The Sabbath-School by Ellet Joseph Waggoner

International Tract and Missionary Society · Oakland, California · Apr 9, 1885

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 11, No. 15.

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The Sabbath-School.

By Ellet Joseph Waggoner

LESSON FOR THE PACIFIC COAST—MAY 9.

Inheritance of the Saints.

PROMISES TO ABRAHAM.—CONTINUED.

1. Repeat the promise made to Abraham after Lot had separated from him.

2. Where is this promise found?

3. What did this promise embrace?

"For the promise, that he should be the heir of the world, was not to Abraham, or to his seed, through the law, but through the righteousness of faith." Rom. 4:13.

4. How great a posterity did the Lord say Abraham should have?

"And I will make thy seed as the dust of the earth; so that if a man can number the dust of the earth, then shall thy seed also be numbered." Gen. 13:16.

5. On another occasion, what did the Lord say of his posterity?

"And he brought him forth abroad, and said, Look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them; and he said unto him, So shall thy seed be." Gen. 15:5.

6. Had Abraham at this time any children?

"And Abram said, Lord God, what wilt thou give me, seeing I go childless, and the steward of my house is this Eliezer of Damascus?" Gen. 15:2.

7. How did he regard this promise from the Lord?

"And he believed in the Lord; and he counted it to him for righteousness." Gen. 15:6.

8. How did the Lord regard Abram's belief? Ib.

9. How old was Abram when the Lord next appeared to him?

"Now when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the Lord appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect." Gen. 17:1.

10. What part of the promise did the Lord at this time renew?

"And I will make my covenant between me and thee, and will multiply thee exceedingly." "And I will make thee exceeding fruitful, and I will make nations of thee, and kings shall come out of thee." Gen. 17:2, 6.

11. What name did the Lord at this time give him as a continual reminder of this promise?

"Neither shall thy name any more be called Abram, but thy name shall be Abraham; for a father of many nations have I made thee." Gen. 17:5.

12. What is the meaning of "Abraham"?

"Father of a great multitude." Gen. 17:5, margin.

13. What did the Lord at this time say he would give to Abraham and his seed?

"And I will give unto thee, and to thy seed after thee, the land wherein thou art a stranger, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God." Gen. 17:8.

14. How long did the Lord say they should possess this land? Ib.

15. And how much land have we learned that they were to have?

16. On what condition was this promise given?

"And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the Lord appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect." Gen. 17:1.

17. Then to what other promise is this equivalent?

"But the meek shall inherit the earth; and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace." Ps. 37:11.

THE promise made to Abraham after Lot separated from him, will be found in Gen. 13:14-17. It will be remembered that the promise embraced a grant of land, and this land, we learned (Rom. 4:13), was the whole earth. In Gen. 17:1-8, we have the same thing repeated. At that time the Lord gave him his name, "Abraham," meaning, "a multitude of nations," or a "father of many nations." This would serve to continuously keep in mind the promise that his seed should be as the dust of the earth, and as the stars of heaven. God also at this time repeated the statement that he would give the land (the earth) to Abraham and his seed for an "everlasting possession." As noted in our last lesson, this promise was on condition that Abraham should walk perfectly before the Lord. Since a meek person is a follower of Christ, and therefore perfect, it follows that this promise is equivalent to that already learned in Ps. 37:11.

E. J. W.