Lexington gazette. [volume] (Lexington, Va.) 1871-1962, 1907-01-02
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL
LESSON /, FIRST QUARTER, iNTsRNA
TloNAL SERIES, JAN. 9.

Text of the Lesson, Gen. 4, 1-2o-Mem-
ory Verses, 1-3-GoIden Text, Gen.
4, documentary Prepared by Rev.
ID. M. stearns.
[Copyright, 1905, by American Press Association'l
We are now to have q whole year In
what Is called the Old Testament, the
Scriptures which Jesus SO loved and
which He was always quoting and
opening up and heartily indorsing.
We are to spend nine months In the
books of Moses and the last quarter IN
Joshua to Samuel. We will do well 10
bear In mind that all Scripture con-
Germs Himself, all was written by the
Shirt of God, and all things written
IN the law of Moses, the prophets and
the Psalms concerning Him must be
fulfilled duke xiv, 81, a.. There ID
nothing within our reach so much 10
be priced as the knowledge of COD
(Jer. tx. %, 24), and DR.. Andrew MUIR
raw says concerning the Bible, "Ine
central thought of this book is God; It's
one object is to reveal God, and In
reading it our chief desire should Dc
to know God" The book as a whole
is the story Of this earth on which we
live and the purpose Of God concern
ing 1t. The first two chapters OF Cen
esis and the last two Of Revelation tell
us of the earth as it was and as IL VIII
be again, without any sin or sorrow
or devil or curse. Between Gen. Ill
and Rev. xx 1t Is. as DR.. Weston says
the story of the conflict between
Christ and the devil for man and his
inheritance, the earth.
The opening sentence Of our lesson is
a dateless statement telling US In q
few mighty words how heaven and
earth came into existence. Literally II
Is 1.-The heavens and the earth" That
God the Father created all things Dy
and for Jesus Christ is seen In John !,
1-S; Col. 1, 16, II. That all was done
by His word and spoken into existence
out Of nothing is seen In Ps. xxxin, D.
o: Heb. ri, 3. Some Of the comfort
that comes to a child Of God from
these facts may be seen In lisa. xi'
26-31; Jer. xxxii, II; Acts iv, 24-81.
That the earth was not created with
out form and void we learn from lisa.
xiv, IS. 1t is more plain in the Revised
Version by comparing verse 2 with that
passage. The two words translated
without form and void" are found IN
combination only In two other places
Elsa. xxxiv, IL; Jer. iv, 23), aid In each
they refer to the result Of a catastro-
phe. The inference from this record
In Genesis is that in the far distant
past. "the beginning" God made the
heavens and the earth good, as He al
ways makes all things, but that some
thing happened which resulted IN the
confusion and emptiness Of verse T.
The six days work Of our lesson Is
therefore not the record Of the crea-
ton but of a restoration, for 1t is no.
where written that in six days the
Lord created the heaven and the earth,
but 1t is written that ''in six days the
Lord made heaven and earth" (Ex.
Xxx, III. See the two words In Gen.
II, 8. The beautiful part Of 1t Is that
all was done by the Spirit Of God and
the word of God, no one and no thing
hindering Note In verse 2, "The Spirit
of God moved or brooded;;" then notice
the ten times "And God said" Notice
also the other verbs, saw, divided, call
ed, made, created, blessed, ended, rest
ed. finished, sanctifed, given, in this
section ending with chapter ii, 3. Note
the sentences, GOD saw that 1t was
good" and ut was So" each used sew
en- times, and also the twice seven
times use of the word 'let." 1t Is GER
tainly q magnificent picture OF God
working unhlndered and accomplish
ing His good pleasure, the result being
a perfect earth without sin or suffer
ing or curse Of any kind and, as we
shall see in our next lesson, man In
the image of God in communion with
God, having dominion over all things.
Thus the Bible begins, and thus 1t
ends. and II we are In Him who Is
both the beginning and the end, the
FIRST and the last (Rev. 1, 8, II, I'D, we
shall share the kingdom with Him
when He shall have subdued all things
unto Himself. ! do not know any
other way to take this record than just
as 1t reads. the work Of each day In
It's day. and, thus accepting 1t, adore
and praise Him who did 1t all.
But while 1t Is record OF earth's
restoration it Is also suggestive OF the
birth of soul and the development OF
life In that soul The condition OF ev'
cry unsaved person Is described by
the words "without form and void" or
Confusion and emptiness" and truly
In such all is darkness. But God
speaks, and the Spirit works, the light
shines in, and there Is the work OF re-
generation. The Spirit uses this Illus
tration when He says, God, who com
manded the light to shine out of dark
ness, hath shined in our hearts to give
the light of the knowledge Of the glory
of God in the face Of Jesus Christ" Oil
Cor Nv, 81. Then. being redeemed,
there is>a division between light and
darkness, and we become children OF
the day q Thess v, 81. We then begin
to learn the difference between waters
above and waters beneath, as In John
iv, 10, IA. Next we come to the third
day, or resurrection experience of fruit
fulness, suggested by the dry land COM
ing up out of the sea and soon covered
with grass, herbs and trees. So each
day has Its analogy In the Christians
experience, and those who have anolnt-
ed eyes will see. but all is accomplish
ed by the Spirit and the word. Note
the 'abundantly" and the blessing and
the fruitfulness of the fifth day and
remember John x, 10; XIV, 8: II Pet l
II, and so let God work that He may
get abundance of glory through us.
II Ia the same DerSOD who did al!