Abraham must ever stand out in the Scriptures as a giant of faith, and it behooves such

pigmies as ourselves to be careful of our criticism, yet we realize that the faithful Word

presents to us in Abraham a man of like infirmities with ourselves, and if we learn from

the recorded failures of this man of faith, it need not minister to our pride, nor lessen the

testimony of faith which Abraham gave:--

The question that is in our mind concerns Lot. The Lord had called Abram and he

obeyed. He had told him to leave country, kindred, and father's house. Did Abram fully

obey this part of the command? The verse in Gen. 12: says, "So Abram departed, as the

Lord had spoken unto him, and Lot went with him". Lot was the son of Haran, therefore

Abram's nephew (Gen. 11: 27, 31; 12: 5; 14: 12), therefore he was Abram's kindred,

and Abram had been commanded to get out from his kindred. Lot seems to be mentioned

several times in a somewhat detached way, "and Lot with him" (13: 1). "And Lot also,

which went with Abram" (13: 5). A relieved feeling seems to come when we read, "and

the Lord said unto Abram, after that Lot was separated from him, Lift up now thine

eyes". The ties of the flesh are strong. When Abram was first called out by God we read,

"and Terah took Abram his son, and Lot the son of Haran, his son's son". Now this tie,

first introduced by Terah, is again found to be strong, "and Lot went with him". Whether

we are right in this, we cannot say, true it is that Lot's presence brought neither peace nor

blessing to Abram, and his entry into the land of Canaan ultimately lost him his wife, his

home, and finally his character. If we will but examine ourselves we shall find that most

of our fullest acts of obedience, and sincerest endeavours to walk a separate path, have

been somewhat spoiled by the Terahs and the Lots who will not leave us to wholly follow

the Lord. The silence of Scripture as to this in the record of faith in Heb. 11: is a

consolation; the Lord is not swift to mark iniquity, if He were, who should stand?

When Abram reached Sichem and the plain of Moreh, the Lord appeared unto him.

Abram had crossed the Jordan, and penetrated nearly half way through the country

known as Samaria; Gilgal, where the reproach of Israel was rolled away some years

afterward, is near this place. It looks as though Abram had to venture upon the word of

the Lord, walking by faith. Without further vision or revelation, surrounded by the

Canaanites (ever the foes of faith), he was put to a severe test. The silence is at length

broken by the promise, "unto thy seed will I give this land". Following this promise

comes Abram's response, "and there builded he. . . ." What did he build? Surely, if the

land was his freehold, and his seed's for ever, he will at once begin to build a nice

comfortable house, he will be justified in adding all the latest improvements that the

Canaanites may have invented, and so show that his faith was real and matter of fact, that