The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1932-03-31

LESSON TEXT-Genesis 1:1-5, 1851.
GOLDEN TEXT-In the beginning
God created the heaven and the earth.
PRIMARY TOPIC-In the beginning
God.
JUNIOR TOPIC-God the Creator.
g. INTERMEDIATE AND SENIOR TOP
1C-The Maker of All Things.
YOUNG PEOPLE AND ADULT TOP
1C-God in Creation.
Genesis, the book from which the
lessons Of the quarter are taken, as
its name indicates, is book Of be-
ginningS. 1t contains the only reli-
able information we have of the origin
Of the heavens and the earth, plant
and animal life, human life, human
institutions, and human relations.
Without it we would be absolutely
ignorant as to the origin of these fun
damental things. The first chapter Of
the book from which our lesson Is
taken is one of the most wonderful
in the Bible. Indeed, it is the key to
the whole Bible.
]. God ". u.
He was before all things. He had
no beginning. Everything but God had
a beginning. God, the uncaused cause,
is the cause Of all things. Before the
mountains were brought forth or ever
thou hadst formed the earth and the
world, even from everlasting to ever
lasting, thou art God" FPS, 90:2.)
u. The Origin Of the Universe
". u.
1t was created by God. ALI things
came into being by the will and act of
a personal God. The Hebrew word
translated Create" according to re-
liable authority, is the strongest word
which the Hebrew language has to
express the idea of the Origination of
substance. The first four words of the
Bible exhibit the one fundamental.
all-pervasive principle of philosophy of
every right life. In the beginning of
the universe-God. In the beginning
of all science and philosophy-God.
In the beginning of every life-God.
In the beginning of every year-God.
In the beginning Of every day-God.
In the beginning of every business-God.
In the beginning of every human rela-
tionship-God. In the beginning of ev-
cry thought-God.
III. The Degeneration Of the Earth
". 21).
Between verses one and two is q
clearly marked interval of perhaps
long duration. The earth which was
created by God was later overtaken in
a cataclysmic judgment. The Hebrew
word for twas" might Just as well
have been translated became" In
stead, therefore, the earth having been
created void or chaos, we see that it
became chaos through judgment. In
Isaiah 45:1S the prophet expressly de-
clares that God did not create the
earth waste, but that he formed it to
be inhabited.
w. The Regeneration of the Earth
wv. $3.50.
AS previously noted, the second
verse of Genesis does not describe the
state Of the earth when it first came
from the Creators hands, but a
changed condition which took place
subsequent thereto. The following
verses reveal a new effort of creative
power by which the earth is again
fitted up for the habitation of man.
The power active in this reorganiza-
ton is the Holy Spirit. On the first
day the voice of the Almighty was
heard saying, LET there be light" and
the darkness was dispelled by the light.
In the second day the expanse or
armament was made which separates
the waters above the armament from
those below it. The third day dry
land appeared clothed with vegetation.
The fourth day witnessed the appear
ance of the lightholders, the sun, moon,
and stars. They were not created
then, but set free from darkness and
ruin. On the fifth day fish and birds
were created and on the sixth day cat
tie, creeping things, beasts Of the field,
and man.
v. The Origin of Man wv. 26-31).
He was created by God. This pre-
cludes the foolish idea that man as
cended from or through the brute. He
came into being through special Gre
alive act Of God. This image and like
ness is not physical or bodily, but in
tellectual and moral (Eph. 4:24; Col.
3:1O). Gods likeness is reflected in
mans three-fold nature. Man is spirit,
soul, and body Il Thess. 5:23). AS
there is trinity and unity in God so
there is a trinity in man. Spirit is
that part of man by which he has the
power to know God. Soul is self-con-
scious life, the seat Of mans emotions
and desires. The body is the seat of
the senses, enabling man to have world
consciousness. God made man to be
a personality capable of having fell
lowship with himself, and with whom
he could share his glory.