The Pleasantville press. (Pleasantville, N.J.) 1912-1929, 1923-09-05

&F R1A+'NNs
N Why such a
K w revelation? Abra-
M III ham had been en-
SHARED by the
flesh and had resorted to human wis
dom and schemes to fulfill the promise
of God. God permitted him to live by
his WI plans and devices until he
longed for some divine word more than
for the very breath of life. This is
the word that came to him: 81 am I'll
Shaddai."
/. A New Name for cod.-It is very
difficult for US upon whom the sun OF
all the divine perfection shines. who
possess the perfected revelation. to
comprehend the SLOW and difficult
process by which God became known
to men. To the generations Of Adam
and Noah, He was known as Elohim.
the creator and preseryer of life. 1t
required millenniums to find a few
men who believed In a personal God,
transcending every form and fashion
of creation, and possessing infinite
wisdom, power and goodness. Not IN
til Abraham obeyed the call of such IA
God, and followed it through strange
and difficult circumstances, did God
find a man who vas prepared to under
stand a fuller revelation. When the
magnanimity of the patriarchal char
acter was manifested after the battle
of the kings by Abraham's refusal to
oaanr+ oif+s frn,, tho lyIp1 % C15.,,
God revealed Himself to Abraham
bearing a new name. 81 am FL EIyon,
possessor of heaven and earth" Then
when the patriarch was ready for a
further disclosure of the divine char
acter, this time through %penitence and
contrition, came this, 81 am FL Shad-
dai, the God who Is enough"
You will notice that both of these
names for God are compounds of the
original name Elah, the singular of
Elohim. This new lame by which God
was to be known was both a rebuke
and an encouragement. The man of
faith who stepped aside from trusting
God to fulfill the sacred covenant of
feshy devices needed rebuke. Infinite
love must chasten sin. 1t was an en-
God can supply every need. No n
word of all He had promised shall
fail. To know God as Ell Shaddai is
to catch the spirit of the Panama
builders, as some one expressed it.
Got any mountains that cannot be
tunneled, any rivers that cannot be
crossed? We specialize In the impos-
sible." This is the battle cry of the
man who has heard the infinite whis-
per in his soul, 81 am FL Shaddai."
"All things are possible TO him that
believeth."
II. A New Necessity for Abraham
"Be perfect" Impossible, yes, for a
weak yacillating mortal, but not for a
mar who knows Ell Shaddai. Here is
suficiency. 1t is a challenging impeTa-
tive. Dared Abraham respond in the
venture of faith, or did he weaken
through doubt and hesitate In fear?
Did he really believe God is Almighty?
"Be perfect :" If he had cried. Il can
not he would have made provision
for the flesh he would have made an
| apology for weakness; he would have
flung back to God the denial of His
| power to meet every need. But did
this happen? Instead faith %exultlngly
shouted its battle cry and went for
ward to this divine ideal.
However, we must needs ask, What
did God require of the patriarch with
this imperative, "Be perfect? Did He
| mean s~inlessness. an a%bsolution of hu-
man character? II seems hardly pos
sible that this was the intention of
God. Such perfection is not required
in the New Testament idealism Of the
revealed will of God for His children,
much less in the dim twilight of the
patriarchal d~ispensation. Abraham
/ fully understood what God meant. BE
perfect" was a call to exchange his
| confidence In his own powers for the
inexhaustible sufiiciency of God. 1t re-
lated to heart attitude rather than at
tainment.
Gods eternal call to every child of
Adam is found in these words. Moth
ing short of perfection could satisfy
Gods heart or make fellowship with
mar possible. The secret of this re-
| ouirement is found in the three words
walk before me-" If this condition
is met. the imperative changes TO a
positive indication. walk before me
and We shall be perfect" The word
walk" always symbolizes conduct. 1t
needs no argument TO prove that If we
conceive of our daily activities wrought
out in the immediate conscious pres
ence of God. we will be perfect. In
| His presence, only n heart attitude
could be possibl-an attitude of utter
| dependence. a desire TO please Him
and a determination to will His will.
If ever mortal man has reflected the
divine perfection, it has always and
| only been when he was acutely sensi-
tive to the presence of God.