Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1924-01-01
ssalden Text: sIn Thee shall all
tho families of the earth be blessed"
-Gou 1912


the families of the earth be blessed"
Gen. 1913.
During the next six months, in
this course, we are to have an out
line study of the Old Testament. To
get even an outline of the Old Tes-
lament in twenty-six half hours is
quite a task. The Book of Genesis
will be considered in two lessons.
There a.'e three great divisions of
the Book of Genesis. Chapters 1 and
2 give the story of creation; chap
tiers and a the story of the fall;
chapters $50, the beginning of
God's dealings with man to restore
tau original order. AS DR.. Camp
b~ss Morgan puts it, Generationn.
Degeneration, Regeneration.
In the outworking of Gods plan,
He comes-in chapter 12-to the
point where He ceases to deal with
mankind in general, but with a man
in particular. Abram is chosen
while still in Ur of the Chaldees; he
Is called to leave home and kindred
and friends and go into land that
Tod will show him. "And he went
but, not moving whittier he went"
only believing that God had called
him, and he must obey.
There were various stages in
Abram's life. His heather father
aayed him at Haran for some
time; after he got to Canaan he
jeurneyed on toward the south and
away from God, going into Egypt
and getting into trouble, but coming
back to the land that God had prom
ised him. He could afford to be
generous with Lot, for God had
given him all; rot detracting thus
in any way from the magnanimous
spirit he showed in that matter.
Ten times God spoke to Abram,
and progressively promised him
more and more. If you simmer it
down 1T will resolve itself into these
facts: God promised Abram a seed,
a land, and a blessing that would be
universal. Later he made 4 contract
with him; and later still bound Him
self with an oath to fulfill it. No
less than sixty-five times is this fact
stated-E1e swore. He confirmed it
with an oath
The Chosen Leader
Now, why God chose Abraham
rather than some other man is a
question that no one can satisfac-
torily answer except to say that He
exercised His sovereign right of
choice. God saw qualities in Abram
that He could use-he believed, and
he would obey. He chose him for
purpose-''to the end that he may
command his children and his house
hold after him, that they may keep
the way of Jehovah, to do righteous
ness and justice" And all of this
was for another pUrpose-"to the
that Jehovah may bring upon
Abraham that which He hath spo-
ken of hir.." Gen. 1919. If you
turn back in your Bibles to Gen. II:
1-3, you will find that the thing
which Jehovah had spoken of Abra-
ham was to give him seed, a land.
and make him 4 universal blessing,
Abram was far from perfect, how
ever, and there was a process Of
training needed to make him the
blessing that God wanted him to
be. But it is wonderful to see the
gradual growth in Abrams faith and
life until he was finally able to
stand the supreme test Of offering
UP the son of his old age through
whom it had been definitely stated
the blessing was to come.
Inc covenant which God made
with Abraham and confirmed with
an oath swearing by Himself be-
cause there was no other way to
make the promise more certain 1Ieb.
6:l3-lS), He confirmed to Isaac and
later to Jacob. This covenant, oath
bound, still secure the three ele-
ments-a seed, land, and a uni
versal blessing. Like Abraham,
Isaac and Jacob both needed train
ing. Isaac, you will remember, even