THE KING’S BUSINESS
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m a n d e d to ta k e possession o f it, “p u t y o u r foo t d ow n up o n it, A b ram ,” G o d said, “ fo r it is yo u rs.” H e d id n o t take all th a t b e lo n g ed to him an y m o re th an b eliev ers d o to day , b u t it w as his, b y G o d ’s gift. Cultivate. Possess it fo r you rself a n d yo u r children. M ake th e m o st o f y o u r possessions. W h a t g re a te r co n tra st is im ag inab le th a n th a t of these two m en, as th ey p a rt, one in a w ilful w ay to th e p lace of doom , a n d th e o th e r in th e w ay of faith to th e p lace of power. LESSON IX. March 2 , 1913 . Golden Text— Heb. 10:23. T h is lesson a b o u n d s w ith tru th . H e re a re p ictu res p a in ted in glow ing w o rd colors w ith which to a rre st a tte n tio n an d h o ld th e h e a rt o f th e scholar. See th e lonely p ilgrim in th e d o o r of his te n t a t th e eventide. F re sh in his m em o ry a re th e even ts which hav e so rap id ly p assed since his sep a ra tio n from th e o ld hom e in Ur. H is h e a rt is lonely an d p e rh ap s som e d o u b t h a d ta k e n possession o f him an d fe a r h a d c rep t in to a la rm him. In such a tim e th e Son o f G o d cam e in a vision to com fo rt a n d assure him. W h a t w on d e rfu l g race o f G o d is ev id en c ed in these p erso n a l visitation s to th e saints in th e ir tim e o f n e e d ! In H is te n d e r touch an d cheering w ords, how soon th e d o u b t an d fe a r g iv e w ay to co n fidence a n d tru th . W e find m any w o rd s in th e lesson used fo r th e first time in th e S crip tures. “Fear not,” th e blessed two which a re used so frequ en tly a fte r w a rd , w o rd s spok en to Isaac, Moses, Jo shua, D avid, an d Paul., Shield, which th e L o rd calls H im self as H e u n d e rta k e s to p u t H im self b etw een A b ram an d all his foes. “Surely G o d is a shield u n to th em th a t pu t th e ir tru st in H im .” Lord God—
this is th e first tim e this com b in ation is u sed— A d o n a i Jeh o v ah , an d it is spok en in conn ection w ith A b ram ’s questioning faith, an d th e la st g re a t w o rd is th e one u p o n which th e les son hinges — believed. T h is w o rd m ean s sustained, su p p o rted . A b ram sustained a n d su p p o rte d him self in G od . H e by lived o r liv ed b y G od , he ro o te d him self in G o d ’s prom ises. “A g ain st h o p e h e b eliev ed in h o p e .” “H e stag g e red n o t a t th e p rom ise of G o d th ro u g h u nb e lie f.” W h a t G o d said h e a c c ep ted as a fact. E v e ry th ing w as again st him, b u t his v e ry life laid h o ld of G o d ’s W o rd . It w as w o n d e rfu l w h a t A b ram b e lieved. H e be liev ed th a t G o d could quicken th e d e a d b o d ie s o f him self an d his wife, an d G o d co u n ted this a c t of faith as righteousness. G o d is th e G o d o f th e living. “ It w as no t w ritten fo r his sake a lon e th a t it was im pu ted un to him, b u t fo r us also to w hom it shall b e im p u ted if we be lieve in Him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead.” T h e L o rd gave N oah a rainbow to sustain his faith— h ere h e gave A b ram th e stars as w itnesses. T h e stars h en c e fo rth w ere alw ays to sp e ak to him o f G o d ’s g re a t p rom ise; th ey w ou ld b e saying to A b ram com e up an d coun t us, com e up an d dw ell am ong st us, we a re th e m es sengers o f G o d to you. T h e lesson tells o f th e faithfulness o f G o d an d th e faith o f A b ram . A se ed a n d a lan d a re th e h o p e o f A b ram an d th ey are also th e h o p e o f th e b e liever. T h e soul o f faith longs fo r th e p rom ised possession, a n d it will one d a y possess it. LESSON X. March 9, 1913. Golden Text— 2 Cor. 6 :7. T h e th em e to d a y is deliverance an d destruction. T h e sto ry o f L o t’s life is a sh o rt an d solem n one. W h en h e se p a ra te d him self from A b ram
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