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THE KING’S BUSINESS
est vision w as e a stw a rd , th e d a rk m oun tain s o f M oab ? a t th e ir fo o t th e J o rd a n w ind ing th ro u g h a v alley of u n to ld fe rtility ; a n d in th e imm ed i a te fo reg round , th e ran g e o f hills a b o v e Jericho , . . . rich w ith th e m o st luxu rian t tro p ic a l veg e ta tion , th e sw eetest sp o t o f all b e ing a ro u n d th e L ak e of S o d om ,” as th e g a rd en of th e L o rd , says th e Scripture. Such w as L o t’s choice. “A b ram dw elled in th e la n d o f C an a an , an d L o t dw elled in th e cities of th e p lain of Jo rd a n , a n d p itch ed his te n t tow a rd S o d om .” H e gratified “ th e lust of th e flesh, th e lust o f th e eyes, an d th e p rid e o f life,” an d sep a ra ted him self from th e m an o f faith. But A b ram h a d th e b e st o f it, a s does every one w ho w alk s b y faith an d n o t b y sight. T h o se “ th ing s which w ere seen w ere in d e e d tem p o ra l” (2 Cor. 4 :1 8 ; G en. 19 :24 , 2 5 ) . L o t lo st all his inv e stm en t w ith all his p ro fits in th e S o d om business; also his wife, his hono r, a n d nearly his life. H e (1 ) p itch ed his te n t to w a rd S o d om ; ( 2 ) dw e lt in S odom (G en . 1 9 :2 ) ; ( 3 ) sa t in th e g a te of S o d om (G en . 1 9 :1 ) ; an d ( 4 ) es c a p e d b y th e skin of his teeth. Y et L o t w as a justified m an (2 Pet. 2 :7 ) , fo r g race can save m ighty m ean sinners (2 T im . 1 :1 5 ). H e h a d saving faith, b u t n o t sanctifying faith. H e w a s g rieved a t th e doings o f S o d om (2 Pet. 2 :7 ) , b u t b a d no t th e g race to testify against, n o r to se p a ra te him self from it. H e bu ilt of w o o d an d h ay an d stu b b le ; it was b u rn ed an d h e suffered loss, b u t he him self w as saved, y e t so as b y fire (1 Cor. 3 :1 2 -1 5 ). A b ram h a d th e b e st o f it. T h e L o rd was his “ ex ceed ing g re a t rew a rd ,” an d one d ay he “go t up early in th e m o rn ing an d lo o k ed tow a rd S o d om a n d G om o r rah, a n d b eh eld , an d lo, th e sm oke o f th e coun try w en t up as th e sm oke of a fu rnace” (G en . 1 9 :2 8 ). Lesson IX. March 2—The Covenant with Abram. Gen. 15:17-18 I. The Rescue of Lot. Gen. 14:1-21.
S o d om an d th e K ing of Salem . T he la tte r w as a ty p e o f Christ. O f his n am e M elchisedec, which is K ing-of- R ighteousness,” a n d o f his office K ing o f Salem ,” which is king of peace, P au l says: “F irst righteous ness a fte rw a rd s p e a c e .” F o r th ere can b e no p eace w ithou t righteous ness (first im pu ted , th e n p ra c tic e d ). M elchisedec “p riest o f th e Most H igh G o d ” was, like Jesus, a priest-k ing (Z ee. 6 :1 3 ) . A bsence o f genealogy an d o b itu a ry typifies th e end less life o f th e G o d -m an ; b u t h e was, p ro b ab ly , a survivor of S h em ’s line, an d a w itness fo r the tru e G o d am ong th e abom in ab le id o la trie s o f C an a an (H eb . 7 :2 ; Ps. 9 7 :2 ; Isa. 3 2 :1 7 ) . (2.) Melchise d e c saw in A b ram his successor in testim ony a n d th e heir o f a new dis pen sation . H e set b e fo re him “b re a d an d w ine,” th e fruit a n d ear-
). ( 1 ) F o u r kings o f C h a ld e a overcam e five kings o f th e p lain a n d “ to o k Lot, and his goods, a n d d e p a rte d .” L o t y o k ed up w ith S o d om an d cam e u n d e r th e y ok e w ith, Sodom . G o d ow n to th e w o rld a n d you go d ow n w ith th e w o rld , unless g race saves you. ( 2 ) “W h en A b ram h e a rd ,” etc. (v . 1 4 ). H e was a New T e stam e n t Christian. H e h eld no g rudge, b u t w as “n e ighbo r to him w ho fell am o n g th iev es” (L u k e 1 0 :3 6 ). A b ram co u n ted L o t (h is n ep h ew ) as “ a b ro th e r" in adversity, a n d in justify ing faith. T hough a b ro th e r a c t unw o rth ily we shou ld n o t fo rsake him. T h o u g h a c ap tiv e to th e w o rld w e shou ld strive to save him ( P rov . 1 7 :1 7 ; 2 Thess. 3 :1 5 ) . 2. After the "victory. ( 1 ) Tw o kings m e t A b ram , th e K ing o f
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