International S. S. Lessons.
"So they read in the book in the law of God distinctly, and gave the sense, and caused them to understand the reading." —Neh. 8:8 LESSON VI.—SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 1894.
[NOTE.—The questions which follow are merely suggestive for the student on the leading points of the lesson; it is presumed that the thorough student will think of many more as he studies the subject. References, where verses alone are given, always refer to the lesson scripture printed above. All other references are given in book, chapter, and verse. The text printed is that of the Revised Version, not because it is especially preferred, but because it is not found in every family, as is the common version.] GOD'S COVENANT WITH ABRAM.
- And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the Lord appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am God Almighty; walk before me, and be thou perfect.
- And I will make my covenant between me and thee, and will multiply thee exceedingly.
- And Abram fell on his face; and God talked with him, saying,
- As for me, behold, my covenant is with thee, and thou shalt be the father of a multitude of nations.
- Neither shall thy name any more be called Abram, but thy name shall be Abraham; for the father of a multitude of nations have I made thee.
- And I will make thee exceeding fruitful, and I will make nations of thee, and kings shall come out of thee.
- And I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee and to thy seed after thee.
- And I will give unto thee, and to thy seed after thee, the land of thy sojournings, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God.
- And God said unto Abraham, And as for thee, thou shalt keep my covenant, thou, and thy seed after thee throughout their generations.
- This is my covenant, which ye shall keep, between me and you and thy seed after thee; every male among you shall be circumcised.
Golden Text.—"And he believed in the Lord; and He counted it to him for righteousness." Gen. 15:6.- Give a brief synopsis of the intervening events between this and the last lesson. Note 1.
- At what time in Abram's life did the Lord next appear to him? Verse 1.
- What did he say to him? Same verse. Note 2.
- What did the Lord promise to make with Abram and to do for him? Verse 2.
- What then took place? Verse 3.
- What did the Lord promise Abram? Verse 4. Note 3.
- What change was made in the name of this man of faith? Note 4.
- What further promises did the Lord make? Verses 6-8.
- What did he say that he and his seed would do? Verse 9.
- What was the token of that covenant to be? Verse 10.
- Of what was that circumcision a seal?
"And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had while he was in uncircumcision." Rom. 4:11, first part.
12. Why was the covenant made to Abraham while he was uncircumcised?
"That he might be the father of all them that believe, though they be in uncircumcision, that righteousness might be reckoned unto them." Rom. 4:11, last part.
13. How much did the promise of his heirship include? Note 5.
"For not through the law was the promise to Abraham or to his seed, that he should be heir of the world, but through the righteousness of faith." Rom. 4:13.
14. How much does the seed of Abraham include?
"And if ye are Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, heirs according to promise." Gal. 3:29.
15. Does this heirship come through our own works of the law?
"For if they which are of the law be heirs, faith is made void, and the promise is made of none effect; for the law worketh wrath; but where there is no law, neither is there transgression. For this cause it is of faith, that it may be according to grace; to the end that the promise may be sure to all the seed; not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all." Rom. 4:14-16.- How did Abraham become righteous and an heir of the inheritance? Golden text.
- Was this written for his sake alone?
"Now it was not written for his sake alone, that it was reckoned206unto him; but for our sake also, unto whom it shall be reckoned, who believe on Him that raised Jesus our Lord from the dead." Rom. 4:23, 24.
18. To what conclusion may we then come, if we simply believe God?
"So then they which be of faith are blessed with the faithful Abraham." Gal. 3:9.1. Our last lesson closed with Abram's journey in the south of Palestine, from which place he went down into Egypt to sojourn. Tradition tells us that he taught the Egyptians their knowledge of astronomy. After the famine was over, he went up out of Egypt into Palestine, again, Lot being with him, and dwelt where he had builded an altar, between Bethel and Ai. Here the unselfishness of Abram's character was shown by giving Lot his choice of all the land. Lot chose Sodom and the plain of Jordan, with all its wicked associations. Because of Abram's faith and unselfishness, the Lord comes to him again and promises him that land and a seed as innumerable as the dust of the earth. Shortly after this Lot was taken prisoner, and would, no doubt, have become a slave had it not been for his rescue by Abram. The account of this is given in the fourteenth chapter. In this chapter, also, we have brought before us Melchizedek, the king of Salem and priest of God—the type of the priesthood of our Lord. To him Abram paid tithes. In chapter fifteen God renews his promise to Abram, and tells him that his seed should not be one by adoption, but his own literal seed. And there the Lord makes a covenant with him that his seed should possess that land, which Nehemiah, in his ninth chapter, says was performed. Here, also, we are told that Abram believed God, and the Lord counted it to him for righteousness. In the sixteenth chapter we have an account of the birth of Ishmael, Sarai's jealousy, and the sending away of Hagar and her son; this brings us to our lesson of to-day. 2. Be thou perfect.—In every word of God there is an implied promise. The Lord had already made Abram righteous, or accounted him as just. The same power which could account Abram righteous, or perfect, could keep him perfect. The faith which is exercised to obtain the blessing of justification should be constantly exercised to hold that blessing, by walking in Christ and above sin. God is able to keep us from falling and to preserve us blameless unto his coming. See Jude 24. 3. Multitude of nations.—This was literally fulfilled in the literal seed of Abraham. From him sprang the Israelites, with their various tribes, afterward divided into two powerful nations, and also the Arabians, the Midianites, the Dedanites, and others. It will be more gloriously fulfilled when the great company of the faithful, the nations of the redeemed, shall inherit the new earth. 4. Thy name shall be Abraham.—'Abram' means high or exalted father. It was changed to 'Abraham,' meaning father of a multitude. So Sarai's name was changed from 'Sarai,' my princess, to 'Sarah,' princess, not Abraham's princess alone, but princess for the world. Says Peloubet: 'In both cases the change is made in the original by the addition of the letter 'h,' the chief letter of the word 'Jehovah.'' God himself was in the promise. Every time these two used their new names, they had a renewal and memorial of God's promise. 5. Heir of the world.—The promise to Abraham was not simply concerning the land of Canaan and this earthly life. If he and his seed had had faith sufficient, God would doubtless have fulfilled the promise through him and his seed when Israel first entered Canaan, but they disbelieved, and Stephen says, in Acts 7, that 'the Lord gave Abraham no inheritance in the land, no, not so much as to set his foot on.' But the apostle Paul tells us, and the same thing is taught in Gen. 22: 17, 18, that the promise included the world. Paul says that it comes to us through Abraham's seed in the Lord Jesus Christ. Gal. 3: 16. Jesus says, 'The meek shall inherit the earth.' And the Lord pledges by his own existence that it shall be inherited by the true heirs of God. Isa. 45: 18. So when Jesus calls home his people to receive their reward, he says, 'Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.' Matt. 25: 34. The kingdom was prepared when the world came from the hand of its Creator, and was pronounced good. The giving of that kingdom to Christ and his people will be but the restoration of the first dominion which was given to Adam. Compare Gen. 1: 28 with Micah 4: 8.