Evening star., 1924-01-05

Another novel series, Of Sunday
School lessons opens up with this
weeks study. During the next two
years We will study the Bible straight
from Genesis to Revelation.
The studies are divided into three
sections. The first six months Of this
year will be devoted to complete
survey of Old Testament history. 1t
Is a stupendous task. We will then
devote nine months to the study of
the life of the Lord Jesus. The last
nine months will find us studying
the history of the early church as we
study the acts of the Apostles and
the epistles. This thorough and sys-
study of the scriptures ought
to be productive of more good than
any other ever before projected
Genesis, the book Of the beginnings,
informs US in it's opening chapters
how matter. life and man came into
being through thecreation by Jehovah
have never given anv solu-
ton for the problem of the origin of
matter, life and man that Is antag-
onistfc TO the records of Genesis. The
early chapters Of the Holy Bible were
written to teach a religious message
Jehovah, whom Isreal rev.
cred and worshipped. Although writ
ten centuries ago they have been
found to harmonize with every dis
covery of science that can be demon
strated to be true in the labratory
and the field. The Bible is not
scientific narrative or history or
although 1t contains science
and historical material 1t is dfstinc-
lively a book of revealed religion
nj rykx. hA hi f0f NJ 70
recording the various
methods adopted by Jehovah in his
efforts to save humanity.
Besides telling how 'in the begin
ming God created the heavens and the
earth" every living thing that moveth
to a conclusion His creative work by
man in His own image so that
he became al living soul, the opening
chapters explain the beginning or
Sin and death. of difficult labor. OF
art and Industries. of various races
and languages" They also tell us
how the Lord tried, through the fam
lily of Adam, the followers OF Seth
and the descendants of Noah to es-
righteousness among men by
and His covenant with Noah When
these efforts failed, Jehovah adopted
a new method of redemption.
In selecting Abraham as the chosen
leader for the introduction Of new
method of grace, God cast into the
processes that depended upon changing
In selecting Abraham, Je-
hovah adopted a spiritual method. The
Lords choice did not fall upon per-
feet man He was an Amorite. whose
family were idolators. In all probability
Abraham had become disgusted with
the pagan practices and had sought
after the true God by prayer and medi-
tation until 1.-The glory Of Jehovah ap.
peared unto him. when the Lord called
him to leave Ur.
Archaelogists have learned by their
that Ur, the capital city OF
the Chaldees, worshipped their idol
gods with an elaborate ritual: Their
rites were not only magnificent but they
worshipped their fancied deities with
sentiment. Associated with all their
beautiful and magnificent ritual were
all the vile and filthy practices which
are the inevitable accom-
paniments Of idolatry. t,o,, not to mention ne
nection with the offering of the first
born, as q sacrifice for sins.
In response to the Lords call that he
separate himself from his idolatrous
Abraham went as far as
spirit that Influenced his father, Terah,
to break up the associations OF q life
time and 60 forth as far as Haran.
After the death Of his father in Haran,
Abraham heard Gods second call for
him to depart to an unknown land.
tance He obeyed the command Of
jehovah His obedience, to that sum-
nous proved his faith! 1t made his mi
grafton unlike the journey Of other
emigrants who crossed the Euphrates
river. He was moved by great spirit
ual motive to make that, journey. He
was encouraged by the .sevenfold prom
fse Of Jehovah to go forth to the un-
known land. His obedience to Cod g.
call made Abraham famous. :;
with the associations he had formed in
Haran. He took with him his own
household and, all his moveable possess
sfons. 1t was no small thing for a man
at seventy-five to undertake to become
religious pioneer snd ana oyer
an unknown path. He was responsible
for their protection and religious lie.
He served as the priest, building his
own affairs and Offering his own sacrf-
nces as they journeyed from place 20
place. Abraham proved his faith by his
obedience to the Divine command. He
could never have made the sacrifices
which he made unless Jehovah had sus-
tanned him. 1t was during, that journey
without doubt that Abraham came 70
Tic oN~.7.
had called him to leave Haran to pc
come pioneer missionary and teacner
of spiritual faith. =, i
Abraham never dreamed, when he en-
tered Palestine, that his appearance In
that section Of Asia was destined to
become of such tremendous impor-
lance. Over four thousand years has
passed since the. venerable Abraham
.ntered the unknown land which God
planned to give to him, nevertneiees
the influence Of that great p!oneey 70
.elt today In the life Of Palestine, which
8 considered by moro than one nal1 oi
he world to be ''the Holy Land its
ocation gave It a world wide inf1uence
hat became a blessing to all mankind
hrouRh the faith of the vivid and ,pic
uresdue figure whom tho adhefents OF
hree Of the worlds greatest religions
evere and hono.- today as Father Apra-
lam. -e+ : -
Looking back over the centuries we
RE ami to .misjudge the morals OF
abraham, We are not to judge BIN by
,ur standards. We must test him .by
he morals and faith of his day and
seneration. If We do that then we can
-nderstand why God selected him as
ne pioneer who would mould the ma
Z :ons of the earth by the contribution
II. spiritual faith. Jehovah took an
imperfect man, whose character and
tonduct would not be acceptaple IN All
hings today, yet God made that mper-
ect man the first hero OF faith,
yhose idoiaxrous practices were moro
iepulsiye than those ,of the ,Chaldeans,
must have tested AbrahAm's faith when
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