Mansfield mirror. (Mansfield, Wright County, Mo.) 1908-1957, 1913-01-09
LESSON FOR JANUARY IL
MAN THE CROWN OF CREATION

MAN THE CROWN OF CREATION
LESSON TEXT-Genesis 1:2e, %; 7.7-e;
GOLDEN TEXT-"God created man in
his own image" Gen. 1871.
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 a conference was being held
before this momentous event. The
let 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 it is here
still further indicated by the plural
form df 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 lin the image of God" This
does not necessarily mea the physi-
cal image, but rather the intellectual
and spiritual image of God, see Col.
$40, 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. 9.
Science at a Pause.
How God created mar 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 it is a scientific secret
that at this point the real leaders
OF science are at a pause. The dust
of u bodies is the same as yonder
stars. as the lily of the field, as that
which kings and queens are made,
jewels or sunset glories. the best
stuff In the universe"
: But still there are-higher heights,
for God breathed into this man his
own spirit, verse 7, and from this
union of the body and spirit man be-
came a living soul. Man is the con-
Meeting link between the material and
the infinite, by the physical he Is res
lated to lower nature and by the spir-
itual he is related to God.
If 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, ". s, 9, 1924.
The two accounts of creation in the
first and second chapters Of Genesis
are not contradictory, and to make
them so n must read into the
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
Of the Euphrates and the Tigris
Is pretty generally accepted.
of course, we can only specu.
late as to the cradle Of the human
race. Eden was not, however, a place
for luxurious idleness ". ~. The
and developing of a mans
welfare is always when be Is
under limitations. Man has domin-
lon over all nature. He ia to "subdue
and this subduing process has
been the great educating factor Of the
human race. II In worthy nj noto