The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1907-01-03
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL
INTERNATIONAL LESSON COM.
MENTs FOR JANUARY O by
THE REV. I. w. HENDERSON.

HhS"Ory NcrseS' 10 o-tOn.
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
titui 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
hye times in the first twenty-five
verses is the name of God used. What
sublime, what a scientific, what q
philosophic record this is. If IL be
an allegory it is the profoundest allie
CORY that the world has ever read.
These twenty-five verses reveal God.
firstly, as a fact in the earliest his.
tory of the universe: lin the begin.
ming God" Secondly. they reveal
God as a creative force-"In the be.
ginning God created" Thirdly, they
reveal God as a creative personality
and God said" land God saw"
"and 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, a Great
ing power or a personality, we must,
In sound sense and as the result of
universal experience. admit Him as
a fact. This lesson presents Cog.
secondly, as we have seen, as a cre-
ative force. Out of chaos. by the ex-
/ ercise of His own will. God created
tne world. But the Genesis story
deiineases God to us as something
more than mere creative force. It
takes us into the realm of the per-
/ sonality Of God and 1t introduces us to
/ a Creator who speaks. who sees, who
/ thinks, who Wills. And it gives to
us God who is creative personal
I ity.
1t is noticeable also. as in the
eighteenth verse. that Genesis gives
to us photograph Of a God who is
! possessed of moral attributes-"and
God saw that it was good" A God
without moral capacity would be un-
able ID make a moral distinction as
between good and bad. A God who
did not know the right. and who
railed to exercise righteousness,
would be unable to distinguish neral
worth either in His own actions or in
the works of men.
The Genesis record desrite all Gif-
ference of opinion as between theo-
logical schools will be forever, as it
mas been and is to-day, the simplest,
most easily understood, as well as
profoundly philosophic. statement OF
the fact of personal moral. crea.
tive God.
j 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 Cod
The following notes may be found
to be of value:
VS.. l. In (the) beginning" No
article in Hebrew is given. But il 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" Primeyal abyss.
Moved upon" R. V. was brood
ing upon" This word suggests a
generative process.
VS.. 9. Said" Gods word is alb
solute. Thus the words of a 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 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 a different
word having the same consonanta
symbols to designate Him.
Eyening-morning." The Jew.
reckoned from the evening in count
ing the hours of their day. Tha
may explain the context. r. V. AnC
there was evening and there wal
morning, one day.
DAY" This author thought of
day in the narrow use of the word
This does not prevent us holding t
an evolutionary theory of creation 1
we so are impressed by scientif,
knowledge. The writer Of this stor.
is not relating scientific, but reiig
ious truth. He is ? nting to tn
fact of God.
VS.. 6. "Firmament, expanse. VS.
IL. Grass" general vegetation
Herb" grain.
VS.. IA. Lights, sun, moon an,
stars. Subdivisions of the light o
VS.. 8. Signs" astronomical
VS.. 20. Fowl" birds, insects, fly
ing things. VS.. 21. Whales" Sc
VS.. a. Beast" wild beasts
cattle" domestic animals; Greer
Ing things" reptiles.
Ready For the Raid.
Mrs. Sarah Platt Decker of Den