PUBLIC-DOMAIN CHRISTIAN BOOK
Notes on the Book of Genesis
Mackintosh, Charles Henry, 1820-1896 · 94,805 words · 140 reading sections
Part 1
Produced by Ron Stephens, Julio Reis and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive/American Libraries.)…
32 wordsSECTION 2THE BOOK OF GENESIS.
"Things new and old."…
4 wordsSECTION 3PREFACE.
To all who love and relish the simple gospel of the grace of God, I would earnestly recommend the following "Notes on the Book of Genesis." They are characterized by a deep-toned evangelical spirit. Having had the privilege of reading them in MS., I can speak as one who has found profit therefrom. Man's complete ruin i…
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The apostles then began to publish the glad tidings of salvation to the chief of sinners. The subject of their preaching was, "_Jesus and the resurrection_." And all who believed on him as risen and glorified were immediately and eternally saved. "And this is the record that God hath given to us eternal life, and this …
648 wordsSECTION 5PREFATORY NOTE TO THE FOURTH EDITION.
I cannot suffer this Fourth Edition to go forth without an expression of heartfelt thankfulness to the Lord for his goodness in making use of such a feeble instrumentality for the profit of souls and the spread of his own simple truth. It is an unspeakable privilege to be permitted in any small degree to minister to t…
218 wordsSECTION 6CHAPTER I.
There is something peculiarly striking in the manner in which the Holy Ghost opens this sublime book. He introduces us, at once, to God, in the essential fulness of his being, and the solitariness of his acting. All prefatory matter is omitted. It is to God we are brought. We hear him, as it were, breaking earth's sile…
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"God said, Let there be light: and there was light." How simple! And yet how Godlike! "He spake, and it was done. He commanded, and it stood fast." Infidelity may ask, "How? where? when?" The answer is, "By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made o…
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Reader, pause and ask yourself, in the presence of the Searcher of hearts, to which of these two classes do you, at this moment, belong. That you belong to either the one or the other is beyond all question. You may be poor, despised, unlettered; but if, through grace, there is a link connecting you with the Son of God…
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What a responsible place! How earnestly should she watch against every thing that would hinder the reflection of the heavenly light of Christ, in all her ways! But how is she to reflect this light? By allowing it to shine upon her, in its undimmed brightness. If the Church only walked in the light of Christ, she would,…
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It is too common to view redemption as bearing merely upon the blessedness and security of individual souls. This is entirely too low a view to take of the matter. That all which pertains, in any way, to the individual is, in the fullest manner, secured, is, blessed be God, most true. This is the least part of redempti…
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When we look at the type before us, we may form some idea of the results which ought to follow from the understanding of the Church's position and relationship. What affection did not Eve owe to Adam! What nearness she enjoyed! What intimacy of communion! What full participation in all his thoughts! In all his dignity,…
864 wordsSECTION 12FOOTNOTES:
[1] It is an interesting fact that the moon, as viewed through a powerful telescope, presents the appearance of one vast ruin of nature. [2] The Hebrew word which is rendered "builded" in the margin, is [Hebrew: vayyven] which the LXX. render by [Greek: okodomesen]. A reference to the original of Eph. ii. 20, 22 will …
73 wordsSECTION 13CHAPTER II.
This chapter introduces to our notice two prominent subjects, namely, "the seventh day" and "the river." The first of these demands special attention. There are few subjects on which so much misunderstanding and contradiction prevails as the doctrine of "the Sabbath." Not that there is the slightest foundation for eit…
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But some will say, "the day has been changed, while all the principles belonging to it remain the same." I do not believe that scripture furnishes any foundation for such an idea. Where is the divine warrant for such a statement? Surely if there is scripture authority, nothing can be easier than to produce it. But the …
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But let it not be supposed that we lose sight of the important fact that the sabbath will again be celebrated, in the land of Israel, and over the whole creation. It assuredly will. "There remaineth a rest ([Greek: sabbatismos]) for the people of God." (Heb. iv. 9.) When the Son of Abraham, Son of David, and Son of Man…
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Now, the more he enters into the privilege, the more will he answer the responsibility. If he is habitually feeding upon Christ, he cannot avoid exhibiting him. The more the Holy Spirit keeps the Christian's eye fixed on Jesus, the more will his heart be occupied with his adorable Person, and his life and character bea…
898 wordsSECTION 17FOOTNOTES:
[3] This subject will, if the Lord permit, come before us again in the twentieth chapter of Exodus; but I would, here, observe, that very much of the offence and misunderstanding connected with the important subject of the sabbath, may be justly traced to the inconsiderate and injudicious conduct of some who, in their …
737 wordsSECTION 18CHAPTER III.
This section of our book sets before us the breaking up of the whole scene on which we have been dwelling. It abounds in very weighty principles; and has, very justly, been, in all ages, resorted to as a most fruitful theme for those who desired to set forth the truth as to man's ruin and God's remedy. The serpent ente…
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There is a blessing in every act of obedience; but the moment the soul hesitates, the enemy has the advantage; and he will assuredly use it to thrust the soul farther and farther from God. Thus, in the chapter before us, the question, "Hath God said?" was followed by, "Ye shall not surely die." That is to say, there wa…
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Now, it is deeply interesting to turn from Satan's lie in reference to the truth and love of God, to the mission of the Lord Jesus Christ, who came from the bosom of the Father in order to reveal what he really is. "Grace and truth,"--the very things which man lost, in his fall,--"came by Jesus Christ." (John i. 17.) H…
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Now, the three great agencies by which Satan works are "the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eye, and the pride of life." Those were the things presented by Satan to the Lord Jesus, in the temptation. He began by tempting the Second Man to take himself out of the position of absolute dependence upon God. "Command the…
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Now, it is well to understand this; well, too, to know how conscience works,--to see that it can only make cowards of us, as being the consciousness of what we are. Many are astray as to this: they think that conscience will bring us to God. Did it operate thus, in the case of Adam and Eve? Assuredly not. Nor will it, …
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But, blessed be God, there is something beside the _conscience of what I am_. There is _the revelation of what he is_; and this latter the fall of man really brought out. God had not revealed himself, fully, in creation: he had shown "his eternal power and Godhead,"[6] ([Greek: theiotes]) but he had not told out all th…
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Men are responsible to believe the gospel, and they will be punished for not believing it. They are not responsible to know any thing about God's counsels, inasmuch as they are not revealed, and, therefore, there can be no guilt attached to ignorance concerning them. The apostle could say to the Thessalonians, "knowing…
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However, though Adam might, and, through grace, did, see and feel that he could never accomplish all that had to be done, yet God revealed himself as about to achieve every jot and tittle thereof, by the seed of the woman. In short, we see that he graciously took the entire matter into his own hands. He made it, altoge…
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Thus Adam was a happier, and a safer man, outside the bounds of Paradise, than he had been within, for this reason--that, within, his life depended upon himself; whereas, outside, it depended upon another, even a promised Christ. And as he looked up, and beheld "the Cherubim and the flaming sword," he could bless the h…
260 wordsSECTION 27FOOTNOTES:
[6] There is a profoundly interesting thought suggested by comparing the word [Greek: theiotes] (Rom. i. 20) with the word [Greek: theotes] (Col. ii. 9.) They are both rendered "Godhead;" but they present a very different thought. The heathen might have seen that there was something superhuman, something divine, in cre…
119 wordsSECTION 28CHAPTERS IV., V.
As each section of the Book of Genesis opens before us, we are furnished with fresh evidence of the fact that we are travelling over, what a recent writer has well termed, "the seed-plot of the whole Bible;" and not only so, but the seed-plot of man's entire history. Thus, in the fourth chapter, we have, in the person…
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Now, as the mode in which we derive a nature from the first man is by birth, so the mode in which we derive a nature from the Second man is by _new_ birth. Being born, we partake of the nature of the former; being "born _again_," we partake of the nature of the latter. A newly-born infant, though entirely incapable of …
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All this, and much more, lay involved in Cain's "unbloody sacrifice." He displayed entire ignorance in reference to divine requirements, in reference to his own character and condition as a lost and guilty sinner, and in reference to the true state of that ground, the fruit of which he presumed to offer. No doubt, reas…
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Every divinely-convicted sinner must feel that death and judgment are before him, as "the due reward of his deeds;" nor can he, by aught that he can accomplish, alter that destiny. He may toil and labor; he may, by the sweat of his brow, produce an offering; he may make vows and resolutions; he may alter his way of lif…
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Mere feeling and sentimentality can never rise above the source from whence they emanate; and that source is self; but faith has to do with God and his eternal word, and is a living link, connecting the heart that possesses it with God who gives it. Human feelings, however intense,--human sentiments, however refined,--…
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There is a constant tendency in the heart to ground our peace and acceptance upon something in or about ourselves, even though we admit that that something is wrought by the Holy Ghost. Hence arises the constant looking _in_, when the Holy Ghost would ever have us looking _out_. The question for every believer is not, …
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However, it is well to see that Cain's act of murder was the true consequence--the proper fruit--of his false worship. His foundation was bad, and the superstructure erected thereon was also bad. Nor did he stop at the act of murder; but having heard the judgment of God thereon, despairing of forgiveness through ignora…
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How different the way of the man of faith! Abel felt and owned the curse; he saw the stain of sin, and, in the holy energy of faith, offered that which met it, and met it thoroughly,--met it divinely. He sought and found a refuge in God himself; and instead of building a city on the earth, he found but a grave in its b…
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Of this we have a very beautiful exemplification in Enoch, who forms the only exception to the rule of Chap. V. The rule is, "he died;" the exception is, "he should not see death." "By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him; for before his translation …
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The Church, like Enoch, will be taken away from the evil around, and the evil to come. Enoch was not left to see the world's evil rise to a head, and the judgment of God poured forth upon it. He saw not "the fountains of the great deep broken up," nor "the windows of heaven opened." He was taken away before any of thes…
283 wordsSECTION 38FOOTNOTES:
[8] The word used by Cain is [Hebrew: minneso'] which occurs in Psalm xxxii. 1, "whose transgression is _forgiven_." The LXX. renders it by [Greek: aphethenai], "to be remitted." [9] True, the Lord is using all those things for the furtherance of his own gracious ends; and the Lord's servant can freely use them also; …
102 wordsSECTION 39CHAPTERS VI.-IX.
We have now arrived at a deeply-important and strongly-marked division of our book. Enoch has passed off the scene. His walk, as a stranger on earth, has terminated in his translation to heaven. He was taken away before human evil had risen to a head, and, therefore, before the divine judgment had been poured out. How …
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Thus was Noah put in possession of God's thoughts about the scene around him. The effect of the word of God was to lay bare the roots of all that which man's eye might rest upon with complacency and pride. The human heart might swell with pride, and the bosom heave with emotion, as the eye ran down along the brilliant …
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"God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me.... Make thee an ark of gopher wood." Here was man's ruin, and God's remedy. Man had been allowed to pursue his career to the utmost limit, to bring his principles and ways to maturity. The leaven had worked and filled the mass. The evil had reached its climax…
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Had Noah any anxiety about the billows of divine judgment? None whatever. How could he? He knew that "_all_" had been poured forth, while he himself was raised by those very outpoured billows into a region of cloudless peace. He floated in peace on that very water by which "all flesh" was judged. He was put beyond the …
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Let us, now, ere we proceed further with Noah's history, glance for a little at the condition of those to whom he had so long preached righteousness. We have been looking at the _saved_,--let us now look at the _lost_: we have been thinking of those _within_ the ark,--let us now think of those _without_. No doubt, many…
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No doubt, man displayed abundant energy in making the world a comfortable and an agreeable place for himself; but that was a very different thing from making it a suitable place for God. So also at this present time; man is as busy as he can be, in clearing the stones off the pathway of human life, and making it as smo…
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And, then, with what profound interest should we mark the unfolding of the divine purposes! Scripture sheds its light upon these things; and such a light, too, that we need not, as another has said, "vacantly stare on passing events, as those who know not where they are, and whither they are going." We should accuratel…
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"And it came to pass, at the end of forty days, that Noah opened the window of the ark which he had made: and he sent forth a raven, which went forth, to and fro, until the waters were dried up from off the earth." The unclean bird made its escape, and found, no doubt, a resting-place upon some floating carcase. It sou…
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And, my reader, is there not a deep lesson in all this for the present age? I am convinced there is. We live in an age of ordinances. The atmosphere which enwraps the professing church, is impregnated with the elements of a traditionary religion, which robs the soul of Christ, and his divinely full salvation. It is not…
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"And it shall come to pass, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that _the bow shall be seen in the cloud_." Beautiful and most expressive emblem! The beams of the sun, reflected from that which threatens judgment, tranquillize the heart, as telling of God's covenant, God's salvation, and God's remembrance. Precious, m…
523 wordsSECTION 49FOOTNOTES:
[11] We should ever bear in mind, that "the wisdom which is from above is _first pure_, then peaceable." (James iii. 17.) The wisdom which is from beneath would put "peaceable" first, and, therefore, it can never be pure. [12] It is impossible to over-estimate the wisdom of the Holy Ghost, as seen in the way in which …
807 wordsSECTION 50CHAPTER X.
This section of our book records the generations of Noah's three sons, noticing, especially, Nimrod, the founder of the kingdom of Babel, or Babylon, a name which occupies a very prominent place on the page of inspiration. Babylon is a well-known name,--a well-known influence. From the tenth chapter of Genesis, down to…
881 wordsSECTION 51CHAPTER XI.
This is a chapter of very deep interest to the spiritual mind. It records two great facts, namely, the building of Babel, and the call of Abraham; or, in other words, man's effort to provide for himself, and God's provision made known to faith; man's attempt to establish himself _in the earth_, and God's calling a man …
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"And the Lord said, Behold, the people is one, and they have all one language; and this they begin to do: and now nothing will be restrained from them which they have imagined to do. Go to, let us go down, and there confound their language, that they may not understand one another's speech. So the Lord scattered them a…
854 wordsSECTION 53CHAPTER XII.
The book of Genesis is, for the most part, taken up with the history of seven men, namely, Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph. There is, I doubt not, a specific line of truth brought out in connection with each of those men. Thus, for example, in Abel we have the great foundation truth of man's coming…
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But, as in Abraham's case, it was death that broke the link by which nature bound him to Charran; so, in our case, it is death which breaks the link by which nature ties us down to this present world. We must realize the truth that we have died in Christ, our Head and Representative,--that our place in nature and in th…
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Then, as the basis of our practical discipleship and testimony, the cross demands our most profound consideration. In this aspect of it, I need hardly say, it is as perfect as in the former. The same cross which connects me with God has separated me from the world. A dead man is evidently done with the world; and hence…
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There is much true blessing to the soul in every step of obedience, for obedience is the fruit of faith; and faith puts us into living association and communion with God himself. Looking at obedience in this light, we can easily see how distinctly it is marked off, in every feature of it from legality. This latter sets…
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How different from all this miserable system of legalism, in every phase thereof, is "the gospel of the glory of the blessed God!" This gospel reveals God himself coming down in perfect grace, and putting away sin by the sacrifice of the cross; putting it away, in the most absolute manner, on the ground of eternal righ…
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However, faith has its trials, as well as its answers. It is not to be imagined that the man of faith, having pushed out from the shore of circumstances, finds it all smooth and easy sailing. By no means. Again and again he is called to encounter rough seas and stormy skies; but it is all graciously designed to lead hi…
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Christian reader, let us watch against the tendency to slip aside from the narrow, yet safe, the _sometimes_ rough, yet _always_ pleasant, path of simple, wholehearted obedience. Let us keep guard--jealous, careful guard--over "faith and a pure conscience," for which nothing can compensate. Should trial come, let us, i…
199 wordsSECTION 60CHAPTER XIII.
The opening of this chapter presents to us a subject of immense interest to the heart,--namely, the true character of divine restoration. When the child of God has, in any way, declined in his spiritual condition, and lost his communion, he is in great danger, when conscience begins to work, of failing in the apprehens…
744 wordsSource & rights
Public domain in the USA; original historical text digitized by Project Gutenberg.
Project Gutenberg source record →
Historical Christian writing; not Scripture.