Lectionary Readings for Sunday, January 8th, 2023
Book of Jehovih Chapter 5
1. MAN perceived the magnitude and glory of the corporeal worlds. He said, How shall I speak of Thy great works, O Jehovih, and of Thy wisdom and power! Shall I open my mouth before Thee! I look upon Thy countless stars, suns and moons, spread out over the heavens! The millions of years Thou hast rolled them on in the never-ending firmament! Processions in and out, and round about, of mighty worlds! By Thy breath going forth!
2. O Thou, All Highest! How shall I hide my insignificance! I cannot create the smallest thing alive! Nay, nor change the color of a hair on my head. What am I, that Thou has seen me?
3. Tell me, O my Creator, whence came life? This unseen within me that is conscious of being? Tell me how all the living came into life.
4. Jehovih heard the words of man and He answered him saying: Let a sign be given to man that he may comprehend se’mu. Thereupon Jehovih caused the jelly fish and the green scum of water to be permanently coming forth in all ages, that man might understand the age of se’mu, when the earth and the shores by the water, and the waters also, were covered over with commingled atmosphere and corporeal substance. And this substance was called se’mu, because by Jehovih’s presence quickened He it into life, and thus made He all the living, both the vegetable and animal worlds. Not that se’mu is jelly-fish or the green scum of water; for the earth in this day produceth not se’mu abundantly; nevertheless the jelly-fish and the green scum of water are signs of that which was in that day of the earth.
5. Jehovih said: Because of My presence quickened I into life all that live, or ever have lived.
6. Because I am male and female, even in my likeness, thus made I them. Because I am the power to quicken into life, so, in likeness of Me thus, made I them, and with power to bring forth.
7. According to their respective places created I the living; not in pairs only, but in hundreds of pairs and thousands, and in millions.
8. According to their respective places and the light upon se’mu, so quickened I them in their color, adapted to their dwelling places.
9. Each and every living thing created I new upon the earth, of a kind each to itself; and not one living thing created I out of another.
10. Let a sign be upon the earth, that man in his darkness may not believe that one animal changeth and becometh another.
11. Thereupon Jehovih gave permission for different animals to bring forth a new living animal, which should be unlike either its mother or father, but he caused the new product to be barren.
12. Jehovih said: And this shall be testimony before all men that I created each and all the living, after their own kind only.
13. Such is My person and My spirit, being from everlasting to everlasting; and when I bring a new world into the time of se’mu, lo and behold my presence quickeneth the substance into life; according to the locality and the surroundings, so do I bring forth the different species; for they are flesh of My flesh and spirit of My spirit. To themselves give I themselves; nevertheless, they are all members of My Person.
14. As a testimony to man, behold the earth was once a globe of liquid fire! Nor was there any seed thereon. But in due season I rained down se’mu on the earth; and by virtue of my presence quickened I into life all the living. Without seed created I the life that is in them.