The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1923-04-05
SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON
Prepared especially for The Republi-
can by Rev. U. S. Wright, D. D.
SUNDAY, APRIL 8.
ABRAHAM, THE HERO OF FAITH

Abraham believed God, and it was
reckOned unto him for righteous
ness.-Romans 4:3.
WHO WAS HE?
Death shakes the tree of life and
scatters the fruit in all directions.
Such seems to be the first stirring
of the family that lived under the
shadow of Babylon, for it was after
the death of Abraham's brother that
his father, Terah, started the emigra-
ton. If they were running away from
the grim reaper they were overtaken
some four hundred miles farther on
at Haran and the grave of Terah
marked another period in the life of
the man of our lesson. Facing west
ward he led his caravan across the
weary wastes that carried him four
hundred miles farther from that
early dawn of his life. Facing fam
inc and the privation of it he pressed
on into Egypt where fear instead of
faith controlled him and an alterless
period is reached that spelled disaster
for the character of Lot. Back in
Canaan there came the division be-
tween the two that sent the youth to
Sodom and the elder to the hills. In
the battle of the kings Lot was cap
.tured and the doughty, old uncle call
ed his followers about him and dared
to attack the camp near Damascus
from which he returned with all the
captives and much spoil to be blessed
by MelchiZadek to whom he gave
1.-THE. Once more God promised him
posterity as numerous as the stars,
and he took Hagar as wife and Ish-
mael was born. The plural marriage
almost wrecked the home, but again
the promise was renewed, to be re-
peated by the visitors who listened
to his prayer for Sodom, which his
ruling faith condemned, but was suf-
ficient to carry Lot from its over
throw. JOurneying toward the South
the patriarch repeated the lie that he
used in Egypy, which probably Gauss
ed the quarrel over the possession of
water places that came between him
and Abimelech. Isaac was born and
there was great joy in that old smoke
blackened skin tent under which this
child Of ,,,.D,o,,co fh1+ h.
sure of his mothers arms. Ishmael
the sturdy despised the usurper of his
heirship and he and his mother were
driven from the company and Abra-
ham faced the hardest test of his life
in the conviction that he should offer
Isaac as a sacrifice to the God of his
faith But his hand was stayed and
the substituted ram fixed for all time.
in spite of occasional lapses, the alb
sence Of human sacrifices among the
Hebrews. Sarah died and her body
rests in the cave of Machpelah in the
only spot of ground actually owned
by the patriarch. Marrying Keturah,
other children blessed the tent with
merry prattle. Isaac's marriage was
arranged with his cousin, Rebekah,
daughter of Major, who had remain
ed in Terah. Death closes the story
and the traveller pitched his last camp
in Hebron beside Sarah the beloved.
THE PIONEER
Abraham had every characteristic
of the hardy adventurer who pressed
his way across our own continent and
blazed the trail for others to follow.
Independent, resourceful, energetic,
with his eyes constantly turned to-
ward the horizon, he is one of the
great figures Of that early day. "Riv-
er-Crosser" may be the meaning of
Hebrew, the name applied so justly
to this founder of a race Settled
comfortably in Haran, surrounded by
flOcks and followers, with a wife that
loved him devotedly, his early dream
asserted itself and he grew unhappy
in the prosperity that pressed upon
him. He was seventy-fve when the
adventurous fires should be burning
low yet he was like the woman, who
thrown upon her own resources at
fifty, studied medicine and entered a
new profession with the feeling that
she was "too young to quit" Abra-
ham was "too young to quit" at sew
enty-fve. The writer in Hebrew des-
cribes him exactly in the phrase, "He
went out not knowing whittier he
went" That is always the experience
Of every pioneer. No matter what the
field the way leads over unexplored
paths. Fired by a great faith each
fares forth to seek an unknown land.
Columbus believed that India lay
ahead, that the earth is a sphere in
stead Of a plain, and in face of the
cry of folly set out, "Not knowing
whittier he went" The Pilgrims, who
launched the Mayfower into the
wintry sea believed nightly in the
possibility of religious liberty and
went out mot knowing whittier they
went" Luther believed tremendously