The Tupelo journal., 1907-01-18
MANS SIN AND
GODS PROMISE
Sunday School Lesson for Ian. 20, 1907
Specially Prepared for This Paper.

sszszxE#xs*8#
LESSON TExT.-Gen. s.1-s; 1915;
GOLDEN TExT.-"As in Adam all die.
even SO In Christ shall all be made
a ssxcsRiPTUUfRlE REFERENcEs.-Temp-
tation as a Test or Trial.-Gen. 22; Deut.
SO; Dan; 1910; zech. 1872; Heb; 2:isrls:
Means Of Victory. Over Temptation.
Prov. lilo: Matt. s:Is; 1914; Rom. 12;2l;
Cor; y; Gal B.; S:1s: Egh. J s'1 sst ! Ties ais, R s;s;
$40: 12:11. Christ's Help to the Tempted.
as M5'As
Comment and Suggestive Thought.
Man in His Eden Home. Man
was placed in the most favorable cir
cumstances for his development and
growth; in a beautiful garden, with all
the influences of noble nature around
him; in natural communion with God,
with plenty of work in taking care OF
his home farm, in gaining and exercis-
ing dominion over 1t, with a perfect
family life; all of which were educa'
tional forces, so that Eden was the
great school of man.
The Tree of knowledge Of GOod and
Evil was not "the tree of knowledge"
but only of the knowledge of good and
evil. 1t was not to prevent them from
knowing good and evil. It's purpose
was to teach them that knowledge in
the divine way through knowing the
good by possessing it, and evil only
by contrast. "Not knowledge OF
good bought lear by knowing i'll"
The Tempter. V. 1. "Now the ser
pent was more subtitle" Crafty, cum
ming, wise in gaining its ends, insidious.
Therefore the best tool of any power
that would use it for it's crafty ends.
This speaking serpent is either ID
a tool used by that old serpent
called the Devil, and Satan, which de-
ceiveth the whole world" Grew. 12:S),
because it was the most fitting instru'
ment for his purpose. This is plain
from the fact that the New Testament
continually implies it. 1.-THE tempta-
ton of Jesus makes it quite certain
that the serpent and Satan are In
some way identical. John 8:44; 2 Cor.
11:3 Compare 14); Rom. 1920; Rev.
1879; 20:2."-Delitzsch.
There are two ways OF knowing
good and evil. One is Satan's way,
by knowing evil through experience,
and good by contrast, a far-off dim
vision of good. The other is the divine
nature, having escaped the corruption
that is in the world through lust" q
Pet. 1:4).
The First Consequence was that
thew were ashamed, self-conscious.
without sin there is no shame. The
consciousness of nakedness was an
expression and figure of their naked
ness CT soul. They had nowhere to
hide from one another or from God.
Hitherto they had not wished to hide.
The Second Consequence was that
they were afraid of their heavenly
Father. It would seem that God by
some manifestation was accustomed
to speak to his children as was o
natural.
Third Consequenes.-Moral De-
t%erioration. /. When God asked
Adam. Where are thou? he was I'M
truthful, in evading the real reason
for his hiding, and refusing to &C.
knowledge his sin.
Fourth Consequence.-The Injury
to Others. While each child that
comes into the world makes his own
choice as really as Adam did. yet
Adams sin brought ~unfavorably in
herited tendencies and environment.
Fifth Consequence (V. 16).-A
double sorrow to woman. She would
suffer in bearing children, and she
would suffer through the oppression
of man, who would, as a result of his
sinful nature, exercise his natural
strength and authority to Cypress her.
Sixth Consequence.-Upon man
there was inflicted the curse Of hard
and bitter toll, instead of the work
that was like the exercise of play in
Eden.
Seventh Consequence.-Death. w
must not think that if man had not
sinned his body would not have
passed away, that death would not
have been. No; but that death, by
sin, became death; otherwise it
would have been simply a transition
to a higher state of being."-Robert-
son. The meaning is suggested by
the translation of Enoch, Moses and
Elijah, and the transformation Of the
body at the resurrection.
Eighth Observation-Disclosures
from their Eden home.
Ninth Consequential Perpetual
Conflict. ". Is. 81 will put enmity
between thy seed and her
seed" This was a perpetual symbolic
representation of the conflict between
the Satanic being who made use of
the serpent, and the children of men,
q warfare not yet ended, but raging
as intensely as ever. OF the final vic
tory of man over evil, by Jesus Christ,
nothing could have been known to
early man, but he could see victory
for himself and descendants, with
such comfort of hope as we look for.
ward to the final triumph of the mil
lennial days.
Practical Points.
The tempter gains power over the
innocent by first undermining their
faith in God. He sowed doubts in
their hearts.
Every one must light the battle of
life, and gain the victory, II he would
be a true man and good. No n can en-
ter upon the great world of life and
usefulness without first being tempted
and tried. Thus at the beginning OF
the Christian life comes the great
temptation-the battle as to who shall
rule the soul: it's success is CONVEX
= --4-o-Ao x.por tho nnd