IN the beginning the creator, God, whom Christ Jesus declared to be Spirit, established one creation, the universe including man. In the twenty-seventh verse of the first chapter of Genesis, it is recorded that "God created man in his own image," and in the thirty-first verse, that God saw that His creation was "very good." Before these statements, in the ninth verse, it is written, "And God said, Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together unto one place, and let the dry land appear: and it was so." As the record of creation continues, the dry land, which was to bring forth both seed and fruit, is called "earth." This truth concerning the spiritual creation, when understood, is found to be clearly applicable to any and every problem that may present itself for solution.
In that part of "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" which gives the "key" to Genesis, Mary Baker Eddy, the Discoverer and Founder of Christian Science and author of the above-mentioned textbook, writes (p. 507), "In metaphor, the dry land illustrates the absolute formations instituted by Mind, while water symbolizes the elements of Mind." In regard to the gathering together of the waters, she says (ibid., p. 506), "Spirit, God, gathers unformed thoughts into their proper channels, and unfolds these thoughts, even as He opens the petals of a holy purpose in order that the purpose may appear."
What a revelation it is, when one begins to realize what it means to "let" ideas of divine Mind take shape! What a wonderful beginning to the solution of a problem is obedience to the command to "let" God's creation appear! When ideas unfold in our consciousness, their identities are revealed; and they cover a wide range of thought, even from the least unto the greatest, the greatest being the real man, who is the image of God.
To mortal sense there appear to be warring concepts in endless combat. There seems to be an evil power, rebelling against good, contending with good for supremacy. This mental sphere is the only place where there appears to exist any controversy or conflict; and it is here the battle must be fought and the victory over the belief in evil gained. Before peace can be established and harmony reign, the inhabitants of this land must become law-abiding.
How is this to be accomplished? The convincing argument is that Truth replaces false material belief —mortal law — and rebukes the lying sense-testimony by destroying it. In reality there is no controversy and no warfare, because the supreme power, Truth, reigns. And since Truth reigns, error remains merely a false claimant to authority. Consciousness must become so spiritualized that Truth may destroy the beliefs of personal sense. It will be remembered that when Moses discerned the distinction between the real and the unreal, the children of Israel walked upon dry land through the Red Sea. The waters remained a wall of protection on both their right hand and their left, but returned to cover the enemies of the Hebrews until not one was left.
Throughout the Bible we find this use of the word "land." Sometimes the prophets used the word "earth" instead. And did not John, the Revelator, while on the Isle of Patmos, see a new earth appear? By means of Mrs. Eddy's spiritual interpretation of "dry land," we arrive at the meaning of the prophets when they made use of this metaphor. While in divine Science land typifies absolute spiritual consciousness, outside of Science it means material thinking, as, for example, where Hosea writes of the land mourning because the people had not listened to the Word of the Lord, "for the Lord hath a controversy with the inhabitants of the land." But in II Chronicles we have the assurance that when His people humble themselves, pray, seek His face, and turn from wickedness, God "will heal their land." And our beloved Master, Christ Jesus, comforts us with Truth's blessing that the meek "shall inherit the earth," the land of spiritual consciousness.
By standing still and adhering to the truth, Jehoshaphat learned to "let the dry land appear" and be a protection to his people. Not until he had commanded the people to stand still did he give the order to go out on the next day against the invaders of their land. Here we have affirmation and denial; affirmation of the presence and power of good and, next, the rejection of error, the evil invader of the land of thought. Jehoshaphat won the battle first in thought, when he stood in the congregation of Judah and Jerusalem before the new court and prayed. When he let the spiritual understanding of God and man appear, he wrestled with error, mostly fear, and invoked God as the only power to judge the invaders. He did not let a personal sense of evil, manifested in the form of an army, convince him of its power to enter and govern the land. He knew that Truth was casting out the invaders of his peace. He stood still upon a peak of spiritual consciousness, and rejoiced in the power of Truth. And when the spoils, the fruit of demonstration, were gathered up, the enemies were found to be destroyed. This story, as recorded in the twentieth chapter of II Chronicles, closes with the statement that the land of Jehoshaphat was quiet thereafter, and that he had rest.
We too can have a quiet land, free from warring controversy, and can rest secure in the understanding that "the dry land" is appearing from the waters, "the elements of Mind." Knowing upon whose shoulder the government rests, we may leave spiritual insight to appear to each one individually; and, "trusting Truth, the strong deliverer," to guide us, we shall be led, as our Leader tells us she was led (Science and Health, pp. 226, 227), "into the land of Christian Science, where fetters fall and the rights of man are fully known and acknowledged."
