Genesis
Adam illustrates Human nature.
Cain” The carnal mind.
Abel” The spiritual mind.
Enoch” Communion.
Noah” Regeneration.
Abraham” Faith.
Isaac” Sonship.
Jacob” Service.
Joseph” Suffering and glory.
THE BOOK OF BEGINNINGS.
Creation, chapter 1.
Origin of Human Race, 1: 26.
“Sabbath, 2:2, 3.
Marriage, 2:18, 21-24.
Sin and Death, 2:16, 17; 3:4-7.
“Sacrifice (grace), 3:21.
“Covenant Promises, 8:20-22; 9:1-17.
“” Nations, Races, and Tongues, 10:11.
The Chosen People, 12:1-3.
Genesis 1. How the world was made.
Genesis 3. How lost.
John 1. How redeemed.
Rev. 20. How to be reconstructed.
Gen. 1. Seven stages of creation, illustrative of stages in
the new creation: chaos, brooding of the Spirit,
light, life, growth, fruit, rest.
Creation, light, separation, growth, fruit-bearing.
God creating, moving, speaking, observing, calling,
dividing, blessing.
“It was so” — seven times.
“It was good” — seven times.
“God”’ — Elohirn — thirty-one times; in every verse
but five.
Verse 1. God the Father.
“2. God the Spirit.
“3. God the Son. (See John 8:12.)
” 3. Conversion.
4 4 7. Separation.
44 12. Fruit-lpearing.
1: 1. The Bible oipens without an apology.
41 1 do not know anything more difficult to believe than just the first veree of the Bible. If we master this verse, anything else that happened in the heavens or in the earth which God created will not stumble us.”” Through faith we understand that the worlds were
framed by the word of God.” Heb. 12:3. God first came down to create, then to save. To create, God ii:id only to sjpeak; to redeem, he had to suflVr. He made man by His breath; He saved him by His blood. Rom. 5:0. 26. In lpearing God’s image, man could bear God’s rule. He who gave His image to us must of necessity like to see His image in us.
1: 26. Man is the excellency of the creature; the saint is the excellency of the man.
2: 2. God rested on the seventh day, yet he had not made woman! In making her, he seems to have begun again. 0 woman, love thy maker! 4. “Lord God” — in the Hebrew, Jehovah Elohim.
8. Eden is our home; we are exiles now.
9. Not the tree of knowledge in general, but the testtree, by which Adam would gain the knowledge of good and evil.
The tree of knowledge has often been planted and has flourished where the tree of life never grew.
17. When all around was life, God spake of death.
Now, when all is death, God speaks of life.
18. How does God propose to meet loneliness? For
man to be alone means suicide; for two men together, homicide (Cain slew Abel); the only chance of keeping society together is by the marvelous influence of woman.
21. In forming woman, God did not take a part from his head to dispute his supremacy; nor from his feet, lest he should despise her; but from near his heart so that he should love and cherish her. So much is being done for us when we are unconscious of it!
3: 1. God tests — the devil tempts.
God made man for his crwn glory, but he joined the
devil and became a rebel. Satan began with the woman because novelty and
mystery appeal more to her than to man. Also because woman can influence man more than any one else.
“Every”- — R. V. reads “any.” Thus Satan lies.
If woman originally tempted man away from God, now she tempts him back.
Satan’s three lies are still in the world: —
1. God does not love you, for He has forbidden
some things.
2. Ye shall not surely die.
3. Ye shall be as gods.
3: 3. Man lost life by lpclieving the devil, and regains it by believing the Son of God. We must rise at the point where we fell.
“Lest ye die” — spiritual and natural death which would begin the very moment they eat of the fruit, but which would not be completed on that day. But in both soul and lpody the process was begun: they had passed the line that separated life and death. See Rom. 5: 12.
4. The first lie!
5. Tempted to an upward fall!
Satan’s words are ambiguous. Eve’s eyes were opened and she did know good and evil, but the experience was more bitter than she expected. They saw, not visions of glory, but their own nakedness and sinfulness.
6. ( Good for food ““The lust of the flesh.”
Pleasant to the eyes “— “The lust of the eyes.”
” To make one wise “—” The pride of life. ‘’
1 John 2:16.
Satan’s pills are sugar-coated.
We are sons and daughters of a woman who was
too curious. 9. God’s first question — “Where art thou?” Man
asked the first question in the New Testament —
’ Where is he?” See Matt. 2: 2. God’s second question was —” Where is Abel thy
brother?” Ch. 4:9. — Human responsibility. “Where art thou?” Hiding from God. Why? From
fear.
Reasons for fear: —
a. God’s holiness. P]x. 3:6; Isa. 6; Rev. 1:17.
1>. Man’s sinfulness. Job. 42:5, 6. Behind what to hide? It is impossible — Prov. 28: 13; Amos 9: 2-4; Ps.
139:7-12; Jonah 1:3.
Only one safe hiding-place — Jesus. Rev. 6:12-17. 10. Men hide behind: —
a. False hopes.
/>. Indifference.
c. Excuses.
d. Self-righteous acts.
e. Innocence.
/. Ignorance.
14. The first curse!
The serpent is the only animal with a bony skeleton that goes upon its belly.
3: 16. Seven things that came by the Fall and have their
complement in Christ: — By the Fall:- In Christ: -
V. 16. Pain. Isa. 53:11; Acts 2:24.
V. 16. Subjection. Gal. 4:4.
V. 17. The Curst-. Gal. 3:13.
V. 17. Sorrow. Isa. 53:3.
V. 18. Thorns. Matt. 27:29.
V. 19. Sweat. Luke 22: 44.
V. 19. Death. Phil. 2:8.
“Night has fallen upon the guilty pair, but in the night there are stars that lead on to a manger, a child, a Saviour.”
17. “Cursed is the ground.’1 The ground teaches
many lessons: —
a. The land is the true wealth of a nation, and other trades and professions depend on it.
k. You get nothing out of it except by labor.
c. It teaches patient industry and hojrefulness: there is no use getting mad with it. So spiritual cultivation takes time. See James 5:7; 2 Cor. 9:6; Gal. 6:7; Eccl. 11:6.
18. Thorns — the curse of man, the crown of Christ.
20. The name “Eve” was not given until after the
Fall.
21. First occasion of death and of blood — “Unto
Adam also ami to his wife did the Lord God make coats of skins, and clothed them.”
Before Adam fell, he was clothed in glory. Primarily, clothes are the trappings of guilt.
3: 21, 23. Grace.
24. Government.
Man by sin closed one way. Jesus opened a new
and living way.
Results of sin: —
3: 8. Remorse; alienation from God.
3:9. Discovery.
3:12, 13. Selfishness; blaming others.
3: 1(>, 17. Sorrow.
3:10. Death.
I: 1. When Eve bare Cain, she said — “I have gotten a man from the Lord.” Cain’s subsequent conduct showed that the Lord had very little to do with him.
Saint Augustine said he did not know but that his family would turn out bad, for in the family of Adam there was a murderous Cain. Noah a scoffing Ham.
Abraham a persecuting Ishmael.
Isaac a profane Esau.
David an undutiful Absalom.
Elisha a lying Gehazi.
Christ’s disciples a traitorous Judas. 8. The first grave in the Bible was dug by a brother. Abel was the first solo singer in heaven. The angels could not sing the song of redemption, of Moses and the Lamb. He was the first saint in the church triumphant.
As Abel’s body was the first that took possession of the earth, so his soul was the first that was translated to heaven.
4: 9. Cain thought it was not his duty to be his brother’s keeper, but did not consider it against his duty to be his brother’s murderer.
10. Abel’s blood demanded vengeance on the murderer; Christ’s blood spoke mercy, atonement, and pardon.
Abel was a type of Christ, yet a contrast. His sheep died for him, but Christ died for his sheep. John 10: 14.
13. Oh, the consequences of sin! We can best know sin by its results and effects. Note its evil effect on personal appearance, character, etc.
17. The first city established on earth. 5: A chapter of nobodys.
“Names, nothing more. But such people are unjustly underestimated. The best part of human history is never written. Guy Fawkes was well known, but your honest father was unknown, six doors from his house. You do n’t know where a flat road will lead to: Seth to Jared, then Enoch! Your son may be a big man yet. Methusalah was known for longest life, Blondin for walking a tight rope, but noblest deeds are often forgotten.”
21 Enoch was one of the few men in the Bible against whom God had nothing.
The Path of Fellowship — with God. V. 24.
The Path of Holiness — before God. Gen. 17:1.
The Path of Obedience — after God. Deut. 13: 4.
Walking with God is a condition of life consistently lived through years; e. g., Enoch, three hundred and sixty-five years. Not rapturous, occasional.
Chief characteristic — constant consciousness of God; e. g., husband and wife.
Character of life — (1) joyful. Ps. 16:11; (2) peaceful; (3) brave, because life is difficult. Ps. 118 :6, 14.
How attained? Only by believers. (1) Remember God’s promise to walk with us. Lev. 26: 11, 12; (2) Keep out of our lives things that would offend God and break communion. Separate your self from sin; e. g., Enoch, Noah. 2 Cor. 6: 16, 17; (3) Wait upon God; cement the friendship in secret.
3. God’s first warning: ‘My Spirit shall not always strive with man.”
6. Sin has troubled God. Has it troubled you?
8. There are good men in the worst of times. Bad times test faith and virtue.
“God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.... But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord.” Who would have looked for so fair a bird m so foul a nest?
7: 1. The first “come” of the Bible is one of salvation
—“Come thou and all thy house into the ark.” So is the last “come” — “The Spirit and the bride say, Come. Anil let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.” Rev. 22:17.
A woman was once telling what a wonderful preacher she had. Some one objected, saying that if he were, more people would go to hear him.” But, “she asked, were there many who went into the ark after Noah’s preaching?”
The seven “forty days” of the Bible: —
(1.) Forty days of sin and its judgment. Gen.
7:4, 12, 17. (2.) Forty days of law and mercy. Ex. 24: 18;
34: 28. (3.) Forty days of faith and unbelief. Deut.
9:9; Num. 13: 14. (4.) Forty days of human weakness and divine
strength. 1 Kings 19: 1-8. (5.) Forty days of repentance and forgiveness.
Jonah 3. (6.) Forty days of conflict and victory. Luke
4: 2. (7.) Forty days of redemption and glory. Acts
1 :3.
18. The Lord shut Noah and his family in, and shut all others out.
8: 90. Beautiful to think, that after the flood, there was a
church before there was a house! But human nature was the same. Destruction (for the sake of reform) was a failure as regards the survivors. Punishment can never regenerate the heart of man.
The second dispensation was founded on the doctrine of atonement. With sacrifices Noah took possession of the new world.
9: 13. “I do set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a token of a covenant between me and the earth.” Old forms may be put to new uses. The stars and the sand may become Abraham’s family register. Cultivate the spirit of moral interpretation: then the rainbow will keep away the flood; the fowls of the air will save you from anxiety; the lilies of the field will assure you of tender care.
11: 3. Our business is to build upon a right foundation, and in a right spirit. Beware of atheistic building. 1 Cor 3:10.
7. The Lord’s ways of punishing and of fulfilling his purposes are many. Who would have thought of this means of scattering men —” Let us go down and there confound their language”?
Has your tower been thrown down? Was it honestly built? If so, remember, the foundation abideth forever. Continue to build and be assured of the final reward.
98. Ur of the Chaldees has been unearthed. It was the seat of a public library.
12: 1. Man-made and God-made plant.
11:3,4. “Go to, let us make,... let us build,”
—luck. 12:1,2. “Gettheeout,... I will make,”-
God. The first was a failure: the second a success.
Compare, Cain — Abel; Jacob — Israel; Saul
-Paul. Gen. 11:3. They built Babe! with artificial
bricks. Ex. 20:25. God commanded the Israelites to
build altars out of stone.
God’s calls are upward; Christianity ennobles. Abram was the minister of God to all around him.
Had he wavered, the others would have been
‘disorganized.
S. Flow did God fulfil his promise to Abram?
7. Abram was on the right road, so God’s faithfulness followed him.
18. n. Reproof by the heathen for telling lies.
b. The divine forbearance of human infirmity. God did not send Abram home in disgrace, but forgave his weakness.
13; 4. Returning to first faith: from indifference, skepticism, iniquity, etc.
12. “Lot pitched his tent toward Sodom.” Always
unsafe.
12, IS. A. great estate, but bad neighbors. So men take their families into a moral desert for the sake of a garden to play in.
14: A New Testament picture. We are all taken captives by Satan, but Christ recovers us.
15: 6. First use of believe,” in the Bible.
17. The awful furnace — the cheerful lamp..
The furnace of conviction; the lamp of pardon.
The furnace of trial; the lamp of consolation.
The furnace of want; the lamp of prosperity.
The furnace of death; the lamp of glory.
16: 9. u Submission” is a great Christian law, but we find
it early in Genesis.
17: 1. “The Almighty God” — EL SHADDAI.
See note to Gen. 5: 24.
18: 9. “Sarah thy wife.” So Jesus called Zachaeus un expectedly by name.
14. Abraham took God at his word, and so he became the friend of God.
18. Abraham, in communion with God, knew, long be
fore Lot himself, of the destruction of the city of Sodom.
23. God transcends man’s reason, mocks at his speculation, but He will not violate his conscience. See 19 :24; John 15: 15.
32. Abraham ceased asking before God ceased giving. A member of Parliament brought in a Temperance Bill into the House of Commons. It was rejected eighteen times, but on the nineteenth it passed, to his surprise.
19: Warning Angels. — The Bible, the Holy Spirit, friends, Providence conscience.
19: 37, 38. The Moabites and Ammonites became Israel’s bitter enemies. The bitter fruit of backsliding.
21: Isaac born: opposition of Ishmael. The two natures in the believer.
15. A soldier’s canteen was once found with this on it:
“Died for want of water!”
19. Provision for the sinner’s need. “I was brought low and He helped me.”
22: 1. “Tempt” — rather, test. James 1: 12.
2. Calvary was a spur of Mount Moriah.
13. The lamb was there, although they did not see it.
16. Abraham withheld nothing, and God gave him
everything.
23: 2. Sarah is the only woman whose complete age, death,
and burial are recorded in Scripture.
3. The first account of a funeral.
9. The earliest money transaction on record.
24: A model servant: —
True. Vs. 2, 35.
Earnest. V. 33.
Praying. V. 12.
Single-eyed. V. 52.
The marriage of Isaac is the first in Scripture of which we have particulars. A long chapter is devoted to it.
58. “I will go.” Decide for j-ourself.
25: 32.” Behold, I am at the point to die: and what profit
shall this birthright do to me? “Did Esau mean by this that he had only a short time to live anyway? “Let us eat and drink, for to-morrow we die.” 33. There was never any food, except the forbidden
fruit, so dearly bought as this broth.
Esau was bad stock. See 26: 34, 35.
26: 34. A sin is sometimes aggravated (or the reverse) by
the age of the sinner.
27: 6. Jacob led astray by his mother!
The Deception of Isaac. ‘In solving this moral puzzle, do not forget that Jacob was divinely appointed to be the inheritor of the blessing (Gen. 25 :23). His error was not in feeling the pressure of destiny, but in taking it into his own hands and pushing it. Rebekah knew Esau had done wrong (Gen. 26: 35). So she wanted to make this straight perhaps.”
21. Only one man in the whole Bible wanted to feel, and he was deceived.
23. It is a grand thing to want the blessing of the Lord, but a poor thing to get it by fleshly craft.
38. Esau wept because he had lost the blessing, not be cause he had sold his birthright. Men mourn for the evil that sin brings, not for the sin which brings the evil.
28: 5. Isaac lived sixty-three years after Jacob left home,
but he drops out of importance now. We cannot tell the end of a man’s life from the beginning, or vice versa.
28: 12. None of the angels on the ladder stood still.
Visions leading God-ward. See Gen. 48: 3. An answer to prayer. See Gen. 35: 3.
{For loss of country: “To thee will I give this land.” V. 13. For loss of friends: “I am with thee.” V. 15. 15. “I will keep thee in all places whither thou goest,”
not only ’ whither I send thee. “
” With thee “— companionship.
11 Keep thee” — guardianship.
“Bring thee “- — guidance.
29: 25. How human Jacob was in his innocence! How forgetful of his own deception!
God spared Jacob: therefore I must not strike him. We may not know the whole story. In the meanest of us there is a soul meant for heaven. 31: 47. Different names for the same thing.
49. Mabie thinks Jacob meant to make a clean cut with Laban here. “Separation” — getting clear of the worldly ties.
32:27. “What is thy name?” “My name is Money, Moderation in religion, Ananias, Frivolity, Lust, Uncleanness.” How few can answer: “My name is Honesty, Principle, Purity.”
31. Meyer once overheard a lady say his address was “lovely!” Did Jacob limp into the tent and say to Rachel he had had a “lovely” time with
the angel? Rather was he not pale and serious?
On this side of eternity we shall never be perfect.
Jacob limped. Better limp to heaven than leap to hell.
33: 9.” Enough’’ — the first man who ever said so. Christianity should be proved by being contented, not by being satisfied, with this world.
35: This- chapter recounts four burials: — (1.) Jacob’s idols. V. 4.
(2.) Nurse. V. 8.
(3.) Wife. V. 19.
(4.) Father. V. 29.
35: 19. The first mention of Bethlehem. In the N. T. its first mention is in connection with the birth of Jesus. Matt. 2:1.
37: 8. Fulfilled in Ch. 50: 18. See Luke 19: 14.
20. A plan is not right because it is easy. It is convenient to have a beast to blame.
39: 3. Some of us have a skilful way of concealing our religion; not so Joseph.
5. It is Joseph who blesses the house of Potiphar. It
is Jesus through whom we are blessed.
40: 14. A touch of human nature.
God will answer your cry in His own good time.
41: 8. The old school of thought was unable for the new difficulties of. life.
46. It took thirteen years to fulfil Joseph’s dream 1
But it was a great dream, and God took time to work it out. The baker and butler had theirs
answered in three days.
Thirteen years discipline for Joseph. But remember, God was now training a spoiled child.
42: 1. Why did the sons tarry? Because the mention of
“Egypt” brought back the memory of their sin, and they were afraid to go thither.
21. (1.) Conscience.
(2.) Memory.
(3.) Reason.
Learn the moral impotence of time to blot out sin. There is a moral memory. Conscience never forgets, although intellect does. Seech. 50:15.
24. Twenty years of harsh experience had not destroyed the tender feelings of Joseph’s heart.
28. Troubled by an act of generosity and consideration! By the mercies of God!
36. Think of a man writing a history of his life, and God writing it in a parallel column!
43: 23. Preaching peace in his Master’s name.
45: 9. Contrast the story of Joseph’s career with the story of the prodigal son. God does not wait to call us unto him till we become lords.
27. Jacob always had an eye for the practical, and when he saw the waggons his heart revived. Christ had to become man before he could teach us.
46: 34. We are the sheep; Christ the shepherd; and both are abominable to the world.
48: 3. Where will Jacob begin in his autobiography? Not
at his early scheming and deception, but at his second birth. Not at his fleshly birthday which was in reality his death-day. Ps. 79: 8.
19. What memories Jacob must have had when he gave the blessing to Joseph’s younger son!
49: 22. Ths boys outside got some of the fruit. If we are
overflowing, the world around will get some of the benefit.