Belington progressive. [volume] (Belington, W. Va.) 1912-1927, 1913-01-16
LESSON FOR JANUARY 10
MANS FIRST SIN.


LESSON TExT--Genesis s:t-12. 22-A
| GOLDEN TEXr-"Every one that COM
rnitteth sin is the bond servant OF sim.
John S:s4 r. v.
! There are four natural divisions to-
this chapter in Genesis. l. The
Temptation w. 1-5; II. The Fall, w.
8, Z; III. The Trial, w. S-i3; w. The
Sentence w. 14-24
l. The Temptation Wv. 1-5 En-
vironment certainly did not cause our
parents In the garden, TO fall. How
long after the creation OF man this
| event occurred no one knows. Was
1t a real serpent? Why not? Did not
Adam name all the animals? 1t Is no
stretch of imagination to believe the
tradition that he conversed with them
till driven from the garden True Mill
tan, yet Milton had Scripture author
| ity, Rev. 1873 We are also taught
that Satan can assume DISCUSSES, q
| Cor. lisa, etc.
| The point of attack was to question
the word OF God; this is always the
open doorway to all sin. False the
ology always leads in tho end to false
conduct. God had forbidden to eat OF
but one tree, chapter 2:17, but here
Satan takes partial truth to make
a lie. Eye shall not eat OF the fruit
of all the trees" v. (R, W Eve did
what Jesus did when he was tempted,
replied with the words of God w. q
and 3. But though she saw through
| Satan's misrepresentation, she made
the colossal mistake OF parleying.
Gaining that much ground Satan goes
"a step further. 1t is not death she
need to be fearful of God would rath-
or prevent her becoming like himself
hence the prohibition not to partake
of the fruit OF the tree.
Ewes Mistake.
Your eyes shall be opened
the woman saw. Human curiosity
and o wrong ambition for clearer
knowledge have ever been fruitful
sources OF failure. Eve made the mis-
take of adding to Gods words t2;tD
and of allowing herself to see the one
prohibition OF the garden rather than
the myriads of privileges.
II. The Fall, Wv Q, z. The next
step was but the entering wedge. The
appeal was to the eyes, 1T was de-
light to the eyes" v. r. ", "she took
of IT, see / John 2;16. When God
gave command not to eat he knew
the danger of touching, 2 Cor. 6:17-
There was OF course possible escape,
! Cor 1913, even yet, but scarcely
80. Eve had gone too far, hence she.
and then Adam partook
Adams Fault.
Adams fault was that he listened to
his wife's persuasion ". AZ. Their
desire for present advantage, be
come like God" overcane the fear OF
future dspleasure and illustrates
the Hebrew word for SIM missing the
mark" Immediately their eyes were
opened. What they saw now was not
desirable to look upon" and they
made themselves girdles from the
leaves of the fig trees. Man has ever
since been seeking to cover his own
shame.
Ill The Trial Wv. 8:13. Commit
iniquity and human nature seeks con-
cealment. Innocence never seeks COW
err Sin makes towards of us all AS
the cool OF the day approaches God
walks In the garden. OF course he
misseD Adam and calls Where art
thou?" From that day on his call has
resounded but man heeds not the call
Nv. The Sentence w. 14-24. Adam
sought to throw the blame upon Eve
| and indirectly upon God who had Civ
en- him Eve. No excuse but seeks to
evade responsibility We see, how
ever, In the words OF this section three
great facts presented. First, the re-
lation between the human race and
the race Of serpents. Everything that
is evil, repulsive and vile is summa-
rized in that phrase that old serpent
Rev. 1873. The trickery of q serpent,
its venom, its noiselessness, its re-
sort to dark places, and mans natural
instinct to kill snake, all put togeth-
er, is but summary of the curse as
recorded in verses IA and Is.
Second, the everlasting conflict be-
tween man and the powers of evil.
One reason we know this garden story
is true is that 1t squares With our ev-
cry day experience. 1t is as true to
life as the laws of mathematics. The
power Of sin, its appeal to pride, to
lust, to ambition, to the pleasure OF
the eyes, to any and all Of the emo
tions, and the counter pull of an out
ragged conscience are too vivid re-
atty In our lives to be denied. And
lastly there is the prophecy Of ono
who should conquer this power and
bring all things subject to himself
He who was to conquer that last en-
envy, death, 1 Cor, 1924, &c. Having
thus partaken of the tree of the
knowledge Of good and eyil' thereby
mourning the curse of labor and toll
upon them God avoided the possibility
of their partaking of 'the tree of life
and live forever by sending them out
of the garden and effectually prevent