Friday: Further Thought ~ Education in the Garden of Eden
Further Thought:
“The holy pair were not only children under the fatherly care of God but students receiving instruction from the all-wise Creator. They were visited by angels, and were granted communion with their Maker, with no obscuring veil between. They were full of the vigor imparted by the tree of life, and their intellectual power was but little less than that of the angels.
Image © Stan Myers from GoodSalt.com
The mysteries of the visible universe – ‘the wondrous works of him which is perfect in knowledge’ (Job 37:16) – afforded them an exhaustless source of instruction and delight. The laws and operations of nature, which have engaged men’s study for six thousand years, were opened to their minds by the infinite Framer and Upholder of all. They held converse with leaf and flower and tree, gathering from each the secrets of its life. With every living creature, from the mighty leviathan that playeth among the waters to the insect mote that floats in the sunbeam, Adam was familiar. He had given to each its name, and he was acquainted with the nature and habits of all. God’s glory in the heavens, the innumerable worlds in their orderly revolutions, ‘the balancings of the clouds,’ the mysteries of light and sound, of day and night – all were open to the study of our first parents. On every leaf of the forest or stone of the mountains, in every shining star, in earth and air and sky, God’s name was written. The order and harmony of creation spoke to them of infinite wisdom and power. They were ever discovering some attraction that filled their hearts with deeper love and called forth fresh expressions of gratitude.” — Ellen G. White, Patriarchs and Prophets, pages 50, 51.
Discussion Questions:
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For those of us who are keen observers of nature, the opportunity to go out and name the species in our natural world is both enjoyable and challenging. I usually spend a couple of hours each day - one of the luxuries of retirement - walking around the local bush tracks. One of my objectives is to identify the species of birds that I find. Typically I identify around 30 species each time I go for a walk. Over the 10 years or so that I have been doing this, I have identified over 150 species of birds in the local area. I also find and photograph flowering plants (even when looking for birds, I have to be careful where I am putting my feet). My daily walk among nature is an educative experience. It is not just a "look at the pretty birdy" event.
I mention this because we sometimes get the picture of Adam surrounded by nice cuddly animals and colourful birds on a balmy Friday afternoon naming "cat" and "dog" and so on. I'm sure our original parents had a much longer "nature education" process that certainly never finished.
I understand that not everyone in this modern world of ours has the same curious interest in nature and wildlife that I do. Many live in city apartments where their closest contact with nature is a trip to the supermarket to buy food. It is somewhat sad that in our modern society we hvae become so isolated from nature that many of us are afraid of it.
We were created to be among nature, not isolated from it. And here is a little bonus. I meet so many people from all walks of life on my bird photography walks. The opportunities for sharing and communicating are always there. If we go back to last quarter's topic "Making friends for God", I realise that I have been given a God sent opportunity to share the Gospel, in a non-threatening way.
I think of King Solomon. He was known as the wisest man who ever lived at the time. The Bible says, "He described plant life, from the cedar of Lebanon to the hyssop that grows out of the walls. He also taught about animals and birds, reptiles and fish. Men of all nations came to listen to Solomon's wisdom.... (1 Kings 4:33-34)
Whenever/wherever we are connected to the Creator we become instruments on His hands,for the benefit of others and ourselves.
Authority per dictionary - the power or right to give orders, make decisions, and enforce obedience.
I believe that Jesus' authority was based on the fact that it came from the Creator God who owns everyone and everything and thus has the right to decide what is good or bad. However He doesn't force people to live in harmony with His Principles of Life, He loves them and gives them the choice. The Great Controversy has shown the consequences of people's choices.
Hello Shirley - thank you for sharing Ellen White's insight into the Truth of the 'Law of Love'. I sooo much enjoy reading fundamental Truth expressed to fit into a 'nutshell'. - 🙂
Of all the characteristics displayed by Jesus Christ, the most evident was the extent of his healing power. Along with brother Maurice, I too have an overwhelming appreciation for and have learned much from God’s created nature. As a young university student of biology, I found the innate ability of most organisms to heal was amazing. For this reason, I chose to study the unremarkable sponge because of its fascinating ability for its body to be completely disassociated (or separated as through a sieve) and re-congeal to its original functional state. The Inherent healing properties to which I refer, such as the example of one of the lowliest of animals, is overwhelming evidence of God’s love For his creation as demonstrated by his Son during his Earthly ministry and continued responses in answered prayer.
The body's ability to heal IS amazing! 2 books I have appreciated for a long time are by Dr. Paul Brand, a hand surgeon who lived with lepers in India for 18 years and works at a leprosy hospital in Louisiana, and Philip Yancey, a free-lance writer and editor-at-large for "Christianity Today". They use the Body of Christ analogy of 1 Corinthians 12 and show how every medical discovery seems to make the analogy fit even better. The book "Fearfully & Wonderfully Made" offers insight into the mysterious organic relationship that exists among the people of God, as "cells" cooperating within a Body. As the back cover says, this book explores "the miracle of inner space". The follow-up book "In His Image" looks at the human body's circulatory system, the way the brain works, and the central nervous system. The authors relate these to the Blood of Christ, His Headship,and His pain on the Cross and paint a vivid portrait of what it means to be created in His image.
The last sentence in Ellen White’s quote states: “They were ever discovering some attraction THAT FILLED THEIR HEARTS WITH DEEPER LOVE AND CALLED FORTH FRESH EXPRESSIONS OF GRATITUDE.”
We might be awed by the mighty power of God’s laws that created all things and made them to be beautiful to the eye’s of the beholder; we are impressed by His Authority which has established all other authorities in the physical, observable as well as spiritual, invisible universes; we find the administration of His - oh sooo complex - expressions of His powers to be unfathomable; but what we really ought to be impressed by, is our need for 'showing deeper love and fresh expressions of gratitude' because all this is balanced/resting on the unsearchable depth of the principle of Love of the Creator for His Creation.
This same origin-power which established the laws to create and form matter, using it together with energy to create the laws of gravity to fill space with spheres, nebulae and swirling galaxies establishing and maintaining perfect balance to so populate seemingly endless space, invested His Ultimate creative power to be defined by LOVE – love expressed in the wisdom of the design of all creation, in the balanced interrelationship of the ‘bodies’ in space as well as in the fauna and flora of the natural environment of these worlds and their inhabitants.
The macrocosm is as intricately balanced as is the microcosm; and God’s design based on LOVE – Himself, the I AM - has the capacity to bring back into this balance man by giving him a new, spiritual nature which is in harmony with and in accordance to His will.
His Salvation-design is based on His unsearchable expressions of Love and, when accepted by Faith, this design will fully integrate us again into the Master Designer’s perfect Fabric of His Creation.
There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death. Prov 14:12
INFINITE WISDOM
‘the wondrous works of him which is perfect in knowledge’ (Job 37:16)
The Sabbath, ever pointing to Him who made them all, bids men open the great book of nature and trace therein the WISDOM, the power, and the love of the Creator. {PP 48.3}
The tree of KNOWLEDGE, which stood near the tree of life in the midst of the garden, was to be a test of the obedience, faith, and love of our parents {PP 48.4}
He(Satan) is constantly seeking to excite a spirit of irreverent curiosity, a restless, inquisitive desire TO PENETRATE THE SECRETS OF DIVINE WISDOM AND POWER. In their efforts to search out what God has been pleased to withhold, multitudes overlook the truths which He has revealed, and which are essential to salvation. Satan tempts men to disobedience by leading them to believe they are entering A WONDERFUL FIED OF KNOWLEDGE. But this is all a deception. Elated with their ideas of progression, they are, by trampling on God’s requirements, setting their feet in the path that leads to degradation and death. {PP 54.3}
Today, many are still entering forbidden ground in search of knowledge. Knowledge as seen by Satan standard and not from God.
Solution- we should not go in search into forbidden areas in search of Knowledge. Work with what we have.
My own experience. I met several who are searching for 'forbidden knowledge and wisdom'. I met a gentleman recently who had on this ring. The ring was a ring with many symbols, it had #32, it had an eye and several other symbols. I like to engage those men in my conversation. He was from another Christian faith. We spoke and he had the secrets that he couldn't disclosed to me. I told him that I knew enough and asked him if he thought that was a good society. I told him the bible has no secret.
When I come in contact with people, I take their salvation serious. EG White caution us SDA-
There are those who question whether it is right for Christians to belong to the Free Masons and other secret societies. Let all such consider the scriptures just quoted. If we are Christians at all, we must be Christians everywhere, and must consider and heed the counsel given to make us Christians according to the standard of God’s Word.... {Ev 618.1}
I am very thankful to our gracious heavenly Father that He has given you strength through His imparted grace to cut yourself loose from the Free Mason lodge and all that relates to the society. It was not safe for you to have any part with this secret order. Those who stand under the blood-stained banner of Prince Immanuel cannot be united with the Free Masons or with any secret organization. The seal of the living God will not be placed upon anyone who maintains such a connection after the light of truth has shone upon his pathway. Christ is not divided, and Christians cannot serve God and mammon. The Lord says, “Come out from among them, and be ye separate, ... and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, and I will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be My sons and My daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.”—Letter 21, 1893. {Ev 622.1}