Sabbath-School Lesson Notes
By A. T. Robinson
Gen. 1:26. The Lord made Adam the prince, or subruler, of this world, one of the provinces of his great empire. The Lord Jehovah has never given over his kingship in any part of his dominion. Luke 3:38. Adam, as prince of one of the portions of the King's realm, is called one of the sons of God. A fair inference would be that a similar relationship existed on the part of the head of each other world created. Job 1:6. The sons of God—representatives of worlds—had a place of meeting for counsel. When Adam forfeited his dominion to Satan, he lost his seat in that council, and the usurper became the one to represent this world therein. He is represented as the official accuser of Job, as one of the brethren. Rev. 12:7-13. In the controversy begun in heaven by the great arch-rebel, the great foe of mankind was conquered through the death of Christ, who thus won for himself the right to become the second Adam, or rightful representative of this world. Truly it is cause for rejoicing throughout the universe that the accuser no longer has admittance to that council concerning the sons of men. One who is wonderful in counsel now speaks authoritatively in that council, concerning this world. See “Early Writings,” page 30, reference to the angels holding admittance cards. Gen. 2:8. The Lord gave Adam a sample of what the whole earth would have become at the touch of his hand, had he not forfeited his rulership. Gen. 1:28. Adam was given the command to fill the world with his posterity. Just as fast as his seed multiplied, the limits of their Eden home would have been extended until the whole earth should have become like the sample the Lord gave them. Gen. 6:5-8. Under the rule of Satan the world became so far ruined that there was only one true man left in it. See chapter 7:1. Gen. 9:2. After the destruction of the old world by the flood, the same dominion was given to Noah that had been given to Adam. Gen. 9:1. To Noah was also given the command to fill the world with holy and righteous beings. This command, like every command of God, was a pledge of its fulfilment. Had Noah and his descendants proved true and loyal to their King, the righteous seed would have prevailed, until righteousness would have covered the whole earth, even as the waters cover the sea. Genesis, chapter 10. Satan set up his form of organized government in the earth, the avowed object of which was to overthrow God's plan that the whole earth should be peopled. The Lord so overruled that effort of Satan as to make it the origin of all the nations that should people the earth till the end of time. God's one eternal purpose in the existence of all the nations has been that out of them might be gathered a holy and righteous people eventually to fill the whole world. Gen. 12:1-3. Under Satan's form of organized government the world again became so nearly ruined that but one righteous man remained. Then, after this second apparent failure on account of man's disloyalty, the Lord called this one righteous man out from the darkness of heathenism, and promised to make of him a righteous and holy nation. Thus the Lord established his form of organized government in the territory claimed by the usurper. Isa. 49:6. God's purpose concerning the nation of Israel was that that nation should become the light and salvation of the whole world. Just as he had given Adam a sample of what he designed the whole world to become, so he gave to the nation of Israel a land flowing with milk and honey, as a sample of what the whole world would become under their obedient rule. He gave them the oft-repeated promise that every place where the soles of their feet should tread would become theirs, and that not one person in the whole world who would not submit to them could remain in the world. Ps. 81:13-15 tells us what the Lord would have done through that people had they proved true to their high and holy calling, by keeping God's commandments. A. T. ROBINSON.