Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1907-01-03
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL
INTERNATIONAL LESSON COM.
MENTS FOR JANUARY 6 BY
THE REV. 1. w. HENDERSON.

Subject: God the Creator. Gen. Il:
1-25-GOlder Text, Gen. III
Memory Verses, to 3-Com.
mentary.
Whatever may be our opinion as
to the historicity of the story which
Is the subject of this lesson, upon
this we are all agreed: that the beau
| tiful word picture which so simply
! tells the story of Gods creative work
In the days of the infancy of the
world states the central, ultimate
and greatest fact of the universe of
God. In the beginning God created
| the heaven and the earth. Twenty
hve times in the first twenty-five
| verses is the name of God used. What
sublime, what a scientific, what a
! philosophic record this is. If it be
an allegory 1t is the profoundest allie
CORY that the world has ever read
These twenty-five verses reveal God,
firstly, as fact in the earliest his.
tory of the universe; "in the begin.
ming Cod" Secondly, they reveal
God as a creative force-'in the be.
ginning God created" Thirdly, they
reveal God as creative personality
-"and God said" "and God saw
land God made"
The fact of God is the ultimate
statement of the wisest and the most
searching philosophy Whether we
call God force, an energy. Great.
ing power or a personality, we must,
In sound sense and as the result OF
universal experience, admit Him as
fact. This lesson presents God,
secondly, as we have seen, as ere.
ative force. Out of chaos, by the ex-
ercise of His own will. God created
the world. But the Genesis story
delineates God to us as something
nlore than mere creative force. 1t
takes us into the realm Of the per-
sonality Of God and 1t introduces lis to
a Creator who speaks, who sees, who
| thinks. who wills And it gives to
us God who is a creative personal
ity.
1t is noticeable also, as in the
eighteenth verse, that Genesis gives
to us a photograph Of God who Is
possessed of moral attributes--"and
God saw that it was good" A God
without moral capacity would be un-
able to make moral distinction as
between good and bad. A God who
did not know the right. and who
failed to exercise righteousness.
would be unable to distinguish moral
worth either in His own actions or in
the works of men.
The Genesis record despite all diff
ference of opinion as between theO-
logical schools will be forever, as it
has been and is today the simplest,
most easily understood. as we'll as a
profoundly philosophic, statement of
the fact of personal, moral, crea.
tive God.
This we should not forget. this we
should not fail to force home upon
the attention of all students Of the
Scripture. lnescapeably this lesson
teaches the fact of God
The following notes may be found
to be of value:
VS.. l. IN (the) beginning" No
article In Hebrew is given. But 1t is
here properly supplied. The first
verse tells in general language what
God did. The rest of the verses par.
ticularize from this generalization.
Created" This is a special term
for the new and unique. 1t does not
of necessity imply creation from
nothing. God likely in the idea of
the writer is conceived as beginning
with primeval chaos. The writer
does not go back further than that.
But either view may be held from
the context. That is to say, there is
reason to believe either that God is
pictured as making the world out of
nothing or out of formless matter.
VS.. 2. without form and void"
The r. V. gives waste and void"
These two words represent our
"chaos."
Deep" Primeval abyss.
Moved upon r. V. was brood
ing upon This word suggests
generative process.
VS.. 8. Said" Gods word is alb
solute. Thus the words of god
were considered in that day to be
unalterable.
Light" Not the sun, moon,
stars, etc., but generic light, cosmic
light.
There was light" A creative act
of God. 1t was a definite act and not
a mere emanation from God.
VS.. 4. Divided" A further pic
turing of the act of God in bringing
chaos into shape.
VS.. 5. "Called-day." The name
God gave it is important. Names
were very important among the early
Jews. They never mentioned the
real name of God. They used the
symbols, but they used different
word having the same consonantal
symbols to designate Him.
Evening-morning." The Jews
reckoned from the evening in count
ing the hours of their day. That
may explain the context. r. v. And
there was evening and there was
morning, one day.
Day" This author thought of a
day in the narrow use of the word,
This does not prevent us holding to
an evolutionary theory of creation If
we so are impressed by scientific
knowledge. The writer of this story
is not relating scientific, but relig.
ious truth. He is | .nting to the
fact of God.
VS.. 6. "Firmament," expanse. VS..
II. Grass general vegetation
Herb" grain.
VS.. IA. Lights, sun, moon and
stars. Subdivisions of the light of
VS.. g. Signs" astronomical.
VS.. 20. Fowl" birds, insects, fly
ing things. VS.. 21. Whales" sea
monsters.
VS.. "a. Beast" wild beasts;
cattle" domestic animals: creep
ing things" reptiles.