The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-06-11

4
| which 1t sets forth.
How Did God Bless Israel?
| Jacob, having become heir of the
great Abrahamic promise Un thy seed
shall all the families of the earth be
blessed), straightway seems to have
gotten into trouble. He fled from home,
leaving everything to his brother He
served his uncle Laban for seven years
that he might have Rachel for his wife.
But Divine Providence permitted him to
| be cheated, and he was obliged to serve
seven years more for her. Time and
again his uncle Laban changed his
wages in an endeavor to get the better
of him. Thus Jacob was thrown into
competition with Laban in the endeavor
to protect his own interests.
| Finally, with the fruit of many years
| toll, he returned to Canaan, fearful.
| however, of his brother Esau. whom he
placated with a rich present. Later. ha
| lost his wife and Joseph, his beloved
son. Then came the maine, the recovery
of Joseph, and the incidents of our re-
cent lesson. Later on, that very move
| into Egypt appeared to have been dis
astrous; for the Egyptians enslaved the
| Israelites.
| Then they were delivered, only to
have trying experiences In the wilder
l ness LOT ~ years, DclOTo cilcAihA Sae
naan. 1t was a gradual matter to get
possession of the land. They had vari-
Gus trials and NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
wars, famines, pestilences, rebelltons-
and finally were carried away captive
| into Babylon. They went away numer-
Gus, they came back comparatively n
small company. Then they had more
wars, etc.
| BY and by Jesus came, and was repu-
/ (snd
ated them. Gradually trouble and an
archy came upon them, until as a ma
| ton they went to Enthusiastically
they fell asleep. They have been asleep
for more than Is centuries, while per-
sonally they have endured prosecutions
in many nations.
| What we desire to see. however, Is
how Gods blessing was identified with
| all these experiences, and to know in
what way God overruled for their good
more than in the affairs of other ma
tions. TO understand this. we must
glance at other nations and their ex
perienccs and then look also into the
future.
1 Where is the government of the Pha-
raohs today? Where is Assyria? Where
are any and all of the nations that
| flourished in the days OF lsrael! Ihey
are no more They have either merged
with other peoples or been blotted out
nv natural processes. We are not dis
cussinr India, China, Japan, nor the
barba rous tribes of Africa. which We're
| not closely identified with Israel, natur-
al or spiritual
| But Israel exists today, even though
| the nation is asleep in Hades. Sheol,
| waiting for a national awakening and
| resurrection. That awakening Is al
already arousing dry bones from de-
spair. and pointing forward to a future
day of blessing and prosprity. One
result of Gods providential care over
| Israel has been that as people they
have maintained their existence. 1t is
| this hope of future blessings, based
upon Gods promise to Abraham, which
| continues to vitalize that people. IL is
| this hope which by and by, according
! to prophecy, will revitalize Israel, ana
again bring her forward and identify
lher with the great Messianic kingdom
which will bless the world.
! The irving experiences of centuries
| Of national life tended to develop no
BILE characters, strong in faith and loyal
| to the core. St. Paul enumerates some
Of these. With them he includes all
| those .Israelites indeed" who We're
lovaI to God to the extent of suffering
for righteousness sake and for sake
of the hope received through the
| Amrahamic promise. Some of these, he
| saws. were stoned to death. sawn asun-
der of whom the world was not
worthy."-Hebrews 1857, SS.
| This selecting process continued down
! to the time of Jesus, and round glori-
ors company even though small God
was seeking In that nation a peculiar
nsople. with faith and obedience similar
| 70 those of Abraham He found the ones
whom He sought. True, they have not
vet received their reward. True, their
reward is not to be a Heavenly one, but
an earthly one as was promised them.
"All the land that thou seest will I
! give thee, and thy seed after thee"