Sabbath Afternoon - March 26
Memory Text:
“In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.” KJV — Genesis 1:1
The only safe way to build is with Truth sent from the throne of God. This is how Moses, the prophets, and the apostles built, and this is how we must build. Moses, for example, founded his structure of Truth on the solid rock of creation, the Genesis, on the work of Him Who created the worlds (Heb. 1:1). The prophets after him, also the apostles, continued building on the same foundation, not on the theories of the priests and rabbis, the so-called religious educators of that day. And that is why their structure of Truth stands today firmer than ever before.
Sunday - March 27
The God of Creation
Psalm 100:1-3
What is the human response to the God of Creation, and why?
In His own image God created Adam, and gave him sovereign "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." Gen. 1:26.
Accordingly, as He made Adam the king of earth's first dominion, and all living creatures the subjects thereof, Adam's natural ability to rule them, and their natural submission to him, show that all creation, man and beast, fowl and creeping things, were divinely influenced or endowed--inspired. So when Adam reviewed the whole animal creation as it passed before him, he spent no time in studying the nature of the creatures in order to identify them, but instantaneously gave every species its name; they, in turn, immediately recognized him as their king. This Super-intelligence (such as is vouch-safe in Matthew 10:19) clearly shows that all creation was influenced by a power above and beyond its own. In short, both Adam's and the animals' understanding, came by Inspiration. Inspiration, accordingly, is not limited in Its manifestations, to man alone.
Monday - March 28
The Creation
Genesis 1:4, 10, 12, 18, 21, 25, 31; 2;1-3
What is the significance of the refrain “it was good” in the first Creation account? What is the implied lesson contained in the conclusion of Creation?
“God created the seed, as He created the earth, by His word. By His word He gave it power to grow and multiply. He said, “Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth; and it was so ... and God saw that it was good.” Genesis 1:11, 12. It is that word which still causes the seed to grow. Every seed that sends up its green blade to the sunlight declares the wonder-working power of that word uttered by Him who “spake, and it was”; who “commanded, and it stood fast.” Psalm 33:9. COL 80.2
“Christ taught His disciples to pray “Give us this day our daily bread.” And pointing to the flowers He gave them the assurance, “If God so clothe the grass of the field, ... shall He not much more clothe you?” Matthew 6:11, 30. Christ is constantly working to answer this prayer, and to make good this assurance. There is an invisible power constantly at work as man's servant to feed and to clothe him. Many agencies our Lord employs to make the seed, apparently thrown away, a living plant. And He supplies in due proportion all that is required to perfect the harvest. In the beautiful words of the psalmist:” COL 81.1
Tuesday - March 29
The Sabbath
Genesis 2:2, 3, Exodus 20:8-11
Why is the seventh-day Sabbath related to Creation? How does this connection impact how we keep the Sabbath?
God rested the seventh day because His creative work was finished, but man's work was not yet done. Man's work in reality started where God's sole creative work ended. Therefore, man joins the Lord in resting on the Sabbath day in commemoration of the completion of the Lord's work, but the rest that is to be man's will be given him when his part of the work is finished. When the gospel work has replenished the earth with born-again people, then probation will cease and our work will be ended. Then will we enter into our rest, the rest Paul is speaking about.
"There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God." Heb. 4:9.
If we are the people with the last message, then we must be the ones who are to be among the first to enter into that rest. Since rest comes when one's work is done, it is only when we have done our work that we can have rest. What is our work? the work we must perform before we may have rest?
Wednesday - March 30
The Creation of Humanity
Genesis 1:26-29; 2:7
What is the connection between “image” and “likeness” in regard to the creation of humanity?
“In that day shall the LORD defend the inhabitants of Jerusalem; and he that is feeble among them at that day shall be as David; and the house of David shall be as God, as the angel of the LORD before them.” KJV — Zechariah 12:8
Now, that we might know what it means to be “as God,” we must study what God is like. At the outset He did not only create and abundantly fill the earth with every good thing for His creatures, but He also planted a garden (home) for the man. Thus He made a model home for all human beings who were to live thereafter. He taught Adam how to keep the home and how to dress the garden. He taught him to speak and to discern the nature between one beast and another, to name them accordingly. God endowed man with knowledge and life in order to make him happy, and useful in making the world what it ought to be. Even after the holy pair fell in sin God was still interestedin them as He was before – so much so, in fact, that He immediately began to teach them how to redeem themselves, and to return to their eternal home. From that day to this He thus continued to teach the human family.
Thursday - March 31
The Duty of Humanity
Genesis 2:15-17
What is man’s duty toward creation and toward God? How do these two duties relate to each other?
Gen. 1:27, 28 -- "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."
This was the work God gave man to do. He created the earth to be inhabited. It was the duty of Adam and Eve to replenish the earth with saints and to bare rule over all the earth. Obviously this work has not yet been finished, for not all on earth is yet under subjection to man as God intended. The earth was originally created and provided with righteous people, but because Adam sinned all his children were born in sin. Had our first parents been faithful there would have been only righteous inhabitants. Since all born of Adam are sinners, there is therefore need for all to be born again. Then because sin entered all man's work is multiplied, for the additional labor to bring salvation by preaching the Word became necessary.
Friday - April 1
Further Study
The Lord has given me a view of other worlds. Wings were given me, and an angel attended me from the city to a place that was bright and glorious. The grass of the place was living green, and the birds there warbled a sweet song. The inhabitants of the place were of all sizes; they were noble, majestic, and lovely. They bore the express image of Jesus, and their countenances beamed with holy joy, expressive of the freedom and happiness of the place. I asked one of them why they were so much more lovely than those on the earth. The reply was, “We have lived in strict obedience to the commandments of God, and have not fallen by disobedience, like those on the earth.” ... I begged of my attending angel to let me remain in that place. I could not bear the thought of coming back to this dark world again. Then the angel said, “You must go back, and if you are faithful, you, with the 144,000, shall have the privilege of visiting all the worlds and viewing the handiwork of God.” AH 543.2