Evening star., 1923-04-07

! | Romans, 40.
During the coming six months our
lessons furnish us a great series of
studies Of the outstanding characters
| of the Bible. The first quarter Will
be devoted to Old Testament heroes
| and the next will be given to New
| Testament personalities. In twenty
four lessons we will virtually cover
| the whole Bible, for, like all history.
1t centers around the biography OF
its great leaders in every epoch. The
lesson committee has given us the
| opportunity to study the scripture
portraitures Of the Great Men and
Women of the Bible" separately. and
iyet they have selected the characters
for our consideration In way that
they represent the course OF events
| recorded in the Word of God. Our
| studies ought to give US view or
| biblical history, which. like all the
| annals of men, reveals God teaching
us by the footprints on the sands OF
time" to glorify the Lord In life or
sacrificial service.
Abraham naturally comes first In
| the list of personalities that we are
to study. Three of the worlds great
religions, Judaism. Mohammedanism
and Christianity. trace their faith 10
him, as the human fountain head OF
their religious systems. NO other
human being has larger place IN
founder Of the Hebrew nation, the
father of the faithful and the friend
of God. 1t is far cry that VIII
reach back through 1000 years
and travel 5000 miles to the
suburbs of Ur of the Chaldees. far
cupied by the mounds of Mugheir,
where Abram was born. The modern
explorers spade has unearthed the
evidence Of the elaborate worship OF
Sin. the moon god. that IVA was ca carried ne
der it's polytheistic atmosphere
Abram was reared by his wealthy
father, Terah. a Shemetc shepherd
sheik, who had been attracted by It's
rich pasture lands and wonderful
harvests. Although the purity OF his
fathers faith had been tainted by the
religious standards of the nearby
wealthy city. so that he and ms
| family became worshipers or ldois'
such an intimate and close Fellow
ship between Abram and Jehovah
that God honored him by calling him
my friend" Abrams unique feIiow-
ship with Jehovah resulted IN ms
being called to become the pioneer OF
faith.
Two former attempts to redeem
| man had failed when the word OF
the Lord came to Abram. Adam had
missed his opportunity. % unit ..,,ad ahe wbsn ue3
God called his friend. We do not
| know how he summoned the patri-
arch. Possibly the death Of his
brother. Haran. In Ur, and or ms
father, Terah. at Charran, may nave
been used to develop his power TO
apprehend God and understand his
| call for Abram to leave all the ties
and associations of his life and traVel
west under sealed orders. Jehovah
had called him first in Ur and then
at Charran. He summoned Abram
to start out as a pioneer OF new
faith when he was seventy-HVe years
of age and to leave position or prom
ise, plenty and the protection OF CIV
ilization to 60 to an unknown couH-
try.
1t costs to obey Gods call pus at tne
| consequences are always oenenclai'
| Abram was promised "the blessings
| of prosperity, place and power. The
propulsive forc- of these promises
was not personal proft, for they ap-
pealed to unselfish desires Of future
good to all the world. He was sum-
moned to separate himself from
everything that he held dear so that
| he might make his life blessing to
others after his death. Separation IS
the key of the life of the pioneer Of
Jehovah Abram proved his faith by
obeying Gods call. In that act he laid
the foundation stone of the history
of Gods chosen people and also or
two other great faiths. Moved by
the promised presence and guidance
Of His eternal and Interchangeable
friend, Abraham entered upon his
journey and finally reached Canaan.
The story Of the emigrant, or the one
from beyond the great river, which
Is the meaning of the nickname, the
Hebrew, that the natives applied to
Abram, relates only the start and fin
ish of the journey. The peril, pr1va-
tion and protection given him during
that thousand-mile journey served to
increase the pioneers faith in Jehovah.
He revealed this by his public wor-
ship, when he built an altar and with
his caravan, that must have num-
bered 1000, gave a practical PROOF OF
his faith in the unity of Jehovah
Everywhere along the journey he
built his affairs and worshiped God.
He had separated himself from Ur
and had travelled trusting In the
land. When he worshiped Him in
the presence of the Cananites Abra-
ham received the promise of the land
that he then looked upon.
The Bible always portrays men as
they are with all their defects and
virtues. Abraham is no exception.
The writer's have indicated the de-
velopment Of his faith by referring
to his deficiencies. The glory of the
gospel Is that it teaches us how God
His kingdom. Possibly his going
down into Egypt was prompted by
famine conditions. Instead Of trust
ing the Lord to provide, the patriarch
, went down into the land OF plenty
When he reached Egypt 1t Is evident
that his faith was weak. He betrayed
there a vein OF duplicity and deceit
that we would not expect from
friend OF Jehovah. There is encour-
agement to all sinners In the 1ace
into a noble hero of faith He can
make US what we ought to be, IL
, we will surrender our all to Him,
as Abram did finally. Upon his return
from Egypt the religious pioneer
once more recognized Jehovah by
worshiping Him. He, that had lied in
Egypt needed to draw near to Jehovah n
to obtain restoration and help to
meet future trials Of faith.
The test came quickly. The dis
putes of servants had reached their
masters, so that Abram and Lot were
rapidly approaching clash because
| the land was not able to support their
| large focks. Domestic relation is
one Of the strongest tests of our
] faith. Abram proved the reality OF
| his religion that day, when standing
upon the heights Of Bethel he waived
his rights in the interests of peace.
If the world leaders could possess in
this hour Of travail the spirit of
| Abraham, that eliminated all self
interest, permanent peace would be a
reality. The generosity. greatness
i and goodness Of Abraham's character
was seen in his proposal to Lot, Let
there be no strife between me and