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fully satisfied the justice of God, but also satisfied the love and compassion of God. Christ offered Himself not only for sin but *without sin. The latter aspect of Christ’s sacrifice on the cross corresponds to the burnt offering (cf. Eph. 5:2). Furthermore, the believer’s proclamation of the gospel, whether that gospel is accepted or not, is like a sweet savor which rises unto God (cf. 2 Cor. 2:15). Even though some times we do not see definite results of our labors in the gospel, nevertheless the re sults are assured; the faithful witness is a sweet savor unto God. Moreover, in a coming day when Israel shall have been restored to her God, that nation will be a sweet savor before Him (cf. Ezek. 20:41). Following the offering made by Noah, God gave His pledge that never again “while the earth remaineth” (t. 22) would He “ again smite any more every thing living” (v. 21). This promise was not made be cause man’s nature had be.en changed by means of the judgment of the flood. That nature was still the same, “for the imagina tion of man’s heart is evil from his youth” (v. 21). But because the burnt offering was efficacious in that it looked forward to the satisfaction, in Christ, of all God’s righteous demands, God could make this pledge—a pledge which has been, and is being, and ever will be kept. There follows one of the most remark able passages in the Book (v. 22). One of the leading statisticians of the United States Government informs us that there are, at any one time, only enough foodstuffs on earth to supply the needs of every man, woman, and child, for six months. In this observation the fact is revealed that if, for wjust one season, God should forget His pledge to Noah and Noah’s descendants, every human being on earth would starve. II. T he C ovenant for N oah (9:8-17) ' A covenant is an agreement between two or more parties, and it is usually consum mated by the exchange of some token or the presentation of a paper bearing the signa tures of the parties involved in the cove nant. In the case of God’s covenant with Noah— a covenant in which many other parties were involved (vs.' 8-10)—the re sponsibility and the activity in the matter centered in God alone. He said: “ I estab lish my covenant with you, and with your seed after you.” The covenant was made with Noah’s immediate family and with all of his posterity; hence it includes all who are on earth today. The terms of this covenant were, and are, all on God’s side (v. 11). God Him self undertakes to do all that is promised. For its fulfillment, the agreement depends entirely upon God’s own faithfulness. Noth ing that may occur can in any wise modify or invalidate the terms of the covenant or hinder its fulfillment. The “token of the covenant” was the “bow in the cloud” (vs. 12-17). Like the references to “ sweet savor,” the word “bow” is found elsewhere in Scripture (cf. Ezek. 1:28; Rev. 4:3). The Lord declared: “ I do set my bow in the cloud” (v. 13), and “ I will look upon it, that I may remember the ever lasting covenant” (v. 16). The omniscient
RESURRECTED! Easter fo r this man is a double joy . Christ has healed him o f leprosy in body and soul. He has told him to take up his bed and walk— to g o and sin no more.
But for these others there was no such resurrection:
“ There they go— seven new applicants— with their bundles on their backs, walking fast out o f fear that someone will get ahead o f them; full o f hope that they can leave with new, healthy, living bodies.. % Here they come back again. They have been told ‘There is no room / The sentence o f death has been passed. They must go on, they don’t know where. Nobody wants them. Villagers will throw stones at them. Intense hunger, bitter cold,
cruel heat, untold suffering will be their lot. Never can they return to home and family. Their pain and agony will increase from day to day. And all this because somebody does not care. # My heart goes out to these men. How I should dread to get leprosy and have no one to care for m e! .1 want to run after them and take the burden o f hunger, cold, disease, hatred, ostracism off their shoulders. I want to call them back and tell them, ‘A friend has come to help you carry your burden. Put it down, enter in, and liv e/ 0 Such a scene occurs in front o f my leper colony nearly every day.” — Chandkuri, India. AMERICAN MISSION TO LEPERS, Inc., Room 1118-K, 156 Fifth Ave., New York, N. Y. Gentlemen: I enclose $____ ________ to be used for the item checked:
SHA LL T H E S E A N D M A N Y MO R E HAVE RESURRECTION O R ETERNAL D E A T H THIS EASTER? IT IS FOR YOU TO SAY.
_r---------$40 Full care, a year — —— $30 Full care—a child —— _i_$ 5 Medicine, a year ------------$ .1 Scripture portion Name ______________ ____________________— _- _-_____ Address -----------.—_—r_---------- _ -------- God needs nothing to remind Him of what He has said, nor of what He has undertaken to do. How the language of this passage indicates His grace and tenderness toward man! The covenant is a universal and perpetual covenant, extending beyond the confines of race or locality. *The bow in the cloud is unique among nature’s mani festations. While scientists may account in various ways for the appearance of the rainbow, the Christian will trace its origin to the Word of_God. Points and Problems 1. “Noah huilded an altar” (Gen. 8:20). This is the first act of the man chosen of God to found and build a new civilization after the judgment of the flood. And it is highly significant. No family, no nation, no culture, can permanently endure which is not built upon the foundation of the “ altar.” Today a great deal is being said about the importance of social ethics and high ideals, but all these things will at last come to nothing unless they are built upon the “ altar.” It is an ominous char acteristic of our times that the “ altar” is being forgotten, not merely by the world’s political and social organizations, but by the professing church itself. Noah was right. The “ altar” must come first. If we lose the “ altar,” we shall at last lose every thing else. 2. What was the meaning of Noah’s altar? First, when Noah built his altar, it was his acknowledgment of the fact of human sin and the separation of the sinner from God. Second, the altar witnessed to man’s need of atonement by blood, and thus
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