Part 5
3. In Bible History you have already learned _how_ God made or created heaven and earth. Before God began to create the world, nothing was there except God alone, the Creator. God always was, is, and in all eternity will be. _"From everlasting to everlasting Thou art God."_ Ps. 90,2.--God did not have any material out of which to make this world. _Out of nothing_ He created heaven and earth. God simply said, "Let there be light," and there was light. He simply said, Let there be the sun and the moon and the stars, and, behold, there they were, shining in all their splendor. In this manner, by speaking, by His word, God made all things, visible and invisible, heaven and earth. God has created everything without any means; _God has made heaven and earth and all creatures out of nothing, by His word._ We do not understand how this is possible; but we believe it because God Himself has revealed it to us in His Word. _"Through faith, we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God."_ Heb. 11,3. God made all things by His word, with the exception of His foremost creature, man. It pleased Him to form the first man in a different manner. Do you know how God made Adam? Read Gen. 1,26-28 and 2,7.--God could have made heaven and earth, as we see them now, in one instant, but it has pleased Him to do it in _six days._ In six days _"the heavens and the earth were finished and all the host of them."_ Gen. 2,1. And when all this was finished, _"God saw everything that He had made, and, behold, it was very good."_ Gen. 1,31.
4. When we consider this great work of our Lord, consider that He has made the whole world, the heavens and all the host of them, the mighty sun, the countless stars, the earth with all its treasures, with its millions of living creatures, must we not say that God, who created all these things by His word alone, is a _mighty_ and _powerful_ God, more powerful and mighty than all other things which He has made? And it is true indeed, God is more powerful than His creatures. He is _almighty._ We believe in God, _the Father Almighty. "With God nothing shall be impossible,"_ Holy Scripture tells us. Luke 1,37. _"He hath done whatsoever He hath pleased."_ Ps. 115,3. God is an almighty Father. In Him we can trust. He can and will be our help. No one and nothing can resist His mighty power.
5. When we consider how wonderful this world is made, when we consider that everything that came from the hand of God was very good, that everything was made as it should be to serve its end, must we not say that God is a very wise God, being able to plan such a wonderful and good work? Yea, _our God is the all-wise God._ What He does is always good and wise, even if we do not understand it.--And remember, moreover, that God has created this beautiful world for us, His children. This great and wonderful earth is to be our dwelling-place; sun, moon, and the stars are to serve us. Is not our God a loving, a good, a merciful God? Truly, _"the Lord is good to all; and His tender mercies are over all His works."_ Ps. 145,9. _"God is Love."_ 1 John 4,8. In Him, our loving, merciful God, will we trust; He _will_ surely help us.
REMEMBER:--
1. _I myself must believe in God the Father Almighty. The faith of another cannot save me._
2. _In six days God created heaven and earth. He is the Creator of all things, visible and invisible. He has created, that is, made, all things out of nothing, by His word. This we believe because God Himself has revealed it unto us in Holy Scriptures._
3. _God, the Maker of heaven and earth, always has been and always will be. From everlasting to everlasting He is God. He is our almighty and all-wise Father, always loving, good, and merciful. In Him we can and will trust._
MEMORIZE:--
_In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth._ Gen. 1,1.
_Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God._ Heb. 11,3.
_From everlasting to everlasting Thou art God._ Ps. 90,2.
_With God nothing shall be impossible._ Luke 1,37.
_God is Love._ John 4,8.
QUESTIONS.
1. Why do we say in our Creed, _I_ believe? 2. In whom do we believe according to the First Article? 3. Why do we call God "the Father Almighty"? 4. How does our Catechism explain the words "Maker of heaven and earth"? 5. What are creatures? 6. In how many days did God create heaven and earth? 7. What does it mean when we say God _created_ them? 8. Why do we believe that God made everything out of nothing, merely by His word? 9. Recite Heb. 11,3. 10. How was everything when God had finished the work of creation? 11. What do we learn of God from Ps. 90,2? 12. Why is God called the almighty Father? 13. How does the creation show us that God is all-wise? 14. Which other qualities of God do we learn from His work of creation? 15. Why can and will we always trust in the almighty, all-wise, loving, and merciful God?
LESSON 15.
The First Article.
God Has Made Me And Still Preserves Me.
Which is the First Article of the Creed?
_I believe in God, the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth._
What does this mean?
_I believe that God has made me and all creatures, that He has given me my body and soul, eyes, ears, and all my members, my reason and all my senses, and still preserves them._
1. God is the Maker of heaven and earth. I believe that God made all creatures, all things in heaven and earth. He also created _man._ About the creation of man we read in the Holy Scriptures: _"And God said, Let us make man in Our image, after Our likeness, and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. So God created man in His own image, in the image of God, created He him; male and female created He them. And God blessed them; and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish 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."_ Gen. 1,26-28. _"And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul."_ Gen. 2,7. There is a _great difference_ between the creation of man and the creation of all other visible things. God, so to say, took especial care about this last of all His wonderful works. He did not merely say: Let there be a man, but God the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, as it were, _deliberated_ and _planned_ beforehand how to make man. God then formed man, that is, his body, _out of the dust of the ground,_ and _breathed the breath of life,_ his soul, into his nostrils, his nose, and so man became a living soul.--And what is more, God created man _in His own image, after His likeness._ As God is Lord and Master over all things and governs them, so He gave to man the power to govern all things on earth; He gave him _dominion_ over all the creatures on earth, to be Lord over this world. God made man in His own image. Adam and Eve were created _holy, without any blemish and sin._ They _knew_ and _loved God,_ their Creator, and lived according to His holy will. Truly, man is the _foremost of all of God's visible creatures._ God has made all men; therefore I confess, He made _me._
2. _"I believe,"_ I know it to be true from the Word of God, _"that God made me." He has made me by giving me body and soul._ True, God did not make me as He made Adam, by forming my body out of the dust and breathing the breath of life into my nostrils. He made me by giving me body and soul through my parents. Nevertheless it is true that God has made me, that my body and my soul are _the gift of God,_ my heavenly Father. I confess: _"The Spirit of God hath made me, and the breath of the Almighty hath given me life."_ Job 33,4.
3. How wonderfully did God make me! _"He has given me my body and soul, eyes, ears, and all my members, my reason and all my senses."_ Consider how beautifully and wonderfully God made your body. He gave you _eyes_ and _ears._ You can _see_ and _hear;_ you can see all the great works of Go, the sun, the moon, and the stars, all the animals and plants, the mighty mountains and the vast seas. You can see your fellow-men, your friends and parents, and hear their voices, hear their words that instruct and console you. You ca read your Bible and hear the preaching of God's Word. He gave you not only eyes and ears, but _all the members of your body_--your mouth so that you are able to talk to your friends and parents and make known your needs and wishes; your feet and hands for your work.--We are wonderfully made. God has given you a _soul,_ and He has endowed it with _reason,_ and has given you _all your senses._ You are able to _think_ about the great work of God that surround you, to try to understand what they are and for what purpose God created them, You are able to understand all that God tells you in His Word about Himself, His will, and His grace, and thus to know Him. You are able to _feel_ His goodness, His fatherly love and mercy. Surely we must say: _"I will praise Thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Marvelous are Thy works, and that my soul knoweth right well."_ Ps. 139,14.
4. _"I believe that God has given me my body and soul, eyes, ears, and all my members, my reason and all my senses, and still preserves them."_ Every Christian confesses: God, my Father, _preserves_ me, my life, my body and soul, all that I am. God has not made us and given us His great gifts and then left it to us how to preserve and keep them. This we could never do. He is not like a builder who, having finished a house, leaves it and lets others take care of it in the future. _"He is not far from every one of us; for in Him we live and move and have our being."_ Acts 17, 27.28. He will preserve us, and He alone, our Almighty Father, can do it. He has preserved me until this day. The fact that I am still enjoying life, that I still have body and soul with all their precious gifts, that I still can see and hear and have the use of my members, that I still have the gift of reason and the use of my senses, all this is not my work, not due to my prudence, or the care of my parents, or the skill of a physician, _but it is God's work and gift alone. "He upholds all things by the word of His power."_ Heb. 1,3. And I believe that God, my Father, will also in future preserve me, His child, until the hour of death, and that He will then for Christ's sake take me up to heaven, body and soul, and there preserve me forever.
REMEMBER:--
1. _God has made you. He has given you your body and soul, eyes, ears, and all your members, your reason and all your senses. He is your almighty Father._
2. _God has preserved and still preserves you. That you are still living, that you have body and soul and the use of your reason and all your members, is God's free gift alone. God is your almighty Father._
3. _How precious are these gifts of God! Never forget how wonderfully you are made. God, your almighty Father, is also a very kind and loving Father._
MEMORIZE:--
_I will praise Thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Marvelous are Thy works, and that my soul knoweth right well._ Ps. 139,14.
_He is not far from every one of us; for in Him we live and move and have our being._ Acts 17,27.28.
_He upholds all things by the word of His power._ Heb. 1,3.
QUESTIONS.
1. On which of the six days did God create man? 2. What is the difference between the creation of man and the creation of all other visible creatures? 3. What did God do before He created man? 4. Out of what did He form his body? 5. How did God create his soul? 6. What does it mean that God created man in His own image? 7. How were Adam and Eve after God had created them? 8. How did they show that they were holy and without sin? 9. How did God make _you?_ 10. Through whom did He give you body and soul? 11. Which gift did God bestow upon your body? 12. Why are eyes and ears and all members such wonderful gifts of God? 13. Which is God's greatest gift to your soul? 14. Why is reason His greatest gift? 15. What does God do for us in addition to having created us? 16. What does it mean that God preserves us? 17. Until what day did God preserve you? 18. How long will He preserve you? 19. What, therefore, is God to me because He made me and preserves me?
LESSON 16.
The First Article.
How My Heavenly Father Provides For Me And Guards My Life.
Which is the First Article of the Creed?
_I believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth._
What does this mean?
_I believe that God has given me also clothing and shoes, meat and drink, house and home, wife and children, fields, cattle, and all my goods; that He richly and daily provides me with all that I need to support this body and life; that He defends me against all danger, and guards and protects me from all evil._
1. In the First Article of our Christian faith we say: _"I believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth."_ This means, as we have learned: _I believe that God has made me and has given me my body and soul, eyes, ears, and all my members, my reason and all my senses, and still preserves them._ God generally does not preserve us by His word and will alone, but through _earthly means._ In order to preserve our life and body, we must eat and drink, have clothing, house and home, etc. True, God could preserve us without these means. He is the Almighty. He has done so at times. He preserved Moses' life for forty days and nights without food and drink on Mount Sinai. Ex. 34,28. Jesus twice, as you know, fed several thousand people with a few loaves of bread and with a few fish. God can do so to-day, and He will do it if His children are in need of it. But generally it pleases God to preserve our body and life through outward means. _God preserves me by providing me with all that I need to support my body and life._
2. I need many things to support my body and life. Our Catechism names quite a number of them. In order to support our life, we must have _meat and drink._ We must have _clothing and shoes, house and home_ to protect our bodies from sunshine and rain. True, you have not everything that is named in our Catechism; but all these things are necessary to preserve our lives, and somebody must have them. The farmer must have _fields_ and _cattle_ to provide for his life and for the lives of many other people. _All my goods,_ all that I need and have, clothing and shoes, meat and drink house and home, father and mother, brothers and sisters, were given me _by God, my heavenly Father. "The eyes of all wait upon Thee, and Thou givest them their meat in due season Thou openest Thine hand and satisfiest the desire of every living thing."_ Ps. 145,15.16.
3. God provides me with all that I need to support my life. God generally does it through _the work of our hands._ He can do it without our work, or labor, and at times has done so. Remember how God gave manna from heaven to the children of Israel when they were in the desert. Deut. 8,3.4. Remember how He fed His prophet Elijah during the famine by sending the ravens to bring him his daily bread. 1 Kings 17. God can do the same thing to-day, and He certainly will do so whenever His children are in need of it. _"Cast all your care upon Him; for He careth for you."_ 1 Pet. 5,7. As a rule, however, God wants us to work diligently and carefully to save what we earn. But still it is _God_ that provides for us. He gives us strength and health for our work. He blesses our labors. Without His blessing all our labor would be in vain. _"Except the Lord build the house, they labor in vain that build it."_ Ps. 127,1.
4. God provides me with all that I need for my life and body, and He does so _richly and daily._ God provides me _richly._ I have a rich Father. He is the Maker of heaven and earth. Everything belongs to Him. Out of His abundance He gives us richly all that we need, and often more than we need. He gives us daily, that is, He never tires of giving. Every morning He begins anew to bless us by giving us our daily bread.
5. One thing more is needed to preserve us. Our life and our body are in constant danger. But a child of God confesses: _"He defends me against all danger, and guard and protects me from all evil."_ Remember how He defended the children of Israel against their enemies, the Egyptians, at the Red Sea. Ex. 13.14. Remember how He guarded His Son, the Christ-child, whom King Herod sought to kill. Matt. 2,13-15. So God defends and guards all His children. _"There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling."_ Ps. 91,10. True, also children of God have to suffer, they have many troubles and misfortunes; but their Father protects them in all these troubles, so that nothing can really harm them, but that everything must work together for good to them. Joseph in Egypt had to suffer much that was meant to do him harm, being cast into prison; but God was with him and made everything turn out for his welfare. He himself said to his brothers: _"Ye thought evil against me, but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive."_ Gen. 50,20.--In protecting His children from evil, God often uses His _angels,_ those holy spirits whom He has created, and whom He sends out to minister to His children. By an angel God protected Daniel in the den of the lions and the three men in the fiery furnace. He sends His angels to protect us from evil. _"He shall give His angels charge over thee to keep thee in all thy ways. They shall bear thee up in their hands lest thou dash thy foot against a stone."_ Ps. 91, 11.12.
REMEMBER:--
1. _God preserves you by providing you with all things that you need for your life and body. He does so richly and daily. Therefore trust in Him, your rich and merciful Father._
2. _God wants you to work diligently and earn your daily bread; He also wants you to be thrifty, saving, with what He has given you. But with all your working and saving you could never provide the necessary food and clothing without God's blessing. He alone provides for you._
3. _Trust in God! He will defend you against all danger and guard and protect you from all evil. He will send His angels so that no evil may harm you._
MEMORIZE:--
_The eyes of all wait upon Thee, and Thou givest them their meat in due season. Thou openest Thine hand and satisfiest the desire of every living thing._ Ps. 145,15.16.
_Cast all your care upon Him, for He careth for you._ 1 Pet. 5,7.
_There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling._ Ps. 91,10.
_He shall give His angels charge over thee to keep thee in all thy ways._ Ps. 91, 11.
_Commit thy way unto the Lord, trust also in Him, and He shall bring it to pass._ Ps. 37,5.
QUESTIONS.
1. How does God preserve you? 2. What must you do to preserve your life and body? 3. Where has God shown that He can preserve us without any means? 4. In what manner does God generally preserve us? 5. Which of the things that are needed to support our life and body does our Catechism mention? 6. Who gave me all the good things I have? 7. In what way does God generally provide us with the things necessary for our life? 8. When, for instance, did God show that He can provide for us without the labor of our hands? 9. What, however, is God's rule in this matter? 10. Can you show that God provides for us even though we work to earn our living? 11. How does God provide you with all that is needed for your life? 12. Why can He provide richly for His children? 13. What more does God do to preserve us? 14. Give examples of God's protecting care over His children. 15. What is our consolation when we have troubles and misfortunes? 16. Whom does God often send forth to protect His children? 17. What do we read Ps. 37,5?
LESSON 17.
The First Article.
God Has Made Me And Preserves Me Out Of Fatherly, Divine Goodness And Mercy.
Which is the First Article of the Creed?
_I believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of Heaven and earth._
What does this mean?
_I believe that God does all this out of fatherly, divine goodness and mercy, without an merit or worthiness in me._
1. We have learned that God has _made_ me by giving me my body and soul, and that He still _preserves_ me by giving me richly and daily all that I need for life and body, by guarding and protecting me from all evil. Now we ask, _Why has God done all this for me?_ Our Catechism answers: He has done _"all this purely out of fatherly, divine goodness and mercy."_ This answer is taken from the Word of God. _"The Lord is good to all, and His tender mercies are over all His works."_ Ps. 145,9.-- God is moved by His _goodness_ to bestow His manifold blessings on us. _Our God is good._ Ps. 118,1. He loves all His creatures, especially those whom in Holy Baptism and through faith in Jesus Christ He has accepted as His children. He wishes to make them happy here on earth and above all, eternally in heaven. He also loves you; therefore He has formed your body so beautifully and given you an immortal soul; therefore He provides you with all that is needed for your life and body, and does this richly and daily.
2. God is moved by His _mercy_ to provide for me and protect me. _"His tender mercies are over all His works." Our God is a merciful God._ He knows that without Him, without His provident care, we are helpless, unable to support our life, not even for a single day. And He has compassion on us. He does not like to see His children in need and danger. His tender mercies are over you also; therefore He feeds and clothes you through your parents or friends; therefore He guards and protects you, His child.
3. His goodness and mercy is _fatherly_ goodness and mercy. He provides for me and protects me as a _father_ provides for his children and protects them. _"Like as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear Him."_ Ps. 103,13. Not only in His Word does God assure us that He is our loving Father, but He daily proves it to us by the blessings He sends us. He has given me my beautiful body and a rational soul, that is, powers to think and understand; He daily provides for everything I need; He is at my side in every danger to defend me; from every evil that comes near me He protects me. Surely _God is my Father._--His goodness and mercy are a _divine_ goodness and mercy, such as only God has and can have, a _perfect_ and _never-failing_ goodness and mercy. My Father is the _Father Almighty,_ who daily will and can provide for and protect His children. _"His compassions fail not. They are new every morning."_ Lam. 3,22.--Therefore I confess: _I believe in God, my almighty Father,_ that is, I do not only know from the Word of God and from the blessings I am daily receiving from Him that the almighty God is my Father, but _with all my heart I trust in Him,_ I confide in Him, I rely on Him as on my true Father. When I am in need, I trust in Him, my Father; He will and can provide for me. When dangers surround me, I trust in Him, my Father; He will and can defend me. When evil seems to come near me, I trust in Him, my Father; He will and can protect me. _To believe in God the Father Almighty means to be fully assured that the almighty God is my Father, and with all my heart to trust in Him who is my Father for Jesus' sake._