954
THE KING'S BUSINESS
"Ily faith Abrnhnm, when he '\VRS tried, oftere(l UJ> Jsanc; nntl he that ha(l received the pron•ises offered up his only begotten son." So far as Abraham's will and pur– pose were concerned the deed was done. God responded to Abraham's faith and sacrifice by furnishing a lamb of His own providing (Rom. 8: 32) "He that spared not his o'\vn Son, but deJlverell hin1 up fo'l" us all, ho'\v shall he not 'vith him nlso freely give us nu things"? The lesson Is simple and practical, but yet very difficult for us to accept. God wants us, not our possessions. If He has us, nothing will be withheld from Him. God has set us the example. He gave His best. He gave Himself. Parents, give your children, and all else will be easy. Give yourself! Give your life! You are not your own. Let God use you. If you have received Christ, you are an heir of all God's possessions. Let us have fellowship with God in a sur– rendered life.
the ninth generation from Shem the son of Noah. The word Hebrew is de– rived from Heber and means an emi– grant or one who has crossed the river. The Euphrates was the first ultima Thule in the migrations of the human family westward from Central Asia. The first eleven chapters of the Bible relate to the human family at large. Practically the entire remainder of the Old Testament is a history of the family of Abraham. Nothing is known of Abraham until 'he is about seventy years of age. From that time the record is continuous and complete in the story of one of the greatest characters in all history. The call of God came to Abraham to leave his country and his family and move to an unknown land which God prom– ised to give him and his posterity. Abraham obeyed this call and became a stranger and a pilgrim in the earth. His pilgrimage was typiot and dis– ciplinary. It was the test of obedience and the development of faith. He be· came the friend of God and is known by that name in the East until this day. His after life was characterized by two things, viz. a tent and an altar. He was rich enough to have built for him· ·self a splendid palace to live in and a stately temple to worship in, but a frail tent and a rude altar were enough for him. God blessed him in order that he might be a blessing. His influence up– on the world grows out of his concep· tion of and devotion to the one and only God. Monotheism is a distinct Semitic idea that comes down from the time of Noah and originates in a :special and direct revelation from God to man. This is why the three great religions of the world, which are Semitic in their origin are monotheistic in their character. Through Abra– ham's posterity came the Bible and the Messiah. God confirmed His promise to Abraham by an oath. God had promised before but never sworn, Gen.
Election was a necessity on the part of God on account of the universal re– fusal of men to cooperate with him. No other method is conceivable if the
Divine purpose was to be accomplished. God was obliged to select a ma,n and through the man to create a fam–
DEVOTIONAL COMMENT By F. W. Farr
ily, and through the family a nation In order that by means of this prepared nation he might bring the other nations of the earth to a saving knowledge of Himself. Election is thus seen to be 31 means to an end rather than an end in itself. The various elections or par– tial callings of God, like that of Israel and even of the church, are not for their own sakes alone but only a means to a higher end. This view of election. obviates the common cavils that are urged against it. Abraham was a native of Chaldea, and was descended through Heber in.
Made with FlippingBook flipbook maker