The Glenwood post., 1923-10-04
IMPROVED UNIFORM INTERNATIONAL
Si11a1daySc}1ool q
' Lesson
Teacher of English Bible in the Moody
Bible Institute Of Chicago)
%. 1923. Western Newspaper Union)
LESSON FOR OCTOBER7
ABRAHAM, A BLESSING TO THE
WORLD

VohlO
LESSON TEXT-Gen. 1918; 1s:
17-1s; 22:15-1s.
GOLDEN TENTH Thee shall all
families of the earth be blessed"-
PRIMARY TOPIC-Being Blessing
to Others.
JUNIOR TOPIC-A Man Who Became
a Blessing to the World.
INTERMEDIATES AND SENIOR TOP
IC-Abraham. a Religious Pioneer.
YOUNG PEOPLE AND ADULT TOPIC
Abraham. a Religious Pioneer.
l.. Abraham's Ancestors (Josh. "a .,
IA.
Abraham's people were idolaters.
Very likely as a young man. he himself
worshiped idols. Tradition furnishes us
with some interesting stories touching
his struggle against idolatry. At any
rate, his experience was such as to well
qualify him to be the head of a people
whose God was the Lord. He knew how
hopelessly disastrous idolatry was to
the morals of the people, and, there
fore would be able to lead them back
to God.
u. Abraham's Call (Gen. 81,
cf. Acts 7:2-3).
God came to him in Ur of the Chal
dees and said unto him:
1. "Get thee out of thy country"
One is tied to his country with
strong bond. Abraham had lived long
enough to have formed strong attach
ments to his country.
.. "Get thee out from thy kindred"
Abraham was not only to leave be-
hind him his native land, but his rela-
tives as well, even his fathers house.
Since his kindred were idolaters, he
must leave them. Abraham was to
become a pilgrim, to be without a
home. Even in Canaan, the only land
he ever owned was a burial place.
3. Unto the land that l will show
thee" He was not told what or where
the land was. He went out not know
ing whittier he went (Heb. 11:S).
While he dwell in tents during his
earthly sojourn, vet "he looked for a
city which hath foundations whose
builder and maker is Cod (Heb.
S:10). And thus he was a typical be
lever called out from his family and
country, and renouncing idolatry, he
walked by faith testifying to his and
succeeding generations to the faithful
ness of God 1t costs to obey God, but
there is an abundant recompense.
III. Gods Promise to Abraham
fCnr 10 % 81
! l. The Father of a Great Posterity
| ". y. This has been literally fulfilled.
| He was not TO go out primarily for
what he could get, but for what he
| could do The minister and mission
ary forget their own personal bless
ings in the supreme joy of their con-
verts who are the fruits of their labor.
No name In all history equals that of
| Abraham in it's honorable influence.
His is the name of honor among Jews,
Mohammedans and Christians, They
all acknowledge him as father.
3 A BLESSING to Others wv. 2, 81.
| He was not only to become great and
| to share Gods blessings, but to be a
| blessing to others. He has become a
blessing to countless multitudes. This
is the prevailing law of the spiritual
| life-being blessed to be a blessing.
Those who respond to this law become
| the very tOuchstone of God, so precious
that God will bless them who bless
| them, and curse those who curse them
| God makes common cause with His
| people. So vitally is He one with
them that it is serious thing to mis-
| treat them, To maltreat Gods chill
dren is to lift the hand against God.
No one who goes against Him can
| prosper. Not only is this so with ref
erehce to wilful acts against His chill
| dren, but neglect or refusal to do good
to them Christ regards all acts for
or against them as for or against
| Him.
~. God Testing Abraham (Gen.
% :2-1S).
Abrahams faith was shown in that
he obeyed the call of God and left his
land and kindred, but his faith
reached its highest point in Offering
, Isaac. For many years, he had waited
for the fulfillment of Gods promise as
to his heir At last that promise was
reality. Abrahams hope was not the
ordinary hope which fills the heart of
every father, that his name and work
may be perpetuated through his son.
A new nation and the worlds Savior
were to spring up from Abraham
through this son. Through this great
ordeal, his faith responded enabling
him to believe that God would give
Isaac back from the dead (Heb.
II :17-19). God tries all His children.
| The more impOrtnnt the more sevnrn