Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1901-07-13
9nttrnationat 9es5oll.
SUNDAY SCHOOL.
LESSON III, THIRD QUARTER, INTER-
NATIONAL SERIES, JULY Fl.
Text Of the Lesson, Gen. viii' LIZ.
Memory Verses, 2O-22-Golden Text,
Gen. vi, documentary Prepared
by the Rev. ID. NJ. Stearns.

Memory Verses, 2O-22-Golden Text,
Gen. vi, S-Commentary Prepared
by the Rev. ID. NJ. Stearns.
copyright, 1901, by American Press Association
As next weeks lesson will take US to
Abram, We may be said to have but one
lesson on the first 1000 years Of the
worlds history, for the previous two les
sons kept us at the beginning Of the sto-
ry. Cain and Abel represent the two
great lines leading on to antichrist and
to Christ, Cain being Of the devil and
Abel Of God Il John iii, 12). The Bible
does not give us any record Of Adam $
numerous posterity, but just the two
lines Of the righteous and the unright-
eous, mentioning some prominent men IN
each, Abel, Seth, Enoch and Noah being
among the righteous Of these first 2,OOU
years. The tendency in all ages since Sill
entered is away from God, not toward
God, and after the first 16 centuries the
testimony of God was that all flesh had
corrupted his way on earth and that the
imagination of the thoughts Of the heart
of man was only evil continually (chap'
ter vi, 5-12). He instructed Noah to
build an ark for the preservation Of him.
self and his family and some Of all living
creatures from the impending judgment,
revealing to Noah His determination to
destroy all others both man and beast,
from off the face Of the earth. Noah did
Just as he was told, and probably during
the space Of 120 years wi, p, with no
signs Of q coming storm, continued to
build his vessel far from any sea and
doubtless amid the SCOTS and jeers Of an
ungodly world. We have the manner of
their speech recorded in Job xii, 1917;
Jude, 14-16. In due time the ark was
finished just as God had commanded and
therefore perfectly fitted for that which
God intended. The limit Of His mercy
was reached, the time Of judgment come.
He called Noah and his family unto Him
into the ark and then brought in unto
Noah all the creatures He intended to
save alive and shut him In, and after sew.
en- days the storm began.
10. This brings us to the beginning OF
the chapter assigned for our lesson, and
In the fourth verse we read that the ark
rested upon the mountains Of Ararat
Just FIVE months after the food began.
After this the waters decreased contin.
ually until on the first day Of the tenth
month the tops Of the mountains were
seen, and 40 days later, which would be
the tenth day Of the eleventh month.
Noah sent forth raven and afterward q
dove. The raven, being an unclean bird
Ney. ri, 1915, could rest on any float
ing dead carcass, and therefore returned
not to the ark; the dove, clean bird.
finding no resting place, returned to the
ark and makes us think of the Holy
Spirit as q dove, finding His first perfect
resting place on Christ at His baptism.
Have you the spirit Of the raven or the
dove?
1912. Seven days later he sent forth
the dove again. and in the evening she
returned with an olive leaf In her mouth;
so Noah knew that the waters were abat.
ed. That would be on the seventeenth
day Of the eleventh month, or just nine
months after the waters began to come
upon the earth. He waited yet other
seven days and sent forth the dove for
the third time. and she returned no more.
13, II. One month and more did Noah
was dry and nearly two months longer
before the earth was dry enough to have
him leave the ark. On the twenty-sev.
enth day Of the second month Of the six
hundred and first year of Noah's life was
the earth dried, so that, counting the
seven days that Noah was In the ark be-
fore the rain began (chapter vii. 10y, he
was in the ark altogether one year and
II days. or seven months after the ark
rested on the mountains Of Ararst.
What faith and patience he had oppor-
tunity to display! What quiet waiting
with God! The Lord had said. "Come
thou into the ark" tvii. ~; so the Lord
was the first to enter the ark, and He
was with Noah in the ark. Happy are
those who find their joy in God and In
His presence and are glad to abide with
Him anywhere and as long as He
pleases: What matters it whether We
are going or staying, shut up in the ark
or roaming the earth. If only we are
where He wills?
1911. At the command Of God Noah
builded the ark, at the command Of CHd
he entered the ark and not until God
commanded did he leave the ark. He
and all the living creatures with him are
brought forth upon the new earth that
they might be fruitful and multiply. 1t
Is a new beginning. for in II Pet. lii. 6.
we read. THE world that then was be-
ing overdowed with water perished." )"
The people had perished. but Noah came
:orth upon the same earth, perhaps
changed as to it's con6guration.
1920. And Noah builded an altar un.
to the Lord" His first act was one of
worship in Gods appointed way-by sac
rifce; not the way Of Cain, but Of Abel.
God had commanded him to take into
the ark two Of every kind Of living crea-
ture to keep them alive upon the earth
wi. 10. 20). but Jehovah tGod in rela.
tion to man as his Saviour and righteous
neSs) had said that he should by sevens
take Of all clean beasts and birds vii. l.
81, and thus he had abundance for sacri.
fee. The thought Of sacrifice takes us
back for moment to chapter vi, IA.
where we read that the ark which pre-
,erved Noah and all creatures vas COW
cred within and without with pitch. this,
Of course, to make it TO float safely and
preserve all in it. But the word translat'
ed "pitch" and only here so translated is
the very word elsewhere translated
"atonement" or reconciliation" and is
surely suggestive of the great truth that
there is no safety from coming judgment
but by the great sacrifice Of Christ.
21. %. "And the Lord smelled sweet
SAVIOUR" (margin. "a SAVIOUR Of rest"). In