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ORGANIZATION

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Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Dec 25, 1900

FromReview and Herald, Vol. 77, No. 52.

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ORGANIZATION

By Earnest A. Raymond

The Science of Life’s Development
EARNEST A. RAYMOND
EARTH’S parent-source was God himself; therefore let us trace with reverent steps the marvelous unfolding of its well-nigh infinite possibilities by His life outworking His own plan of organization, until His image and likeness stand revealed.
First of all came forth the light. From a careful reading of the record in Genesis, it is clearly evident that there were two steps in the organization of those elements whose radiant energy produces light for the world. It will be seen that they were at first widely diffused, evidently entirely surrounding the mass of earth, making light all sides at the same time; for a separate and distinct act on the Creator’s part was necessary to cause an absence of light (darkness) on one side, while it remained light on the other. “God divided the light from the darkness,” and thus caused day and night. From the record we also find that the light-elements did not undergo the second step in their arrangement until the fourth day, when they were gathered together to form our sun, and those more distant suns, the stars. The moon, as all know, sends us only a reflected radiance,—truly a lesser light.
There is something exceedingly wonderful about the nature of our light. It is an element,—just only an element,—a part, of that inexpressible glory that radiates from the person of God—an expression of His life. The prophet says, in speaking of that day when Christ shall dwell in person with His people: “The light of the moon shall be as the light of the sun, and the light of the sun shall be sevenfold, as the light of seven days.” The revelator, speaking of the same, declares: “There shall be no night there;” they have no need of the sun, for God himself is the light thereof. And the psalmist sings, “With thee is the fountain of life: in thy light shall we see light.” Then in that great day shall man see and grasp, in its fullness, the fact that the glorious “orb of day” is but a spark from the great central Sun of Righteousness, only an element of that Light Everlasting, in whom is no darkness at all.
But in the meantime—the days intervening between these two changes in the light-elements—wonderful results have been brought about by the separation and relation of other elements. A firmament (“expansion,” Hebrew) was made between the earth-mass, with its closely surrounding waters, and the great body of water filled with elemental life, as yet undeveloped, all around it. Earth was but a speck in God’s creative plan; not only did He shape the worlds, but “he made the stars also,” each, as astronomers suppose, the center of a system of worlds much larger than ours.
And now the waters still enveloping the earth are gathered and arranged into seas, so that earth may be ready for the next great impulse of that Life within and overshadowing. What a change is this! At the expression of the Master Builder’s wish, at a word of command, in the twinkling of an eye, certain elements on and near the surface of the earth—just the right ones—rise, unite in exactly the proper proportions, each to each, and are arranged in most marvelous forms; and the infinitely varied yet all-inclusive plan in the mind of the great Organizer is revealed in its perfection, each blade of grass and leaf of tree, delicious fruit and fragrant flower, worked out to the smallest minutia. Infinite Cause, inexpressible effect! Yet the same wonderful work of organization goes on in the plant world to-day.
“And God said: Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit-tree yielding fruit. . . . And the earth brought forth grass, and herb, . . . and the tree yielding fruit.”
We all have witnessed many a time how the minute steel filings, in perfect obedience to the waves of energy from the magnet placed underneath, arrange themselves in beautiful curves and outlines on their paper plane. Thus did the elements spring to their appointed places; in such a manner rose the beautiful fabric of God’s building, without sound of ax or hammer, to its perfection and symmetry of completion. Earth’s morning sun looked down on no misfits, no discordant elements; matter responded perfectly to the impulse of all-harmonious Mind.
Thus did the earth bring forth in a day that which now grows only in years; for nature’s God “made [“formed, constructed,” Hebrew; “organized,” N. T. Greek equivalent] every plant of the field before it was in the earth, and every herb of the field before it grew.” And thus they stood forth as models of organization, of complete, symmetrical development.
Still the work goes on, and on the fifth day the waters of the sea are commanded to “swarm [Hebrew] the moving creature that hath life,” and fowl formed from the ground (see Gen. 2:19) were bidden to fly forth in the midst of heaven.
The dawning of another day witnesses another great marvel: beasts of the field and cattle of every kind emerge from the dust, and stand forth in the matchless perfection of nature’s harmonious organization. “And God said, Let the earth bring forth the living creature after his kind, cattle, and creeping thing, and beast of the earth after his kind.” “And out of the ground the Lord God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air.”
And now for the finishing touch. The “masterpiece” must yet appear, and take his place, before all is complete. “And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over . . . all the earth.” Such was the sovereignty of man under God, as earth’s representative of the Omnipotent. In perfect harmony with the great Source of all power, he might ask what he would (he would thus ask as God willed), and it should be done unto him. “With God all things are possible.” Nothing shall be impossible with you. “If ye have faith, . . . ye shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and it shall be done.” But out of harmony with the direction of the current of life from God, he can only hinder and deflect from their perfect working his waves of energy.
Whence should such a being come? and from what should he be formed?—“And the Lord God formed man of the DUST OF THE GROUND.”
He “breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.”
Let earth receive her prince. Lofty in stature, perfect in symmetry, noble in feature, the beauty and freshness of perfect health irradiating all,—well might he be called “the son of God.” Yet something was lacking. Only the Mind Omniscient was conscious of it as yet; would that Mind’s image just formed discern the need of one step more for life’s completeness?
Christ the Saviour taught by object lessons. In like manner did Christ the Creator show to Adam His great and wonderful works, causing all the beasts of the field and fowl of the air to pass in review before him. With keen, clear, and discerning eye and intellect, the man reads as an open book each unit of the animal creation. With perfect clearness he comprehends their very nature and the laws of their being.
God caused all these to pass before the man “to see what he would call them: and whatsoever Adam called every living creature, that was the name thereof.” That was it. That name perfectly expressed the nature, habits, needs,—everything,—of each creature.
At last all have passed, and he stands alone. He also is a creature. He considers himself. “But for Adam there was not found [“he did not find,” Hebrew] an help meet for [“like, corresponding to,” Hebrew] him.” In all that multitude Adam found no congenial companion for himself. He almost felt as if left alone in the midst of earth.
In this shines forth the mind of the Master through his masterpiece. Thus it had been that God himself, in the eternities long ago, felt that longing that would not be denied, for the loving, sympathetic companionship of a being “like, corresponding to,” himself, and begat His only begotten Son.
Heaven’s unit of perfect organization differed from earth’s only in form, not in reality. In both, the vital principle was that love that finds its essence of joy and blessedness in giving rather than in receiving, of spending, yet never being spent; and just beyond this lies the hidden spring of Omnipotence!
At the loss of his own flesh and bone was Adam’s need supplied; and thus at last, as then, through Love’s infinite sacrifice shall the sundered elements of the units divine and human unite in one, when “His wife hath made herself ready.” Adam said, “This is now bone of my bone, and flesh of my flesh.” The Spirit said, through Paul, “We are members of His body, of His flesh, and of His bones.” Such is the perfection of organization, such the triumph of love!
Well might the morning stars sing, and all the sons of God shout, as Sabbath morning dawns on a world all complete; and love in his place sits enthroned.
The “fatherhood of God,” the “brotherhood of man,”—how much they mean! yet without that golden link let down from heaven, the home, both are absolutely meaningless. In the “garden of delights” was the first home circle organized, and the table spread with nature’s gift of life-giving, life-preserving bounties from heaven. In means working to an end, a purpose, a glorious and infinite fulfillment, has God seen fit to lodge His providence.
So might trust forever grow, So might faith eternal bloom; And human plant, as ages rolled, Still better fruit of life unfold.
Upon such a scene as this looked Satan, the great disorganizer, with jealous eyes. If discord could once be sown and take root, how quickly would the scene change, and forever. With keen and practiced eye, he scanned every approach to the citadel, and found at last that Faith held the fortress keys. Love was the cord of life from heaven, the silken bond of mutual strength, the granite wall and gate of steel to every foe without. Faith, that perfect trust, lays hold of the cord draws tight the silken bond, and day and night guards gate and wall. Lose trust, lose all.
The world knows the story well. Her bark was lost on the hidden rock of Self, just off the entrance to the safe harbor of Individuality. “It is not good that the man should be alone.” “We are members one of another.”
How quickly disorganization appeared, and showed its work! Trust had changed to distrust of each other and of God. Too late they saw their utter nothingness, and feared to meet their Father. Disorganization reigns, all is lost.
Yet not all, else hope itself were dead, and reorganization an impossibility. Sin is lack of agreement with God in His plan of nature and nature’s development. Sin is disorganization, disorganization is sin.
“There is no power but of God.” “In Him we live, and move, and have our being.” “By Him all things consist [stand together, are organized].” Then as long as there is life, there is hope. Adam’s hope, the hope of the world, is in reorganization. This is letting God trace out again His plan in us.
How often, on a hot summer’s day, have we seen the flowers, the grass, the blades of corn, hang drooping, shriveled, seemingly almost lifeless in the fierce glare of the sun! But evening by evening the refreshing dew and coolness revive them again, until at last come “veritable showers of blessing,” and nature renews her youth, putting on again her perfection of form and color. So shall the human plant be reorganized; in like manner shall man be born again to life everlasting.