The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-02-15
BROOKLYN TABERNACLE.
ABRAHAM, THE HEBREW.
Genesis f2.1-9-Februar IS.

Genesis 12:1-9-EeDruary 16.
IT will bless thee. and make thy name
great; and thou shalt be a blessing"
Verse 2
Abraham is one of the greatest char
acters in history. Gods promises made
to him constitute the foundation OF
faith for Jews, Christians and Moham-
medans, although many of them are
not aware of the fact The Jews are
Abraham's descendants through Isaac
and Jacob; while Mohammedans rep
resent especially IShmael and Esau.
Christians profess to have become
heirs to the chiefest blessings promised
to Abraham's Seed, by becoming joint
heirs with Christ Jesus, whom they
consider the antitype of Isaac.
The New Testament claim is that the
Church of Christ is the antitype of
Rebecca, Isaac'S wife and joint heir;
and that Christ and the church, as the
Spiritual Seed of Abraham, will be
Gods agency in blessing the nations.
But much of the New Testament teach
ings was lost during the Dark Ages.
Christians forgot that they were called
to be joint heirs in Messiah's King
dom, to bless all the families OF the
earth. Instead, they got the narrow
view that merely the Elect would be
saved, who to all eternity would look
over the battlementS of Heaven and
see all others of mankind in torture.
and hear their groans to all eternity.
back to the teachings of Scripture.
Only now are we learning the true i'm
port of ST. Paurs words, If ye be
Christ's, zen are yet Abraham's Seed,
and heirs according to the promise"
Gods Call to Abraham.
Abraham's birthplace was Ur, 10
miles north of the Persian Gulf. His
father Terah was a heather. Poly
theism prevailed-the worshiping of
many gods. From Ur, the family mi
grated to Haran, about 500 miles in
the direction of Palestine. There Alb
raham remained until Terah's death.
Gods dealings with Abraham, ac-
cording to St. Stephen (Acts ~, 81, be-
gan while he was in Ur. God called
him out of his evil surroundings, to be
the founder of a new nation, holy and 4
obedient to God. The migration from
Ur to Haran took the family away
from the idolatrous scenes Of the me-
tropolis to pastoral life. In harmony
with the Divine call, Abraham, then
rs years old, his wife Sarah, and his
nephew Lot, with their f1ocks and
herds. moved to Canaan after the death
of Terah.
Abraham's Great Faith in God.
Abraham was full of faith. This fea-
ture of his character especially en-
deared him to the Almighty, who, be-
cause of it, styled him His friend The
was perfect. The reverse of this is de-
is none righteous Gper-
fectl no, not one" (Romans 3:10.)
None measure up to the glorious image
of God represented by Adam.
Abraham was not the friend of
God because of his great education,
nor for his wonderful intellectual
powers. Nevertheless. he had intel |
lectual powers. The fact that he was
very rich indicates that he was a good
manager His skill as a leader was
shown when Lot and the wealthy |
Sodomites were taken captive by
Chedorlaomer. Abraham promptly |
armed three hundred and eighteen of
his servants, pursued the victors and |
recovered the SpoilS.
But it was not for his skill as a |
general that God loved Abraham. The |
special quality that God esteemed in |
him is repeatedly mentioned in the !
Bible as having been his faith. ''Abra- |
ham believed Cod
Children of Abraham.
Abraham's children, from Gods |
include only those who !
have faith in God. The original evil |
dence of this faith and obedience was |
of the flesh, figuratively |
turning away from sin |
to obedience to God. Circumcision |
has become largely a ceremony with i
the Jews. Such faithless circumcision |
entities them to no special Divine |
favor. But all Jews who still trust in |
the promises made to Abraham will |
soon be recipients of marked evil |
dences of Divine blessing through |
Messiah, who soon is to set up Gods |
kingdom.
st. Paul explains that all true Chris |
tians become the Spiritual Seed of |
of certain spiritual |
promises, as the natural seed are heirs !
of certain earthly promises, not yet |
fulfilled. AS the natural seed must |
maintain circumcision to mark their |
separateness from the Gentiles, SO the
Spiritual Seed must have circumci-
sion of the heart-separating them
from the world and from sin, marking
them as peculiar people, Jealous of
good works.
We exhort both Jews and Christians
to honesty and hfulness-obedi-
ence to God: the one class, that they
may inherit the Heavenly promises;
the other, that they may be ready for
the inheritance which will be theirs
as soon as the Heavenly, Spiritual 1
Seed of Abraham shall have been
completed by the First Resurrection.
EVEpYR0nV,c RIRI Z RnY