The Harp of God Part 2

How did the coming of Jesus tend to confirm the authenticity of the Scriptures? -- 20.

Did the prophets understand the meaning of what they wrote concerning the happening of future events? -- 21.

What effort did they make to understand? -- 21.

Did the angels in heaven understand what the prophets were writing?

-- 21.

What is meant by the term "the divine plan"? -- 22.

Who was the first one to understand the divine plan? -- 22.

What was the name of Jesus before he became a man? and what is the significance of his prehuman t.i.tle? -- 22.

What is pictured by the fifth chapter of Revelation? Give the details of the picture. -- 22.

Who is the "Lion of the tribe of Judah"? -- 23.

What is the symbolic meaning of the words "seven", "horns," and "eyes"?

and what do these words signify as used in Revelation 5? -- 24.

Is there reason to expect that G.o.d would grant certain ones from time to time an increased understanding of his plan? and if so, why? -- 24.

What does the harp symbolize? -- 25.

Where is the record of the divine plan found? -- 25.

What does this record reveal concerning man? -- 25.

By whom has G.o.d spoken his fundamental truths? -- 25.

What is the law of G.o.d? -- 25.

Define law. -- 25.

Where is the law of G.o.d found? -- 25.

What is the meaning of the word David? -- 26.

Whom did David picture or typify? -- 26.

What did David's use of the harp typify or picture? -- 26.

What is pictured or symbolized by the ten strings of David's harp? -- 26.

Name the ten fundamental truths represented by the strings on the harp.

-- 26.

How can one learn to use the harp of G.o.d? -- 27.

What effect is produced upon one who skillfully uses the harp? -- 27.

OMNIPOTENT G.o.d

Harps of eternity! begin the song, Redeemed, and angel harps! begin to G.o.d, Begin the anthem ever sweet and new, While I extol Him holy, just, and good.

Life, beauty, light, intelligence, and love!

Eternal, uncreated, infinite!

Unsearchable Jehovah! G.o.d of truth!

Maker, upholder, governor of all: Thyself unmade, ungoverned, unupheld.

Omnipotent, unchangeable, Great G.o.d!

Exhaustless fullness! giving unimpaired!

Bounding immensity, unspread, unbound!

Highest and best! beginning, middle, end.

All-seeing Eye! all-seeing, and unseen!

Hearing, unheard! all knowing, and unknown!

Above all praise! above all height of thought!

Proprietor of immortality!

Glory ineffable! Bliss underived!

Of old Thou build'st Thy throne on righteousness, Before the morning Stars their song began, Or silence heard the voice of praise. Thou laid'st Eternity's foundation stone, and saw'st Life and existence out of Thee begin.

--_Pollok_

[Ill.u.s.tration]

CHAPTER II

String 1: _Creation_

The subject of creation here treated relates particularly to the earth and the creatures of the earth, the chief one of which is man. We will not attempt to discuss at length the creation of other planets, nor of the other creatures. Attention is merely called to the Scriptural statement that the beginning of G.o.d's creation was the Logos, which term is translated in our Bibles "the Word". The record reads: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with [the] G.o.d and the Word was [a] G.o.d". (John 1:1) G.o.d is a name applied to Jehovah, the Almighty One.

It is sometimes applied to other mighty ones also; whereas the name Jehovah applies exclusively to the great eternal G.o.d. The Logos, the Word, was a G.o.d, a mighty one. "The same was in the beginning with G.o.d.

All things were made by him, and without him was not anything made that was made." He was Jehovah's great active agent in the creation of all things created.

[29]Since the Bible was written for _man's_ benefit, the Genesis account of creation has to do with man and his place of habitation. There we read: "In the beginning G.o.d created the heavens and the earth". He created the sun, for light by day; and the moon, for light by night, upon the earth. G.o.d then created the birds and fowls that fly through the air, and the fish of the sea. He created the cattle and the creeping things, and all the beasts of the earth. All this was before the creation of man. He had formed the earth many centuries before man's creation, and he created it that man might have a place to live. He caused his prophet to write: "I have made the earth and created man upon it. For thus saith the Lord that created the heavens; G.o.d himself that formed the earth and made it; he hath established it, he created it not in vain, he formed it to be inhabited."--Isaiah 45:12,18.

[30]G.o.d created the first man and woman out of the elements and gave them power to produce and bring forth children, and all the human race sprang from the first pair. G.o.d was the Father and the earth the mother of Adam. The first man was named Adam; the first woman, Eve. "G.o.d created man in his own image, in the image of G.o.d created he him; male and female created he them. And G.o.d blessed them, and G.o.d said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; 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."--Genesis 1: 27,28.

[31]We are all interested in knowing how Jehovah created the first man, Adam. "And the Lord G.o.d formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul." (Genesis 2:7) G.o.d did not give man a soul separate and distinct from the man. The word soul means being; living, breathing creature.

Every man _is_ a soul. No man _has_ a soul. Every living creature is a soul. G.o.d called all moving creatures that have life souls. (See Genesis 1:20, _margin_) He designates various animals as souls.--Numbers 31:28.

[32]Jehovah then made a beautiful home for man, which is designated in the Bible as Eden--a garden, a beautiful park. Everything in Eden was perfect, because all the works of Jehovah are perfect. (Deuteronomy 32:4) "And the Lord G.o.d planted a garden eastward in Eden; and there he put the man whom he had formed. And out of the ground made the Lord G.o.d to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil. And the Lord G.o.d took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it."--Genesis 2: 8,9,15.

[33]G.o.d next gave to man a law to govern him. He told him what he might do and what he might not do; and informed him that a violation of this law would bring death upon him. "And the Lord G.o.d commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die."--Genesis 2:16, 17.