Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1924-01-01
SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON
For Tan 6, 1928.
BY DR.. MARION McH. HULL
For Jan. 6, 1928.

though he knew Jacob had been
chosen of God, tried to put one over
On God las we say today and to
force the blessing on Esau Outwit.
ted by his wife, both had to suffer
to the end of their days; but finally
Isaac saw the blessing being trans
mitted through Jacob.
AS for Jacob, he needed lots of
training before God had made him
fit to use as His instrument; but
He trained him. For II years ia
cob schemed and schemed, and then
had to leave the land that had been
promised to Abraham and his seed
after him for a possession, and ne
left it fugitive from the wrath of
the brother whom he had wronged.
For twenty years he was an exile
from this land, and reaped from his
uncle Laban a great harvest of de-
celt from his own sowing. Nor was
it until at 81 years Of age, after a
whole night of wrestling with an
unknown antagonist in which Meth
er was the victor, that he finally
ylelded-and then not until his an
tagoist had touched the great gluteaI
muscle and made him unable to
wrestle any more. Not able to wres-
tie he was still able to cling, and
did until the Man gave him the
blessing He had been wanting to
give all along, but couldn't until ia
cob had ceased trying to do for him.
self. Even then Jacobs training
was not complete. His experiences
at Succoth, and at Shechem brought
him finally back to Bethel and from
there to his now aged father at Heb
ron. Then his loss of Joseph, for
twenty years believing him dead:
and finally having to leave the land
of promise to go into Egypt until
his death. 1t took lots Of training
to make Jacob fit to become the
heir of God, the one through whom
the world was to be blessed, the one
to whom the land was to be given.
and from whom the seed was to
come.
A Chosen Land
For you see God needed men and
10 make them for separation, obedi-
ence, confidence, faith were neces-
sary. And for this a land also was
necessary. One cannot conceive of
man without land! A nation
must have a place. The land God
chose was a strategic one. We have
already pointed out in these studies,
and only stir up your pure minds
by ways of remembrance, how this
land is the center of the world, geo.
graphically, politically, numerically,
G
again of the. fact that in an area
one-fifth the size of Georgia. there
IS sea coast, mountain, table land.
plain, and tropics; that it's mineral
and agricultural resources are as
various as can be imagined, and that
under the influence OF the chosen
people this chosen land blossoms like
the rose. When the spies went in
they found it a land of wonderful
righteousness, and no doubt it was
That when Abraham lived there. For
centuries under the influence of the
unspeakable Turk it has been a bar.
rem waste; but now wherever the
zionist has settled it is becoming
again like the garden of the Lord.
Inc chosen land is meant for the
chosen people
Now here is the strange thing
Abraham left all and came into this
ANA; he lived in tents all his life:
ana although the land had been
given him in fee simple by it's right
Iul owner, he died possessing onlv
the fields of Mamre which he had
purchased for a burying place. Isaac
lived in tents all his life with no
more land possessed. Jacob pur-
chased ground at Shechem, but aft
erWards left it and died in Egypt.
But GODS oath still stands. We
shall see later how it has been par.
TALLY fulfilled; it must be fulfilled
to the letter.
And here is the reason: That cove.
nant wasn't made just as an end
IN itself. God had no peculiar love
cor Abraham and Isaac and Jacob in
themselves. His choice Of them. His
oath-bound contract with them was
made not for their own purposes
out that through them He might
accomplish the one purpose He has
mad before the foundation of this
World-that He might yet win back
the world to Himself and DESTROY the
works o. the devil. All of Gods
dealings with man in the past have
thls one purpose in view All in the
past were leading up to Jesus Christ
the Son of God and the Seed of
Abraham. All since then have Him
as their center and circumference
lie came to be the King of the Jews
and to establish His kingdom on
earth in the land that is the center
OF the world; He offered Himself IN
the people of Abraham as their
King that through them the cove
n f1 oath-bound might be fulfilled.
Ihey rejected Him. He LEFT for
time; but with the promise that He
would return.
just as in the past, Abraham
Isaac and Jacob had to he trained
so their seed are being trained: b1t
sometime the process will be finished
ana with Jesus Christ as their King
the blessing of Abraham will he
realized by the whole world.
During the interval there is an.
other part of Gods plan being work.
ed out. 1t is the preparation of the
Bride for the King-a Gentle bride
FOR this purpose God needs men who
VIII come out and be separate. who
VIII trust Him fully and obev Him
implicitly. He is calling YOU TO-DAY
as He did Abram of old for This
part OF the purpose. viii Won re-.
spond now as Abram did?