The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1907-01-31
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
INTERNATIONAL LESSON COM.
MENTS FOR FEBRUARY 3, BY
THE REV. I. w. HENDERSON.


37:39--Memory Verses; 1-3--
Helpful Notes.
The lesson for this Sabbath is un-
Ineligible unless we read Genesis
and z. Especially, by way of resume
of the two chapters, would It be wise
to read Gen. 6:1, 2, 5,6,S, IA, Is, 20:
7:4, 12, "a. With these verses we
secure, in some measure, a synopsis
OF the events that preceded that
which is related in our Scripture for
the day.
The story of Noah, as we have Il
here, crowds the mind with morals.
Noah is the second parent OF the race,
as Adam was the first Adam is the
father of humanity, in the natural
sense. In the same sense Noah is the
savior. They are, so to speak, the
Washington and Lincoln of human.
ity's earliest days.
The lesson of Noah's life, SO far,
is the lesson of obedience and its re.
wards. Adams career is the exem.
plifcaticn of refractoriness and its
consequences. Noah is distinct ad.
vance upon Adam. Adams character
is primarily one OF innocence It is
untried at first and weak when tested.
Noah's meritorious qualities are the
result of willing obedience to Code
commands. Born, after Adam, with
the seeds of evil innate through
heredity, Noah, in the midst of an
evil world, a Just and upright man,
finds favor in the eyes Of Cod Noah
is the sample of character made we'll
pleasing unto God, through His
grace, by volition. Noah's will is
strong. Possessing, as did Adam, the
power of free choice; and, unlike
Adam, being surrounded with evil
companions and weakened by an in
herlted predisposition for wayward-
ness, Noah, yet, deliberately walked
with God" Adam, we remember,
ran away from God.
Gods covenant with Noah and His
condemnation of the sin of men throw
lights on the character of God. Je-
hovah is God of love, of patience, OF
discrimination. His discriminative
characteristics are shown by the fact
that while He hates evil He has vet
commentator for and joy in men
who are good. Loving all humanity
the Father is, however, guilty of no
sickly sentimentalism. He is long
suffering, forbearing toward human
ity; but humanity must, except II obey
Him, take the consequences of volun-
tary sin. But while He condemns the
evil, God never forgets the root of
righteousness apparent among His
people. And so God acts here. He
discriminates between righteous Noah
and his evil neighbors. He has pa
thence with them all until they become
utterly stepped in iniquity. His heart
is grieved at the wickedness of men,
for Hn lOVnc than aht -
His own creation. But He does not
allow His love to become so degen-
Grated that He forgets judgment and
justice and His own divine integrity.
The story of Noah is the story of
Gods determination to afford human
ity chance to prove itself worthy of
its lineage. When all the worst of
the worlds inhabitants are over
whelmed with the consequences of
their willfulness, God puts the seal
OF His sanction upon Noah
The lessons are obvious in their
present day application. Obedience
brings divine approval. Disobedi-
ence works for death. Character is
the resultant of will subordinated
to divine control To find favor in
the eyes of God is the business and
duty of humanity and the especial
longing of the Christian. 1t Is good
ness that makes us worth while here
and for God. To be evil is to be self
condemned. In wickedness Is sorrow
and destruction. Faithfulness to
God and faith in Him is the finality of
happiness. For God is as faithful
now, and to you and me, as he was
to upright Noah.
These notes may be of use:
VS.. l. Remembered. This does
not necessarily mean that God had
forgotten about Noah. 1t rather i'm
plies that God had never forgotten
them. Hebrew: Renewed His care
for" ARK" Probably 45O by sew
enty-five by forty-flve feet.
VS.. 3. Continually" The waters
seeped away gradually. zone hun
dred and fifty" See Gen. 1924.
VS.. 4. "Ararat." In Armenia.
Pictured as the highest mountain In
the world, as we see by VS.. 5.
VS.. Z. Raven" So called be-
cause of its blackness.
VS.. 10. "And he waited seven
days longer"
VS.. IL. "Olive leaf" Rev. Fresh
leaf. 1t is said that olive trees put
| forth new shoots under water. The
HhNAh6 Va ehV OAANO bnlB ny luG uON0
was, obviously, an indication that the
Water had gone down considerably.
The olive tree is very hardy and lux
uriant under proper conditions; 1t is
said not to grow at great heights,
however. KNEW" Evidently in the
construction OF the ark while there
was provision made for light and air
there was none made for looking out.
Otherwise after the rain ceased Noah
might easily have seen the surround
ing conditions for himself. This
throws light on his complete obedi-
ence to and dependence on God. They
shut themselves up in the ark and left
the outcome to the Almighty
VS.. 13. Dried up" The waters
first drained away until there was no
covering of water over the ground.
VS.. a. Dried" And then the
ground dried up. Any one who has
seen the surface of a marsh while the
| tide Is out can understand the mean
ing. 1t is precisely the difference be-
tween soggy and perfectly dry
ground.