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‘‘In the begiSnilBg' Go* created the.heavens and the earth,” (Gen. 1: 1), Someone has called this the most sublime sentence of all literature. Surely it is one of the greatest verses of the Bible. It con tains the key word to the Old Testament-^God.” This first verse of the Bible is fuU of meanldg »«* j has a- remarkable significance, which shows that It was not placed at the. jery beginning of the Holy Scriptures by mere chance or accident. This is itsf logical place, for if we keep in mind the truth of this verse, many,, othemise perplexing problems will Vanish into insignificance. i . -. Dr John B. Sampey, that incomparable Old Testa ment scholar aid te&cher, fins said: “The first verse of Genesis lies at the foundation of all the theology Of the Bible . . . . Sack of all things, before all things, above all thirigs staftds God, the grOat First Cause, the Creator. A hearty accOptance^of the fact thh't God actually created the heavens and the earth tfftftmt the use ot pre-exISting materials, would lift above the malaria of mOsfc. modern heresies- He Whd begins the study of rettglda with this simpler truth lays a solid foundation for . all his future! 'thinking.” (The Heart of the Old Testament, p, 15). tfhe Acceptance of Troth of this Text Subverts Numerous Heresies. Atheism—Someone bar pointed out some' of these heresies or theories of men that are denied by this Art verse of Genesis; In tb© first place, it denies tMf theory' of atheism, for it a&snMeS the existence of God. The Bible never undertakes to prove His existence; it makes that basic and necessary as sumption- I do not understand how any man pos sessed of sound mental faculties can look at God’s creation and say that it is-merely an accident and just happened by chance- Every- intelligent think ing person must admit that there is. a. Hirst Cause, an intelligent God, back of this universe. Belief in a God or gods, belief in a Creator or creators, is practically universal among the races of men. Man cannot otherwise account for the existence Of the universe or for his own existence. I think that if we bad no Bible, if we had no revealed Word of God, even then, the fact of the existence of a uni verse like this, governed)-by perfect law and order, would compel us to declare that “In the beginning God created the heavensand the earth-” I can understand how there can be differences of opinion about the nature of God, but I cannot understand how any sane person can believe that there is no God. No doubt mo8t of the so-called atheists are ' like the one who was crossing the ocean. During the first part of the voyage he had told*his com panions that he did not believe in God, that the world was merely an accident. But when the ves sel was dut in mid-oc©an, a terrible stor-m arose. The winds blew and dashed great waves against the ship. The lightning flashed keenly and the thunder roared- Many thought that the vessel would sink into the billowy deep. Soon someone Saw this avowed atheist down on his knees praying; so h© Said to him, “Why, I thought that yog did not be lieve in any God; to whom are you praying?” The man answered, “Brother, that talk will go all right - on dryland or even on a calm sea, but it won’t do jpnt here in a time like this.” Yes, when we need God, we can believe that he exists. “The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God”. (Psalm 14:1). 'the wise man said,' “The fear of Jehovah is the beginning of knowledge.” (Proverbs 1:7). Polytheism—Again, this first verse of Genesis de lues polytheism, the belief in many gods, for it as serts belief in one God. It is true that the word translated ‘God” is plural in the Hebrew, but this i& perhaps a plufai of majesty or sovereignty and does not imply that there were more gods than one. The greatest minds pf Israel, always believed in one G*bd This is one. of the- striking characteristics of the He brew religion. The Jews came into contact with peo ples who believed in many gods, but they never as a nation accepted these foreign deities.- Their religion has always been monotheistic. One summer I was reminded* of the Jewish, belief 4n one God by seeing this inscription over'one of their largest synagogues t» Chicago, “H^ar, O Israel, the Lord thy God, is one God,” , All nature points-to the fact that there is one God. Look at the universe and it cries. out,“There is one God.” The stars point to unity. Consider the heau- ' tiful little rose as it unfolds itself in answer, to the eaU of the warm* sun and yoa win hear it say, . ■“There is one God.”, .Someone -has said: “The uni ■verae isaunit—the conception . of that idea—one God—id the foundation of all science! and theology. There is only one God. There isonlyenemind. There is only one Law.~ There is ho schism in na tore ... Every voice of nature jspegks thesametruth - - ;_s& t *. *'VV, and attests the same;faet-^ne uoa Astronomy, .botany/ geolW phy^ioiogy, *£***£• biology,.bistory, and Scripture, sa? One Gotf-only one. There is only one universe.” - . - Maicrialisiifc—“pi the beginning Gp<i ^ fiea^n* a*di the ear*.” &W ^ theory of materialism, for it as^ftg' ttfe (fr&ttion of matter. The word "created” is a translation >>f h Hebrew word meaning to form Qr fashion, to brinjj^ into existence without the use of terialsr. Hence' 6od is above matter; He eii&ed ber fore matter; He cheated mattM. I knovr that it is difficult for: Our f&it* mM tb ^conceivo When- there was hb mattef, but it. fe far mOre diffi ciflt to think Of matter without cofcc&ving of a forst Cause, a Supreme Being who created matter. This tOrSe declares th*i *a» in the beginning; Hr. created matter. If tfe keep' this important fact in ririud, wehefed have no difficulty with the theory Of mat^riffim. ' ..' . . , *" JraAtlirisin—r %,**» ***,—**> — —- >. off Of pantheism, fof it defciarfel the existence of God; Before all things afM Beyond afli things: It awertfiT tiat God exists apart from all tBirigs. We adust dif ferBB^dte Befweeri Goff grid tiHf hold tBe tfowet ifi tre gatderf; wd are .fascinated By its bfe'anty; we Jlifiteef tfe&gif anff ordftPtBere; ; We see tBe work: of 6 Ha*tef designer; But w« must remembef thdt this floWBf is not <3fod-jit# only thd word of God. Gdff isl riot law and order r He use# law add order1. He fe greater1 tfrari His cfeatihn and exists apart frBrif i£ Parithdism denies that God is a personal 6‘ditfg. it puts ffidrf on a l^ef With God and absorb# Gbff itf His own ttttiVferSe. It denies the possibility of divine revelation. The late Hrl H. ¥• SfulifnW gavfe Sdme very strike ing oBjeetions td thfs tnedr^ of paitft&efeA. hwv iafd r “It - tabes aiyiy fr'eddoM frdmt God; because the universe is conceived agf'tfm neceiSary thffold tiig Of i principle I ritBd divine niture. IB ignored the radical diffef dncds BetWderi matter aim spirit add fafls to BafmoMse theft. If makes GOd the autbdf of evil, because dvH remains an essential phase of thd pifOeeSS of. dOvelOpinenf. It destroys human freedom^ pdr&Oriality, and immortality, be* cause man is mefefy a pacing phase Of a logical process Which will be transcended in the conrSe of time. In short, necessity rules at every Stage of the process and the whole moral ana personal realm collapses. All this is in direct conflict With the deliveries of our own moral consciousness and of our Christian experience.” (The Christian Be* ligioii in its Doctrinal Expression, p. 254). This theory of pantheism, which our text denies, can end only in hopelessness and despair. Fatalism—Moreover, the^heory of fatalism is here denied, for our text involves the freedom of God in His creation. It denies the doctrine that all things are merely subject to fate. The universe is not simply an accident; it is not a necessary reaction to some blind arid powerful force. It did not just happen hy chance. “In the beginning God CREATED the heavens arid the earth.” > v Acceptance of the Test Estops Foolish Contentions. This inspired statement throws light upon many otherwise perplexing problems.. We do not hear so much today about the theory of revolution in crea tion as we did a few years ago, when bitter words were spoken by some. If all who were perplexed about this theory had realized the truth of our text, much of their confusion Would have vanished. The Bible does not give the process of creation; so we may have whatever theories we desire. I think that evolution is still a theory, but if it were proved to be a fact, it would not change' my faith one iota,. The thing of extreme, importance here for us to 1 fceep in mind is the . fact that God Is behind, it all. To me it does not matter (what process God used, for-1 know that the filial' outcome is man “in the image of God.” Man, the creature, cannot ques tion God, the Creator,, concerning hiS method of creation, r “Nay but, O main, who art th6u that re- ; pliest against God? Shall the thing formed say" to .r Him that formed it, Why didist thou made" me thus?’ • (Romans 0:20)‘. God had the power to create m^n in His own* image by» whatever process He .desired. He might have taken millions of. years ;~t to create the heavens and the earth and man, or He might have done it In one day. The fact of im portance is that God was behind it all. He was in (he beaming and ft Was he that made us" according tff ifls own pram : Creations Declare God's Glory. This verse tep» us that God made the heavensVapd the earth- What a wonderful creation l The psalm ist beheids the Iieauty ?©f ft and giy^s credit^to th£ : Creator: “fhe heavens declare the glory of 'God - M*.'- '5-. *:.*?;■!. . ■ ■ - V ^ '■ • - e V., ^ ‘ ->r ■M* StK ‘r-. ' An* 'ta% r ftman^nt^owetU His handiwork” <P*alm#:lfo M§n is tfafe crown and goal of God’s ' creal^ I‘men i consider heavens, the* work of thy -fingers, The moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained; What is man, that 1 ~th®n- art- mhidfat of EHi»?And the son 0f man that 'thon 8h*#^Wasr.:8?3> 4). When’ mail 1 conteni^tes ^Go^s creattoa^aha feels his own ijt. j tleness and insignificance. The shepherd psalmist had time to lie sp the hillside, at night and enjoy the beauty of the stars and* the moon. There ^ Stif# quietness of- those Judean hills the stars sang together it song about the glory of God. The Shep. 'jieedra.^Bl^w COuld for*et the world and- all its sorroWs 4hd sing with the stars. . Ttfday* in this age of Spence, When we have tele scopes and' Other instfmnetttS^with which to survey the heavens—when . We can took beyond the stars When we can see planets *&at the psalmist never dreamed of, when we can begin to realize something of the vastneas of the universe—something 0f the greatness of Go4’s creation—we cry out with more meaning* “The heavens declare the glory of God; And the firmament showeth His handiwork.” Have you ever stood upon the mountain top and Watched" the beautyofa goideo Sunset ? Have you ever beheld the glorf of the sunrise? Have you ever ,s*tr and dreamed of-rMinr niton the milk-white rap ture upon the shore of the s«t and been thrilled by the: beatmg waves dashing against the shore? Have y<m .en&r awafkenedt to find ‘ the whole earth covered with a white blanket of pure snow and the trees trimmed with* silvery iee> . What a wonderful crea tion ! The stars, the jaoon, the sun, the clouds, the rainbow, the mountains, thejiiils, the plains, the seas —all declare the glory.of. God and the greatness of His- creation. . The doty era and the trees whisper God. The poet sings: ^UI tbitf*' t&hf * _ ■ '-A- ptf%ia waoif.i .-a.- -- Atree whose.hungry mouth is prest, -v Against the earth’s sweet Bowery breast. _ A tree t^St ibofcl af God aft day Aim lift* Rfa^ dfms to pray; -A -tree that may in sutftnw vtear a neat of robittg ifi Jier hair? ' tTpoif whole 6o4om show has lain . : Who intimately li^es with rain. J) - 'Poems AW ihade fofoW like me . But Only God can ttuffce! 4 tree.” r^i .#T-'■■■VS; rer see Did you*, ever examine a snowflake under a micro scope? Those who. have done so tell us that we can seesfars, crosses, diamonds, crowns, and circles all within t>ne little nowflake, that the architecture of the snowflake is as perfect as the traceries on the granite of some ma^ftlflcent cathedraL We see de sign here that speaks of a perfect Designer. All crea tion” calls for a Creator!. “J’or every house is liuilded by some one; but fie that b'nflf' all things is God” (Hebrews 3:4). _ God Than His Law§. Not only did £tod create the. heavens and the earth and map, bnt.he. fixed lows'tovgovern his universe. Hejs greater than his.laws. All of our scientific in ventions have been brought about by the application of these laws. Newton* did not create the law of gravitation; he merely discovered' it; it had always existed. Man has never created anything. He has merely begun to discover the greatness of God's wort of creation. :He has’ applied God's laws and has made remarkable discoveries.* Hence all of man's in ventions and discoveries declare the glory of God. Irfen marvefe^ jvheit the’ telephone was invented. WerStood In w<jnflS't-Whelf the aeroplane flew for only ayfew minutes^ btt£ aotf fhW globe has been circled by them. -The jnojantafnd attd deserts and oceans have Wen traversed ;by ttieth. ^ame of our aviators have stayed a# far th® air if of ovef” three weeks at a time. We Stand by- the sid$ of a giant skyscraper in some of our ,cttfek^day>ndi marvel at its size. We si t in o«r homes and heat musical concerts in England or we heat‘ Admiral Byrd sneaking freffi the South Pole. Remarkable,-isn’t it? AU of this declares the great ness of God’s creation. Mighty steamers ply the c«f€afts ; gtent Shifl&iafl kcifdss fife skies; great loco motives' lion tons-of freight4 aeri®a the land; sub marines; sair<Hi«*e# the wafers of the seas, ah of this-is Wonderful, . Tes, God’s universe, Mdcreation, is wonderful; but the' crown and goat of his creative act is He hna crowned him with honor and gtorraadigivon him dottllnton over thd worfs of hands:' fie has pat all; things undfer hiss feet fid ha« gfteflhim power to build kingdoms^and td sway empires. - 6od No Greate^Jfhan msrt&ie. God’s love for man is as great as-fl8 creation. In deed, it is greater: “For God so loved the «'orld, (Continued on Page Fear) v .. WiM1. . X-t- « ' x. '£ ’fZ'r : 15* 7 / 3
The State’s Voice (Dunn, N.C.)
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Aug. 15, 1934, edition 1
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