The Elbert County tribune., 1913-01-10
LESSON FOR JANUARY IL
MAN THE CROWN OF CREATION

MAN THE CROWN OF CREATION
LESSON TExT-Genesis 1:ss. q; s7-s:
f5-24
GOLDEN TExT-"God created man In
his own image" Gen. 1.z7.
Ten times the words, "and God
said" appear In the first chapter of
Genesis. God spake, and twas done.
Now all is in readiness earth and heav-
en- await his word. "and God said let
us make man." 1t would seem as
though conference was being held
before this momentous event. The
'1et US make" is full of suggestion.
That each person of the Triune God
head was present In creation we saw
In last weeks lesson, and 1t is here
still further indicated by the plural
form of the Hebrew noun for the
name of God. But what pattern shall
we follow In the making of man?
Surely only the highest and best.
hence Gin the image of God" This
does not necessarily mean the physi-
cal image. but rather the intellectual
and spiritual image of God, see Col.
8:10. Eph. 4:24. John 5.25. God who
is spirit John 4:25) does manifest
himself in material form (see Phil.
2:6. lisa. 6:1-4) and similar passages,
and this form resembles the human.
But this Image" Qikeness) has been
blurred and marred by sin, James 3:9.
1t was. however, perfectly seen in the
perfect Man. Christ Jesus, see Cor.
4:4, Heb. 1:2 g.
Science at Pause.
How God created man We are not
told, except that he was formed of
the dust of the ground" and to this
day the bodies of men and of animals
consist of the very same elements as
the soil which forms the earth upon
which they dwell. 1t is yet to be
proved that man came from the low
er animals, and 1t is a scientific secret
that at this point the real leaders
of science are at a pause. The dust
of our bodies is the same as yonder
stars, as the lily of the field. as that
which kings and queens are made.
But still there are higher heights,
for God breathed into this man his
own spirit, verse Z. and from this
union of the body and spirit man be-
carie living soul. Man is the con-
Meeting link between the material and
the infinite, by the physical he is re-
lated to lower nature and by the spir-
itual he is related to God.
II the theory of the rehabilitation
of this earth after the destruction of
the pre-adamite races is true (chap.
1919, we now see God in his won
drous grace preparing a place for
mans especial abode, Wv. 8. Q. 1924.
The two accounts of creation in the
first and second chapters of Genesis
are not contradictory and to mako
them so one must read into the mar
rative what is not there. The first
presents a concise outline OF creation.
the second an enlargement that con-
meets these events with the region
where man began to live, the starting
point of the present. human race.
That Eden was undoubtedly In the
region of the Euphrates and the Tigris
rivers is pretty generally accepted.
though. of course. we can only specu-
late as to the cradle of the human
race.
After God had created Adam with
the highest nature the animals were
not fit companions for him. Nor could
he be the beginning of the rase of
man without one like to himself. Man
can attain his highest only as he has
human companionship ". 1s). Adam
had the power of speech. and an intel
ligence, and was given the right to
name the animals of the field ". 19).
But in all this there was no compan-
ion for him ". 20).
Unity Of Life.
In the first account is the simple
statement that God created male and
female" but in the second we SEQ
that man Is not complete without the
woman. Gods mode was to make her
bone Of his bone" wv. %, 23). This
suggests the utmost possible unity Of
man and wife; unity of life, of soul.
Of emotions, of home. etc. Matthew
Henry calls to our attention the wom-
an was not taken from "out of his.
head to top him, nor out OF his feet
to be trampled under foot. but out
of his side to be his equal, from un-
der his arm to be protected, and near
his heart to be loved"
The marriage relation is the most
sacred of all human ties ". 2D. 1t is
the best possible training and educa-
tion in love. sacrifice, duty, victory
over evil. In all that is best in life.
These are the qualities needed to
build up the race. When one is de-
graded the other of necessity is low
cred. To understand the full meaning
of the marriage relation we need to
comprehend the relation of Christ and
his church, Eph. 5:31, 80.
If, then. man has such a high be-
ginning. does not that very fact i'm
pose upon him burden of RESPONSE