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| The Sunday School |
T1IK TEST OF ABRAHAM'S FAITH.
March 16, 1913. Gen. 22:1-19. Print
Gen. 22:1-13.
Golden Text: "I desired mercy, and
not sacrifice, and the knowledge of God
more than burnt offerings."?tHosea 6:6.
imwi.' mil v imu r DPinivnu
* t VJt tratJi I IllllliJD U
M.?Gen. 22:1-13.
T.?Rom. 4:13-25.
W.?' Matt. 15:21-28.
Th.?Heb. 11:32-40.
P.?Phil. 3:1-16.
S.?Jas. 1:1-12.
S.-Rom. 8:31-39.
SHORTER CATECHISM.
Q. 41. Wherein Is the moral law summarily
comprehended?
A. The moral law is summarily comprehended
in the ten commandments.
LESSON OUTLINE.
i nt? strange command to ADraaam, vs.
1. 2.
His prompt obedience, vs. 3-5.
The attempted sacrifice, vs. 6-10.
Isaac delivered, Abraham rewarded,
vs. 11-19.
LESSON STUDY.
Connection: Abraham's faith had already
been strangely tested, but God
would have one supreme proof to give
to the world, something so commanding
in its nature and in all its conditions
that no one would ever doubt that Abraham
deserved his name and place as
the "father" of all them that believe.
Time and Plnce: A son had at last
been given the aged couple. He had
been named Isaac, or Laughter. In him
Abraham's hope was centered. He had
now reached the age of perhaps elgh
ieen or twenty, some think perhaps as
much as twenty-five years. Abraham
was living at that time near Beersheba,
more than t^o days* journey south of
Mortah. The spot in the land of Morlah
wnere the scene of the lesson's incident
occurred is almost universally
believed to be the Mount Moriah on
which the temple was afterwards built.
A Long .Tonrncy: It was no little way
up to Moriah. Each hour of the journey
would add its a pony to the heart of
God's servant and would make more
signal the proof of his obedience and
faith. The deliberation of the whole
proceeding tells us, with more emphasis
than any words could describe, the
storv of Abrahami's submission and
trust.
The Sharpness of the Te9t: The command
to Abraham to po up to the L,and
. of Morlah and there ofTer his son Isaac
was in terms calculated to add polgnancy
to the father's prlef. After so
many years' waiting, when the hope deferred
that had made his heart sick
was at last turned Into the beginning of
a hflnnv roalliiiH/wi v*v ?? * ?
? ..?r r J - w.u'l.iwit, uc IIIUDI DUI l tJIlUer
that boy. "Take now thy son, thine only
son. whom thou lovest, and offer htm
for a burnt offering." It seemed as If
God would remind him 1n every syllable
of the order of the dreadful nature of
the ordeal through which he must pass.
Whom Thoti Lotos!j The offering to
God of that which costs us nothing, or
which has no value, or about which no
affection or Interest clusters, does not
touch our heart and Is therefore little
lllrfllfr tn '? TT - * *
vv* i-vfuvu vtxai o iiican. no wull I CI
have wtrat we -prize, and only what 1s
dear to ns In a real sacrifice In the giving.
That Is why Paul praised the
Macedonian Christians for giving "first
their own selves."
A Wnrot Offertmr? The etn offering
THE PRESBYTERU
signified atonement for guilt. The peace
offering was for communion and was
somewhat sacramental in its nature.
The burnt offering always meant consecration,
and it was, unlike the others
"a whole" burnt offering, signifying
complete consecration to God. Thus the
demand of Abraham was that he give
proof of the wholeness of his consecration
by giving his son, his heart's idol,
the best thing he had on earth.
Will Go Yonder and Worship: Was
Abraham telling an untruth? If he was
without faith it was anything but worship.
He was in earnest. His soul was
so filled with faith and readiness to
*1 i. i ? - - - * *? * *
ut'ey uHi ne convened me act mat ne
was about to perform into one of worship.
Had this not been the case with
him. his words would have been false.
And had he not meant them seriously
and as an expression of his real purpose.
he would have let drop some hint
or intimation or what was proposed and
would thus have courted an interference
which might result in saving his son.
Worship or Murder: ,1if the spirit of
worship was not in the whole transaction.
it will be hard to acquit Abraham
of a crime. The sublimity of his faith
lifted him above every other thought.
It was not fanaticism. It was too cool
and deliberate for that. Such a wise,
self-poised man could not be run away
with by wild notions of relicious dutv.
Abraham's faith converted even bis sorrow
into worship.
"Where Is the Lamb for nn Offering;
Isaac's question was a very natural one.
He was eld enough to reason. He knew
his father "was not guilty of hollow
mockery, in the announcement that he
would go yonder and worship. There
was no lack of faith on Isaac's part
here, for it was not faith in him that
was the question here. He saw everything
else that was needful for sacrifice
except the lamb for the offering. He
knew that the shedding of blood was
needful in a proper approach to God.
God Will Provide Himself a Lnmb:
These words showed the climax of faith.
The agonized father so trusted In God
that he -would accept God's appointment
of oven the youth Isaac as just and
right. He believed that God could raise
up other sons to (him out of the very
stones. Abraham doubtless also had
more knowledge than we sometimes
suspect, of the Tja.mb of God that taketh
away the sin of the world. Jesus once
said of him: "Abraham saw my day and
was glad." The words, "God will provide
himself a lamb," were more than
nu expression or raitn. Ttiey were
splendidly prophetic then and to the
end of the woTld.
Isaac's Acqnlescence: The young
man was surely strong enough to resist
his aged father. Yet there Is no Intimation
here or elsewhere that he
raised a hand In defence of his life or
uttered a word or cry of expostulation.
In his own trust and filial obedience ho
displayed a faith which was little less
sublime than that of his father.
The Angel of (he Lord: This was the
Son of God, who himself was fore
shadowed In this scene, Interposing to
nave Abraham from the last act In the
tragedy. He provided another type of
himself, and yet accepted. Abraham's
willingness and complete consecration
the same as If Albraham had gone to the
extreme length of the sacrifice of his
son. He saw that the faithful believer
would not withhold even his dearest
' treasure. He saw that Abraham would
surrender all hla hopes at the bidding
of Qod.
1 In the Stead of ITh Soni The Tjord
provided another sacrifice. So has he
1 done for all them that believe. '"Behold
the Tiaimb of God. that taketh awav
' the sin of the world." Without shedding
of Mood Is no remission. God gave his
own son that by one offering he might
perfect forever them that are mwmtffietl
lN of the south
i Young People's Societies
THE LORD'S DAY.
Topic for Sunday, March 16: How
Cnliltn4li 1.? 14141.. V J...
,iinj li m i j oiim'faiu ur "JLUV ijUI'U !*
Day?"?Jeremiah 17:21-27.
DAILY READINGS.
Monday: Day of rest. Ex. 20: 8-11.
Tuesday: Day of service. Matt 12:
9-13.
Wednesday: Day of worship. Luke
4:16-21.
Thursday: Day of vision. Rev. 1:9-13.
Friday: Day of fellowship. 1 Corinth.
12:1-7.
Saturday: Day of witnessing. Acts
17:1-4.
"The Sabbath is to he sanctified by a
holy resting all that day, even from such
wnrlfll v ftmnlnvmonfo
> .?i j ?.us]/iwj vo umi i v>vi caiiuiio cvo
may be lawful on other days, and the
spending the whole time in the puiblic
and private exercises of God's worship,
except so much as may be taken up in
the works of necessity and mercy."
The first and most striking feature of
the Sabbath day is the cessation from
ordinary labor. It is a/npointed for rest
Any kind of unnecessary work on that
day violates its fundamental principle.
The human body is a splendid machine,
but it can no more run forever
than any other material machine can do
T"> t it j *
cu. uciiaun, i ilLiuii, QTHWing new
supplies, are indlspensaible.
Even the mind does its best work by
restful changes, ceasing for a time to
do one tbing and devoting itself to another.
When rested it comes back to
the first task with vigor and a more
masterful grasp.
The labor that is involved in devoting
the day to God's service does not violate
the principle of the day. It is of the
nature of rest for it is the perfection
of restful change. It totally withdraws
hands, heart and mind from toil.
H/xJ l^lnxaAl# I i
wv/u lijuiocii uuo guuiuuu ttgaiiisi any
misinterpretation of his meaning and
purpose in appointing the Sabbath and
ordering its observance. The ox in the
ditch principle, the gathering and preparation
of needful food, the duty to relieve
distress, are made plain enough.
That the Sabbath is allied, as a necessity,
to the very nature of man, is shown
by the fact that it was appointed in
Dden, that it was observed hy Cain and
Abel, that it was known and sanctioned
long before Moses, and that the initial
words of the Sabbath commjyjfB aTe
L7 nmAm'VtA** tn r? ?< * ''
nciuciuuci luc oaiuiutiiii uixy.
Growing out of the primary feature
of the Sabbath, a day of reet, there Is
another, closely connected with It, and
that is the feature of convocation. Not
being at work, men may find time to get
together for worship. So everywhere In
the Bible we find that the rest day was
also the day for the aseemfblageB of
God's people.
And yet even hero evil may come, If
we are not careful. In these days of
strenuous church life there Is sometimes
such a thing as "religious dls
sipauon." Tne nruiupiiea forms of
Christian activity, and largely the multiplication
of organization or machinery,
have caused this. God hardly wishes us
to exhaust our physical strength on his
day even by religious activities.
To make every Sabbath a true "Lord's
Day," we cannot do better than to follow
the Ixyrd'B will and his direction.
His word Is plain enough. Abstinence
frrrm oil tinnnnooont-w toll n+foniUno tn
VW.., -..V-U.u? ? ?
that which iB needful only In a minltmirm
degree, devoting a part of the day to
kind effort to help others, giving as
much of the day as we can to the sincere.
heartful worship of God. will be
acceptable tn him and helpfnl to cmrselves.
[March 5, 1S13
| The Prayer Meeting ,
THE IMPORTUNATE FRIEND.
Luke 11:5-8. Week of March 9.
The disciples had seen their Master
praying in a certain place and when he
had ceased, asked him to teach them to
pray. He then gave them the model
which we have named The Lord's
Prayer. He follows this with a lesson
on importunity, which we have in this
paTable. Not only is prayer necessary,
but earnest, persevering prayer is insisted
upon. The energies of the soul
must be enlisted. There must he fixed
and continued thought. Desire and longing
must grow by exercise. The object
of desire must assume definlteness. The
thing desired must assume magnitude
by reason of deliberato and repeated
contemplation. Faith must triumph
through perseverence.
The circumstance, or Imagery of this
parable is as follows. In the hot countries
of the East It was and is usual to
travel In the cool of the evening and ,
the first hours of the night. A friend
may arrive late and unexpected, needing
food and rest, and find his host unprepared
to entertain him. The host
having "nothing to set before Him," a
neighbor is appealed to in the emergency
and a loan of sufficient food is re
quested. The neighbor protests and declines
because he and his family have
retired for the night and he Is unwilling
to Tie disturbed. The host is urgent and
continues .pleading. Finally the neighbor-friend
supplies the food, not because
of friendship, hut because of Importunity.
The force of the parable is substantially
this: If importunity in such
a case is successful, notwithstanding
human selfishness and the inconvenience
which is often Incident to bestowing
kindness, how much more reasonable
t _ n?J ?til i -i J
m rA|icti max uuu win uear our pieauing
petition, wlilch enlists the fervor and
steadfastness of the soul, -when It Is his
delight to bless and he has specifically
promised the blessings that we crave.
"Ash." "seek," "knock," are the -words
used to express the simplicity and directness
of prayer. The God that hears
If nboundant ta goodness and truth, delights
in mercy and no hour or moment
of supplication is unseasonable with
him. IT he delays to answer, It Is that
tihe practice of petition may make us
stronger to prevail and more devoutly
grateful to receive.
There are those who ask and receive
not One may ask for that wihich is not
promised, or he may ask from wrong
motives, through unhold desire or he
may ask without definite desuv for the
object of his request, or he may ask for
holiness while still cleaving to his sin,
or he may ask for gifts without using
diligence to obtain them, or he may ask
In a self-righteous spirit, not feeling the
need of a Mediator, or ho may ask for
spiritual gifts as secondary to worldly
intoresta. In all snch cases the ''ery essence
of acceptable prayer is a be en t
much loss is there Teal importunity.
On the other hand, when one comes
aa unworthy and contrite, In the name
of his Redeemer, asking for salvation, or
to he endowed with the graces of the
Holy Spirit, waiting irpon Qod and hoping
In his mercy, having no confidence
In the flesh, realising that all help must
come from him, that soul Shall he satisfied.
The promise Is unconditional to
such a suppliant. "EJvory one that aBketh
recelveth, and he that eeeketh flndeth
and to him that knocketh It shall be
opened."
We all have our secret sins; and If
we know ioturse|veB. we should not
Judpe enrh other harshly.?Oeorge
Wllot
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