Rebellion and Redemptionhttp://ssnet.org/lessons/16a/less03.html

LESSON 3 Global Rebellion and the Patriarchs January 9-15

Study this week's lesson to prepare for Sabbath, January 16.

Memory Text: "'Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land; for I will not leave you until I have done what I have spoken to you'" (Genesis 28:15, NKJV).

The stories that follow the Fall take the themes of deception and broken relationships, first seen in Eden, to a deeper level. During this time the conflict spreads and diversifies over the globe.

In the story of Cain and Abel , WORSHIP becomes the catalyst for discord and death, a recurring theme throughout history.

The story of the Flood reveals how rebellion and sin cause the unraveling of everything that God created. Sin not only distorts creation, it destroys it.

✔Abraham's experience is a major encouragement in the conflict, with God demonstrating His willingness to take the consequences of rebellion upon Himself. He would become our Substitute.

Then in the stories of Jacob and Esau and Joseph and his brothers, we see the continuing interplay of fractured relationships being the means that Satan uses to destroy families and people groups.

Yet through it all, the faithfulness of God, as He sustains and nurtures His harassed children, continues.

SUNDAY Cain and Abel January 10

Read Genesis 4:1-15. What does this tell us about how deeply ingrained sin had become? Cain Murders Abel 4:1 Now Adam knew Eve his wife, and she conceived and bore Cain, and said, “I have acquired a man from the Lord.” 2 Then she bore again, this time his brother Abel. Now Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground. 3 And in the process of time it came to pass that Cain brought an offering of the fruit of the ground to the   Lord . 4 Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat. And

the Lord respected Abel and his offering, 5 but He did not respect Cain and his offering. And Cain was very angry, and his countenance fell.

6 So the Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry? And why has your countenance fallen? 7 If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin lies at the door. And its desire is for you, but you should rule over it.”

8 Now Cain talked with Abel his brother; and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother and killed him. 9 Then the Lord said to Cain, “Where is Abel your brother?” He said, “I do not know.   Am   I my brother’s keeper? ”

10 And He said, “What have you done? The voice of your brother’s blood cries out to Me from the ground. 11 So now you   are   cursed from the earth, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand. 12 When you till the ground, it shall no longer yield its strength to you. A fugitive and a vagabond you shall be on the earth.”

13 And Cain said to the Lord, “My punishment is greater than I can bear!14 Surely You have driven me out this day from the face of the ground; I shall be hidden from Your face; I shall be a fugitive and a vagabond on the earth, and it will happen that anyone who finds me will kill me.”

15 And the Lord said to him, “Therefore, whoever kills Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold.” And the Lord set a mark on Cain, lest anyone finding him should kill him.A POSSIBLE ANSWER: It tells us that sin had become so ingrained that mankind thought that God should be pleased even when his expressed will was disobeyed. It produced such alienation and hatred that one would kill. Further sin was so deeply ingrained that only God’s intervention would be a suitable remedy.

At the birth of Cain, Eve was ecstatic. She fully believed that she had just given birth to the Deliverer promised in Genesis 3:15. "I have acquired a man from the LORD" (Gen. 4:1, NKJV). The text, translated literally could read, "I have made a man-the Lord." At its basic level, it simply reveals that Eve thought she had delivered the One whom the Lord had promised (Gen. 3:15).

Nothing is said of the joy of Cain's boyhood years and the novelty of new parents proudly enjoying the development of their first baby. The narrative

jumps quickly to a second birth and then to the two young men worshiping. However, as we so often see, differences over worship lead to tragedy.

Read Genesis 3:9-10; 4:9. Compare Adam's reaction with Cain's reaction when God questioned them after each one sinned. Genesis 3:9 Then the Lord God called to Adam and said to him, “Where are you?” 10 So he said, “I heard Your voice in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; and I hid myself.”

9. Where art thou? Adam, who had always welcomed the divine approach, was now in hiding. He could not, however, be hidden from God, who called to Adam, not as if ignorant of his hiding place, but to bring him to confession. Adam sought to hide the sin behind its consequences, his disobedience behind his sense of shame, by proposing to God that he had hidden himself through embarrassment at his nakedness. His consciousness of the effects of sin was keener than of the sin itself. Here we witness for the first time the confusion between sin and punishment, which is characteristic of man in his fallen state. The results of sin are sensed and detested more than the sin itself.Observe the startling question, Adam, where art thou? Those who by sin go astray from God, should seriously consider where they are; they are afar off from all good, in the midst of their enemies, in bondage to Satan, and in the high road to utter ruin. This lost sheep had wandered without end, if the good Shepherd had not sought after him, and told him, that where he was straying he could not be either happy or easy. If sinners will but consider where they are, they will not rest till they return to God. It is the common fault and folly of those that have done ill, when questioned about it, to acknowledge only that which is so manifest that they cannot deny it. Like Adam, we have reason to be afraid of approaching to God, if we are not covered and clothed with the righteousness of Christ. Sin appears most plainly in the glass of the commandment, therefore God set it before Adam; and in it we should see our faces. But instead of acknowledging the sin in its full extent, and taking shame to themselves, Adam and Eve excuse the sin, and lay the shame and blame on others. There is a strange proneness in those that are tempted, to say, they are tempted of God; as if our abuse of God's gifts would excuse our breaking God's laws. Those who are willing to take the pleasure and profit of sin, are backward to take the blame and shame of it. Learn hence, that Satan's temptations are all beguilings; his arguments are all deceits; his allurements are all cheats; when he speaks fair, believe him not. It is by the deceitfulness of sin the heart is hardened. See Ro 7:11; Heb 3:13. But though Satan's subtlety may draw us into sin, yet it will not justify us in sin. Though he is the tempter, we are the sinners. Let it not lessen our sorrow for sin, that we were beguiled into it; but let it increase our self-indignation, that we should suffer ourselves to be deceived by a known cheat, and a sworn enemy, who would destroy our souls.

4:9 And the Lord said unto Cain, Where is Abel thy brother? And he said, I know not: Am I my brother’s keeper?

9. Where is Abel thy brother? As with Adam and Eve, God now sought after Cain, to present his transgression to him in its true light, to stir up his guilty conscience to repentance, and to create in him a new heart. As God had come to Cain’s parents with a question, so He now came to Cain. The results, however, were vastly different; Cain boldly denied his guilt. Disobedience had led to murder; to murder he now added falsehood and defiance, blindly thinking to hide his crime from God.

What is similar? A POSSIBLE ANSWER: Both Adam and Cain did respond to being bought to accountability by God but they also demonstrated a degree of denial.

What is different? A POSSIBLE ANSWER: Adam sought to hide the sin behind its consequences, his disobedience behind his sense of shame, by proposing to God that he had hidden himself through embarrassment at his nakedness. His consciousness of the effects of sin was keener than of the sin itself. Cain faces God and boldly denied his guilt. Disobedience had led to murder; to murder he now added falsehood and defiance, blindly thinking to hide his crime from God. Also,... Note the differences in the emotions of Adam as compared with Cain. Adam appears confused, frightened, and ashamed (Gen. 3:10), but Cain is angry (Gen. 4:5), cynical, and rebellious (Gen. 4:9). Instead of offering a weak excuse as Adam did, Cain tells a blatant untruth.

However, out of the despair came a measure of hope and optimism. With the birth of Seth, Eve again thinks she has delivered the Promised One (Gen. 4:25). The name "Seth" is from the word that means "to place or to put," the same word used in Genesis 3:15 for a Deliverer who would be put in place to challenge the serpent and crush its head. In a further parallel to Genesis 3:15, Eve describes her new son as "the seed" to replace Abel. Thus, even amid so much despair and tragedy, and as the great controversy between good and evil continued to spread, people still clung to the hope of redemption. Without it, what do we have?Imagine the woe of Adam and Eve over the death of their son, which would have been bad enough if not for the fact that another son had killed him. Thus, they lost two sons. How can we learn the hard lesson that sin has consequences far beyond the immediate sin itself? A POSSIBLE ANSWER: By looking at the impact it has on God and others. By observing the long-term consequences it has on us, those around us, on God and the environment. By praying for a heart like God so that it would appear as hideous and detestable as it really is. By responding to the Holy Spirit so that we will not venture in a path that leads to sin or entertain even the thought of sin.

MONDAY The Flood January 11

Read Genesis 6:1-13. In what ways do we see the great controversy between good and evil expressed here, only now even more intensely than before?

Genesis 6:1-13 The Wickedness and Judgment of Man 1 Now it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born to them, 

1. And it came to pass. This expression does not imply that the conditions here described arose subsequent to events recorded in previous chapters. The author is simply pointing to the state of society in the days of Noah, when ten generations of increasing corruption reached a climax.

Men began to multiply. The human race increased rapidly not only in wickedness but in numbers as well. Among the manifold dangers for pious Sethites were the beautiful daughters of unbelievers. Wives were taken not because of their virtue but for beauty’s sake, with the result that godlessness and wickedness made heavy inroads among Seth’s descendants.

2 that the sons of God saw the daughters of men, that they   were   beautiful; and they took wives for themselves of all whom they chose. 2. The sons of God. This phrase has been interpreted in various ways. Ancient Jewish commentators, the early church Fathers, and many modern expositors have thought these “sons” to be angels, comparing them with the “sons of God” of Job 1:6; 2:1; 38:7. This view must be rejected, because punishment soon to be meted out was for the sins of human beings (see v. 3 ), and not of angels. Further, angels do not marry ( Matt. 22:30 ). The “sons of God” were none other than the descendants of Seth, and the “daughters of men,” of the godless Cainites ( PP 81 ). God later spoke of Israel as His “firstborn son” (Ex. 4:22), and Moses called the people of Israel “children of the Lord your God” (Deut. 14:1).

They took them wives. These unholy alliances between Sethites and Cainites were responsible for the rapid increase of wickedness among the former. God has ever warned His followers not to marry unbelievers, because of the great danger to which the believer is thus exposed and to which he usually succumbs (Deut. 7:3, 4; Joshua 23:12, 13; Ezra 9:2; Neh. 13:25; 2 Cor. 6:14, 15). But the Sethites did not heed the warnings they surely must have received. Guided by sense attractions, they were not content with the beautiful daughters of the godly race, and often preferred Cainite brides. Moreover, the prevalence of polygamy seems to be suggested by the plural expression used, they took “wives.”

3 And the Lord said, “My Spirit shall not strive with man forever, for he is indeed flesh; yet his days shall be one hundred and twenty years.”3. My spirit shall not always strive. The fact that this statement follows immediately after the reference to these unsanctified marriages would suggest that God’s displeasure was most particularly displayed toward this evil practice. Captive to their passions, they were no longer subject to God’s Spirit. The word “strive” in the Hebrew means “to rule,” and “to judge,” as corollary to ruling. These words indicate that the Holy Spirit could continue working but a little longer, and would then be withdrawn from the unregenerate and unrepentant of the human race. Even God’s long-suffering must end. Peter refers to the work of the Spirit on the hearts of the antediluvians, saying that the Spirit of Christ preached to these prisoners of Satan (1 Peter 3:18-20).For that he also is flesh. This expression may also be translated, “in their going astray man is flesh,” from shagag, “to wander,” “to go astray.” By following after the lusts of the flesh, says God, men have surrendered themselves to its desires to the extent that they are no longer responsive to the control of the Holy Spirit. Insensibility to divine influence is complete; hence, the Spirit of God is to be withdrawn. There is no further use in “striving” to restrain or improve them.His days. This divine prediction cannot mean that man’s life span would henceforth be restricted to 120 years. (Compare ages of men after the Flood.) They predict, rather, that God’s patience would come to an end and probation close within the period of time here specified. In the meantime, divine mercy lingered.

Christ compared God’s dealings with the antediluvians to His work for the human race at the end of time (Matt. 24:37-39). Under similar circumstances God may be expected to work in similar ways. However, attempts to determine the time of Christ’s coming on the basis of this are wholly invalid. We are now living on borrowed time, knowing that the destruction of the world will soon occur (see 2 Peter 3:3-7). We know also that God’s Spirit will not endlessly strive with men who do not choose to heed His warnings and prepare for that great event.

 4 There were giants on the earth in those days, and also afterward, when the sons of God came in to the daughters of men and they bore   children   to them. Those were the mighty men who were of old, men of renown.

4. There were giants in the earth. These “giants,” nephilim, were not the product of mixed marriages, as some have suggested. The LXX translated nephilim by gigantes, from which the English “giant” is derived. In Num. 13:33 the Israelites reported that they felt like mere grasshoppers in the sight of the nephilim, which the KJV translates “giants.” There is reason to believe that this Hebrew word may come from the root naphal , and that the nephilim were “violent” ones, or terrorists, rather than physical “giants.” Since in those days the entire human race was of great stature, it must be that character rather than height is designated. The antediluvians generally possessed great physical and mental strength. These individuals, renowned for wisdom and skill, persistently devoted their intellectual and physical powers to the gratification of their own pride and passions and to the oppression of their fellow men (PP 80, 84, 90).

5 Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.The wickedness of man was great. Human language could hardly provide a more forceful picture of human depravity. There was no more good left in man; he was “rotten to the core.” His “every imagination” was evil. The word “imagination,” from yeser, means “device” or “formation,” and is derived from the verb “to fashion,” “to form,” yaṣar. Therefore “imagination” refers to evil thoughts as the product of an evil heart. Christ said, “Out of the heart proceed evil thoughts,” and observed that they in turn produce “murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies” (Matt. 15:19). The heart was popularly considered the center of the higher powers of the mind—the conscience and the will. A contaminated “heart” sooner or later infects the entire life.

Continually. Literally “every day” or “all day long.” This brings the sorry description of antediluvian wickedness to a climax. If this is not total depravity, how could human language express it? Here we find evil supreme in the heart, in the “imaginations,” or thoughts, and in the actions. With very few exceptions, there was nothing but evil, not temporarily but always, not in the case of merely a few individuals but in society as a whole. This came about because men were “willingly ignorant” of God’s word (2 Peter 3:5).

  6   And the   Lord   was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart. 7 So the Lord said, “I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth, both man and beast, creeping thing and birds of the air, for I am sorry that I have made them.” 8 But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord.6. It repented the Lord. The force of the words “it repented” the Lord, may be gathered from the explanatory statement “it grieved him” to His heart. This shows that the repentance of God does not presuppose lack of foresight on His part or any variableness in His nature or purpose. In this sense God never repents of anything (1 Sam. 15:29). The “repentance” of God is an expression referring to the pain of divine love occasioned by the sinfulness of man. It presents the truth that God, in consistency with His immutability, assumes a changed position in respect to changed man. The mention of divine grief at man’s depraved state is a touching indication that God did not hate man. Human sin fills the divine heart with deep-felt grief and pity. It excites all the fathomless ocean of sympathy for sinning men of which infinite love is capable. Nonetheless, it moves Him also to judicial retribution (see Jer. 18:6-10; PP 630).

7. I will destroy man. The Hebrew expression here translated “I will destroy” means literally “I will wipe off” or “blot out” or “erase” (see Ex. 32:32, 33; Isa. 43:25). Its use in this passage, describing the extinction of the human race in general, by a devastating flood, is most appropriate.

8. Noah found grace. In these words mercy is seen in the midst of wrath. By them God pledged the preservation and restoration of humanity. The word “grace” occurs here for the first time in Scripture, and clearly has the same meaning as in the NT references, where the merciful, unmerited favor of God exercised toward undeserving sinners is described. How deeply God loved man even in his fallen state can be observed from a number of factors. He gave them a GOSPEL OF MERCY, in the promise of the woman’s seed; a MINISTRY OF MERCY, by raising up and maintaining a succession of pious men to preach the gospel and warn them against the ways of sin; a SPIRIT OF MERCY to strive and plead with them; a PROVIDENCE OF MERCY, by measuring out to them a long probationary period of time; an ADDITIONAL GRANT OF MERCY, a reprieve of 120 years; and finally an EXAMPLE OF MERCY, by saving the righteous when all others were destroyed. This ancient example of grace and mercy is a source of assurance and hope for believers who live at the end of time, a time that Christ Himself compared to Noah’s age (see Matt. 24:37-39). His loyal followers can rest assured that God will accept them as He accepted Noah, will likewise preserve them amid the evil of this day, and provide for their safety in the coming judgment.

Noah Pleases God 9 This is the genealogy of Noah. Noah was a just man, perfect in his generations. Noah walked with God. 10 And Noah begot three sons: Shem, Ham, and Japheth. 11 The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence.9. Noah was a just man. A new subtitle introduces Noah’s history and that of the Flood. The author presents, first, the reasons why Noah had found grace in God’s sight and was spared during the coming destruction. It was not some divine whim that made him the recipient of God’s favor, but a life that was in harmony with God’s will. Noah is characterized by three expressions, each one placing him in a most favorable light in contrast with his contemporaries. He was a “just man.” The word “just” does not imply spotless innocence, but uprightness, honesty, virtue. It is noteworthy that he is not merely called “just,” but a “just man.” To live an exemplary life in Noah’s time required a man who could stand fearlessly and steadfastly against evil inducements, subtle temptations, and vile mockery. He was no weakling, void of judgment or will power; he was a “man,” strong of conviction, straight in thinking and action.Perfect in his generations. The second attribute points to Noah as being “blameless in his generation,” RSV. This does not mean that he lived in a state of sinlessness, but rather of moral integrity. It refers not only to Noah’s lifetime of piety but also to the constancy of his religion amid the miasma of iniquity in which he lived. To be sure, he was of pure descent, and in that respect also distinct from his contemporaries, many of whom were the offspring of promiscuous marriages between the godly and the ungodly.Noah walked with God. Third, Noah’s life resembled that of his pious ancestor Enoch (see ch. 5:22, 24), who had been translated to eternal glory only 69 years before Noah’s birth. During his own childhood, when Enoch’s translation was still vivid in the memory of the older generation, Noah must have heard much of that godly man’s life. But the fact that Noah is thus described does not imply that by his own efforts he had attained unto righteousness. Like all others who are true children of God, he was saved by faith in God (see Heb. 11:7).

12 So God looked upon the earth, and indeed it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted their way on the earth.12. God looked upon the earth. Conditions on this earth became the subject of God’s special investigation. Inspiration thus assures man that the coming judgment was not an ill-considered and arbitrary act of Deity. This investigation revealed that there no longer existed a distinction between the God-defying Cainites and God-fearing Sethites. With very few exceptions “all flesh” was corrupt.

The Ark Prepared 13 And God said to Noah, “The end of all flesh has come before Me, for the earth is filled with violence through them; and behold, I will destroy them with the earth.13. The end of all flesh. Having concluded that sin could be checked by no other means that the annihilation of the race (save for one family), God announced His plan to Noah. The preceding notices of divine intent to destroy this earth ( vs. 3 , 7 ) are presumably the record of words God uttered in heavenly council, rather than to any human ear. Here, however, a communication was made directly to Noah. This probably took place 120 years before the Flood, as suggested in v. 3. God wished to give men the opportunity to mend their evil ways, should they so desire, and accordingly commissioned Noah, a “preacher of righteousness” (2 Peter 2:5), to give this message of warning. This was in itself a manifestation of mercy, based upon the divine principle of not acting before men have

been advised of what to expect in case of continued sin (Amos 3:7).The earth is filled with violence. God’s introductory words must have been shocking to Noah, but the reason for His fateful decision follows. Instead of filling the earth with a people who would attempt to live according to God’s will, man had “filled the earth with violence.”I will destroy them with the earth. Note that God did not announce His intention to destroy man “from” or “on” the earth but “with” it. Though the earth as such can suffer no penal destruction, it must share in man’s destruction, because, as his dwelling place and the scene of his criminal acts, it is one with him. This does not mean, of course, the annihilation of our planet, but rather the utter desolation of its surface.

A POSSIBLE ANSWER: We see the Great controversy played out in these verses in that there are two polarized sides, these positions seem to be according to gender, there was an obvious correlation between thoughts and actions that produced pain and death. It was universal as in being widespread and so much so that God had to intervene by prescribing a sentence of death by destruction. There is a reoccurring theme of Divine intervention, grace, judgment and evidence that there are only two sides: a remnant minority and the larger anti-God population.

In the Flood we see a partial reversal of the special acts of Creation; many of those things that God had separated are now brought back together. The waters above and the waters below, the sea and the dry land, the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, and all living creatures that moved on the earth, all coming together. The earth seems to move back toward being “formless and empty" (Gen. 1:2, NIV).

Despite this apparent win by the forces of evil, God's creative genius is still at work. He initiates a new creation, by again separating different elements. First, He separates Noah (a just and blameless man) from the people of the time whose wickedness is great and whose every thought is evil, corrupt, and violent (compare Gen. 6:8-9 and Gen 6:5, 11-13). Secondly, God then tasks Noah with building an enormous boat. He then, thirdly, separates out a small group of people, birds, and animals-and puts them in the safety of the boat so that they could survive what is coming. Based on the grace of God, life will go on, and a new world will arise out of the dregs of the old. There is a new creation.

But it's hardly a perfect one. Some time after the Flood, as Noah and his family are getting themselves established again, we are reminded of the frailty of human goodness. Noah becomes drunk, and shameful things occur   (Gen. 9:20-27). Thus, even one of the heroes of faith (see Heb. 11:7) had his bad moments. The great controversy continues, not only on a massive scale but also in the hearts of individuals.The Bible describes the Flood as blotting out all life (Gen. 7:4, ESV). A similar expression is used elsewhere in the Bible to describe the actions of the Redeemer in forgiving sin (Isa. 25:8, 43:25, Ps. 51:1). Either our life is blotted out, or our sins are. How does this stark reality show just how black and white the issues really are? A POSSIBLE ANSWER: The reality

evidences itself in the fact that given time and opportunity, the seeds of thought produced by the heart is seen in corresponding choices and actions. From our perspective it may not appear to be what it is but in God’s eyes and in the end it is either right or wrong, of the light or of the darkness, life producing or deathly.

TUESDAY ABRAHAM January 12

While Abraham (first called Abram) is known for his faithfulness, his life experiences are more about God's faithfulness to him.

Twice God has assured Abraham that he would have a son. He first told him when Abraham was about 75 years old (Gen. 12:2,4), then about ten years later (Gen. 13:16) God told him again.

Eventually, even after much stumbling on Abraham's part, the child of promise-the child of Peter and the Great Controversy-was born, and God's faithfulness to His sometimes-wavering servant was revealed   (see Gen. 17:19, 21; Gen. 21:3-5).

Read Genesis 22:1-19. What hope is revealed here in regard to the whole great controversy?

Genesis 22:1-19 Abraham’s Faith Confirmed1 Now it came to pass after these things that God tested Abraham, and

said to him, “Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” 2 Then He said, “Take now your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you.” 3 So Abraham rose early in the morning and saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son; and he split the wood for the burnt offering, and arose and went to the place of which God had told him.4 Then on the third day Abraham lifted his eyes and saw the place afar off.5 And Abraham said to his young men, “Stay here with the donkey; the lad and I will go yonder and worship, and we will come back to you.”

6 So Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it on Isaac his son; and he took the fire in his hand, and a knife, and the two of them went together. 7 But Isaac spoke to Abraham his father and said, “My father!” And he said, “Here I am, my son.” Then he said, “Look, the fire and the wood, but where   is   the lamb for a burnt offering?” 8 And Abraham said, “My son, God will provide for Himself the lamb for a burnt offering.” So the two of them went together.

8. God will provide. Abraham’s reply constitutes a prophetic utterance from the heights of heroic faith to which his soul had risen. By inspiration it pointed both to the ram of v. 13 and

to the Lamb of God, which at the moment were equally beyond his ken. Except for the conviction that he was doing the will of God and that his “only son” would be restored to him, Abraham’s agony at the thought of parting from Isaac would have been beyond endurance. Albeit, the boy’s question must have pierced the father’s heart. Would Isaac understand?

9 Then they came to the place of which God had told him. And Abraham built an altar there and placed the wood in order; and he bound Isaac his son and laid him on the altar, upon the wood. 10 And Abraham stretched out his hand and took the knife to slay his son. 11 But the Angel of the Lord called to him from heaven and said, “Abraham, Abraham!” So he said, “Here I am.” 12 And He said, “Do not lay your hand on the lad, or do anything to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son,   from Me.”

2. Lay not thine hand. The patriarch had amply demonstrated his faith and obedience and had fully satisfied the requirements of his God. Jehovah did not desire the death of Isaac; in fact, He was not interested in any sacrificial offerings as such. But He has ever desired the willing obedience of His servants ( 1 Sam. 15:22 ; Hosea 6:6 ). So far as the will and purpose of father and son could go, the sacrifice was complete. God accepted the devotion of their hearts as a gift far more acceptable in His sight, and took the will for the deed (Heb. 11:17). The heavenly voice also testifies to God’s rejection of human sacrifices (see Deut. 12:31; 2 Kings 17:17; 2 Chron. 28:3; Jer. 19:5; Eze. 16:20, 21). The assertions of Bible critics to the effect that the Hebrews, as a part of their regular order of service, practiced the rite of human sacrifice, so common among the Canaanites and other peoples of antiquity, is without foundation. True, in periods of apostasy the Jews did practice this rite, but this was in direct violation of God’s command (see Ps. 106:37, 38; Isa. 57:5; etc.).

13   Then Abraham lifted his eyes and looked, and there behind   him was   a ram caught in a thicket by its horns. So Abraham went and took the ram, and offered it up for a burnt offering instead of his son. 14 And Abraham called the name of the place, The-Lord-Will-Provide; as it is said to this day, “In the Mount of the   Lord   it shall be provided.”

13. Abraham went and took the ram. Discovering the ram and accepting its presence as a further token of the providence of God, Abraham did not need to await instructions from God as to what to do with it. Here was the lamb that Abraham had said God would provide ( v. 8 ). The wood, the fire, and the knife had not been brought, nor the altar erected, in vain.

15 Then the Angel of the Lord called to Abraham a second time out of heaven,16 and said: “By Myself I have sworn, says the Lord, because you have done this thing, and have not withheld your son, your only son— 17 blessing I will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply your descendants as the stars of the heaven and as the sand which is on the seashore; and your descendants shall possess the gate of their enemies. 18   In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed , because you have obeyed My voice.” 19 So Abraham returned to his young men, and they rose and went together to Beersheba; and Abraham dwelt at Beersheba.

A POSSIBLE ANSWER: In reference to the great controversy, the hope that is seen is that of God providing a solution to the entire sin problem... that of Jesus death vindicating the Father and at the same time enabling those on God’s side to rightfully utilize the benefits of His grace.

"It was to impress Abraham's mind with the reality of the gospel, as well as to test his faith, that God commanded him to slay his son. The agony which he endured during the dark days of that fearful trial was permitted that he might understand from his own experience something of the greatness of the sacrifice made by the infinite God for man's redemption. No other test could have caused Abraham such torture of soul as did the offering of his son. God gave His Son to a death of agony and shame. The angels who witnessed the humiliation and soul anguish of the Son of God were not permitted to interpose, as in the case of Isaac. There was no voice to cry, 'It is enough.' To save the fallen race, the King of glory yielded up His life. What stronger proof can be given of the infinite compassion and love of God? 'He that spared not His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?'" Romans 8:32.

"The sacrifice required of Abraham was not alone for his own good, nor solely for the benefit of succeeding generations; but it was also for the instruction of the sinless intelligences of heaven and of other worlds. The field of the controversy between Christ and Satan-the field on which the plan of redemption is wrought out-is the lesson book of the universe. Because Abraham had shown a lack of faith in God's promises, Satan had accused him before the angels and before God of having failed to comply with the conditions of Peter and the Great Controversy, and as unworthy of its blessings. God desired to prove the loyalty of His servant before all heaven, to demonstrate that nothing less than perfect obedience can be accepted, and to open more fully before them the plan of salvation."-Ellen G. White, Patriarchs and Prophets , pp. 154, 155 .

Ellen G. White, Patriarchs and Prophets, pp. 153 – 155.

"Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: an he was called the friend of God." James 2:23. And Paul says, "They which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham." Galatians 3:7. But Abraham's faith was made manifest by his works. "Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar? Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect?" James 2:21, 22. There are many who fail to understand the relation of faith and works. They say, "Only believe in Christ, and you are safe. You have nothing to do with keeping the law." But genuine faith will be manifest in obedience. Said Christ to the unbelieving Jews, "If ye were Abraham's children, ye would do the works of Abraham." John 8:39. And concerning the father of the faithful the Lord declares, "Abraham obeyed My voice, and kept

My charge, My commandments, My statutes, and My laws." Genesis 26:5. Says the apostle James, "Faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone." James 2:17. And John, who dwells so fully upon love, tells us, "This is the love of God, that we keep His commandments." 1 John 5:3.

Through type and promise God "preached before the gospel unto Abraham." Galatians 3:8. And the patriarch's faith was fixed upon the Redeemer to come. Said Christ to the Jews. "Your father Abraham rejoiced that he should see My day; and he saw it, and was glad." John 8:56, R.V., margin. The ram offered in the place of Isaac represented the Son of God, who was to be sacrificed in our stead. When man was doomed to death by transgression of the law of God, the Father, looking upon His Son, said to the sinner, "Live: I have found a ransom."

It was to impress Abraham's mind with the reality of the gospel, as well as to test his faith, that God commanded him to slay his son. The agony which he endured during the dark days of that fearful trial was permitted that he might understand from his own experience something of the greatness of the sacrifice made by the infinite God for man's redemption. No other test could have caused Abraham such torture of soul as did the offering of his son. God gave His Son to a death of agony and shame. The angels who witnessed the humiliation and soul anguish of the Son of God were not permitted to interpose, as in the case of Isaac. There was no voice to cry, "It is enough." To save the fallen race, the King of glory yielded up His life. What stronger proof can be given of the infinite compassion and love of God? "He that spared not His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?" Romans 8:32.

The sacrifice required of Abraham was not alone for his own good, nor solely for the benefit of succeeding generations; but it was also for the instruction of the sinless intelligences of heaven and of other worlds. The field of the controversy between Christ and Satan--the field on which the plan of redemption is wrought out--is the lesson book of the universe. Because Abraham had shown a lack of faith in God's promises, Satan had accused him before the angels and before God of having failed to comply with the conditions of the covenant, and as unworthy of its blessings. God desired to prove the loyalty of His servant before all heaven, to demonstrate that nothing less than perfect obedience can be accepted, and to open more fully before them the plan of salvation.

Heavenly beings were witnesses of the scene as the faith of Abraham and the submission of Isaac were tested. The trial was far more severe than that which had been brought upon Adam. Compliance with the prohibition laid upon our first parents involved no suffering, but the command to Abraham demanded the most agonizing sacrifice. All heaven beheld with wonder and admiration Abraham's unfaltering obedience. All heaven applauded his fidelity. Satan's accusations were shown to be false.

God declared to His servant, "Now I know that thou fearest God [notwithstanding Satan's charges], seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from Me." God's covenant, confirmed to Abraham by an oath before the intelligences of other worlds, testified that obedience will be rewarded.

It had been difficult even for the angels to grasp the mystery of redemption--to comprehend that the Commander of heaven, the Son of God, must die for guilty man. When the command was given to Abraham to offer up his son, the interest of all heavenly beings was enlisted. With intense earnestness they watched each step in the fulfillment of this command. When to Isaac's question, "Where is the lamb for a burnt offering?" Abraham made answer, "God will provide Himself a lamb;" and when the father's hand was stayed as he was about to slay his son, and the ram which God had provided was offered in the place of Isaac--then light was shed upon the mystery of redemption, and even the angels understood more clearly the wonderful provision that God had made for man's salvation. 1 Peter 1:12.

WEDNESDAY Jacob and Esau January 13

The struggle between God's purposes and individual rebellion makes further progress in the story of Jacob and Esau. It was customary in antiquity for the firstborn son to receive the father's blessing (the birthright) before the death of the father. This included most of the family's wealth; so, the eldest son became responsible for the family's welfare.

Esau hated his brother Jacob after being tricked out of that great honor, and he planned to kill him after their father died(Gen. 27:41). Rebekah sent Jacob away for safekeeping, thinking all would be well again after a few days (Gen. 27:43-44). A few days turned out to be 20 years, and Rebekah never saw Jacob again.Read Genesis 28:12-15. What great hope was found in Jacob's dream? Genesis 28:12-15

12 Then he dreamed, and behold, a ladder was set up on the earth, and its top reached to heaven; and there the angels of God were ascending and descending on it.

13 And behold, the Lord stood above it and said: “I am the Lord God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac; the land on which you lie I will give to you and your descendants.   14   Also your descendants shall be as the dust of the earth; you shall spread abroad to the west and the east, to the north and the south; and in you and in your seed all the families of the earth shall be blessed.15 Behold, I   am   with you and will keep you

wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land; for I will not leave you until I have done what I have spoken to you.”A POSSIBLE ANSWER: The hope of God’s presence, protection, occupation and increase of the land and enlargement of his family to the extent that all families of the earth will be blessed through him.

By repeating the promises made to Abraham, God was assuring Jacob that plans were on track. Even though Jacob's actions seemed to ignore God's plan, God was still there for him. However, Jacob had to endure 20 years of being tricked by his father-in-law, first in his marriage, then in his wages (Gen. 29:20, 23, 25, 27; 31:7). Yet, in a strange twist, all those years serving for his wife seemed like just a few days, the time Rebekah thought Jacob would be away from her (Gen. 29:20).

When Jacob decided to go back home, first Laban pursued him (Gen. 31:25-26), and then Esau set out with 400 men to meet him. Both of those situations were life threatening, and God had to step in twice to deliver him; first in a dream to Laban, to tell him not to harm Jacob ( Gen. 31:24 ); then in person, to wrestle with Jacob and cripple him   ( Gen. 32:24-30 ) . The sight of Jacob hobbling with a walking stick could have impressed Esau that Jacob posed no threat. The gifts were sent on ahead and, together with the careful way Jacob spoke, it all seemed enough to heal the break between the two brothers. The last we see of them together is when they bury their father (Gen. 35:29); thus, any previous plan Esau had of killing Jacob after the funeral was now forgotten.Look at all the pain and suffering these foolish choices brought to these people, both to the innocent and to the guilty. How can we learn to think, think, think before we act? A POSSIBLE ANSWER: By praying for the mind and heart of Christ. By asking the Holy Spirit to help us to be emptied of self because most quick responses are originates in some type of selfish motive. By asking ourselves whether of not it would be God’s will to do such and such. By looking at history and observing the results of hasty actons and then purposing not to do the same thing.

THURSDAY Joseph and His Brothers January 14

Just as Jacob deserved a lot worse from his brother Esau after the way he treated him, we see something similar in the story of Joseph and his brothers.

Here, again, we see brother hating brother because of one being shown favor over the other (Gen. 37:3-4). The tunic of many colors was not just made from a striped bed sheet. The original word implies that it was an expensive robe worn by royalty and would have been covered with rich embroidery and colorful needlework, taking up to a year to make.

Then, when Joseph told his brothers about his dreams (Gen. 37:5-11), he produced even more hatred and envy against himself. So, at the first opportunity, they plotted to get rid of him (Gen. 37:19-20). The brothers must have congratulated themselves on how easy it was to remove him from their lives. None, though, had any idea how God would use this situation to save them years later.

Read Genesis 45:4-11. What was the bigger picture that Joseph saw?4 And Joseph said to his brothers, “Please come near to me.” So they came near. Then he said: “I am Joseph your brother, whom you sold into Egypt. 5 But now, do not therefore be grieved or angry with yourselves because you sold me here; for God sent me before you to preserve life.   5. Be not grieved. Instinctively they shrank from Joseph’s presence, at the alarming truth that the mighty lord of Egypt was their brother. He assured them in the kindest of words that he had no intention of taking revenge on them. He could not avoid allusion to their former wickedness, but this was done in a spirit of charity and forgiveness.

God did send me. Joseph’s great-mindedness is clearly reflected here. God’s hand was evident in the strange experience that had made him, a favorite son, first a slave, then a prisoner, and finally ruler of Egypt. He might have justly rebuked his brothers, but instead he manifested sympathy and consideration toward them.

6 For these two years the famine has been in the land, and there are still five years in which there will beneither plowing nor harvesting. 7   And God sent me before you to preserve a posterity for you in the earth, and to save your lives by a great deliverance.

7. To preserve. Joseph repeated his former assertion, that it was God who had sent him to Egypt for a definite purpose. He spoke prophetically here, to the effect that God had brought him to Egypt in order to preserve through him the family destined to become God’s chosen people, by delivering them from starvation.

8   So now   it was   not you   who   sent me here, but God ; and He has made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house, and a ruler throughout all the land of Egypt.8. A father to Pharaoh. Joseph spoke to them concerning his authority, giving God the honor for his appointment to the high position he held. He used three expressions to describe his office, of which the first was “father to Pharaoh.” Some commentators have seen in it a specific Egyptian title, one clearly attested for high dignitaries of the Eighteenth Dynasty. But this interpretation is questionable, inasmuch as the title was borne by men who fulfilled priestly duties, and there is not the slightest evidence that Joseph performed any such duties. It is probably better to explain the word as a Hebrew expression, since Joseph spoke to his brothers as a Hebrew to Hebrews, and not as an Egyptian. He may have meant that he was a trusted counselor of the king and a sustainer of the dynasty (see Isa. 22:21; Job 29:16).Lord of all his house. The second term had already been used by the king himself, at the

time of Joseph’s appointment (Gen. 41:40). It indicates that Joseph stood at the head of the royal household.

Ruler throughout all the land of Egypt. The third designation, also bestowed upon Joseph by Pharaoh, was certainly not new to Joseph’s brothers, who had heard of and experienced his authority. They already knew that his power was not limited to the distribution of food or to dealings with foreigners, but that he was actually viceroy of Egypt (see ch. 42:30).

9 “Hurry and go up to my father, and say to him, ‘Thus says your son Joseph: “God has made me lord of all Egypt; come down to me, do not tarry. 10 You shall dwell in the land of Goshen, and you shall be near to me, you and your children, your children’s children, your flocks and your herds, and all that you have. 11 There I will provide for you, lest you and your household, and all that you have, come to poverty; for there are still five years of famine.”’ A POSSIBLE ANSWER: That God had brought him to Egypt in order to preserve through him the family destined to become God’s chosen people, by delivering them from starvation. God’s hand was evident in the strange experience that had made him, a favorite son, first a slave, then a prisoner, and finally ruler of Egypt. What was his main focus? A POSSIBLE ANSWER: That it was God who had sent him to Egypt for a definite purpose.

Think of what might have gone through Joseph's mind as a boy in chains, walking behind a camel and looking toward the hills of his boyhood home as they disappeared into the distance. Then being put on the auction block, and inquisitive buyers prodding him and humiliating him in their close inspection before bidding for him. Many have given up their faith for less humiliation and suffering than this.

Joseph could have chosen to become bitter and anti-God, but he chose instead to maintain his faith amid this harrowing struggle, the great controversy being played out in his own life in a dramatic way. He soon adjusted to the household of one of the most important military men in the country, and under the blessing of God he soon gained his trust (Gen. 39:1-4). Eventually, the slave became a leader in Egypt.Despite the incredible family dysfunction revealed in this story, despite the treachery and evil, it had a happy ending. How, though, do you keep your faith intact and have a gracious attitude when things don't seem to be turning out as well as they did for Joseph? A POSSIBLE ANSWER: We can keep our faith intact by... A) Keeping our eyes on Jesus as in remembering His perfection and character. B) By trusting in God’s ability to carry out what He has promised. C) By reviewing and recalling what God has done for us in the past. D) By recalling that we are here for His glory and as stewards, we could bring glory to

Him by how we respond when things do not turn out as well as we would like for them to.

FRIDAY Further Thought:  January 15

No question, as these stories show, life on this earth, amid the great controversy, doesn't always play out as we might have wanted. For instance, Adam and Eve would not have scripted, as they held their newborns in their arms, that one would kill the other. Zipporah, when she married Moses, certainly didn't have the future that she envisioned. And do you think Leah's married life was what she, as a very young girl, had dreamed about? And youthful Jeremiah-whatever his hopes and ambitions-they surely didn't include being railed against, castigated, and deemed a traitor by his own nation. And wouldn't David and Bathsheba have preferred a different narrative than the one that ultimately unfolded (no doubt Uriah would have)? What about Jesus? Of course, Jesus came to earth to die; that was the whole point. But from His human side, the side born out of the same clay as us, the side that cried out in Gethsemane, “My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me . . ." (Matt. 26:39, ESV) - getting beaten, scorned, mocked, and crucified at age 33 surely wasn't what anyone would have hoped for. No question, life can and does do us dirty. But it shouldn't be surprising, should it? What do you expect in a fallen, sinful world-paradise? Eden's long gone. But it will be back and, when it is, the gap between what our lives are now, and what they will be like then, will be infinitely greater than the gap between what we had hoped for but got instead.

Discussion Questions:

1. What are the significant differences between the siblings who maintained faith in God and those who did not see the need to?

2. When sibling rivalries and jealousies seem to overpower God's purposes for families today, how is it possible for them to see a positive tomorrow? What can be done for the families of your church to help them see God's bigger purpose for them?

3. What can be done for the people in your congregation who feel that they are alone in the world and that their lives are meaningless and of no value?

4. Even if your life isn't turning out as you had hoped, how can the promise of eternal life help keep the disappointment from overwhelming you?