Sabbath: Abraham’s Seed
Image © Pacific Press
Sabbath Afternoon
Read for This Week’s Study: Ezek: 16:8; Deut: 28:1, Deuteronomy 28:15; Jer: 11:8; Gen: 6:5; John 10:27-28; Gal: 3:26-29; Rom: 4:16-17.
Memory Text: “But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light” (1 Peter 2:9).
“In a small town, the clock in the jeweler’s window stopped one day at a quarter to nine. Many of the citizens had been depending on this clock to know the time. On this particular morning, business men and women glanced in the window and noticed it was only fifteen minutes to nine; children on their way to school were surprised to find they still had plenty of time to loiter. Many persons were late that morning because one small clock in the jeweler’s window had stopped.” — C. L. Paddock, God’s Minutes (Nashville, TN: Southern Publishing Association, 1965), p. 244, adapted.
How accurate a representation of ancient Israel’s failure! The Lord placed Israel “in the midst of the nations” (Ezek: 5:5) — in the strategic bridgeland between three continents (Africa, Europe, and Asia). They were to be the spiritual “clock” of the world.
Israel, however, like the clock in the jeweler’s window, in a sense, stopped. Yet, it was not a total failure; for then, as today, God has His faithful remnant. Our study this week focuses on the identity and role of God’s true Israel in every age, including our own.
The Week at a Glance: What covenant promises did the Lord make to Israel? What conditions came with them? How well did the nation abide by those promises? What happened when they disobeyed?
Study this week’s lesson to prepare for Sabbath, May 8.
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In high school science we learn one of the great principles of Physics; the conservation of energy. We learn that there are essentially two kinds of energy, potential and kinetic. Potential energy is essentially energy due to position. A rock sitting on the top of a cliff, water behind a dam, a spring wound up in a clock, and an battery are all examples of potential energy. The objects do not have to do anything to have potential energy, they just sit there. Kinetic energy is energy due to motion. A moving car, a falling rock, rushing water, the hands of a clock moving to tell the time are all examples of kinetic energy. The objects are moving. We physicists say they have velocity - the objects are going somewhere.
In a spiritual sense, the covenants are potential energy and we need to convert them into kinetic energy.
Isaiah and Jesus both taught physics :
What is the use of potential energy if we do not convert it into kinetic energy?
For really thanks to the God for the Sabbath school(posters of these lessons) and Mr. Maurice even others like Mr.Lew for unceasing contributions to our lives.
Mr. Maurice the answer is that potential energy is of no use if not converted to kinetic energy.
Same applies to the convenants they are of no use to us if we have no faith in their promises.
So we should believe in them if we're to have value in them because the Who them is a faithful God.
Maurice - thank you for continuing to share your insights with us. The study of the lesson 'Abraham's Seed' gets a good start with your comments. Please allow me to comment on your statement: 'In a spiritual sense, the covenants are potential energy and we need to convert them into kinetic energy.'
I agree that Covenants are potential energy, though I respectfully differ in my understanding of how this potential energy is converted. I see all the Coventans' potential spiritual energy remaining spiritual energy at the outset of the process of faith until they are being responded to by the intelligent powers of heaven to determin their practial impact.
I think it is the authorities vested in Heaven's administration to respond to the faith-energy released by us; the Father's response is entirely His choice (we do not control His actions) which can also be mitigated by His Grace if He so chooses.
I see the heavenly Father keeping the wellbing of His children at the forefront of all exchanges between them. It is not us who convert these potential spiritual energies, He does; in response we are blessed or admonished according to His Will! And yes, Faith can move mountains and is comparable to a Mustard Seed, but it still operates within the bounds of the manifest Will of God; Thank God for Grace!
Would you consider that outside of the energy inherent in matter, potential or otherwise, there also exists a purely spiritual energy released by Faith and Love; one of the most important operational energies in the universe which we, in our state of being, influence only indirectly?
Do you think that released, spiritual faith-energy can manifest itself as kinetic energy - i.e., miracles, so called, enacted by the Will of God?
Do you think Faith releases experienced, spiritual energy as heavenly powers direct the effects of our 'faith-works' to bless the doer's and receiver's lives as they become the beneficiaries of the Love of God?
It was only an illustration Brigitte. I wouldn’t like to draw too many parallels.
Hello again Maurice – just a quick follow-up on your decline to elaborate a bit more. We all know that your illustrations are meant to provide spiritual insight. Your question at the end of your comment repeats the same sentiment contained in your statement; you even related to Isaiah and Jesus as teachers of physics.
Is your reply: "I wouldn't like to draw too many parallels" a personal statement, or is it an advise to me not to do so?
I am disappointed to find you uninterested to elaborate a bit more on these parallels. A short follow-up might lead us to go a bit deeper into the 'bush' without having to get us 'lost in the weeds', so to speak.
The topic is 'Abrahams Seed', and my reply took up your question by asking a few more of my own along the same line. Your question is an intelligent, legitimate question. Looked at from a spiritual standpoint -, yes, what is the use of all this marvelous, potential energy contained in faith if we, knowing God's Word and Way, do not convert it into kinetic energy - living our lives by faith?
I do not think you made a retoric statement with your question. This is a legitimate, very proping question deserving an intelligent answer; Abraham's life demonstrades what happens when the potential energy in faith becomes is converted into kinetic energy! Don’t you think so too?
It was just a personal statement, Brigitte. One of my old theology lecturers used to say, “Don’t try to make a parable walk on all four legs!” And I think that sums it up for illustrations pretty well. The potential/kinetic energy idea was an analogy to illustrate the idea that the covenant had the promise to be effective if we followed up with action.
If I was a little less illustrative with my rhetorical question, I would have asked; “What is the use of the covenant promise without accepting its responsibility?”
Thank you, Maurice - I thank God that He saves us individually and not as a group. As the nation declined, each individual - Abraham's Faith-Seed - still had the oportunity to receive blessings by following the requirements of the Covenant by faith.
Israel as a nation failed in their national effort, but the individual's faith continued to be transfered into kinetic energy - i.e. David and his friends; the prophets; restoration in spite of unbelieve etc..
Yes, what good does it do if we confess having faith but do not show the evidence of faith, faith's kinetic footprint?
excellent analogy. thanks for the commentary.
Mark E Marek
San Antonio, Texas 78250
Israel was chosen to be light bearers to the world.
It was expected to shine to ALL the other nations, pointing them in the direction that they should follow.
When this didn't happen as planned a Faithful remnant took up the torch showing others the way to Jesus.
Lesson 6: Abraham's Seed
But ye/me we are
- chosen generation, eeh
-a royal priest hood, wow
-an holy nation, great
- a peculiar people, amen
that ye/i should shew forth the praises of Him who hath called ye/me from the darkness into his Mervelous light.
What an energizing verse 1 Peter 2:9 is!
Oh sorry to the town people that failed to keep time b'se of the stopped clock.
Today you and i we're the clock to the questionful world because Mathew 5:14 Jesus reminded us that we're light of the world.
QUESTION
Yes you/me we're the
-clock of the world but are you / am i counting in that the followers are safe to receive their saviour in time or?
-light to the world Mat 5:14 but are you/am i lighting to the world in that they see Jesus we accepted or?
A blessed week and discusion to you all
Most of us have already a well-established understanding of the topic ‘Abraham’s Seed’, but I am looking forward to learning more. I read every post of the blog participants, and so has studying the Scriptures together become a great blessing to me. It intrigues me to discover the Father’s many subtle ways to intelligently and caringly establish and further His relationship with His people Israel in particular, and in the end to offer the kingdom of Heaven – the ‘Perl of Great Price’ - to all mankind!
Studying the previous lessons, I gained a better understanding of what ‘Faith’ means and suppose the following lessons will deepen this understanding even more. Faith is truly a marvelous and peculiar thing! It is wholly spiritual and only useful in the setting of a ‘relationship’ since its meaning implies that it can bring about something that not yet is; acting in the spiritual realm as well as the physical world. Faith is used as a noun which comes to live as a verb in action – being faithful.
I am beginning to understand that Love and Faith ultimately are the most important ingredients in our relationship with our heavenly Father. Looking at Faith and Love, I would place Love first - Love promoting Faith as a close second; like twins being born one at a time but sharing the same DNA. When it comes to the Father’s approach to establish His relationship with us, though, Love is a definitely first, giving meaning and purpose to the Father's spiritual attributes.
Maybe it is time to move ‘having Faith’ in front of ‘having Obedience’ in the line-up of important aspects of our living Faith. Living in ‘Faithfulness’ brings about a multitude of rewards and this is all God the Father asks of His children as He waits to bestow on them His Blessings.
The lesson’s title is ‘Abraham’s Seed’ – we are a ‘Faith-seed’. After Christ Jesus left this earth, I think His Spirit no longer focuses on teaching His spiritual children to ‘Obey!’ in order to motivate them, but rather on admonishing us, reminding us to show that we love Him by being faithful to the Living Word, to so be the ‘Faith-Seed' of Abraham! Christ says: ‘apply your Faith and follow my will should yours differ from mine; choose loving faithfulness and so become the child of My Faith – Eph.2:10KJV.
As our faithfulness increases, I see the need for willing ourselves to overcome our resistance to do the Father’s will decreasing. Christ’s nature becomes deeply rooted in the heart and mind of the Children of His Faith.
Maybe one could say Love, Faith, and Obedience are the Father’s attribute-children bestowed on us, His spiritual children; Love being the eldest, followed close behind by Faith, and then Obedience -a triblet born of the Love of God for His children. 😊
Thanks for sharing your commentary on The Scriptures.
Blessings,
Mark Marek
San Antonio, Texas USA
It seems to me that "being faithful" means to be obedient. If we trust God fully (i.e. "have faith), we will do as He says/ obey Him, as Abraham did. See Gal. 3:6, Heb. 11:8.
I believe the old gospel song sums it up well:
"Trust and obey, for there's no other way
To be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey."
The basic ingredients of bread are: flour, water, salt, leaven. Which could we leave out and still have bread? Yes, some will leave out the salt, but everyone knows as soon as they take the first bite that something is missing. (The leavening alone is optional)
It was disobedience(the sure result of unbelief and loss of love) that brought sin and death, and only the obedience of faith, which works by love, will restore eternal life. The whole of God's word dwells on the "holy, just, and good" law/will of Jehovah, and only those who "do His commandments" will be able to enter the city of God and partake of the Tree of Life once more.
There is no separation of love, faith and obedience, for all three are the essence of true worship. We cannot have any one of them without the others. I'm not fully convinced that we could establish a hierarchy between these three. Don't we love God because we trust Him, and our obedience is the proof?
There is a way which seemeth right unto a man but the ways
A few years ago after HIV/AIDS were discovered and were killing so many people there was an advertisement about being faithful to your spouse. It went like this- the woman told her husband what the doctor said. Honey, we have to be faithful to each other, his responds was, I knew. So we cant sleep around anymore, his answer was- I knew. Everything she told him, his answer was, I knew. One day the doctor told him, you have AIDS, that day he said nothing.
In studying the lesson for today, the Israelites knew everything but did they lived according to what they knew despite constantly being repeated by the good priest, prince, kings, prophets, etc.
Are we like the Israelites, do we know everything yet we are doing or not doing what the great book says? Many want to be bless like the people of the bible yet we are doing or living our own way contrary to the bible. Peter, quoting from OT stated in Exod 19:5; Deuteronomy 14:2 etc, about being a holy nation. They/we become holy, royal, peculiar only went we obey the words of God as he outline in his word, the bible. Take note of the words, If and Then. If we do what is required, then we become. Blessings do not come in disobedience.
Ellen Whites commentary on Sabbath's Lesson:
God Wanted to Teach the World Through His People—Through His people Israel, God designed to give to the world a knowledge of His will. His promises and threatenings, His instructions and reproofs, the wonderful manifestations of His power among them, in blessings for obedience, and judgment for transgression and apostasy,—all were designed for the education and development of religious principle among the people of God until the close of time. Therefore it is important that we acquaint ourselves with the history of the Hebrew host, and ponder with care the dealings of God with them. {2BC 994.3}
The words which God spoke to Israel by His Son were spoken for us also in these last days. The same Jesus who, upon the mount, taught His disciples the far-reaching principles of the law of God, instructed ancient Israel from the cloudy pillar and from the tabernacle, by the mouth of Moses and Joshua.... Religion in the days of Moses and Joshua was the same as religion today (The Signs of the Times, May 26, 1881). {2BC 994.4}
The church is God’s appointed agency for the salvation of men. It was organized for service, and its mission is to carry the gospel to the world. From the beginning it has been God’s plan that through His church shall be reflected to the world His fullness and His sufficiency. The members of the church, those whom He has called out of darkness into His marvelous light, are to show forth His glory. The church is the repository of the riches of the grace of Christ; and through the church will eventually be made manifest, even to “the principalities and powers in heavenly places,” the final and full display of the love of God. Ephesians 3:10. {AA 9.1}
"Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted. Neither be ye idolaters, as were some of them; as it is written, The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play. Neither let us commit fornication, as some of them committed, and fell in one day three and twenty thousand. Neither let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed of serpents. Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer. Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come. Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall(1 Cor 10:6-12).
It is by these accounts that God intends to "reprove, corrrect, and instruct in righteousness, that the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works".
I'm still stuck just trying to wrap my brain around the passages in Sabbath's (5/1) portion of this week's lesson.
A summary of lessons 4 and 5 introduced us to a REAL man, Abram--soon to be renamed Abraham, to whom the REAL Creator/God appears and makes a REAL promise. This promise appears to involve a REAL, named, offspring (Gen 17:18-19) that would result from Abraham's union with his aged, infertile, wife. This promise would also involve Abraham's REAL offspring's REAL descendants acquiring a REAL, named, geographical location for their homeland (Gen 28:13-14,19; 15:18-20). Apparently, the REAL Creator/God had REAL expectations with regards to the lifestyle and conduct of these REAL descendants of Isaac (Ex 19:3,5-6; Dt 4:5-6)...or did He?
It might be hard not to notice that I repeatedly use the word "real" in the previous paragraph to emphasize that Abraham's encounter with the Creator-God was no hallucination. Today, the world has a very long, documented history of the religiopolitical conflict between Israelis and Palestinians--a conflict that has caused Christians collateral damage due to our Judeo-Christian roots. Were the thousands of lives lost in numerous conflicts over land possession a part of God's plan when He entered into the covenant with Abraham and promised him that "in your seed all the families of the earth shall be blessed" Gen 28:14 (NKJV)? Are we entitled to engage in any analysis of God's REAL promise to one man regarding the growth of his family into a nation, its REAL history, within its REAL homeland? I believe it is not only an entitlement, but our responsibility to seize a God-given opportunity to learn about ourselves (1 Cor 10:11,6; Rm 15:4), for therein lies the blessing!
So, what may we learn?
1) Be cautious of one's own abilities.
When God entered into a covenant with Abraham's descendants, He clearly knew things about them (Dt 5:29; 6:5-6) that they didn't know or failed to accept about themselves (Dt 5:27). The true descendants of Abraham's Seed acknowledge their limitations but are confident in their Strength (Dan 3:15-18; Php 3:3).
2) Live subordinated to ONLY God's knowledge.
Despite Israel's declaration (Dt 5:27), God knew the mindset of Abraham's descendants earlier (Dt 9:1,6) and later (Mt 23:34,37) in their history. God's knowledge would certify their failure to meet the terms of His covenant (Jer 11:8). That failure would be very costly (Dt 28:15,63; Mt 23:37-38). Like Peter, insisting on our "knowledge" above God's will always have disastrous outcomes (Mt 26:31,33-35,74-75)...unless in the kindness of His mercy He rises to be our High Priest (Lk 22:31-32).
3) Learn to wait for God's revelation.
At the time God entered into covenant with Abraham he was 75 years old (Gen 12:4). He had to wait another fifteen years for what he thought was the beginning of the fulfillment of the covenant by the birth of Isaac (Gen 21:5). More than 1500 years after Abraham, along comes the apostle Paul and, under inspiration, declared Christ--not Isaac--to be God's REAL promised Seed (Gal 3:16,14,26,29).
4) There is hope for all of Earth's humans.
Jews and Gentiles, males and females who are dead in disbelief and the drunken, disorientation of high-mindedness may find new life and purpose through God's long-awaited, miracle Child (Gal 4:4). From amongst the nations who are dead in the spirit of their mind, He will raise up a kingdom alive for service (Jn 10:10; Heb 8:10). God invites you to be a part of His kingdom to disseminate His blessing (1 Pt 2:9-10).
I apologize, but since childhood math has been my Achilles heel! Abraham waited twenty-five years--not fifteen as I stated above--for what he thought was the beginning of the fulfillment of the covenant by the birth of Isaac.