The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1894-01-27
AFTER THE FLOOD.
REV. Or. COURT ON THE SUNDAY SCHOOL
LESSON FOR JAN. 20.


vest and Of Daily Seasons of Work and
Rest--PartiaI Calamities Not Excluded
From the Promise.
Golden text: I do set my bow in the
cloud and il shall be for token Of a
covenant between me and the earth
Genesis tx. 13.
Lesson: Gen. tx. s-17.
The flood has gone. Noah has offered
his sacrifices. God has blessed him and
now gives him a precious promise-that
seed time and harvest should never fail.
Traditions of the flood are found in all
lands-even in Africa among the blacks,
as Delitzsch was told by the first white
man that entered territory in southeast
Africa. The flood must have been fact,
though only prevailing where man was re-
siding. In our lesson Gods covenant with
Noah and his sons, for all the world, Is
described. and the raiubow rs made the
sign of this covenant.
/. THE PARTIES TO TIE COVENANT.
(Verses S-10.)
/. God. (a.) Throughout this section
the word "Elohim," God, and not Ye-
hovah or Yahveh, il used. The English
Bible, Oxford, Cambridge, Bagster, or
Spottiswoode, the word LORD in capital
letters. as here given. Well, that stands
for Jehoyah--the name of God as re-
deemer. saviour, covenant God of saliva
ton; but when "God" is used it stands for
"Elohim," the name of God as
creator and moral governor of the
universe. The covenant here being
x~a1a ,.,,tL al mankind onch
rightly the name "God" is given.
o. 1t was God (Elohim) that judged
the world of men, found them guilty,
punished them, saved Noah, and now en-
tered into covenant with him and his
sons.
2. Noah and his sons (a.) They were
the other contracting party. The conde-
scension of God is seen in His entering,
after the manner of men, into covenant
with His own creatures. OF course this
is what the philosophers call 'anthro-
pomorphism"--the representing of God
under human forms of conception and
imagination. But which would you
rather have--the doings and feelings of
God TO His human creatures represented
In terms of natures undiscriminating,
unyielding, uniform but heartless laws,
crushing men remorselessly and unpity-
ingly and hopelessly into destruction, or
TO show God az our father and we, mHte-
in His image, as His children, dear to
Him, treated by Him as of His own
family circle, as il He had kind and
loving heart? The hard, harsh, unfeeling
God of nature is unknown in the Bible.
The Bible-God condescends TO reveal Him
self in terms of human nature and human
feeling, surely giving us the sweeter
and more lovable aspect of Gods charac-
ter. and showing Him to be akin to us
who are His offspring, made in His image.
o. Noah means rest, and yet how late in
life did he find rest No rest building the
ark and hearing the jibes of the wicked,
no rest in the ark amid the storm, no rest
after coming out of the ark, with his
mocking son; and yet in spite of all there
is rest in his heart, relying on Gods prom
ise, enjoying Gods friendship, safe under
Gods protection, receiving Gods blessing.
Such is the chequered life of a believer
resting amid turmoil-resting in God.
(cO Noah's descendants are included in
this covenant.
3. All living creatures. Ia Man Is
the priest of all creation. He voices the
feelings of all, represents all, covenants
for all so Noah represents not only his
own family and their descendants, but all
living creatures. o. They are specified
as fowl, beasts, and living creatures, with
Noah, that came out of the ark, aad from
all the earth-a somewhat difficult classi.
fcation. Let MS try TO explain 1t, in the
light of the original Hebrew:
l. Every nephesh hachayyah which Is
with you: This means every living thing
that was then with Noah; all the animals
that were with him. 2. Then comes the
first kind of living creatures-birds. B.
Next is specified behamah-the cattle OF
all kinds--the rabbins translate IL herb
consuming animals-such as oxen, sheep,
goats, horses, asses. elephants and the
like. 4. Every animal OF the earth
evidently every other living being besides
those already mentioned. 5. Finally, a
distinction seems TO be made between the
animals coming forth from the ark and
those from the earth, as il only some
Of the earth's living inhabitants had
been with Noah-an indirect proof of
partial deluge, but proof of this being
universal covenant made with the whole
of the earth's living creatures. Hence
not only the animals with Noah at Ara
rat, but every living being, in every
cline. is included in the allen bracing
promise that no more would God destroy
life from off the earth. psalm cXlv. 81
III. THE COVENANT. Verse ID
l. Established. (a.) The word means 10
make TO stand up, as a fixed monument,
not TO be overthrown. God alone can
establish His DEGREES, covenants, and
promises so as never to be shaken or over
thrown, fixed as they are by an almighty
being. o. Notice the sublime egoism of
God The first person., me, my-runs
through this lesson, twice in verses o, II,
12. IL, Is, 10. Ia, and once in IL. This in
Inmates that all these gracious promises
are of Gods own making, Of His love. and
free will as II He would give us
assurance saying. Behold and see, make
this covenant, / that am able and faithful,
and will make IL all good SO children
and even beasts are sure of this covenants
being fulfilled. (c.) This includes the
promise Of seed-time and harvest. OF daily
seasons Of work and rest Chap. viii.
W. oap vol,- -. thta prop.faa and