The Coolidge examiner., 1937-04-01

PRIMARY TOPIC-When God Made
the World.
JUNIOR TOPIC-In the Beginning
God.
INTERMEDIATE AND SENIOR TOP
IC-God the Maker of All.
YOUNG PEOPLE AND ADULT TOP
IC-God in Creation.
From the completion of the great
Gospel Of John, which took us back
to that time sin the beginning"
when the Living Word was" and
was with God and was God, "
we turn to the first book Of the
Bible, which is, as indicated by its
title, a book of beginnings. We
find in it not only the record Of the
creation of the heavens and earth,
but of man, and the beginnings Of
his history, the entrance of sin into
the world, the beginning of God S
revelation Of redemption. 1t is in
deed most important book, funda-
rest Of the Bible.
Genesis has been the special OBJ
ject Of attack on the part of crit
les, and especially by those who
saw in its account of the creation
statements which apparently did
not square with the announced find
ings of science. Fortunately, as men
make advances in scientific discov-
cry, as we'll as in the understand
ing of Gods Word, they are begin
ming to realize that there is no
real conflict between the established
facts of science and a proper inter-
probation of Scripture. When there
is an apparent clash it will be found
that either the Bible has been misin-
terpreted by men or they have mis-
taken a hypothesis of science for
a fact.
We are in error when we talk
about the Bibles being confirmed
by archaeology or by science. If the
United States naval observatory
should find that it's master clock
does not agree with the observa-
ton of the stars, it would not as
sumo that the universe had gotten
out of order. 1t would know that the
clock is wrong, and would make
correction. Science does not confirm
the Bible; the Bible confirms true
science.
The account of creation may be
considered in two great divisions.
I. The Creation of Heaven and
Earth Q:1-5).
I'm the beginning God" - what
awe-inspiring words! How fully and
satisfactorily they state the origin
of all things.
Men ask us to believe their
theories, but there is no cosmogony
offered which does not call for a
measure of credulity. Man cannot
explain the origin of matter, the ori-
gin of life, the origin of rational
life. These three great gaps and
many smaller ones his theories can
not bridge. Man asks us to take his
word for them. But we prefer to
take Gods Word.
Study the entire account OF crea-
ton. Space here forbids more than
the briefest reference to its perfect
order and symmetry, its complete
ness, the self-evident fact that it is
a true account of the working Of
God. 1t is so received by thoughtful
men and women of our day. Even
scoffers have long since ceased to
speak foolish words about "the mis-
takes of Moses"
III. The Creation of Man (vv.
1929.
Let us" is an indication that the
Holy Trinity was active in crea-
ton. God the Father is mentioned
". y, the Holy Spirit ". q, and
without the Son was nothing made
(John 1:3).
Man was created in 1.-The likeness
and image of God" This undoubt-
edly refers to a moral and spirit
ual likeness. Man is moral being,
possessed of all the characteristics
of true personality. He is living
spirit, with intelligence, feeling, will
power. This image, no matter how
it may have been defaced by sin,
is that in man which makes it pos
sible for us to seek him in his sin
and beseech him ito be reconciled
to God" Down in the human heart,
crushed by the tempter, feelings lie
buried that grace can restore"
Notice that God gave man "a
helpmeet unto him." that he eS-
tablished the family as the center of
life on this earth. He gave man
dominion over the entire creation,
and his restless pioneering spirit
still carries him on to the complete
realization of that promise. He pro-
vided not only for mans spiritual
and social needs, but also for his
every physical need. Surely we may
say with Moses that Everything
that he (GoO had made was
very good" ". 80.