Friday: Further Thought – Memorials of Grace
Daily Lesson for Friday 17th of October 2025
Read Ellen G. White, “Crossing the Jordan,” Pages 483, 484, in Patriarchs and Prophets.
Image © Stan Myers from GoodSalt.com
“Study carefully the experiences of Israel in their travels to Canaan. Study the third and fourth chapters of Joshua, recording their preparation for and passage over the Jordan into the promised land. We need to keep the heart and mind in training, by refreshing the memory with the lessons that the Lord taught His ancient people. Then to us, as He designed it should be to them, the teachings of His Word will ever be interesting and impressive.”—Ellen G. White Comments, The SDA Bible Commentary, vol. 2, p. 994.
“Modern Israel are in greater danger of forgetting God and being led into idolatry than were His ancient people. Many idols are worshiped, even by professed Sabbathkeepers. God especially charged His ancient people to guard against idolatry, for if they should be led away from serving the living God, His curse would rest upon them, while if they would love Him with all their heart, with all their soul, and with all their might, He would abundantly bless them in basket and in store, and would remove sickness from the midst of them.”—Ellen G. White, Testimonies for the Church, vol. 1, p. 609.
Discussion Questions
|
(8)
This coming week I am going back to my “birth church”. They are having their centenary celebration. Our family has a long association with this church and so my brother, sister and I, are all returning home to share and reminisce about the good old days. It is a bit special for me because the Sabbath of the centenary celebration is October 25 and that is about as close as you can get to my birthday. I was born on a Sabbath morning i27, October, 1945, and after my birth, dad went to church to tell the congregation that I had been born. My grandparents were members of that church when it was first dedicated in 1925. In 2025, my birth church is into its 3rd building. I suspect that there will not be many of my generation there when we go back.
It is a reminder that we have been waiting on the bank of the Jordan River for a very long time. I have heard many apocalyptic sermons (and preached a few myself) about how close we are to the banks of the Jordan River. Perhaps, it is a sign of my age that nowadays I think more about living on the bank.
There is an appropriate quote. Jesus said, “Occupy till I come!” That carries with it a sense of activity. I like to think of it in terms of computers. Computers work on tasks, but in the background, there is a mechanism called an “Interrupt”. The computer keeps working on its assigned tasks until an interrupt fires. It then stops and does what it needs to do to service the interrupt. It is important that our spiritual interrupts are set so that the important work of caring for others continues.
There is work to be done, and it’s neither mystical meditation, theological musing, nor current affairs matching with prophecy. It is about sharing the love of Jesus in practical ways with our neighbors.
Happy Birthday Maurice, we share the same birthday, my husband is on the 29th. I agree with what you say that we must occupy til He comes and be ready to meet Him. I miss your wise comments when you are gone.
Happy Birthday, Maurice. I hope you and your loved ones have a safe and enjoyable time.
That's quite a legacy. I grew up in the Baptist church and only became Adventist after getting married. I am the first and still only Adventist in my family, other than my husband and son. What a blessing to have always known the truth.
By the way, my son shares your birthday but in 2001. He has had the blessing of always having known Adventism, since he was 2 years old when I started studying Adventist beliefs and my husband returned to the Adventist church. I pray you will be blessed on your birthday and beyond. You are a blessing to the Sabbath School Net family and you are greatly appreciated.
This week, the children of Israel crossed the Jordan, marking a second significant crossing experience for some of them, following their miraculous crossing of the Red Sea (Exodus 14:21-31). These two experiences, though years apart, showcased God's love, patience, and mercy as He journeyed with Israel through both crossings. Notably, the Red Sea crossing represented a profound liberation from slavery, symbolizing the shedding of heavy burdens and weights (Exodus 14:13-14). In contrast, the Jordan crossing marked a transition from wilderness wanderings to settlement in the Promised Land, highlighting God's transformative power (Joshua 3:14-17).
Throughout these experiences, God walked with Israel, guiding and sustaining them (Deuteronomy 31:6). Similarly, today, God walks with us through our challenges, and we are called to remember and share His story of transformation (Psalm 78:4-6). Just as Israel's experiences were marked by God's presence, our lives are also touched by His love and mercy. As we reflect on our own journeys, may we too testify to God's faithfulness and share His story with others.
This week’s lesson, “Memories of Grace,” reminds us that Israel’s journey to Canaan mirrors our own walk of faith. God led them through the Jordan to teach trust, obedience, and remembrance. Ellen White urges us to “refresh the memory with the lessons the Lord taught His ancient people,” so that His Word remains living and powerful in our hearts.
But she also warns that modern Israel that’s us is in greater danger of forgetting God and turning to idols of comfort, pride, or material things.
As we close the Sabbath, let us remember how God has led us in the past. Each trial, each blessing, is a memorial of His grace. May these memories strengthen our faith and keep us focused on the true Promised Land our eternal home with Christ.
“Hitherto hath the Lord helped us.” — 1 Samuel 7:12
Miracles, memory, and Sabbath keeping. Where do these all meet? "Blessed are those who believe without seeing..." A miracle is the perfect arrangement of atoms to form molecules, to function perfectly together in structures, and make a whole organism function: the miracle of life, which we seem to remember only when the body aches. The Sabbath is a sign, to which we can freely choose and show faith in the "Book of Memories", the Bible.
I am very happy to read, included in today’s ‘Further Thoughts’, Ellen G. White’s words confirming what God has laid upon my heart for many years now: “ ..., while if they would love Him with all their heart, with all their soul, and with all their might, He would abundantly bless them in basket and in store, and would remove sickness from the midst of them.”
His Grace is not found in 'do this or that', 'belong to one or the other', 'going one way or another'. The Right Way - God's Truth and Wisdom – and its accompanying blessings are found in learning to love and trust Him with all our heart and being - Matt.22:36-40.
We are the living 'Memorial to His Grace', His Thoughts, His Wisdom guide us and we, being found to follow Him, will eagerly live according to His Will and Purpose. We are the 'Memorial to His Love of mankind', a living Memorial to God’s Mercy, Grace, and Power – Eph.2:8-9; Titus 2:11-12.
I hadn't quite thought of it this way. It reminds me of how Paul says we are to be living epistles - living letters. Written letters are one way to remember or memorialize events, including how God has shown us His grace.
Wonderful