The Durham recorder. [volume] (Durham, N.C.) 1879-19??, 1907-01-18
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL
LESSON III, FIRST QUARTER. INTERNAL
TioNAL SERIES, JAN. 20.
Text of the Lesson, Gen. III. Ills.
Memory Verse, 15-Golden Text, !
Cor. Nv. 22-Commentary Prepared
by Rev. ID. NJ. Stearns.

Memory Verse, l0-uoineh kWAss
Cor. Nv, documentary Prepared
by Rev. ID. NJ. Stearns.
Copyright. 1906, by American Press Association'I
In this third chapter from the be-
ginning Of the Bible we are introduced
TO one whom we have not met person
ally before, the one whose story Is
ended in the third chapter from the
end of the Bible and who Is there
known as 1.-The dragon, that old SER
pent which is the devil and Satan"
his doom being a thousand years III
the bottomless pit and then the lake
of fire for ever and ever, T0day's les
son gives us the beginning Of the con-
tlict between God and the devil over
man and his inheritance, the earth.
and the whele Bible is the full record
of this conflict Let the glorious con-
summation cheer us as we journey
on: "A new heaven and new earth
- =. And there shall be no more
curse. but the throne of God and OF
the Lamb shall be in it, REV. xxi. /;
xxi, 5. Al.
This great adversary seems to need
creature through whom TO work. and
to reach Adam and Eve he selects the
wisest and possibly the most beautiful
of ali Gods creatures, the serpent,
which at that time, as is clear from
verse II, did not, as now. go upon his
| III nn1y hrntir note SnDlp
characteristics of the devil as here set
forth. but may these lead us to study
more carefully his wiles that We may
not be ignorant of his devices, but re-
sist him and successfully overcome
| him by the shield of faith anu the
sword Of the Spirit, by the blood of the
Lamb and the word Of our testimony
(Eph. vi, 10,1S; Jas, iy, 1; | Pet. v. s. ~.
Notice in the first five verses or our
lesson how this wicked one questions
the wori Of God and the love of God,
talks of unholy ambition and actually
makes God liar. He is zealouSly do
ing these things still and perhaps nev-
er more so than today. Let US reni"m-
Der that all who question the word or
God are for the time being in the
service Of the devil and IL we refuse
TO accept the testimony of God we are
guilty of making God liar Il John
V. 10J.
Eve saw and coveted and took. So
did Achan Josh. vii III and David II
Sam. ri. ., Il and mutitudes ever
since because Of this same devil. Con
trast this fan Of Adam and Eve with
the victory Of the last Adam In the
wilderness when similarly tempted.
They had everything they needed
anu fell He had nothing and was hun
CRY, yet He conquered. For our guild
ance see John il. 1911.
Although Adam and Eve had no put
on clothing. as we have. they mus
= have been clothed with light as par
Of themselves, for they were In tbs
image Of God before they sinned Ops
civ. p. Life is knowing God. coIumun
Ing with God. and the absence u thli
is death John xvii, 3: Eph. Ii. 1. >. ~
/ When they sinned they died. and as
substitute for the garments Of ligh
which they had lost they made them
selves fig leaf aprons and attemptet
to hide from God (verses !. -. Blu
God Is love" always. He came {
Z walk with them in the garden Il
aforetlme. and they no longer come {
meet Him. but are afraid of Him an
q His voice. He lovingly calls then
i draws from them confession. an
after telling them some results Of thei
Il sin He reveals 20 them Ing object le!
4 Sous the way Of salvation and also
y future resurrection life when thc cart
4 shall l,e paradise restored. The tirs
\ announcement ~ a Ec,iepnler and ID
4 llverpr for man who shall also iinall
4 crush the devil Is mad" tn the devil
vcrSn l., whore We have sat bcfDre q
q suffering and also a cDuQunring d.
- liverer. serpent who shall have SON
succees for "a time. bnt l'eIverer wi
] shall finally crush him. This vers
I tells u the atnnenent aud the ne
birth. hut in verse II the u1uucr I
the atonpment by tire sb'~riiug I
blooI i fully set forth II"-r we 81
| the son % God (for every manifest
| ton az God from the beginning
II through the Son. John |. ~. Ist vii
II His own hand shedding the blood
the inu0cent animals. probably lamb
and providing redemption clothing &
the guilty but now penItcut pair vi
could do nothing but drop their
III leaf aprons aud accept me"kIy NJ
gladly Gods provision. And tn
4 might have sung II they had know
i them the words ~ lisa. ixI, 10. bout
II less the Son Of God I'm this Institute
u sacrifice looked down the stream
time to Golgotha, where lie would !
II orally fulfill that for whirh lie W
II set apart before the foundation Of q
II world Il Pet. 1. 1920. and Adam al
Eve and through them their descen
ii ants were taught the way NJ forgi'
III ness by the shedding ~ the blood Of
n substitute and the only way by Will
\ sinners can draw near TO a holy q
Il tIIeb. ix. 11.i4. -: \. H. 20D
Il Lest pnrtaking of the tree Of !
N should prOlOng their stay unduly
y mortal bodies tainted by sin they q
sent out Of Eden, or. rather. ont Of I
garden ~ Eden. which. wc infer. e,
tinued with lie tree u life aud iamI