nade
Iden He
thew happiness: He
heauobul howe and authoriny to Hive
and orale note hone: He cone them
CVO provision lor
oave them a
RERUR NERS Frovtnnt aes bon Foard, and [ERERA
vided them with cngpovable activin
desioned to increase their happiness.
hen rhe Taed God commanded the
NIE crery tree of the
caren hoo mest freely cae aa
aol the tree ol the Lnowledoe 0 sow]
ard evil thon staal not car of i tor
in the dav that thon
thou <halt ste die” Gerresis 2)
Foo To commundime man God pomeed
that the Taw of
Hheriv was the ony wan io happiness.
saving, OH
calest thereat
OL obcdienie 1
Asc aeatore nen owas sthject to the
(rr aOnrnR Pag d
lows of natare and to the moral law.
Disobedience of either, or hoth, would
vesuhe in death.
Fhe great guiding principles of
this law were cleanly stated by Jesus
Christ, When asked which was the
creates commnnhment He answered:
Chou shalt Tove the Lord thy God
with wll thy heart, and with all (hy
soil ad wrth all shy mane, LL Thon
shad Tove thy neighbour as thysell.”
Matthew 22:07, 99.
wis the bond of anny hee
man cond his Maker, Before
tn could break any one of the wn
commandments, love had wn be de
thivored from the heart and ere man
condd hreak anv one ol the Tost nine
| AN
[RSE
coommandments he had to break the
first of the ten.
The fist commandment, “Thou
shalt have no other gods before Me™
(aodus 26005y 01s the clearest exist-
ing divine statement ol man’s ace
countabilitv to has Maker. As such at
merits the closest possible attention,
particularly at this time when there
exist such powerlul denraciions bent
on dividing man’s lovalty, This com:
mandment allocates priority to where
it belones - to God alone.
There has been much talk in ore:
cent vears of other gods: the “Nordic
ood,” the “Japanese god.” the “white
man's cod.” the "American god,” ete.
It was in answer to this kind of divi-
ston of lovaltv that Dr. Martin Nie-
moeller took his stand in his sermon,
“God 1s my Fiahrer” and conse-
quently found himself a Nast pris
oner Lor sever years.
The outcome of Naz rulership is
a stiking example of the difference
between one and two. In point of
divine priority there 1s a greater dif
[erence between one aud two than
there 1s between two and a million.
Sonncone has well stated: “The wor-
ship of God will brook no rivalry.”
Either God really is or He is not. Hf
He is not, then the milicant athests
are justthed mm their war against the
God of heaven. If He really is. then
that fact becomes the most thrilling
news in the world,
Man by virtue of creation is ac
countable to God. "The gitt of free-
dont of spirit bestowed upon man
makes him accountable ro God alone,
and responsible for whatever Jecision
he makes either in obedience or in
disobedience. By virtue of creation,
too, all men ae equally accountable
to God. The fast conmmandment 1s
applicable to all alike regardless of
race, creed or socal standing. No
nan nor state has the right to pre
scribe the faith of any worshipper.
The state is evil when 1c attempts the
wor hob the Jhuareh, and the chureh
is evil when ioexerases the power of
the state.
his nath is antkinely aliosoaed
by the story of Niboth's vineyard.
(1 Kings 21:01:20 Naboth had a
vinevard mo very close proximity to
the palace of Ahab, King of Samana,
Ahab wanted the vineviod for a
veectable sarden. He was willing
ctther 10 pay money or to gine Nae
both a better vineyard im exchange.
Bur st happend that this proce of
(Please fun do froze 20
by
H. L. Rudy