September, 1941 242 INTERNATIONAL LESSON Commentary Outline and Exposition Blackboard Lesson Children's Division Object Lesson Golden Text Illustration By B. B. S utcliffe By G retchen S ibley By H elen F razee -B ower By E lmer L. W ilder By A lan S. P earce Points dnd Problems B y A lva J. M c C lain , President of Grace Theological Seminary, Winona Lake, Ind. ' T H E K I N G ’ S B U S I N E S S
n. G od , T he S overeign (Matt. 6:24) Being above and apart from all Hi, creation, necessarily God was and is the Sovereign over all His works, man included. But man came under the do minion or rule of Satan by allowing sin to enter the world, and since that day man’s heart has been divided; he has ignorantly attempted to serve two mas ters. Our Lord Jesus uncovers the heart of man ánd declares that no one can serve two masters. Hence, this saying of Jesus condemns every man by re vealing the true state of the heart of fallen man. Even though God is the Sovereign, to whom all men ought to render proper service, fallen man can not render this service: “Ye cannot serve God and mammon.” No divided aim or objective is possible when once the claims of the Creator are admitted. HI. G od , T he F ather (Matt. 6:25-33) God does not sustain the relationship of “Father” to His created creatures, nor is He Father by virtue of His sov ereign rights and authority over His creatures. He is Father to those only to whom He has given spiritual birth, to those who are His children: “Being bom again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible” (1 Pet. 1:23). Only those who receive Jesus Christ as their personal Saviour are the children of the Creator and the Sovereign (cf. John 3:3-6; Jas. 1:18). As the Father, God gives His children relief from anxious care concerning material things (vs. 25-29). The crea tures are fed by their Creator’s hand; the children are cared for by the Father’s provision. Hence the believer is asked: “Why take . . . thought?” The Father would have His children live lives free from care. If the lilies and the grass are objects of care by the Creator, will not the children of the Father have even better care (vs. 30- 32)? He rebukes the children by the saying, “ O ye of little faith” (cf. Matt. 6:30; 8:26; 14:31). The children are exhorted to ,seek the kingdom and righteousness of God, knowing that all needful material things will be added (v. 33). They are not added as a reward for seeking that kingdom and righteousness, but they come fii the natural course as a result o f the believer’s having put God’s glory first.
OCTOBER 5, 1941 GOD OUR HEAVENLY FATHER
G enesis 1:26-28; E xodus 34:4-7; P salm 103:1-13; I saiah 40:27-31; M atthew 6:24-34; 22:35-38; J ohn 4:24; 14:20-23; A cts 17:24-30; ( J ohn 1:1-4
'Outline and Exposition I. G od , the C reator (Gen. 1 :26-28) O NE WHO BELIEVES the Bible man. Of necessity, apart from this rev elation the mystery is unsolved. Divine revelation is not against, though it is far above, human reason. In this revelation, there are three declarations that contradict modem thought. First, according to the Word of God, man’s origin was entirely with in God’s consultative decision, “Let us make man” (v. 26). Without such a decision on God’s part, man could never be; there was no self-determination to become man on the part o f the crea ture. The word “created,” or “bara,” means “to make something out of noth ing” (v. 27). This precludes the idea that something was existent from which man in his essence was made. Second, man’s origin was for God’s purpose, “and let them have dominion” (v. 26; cf. v. 28). Man was created for the purpose of having dominion over all the works of God’s hands; he was to be the ruler for God over what God made. This dominion was lost by the first man, Adam, but was restored by the second Man, the Lord from heaven (cf. Heb. 2:6-10; Eph. 4:24; Col. 3:10). Third, man’s origin was by God’s im mediate and direct act, “ So God created man” (v. 27). Man was not a growth into maturity of anything then exist ent; he was the product of the creative act of God, made full grown and ready to assume the dominion for which he was created. BLACKBOARD LESSON
Gen«*ta 1:26 And God said, Let ns make man In our image, after our like nesst and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea» and over the fowl of the air* and over the cattle» and over all the earth» and over every creeping: thing: that creepeth upon the earth. 27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female, created he'them. 28 And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue Its and have dominion over the fish of the sea* and over the fowl of the air, and over every living: thing: that moveth upon the earth. Matthew 6:24 No man can serve two masterst for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to tbe one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon. 25 Therefore I say unto you, Take mo thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? 26 Behold the fowls of the air; for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? 27 Which of you by taking: thought can add one cubit unto his stature? 28 And why take ye thought for rai ment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow) they toil not, neither do they spin; 20 And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one Of these. 80 Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is east into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? 31 Therefore take no thought, saying. What shall w« eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? 32 (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek;) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. 33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. LESSON TEXT ; Gen. 1:26-28; Matt. 6:24-33. GOLDEN TEXT : «Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name” (Matt. 6:0). DEVOTIONAL READING; Psa. 103:8-14. [These lessons are developed from outlines prepared by the Committee on Improved Uniform Lessons of the In ternational CounciL The outlines are copyrighted by the International Coun cil of Religious Education -and used by Permission . Scripture portions quoted are. frorp tke^King James Version | l* f.f * thermit* stated.A
and bows to its authority finds in these verses the revelation of the mystery concerning the origin of
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