The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-03-01
BY WILLIAM T. ELLIS.

The most fanatical Moslem city in
Palestine is Hebron, for which the
Moslem name is 1.-The City of the
Friend" Abraham's popular title.
or nickname, is that of the friend
OF God" The appellation has per-
sisted through the ages, just as we
always say Richard the Lion Hearted.
Alfred the Great, and Mohammed the
Conqueror. Few persons in history
win n distinctive adjective to their
names, although nearly all have it
among their families.
Abraham is most notable as the
friend of God That is the great
truth about him. Not the number of
his flock. not his journ eyings. not his
victorious battle with the three kings.
not even the fact that he is the IA
Their of the faithful distinguished him
50 clearly the title the friend
God" Last month the magazines were
full of articles by or about persons
who knew Lincoln; that was their
claim to a public hearing. The dis
tinctiVe characteristic about Abraham
is that he knew God, as friend knows
friend.
Back in the part of the world where
he lived the people then, as now. be
leVed in covenants. To this day the
covenant of salt keeps one safe amid
the Arabs The most sacred of all is !
the covenant of blood. This lesson
narrates how Abraham and God made
a covenant together which has been
kept to this day.
The Big Fight.
Abraham needed heartening. We !
left him last week at the parting of
tho ways, when Lot chose the cities !
of the plain That scapegrace nephew |
had got Abraham into further trouble. |
Chedorloamer and his two allied rul |
erS from the East had attacked SOdofn !
and the surrounding peoples, and had
carried off prisoners and booty in their |
big raid. They won great victory |
down in the plain of the Dead Sea,
and among the captives carried away |
was Lot, who was at the time dwell |
in Sodom
Some relatives might have said of
Lot, well. he has made his bed. let |
him lie in it Certainly he had done |
little TO earn Abraha ms loyalty. Yet !
when a breathless messenger brought |
to Abraham, sitting in his tent door |
under the oak of Mamre, the news of
the catastrophe at Sodom. he was
quick to take action. He gathered his |
own three hundred fighting men to-
sether, and with two neighboring al |
lies whose friendship he had won
started in pursuit of the three kings
Over the full length of the land we
call Palestine he chased them, until
up in the region of Dan, north of Da-
mascUs he came upon them and smote
them to a complete defeat. The at
tack was a surprise and the Yictors
We're caught unawares- Abraham and
his forces not only defeated the army
homeward bound with its spoil, but
they recovered the prisoners and the
loot that had been taken from the
cities of the plain and bore it all back
to its rightful owners. Jealous ever
for his personal liberty. Abraham re
fused to take any share of the spoil.
lest one of the kings of the plains
should say, Il have made Abraham
rich.
1t was on the homeward journey
after this notable battle that Abra-
ham met Melchizedek at the ancient
TT,
know as Jerusalem. We know little
about this mysterious figure, except
that he was priest of the COD MOST
High, and to him Abraham rendered
fering-
After the Battle.
Depression follows fast on the he Is !
of achievement. The man who has
made a great speech or done a high
deed is likely to suffer a corresponding
reaction. Blue Monday for the preacher,
is bluest after he has done the greatest
service. Thus we find the triumphant
Abraham hack in his own home at
Hebron. lonely and discourage To
him came TIL, word of the Most High.
Fear not. Abraham 1 am thy shield
and thy exceeding great reward"
There was no need of the spols of
Sodom for that man; and no need of
alliances with the armies of the plain.
He had God for his helper and God
for his satisfaction. The confidence
that his times were in Jehovah's hand
was better than any league with
mighty fighters. In his depression he
was heartened by the promise of the |
protection and presence of Jehovah.
The OrientaI's Great Desire.
Tt is surprising, and bit tragic, to |
learn as those who see into the in |
innate depths of the character of their |
friends do learn, the number of men |
and women whose deepest sorrow is !
that they have no children. They do
not herald this abroad. and often are
misunderstood by the community.
Bravely they put on a cheerful face
and try to content themselves with aU-
whatever interest and diversion comes
to their hand. But the truth is there
never was a normal woman or man who !!
did not covet children.
In the East this is an openly avow- !
ed passion. The proper wish for the
bride at her wedding day is a mUi /
titude of sons The friendly saluta- !
ton of the wayside is a wish for pos |
terity ChiIdlessness is counted the !
worst form of desolation. The picture
of Hannah in anguish in the tabernacle
fairly represents a host of oriental
women There is no non-Christian
land which has not its popular shrineS,
devoted to the prayers of those who
long for children Abrahams sorrow OF
sorrows was that he had no son. All >
that Jehovah might offer him seemed |
but little as he faced a childless grave. |
Hear the sob in his words as he cries. |
20 Lord Jehovah. what wilt thou give
me seeing I go childless. and he that
shall be poSseSsor of my house Is
Fliezer of Damascust'
Then came the promise which. like
many gifts of God. was so great and
overwhelming as to be incredible. For
definitely and in terms, Jehovah cove |
mated with Abraham that he should
tova a SON He babe him Look now