The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1924-03-27
REVIEW: ABRAHAM TO SOL.
ONION.
SUNDAY, MARCH 80.

Il II w ABRAHAM III SUI
ONION.
Jehovah is nercifuI and gracious, slow to an
ger and abundant in Iovingkindness.-Ps.
iO3:s
AN OLD MILLENNIUM.
Gods presence was seen in history
for a thousand years. And that is at
the heart of the millennium that yet
waits the hope of the world. The dat
ing may not be quite accurate, for
time is not reckoned by the Oriental
in the same fashion as by ourselves,
937 CD B. c. marks the close of a
period that stretches backward into
dimness for something like ten CEN
turtles. For men to see the glow of
Gods fire lighting the path for a
races feet thru all that time is one of
the thrilling stories that stir the heart
and mind of the world. 1t is the rec
ord of climb to the crest of a hill
Many times there was rugged fast
nesses to traverse, often the defile
held them in the shadows, dangers
lurked in the thicketed forests thru
which their way led, but the whole
mountain-side was seen in the sun
shine of God. The summit was reach
ed in Solomons day and while the
other side the mountain lay in long
shadows of broken empire and cap
tured cities it will be the task of the
next quarter to explore it to see if
Gods steps may be traced there Also
1t was long climb politically. Alb
raham had no government. His was
the rule of the skin tent and the pos
session of no territory. Traveller, adj
venturer, explorer, he was frontiers
man who had ventured beyond the
bounds of the state and gave allie
glance to any power whose tempo
rary guest he was. His planted stan
dard gave claim to the land as shad-
owy as that of DeSoto or Lasalle, but
the urge of God convinced him that
IIliS SllOulu De Cllc luIuIe uOlle Ol Tie
Hebrew. And he saw to it that his
son stayed to stake down the claim
that was further developed by Jacob
and Esau. Egypt wiped off every
thing but hope and it was in the will
derness that Moses fashioned the
forms of organized life that sent them
into their inheritance. Fighting for
advance they struggled thru the CEN
turies beset by enemies within and
without until Saul had established the
| kingship as the final form of rule ard
David had expanded the empire be
yond all precedent and Solomon had
transformed the old patriarchal fam
| lily government into brilliant, orr
entail court that differed only from
despotism in its regarding the king
as Jehovah's regent.
Socially the advance has been as
great in some respects. The old skin
tent had been replaced by houses of
cedar, the life of nomade had been
changed to that of city jewellers; ag-
riculture had replaced chance crops
and barter of the products of flocks
and herds had given way to a -four
ishing commerce. Slavery is to be
found all along the years, but it has
changed it's character. The slave of
Abraham was in very different po-
sition from the one who toiled on the
public works under the king. Arts
tocracy had risen and lines were be-
ing drawn so that the democracy that
had made even Saul "buddy" to a
fellow soldier was unknown in the pal
ace of Solomon the Wise.
Religiously there had been changes
as great. The rude altar of Abraham
had been transformed into the Won
derful Temple that was the pride OF
Jerusalem. 1t was built as the dwell
ing place of Jehovah, regarded as the
God of the Hebrews, but still not the
only god. But out of the Egyptian
struggle had come the conviction Of
His power and interest that had made
the exodus possibility. Then at 81
mai came the covenant-making God
One demanding certain things in the
life of His followers upon the basis
of which He would do certain things
for them. Moral law became the
foundation upon which was to be
builded the structure of their faith
and the ultimate religion that flow
cred in Jesus. And the Interpretation
of Gods will outranked all others in
the realm so that the prophet was the
unique and outstanding figure in all
the institutional affairs and life in
which they shared. Every other re-
ligion had its priest; Hebrewism alone
had it's prophet. Not yet level with
Amos or Isaiah, all the later prophets
spoke was held in germ in the advance
already made, in the revelation al
ready given. That old Millennium held
much of the presence Of God within
it's scope and marked the beginnings
of great things in the life of the