Arkansas State press., 1945-07-27
GODS PROMISE OF A NATION

GODS PROMISE OF A NATION
LESSON TExT-Genesis l7:i.l0.
GOLDEN TEXT will establish my
covenant between me and thee and thy
seed after thee In their generations for
an everlasting covenant, to be q God
unto thee and to thy seed after thee
Genesis l7:7.
God keeps His promises. 1t may
have appeared that God had forgot.
ten. but He had not, and in our les
son we find Him ready to fulfill His
promise.
We need TO learn the lesson Of
patience. Of awaiting Gods time for
the carrying out Of His purpose. He
is not in any hurry. but He always
arrives on time. II we travel LIES
way with Him. all will be well.
Abram found the fullness Of Gods
blessing because he sought His will
for Life and service. We find him
!. Walking In Gods Plan wv.
/. y.
The place Of blessing Is not In
some clustered refuge where the
circumstances Of life and its prob
lens cannot disturb US. II Is out
In the daily walk with God. In the
home. the Office. the shop.
What Is Gods plan for the Life Of
the believer? Just what He told
Abram. BE thou perfect" Moth
ing less will do, for He is a perfect
God. His law is perfect Cps. 19:D.
He requires a perfect obedience to
the perfect law Games 2:l0). This
was His standard for Abram, and it
can be no less for us.
How shall we attain to 1t? Only
In Christ can we meet and fulfill
Gods plan of perfection.
That means that as followers Of
the Lord we are to seek His power
for the outworking Of His grace in
our lives. We are not to be content
with a Christian life on a low stand
ard or lacking any Of the graces
which God car give us.
We, too, must recognize that If God
Is to give us His full measure Of
blessing. We must walk in accord
with His will, walking in the light
as He is in the light q John In.
Much Of the failure and impotence Of
present day spiritual life is ex-
planned by the willingness Of Chris
tians to live imperfect lives.
ii. Talking of Gods Purpose wv.
3-9).
Abram fell on his face in adora-
ton and worship. In reverence and
humility, he put himself in the place
Of subsection and service.
What happened? God talked with
him. ". 81. This man was ready
for a holy conversation with the
Lord. His attitude of body was only
the outward expression of an atti-
tude of heart which was right. So
God and he talked about the purpose
of the Lord for Abrams life.
He had been Abram, which means,
"exalted father" that is, of a family
or a tribe; now he became Abraham,
"the father of a multitude"
This is the first of many instances
in Scripture where a name was
changed by God to mark an impor-
tant event, or a change of heart.
For example, Jacob "the supplant-
err" became Israel, "a prince with
God" Gen. 1929; Simon became
Peter, "a rock" Matt. 1917, 49,.
The letter to the church at Per-
gamos speaks Of the n who over
comes in Christ's name as having a
new name written which no man
knows save he that receives it Grew.
2:l7). The believer on Christ is a
changed man, a new creature,
whether his name be changed or not.
God wants to change men-has
He changed you?
The promise is renewed to Abra-
ham, 1t was to his seed" that is,
his descendants. He took the bless
ing from Gods hand, accepting
things that as yet were not, as
though they were. God is able to
make them come 10 pass (cf. Rom.
4;l6-lBl.
III. Trusting Gods Promise wv.
8, 100,
Down through the ages every man
in the great host to descend from
Abraham was to bear the outward
token that he belonged to the cov-
enant people. This was to be a SYM
boil of and to lead the recipient
into that attitude of heart which
would bring outward rite into full
fllment as an inward reality.
Observe that after Abraham, 1t
was always the parent who thus
brought the son into the covenant.
This speaks of the parental respon-
sibility to bring the little children TO
the Lord. and it also gives us the
precious assurance that God Is in
terested in the children and ready
to receive them at the hands Of par
ents. taking them into His W ten
der care.
Thus down through the genera
tons, Israel was to show their faith
in God, their assurance that He
would keep His promises to them,
and their consequent eagerness that
their families should be counted into
the covenant with God.