The midland journal., 1945-04-13

LESSON TExT-Genesis 1871, q; Acts 2:
81. 12-l7.
GOLDEN TExr-By faith Abraham. when
he was called. obeyed and he went out.
not knowing whittier he went-Hebrews li:a
Bible history Is q story of men Of
faith called and used Of God to car
ry out His purpose In the world.
These thrilling accounts Of WORTH
while lives are to be our special
concern during the three months we
study the history of Israel and of
the Church.
I. A Cali and q Covenant (Gen.
1871, ~.
God was now ready to make
known His choice of a man to be
the father Of His chosen people, He
went down into Ur of the Chaldees
In the midst Of heather worship, and
called out man who had faith In
the true God.
Abram, "when he was called to 20
out into place which he should
after receive for an Inheritance,
obeyed; and he went out, not know
ing whittier he went" (Heb. 11:8).
The Lord called him out from his
own land and kindred, to get him
away from his heather forebears
and their worship. God wants sep
arated believers In our day, too
(read and ponder II Cor. GIT, 1877.
That call comes to every believer.
To those who are to serve Him,
there Is definite call much like
Abrams (see Matt. 10:37-39).
With the call came a great COW
enant, a seven-fold promise given in
Genesis 1872, 3. That covenant God
repeatedly renewed with Abraham
and his descendants. It has been
partially fulfilled, and God has put
Himself on record that every bit OF
1t shall be completed. He keeps His
promises.
Why did God choose Israel? Il
was an act of His sovereign grace,
not based on their merit or good
ness. He had a threefold purpose:
~ That they should be the reposi-
tory for His truth (the Old Testa-
ment) in the earth; (2) that they
should be the channel for the COM
ing OF the personal Redeemer to the
earth; (3) that they should be a ma
tional witness to the one true God
amid the nations of the earth.
They accomplished two of these,
but failed in the last, and are now
under Gods judgment for that sin
and failure.
III. Obedience and Opportunity
(Acts TAD.
Abram went out at Gods COM
mand, even though he knew that it
meant suffering and trial, being obe-
dient without question or hesitation.
Bible history reveals that God de-
lights to do mighty things for those
who give Him unquestioning obedi-
ence.
God did great things for Abra-
ham, and yet he did not live to see
the fulfillment Of the promise. He
knew it was to be SO, realizing that
Gods plan was to be carried out in
the children which he did not yet
have (see Heb. 11:9-11).
Here is lesson for us. Our faith
today, and the measure in which we
apprehend the grace of God for life
and service, will bless not only us,
but our children FPS. 103:17). For
their sakes we ought to seek to in
crease the spiritual heritage Of our
families. Certainly we should do
nothing to blight their lives (Exod.
34:7).
One may not be able to boast of
the greatness and fineness of ones
ancestors, but one can be deter
mined by the grace of God to be
good ancestor.
Observe that Abraham's obedi-
ence opened up the whole history of
blessing and usefulness to the entire
nation Of Israel, a history not yet
concluded by any means. Think
what opportunity he might have de-
stroyed by disobedience.
iii. A Family and Its Faith (Acts
7:1217).
Stephen, a portion Of whose ad-
dress of defense before the council
Is here before us, reviews the his
tory Of Gods dealings with Israel.
Tracing the line down through Abra-
ham, Isaac, Jacob and Joseph, he
recalls how God provided a haven
Of plenty for them in Egypt until they
were ready to be brought up into
the possession of their inheritance
the land Of Palestine.
Lack Of space forbids the review
Of the lives of these pioneers Of faith.
The study would be most illuminat-
Ing, for. it repeatedly throws into
sharp contrast the awful failures Of
these men when they forgot God, and
the mighty victories they gained
when they believed Him.
In spite Of their failures they were
essentially men Of faith, for God has
counted them worthy Of place in
that remarkable list Of heroes Of
faith found in Hebrews II (see Wv.
1922.
The days in which we live are not