The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1918-07-22
CATCHING UP WITH THE BIBLE

we i've III truly lich0huouo t'
Strange things happen almost every
day. Change is the watchword OF
the hour.
But after all are these things to
which we are unaccustomed really
new, or are they only unfamiliar?
If we delve in the Bible a little we
shall be astoniahed to find how many
Of our new things are Gods old
things.
Indeed, nothing is more surprising
to some people than being shown 70
what an extent the Bible enters into
cur every day life.
For instance, we go to buy quar-
ter's worth of sugar Zone can't get
more than a quarters worth at one
time), and we use the dove cut of
Noah's ark that is stamped upon that
coin, to make our purchase.
Ever since the dove returned to
Noah with the olive leaf in her mouth,
as we are told in the eleventh verse
of the eighth chapter Of Genesis. have
these two things been emblems OF
peace.
Again we hear great many new
phrases nowadays. There is that ia
vorite expression that the Germans
are so fond of, when they really mean
that they want to take all their neigh
bors have, and give up nothing them
selves, peace without annexations or
Iindemnities,' the expression that
wrecked Russia.
We do not all realize that Abraham
was the first one to lay down this
maxim. If we read the account OF
his going to war to defend Lot, as CON
tanned in the fourteenth chapter Of
Genesis, we shall find that when he
returned, a victorious leader and the
king of Sodom proposed a division OF
the spoils, that Abraham replied to
his comrade in arms, II will not take
from a thread to shoe latchet, I will
not take anything, lest thou shouldst
say I have made Abram rich" Tvs
23).
Last year we thought that we hal
made wonderful innovation upon ee.
tablished customs, and that President
Wilson was vergihg upon radicalisn
when he appointed Herbert Hoover tc
what we thought was new Office
that of food administrator But, deal
me, the President was only taking {
leaf out of the Bible Read the forty
first chapter of Genesis and there yor
will find the first food administrator
in the world, and it will interest vol
to see how we'll Joseph conserved thu
food of Egypt and saved that countr,
from famine.
Gideon was the first real master D
"camouflage" Though he had to d
vide this honor with the Greeks a
the siege of Troy. Study the seventh
chapter of the Book of Judges, begin
ming at verse Is, and see If any Of thu
plans devised upon the battlefields o
France for camoufaging guns OF
troops exceeded in ingenuity or re
sources the plan adopted by Gideon t
make the Midianites believe that they
were surrounded by an innumerabl'
host.
We have just adopted stern meas
ures to put stop to loaflng and make
people go to work.
"a new thing this" somebody says
"The world is moving very rapidly
But turn to the third chapter of the
Second Epistle to the Thessalonian.
and see how briefly but sternly st
Paul states this same policy when HI
says "that If any would not work
neither shall he eat"
Oh, my, no, there is nothing out O
date about the Bible in these stirrint
times in which we live.
1t is the Invest, most up-to-date bool
there is, and we are only just catchin.
up with it.
Who knows, We may even com,
abreast of that great time when
J was said of the Christians, "Neithe
said any Of them that aught of tn,
things which he possessed was hi
own, but they had all things in com
lmon" (Acts 4:34). Anyway, everything
the government takes possession of
railroad or a telegraph line or an,
other great industry II is bringing u
just so much nearer to that state o
things, so let the good work go on
I'VE may yet catch up with the Bible
Rev R. Carey Montague, in South