Covenanter Witness Vol. 53 - Rparchives.org

estate."sons'Lesson Helps for the Week of November 7, 1954C.Y.P.U. TOPICfor November 7, 1954THE EIGHTH COMMANDMENTEx. 20:15, Eph. 4:28.Rev. Alvin W. Smith, D.D.Orlando, FloridaADAPTABILITYGod's law was made to 'fit' all humanrelationships in society, over the entireworld and through all the centuries. Itwas suited to the tent living before Sinai,when the congregation was a great multitude. It was suited to their journeyingsthrough the wilderness for forty years.Then the Eighth Commandment withits supporting statutes was adapted tolife in the Promised Land, at last whenCanaan was divided by lot among thetribes, and among the families withineach tribe. There would be rural life andvillage life where the authority of law wasneeded for the protection of lands andhouses, sheep, goats and oxen, jewelryand precious stones.Skipping over the centuries to the settlement of America, there was the problem of acquiring the land from the Indians. Shamefully for a great part atleast, the record is one of force and fraud.After that the pioneering period of expansion and spreading westward. Longyears and decades of 'rugged individualism.'These generations brought the Bible with them. They read it in theirhomes, they heard it preached in theirchurches, they taught it to their children.THOU SHALT NOT STEAL was aguiding principle and a restraint againstviolence and greed.In thought let us make one more jump,right down to our situationtoday and thetrend now from the individual to themass. The writer of these comments suggests that your discussion in the meeting will stress the responsibility of theINDIVIDUAL before God, in observingthe Eighth commandment today, in thematter of acquiring and handling property as against shifting responsibility tothe government or any other group.Positive and NegativeThe writers of the Shorter Catechismperceived that God in His word implieda positive duty as well as a negative restraint. So they wrote:"The eighth commandment requireththe lawful procuring and furthering thewealth and outward estate of ourselvesand others.""The eighth commandment forbiddethwhatsoever doth or may unjustly hinder our own or our neighbor's wealthor outwardThese thoughts are contained in the ideaOctober 20, 1954of stewardship, which is the conception ofentrustment of propertyor possessionsfor the glory of God and for the benefit ofour neighbor. Take time to read andillustrate the admonition contained inEphesians 4:28. We are not only to refrain from stealing but we are to work inorder to help.A Timely StudyAmerica's record is shameful. Corruption by those in high places has put anevil example before ordinary citizens andbefore our youth. Fraud in the Department of Internal Revenue has been coupled with tax evasions and the scandals inthe field of Federal Housing have beenincredible.Following this it is no surprise to readfigures from the year 1953 as reportedby J. Edgar Hoover of the F.B.I., thatduring the twelve month period there wasone burglary every 1.1 minutes, one robbery every 8.3 minutes, one larceny every24.9 SECONDS and one automobile theftevery 2.3 minutes.The above figures are gleaned from thelate book "America's Spiritual Recovery"by the Rev. Edward L. R. Elson, pastorto President Eisenhower. Under the Chapter, The Moral Lapse, Dr. Elson observes: "And crime is only one of ourproblems. There is also money. Everywhere there is a fatal indifference to themoral implications of money. The primary ambition of a vast host of modernpeople seems to be to get rich and getrich quick, to achieve wealth for its ownsake by whatever methods are fast andeffective. To acquire money and to holdit as a custodian of the Almighty may bea laudable aim and pursuit and to. employ wealth as a steward of God, may beto exhibit one of the primary Christianqualities. But to seek wealth for its ownends is a one-way street: it leads directlyto the destruction of the soul. It is, forexample a tragic moment when a manlooks into the face of his pastor and says:T have discovered that it no longer paysto be honest in business.' It is a momentof peril for all of us when the chief ambition of any of us becomes that of merely making money, regardless of that higher admonition of the Catechism whichclaims that "the chief end of man is toglorify God and enjoyQUESTIONSHimforever."1. What is the value of having a useful occupation to follow?2. With scriptural authority show howprivate ownership of property is commendable.3. Name various ways by which property may be rightfully acquired. Contrastwith the unlawful.4. "Will a man rob God?" Breakinginto a church and stealing the offering isadmittedly wrong. How about stealingfrom God on the other end, in the withholding of tithes and offerings?5. What is the cure for the rash ofvandalism which plagues manycities?of ourScripture Reading, Exodus 22:1-13.Psalms:1:1-3, page 2.112:1-3, 5,119:1-4,19:5-7,page 277.page 288.page 42.References: Lev. 19:13; Ps. 62:10; Prov.22:22; Nahum 3:1; John 10:8, 10;Prov. 28:24; 29:24; Matt. 6:19; Titus2:10JUNIOR TOPICNovember 7, 1954by Mrs. Wilbur J. KeysJACOB RETURNS HOMEScripture: Genesis 35Memory Verse: "Trust in the Lord withall thine heart ; and lean not unto thineunderstanding."ownProv. 3:5Psalms to sing:Psalm 25:1-4, page 57Psalm 56:1-3, page 141Psalm 66: 8, 9, 10, 14, page 158Psalm 136: 1, 2, 12, 13, page 334(Learn this psalm of thanksgiving for themonth of November)Look up the answers to these questions:1. How many sons did Jacob have?Gen. 35:222. How many sons did Leah have andwhat were their names? Gen. 35:233. What were Rachel's twonames? Gen. 35:244. Who were the sons of Bilhah? Gen.35:255. Who were the sons of Zilpah?Gen. 35:266. How old was Isaac when he died?Gen. 35:28Wasn't it a wonderful reunion that Jacob and Esau had in last week's lesson!You see how God smooths the way forHis children and heals the hatred in theirhearts. Esau returns to his home, MountSeir, and Jacob heads toward Hebron inthe land of Canaan.Sometimes Jacob would stop on hislong journey to rest, and would buildan altar and worship God. After seven oreight years of living in the land of Canaan, God commands Jacob to go toBethel. You will recall that this is theplace where Jacob had first met God in adream and promised God, "If I comeagain in peace, this stone shall be God'shouse."Now Jacob takes all of the idols251