIdees
(use map}. Emphasize how much
better it is to be a blessing than to
seek blessing for ones self. mot
what has happened to myself today
but what has happened to others
through me-"
$50 on 7 go, not knowing
j would not If I might;
I'd rather walk IN the dark with God