The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1920-09-18
Bible Story

W. he ordinary Traveller vis-
ID, a. churches, PALACES and GAL
lsrjes Of Italy. It - to gTatify .
common curiosdty, but N artist
visits that land for 3 different pur-
pose. Not only to stndy the works
Of the great artists bat to catch
the spirit Of the great masters.
Man u % constituted that, un-
consciously. he initiates what he Is
familiar with. Here No are re-,
minded Of the old saying. Tell me
your company and I will tell You
your character" We open the
Bible and visit the galleries. here
No study the biographs Of the
great men Of faith that W may not
only know Of them bat that We may
catch the spirit of these Characters
and our lives b inspired.
In this gallery We stop before the
great character Abraham, whom
God calls my friend" In many
respects he Is the greatest .man OF
the Old Testament. The Nimrods,
Phafoahs, Alexanders or Caesars,
have not left such 4 markafpon the
world. He had NO home but tent
and NO possession of the soil but q
tomb. His name is known where
the greatest emperors and conquer
ors have never been heard Of. His
name is the only one which 10 VEN
Grated alike by both the Christian
and the Jew. He was the father Of
% nation and through him the Saw
ious came. Regarding his CONVEX
sion the Bible Is SILENT but he
heard Gods call and came out Of
the Ur of the Chaldees. and go
forth, an exile from his native land,
to wander in a land Of strangers.
He was q childless man. yet God
chose him to be the father Of a
mighty nation.>> He was an idolater,
God appoints him conservator Of
true religion and ancestor Of the
worlds Redeemer.
Abraham was courteous. It is the
noon-tide hour, he sits in his tent
door enjoying its greatful shade.
and looking out on the plain OF
Mamre, from which the suns fiery
beams have driven men, bird and
beast to the shelter of the rocks,
trees and tents. He sees three men
approaching. They are strangers.
He does not wait their approach to
solicit his hospitality, but runs to
meet them, bows himself to the
ground and offers his hospitality
Sarah soon provides the meal
While eating they deliver a message
from Jehovah, that Abraham shall
have a son. He presents a beauti-
full model Of the much misapplied
term "a gentleman"
Abraham was generous. His
nephew Lot deprived of a parents
care was received into his home
which cost Abraham much care and
trouble, 9 quarrel arose between
their servants and matters al
! length came to pass that they mus
part. Abraham leaves the matter
Of choice Of the land to lot and
says LET there be no strife, I pray
thee, between thee and me-" He
seeks not his own but others and
offers one of the costliest sacrifices
ever laid on the altar of peace. He
seems to have caught the Spirit OF
Christ as seen in centuries to come
tAbraham's faith was in God. He
is called to Moriah, the Mount
where he is to lay Isaac, that sor
Of promise upon the altar, this was
the greatest trial of his faith and
he achieves the greatest triumph
As he built that altar of wood
bound the hands and feet of his
only son, kissed that cheek, Their
drew the knife from the sheath
raised his arm for the blow thai
would make him childless. His
faith was in God, whom he believed
would raise Isaac from the ashes
of the sacrifice and restore hin
again to his arms, and as they haG
climbed the mountain together SC
fthey should descend together. T'hi:
was real faith. I think Isaac wa.
claiming Abraham's love, and Ma.
becoming his idol. He was coming
I between Abraham snd God. 81
God asked him to lay that which
was separating them upon the alta,
but never commanded Lim>tC sla,
his son, but provided q lamb fol
the dead sacrifice. Everything II
our lives that. comes between Vi
and God should be laid upon thu
altar that we, too, like Abraham
may walk and talk with God. .
REV. ]. CLARKE GRANGER
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