Bible Readings for the Home Circle Part 142

8. How is man's nature defined?

"Shall _mortal man_ be more just than G.o.d?" Job 4:17.

_Mortal_: "Subject to death."-_Webster._

9. What is G.o.d's nature?

"Now unto the King _eternal, immortal, invisible_, the only wise G.o.d, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen." 1 Tim. 1:17.

_Immortal_: "Exempt from liability to die."-_Webster._

10. Of what was man formed in the beginning?

"And the Lord G.o.d formed man _of the dust of the ground_." Gen. 2:7, first part.

11. What act made him a living soul?

"And [G.o.d] _breathed into his nostrils the breath of life_; and man became a living soul." Same verse, last part.

NOTES.-The living soul was not put _into_ the man; but the breath of _life_ which was put into man, made _him_-the man, made of the earth-a _living_ soul, or creature.

The original for "living soul" in this text is _nephesh chaiyah_.

On the use of this expression in Gen. 1:24, translated "living creature," Dr. Adam Clarke says: "A general term to express all creatures endued with animal life, in any of its infinitely varied gradations, from the half-reasoning elephant down to the stupid potto, or lower still, to the polyp, which seems equally to share the vegetable and animal life."

12. Are other creatures besides man called "living souls"?

"And the second angel poured out his vial upon the sea; and it became as the blood of a dead man: and _every living soul died in the sea_." Rev.

16:3. See also Gen. 1:30, margin.

13. Do others besides man have the "breath of life"?

"And all flesh died that moved upon the earth, both of _fowl_, and of _cattle_, and of _beast_, and of _every creeping thing_ that creepeth upon the earth, and every man: _all in whose nostrils was the breath of life_."

Gen. 7:21, 22.

14. Is their breath the same as man's?

"As the one dieth, so dieth the other; yea, _they have all one breath_; so that a man hath no preeminence above a beast: for all is vanity." Eccl.

3:19.

NOTE.-That is, here men, as well as beasts, die. This present life, with them, as with the rest of the animal creation, is dependent upon their breath. When this is gone, they, the same as beasts, die. In this respect they have no preeminence over beasts.

But men have a future unending life held out before them, and may, if they will, die in hope of eternal life, which is a very great preeminence over the rest of the animal creation.

15. What does Job call that which G.o.d breathed into man's nostrils?

"All the while my breath is in me, and _the spirit of G.o.d is in my nostrils_." Job 27:3.

16. When man gives up this spirit, what becomes of it?

"Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and _the spirit shall return unto G.o.d who gave it_." Eccl. 12:7.

NOTE.-That is, the spirit of life by which man lives, and which is only lent him of G.o.d, at death goes back to the great Author of life. Having come from Him, it belongs to G.o.d, and man can have it eternally only as a gift from G.o.d, through Jesus Christ. Rom.

6:23. When the spirit goes back to G.o.d, the dust, from which man was made a "living soul" in the beginning, goes back _as it was_, to the earth, and the individual no longer exists as a living, conscious, thinking being, except as he exists in the mind, plan, and purpose of G.o.d through Christ and the resurrection. In this sense "all live unto Him" (Luke 20:38), for all are to be raised from the dead. See John 5:28, 29; Acts 24:15; Rom. 4:17.

17. Who only have hold of the life eternal?

"_He that hath the Son hath life_; and _he that hath not the Son of G.o.d hath not life_." 1 John 5:12.

NOTE.-The veriest sinner has this temporal life; but when he yields up this life, he has no prospect nor promise of the life eternal. That can be received only through Christ.

18. Why was Adam driven from the garden of Eden and excluded from the tree of life?

"And now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and _live forever_." Gen. 3:22.

19. What was done to keep man away from the tree of life?

"So He drove out the man; and He placed at the east of the garden of Eden cherubim, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life." Verse 24.

20. How are all men in the natural state regarded?

"We all ... were by nature _the children of wrath_, even as others." Eph.

2:3.

21. If the wrath of G.o.d _abides_ on a person, of what does it deprive him?

"He that believeth not the Son _shall not see life_; but the wrath of G.o.d abideth on him." John 3:36.

22. Through whom is the sinner saved from wrath?

"Much more then, being now justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath _through Him_." Rom. 5:9.

23. With whom is the Christian's future life hid?

"For ye are dead [to sin], and your life is _hid with Christ in G.o.d_."

Col. 3:3.

24. When will this life be bestowed upon the believer?