The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1913-04-03
SUNDAY SCHOOL.
Lesson l.-Second Quarter, For
April 6, 1913.
THE INTERNATIONAL SERIES.
Text Of the Lesson, Gen. xvii, 22.N.
Memory Verses, -, 34-ooIdsn Text.
lea. Xxx, ts-commentsry Prepared
BY Rev. D. NJ. Stssrns.

BY Rev. D. M. stssrns
Seven other sons. including Ishmaei.
are recorded rs having been born to
Abraham by his secondary wives, but
10 Isaac he gave all his possessions
CIV. I. ., ~ and sent the others away
unto the east country. Abraham lived
i75 years. and when he died Isaac and
I.hmncl laid his body beside that OF
Sarah IN the cave OF Machpelah (xxv.
ITO, While he lived he looked for the
city which hath foundations whose
builder aud maker IL God OIeb nj, 10.
lGD, and he II still waiting for u and
for the complete fulfllment Of tho
promises made 10 him as heir Of the
world rom. Nv. i3I Time II long to
us, but not 10 Him To- whom thousand
years are but ms yesterday when II IL
past IA xc. u aud ~ n watch In the
night
II II rcstful to see Isaac dwelling
the well Iahal.roi. the well Of nhh
that livcth and sceth the (xxy. IL. xvi.
Il, margin lie was forty years old
when he married Rebekah. and he was
sixty when the twins Jacob and Esau
were born. II forcbodes trouble to read
that Isaac loved Esau. but Rebekah
loved Jacob (NXy. ~. 26-2sl. and the
reason given for Isaac's love for Esau
does sound very earthly.
Future, were not any more real 20
-. .ttIf AL. 10.
day mess of pottnge was more 10
him ms hungry man than his birth
right XIV. 293Il. and for this he Is
spoken Of as n profnne person. or. nc
cording "a Weymouth. 'ungodly" uieb.
iii. i6i Think ot the profanity abound
ing everywhere because the god Of this
world Is binding 50 many eyes TO the
ealitirs ~ the future kingdom and
glory
In chapter XVI we read OF Isaac's
failure on the same line on which his
father had failed twice. In calling his
wife his sister TO save his own life
Gen Nil aud NXi In XVI. 4. we have
the star promise confirmed 10 Isaac.
and Ia verses 1915 we see how greatly
the Lord blessed him and how very
rich the blessing OF the Lord makes
one
A beautiful incident IL related In
verses Il 10 - ns 10 how yielding In.
stead OF strife makes manifest the life
of Christ Ia us The Philistines had
filled up some Of Abraham's wells
Isaac reupened one. and then they
claimed Il as theirs. and he let them
have II. lie rcopened another. and
they claimed that one. too aud he let
them have II When he rcnpened a
third for some reason they did not
strive for that Later they came to
him 10 make covenant with him and
gave n their reason for desiring t.
We saw certainly that the Lord was
with thee" Verse 49,. Had he contend
ed with them aud insisted on keeping
the wells. which would have been quite
right In the eyes OF the world. they
would have seen Isaac and not the
Lord. but he had learned the lesson of
rather taking wrong and suffering him
self to he defrauded Il Cor. vi. u. II
Is most interesting 10 note that the
same day his servants In digging a
well found water CNNyI. ~
IL Is indeed sad To have to turn from
such n beautiful incident to the lesson
Tor today, which Is record Of awful
deceit and lying and. worst Of all. n
mother putting her son up To II and
calling down the consequences upon
her own head (xxvii. 49, Her aim was
Ia bring the fathers blessing upon the
son whom she loved but II she had
only believed God ana left the matter
In His hands lie would not have failed
90 keep Ills word. for He had told her
before the boys were born that they
elder should serve the younger (chapi6
NXv, 23l There Il everywhere toda
tendency 10 help the Lord to do what
He has no thought Of doing. and that
Is To win the world 10 Himself In this
age, with the devil still doing his devil
ish work
There n also such lack OF conf
dence in God aud His plan for His
kingdom that many religious people try
~ WIN 'u' Nu'lI OWN l'ldu' luihhlhS
thus Ia help God The devil hates the
love of God. the patience OF God. the
purpose ,of God. and Is as busy with
many Of Ia" people Of God as he was
with R"hckah that day, but they are
blinded aud conceited 0I Cor ". 3. 4.
Rom Nj, 30 This record OF Rebekah
makes MS think of another mother who
was her sons counselor 10 do wickedly
Ill Chron xii. -. but one would hate
to associate Rebekah with such as
Athaliah, though II is true OF all that
the heart Il deceitful aud desperately
wicked ana the carnal mind Is enmity
against God tier, xvii. o; Rom. viii, u.
II some Of us have not developed the
same degree Of iniqulty ms Others II IN
only the grace OF God that has kept US
Note the lie upon lie OF this story: Il
am Esau, thy drstborn." The Lord
thy God brought Il 10 me-" Il am thy
very son Esau" verses 10. 10. pa.
But he was found out even as II is
written, Re sure your sin will lind you
out" mum xxxii. 23l. though those
words were used In wholly different
sense when uttered or written We do
well 10 remember that God shall bring
every work Into Judgment. with every
kasrRt ghinU NhaIhar hn mood mr.