Sabbath: Children of the Promise
Image © Pacific Press
Sabbath Afternoon
Read for This Week’s Study: Gen: 15:1-3, Isa: 25:8, 1 Cor: 2:9, Rev: 22:1-5, 1 Pet: 2:9, Gen: 11:4, Gen: 12:2.
Memory Text: “Lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world” (Matthew 28:20).
A father and his ten-year-old daughter were spending their holiday at the seashore. One day they went out to enjoy a swim in the ocean and, although they were both good swimmers, some distance out from the shore they became separated. The father, realizing that they were being carried out to sea by the tide, called to his child: “Mary, I’m going to shore for help. If you get tired, turn on your back. You can float all day that way. I’ll come back for you.”
“Before long, many searchers and boats were scurrying over the face of the water hunting for one small girl. Hundreds of people on the shore had heard the news and were waiting anxiously. It was four hours before they found her, far from land, but she was calmly floating on her back and not at all frightened. Cheers and tears of joy and relief greeted the rescuers when they came back to land with their precious burden, but the child took it all calmly. She seemed to think it was strange the way they acted. She said, ‘Father said I could float all day on my back and that he would come for me, so I just swam and floated, because I knew he’d come.’ ” — H. M. S. Richards, “When Jesus Comes Back,” Voice of Prophecy News, March 1949, p. 5.
The Week at a Glance: Why did the Lord refer to Himself as Abram’s shield? How were “all the families of the earth” to be blessed through Abraham? What is the greatest of all the covenant promises?
Study this week’s lesson to prepare for Sabbath, May 1.
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Much of this weeks lesson has to do with the notion of being "chosen". And once again, the thought has crossed my mind about how often that notion has been the driver for some very wrong and dangerous ideas. In my own lifetime I can think of the Jonestown massacre where some 900 people following a Christian cult were killed in a murder-suicide event. Closer to Adventism, the Branch Davidian Cult let by Vernon Howell (David Koresh) led to the Waco Siege where about 80 followers died.
I could cite other events too where a combination of being spiritual chosen, associated with a notion that if you are right, you will be persecuted has led to an unrealistic world view and in many cases, tragedy. This notion is particularly poignant to me because Vernon Howell visited Avondale College while I was working there and influenced students with his intense Bible study.
This week we are studying the notion of "being chosen", or "children of the promise" as it applied to Abraham and his descendants, and by association to us as spiritual Israel. It may be useful to consider how we can avoid the pitfalls of cultic views of being "chosen".
the way to minimize or eliminate a "cultic" faith is to ALWAYS be focused on studying the question of Who is Jesus Christ? when Jesus Christ is at the center of any study, religion or Faith, then the possibility of being led astray is minimized or even eliminated.
Thanks for this comment, Mark. I have long cherished the importance of knowing Jesus. Through this, though, it has also become clear that one of the roles of Jesus (and of the Holy Spirit) is to reveal the Father. This has proved an amazing revelation... How Great is Our God!
This reminds me of a young priest who joined the Adventist Church many decades ago and decided to take the Adventist theology course. He succeeded in securing a following and would meet with his admirers on Sabbath afternoons. I noticed something strange in his behavior. One day I joined him in the college park. Most of the students were participating in sports, and I asked him why he never joined them. He answered, "I never read in the Bible about Jesus engaging in sports." Soon after, we learned that he had run away with the daughter of the Union president.
The child trusted her father words and obeyed his instructions and found peace while waiting to be rescued.
We also can trust in the promises of the living GOD as we wait Patiently to be rescued from this sinful world.
I did not find any specific highlights in today's lesson to comment on, which is unusual. The memory text and account of the rescue of the child give some food for thought, though.
Faith manifests its mighty work within the changed hearts and minds of the believer, bringing about such a sense of assurance in God’s loving watch care, that one is willing to rest all in His hands, even one’s life.
Doubt's justifier *reason* tries its best to find why one should apply only conditional faith; a faith which resorts back to the supremacy of reason as the ultimate judge of that which it accepts as ‘reasonable’ to believe.
Abram received from God the promise that He would be his shield - Gen.15:1KJV. This promise was given after he had just returned from a courageous battle to free his nephew's family and others from captivity. This decision to enter the battles between the kings of the surrounding regions was strictly personal. His interest was not motivated by material gain, only gaining the freedom of his nephew's family. He showed no interest in any of the spoils as he declined the king of Sodom’s offer to keep a share of the returned goods.
Scripture depicts Abram as a courageous and righteous man who rested the apportionment of his increase in the hands of the justice and righteousness of the God he believed in; trusting that God’s timing is perfect. And God rewarded him for this willingness to trust in His wisdom, judgement, and timing by promising to become the father of many nations.
I see this example and the story of the child waiting patiently for her rescuers as the examples to ‘wait’ upon the Lord. It is great wisdom to rest efforts of 'gain' in the Father’s promise that He is always with us, even unto the end of the world. This 'rest' frees us to focus our skills and talents on always doing that which is right in the Father’s eyes; to so honor Him and give the Glory to His Name, allowing Him to determine increase according to His Will.
The promise for the faithful is: ”But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew (or change) their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run and not be weary; and they shall walk and not faint - Isaiah40:31KJV.
The short story for today beautifully illustrates the hymn "Trust and Obey".
The gist of the matter is showing faith in the father. Trust and obedience is shown no matter how the ground may appear not to be level. Stay put. Stand firm. If we continue in obedience and trusting in the Lord amidst the world tragedies and atrocities we shall be delivered. Promises are there for us to claim at the right appointed time.
We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed; always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body. 2 Cor 4:8-10.
Children of the Promise
“Lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world” (Matthew 28:20).
I cant stress more about us/we in addition to studying the quarterly to
1. Study, study, study the bible, have a clear view of what it is saying. Be like the Bereans- Acts 17:10-12. Not because the Pastor/Elder/Deacon or leaders say so that means it is so.
2. When we read EG White books, have a clear understanding of why, when and how she came about writing somethings that she said.
3. Listen to others view points. Our personal ones might not always be right, ours might by only cultural. Have a holistic world view.
Jesus our shield- a shield is a defensive weapon/instrument used to protect the fighter and to deflect thrown spears and missiles. A shield is made with a grip so the user can have a firm grip on it and never let go. This is a metaphor used for Jesus in the bible. Jesus is our shield because he protects, guards, and allows any and everything to pass us by. Whatever he allows to happen to us he knows we can bear those burdens and they are means of purifying us. The verse above says it all about being troubled on every side yet not distressed.
Distractions. In this our generation we know way too much because we have made life very sophisticated and complex. Abram, in his time, knew and believed in God and that was sufficient. He had a heart to pursue justice, even before God promised to be his shield. I fell the distractions of our times make it difficult for me to read Gods word or have fellowship with Him, except in crisis. ..but we can have greater confidence in God only when we trust in Him in the good times. It is my prayer that I will drew closer to Jesus and trust that Holds my future, in my very uncertain circumstances.