The Madison journal. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1888-current, 1913-02-01

which may be divided into several les
ser facts. The second great fact Is
that Of the Fall, which began with the
temptation and ended with the exclu-
sion from Paradise In this lesson we
come to the third great fact, the
Flood, the account OF which embraces
the fifth to the ninth chapters. Chap
ter FIVE gives us Noah's genealogy;
six. the history Of the building OF the
ark; seven, the occupancy OF the ARK;
eight, Noah's departure from the ark,
and nine, Gods covenant with Noah.
In this lesson sin flourishes like the
proverbial green bay tree. Every
Imagination Of the thoughts OF mans
heart was only evil continually" v. 5.
These thoughts were crystallized into
the lives of men, for we read that
sthe earth was filled with violence.
Viewing this awful development OF
sin, God was so deply grieved In his
heart that he turned aside (repented
from his plan and purpose thus far. to
a determination to destroy man ".
y. Noah, however found grace In
Gods sight, as we see from v. 9, even
in the midst Of these adverse circum-
stances. Environment is powerful but
not allpowerful, and 1t Is never a
match for Gods grace. We must not
gather from this verse that Noah was
faultless, but rather than he sought
to conform his life to Gods Will and
not to the standards of those among
whom he dwelt. Noah gave himself
to a whole-hearted service to God.
We are told that the foundation OF
Noah's acceptance before God was his
faith, Heb. 11:7. like his great grand
father Enoch, he had walked with
God" (5:22). Noah stood absolutely
alone and was thus thrown upon COM
partnership with God, compare v. 9
with l John Ia.
Given Due Warning.
I God could no longer endure the
sins Of men, their iniquity was full,
therefore God determined to destroy
them. He did not, however, cut them
on, for we read that they had 120
years announcement Of the coming OF
the flood ". 49,, time enough in
which to repent. They also had a
faithful preacher to warn them dur
ing this time, 2 Peter 2:5. But their
apostasy was complete and they
would have none Of Gods mercy nor
heed his warning. Prov. 29:1. Noah's
obedience as he built the ark was a
daily reminder of the impending
food.
The ark was a fiat-bottomed chest
$50 feet long, rs feet broad and as
feet deep. built of cyprus Gopher
wood) and coated with pitch. Under
the caves of the roof was an open
space for ventilation and its three
decks were divided into compart
ments.
AS to the Eight souls" q Peter
3:20) who entered the ark we need
to remember that usually children and
servants are understood without men
ton in such enumerations. We are
not to infer that of all created animals
two Of each entered the ark. The
flood certainly was not universal ant
hence such q miracle was uncallet
for.
Attention has been called to the fac
that biologists tell us there are il
! reality less than 400 distinct species
Of animal life. Further. we mus
compare Chapters 10, 8 and 6:19
These animals were preserved for fu
ture increase, also for sacrifice. Exc
dus gives ten such clean beasts
Therefore Of those for sacrifice Noal
had but seventy in all. Modern ship
, carry hundreds of beasts with thei
food besides hundreds of human be
, ings.
Attention has been called to tn
detailed instruction Noah receive
for the building Of the ark. yet Co
] is ready and willing to give us a
clear specifications for our life an
3 work II we will walk as consistent
with him as did Noah.
Race Swept Away.
At last the food arrived at the e1
9 act moment prophesied. Its caus
( seems to be twofold, subsistence Q
Q the ground and a downpour of rair
a The Euphrates valley where thi
!. event took place fills all the necessar
: conditions. Subsistence would allo'
9 an inundation from the sea. Such a
o inundation took place in 1911 In tn
Yangtse valley and another In 19C
q rendered more than ten million peopl
q homeless; the water rising from so
q 80 feet. All that the account d
mands, however, Is that a CORFU
n race was swept away and that &c
Is saved his righteous servant and b
II household. It is the privilege OF g
cry believer in God to save his hous
N hold. See Acts 16: 81. 80; I. Cor. IL
s. The only way God could insure Il
purity Of the race was to destroy
II revocably the impure. This seemir
u severity was the essence Of tende
Is ness and another evidence Of the lo'
Of God.
!" Skeptics have read into the sto
=, !, of the food much extraneous matte
- Some have sought to prove that
cause nearly every race under the 81
v has a flopd tradition therefore Il
n writer Of Genesis 10 merely passil
on a "Babylonian tradition" II Is 4
9 more reasonable to believe that the