Bible Study Guides

Bible Study Guides – Lessons at Marah and Elim

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November 15 – 21, 2020

Key Text

“And he [Moses] cried unto the Lord; and the Lord shewed him a tree, which when he had cast into the waters, the waters were made sweet: there He made for them a statute and an ordinance, and there He proved them” (Exodus 15:25).

Study Help: Patriarchs and Prophets, 291–294.

Introduction

“Seek the Lord for wisdom in every emergency. In every trial plead with Jesus to show you a way out of your troubles, then your eyes will be opened to behold the remedy and to apply to your case the healing promises that have been recorded in His word.” Selected Messages, Book 2, 273.

Sunday

  1. IN THE WILDERNESS OF SHUR

1.a  How many days did the Israelites travel in the wilderness without finding water? Exodus 15:22.

1.b.      What was the name of the place where they found water, and what was the water like? Exodus 15:23. What does “Marah” mean? Exodus 15:23, margin. Compare with Ruth 1:20.

Note: “For three days, as they journeyed, they could find no water. The supply which they had taken with them was exhausted. There was nothing to quench their burning thirst as they dragged wearily over the sun-burnt plains. Moses, who was familiar with this region, knew what the others did not, that at Marah, the nearest station where springs were to be found, the water was unfit for use. With intense anxiety he watched the guiding cloud. With a sinking heart he heard the glad shout. ‘Water! water!’ echoed along the line. Men, women, and children in joyous haste crowded to the fountain, when, lo, a cry of anguish burst forth from the host—the water was bitter.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 291.

Monday

  1. FORGETTING THE BLESSINGS

2.a. What did the people do when they began to suffer from thirst? Exodus 15:24; Psalm 106:13.

Note: “In their horror and despair they reproached Moses for having led them in such a way, not remembering that the divine presence in that mysterious cloud had been leading him as well as them. In his grief at their distress Moses did what they had forgotten to do; he cried earnestly to God for help.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 291.

2.b.      What does Christ say to those who are forgetful of past blessings in their anxiety for their future needs? Luke 12:29, 30.

Note: “Christians should not allow themselves to be troubled with anxious care as to the necessities of life. If men love and obey God, and do their part, God will provide for all their wants. Although your living may have to be obtained by the sweat of your brow, you are not to distrust God; for in the great plan of His providence, He will supply your need from day to day.” Counsels on Stewardship, 227.

2.c. What shows that God will never forget us? Isaiah 44:21; 49:15, 16.

Note: “The love of Jesus is something expressed, more tender than even the love of a mother for her child. The most tender love we know is that of a mother for her child, but the love of Jesus exceeds this. She may change in her affection. Mothers may become unkind, but Jesus never, never will become unmindful or unkind, or cruel to His children.

“Then never, never will we show distrust and want of faith. So strong is His love that it controls all the affections of His nature, and [He] employs all His vast resources to do His people good. His love is durable, without variableness or shadow of turning. Never let us dishonor God by trying so hard to keep ourselves, fixing our eyes upon ourselves, and keeping ourselves constantly in view.” The Upward Look, 180.

“Oh, how easy for us to forget God, while He never forgets us; He visits us with His mercies every hour.” Our High Calling, 314.

Tuesday

  1. THE BITTER MADE SWEET

3.a. How did the waters at Marah become sweet? Exodus 15:25. What practical lessons can we learn from this?

Note: “For every trial, God has provided help. When Israel in the desert came to the bitter waters of Marah, Moses cried unto the Lord. The Lord did not provide some new remedy; He called attention to that which was at hand. A shrub which He had created was to be cast into the fountain to make the water pure and sweet. When this was done, the people drank of the water and were refreshed. In every trial, if we seek Him, Christ will give us help. Our eyes will be opened to discern the healing promises recorded in His word. The Holy Spirit will teach us how to appropriate every blessing that will be an antidote to grief. For every bitter draft that is placed to our lips, we shall find a branch of healing.

“We are not to let the future, with its hard problems, its unsatisfying prospects, make our hearts faint, our knees tremble, our hands hang down. ‘Let him take hold of My strength,’ says the Mighty One, ‘that he may make peace with Me; and he shall make peace with Me’ (Isaiah 27:5). Those who surrender their lives to His guidance and to His service will never be placed in a position for which He has not made provision. Whatever our situation, if we are doers of His word, we have a Guide to direct our way; whatever our perplexity, we have a sure Counselor; whatever our sorrow, bereavement, or loneliness, we have a sympathizing Friend.” The Ministry of Healing, 248, 249.

3.b.      Where and on what other occasion did a similar problem exist, and how was it solved? 2 Kings 2:19–22.

Note: “The healing of the waters of Jericho was accomplished, not by any wisdom of man, but by the miraculous interposition of God.

“In casting salt into the bitter spring, Elisha taught the same spiritual lesson imparted centuries later by the Saviour to His disciples when He declared, ‘Ye are the salt of the earth’ (Matthew 5:13). The salt mingling with the polluted spring purified its waters and brought life and blessing where before had been blighting and death. When God compares His children to salt, He would teach them that His purpose in making them the subjects of His grace is that they may become agents in saving others.” Prophets and Kings, 231.

Wednesday

  1. PROMISES TO THE OBEDIENT

4.a. What did the Lord promise to do for His people, and what were the conditions? Exodus 15:26. Are there similar conditions today?

Note: “There are conditions to be observed by all who would preserve health. All should learn what these conditions are. The Lord is not pleased with ignorance in regard to His laws, either natural or spiritual. We are to be workers together with God for the restoration of health to the body as well as to the soul.

“And we should teach others how to preserve and to recover health.” The Desire of Ages, 824.

4.b.      What assurance is given to those who are sick? Psalm 103:2–5; James 5:15, 16.

Note: “The paralytic found in Christ healing for both the soul and the body. He needed health of soul before he could appreciate health of body. Before the physical malady could be healed, Christ must bring relief to the mind, and cleanse the soul from sin. This lesson should not be overlooked. There are today thousands suffering from physical disease who, like the paralytic, are longing for the message, ‘Thy sins are forgiven’ (Luke 5:20). The burden of sin, with its unrest and unsatisfied desires, is the foundation of their maladies. They can find no relief until they come to the Healer of the soul. The peace which He alone can impart would restore vigor to the mind and health to the body.” The Ministry of Healing, 77.

4.c. Why should we be particular in how we care for our bodies? 1 Corinthians 6:19, 20; 10:31.

Note: “The sacred temple of the body must be kept pure and uncontaminated, that God’s Holy Spirit may dwell therein. We need to guard faithfully the Lord’s property, for any abuse of our powers shortens the time that our lives could be used for the glory of God. … By properly using our powers to their fullest extent in the most useful employment, by keeping every organ in health, by so preserving every organ that mind, sinew, and muscle shall work harmoniously, we may do the most precious service for God.” My Life Today, 134.

Thursday

  1. THE WELLS AT ELIM

5.a. After the Israelites had left Marah, where did they next camp? Describe the oasis that they found there. Exodus 15:27.

5.b. Just as God provided food and water for the Israelites in their journey through the wilderness, how does He promise to provide for the needs of His people just before their entrance into the heavenly Canaan? Isaiah 33:16; Palm 37:19.

Note: “The Lord has shown me repeatedly that it is contrary to the Bible to make any provision for our temporal wants in the time of trouble. I saw that if the saints had food laid up by them or in the field in the time of trouble, when sword, famine, and pestilence are in the land, it would be taken from them by violent hands and strangers would reap their fields. Then will be the time for us to trust wholly in God, and He will sustain us. I saw that our bread and water will be sure at that time, and that we shall not lack or suffer hunger; for God is able to spread a table for us in the wilderness. If necessary He would send ravens to feed us, as He did to feed Elijah, or rain manna from heaven, as He did for the Israelites.” Early Writings, 56.

Friday

PERSONAL REVIEW QUESTIONS

  1. Why was the place where the children of Israel found water called Marah?
  2. How did they react to God’s providence in bringing them to this place? How are we sometimes the same? What should we do instead?
  3. God has promised that we will never find ourselves in a situation where He has not provided for our needs. Under what conditions is this true?
  4. Why is it so important to keep God’s health laws today?
  5. What has God promised to provide for His people just before their entrance into the heavenly Canaan?

Copyright 2019, Reformation Herald Publishing Association, 5240 Hollins Road, Roanoke, Virginia 24019-5048, U.S.A.

Bible Study Guides – Crossing the Red Sea

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November 8 – 14, 2020

Key Text

“He rebuked the Red sea also, and it was dried up: so He led them through the depths, as through the wilderness” (Psalm 106:9).

Study Help: Patriarchs and Prophets, 284–290.

Introduction

“The mighty hand of Christ rolled back the waters of the Red Sea, so that they stood up like a wall. Thus He made a dry passage through the sea, and Israel passed over dryshod.” “Ellen G. White Comments,” The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 1, 1101.

Sunday

  1. COMFORTING THE FEARFUL

1.a. How did the Israelites express their fears when they saw the sea before them and the host of Pharaoh behind? Exodus 14:10–12.

Note: “The Hebrews were encamped beside the sea, whose waters presented a seemingly impassable barrier before them, while on the south a rugged mountain obstructed their further progress. Suddenly they beheld in the distance the flashing armor and moving chariots betokening the advance guard of a great army. … Terror filled the hearts of Israel.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 283, 284.

1.b.      With what words did Moses try to quiet their fears? Exodus 14:13, 14.

Note: “Moses was greatly troubled that his people should manifest so little faith in God, notwithstanding they had repeatedly witnessed the manifestation of His power in their behalf. How could they charge upon him the dangers and difficulties of their situation, when he had followed the express command of God? True, there was no possibility of deliverance unless God Himself should interpose for their release; but having been brought into this position in obedience to the divine direction, Moses felt no fear of the consequences.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 284.

Monday

  1. GOD MAKES A WAY OF ESCAPE

2.a. What instruction did God give to Moses in view of the imminent danger? Exodus 14:15–18. How did Christ give His disciples a similar charge, when they would find themselves walled in by difficulties? John 16:33.

Note: “Christ did not fail, neither was He discouraged; and the disciples were to show a faith of the same enduring nature. They were to work as He had worked, depending on Him for strength. Though their way would be obstructed by apparent impossibilities, yet by His grace they were to go forward, despairing of nothing and hoping for everything.” The Acts of the Apostles, 23.

2.b.      How did the Angel of God make a way of escape for the children of Israel through the sea? Exodus 14:19–22.

Note: “But now, as the Egyptian host approached them, expecting to make them an easy prey, the cloudy column rose majestically into the heavens, passed over the Israelites, and descended between them and the armies of Egypt. A wall of darkness interposed between the pursued and their pursuers. The Egyptians could no longer discern the camp of the Hebrews, and were forced to halt. But as the darkness of night deepened, the wall of cloud became a great light to the Hebrews, flooding the entire encampment with the radiance of day.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 284, 287.

2.c. What lesson should we learn from that experience? Romans 8:31.

Note: “In every crisis His people may confidently declare, ‘If God be for us, who can be against us’ (Romans 8:31)? However craftily the plots of Satan and his agents may be laid, God can detect them, and bring to nought all their counsels. The response of faith today will be the response made by Nehemiah, ‘Our God shall fight for us’ (Nehemiah 4:20); for God is in the work, and no man can prevent its ultimate success.” Prophets and Kings, 645.

Tuesday

  1. TROUBLE FOR THE EGYPTIANS

3.a. How did the Lord hinder the host of the Egyptians? Exodus 14:23–25, first part; Psalm 77:15–18.

 Note: “The Egyptians dared to venture in the path God had prepared for His people, and angels of God went through their host and removed their chariot-wheels. They were plagued. Their progress was very slow, and they began to be troubled. They remembered the judgments the God of the Hebrews had brought upon them in Egypt, to compel them to let Israel go, and they thought that God might deliver them all into the hands of the Israelites. They decided that God was fighting for the Israelites, and they were terribly afraid.” Spiritual Gifts, vol. 3, 235.

3.b. When the Egyptians found themselves struggling to pursue the Israelites, what did they say to one another? Exodus 14:25, last part.

3.c. What happened as soon as the Israelites were safely over the sea and Moses again stretched out his rod? Exodus 14:26–30. How will God work a similar deliverance for His people on the borders of the heavenly Canaan?

Note: “The Egyptians were seized with confusion and dismay. Amid the wrath of the elements, in which they heard the voice of an angry God, they endeavored to retrace their steps and flee to the shore they had quitted. But Moses stretched out his rod, and the piled-up waters, hissing, roaring, and eager for their prey, rushed together and swallowed the Egyptian army in their black depths.

“As morning broke it revealed to the multitudes of Israel all that remained of their mighty foes—the mail-clad bodies cast upon the shore. From the most terrible peril, one night had brought complete deliverance.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 287, 288.

“The heavenly intelligences, angels that excel in strength, are waiting, obedient to His command, to unite with human agencies; and the Lord will interpose when matters have come to such a pass that none but a divine power can counteract the satanic agencies at work. When His people shall be in the greatest danger, seemingly unable to stand against the power of Satan, God will work in their behalf. Man’s extremity is God’s opportunity.” Selected Messages, Book 2, 373.

Wednesday

  1. A GREAT DELIVERANCE

4.a. How did the Psalmist describe the passage through the Red Sea by the people of Israel? Psalm 77:19, 20; 106:8–11.

4.b. What was necessary on the part of the Israelites in order for God to open the Red Sea for them? Hebrews 11:29.

Note: “God in His providence brought the Hebrews into the mountain fastnesses before the sea, that He might manifest His power in their deliverance and signally humble the pride of their oppressors. He might have saved them in any other way, but He chose this method in order to test their faith and strengthen their trust in Him. The people were weary and terrified, yet if they had held back when Moses bade them advance, God would never have opened the path for them. It was ‘by faith’ that ‘they passed through the Red Sea as by dry land’ (Hebrews 11:29). In marching down to the very water, they showed that they believed the word of God as spoken by Moses. They did all that was in their power to do, and then the Mighty One of Israel divided the sea to make a path for their feet.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 290.

4.c. How did the Israelites react to the wonderful deliverance that the Lord had prepared for them? Exodus 14:31; Psalm 106:12. What lesson does this experience teach us?

Note: “The great lesson here taught is for all time. Often the Christian life is beset by dangers, and duty seems hard to perform. The imagination pictures impending ruin before and bondage or death behind. Yet the voice of God speaks clearly, ‘Go forward.’ We should obey this command, even though our eyes cannot penetrate the darkness, and we feel the cold waves about our feet. The obstacles that hinder our progress will never disappear before a halting, doubting spirit. Those who defer obedience till every shadow of uncertainty disappears and there remains no risk of failure or defeat, will never obey at all. Unbelief whispers, ‘Let us wait till the obstructions are removed, and we can see our way clearly;’ but faith courageously urges an advance, hoping all things, believing all things.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 290.

Thursday

  1. SINGING THE SONG OF VICTORY

5.a. How did the people express their happiness? What are some of the key thoughts from the Song of Moses? Exodus 15:1–21.

Note: “This song and the great deliverance which it commemorates, made an impression never to be effaced from the memory of the Hebrew people. From age to age it was echoed by the prophets and singers of Israel, testifying that Jehovah is the strength and deliverance of those who trust in Him.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 289.

5.b. When, where, and by whom will a similar song be sung again? Revelation 15:2–4.

Note: “That song does not belong to the Jewish people alone. It points forward to the destruction of all the foes of righteousness and the final victory of the Israel of God.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 289.

“And they sing ‘a new song’ (Revelation 5:9) before the throne, a song which no man can learn save the hundred and forty and four thousand. It is the song of Moses and the Lamb—a song of deliverance. None but the hundred and forty-four thousand can learn that song; for it is the song of their experience—an experience such as no other company have ever had.” The Great Controversy, 648, 649.

Friday

PERSONAL REVIEW QUESTIONS

1    Why was Moses unafraid at the Red Sea? How can I be like him?

2    How did God make a way of escape for the Israelites? How has He at times made a way of escape for you?

3    When will God step in to help His people who are just on the borders of the heavenly Canaan?

4    Why did God choose to bring the Israelites into this difficult situation? Why do we sometimes find ourselves in hard places?

5    Why can the Song of Moses and the Lamb only be sung by a special company?

Copyright 2019, Reformation Herald Publishing Association, 5240 Hollins Road, Roanoke, Virginia 24019-5048, U.S.A.

Bible Study Guides – Leaving Egypt

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Wilderness Wanderings

November 1 – 7, 2020

Key Text

“And it came to pass at the end of the four hundred and thirty years, even the selfsame day it came to pass, that the hosts of the Lord went out from the land of Egypt” (Exodus 12:41).

Study Help: Patriarchs and Prophets, 281–283.

Introduction

“Like the stars in the vast circuit of their appointed path, God’s purposes know no haste and no delay.” The Desire of Ages, 32.

Sunday

  1. PREPARING TO LEAVE

1.a. What did the Israelites demand for their hard labor and suffering in Egypt, and why did the Egyptians honor their request? Exodus 12:33, 35, 36.

1.b.      Describe the company that left Egypt. Exodus 12:37–39.

Note: “There was quite a large number of the Egyptians who were led to acknowledge, by the manifestations of the signs and wonders shown in Egypt, that the God of the Hebrews was the only true God. … They pledged themselves to henceforth choose the God of Israel as their God. They decided to leave Egypt, and go with the children of Israel to worship their God.” “Ellen G. White Comments,” The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 1, 1101.

“And they went out, ‘about six hundred thousand on foot that were men, beside children. And a mixed multitude went up also with them’ (Exodus 12:37.38). In this multitude were not only those who were actuated by faith in the God of Israel, but also a far greater number who desired only to escape from the plagues, or who followed in the wake of the moving multitudes merely from excitement and curiosity. This class were ever a hindrance and a snare to Israel.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 281.

Monday

  1. REMEMBERING THE SOJOURNING

2.a. How long did Abraham and his descendants dwell among strangers, and in what generation did their sojourn in Egypt end? Exodus 12:40; Genesis 15:13–16.

2.b.      How are we also sojourners on this earth? Hebrews 11:13–16.

Note: “By their works they [the disciples] constantly testified that this world was not their home; their citizenship was above; they were seeking a better country, even a heavenly. Their conversation and affections were on heavenly things. They were in the world, but not of the world; in spirit and practice they were separate from its maxims and customs. Their daily example testified that they were living for the glory of God. Their great interest, like that of their Master, was for the salvation of souls.” Lift Him Up, 325.

2.c. In commemoration of the Passover, what requirement did God make concerning the firstborn of man and beast? Exodus 13:2, 11–15; Numbers 3:13.  What lesson did this law teach?

Note: “Furthermore, the first-born of both man and beast were to be the Lord’s, to be bought back only by a ransom, in acknowledgment that when the first-born in Egypt perished, that of Israel, though graciously preserved, had been justly exposed to the same doom but for the atoning sacrifice.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 274.

“After the tabernacle service was established, the Lord chose the tribe of Levi in the place of the first-born of all Israel to minister in the sanctuary. But the first-born were still to be regarded as the Lord’s, and were to be bought back by a ransom.

“Thus the law for the presentation of the first-born was made particularly significant. While it was a memorial of the Lord’s wonderful deliverance of the children of Israel, it prefigured a greater deliverance, to be wrought out by the only-begotten Son of God. As the blood sprinkled on the doorposts had saved the first-born of Israel, so the blood of Christ has power to save the world.” The Desire of Ages, 51.

Tuesday

  1. FOLLOWING GOD’S LEADING

3.a. What desire of Joseph did the Israelites fulfill when they departed from Egypt? Genesis 50:25; Exodus 13:19.

Note: “In their departure from Egypt the Israelites bore with them a precious legacy, in the bones of Joseph, which had so long awaited the fulfillment of God’s promise, and which, during the dark years of bondage, had been a reminder of Israel’s deliverance.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 282.

3.b.      Why did they take a long roundabout course instead of being led straight into the promised land? Exodus 13:17, 18.

Note: “Instead of pursuing the direct route to Canaan, which lay through the country of the Philistines, the Lord directed their course southward, toward the shores of the Red Sea. … Had they attempted to pass through Philistia, their progress would have been opposed; for the Philistines, regarding them as slaves escaping from their masters, would not have hesitated to make war upon them. The Israelites were poorly prepared for an encounter with that powerful and warlike people. They had little knowledge of God and little faith in Him, and they would have become terrified and disheartened. They were unarmed and unaccustomed to war, their spirits were depressed by long bondage, and they were encumbered with women and children, flocks and herds. In leading them by the way of the Red Sea, the Lord revealed Himself as a God of compassion as well as of judgment.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 282.

3.c. When God sometimes seems to lead us in a way that we do not understand, as He did with the children of Israel, what should we remember? John 13:7.

Note: “Often our trials are such that they seem almost unbearable, and without help from God they are indeed unbearable. Unless we rely upon Him we shall sink under the burden of responsibilities that bring only sadness and grief. But if we make Christ our dependence, we shall not sink under trial. When all seems dark and unexplainable we are to trust in His love; we must repeat the words that Christ has spoken to our souls, ‘What I do thou knowest not now; but thou shalt know hereafter’ (John 13:7).” My Life Today, 184.

Wednesday

  1. VISIBLE TOKENS OF GOD’S GUIDANCE

4.a. From what place did the children of Israel start their journey? Where did they make their first and second stops? Exodus 12:37; 13:20.

4.b.      What did God send to guide His people in their journeying by day and by night? Exodus 13:21, 22; Psalm 105:39.

Note: “The standard of their invisible Leader was ever with them. By day the cloud directed their journeyings or spread as a canopy above the host. It served as a protection from the burning heat, and by its coolness and moisture afforded grateful refreshment in the parched, thirsty desert. By night it became a pillar of fire, illuminating their encampment and constantly assuring them of the divine presence.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 282.

4.c. How does Isaiah represent God’s care for His people in the final conflict as they near their heavenly home? Isaiah 4:5, 6.

Note: “In one of the most beautiful and comforting passages of Isaiah’s prophecy, reference is made to the pillar of cloud and of fire to represent God’s care for His people in the great final struggle with the powers of evil: ‘The Lord will create upon every dwelling place of Mount Zion, and upon her assemblies, a cloud and smoke by day, and the shining of a flaming fire by night: for above all the glory shall be a covering. And there shall be a tabernacle for a shadow in the daytime from the heat, and for a place of refuge, and for a covert from storm and from rain’ (Isaiah 4:5, 6, margin).” Patriarchs and Prophets, 283.

“In the time of trial before us God’s pledge of security will be placed upon those who have kept the word of His patience. … The Lion of Judah, so terrible to the rejectors of His grace, will be the Lamb of God to the obedient and faithful. The pillar of cloud which speaks wrath and terror to the transgressor of God’s law is light and mercy and deliverance to those who have kept His commandments. The arm strong to smite the rebellious will be strong to deliver the loyal. Every faithful one will surely be gathered. ‘He shall send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other’ (Matthew 24:31).” Testimonies, vol. 6, 404.

Thursday

  1. PHARAOH PURSUES ISRAEL

5.a. What instruction and warning did the Lord send to the Israelites in view of their imminent danger? Exodus 14:1–4.

5.b.      With what great force did Pharaoh pursue the fugitives, and where did he overtake them? Exodus 14:5–9.

Note: “The king was resolved to intimidate the Israelites by a grand display of his power. The Egyptians feared lest their forced submission to the God of Israel should subject them to the derision of other nations; but if they should now go forth with a great show of power and bring back the fugitives, they would redeem their glory, as well as recover the services of their bondmen.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 283.

5.c. In our personal struggle for freedom from Satan’s dominion, what promise should inspire us with an assurance of deliverance? Isaiah 49:24, 25.

Note: “The spirits of darkness will battle for the soul once under their dominion, but angels of God will contend for that soul with prevailing power. The Lord says, ‘Shall the prey be taken from the mighty, or the lawful captive delivered? … Thus saith the Lord, Even the captives of the mighty shall be taken away, and the prey of the terrible shall be delivered: for I will contend with him that contendeth with thee, and I will save thy children’ (Isaiah 49:24, 25).” The Desire of Ages, 259.

Friday

PERSONAL REVIEW QUESTIONS

1    How can we be like the mixed multitude in our motives for serving God?

2    How can we show that we are only sojourners on this earth?

3    At the beginning of their journey, why did the Israelites have to take the longer way? What should we learn from their experience?

4    How will the pillar of cloud and of fire again serve God’s people in the coming conflict?

5    What were the Egyptians seeking to regain when they decided to pursue the Israelites?

Copyright 2019, Reformation Herald Publishing Association, 5240 Hollins Road, Roanoke, Virginia 24019-5048, U.S.A.

Bible Study Guides – The Passover

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October 25 – 31, 2020

Key Text

“Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink His blood, ye have no. life in you” (John 6:53).

Study Help: Patriarchs and Prophets, 273–280.

Introduction

“The followers of Christ must be partakers of His experience. They must receive and assimilate the word of God so that it shall become the motive power of life and action. By the power of Christ they must be changed into His likeness, and reflect the divine attributes. They must eat the flesh and drink the blood of the Son of God, or there is no life in them.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 278.

Sunday

  1. A MERCIFUL WARNING

  • How was Moses regarded by the Egyptians? Exodus 11:3, last part.
  •  What judgment was foretold before the tenth plague, and what would Pharaoh and his servants do? Exodus 11:1, 4–8; 12:12.
  •  What can we learn about God’s character from the many warnings He sent to the Egyptians before sending the tenth plague? 2 Peter 3:9.

 Note: “The judgment of which Egypt had first been warned, was to be the last visited. God is long-suffering and plenteous in mercy. He has a tender care for the beings formed in His image. If the loss of their harvests and their flocks and herds had brought Egypt to repentance, the children would not have been smitten; but the nation had stubbornly resisted the divine command, and now the final blow was about to fall.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 273.

“The Lord wills not that any soul should perish. His mercies are without number.” The Upward Look, 150.

Monday

  1. THE PASSOVER INSTITUTED

  • Who was permitted to eat the Passover lamb? Exodus 12:43, 48, 49.
  • What were the Israelites instructed to do with the blood, and what was the purpose of that institution? Exodus 12:7, 13, 23.

Note: “Before obtaining freedom, the bondmen must show their faith in the great deliverance about to be accomplished. The token of blood must be placed upon their houses, and they must separate themselves and their families from the Egyptians, and gather within their own dwellings. Had the Israelites disregarded in any particular the directions given them, had they neglected to separate their children from the Egyptians, had they slain the lamb, but failed to strike the doorpost with blood, or had any gone out of their houses, they would not have been secure. They might have honestly believed that they had done all that was necessary, but their sincerity would not have saved them. All who failed to heed the Lord’s directions would lose their first-born by the hand of the destroyer.

“By obedience the people were to give evidence of their faith. So all who hope to be saved by the merits of the blood of Christ should realize that they themselves have something to do in securing their salvation. While it is Christ only that can redeem us from the penalty of transgression, we are to turn from sin to obedience. Man is to be saved by faith, not by works; yet his faith must be shown by his works.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 278, 279.

  • Who was to perform the work of slaying the Passover lamb and applying the blood to the doorpost? Exodus 12:21. What significance does this have for us today?

Note: “The father was to act as the priest of the household, and if the father was dead, the eldest son living was to perform this solemn act of sprinkling the doorpost with blood. This is a symbol of the work to be done in every family. Parents are to gather their children into the home and to present Christ before them as their Passover. The father is to dedicate every inmate of his home to God and to do a work that is represented by the feast of the Passover. It is perilous to leave this solemn duty in the hands of others.” The Adventist Home, 324.

Tuesday

THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE PASSOVER

  • How were the Israelites to eat the lamb and the other provisions of the Passover feasts? Exodus 12:8–11. What change took place after they had settled down in their own land?

Note: “At the time of their deliverance from Egypt, the children of Israel ate the Passover supper standing, with their loins girded, and with their staves in their hands, ready for their journey. The manner in which they celebrated this ordinance harmonized with their condition; for they were about to be thrust out of the land of Egypt, and were to begin a painful and difficult journey through the wilderness. But in Christ’s time the condition of things had changed. They were not now about to be thrust out of a strange country, but were dwellers in their own land. In harmony with the rest that had been given them, the people then partook of the Passover supper in a reclining position.” The Desire of Ages, 653.

  • How was the marvelous deliverance of the Israelites from Egypt kept fresh in the minds of their children? Exodus 12:26, 27.

Note: “The Passover was ordained as a commemoration of the deliverance of Israel from Egyptian bondage. God had directed that, year by year, as the children should ask the meaning of this ordinance, the history should be repeated. Thus the wonderful deliverance was to be kept fresh in the minds of all.” The Desire of Ages, 652.

  • What is the relationship between the Passover service and the Lord’s Supper? What work is kept fresh in our minds by the communion service? Matthew 26:17–19, 26–29; 1 Corinthians 11:26.

Note: “As He [Christ] ate the Passover with His disciples, He instituted in its place the service that was to be the memorial of His great sacrifice. The national festival of the Jews was to pass away forever. The service which Christ established was to be observed by His followers in all lands and through all ages. …

“The ordinance of the Lord’s Supper was given to commemorate the great deliverance wrought out as the result of the death of Christ. Till He shall come the second time in power and glory, this ordinance is to be celebrated. It is the means by which His great work for us is to be kept fresh in our minds.” The Desire of Ages, 652, 653.

Wednesday

  1. THE SYMBOL AND THE SUBSTANCE

  • Of whom was the Passover lamb a type? John 1:29; 1 Corinthians 5:7.

Note: “God desired to teach them [Israel] that from His own love comes the gift which reconciles them to Himself.” The Desire of Ages, 113.

“The sacrificial lamb represents ‘the Lamb of God’ (John 1:29), in whom is our only hope of salvation. Says the apostle, ‘Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us’ (1 Corinthians 5:7). It was not enough that the paschal lamb be slain; its blood must be sprinkled upon the doorposts; so the merits of Christ’s blood must be applied to the soul. We must believe, not only that He died for the world, but that He died for us individually. We must appropriate to ourselves the virtue of the atoning sacrifice.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 277.

  • Who is symbolized by the bread and what reality should this remind us of? John 6:47, 48, 51.

Note: “To the death of Christ we owe even this earthly life. The bread we eat is the purchase of His broken body. The water we drink is bought by His spilled blood. Never one, saint or sinner, eats his daily food, but he is nourished by the body and the blood of Christ. The cross of Calvary is stamped on every loaf. It is reflected in every water spring. All this Christ has taught in appointing the emblems of His great sacrifice. The light shining from that Communion service in the upper chamber makes sacred the provisions for our daily life. The family board becomes as the table of the Lord, and every meal a sacrament.

“And how much more are Christ’s words true of our spiritual nature. He declares, ‘Whoso eateth My flesh, and drinketh My blood, hath eternal life’ (John 6:54). It is by receiving the life for us poured out on Calvary’s cross, that we can live the life of holiness. And this life we receive by receiving His word, by doing those things which He has commanded. Thus we become one with Him. [John 6:54, 56, 57 quoted.] To the holy Communion this scripture in a special sense applies. As faith contemplates our Lord’s great sacrifice, the soul assimilates the spiritual life of Christ. That soul will receive spiritual strength from every Communion. The service forms a living connection by which the believer is bound up with Christ, and thus bound up with the Father. In a special sense it forms a connection between dependent human beings and God.” The Desire of Ages, 660, 661.

Thursday

  1. THE TENTH PLAGUE – DEATH OF THE FIRSTBORN

  • Describe the last plague. Exodus 12:29, 30.
  • How were the Israelites driven out of the land of Egypt? Why? Exodus 12:31–33.

Note: “Throughout the vast realm of Egypt the pride of every household had been laid low. The shrieks and wails of the mourners filled the air. King and courtiers, with blanched faces and trembling limbs, stood aghast at the overmastering horror. Pharaoh remembered how he had once exclaimed, ‘Who is Jehovah, that I should obey His voice to let Israel go? I know not Jehovah, neither will I let Israel go’ (Exodus 5:2). Now, his heaven-daring pride humbled in the dust, he ‘called for Moses and Aaron by night, and said, Rise up, and get you forth from among my people, both ye and the children of Israel; and go, serve the Lord, as ye have said. Also take your flocks and your herds, as ye have said. … And be gone; and bless me also’ (Exodus 12:31, 32). The royal counselors also and the people entreated the Israelites to depart ‘out of the land in haste; for they said, We be all dead men’ (verse 33).” Patriarchs and Prophets, 280.

Friday

PERSONAL REVIEW QUESTIONS

1     How did God show mercy in His warnings before each plague and especially before the tenth plague?

2     How does the Passover service illustrate how faith and works are to be combined? How does this relate to my own personal experience?

3     What deliverance does the Lord’s Supper commemorate? Why do we need to observe it regularly?

4     How do we appropriate to our souls the saving blood of Christ?

5     How do we, as Pharaoh, sometimes wait until God has humbled us before we obey His voice?

Copyright 2019, Reformation Herald Publishing Association, 5240 Hollins Road, Roanoke, Virginia 24019-5048, U.S.A.

Bible Study Guides – The Plagues of Egypt

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October 18 – 24, 2020

Key Text

“Wherefore then do ye harden your hearts, as the Egyptians and Pharaoh hardened their hearts? When he had wrought wonderfully among them, did they not let the people go, and they departed” (1 Samuel 6:6)?

Study Help: Patriarchs and Prophets, 265–272.

Introduction

“God destroys no man. Everyone who is destroyed will have destroyed himself. Everyone who stifles the admonitions of conscience is sowing the seeds of unbelief, and these will produce a sure harvest.” Christ’s Object Lessons, 84.

Sunday

  1. A PROTEST AGAINST SENSELESS WORSHIP

  • What was the first plague, and why was it sent? Exodus 7:14–21.

Note: “During the plagues on Egypt Pharaoh was punctual in his superstitious devotion to the river, and visited it every morning, and as he stood upon its banks he offered praise and thanksgiving to the water, recounting the great good it accomplished, and telling the water of its great power; that without it they could not exist; for their lands were watered by it, and it supplied meat for their tables.” Spiritual Gifts, vol. 4A, 54, 55.

  • What was the second plague, and how did God choose to remove the effects of this plague? Exodus 8:2–14.

Note: “The frog was regarded as sacred by the Egyptians, and they would not destroy it; but the slimy pests had now become intolerable. …

“The Lord could have caused them to return to dust in a moment; but He did not do this lest after their removal the king and his people should pronounce it the result of sorcery or enchantment, like the work of the magicians. The frogs died, and were then gathered together in heaps.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 265, 266.

Monday

  1. GOD CARES FOR HIS OWN

  • How did the Lord make a distinction in those affected by the fourth plague? Exodus 8:20–24.

Note: “Flies filled the houses and swarmed upon the ground, so that ‘the land was corrupted by reason of the swarms of flies’ (Exodus 8:24). These flies were large and venomous, and their bite was extremely painful to man and beast. As had been foretold, this visitation did not extend to the land of Goshen.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 266.

  • What further distinction was made by God in the fifth and ninth plagues? Exodus 9:1–6; 10:22, 23.

Note: “A more terrible stroke followed—murrain upon all the Egyptian cattle that were in the field. Both the sacred animals and the beasts of burden—kine and oxen and sheep, horses and camels and asses—were destroyed. It had been distinctly stated that the Hebrews were to be exempt; and Pharaoh, on sending messengers to the home of the Israelites, proved the truth of this declaration of Moses. ‘Of the cattle of the children of Israel died not one’ (Exodus 9:6). Still the king was obstinate.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 267.

“Suddenly a darkness settled upon the land, so thick and black that it seemed a ‘darkness which may be felt’ (Exodus 10:21, last part). Not only were the people deprived of light, but the atmosphere was very oppressive, so that breathing was difficult. ‘They saw not one another, neither rose any from his place for three days: but all the children of Israel had light in their dwellings’ (Exodus 10:23). The sun and moon were objects of worship to the Egyptians; in this mysterious darkness the people and their gods alike were smitten by the power that had undertaken the cause of the bondmen.” Ibid., 272.

  • What care did the Lord promise to have for His people? Deuteronomy 32:43?

Note: “Yet fearful as it was, this judgment [during the ninth plague] is an evidence of God’s compassion and His unwillingness to destroy. He would give the people time for reflection and repentance before bringing upon them the last and most terrible of the plagues.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 272.

TUESDAY

3 . THE MAGICIANS ADMIT DEFEAT

  • What was the reaction of the magicians to the third plague? Exodus 8:18, 19.

Note: “At the command of God, Aaron stretched out his hand, and the dust of the earth became lice throughout all the land of Egypt. Pharaoh called upon the magicians to do the same, but they could not. The work of God was thus shown to be superior to that of Satan. The magicians themselves acknowledged, ‘This is the finger of God’ (Exodus 8:19). But the king was still unmoved.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 266.

  • How did God instruct Moses to introduce the plague of boils? Exodus 9:8–10. What was the significance about the ashes coming from the furnace?

Note: “Moses was next directed to take ashes of the furnace, and ‘sprinkle it toward heaven in the sight of Pharaoh’ (Exodus 9:8). This act was deeply significant. Four hundred years before, God had shown to Abraham the future oppression of His people, under the figure of a smoking furnace and a burning lamp. He had declared that He would visit judgments upon their oppressors, and would bring forth the captives with great substance. In Egypt, Israel had long languished in the furnace of affliction. This act of Moses was an assurance to them that God was mindful of His covenant, and that the time for their deliverance had come.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 267.

  • What effect did the boils have upon the magicians? Exodus 9:11.

Note: “As the ashes were sprinkled toward heaven, the fine particles spread over all the land of Egypt, and wherever they settled, produced boils ‘breaking forth with blains upon man, and upon beast’ (Exodus 9:10). The priests and magicians had hitherto encouraged Pharaoh in his stubbornness, but now a judgment had come that reached even them. Smitten with a loathsome and painful disease, their vaunted power only making them contemptible, they were no longer able to contend against the God of Israel. The whole nation was made to see the folly of trusting in the magicians, when they were not able to protect even their own persons.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 267.

WEDNESDAY

  1. THE EGYPTIANS ARE FEARFUL

  • How did God warn the Egyptians in mercy concerning the seventh plague, and what were the results? Exodus 9:18–21.

Note: “Rain or hail was unusual in Egypt, and such a storm as was foretold had never been witnessed. The report spread rapidly, and all who believed the word of the Lord gathered in their cattle, while those who despised the warning left them in the field. Thus in the midst of judgment the mercy of God was displayed, the people were tested, and it was shown how many had been led to fear God by the manifestation of His power. …

“Ruin and desolation marked the path of the destroying angel. The land of Goshen alone was spared. It was demonstrated to the Egyptians that the earth is under the control of the living God, that the elements obey His voice, and that the only safety is in obedience to Him.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 269.

  • After God warned the Egyptians of the eighth plague of locusts, what showed that Pharaoh’s servants were afraid of God? Exodus 10:7.

Note: “The counselors of Pharaoh stood aghast. The nation had sustained great loss in the death of their cattle. Many of the people had been killed by the hail. The forests were broken down and the crops destroyed. They were fast losing all that had been gained by the labor of the Hebrews. The whole land was threatened with starvation. Princes and courtiers pressed about the king and angrily demanded, ‘How long shall this man be a snare unto us? let the men go, that they may serve the Lord their God: knowest thou not yet that Egypt is destroyed’ (Exodus 10:7)?” Patriarchs and Prophets, 271.

  • After all that had happened thus far, how did Pharaoh show that he was still not willing to let all of Israel go? Exodus 10:8–11.

Note: “Pharaoh had endeavored to destroy the Israelites by hard labor, but he now pretended to have a deep interest in their welfare and a tender care for their little ones. His real object was to keep the women and children as surety for the return of the men.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 271.

THURSDAY

  1. REBELLION IS A CHOICE

What was the effect upon Pharaoh of each successive judgment of God? Exodus 9:7, 35; 10:3.

Note: “God speaks to men through His servants, giving cautions and warnings, and rebuking sin. He gives to each an opportunity to correct his errors before they become fixed in the character; but if one refuses to be corrected, divine power does not interpose to counteract the tendency of his own action. He finds it more easy to repeat the same course. He is hardening the heart against the influence of the Holy Spirit. A further rejection of light places him where a far stronger influence will be ineffectual to make an abiding impression.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 268.

  • As Pharaoh chose to be in rebellion to God, to what is this sin likened, and what is always the result of such a choice? 1 Samuel 15:23, first part; Proverbs 28:14.

Note: “He who manifests an infidel hardihood, a stolid indifference to divine truth, is but reaping the harvest of that which he has himself sown. It is thus that multitudes come to listen with stoical indifference to the truths that once stirred their very souls. They sowed neglect and resistance to the truth, and such is the harvest which they reap.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 268, 269.

FRIDAY

PERSONAL REVIEW QUESTIONS

1     How were the gods of Egypt shown to be inferior to the God of heaven during the first and second plagues?

2     During the plagues, how did God show His care of both His people and the Egyptians?

3     How did the lice and the boils defeat the magicians?

4     How did the Egyptians show that they believed God’s word concerning the coming plague of hail? How do we show belief in God’s word?

5     What two attitudes lead to unbelief?

Copyright 2019, Reformation Herald Publishing Association, 5240 Hollins Road, Roanoke, Virginia 24019-5048, U.S.A.

Bible Study Guides – Stubbornness, a Fruit of Pride

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October 11 – 17, 2020

Key Text

“Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap” (Galatians 6.7).

Study Help: Patriarchs and Prophets, 257–265.

Introduction

“Pharaoh sowed obstinacy, and he reaped obstinacy. He himself put this seed into the soil. There was no more need for God by some new power to interfere with its growth, than there is for Him to interfere with the growth of a grain of corn.” “Ellen G. White Comments,” The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 1, 1100.

Sunday

  1. PHARAOH RESISTS GOD

  • When Moses and Aaron came before the king of Egypt, what request did they present to him, and how did he respond? Exodus 5:1–3.
  • Why is it dangerous to ignore or resist a Divine warning? Hebrews 3:12–14; John 12:35.

Note: “Those who exalt their own ideas above the plainly specified will of God, are saying as did Pharaoh, ‘Who is the Lord, that I should obey His voice’ (Exodus 5:2, first part)? Every rejection of light hardens the heart and darkens the understanding; and thus men find it more and more difficult to distinguish between right and wrong, and they become bolder in resisting the will of God.” “Ellen G. White Comments,” The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 1, 1100.

“Let all be warned by the messages sent from heaven that when any man shall exalt his own ways and his own judgment as supreme, he will come under Satan’s jurisdiction and will be led blindfold by him until his spirit and his methods will conform to the archdeceiver, little by little, until his whole mind is under the influence of the spell. The serpent keeps its eye fixed upon a man, to charm him, until he has no power to go from the snare.” The Publishing Ministry, 175.

Monday

  1. PHARAOH ADDS GREATER BURDENS

  • What accusation did the king bring against Moses and Aaron? Exodus 5:4, 5. To what “rest” was he referring?

Note: “In their bondage the Israelites had to some extent lost the knowledge of God’s law, and they had departed from its precepts. The Sabbath had been generally disregarded, and the exactions of their taskmasters made its observance apparently impossible. But Moses had shown his people that obedience to God was the first condition of deliverance; and the efforts made to restore the observance of the Sabbath had come to the notice of their oppressors.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 258.

  • What was the purpose of God in bringing Israel out of Egypt? Psalm 105:43–45. What implications does this have for us?

Note: “As the Sabbath was the sign that distinguished Israel when they came out of Egypt to enter the earthly Canaan, so it is the sign that now distinguishes God’s people as they come out from the world to enter the heavenly rest. The Sabbath is a sign of the relationship existing between God and His people, a sign that they honor His law. It distinguishes between His loyal subjects and transgressors. …

“The Sabbath given to the world as the sign of God as the Creator is also the sign of Him as the Sanctifier. The power that created all things is the power that re-creates the soul in His own likeness.” Testimonies, vol. 6, 349, 350.

“And when the law of God is thus exemplified in the life, even the world will recognize the superiority of those who love and fear and serve God above every other people on the earth.” Ibid., 12.

  • What was the result of the interview with Pharaoh? Exodus 5:6–14.

Note: “The king, thoroughly roused, suspected the Israelites of a design to revolt from his service. Disaffection was the result of idleness; he would see that no time was left them for dangerous scheming. And he at once adopted measures to tighten their bonds and crush out their independent spirit.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 258.

Tuesday

  1. GOD TESTS THE FAITH OF ISRAEL
  • With what reproach did the officers of the children of Israel come to Moses and Aaron? Exodus 5:19–21.
  • What part do trials have in preparing a people for deliverance? James 2:1–4.

Note: “The Hebrews had expected to obtain their freedom without any special trial of their faith or any real suffering or hardship. But they were not yet prepared for deliverance. They had little faith in God, and were unwilling patiently to endure their afflictions until He should see fit to work for them. Many were content to remain in bondage rather than meet the difficulties attending removal to a strange lane; and the habits of some had become so much like those of the Egyptians that they preferred to dwell in Egypt. Therefore the Lord did not deliver them by the first manifestation of His power before Pharaoh. He overruled events more fully to develop the tyrannical spirit of the Egyptian king and also to reveal Himself to His people. Beholding His justice, His power, and His love, they would choose to leave Egypt and give themselves to His service. The task of Moses would have been much less difficult had not many of the Israelites become so corrupted that they were unwilling to leave Egypt.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 260.

“The children of Israel were addicted to licentiousness, idolatry, gluttony, and gross vices. This is ever the result of slavery. But the Lord looked upon His people, and after their deliverance He educated them. They were not left uncared for.” The Southern Work, 43.

  • As Moses complained to the Lord when new trials came upon Israel, what did the Lord promise to do for His people? Exodus 5:22, 23; 6:1–8.

Note: “In mercy to us, He [God] does not always place us in the easiest places; for if He did, in our self-sufficiency we would forget that the Lord is our helper in time of necessity. But He longs to manifest Himself to us in our emergencies, and reveal the abundant supplies that are at our disposal, independent of our surroundings; and disappointment and trial are permitted to come upon us that we may realize our own helplessness, and learn to call upon the Lord for aid, as a child, when hungry and thirsty, calls upon its earthly father.” Reflecting Christ, 353.

Wednesday

  1. THE PEOPLE ARE DISHEARTENED

  • When Moses spoke to the children of Israel the second time, how did they receive the message of the Lord? Exodus 6:9. What promises should have been a source of hope for all the Israelites? Genesis 15:13, 14; 50:24.

Note: “The elders of Israel endeavored to sustain the sinking faith of their brethren by repeating the promises made to their fathers, and the prophetic words of Joseph before his death, foretelling their deliverance from Egypt. Some would listen and believe. Others, looking at the circumstances that surrounded them, refused to hope. The Egyptians, being informed of what was reported among their bondmen, derided their expectations and scornfully denied the power of their God. They pointed to their situation as a nation of slaves, and tauntingly said, ‘If your God is just and merciful, and possesses power above that of the Egyptian gods, why does He not make you a free people?’ They called attention to their own condition. They worshiped deities termed by the Israelites false gods, yet they were a rich and powerful nation. They declared that their gods had blessed them with prosperity, and had given them the Israelites as servants, and they gloried in their power to oppress and destroy the worshipers of Jehovah. Pharaoh himself boasted that the God of the Hebrews could not deliver them from his hand.

“Words like these destroyed the hopes of many of the Israelites. The case appeared to them very much as the Egyptians had represented. It was true that they were slaves, and must endure whatever their cruel taskmasters might choose to inflict. Their children had been hunted and slain, and their own lives were a burden. Yet they were worshiping the God of heaven. If Jehovah were indeed above all gods, surely He would not thus leave them in bondage to idolaters. But those who were true to God understood that it was because of Israel’s departure from Him—because of their disposition to marry with heathen nations, thus being led into idolatry—that the Lord had permitted them to become bondmen; and they confidently assured their brethren that He would soon break the yoke of the oppressor.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 259, 260.

  • With what argument did Moses try to excuse himself when the Lord told him to speak to Pharaoh again? Exodus 6:10–12.

Thursday

  1. GOD SENDS SIGNS AND WONDERS

  • As the Lord encouraged Moses to return to Pharaoh, what did He say He would multiply in Egypt, and what would be the reaction of the Egyptians? Exodus 7:1–5.

Note: “Before the infliction of each plague, Moses was to describe its nature and effects, that the king might save himself from it if he chose. Every punishment rejected would be followed by one more severe, until his proud heart would be humbled, and he would acknowledge the Maker of heaven and earth as the true and living God. … God would glorify His own name, that other nations might hear of His power and tremble at His mighty acts, and that His people might be led to turn from their idolatry and render Him pure worship.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 263.

  • How were God’s and Satan’s powers contrasted before Pharaoh? Exodus 7:8–12. What was Satan’s purpose in trying to counterfeit the work of God?

Note: “By counterfeiting the work of God through Moses, he [Satan] hoped not only to prevent the deliverance of Israel, but to exert an influence through future ages to destroy faith in the miracles of Christ. Satan is constantly seeking to counterfeit the work of Christ and to establish his own power and claims. He leads men to account for the miracles of Christ by making them appear to be the result of human skill and power. In many minds he thus destroys faith in Christ as the Son of God, and leads them to reject the gracious offers of mercy through the plan of redemption.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 265.

Friday

PERSONAL REVIEW QUESTIONS

1     How do we sometimes show the same pride as Pharaoh?

2     In what way is the Sabbath a distinguishing sign for God’s people today?

3     Why were so many of the Israelites unwilling to leave Egypt? Why are so many of us unwilling to let go of worldly customs and ideas today?

4     Why had God allowed the Israelites to become slaves?

5     Why did Satan try to counterfeit the miracles of God?

Copyright 2019, Reformation Herald Publishing Association, 5240 Hollins Road, Roanoke, Virginia 24019-5048, U.S.A.

Bible Study Guides – A Message of Deliverance

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October 4 – 10, 2020

Key Text

“And thou shalt take this rod in thine hand, wherewith thou shalt do signs” (Exodus 4:17).

Study Help: Patriarchs and Prophets, 251–256.

Introduction

“The time for Israel’s deliverance had come. But God’s purpose was to be accomplished in a manner to pour contempt on human pride. The deliverer was to go forth as a humble shepherd, with only a rod in his hand; but God would make that rod the symbol of His power.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 251.

Sunday

  1. COMMUNICATION FROM GOD

  • While Moses was tending Jethro’s flocks, what was happening in Egypt? Exodus 2:23–25.
  • What experience did Moses have at the burning bush? Exodus 3:1–5.
  • What important lesson can we learn from this experience? Psalm 89:7.

Note: “Humility and reverence should characterize the deportment of all who come into the presence of God. In the name of Jesus we may come before Him with confidence, but we must not approach Him with the boldness of presumption, as though He were on a level with ourselves. There are those who address the great and all-powerful and holy God, who dwelleth in light unapproachable, as they would address an equal, or even an inferior. There are those who conduct themselves in His house as they would not presume to do in the audience chamber of an earthly ruler. These should remember that they are in His sight whom seraphim adore, before whom angels veil their faces.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 252.

Monday

  1. GOD CALLS MOSES

  • What was the Lord about to do in behalf of His people? Exodus 3:7–9.
  • How did Moses fit into God’s plan to accomplish this? Exodus 3:10; Acts 7:34, 35.    
  • How did Moses respond to God’s call and what did the Lord want him to realize? Exodus 3:11–15.

Note: “Amazed and terrified at the command, Moses drew back, saying, ‘Who am I, that I should go unto Pharaoh, and that I should bring forth the children of Israel out of Egypt’ (Exodus 3:11)? The reply was, ‘Certainly I will be with thee; and this shall be a token unto thee, that I have sent thee: When thou hast brought forth the people out of Egypt, ye shall serve God upon this mountain’ (verse 12).

“Moses thought of the difficulties to be encountered, of the blindness, ignorance, and unbelief of his people, many of whom were almost destitute of a knowledge of God. ‘Behold,’ he said, ‘when I come unto the children of Israel, and shall say unto them, The God of your fathers hath sent me unto you; and they shall say to me, What is His name? what shall I say unto them’ (Exodus 3:13)? The answer was—“ ‘I AM THAT I AM.’ ‘Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you’ (verse 14)” Patriarchs and Prophets, 252, 253.

“Moses did not expect that this was the manner in which the Lord would use him to deliver Israel from Egypt. He thought that it would be by warfare. And when the Lord made known to him that he must stand before Pharaoh, and in His name demand him to let Israel go he shrank from the task.

“The Pharaoh before whom he was to appear, was not the one who had decreed that he should be put to death. That king was dead, and another had taken the reins of government. Nearly all the Egyptian kings were called by the name of Pharaoh. Moses would have preferred to stand at the head of the children of Israel as their general, and make war with the Egyptians. But this was not God’s plan. He would be magnified before his people, and teach not only them, but the Egyptians, that there is a living God, who has power to save, and to destroy.” Spiritual Gifts, vol. 3, 189, 190.

Tuesday

  1. GOD ASSURES MOSES

  • What message was Moses to give the elders of Israel? Exodus 3:16–20?
  • How was God going to fulfil His promise that His people would not leave Egypt empty-handed? Exodus 3:21, 22.

Note: “The Egyptians had been enriched by the labor unjustly exacted from the Israelites, and as the latter were to start on the journey to their new home, it was right for them to claim the reward of their years of toil. They were to ask for articles of value, such as could be easily transported, and God would give them favor in the sight of the Egyptians. The mighty miracles wrought for their deliverance would strike terror to the oppressors, so that the requests of the bondmen would be granted.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 253.

  • As Moses was reluctant to accept God’s calling, what further evidence did the Lord give him of His providence? Exodus 4:1–9. How should we respond to God’s calling today?

Note: “Moses saw before him difficulties that seemed insurmountable. What proof could he give his people that God had indeed sent him? ‘Behold,’ he said, ‘they will not believe me, nor hearken unto my voice: for they will say, The Lord hath not appeared unto thee’ (Exodus 4:1). Evidence that appealed to his own senses was now given. He was told to cast his rod upon the ground. As he did so, ‘it became a serpent; and Moses fled from before it’ (verse 3). He was commanded to seize it, and in his hand it became a rod. He was bidden to put his hand into his bosom. He obeyed, and ‘when he took it out, behold, his hand was leprous as snow’ (verse 6). Being told to put it again into his bosom, he found on withdrawing it that it had become like the other. By these signs the Lord assured Moses that His own people, as well as Pharaoh should be convinced that One mightier than the king of Egypt was manifest among them.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 253, 254.

“Who is ready at the call of Providence to renounce cherished plans and familiar associations? Who will accept new duties and enter untried fields, doing God’s work with firm and willing heart, for Christ’s sake counting his losses gain?” Ibid., 127.

Wednesday

  1. GOD CONTINUES TO ENCOURAGE MOSES

  • What shows that Moses was still unwilling to obey God’s call? Exodus 4:10–13.

Note: “But the servant of God was still overwhelmed by the thought of the strange and wonderful work before him. In his distress and fear he now pleaded as an excuse a lack of ready speech. … He had been so long away from the Egyptians that he had not so clear knowledge and ready use of their language as when he was among them. …

“These excuses at first proceeded from humility and diffidence; but after the Lord had promised to remove all difficulties, and to give him final success, then any further shrinking back and complaining of his unfitness showed distrust of God. It implied a fear that God was unable to qualify him for the great work to which He had called him, or that He had made a mistake in the selection of the man.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 254.

  • What help did God provide for Moses, as He patiently tried to encourage His servant? Exodus 4:14–17. How does God encourage His people today?

Note: “Let them [the members of God’s church] realize that the work in which they are engaged is one upon which the Lord has placed His signet. … He bids us go forth to speak the words He gives us, feeling His holy touch upon our lips.” God’s Amazing Grace, 275.

  • With what further assurance did God provide Moses? Exodus 4:18–23.

Note: “A man will gain power and efficiency as he accepts the responsibilities that God places upon him, and with his whole soul seeks to qualify himself to bear them aright. However humble his position or limited his ability, that man will attain true greatness who, trusting to divine strength, seeks to perform his work with fidelity. Had Moses relied upon his own strength and wisdom, and eagerly accepted the great charge, he would have evinced his entire unfitness for such a work. The fact that a man feels his weakness is at least some evidence that he realizes the magnitude of the work appointed him, and that he will make God his counselor and his strength.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 255.

Thursday

  1. MOSES RETURNS TO EGYPT

  • As Moses accepted God’s call and went to Egypt, what happened along the way? Exodus 4:24–26. What solemn parallel can be drawn from this event?

Note: “He [Moses] had failed to comply with the condition by which his child could be entitled to the blessings of God’s covenant with Israel; and such a neglect on the part of their chosen leader could not but lessen the force of the divine precepts upon the people. … In his mission to Pharaoh, Moses was to be placed in a position of great peril; his life could be preserved only through the protection of holy angels. But while living in neglect of a known duty, he would not be secure; for he could not be shielded by the angels of God.

“In the time of trouble just before the coming of Christ, the righteous will be preserved through the ministration of heavenly angels; but there will be no security for the transgressor of God’s law. Angels cannot then protect those who are disregarding one of the divine precepts.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 256.

  • When Moses and Aaron arrived in Egypt and gathered together the elders, how did the people react to the message of deliverance? Exodus 4:29–31.

Friday

PERSONAL REVIEW QUESTIONS

1     What does the account of Moses at the burning bush teach us regarding the manner in which we should approach God in prayer and in the sanctuary?

2     How did Moses expect God to deliver Israel from Egypt? Why didn’t God deliver Israel in this manner?

3     Why are we sometimes reluctant to accept God’s call to labor for Him?

4     What is a sign of the true greatness in those who serve God?

5     In the time of trouble before us, what do those who disregard just one of the divine precepts forfeit?

Copyright 2019, Reformation Herald Publishing Association, 5240 Hollins Road, Roanoke, Virginia 24019-5048, U.S.A.

Bible Study Guides – God’s Chosen Leader

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Wilderness Wanderings

September 27 – October 3, 2020

Key Text

“By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter; Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season” (Hebrews 11:24, 25).

Study Help: Patriarchs and Prophets, 241–251.

Introduction

“The strength of Moses was his connection with the Source of all power, the Lord God of hosts. He rises grandly above every earthly inducement, and trusts himself wholly to God. He considered that he was the Lord’s.” “Ellen G. White Comments,” The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 1, 1098.

Sunday

  1. SATAN TRIES TO DEFEAT GOD’S PURPOSE

  • As the children of Israel, dwelling in the land of Egypt, were fast becoming a numerous race, what did Pharaoh propose to do, fearing they would one day turn against him? Exodus 1:15–17, 22.

Note: “The king and his counselors had hoped to subdue the Israelites with hard labor, and thus decrease their numbers and crush out their independent spirit. Failing to accomplish their purpose, they proceeded to more cruel measures. Orders were issued to the women whose employment gave them opportunity for executing the command, to destroy the Hebrew male children at their birth. Satan was the mover in this matter. He knew that a deliverer was to be raised up among the Israelites; and by leading the king to destroy their children he hoped to defeat the divine purpose. But the women feared God, and dared not execute the cruel mandate. The Lord approved their course, and prospered them. The king, angry at the failure of his design, made the command more urgent and extensive.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 242.

Monday

  1. PREPARING A LEADER

  • What was Moses’ heritage? Exodus 2:1; 6:20.

Note: “[Exodus 1:22 quoted.] While this decree was in full force a son was born to Amram and Jochebed, devout Israelites of the tribe of Levi. The babe was ‘a goodly child’ (Exodus 2:2); and the parents, believing that the time of Israel’s release was drawing near, and that God would raise up a deliverer for His people, determined that their little one should not be sacrificed.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 242, 243.

  • What did Moses’ mother do to save his life? Exodus 2:2–4.
  • How did God overrule the plans of Satan to destroy God’s planned deliverer? Exodus 2:5–10. What can we learn from the way Moses’ mother fulfilled her sacred trust in training her son for God?

Note: “God had heard the mother’s prayers; her faith had been rewarded. It was with deep gratitude that she entered upon her now safe and happy task. She faithfully improved her opportunity to educate her child for God. She felt confident that he had been preserved for some great work, and she knew that he must soon be given up to his royal mother, to be surrounded with influences that would tend to lead him away from God. All this rendered her more diligent and careful in his instruction than in that of her other children. She endeavored to imbue his mind with the fear of God and the love of truth and justice, and earnestly prayed that he might be preserved from every corrupting influence. She showed him the folly and sin of idolatry, and early taught him to bow down and pray to the living God, who alone could hear him and help him in every emergency. …

“The lessons learned at his mother’s side could not be forgotten. They were a shield from the pride, the infidelity, and the vice that flourished amid the splendor of the court.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 243, 244.

“Every child born into the home is a sacred trust. God says to the parents, ‘Take this child, and bring it up for Me, that it may be an honor to My name, and a channel through which My blessings shall flow to the world.’ ” Counsels to Parents, Teachers, and Students, 145.

Tuesday

  1. AN EGYPTIAN EDUCATION

  • Following his early education in the home, what did the second phase of Moses’ education involve? Acts 7:22. Why do you think God placed him in Pharaoh’s palace?

Note: “From the humble home in Goshen the son of Jochabed passed to the palace of the Pharaoh, to the Egyptian princess, by her to be welcomed as a loved and cherished son. In the schools of Egypt, Moses received the highest civil and military training. Of great personal attractions, noble in form and stature, of cultivated mind and princely bearing, and renowned as a military leader, he became the nation’s pride. The king of Egypt was also a member of the priesthood; and Moses, though refusing to participate in the heathen worship, was initiated into all the mysteries of the Egyptian religion.” Education, 62.

  • Because of the faithful early training from his parents what choice was Moses led to make later in his life? Hebrews 11:24–26.

Note: “Moses was fitted to take pre-eminence among the great of the earth, to shine in the courts of its most glorious kingdom, and to sway the scepter of its power. His intellectual greatness distinguishes him above the great men of all ages. As historian, poet, philosopher, general of armies, and legislator, he stands without a peer. Yet with the world before him, he had the moral strength to refuse the flattering prospects of wealth and greatness and fame, ‘choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season’ (Hebrews 11:25).

“Moses had been instructed in regard to the final reward to be given to the humble and obedient servants of God, and worldly gain sank to its proper insignificance in comparison. The magnificent palace of Pharaoh and the monarch’s throne were held out as an inducement to Moses; but he knew that the sinful pleasures that make men forget God were in its lordly courts. He looked beyond the gorgeous palace, beyond a monarch’s crown, to the high honors that will be bestowed on the saints of the Most High in a kingdom untainted by sin. He saw by faith an imperishable crown that the King of heaven would place on the brow of the overcomer. This faith led him to turn away from the lordly ones of earth and join the humble, poor, despised nation that had chosen to obey God rather than to serve sin.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 246.

Wednesday

  1. FROM A PRINCE TO A SHEPHERD

  • When Moses tried to work out God’s plan for Israel in his own way, what were the results? Exodus 2:11–15; Acts 7:23–29.

Note: “Moses had supposed that his education in the wisdom of Egypt fully qualified him to lead Israel from bondage. Was he not learned in all those things necessary for a general of armies? Had he not had the advantages of the best schools in the land? Yes, he felt that he was able to deliver his people. He set about his work by trying to gain their favor by redressing their wrongs. He killed an Egyptian who was imposing upon one of the Israelites. In this he manifested the spirit of him who was a murderer from the beginning, and proved himself unfit to represent the God of mercy, love and tenderness.

“Moses made a miserable failure of his first attempt; and, like many another, he immediately lost confidence in God and turned his back on his appointed work. He fled from the wrath of Pharaoh. He concluded that because of his great sin in taking the life of the Egyptian, God would not permit him to have any part in the work of delivering his people from their cruel bondage. But the Lord allowed these things that He might teach Moses the gentleness, goodness, and long-suffering that it is necessary for every laborer for the Master to possess in order to be a successful worker in His cause.” Counsels to Parents, Teachers, and Students, 407.

“It was not God’s will to deliver His people by warfare, as Moses thought, but by His own mighty power, that the glory might be ascribed to Him alone. Yet even this rash act overruled by God to accomplish His purposes. Moses was not prepared for his great work. He had yet to learn the same lesson of faith that Abraham and Jacob had been taught—not to rely upon human strength or wisdom, but upon the power of God for the fulfillment of His promises.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 247.

  • How did Moses find a home in the land of Midian, and who became his family? Exodus 2:16–22; 18:2–4.
  • What was Moses’ occupation in the land of Midian? Exodus 3:1.

Thursday

  1. TRAINING IN THE SCHOOL OF HARDSHIP

  • What was later said of Moses, which showed the great change brought about by the years of training in the wilderness? Numbers 12:3. What lessons had he learned in the wilderness?

Note: “The education received by Moses, as the king’s grandson, was very thorough. Nothing was neglected that was calculated to make him a wise man, as the Egyptians understood wisdom. This education was a help to him in many respects; but the most valuable part of his fitting for his life work was that received while employed as a shepherd. As he led his flocks through the wilds of the mountains and into the green pastures of the valleys, the God of nature taught him the highest and grandest wisdom. In the school of nature, with Christ Himself for teacher, he contemplated and learned lessons of humility, meekness, faith, and trust, and of a humble manner of living, all of which bound his soul closer to God. In the solitude of the mountains he learned that which all his instruction in the king’s palace was unable to impart to him—simple, unwavering faith, and constant trust in the Lord.” Fundamentals of Christian Education, 342.

“In the school of self-denial and hardship he was to learn patience to temper his passions. Before he could govern wisely, he must be trained to obey. His own heart must be fully in harmony with God before he could teach the knowledge of His will to Israel. By his own experience he must be prepared to exercise a fatherly care over all who needed his help.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 247.

Friday

PERSONAL REVIEW QUESTIONS

1     How did Satan know that a deliverer was to be raised up from among the Israelites, and what did he do to try to prevent this?

2     How did Moses’ mother train the child whom she was sure had some great destiny? For what purpose should children be trained today?

3     What led Moses to choose poverty over worldly gain?

4     Why did Moses have to be re-educated in a desert place?

5     What did Moses learn in his years as a shepherd? What things can we learn from the trials we experience in our own lives?

Copyright 2019, Reformation Herald Publishing Association, 5240 Hollins Road, Roanoke, Virginia 24019-5048, U.S.A.

Bible Study Guides – The Promise of the Spirit

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September 20 – 26, 2020

Key Text

“And after these things I saw another angel come down from heaven, having great power; and the earth was lightened with his glory” (Revelation 18:1).

Study Help: The Acts of the Apostles, 47–56.

Introduction

“Learning, talents, eloquence, every natural or acquired endowment, may be possessed; but without the presence of the Spirit of God, no heart will be touched, no sinner be won to Christ. On the other hand, if they are connected with Christ, if the gifts of the Spirit are theirs, the poorest and most ignorant of His disciples will have a power that will tell upon hearts.” Christ’s Object Lessons, 328.

Sunday

THE FORMER AND LATTER RAIN

  • How was the outpouring of the Holy Spirit in the early church foretold? Luke 24:49; Joel 2:23.

Note: “Under the figure of the early and the latter rain, that falls in Eastern lands at seedtime and harvest, the Hebrew prophets foretold the bestowal of spiritual grace in extraordinary measure upon God’s church.” The Acts of the Apostles, 54.

  • What prophecy will reach a dual fulfillment in the end of time? What should we be doing in anticipation of this time? Zechariah 10:1.

Note: “The great work of the gospel is not to close with less manifestation of the power of God than marked its opening. The prophecies which were fulfilled in the outpouring of the former rain at the opening of the gospel are again to be fulfilled in the latter rain at its close.” The Great Controversy, 611, 612.

Monday

THE SPIRIT’S WORK OF EDUCATION AND TRANSFORMATION

  • What work does the Holy Spirit perform today? John 16:13.

Note: “The Comforter is called ‘the Spirit of truth’ (John 16:3). His work is to define and maintain the truth. He first dwells in the heart as the Spirit of truth, and thus He becomes the Comforter. There is comfort and peace in the truth, but no real peace or comfort can be found in falsehood. It is through false theories and traditions that Satan gains his power over the mind. By directing men to false standards, he misshapes the character. Through the Scriptures the Holy Spirit speaks to the mind, and impresses truth upon the heart. Thus He exposes error, and expels it from the soul. It is by the Spirit of truth, working through the word of God, that Christ subdues His chosen people to Himself.” The Desire of Ages, 671.

  • What change does the Spirit make within the believer? 2Thessalonians 2:13.

 Note: “If men are willing to be molded, there will be brought about a sanctification of the whole being. The Spirit will take the things of God and stamp them on the soul. By His power the way of life will be made so plain that none need err therein.” The Acts of the Apostles, 53.

“Those only who are constantly receiving fresh supplies of grace, will have power proportionate to their daily need and their ability to use that power. Instead of looking forward to some future time when, through a special endowment of spiritual power, they will receive a miraculous fitting up for soul winning, they are yielding themselves daily to God, that He may make them vessels meet for His use. Daily they are improving the opportunities for service that lie within their reach. Daily they are witnessing for the Master wherever they may be, whether in some humble sphere of labor in the home, or in a public field of usefulness. …

“Morning by morning, as the heralds of the gospel kneel before the Lord and renew their vows of consecration to Him, He will grant them the presence of His Spirit, with its reviving, sanctifying power. As they go forth to the day’s duties, they have the assurance that the unseen agency of the Holy Spirit enables them to be ‘laborers together with God’ (1 Corinthians 3:9)” Ibid., 55, 56.

Tuesday

FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT DISPLAYED

  • What fruit does the Spirit of God produce? Galatians 5:22, 23. How?

Note: “In describing to His disciples the office work of the Holy Spirit, Jesus sought to inspire them with the joy and hope that inspired His own heart. He rejoiced because of the abundant help He had provided for His church. The Holy Spirit was the highest of all gifts that He could solicit from His Father for the exaltation of His people. The Spirit was to be given as a regenerating agent, and without this the sacrifice of Christ would have been of no avail. The power of evil had been strengthening for centuries, and the submission of men to this satanic captivity was amazing. Sin could be resisted and overcome only through the mighty agency of the Third Person of the Godhead, who would come with no modified energy, but in the fullness of divine power. It is the Spirit that makes effectual what has been wrought out by the world’s Redeemer. It is by the Spirit that the heart is made pure. Through the Spirit the believer becomes a partaker of the divine nature. Christ has given His Spirit as a divine power to overcome all hereditary and cultivated tendencies to evil, and to impress His own character upon His church.” The Desire of Ages, 671.

“What was the result of the outpouring of the Spirit on the Day of Pentecost? … Every Christian saw in his brother a revelation of divine love and benevolence. One interest prevailed; one subject of emulation swallowed up all others. The ambition of the believers was to reveal the likeness of Christ’s character and to labor for the enlargement of His kingdom.” The Acts of the Apostles, 48.

  • What can God do for those who will fully surrender? Ephesians 5:18, last part.

Note: “To Jesus, who emptied Himself for the salvation of lost humanity, the Holy Spirit was given without measure. So it will be given to every follower of Christ when the whole heart is surrendered for His indwelling. Our Lord Himself has given the command, ‘Be filled with the Spirit’ (Ephesians 5:18), and this command is also a promise of its fulfillment. It was the good pleasure of the Father that in Christ should ‘all the fullness dwell,’ and ‘in Him ye are made full’ (Colossians 1:19, R.V.; 2:10, R.V).” Thoughts from the Mount of Blessing, 21.

Wednesday

BEING READY

  • What should we do in anticipation of the latter rain? Luke 11:13.

Note: “The lapse of time has wrought no change in Christ’s parting promise to send the Holy Spirit as His representative. It is not because of any restriction on the part of God that the riches of His grace do not flow earthward to men. If the fulfillment of the promise is not seen as it might be, it is because the promise is not appreciated as it should be. If all were willing, all would be filled with the Spirit. Wherever the need of the Holy Spirit is a matter little thought of, there is seen spiritual drought, spiritual darkness, spiritual declension and death. Whenever minor matters occupy the attention, the divine power which is necessary for the growth and prosperity of the church, and which would bring all other blessings in its train, is lacking, though offered in infinite plenitude.” The Acts of the Apostles, 50.

“We need not worry about the latter rain. All we have to do is to keep the vessel clean and right side up and prepared for the reception of the heavenly rain, and keep praying, ‘Let the latter rain come into my vessel.’ ” The Upward Look, 283.

“I saw that many were neglecting the preparation so needful and were looking to the time of ‘refreshing’ and the ‘latter rain’ to fit them to stand in the day of the Lord and to live in His sight. … I saw that none could share the ‘refreshing’ unless they obtain the victory over every besetment, over pride, selfishness, love of the world, and over every wrong word and action. We should, therefore, be drawing nearer and nearer to the Lord and be earnestly seeking that preparation necessary to enable us to stand in the battle in the day of the Lord.” Early Writings, 71.

  • What can we learn from Elijah’s prayer for rain? 1Kings 18:41–44.

 Note: “He [Elijah] kept reviewing his life, to see where he had failed to honor God, he confessed his sins, and thus continued to afflict his soul before God, while watching for a token that his prayer was answered. As he searched his heart, he seemed to be less and less, both in his own estimation and in the sight of God. It seemed to him that he was nothing, and that God was everything; and when he reached the point of renouncing self, while he clung to the Saviour as his only strength and righteousness, the answer came.” The Review and Herald, May 26, 1891.

Thursday

THE CLOSING SCENE

  • What final work of education is still ahead of us? Habakkuk 2:14.

Note: “As the time comes for it [the third angel’s message] to be given with greatest power, the Lord will work through humble instruments, leading the minds of those who consecrate themselves to His service. The laborers will be qualified rather by the unction of His Spirit than by the training of literary institutions. Men of faith and prayer will be constrained to go forth with holy zeal, declaring the words which God gives them. The sins of Babylon will be laid open. The fearful results of enforcing the observances of the church by civil authority, the inroads of spiritualism, the stealthy but rapid progress of the papal power—all will be unmasked. By these solemn warnings the people will be stirred. Thousands upon thousands will listen who have never heard words like these.” The Great Controversy, 606.

“The message will be carried not so much by argument as by the deep conviction of the Spirit of God. The arguments have been presented. The seed has been sown, and now it will spring up and bear fruit. The publications distributed by missionary workers have exerted their influence, yet many whose minds were impressed have been prevented from fully comprehending the truth or from yielding obedience. Now the rays of light penetrate everywhere, the truth is seen in its clearness, and the honest children of God sever the bands which have held them. Family connections, church relations, are powerless to stay them now. Truth is more precious than all besides. Notwithstanding the agencies combined against the truth, a large number take their stand upon the Lord’s side.” Ibid., 612.

Friday

PERSONAL REVIEW QUESTIONS

  1. How will the experiences of the early Christian church (as described in Lesson 1) be of special importance to the final generation?
  2. Why is reception of the former and latter rain part of the work of true education?
  3. What fruit is to be developed as the result of the Spirit’s work?
  4. How can I be ready for the latter rain?
  5. How will the church’s work of education on this earth be completed?

© 2019, Reformation Herald Publishing Association, 5240 Hollins Road, Roanoke, Virginia 24019-5048, U.S.A.

Bible Study Guides – Building for Eternity

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September 13 – 19, 2020

Key Text

“Being confident of this very thing, that He which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ” (Philippians 1:6).

Study Help: Education, 301–309.

Introduction

“He who co-operates with the divine purpose in imparting to the youth a knowledge of God, and molding the character into harmony with His, does a high and noble work. As he awakens a desire to reach God’s ideal, he presents an education that is as high as heaven and as broad as the universe; an education that cannot be completed in this life, but that will be continued in the life to come; an education that secures to the successful student his passport from the preparatory school of earth to the higher grade, the school above.” Education, 19.

Sunday

A HIGHER PURPOSE

  • What do we have to look forward to in eternity? 1 Corinthians 2:9; Isaiah 64:4.

Note: “God’s ideal for His children is higher than the highest human thought can reach. ‘Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect’ (Matthew 5:48). This command is a promise. The plan of redemption contemplates our complete recovery from the power of Satan.” The Desire of Ages, 311.

“The education begun here will not be completed in this life; it will be going forward throughout eternity, ever progressing, never completed. Day by day the wonderful works of God, the evidences of His miraculous power in creating and sustaining the universe, will open before the mind in new beauty. In the light that shines from the throne, mysteries will disappear, and the soul will be filled with astonishment at the simplicity of the things that were never before comprehended.” Testimonies, vol. 8, 328.

Monday

BUILDING IN YOUR LIFE EXPERIENCE

  • What often accompanies us in our Christian life, and what should our attitude be as a result? Why? 1 Peter 4:12, 13.

Note: “God’s children are always being tested in the furnace of affliction. If they endure the first trial, it is not necessary for them to pass through a similar ordeal the second time; but if they fail, the trial is brought to them again and again, each time being still more trying and severe. Thus opportunity after opportunity is placed before them of gaining the victory and proving themselves true to God. But if they continue to manifest rebellion, God is compelled at last to remove His Spirit and light from them.” “Ellen G. White Comments,” The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 4, 1146.

  • What is tested by the fire of trial? 1 Corinthians 3:9, 10, 12.

Note: “It makes every difference what material is used in the character building. The long-expected day of God will soon test every man’s work. ‘The fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is’ (1 Corinthians 3:13). As fire reveals the difference between gold, silver, and precious stones, and wood, hay, and stubble, so the day of judgment will test characters, showing the difference between characters formed after Christ’s likeness and characters formed after the likeness of the selfish heart. All selfishness, all false religion, will then appear as it is. The worthless material will be consumed; but the gold of true, simple, humble faith will never lose its value. It can never be consumed; for it is imperishable. One hour of transgression will be seen to be a great loss, while the fear of the Lord will be seen to be the beginning of wisdom. The pleasure of self-indulgence will perish as stubble, while the gold of steadfast principle, maintained at any cost, will endure forever.” “Ellen G. White Comments,” The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 6, 1087, 1088.

“This character building is a most important work. It is not a work that ends in this life, but which tells in the future life. What you make of yourself here through the merits and grace of Christ will be retained through eternal ages, and I am most earnest that you should not meet a low standard. ‘Learn of me,’ says the Great Teacher, ‘I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest to your soul’ (Matthew 11:29). The peace that Christ gives will never, never bring sorrow with it.” This Day With God, 37.

Tuesday

HOW GOD USES FIRE

  • What is revealed by the fire? 1 Corinthians 3:13.

Note: “The angels of God are walking up and down the streets of these cities, and marking the deeds of men. They record in the books of God’s remembrance the words of faith, the acts of love, the humility of spirit; and in that day when every man’s work shall be tried of what sort it is, the work of the humble follower of Christ will stand the test, and will receive the commendation of Heaven.” “Ellen G. White Comments,” The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 7, 987.

“Young men and women should regard a good character as a capital of more value than gold or silver or stocks. It will be unaffected by panics and failures, and will bring rich returns when earthly possessions shall be swept away. … Integrity, firmness, and perseverance are qualities which all should seek earnestly to cultivate; for they clothe the possessor with a power which is irresistible, a power which makes him strong to do good, strong to resist evil, strong to bear adversity.” Testimonies, vol. 4, 656.

  • How were Lot and Solomon saved “as by fire?” Genesis 19:16, 17; 1 Kings 11:4.

Note: “Lot chose Sodom as a place of residence because he looked more to the temporal advantages he would gain than to the moral influences that would surround himself and his family. What did he gain so far as the things of this world are concerned? His possessions were destroyed, part of his children perished in the destruction of that wicked city, his wife was turned to a pillar of salt by the way, and he himself was saved ‘so as by fire’ (1 Corinthians 3:15). Nor did the evil results of his selfish choice end here; but the moral corruption of the place was so interwoven with the character of his children that they could not distinguish between good and evil, sin and righteousness.” Messages to Young People, 419.

“Solomon may have been saved ‘as by fire,’ yet his repentance could not efface those high places, nor demolish those stones, which remained as evidences of his crimes. He dishonored God, choosing rather to be controlled by lust than to be a partaker of the divine nature.” “Ellen G. White Comments,” The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 2, 1031.

Wednesday

ETERNAL CONSEQUENCES

  • How does the fire affect our learning and our future? 1 Corinthians 3:14, 15.

Note: “Eternity is before us. All improvements we make here of our mental powers, all the high attainments we make in refining and elevating ourselves by connecting closely with heaven, will be translated with us, while if we dwarf our capabilities by inaction, if we deteriorate our talents, which are susceptible of the highest cultivation, we cannot in the better world redeem that past neglect of self-culture, that great loss.

“Some may be saved as by fire. Their useless life has brought to them infinite loss. We should make improvement in this life, all that we can by the help and grace of God, knowing we can take these improvements with us into heaven. We will glorify our Father in heaven in proportion as we purify and perfect our characters here.” Manuscript Releases, vol. 9, 21.

“To go forth into the next, the future life, deprived of half the power which might be carried there is a terrible thought. The days of probation lost here in acquiring a fitness for heaven, is a loss which will never be recovered. The capacities of enjoyment will be less in the future life for the misdemeanors and abuse of moral powers in this life. However high we might attain in the future life, we might soar higher and still higher, if we had made the most of our God-given privileges and golden opportunities.” This Day With God, 350.

  • How did Daniel and his companions show the results of building their education on the eternal Rock? Daniel 1:20.

Note: “The youth should be learners for the next world. Perseverance in the acquisition of knowledge, controlled by the fear and love of God, will give them an increased power for good in this life, and those who have made the most of their privileges to reach the highest attainments here, will take these valuable acquisitions with them into the future life. They have sought and obtained that which is imperishable. The capability to appreciate the glories that ‘eye hath not seen, nor ear heard’ (1 Corinthians 2:9), will be proportionate to the attainments reached in the cultivation of the faculties in this life.” Fundamentals of Christian Education, 49.

Thursday

REDEEMING THE TIME

  • How can we make up for lost opportunities? Ephesians 5:16.

Note: “We are admonished to redeem the time. But time squandered can never be recovered. We cannot call back even one moment. The only way in which we can redeem our time is by making the most of that which remains, by being co-workers with God in His great plan of redemption.” Christ’s Object Lessons, 342.

“The greatest possible good we can do to our fellow men is to overcome our own faults and improve our characters, making them as excellent and symmetrical as possible.” Manuscript Releases, vol. 9, 21.

  • How much time are we given to make the right decision? Hebrews 3:12–15.

Note: “We should watch and work and pray as though this were the last day that would be granted us. How intensely earnest, then, would be our life. How closely would we follow Jesus in all our words and deeds.” Testimonies, vol. 5, 200.

  • What should our prayer be? Psalm 139:23, 24.

Note: “Lord, take my heart; for I cannot give it. It is Thy property. Keep it pure, for I cannot keep it for Thee. Save me in spite of myself, my weak, unchristlike self. Mold me, fashion me, raise me into a pure and holy atmosphere, where the rich current of Thy love can flow through my soul.” Christ’s Object Lessons, 159.

Friday

PERSONAL REVIEW QUESTIONS

1    How does education throughout our lifetime constitute only a beginning?

2    What purpose does testing and trial serve in the work of education?

3    How do our choices affect our usefulness and even our eternal destiny?

4    What does it mean to be saved “as by fire”?

5    How can we ensure that we do the best work for eternity?

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