education

Bible Study – True Education

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May 15 – 21, 2022

Key Text

“[A]nd that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.” 2 Timothy 3:15

Study Help: Education, 13–27

Introduction

“To many, education means a knowledge of books; but ‘the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom’ (Psalm 111:10). The true object of education is to restore the image of God in the soul.” Testimonies, Vol. 5, 322

Sunday

1 IN EDEN

1.a. What is an initial step to having knowledge and, more importantly, understanding and wisdom? Psalm 111:10; Proverbs 9:10

 Note: “True education is the preparation of the mental, moral, and physical powers for the performance of every duty, pleasant or otherwise, the training of every habit and practice, of heart, mind, and soul for divine service.” Selected Messages, Book 3, 228

“The true object of education is to restore the image of God in the soul.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 595

1.b. What type of environment were Adam and Eve given for their education? Genesis 2:8, 15

 Note: “The system of education instituted at the beginning of the world was to be a model for man throughout all aftertime.” Child Guidance, 294

“When in counsel with the Father before the world was, it was designed that the Lord God should plant a garden for Adam and Eve in Eden and give them the task of caring for the fruit trees and cultivating and training the vegetation. Useful labor was to be their safeguard, and it was to be perpetuated through all generations to the close of earth’s history. To have a whole-sided education, it is necessary to combine science with practical labor.” The Signs of the Times, August 13, 1896

Monday

2 THE SCHOOLS OF THE PROPHETS

2.a. To restore a more godly plan of education, what was provided for the sons of the prophets in Israel? 1 Samuel 7:15, 16; 2 Kings 2:2–5, 15

 Note: “Three of these schools [of the prophets], one at Gilgal, one at Bethel, and one at Jericho, are mentioned in the record. Just before Elijah was taken to heaven, he and Elisha visited these centers of training.” Prophets and Kings, 224, 225

“In these ‘schools of the prophets’ young men were educated by those who were not only well versed in divine truth, but who themselves maintained close communion with God and had received the special endowment of His Spirit.” The Signs of the Times, July 20, 1882

2.b. What was the focus of education in the schools of the prophets? Psalm 86:11; John 17:3

 Note: “The chief subjects of study in these schools [of the prophets] were the law of God, with the instructions given to Moses, sacred history, sacred music, and poetry. In those schools of the olden time it was the grand object of all study to learn the will of God, and man’s duty toward Him. In the records of sacred history were traced the footsteps of Jehovah.” Christian Education, 62

“Do you think [those in the school of the prophets] took the study books that were in the common schools? No, No! What were they taught? To have a knowledge of Jesus Christ.” Spalding and Magan Collection, 357

“In both the school and the home much of the teaching was oral; but the youth also learned to read the Hebrew writings, and the parchment rolls of the Old Testament Scriptures were open to their study. … The great truths set forth by the types in the service of the sanctuary were brought to view, and faith grasped the central object of all that system—the Lamb of God, that was to take away the sin of the world. A spirit of devotion was cherished. Not only were the students taught the duty of prayer, but they were taught how to pray, how to approach their Creator, how to exercise faith in Him, and how to understand and obey the teachings of His Spirit. Sanctified intellect brought forth from the treasure house of God things new and old, and the Spirit of God was manifested in prophecy and sacred song.” Education, 47

Tuesday

3 USEFUL TRADES

3.a. Where did Jesus obtain His education? Matthew 13:54–56

 Note: “The child Jesus did not receive instruction in the synagogue schools. His mother was His first human teacher. From her lips and from the scrolls of the prophets, He learned of heavenly things. The very words which He Himself had spoken to Moses for Israel He was now taught at His mother’s knee. As He advanced from childhood to youth, He did not seek the schools of the rabbis. He needed not the education to be obtained from such sources; for God was His instructor. …” The Desire of Ages, 70

“Throughout His life on earth, Jesus was an earnest and constant worker. He expected much; therefore He attempted much. After He had entered on His ministry, He said, ‘I must work the works of Him that sent Me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work’ (John 9:4). Jesus did not shirk care and responsibility, as do many who profess to be His followers. It is because they seek to evade this discipline that so many are weak and inefficient.” Ibid., 73

3.b. Where do we find appropriate material for true education apart from the Bible? 2 Thessalonians 3:8–10

Note: “Manual training is deserving of far more attention than it has received. Schools should be established that, in addition to the highest mental and moral culture, shall provide the best possible facilities for physical development and industrial training. Instruction should be given in agriculture, manufactures—covering as many as possible of the most useful trades—also in household economy, healthful cookery, sewing, hygienic dressmaking, the treatment of the sick, and kindred lines. Gardens, workshops, and treatment rooms should be provided, and the work in every line should be under the direction of skilled instructors.

“The work should have a definite aim and should be thorough. While every person needs some knowledge of different handicrafts, it is indispensable that he become proficient in at least one. Every youth, on leaving school, should have acquired a knowledge of some trade or occupation by which, if need be, he may earn a livelihood.” Education, 218

Wednesday

4 THE BIBLE IN EDUCATION

4.a. What is the diligent study of the Bible able to do for us? Psalm 119:98–101; Proverbs 2:1–5

Note: “Above all other books, the word of God must be our study, the great textbook, the basis of all education; and our children are to be educated in the truths found therein, irrespective of previous habits and customs.” Testimonies, Vol. 6, 131, 132

“The Bible teaches the whole will of God concerning the sons and daughters of Adam. The Bible is the rule of life, teaching us of the character we must form for the future, immortal life.” Fundamentals of Christian Education, 390, 391

4.b. As we give ourselves to study and be educated, what should be our priorities? Isaiah 55:2, 3; Psalm 25:4, 5

Note: “Today young men and women spend years and years in acquiring an education which is but wood and stubble, to be consumed in the last great conflagration. Many spend years of their life in the study of books, obtaining an education that will die with them. Upon such an education God places no value. This supposed wisdom gained from the study of different authors, has excluded and lessened the brightness and value of the word of God. Many students have left school unable to receive the word of God with the reverence and respect that they gave it before they entered, their faith eclipsed in the effort to excel in the various studies. The Bible has not been made a standard matter in their education, but books mixed with infidelity and propagating unsound theories have been placed before them.” Fundamentals of Christian Education, 446, 447

“Men need not the dim light of tradition and custom to make the Scriptures comprehensible. It is just as sensible to suppose that the sun, shining in the heavens at noonday, needs the glimmerings of the torchlight of earth to increase its glory.” Ibid., 391

“The Bible should not be brought into our schools to be sandwiched in between infidelity. The Bible must be made the groundwork and subject matter of education. It is true that we know much more of the word of the living God than we knew in the past, but there is still much more to be learned. It should be used as the word of the living God, and esteemed as first, and last, and best in everything. Then will be seen true spiritual growth.” Ibid., 474

Thursday

5 EDUCATION FOR ETERNITY

5.a. What does Inspiration say about the Scriptures? 2 Timothy 3:15, 16

Note: “Through all eternity the Scriptures will be shining forth brighter and brighter, like precious gems; but we do not half understand these truths. The precious Bible truth that we have accepted must do a great work for us, and the more we understand these things, the better will we understand how to make an impression upon other minds.” The Review and Herald, April 10, 1888

5.b. What will be the subjects of study in the kingdom of God, and who will teach the redeemed? Matthew 23:10; 1 Corinthians 2:9

Note: “There [in the New Jerusalem], immortal minds will contemplate with never-failing delight the wonders of creative power, the mysteries of redeeming love. There will be no cruel, deceiving foe to tempt to forgetfulness of God. Every faculty will be developed, every capacity increased. The acquirement of knowledge will not weary the mind or exhaust the energies. There the grandest enterprises may be carried forward, the loftiest aspirations reached, the highest ambitions realized; and still there will arise new heights to surmount, new wonders to admire, new truths to comprehend, fresh objects to call forth the powers of mind and soul and body.” The Great Controversy, 677

“The theme of redemption is one that the angels desire to look into; it will be the science and the song of the ransomed throughout the ceaseless ages of eternity. Is it not worthy of careful thought and study now? Should we not praise God with heart and soul and voice ‘for His wonderful works to the children of men’? (Psalm 107:8).” Testimonies, Vol. 5, 318

Friday

PERSONAL REVIEW QUESTIONS

1    What vital aspect of Christian education is often overlooked today?

2    Why were the schools of the prophets successful in their mission?

3    How can we come closer to the way Jesus was educated?

4    What role does education have in eternity?

Copyright 2000, Reformation Herald Publishing Association, 5240 Hollins Road, Roanoke, Virginia 24019-5048, U.S.A.

Bible Study Guides – Training and Education

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April 4 – 10, 2021

Key Text

“These words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up” (Deuteronomy 6:6, 7).

Study Help: Testimonies, vol. 3, 131–160; vol. 5, 36–45.

Introduction

“The youth are receptive, fresh, ardent, hopeful. When once they have tasted the blessedness of self-sacrifice, they will not be satisfied unless they are constantly learning of the Great Teacher.” Testimonies, vol. 6, 471.

Sunday

1 THE TRAINING OF YOUTH

1.a. How should the training of children be different from the training of animals? 1 Chronicles 28:9; James 3:3.

 Note: “Children have an intelligent will, which should be directed to control all their powers. Dumb animals need to be trained, for they have not reason and intellect. But the human mind must be taught self-control. It must be educated to rule the human being, while animals are controlled by a master and are trained to be submissive to him. The master is mind, judgment, and will for his beast. A child may be so trained as to have, like the beast, no will of his own. Even his individuality may be merged in the one who superintends his training; his will, to all intents and purposes, is subject to the will of the teacher.

“Children who are thus educated will ever be deficient in moral energy and individual responsibility. They have not been taught to move from reason and principle; their wills have been controlled by another, and the mind has not been called out, that it might expand and strengthen by exercise.” Testimonies, vol. 3, 132.

1.b.      How can “Peter’s ladder” be applied to raising children? 2 Peter 1:5–8.

Note: “The severe training of youth, without properly directing them to think and act for themselves as their own capacity and turn of mind will allow, that by this means they may have growth of thought, feelings of self-respect, and confidence in their own ability to perform, will ever produce a class who are weak in mental and moral power. And when they stand in the world to act for themselves they will reveal the fact that they were trained like the animals, and not educated. …

“Those parents and teachers who boast of having complete control of the minds and wills of the children under their care would cease their boastings could they trace out the future lives of the children who are thus brought into subjection by force or through fear. These are almost wholly unprepared to share in the stern responsibilities of life. When these youth are no longer under their parents and teachers, and are compelled to think and act for themselves, they are almost sure to take a wrong course and yield to the power of temptation. They do not make this life a success, and the same deficiencies are seen in their religious life.” Testimonies, vol. 3, 133, 134.

Monday

2 BALANCE IN EDUCATION       

2.a. Why is manual labor important for every child/youth? Haggai 2:4, last part; 1 Kings 19:19; Lamentations 3:27; 2 Thessalonians 3:7–12. What can we learn from the example of Elisha?

Note: “In the quietude of country life, under the teaching of God and nature and the discipline of useful work, he [Elisha] received the training in habits of simplicity and of obedience to his parents and to God that helped to fit him for the high position he was afterward to occupy. …

“While co-operating with his father in the home-life duties, he was learning to co-operate with God.” Prophets and Kings, 217, 218.

“And now, as in the days of Israel, every youth should be instructed in the duties of practical life. Each should acquire a knowledge of some branch of manual labor by which, if need be, he may obtain a livelihood. This is essential, not only as a safeguard against the vicissitudes of life, but from its bearing upon physical, mental, and moral development. Even if it were certain that one would never need to resort to manual labor for his support, still he should be taught to work. Without physical exercise, no one can have a sound constitution and vigorous health; and the discipline of well-regulated labor is no less essential to the securing of a strong and active mind and a noble character.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 601.

2.b.      What is the four-fold goal of childhood education? Luke 2:40, 52.

 Note: “If the physical powers are not taxed equally with the mental, too much strain is brought upon the latter. Unless every part of the human machinery performs its allotted tasks, the mental powers cannot be used to their highest capability for any length of time.” Testimonies, vol. 5, 522.

Tuesday

3 INSTRUCTION

3.a  How often are children to be instructed from God’s word? Deuteronomy 6:6, 7.

Note: “The power of self-restraint strengthens by exercise. That which at first seems difficult, by constant repetition grows easy, until right thoughts and actions become habitual. If we will we may turn away from all that is cheap and inferior, and rise to a high standard; we may be respected by men and beloved of God.” The Ministry of Healing, 491.

Wednesday

4 CONSCIENCE

4.a. What things should a person think about to develop a good conscience? Philippians 4:8; 2 Corinthians 3:18.

Note: “The removal of one safeguard from the conscience, the failure to do the very thing that the Lord has marked out, one step in the path of wrong principle, often leads to an entire change of the life and action. … We are safe only in following where Christ leads the way.” Mind, Character, and Personality, vol. 1, 320.

4.b.      How is man’s conscience to be educated and guided? John 14:6, 26; 16:13.

Note: “He whose conscience is a sure guide will not stop to reason when light shines upon him out of God’s Word. He will not be guided by human counsel. He will not allow worldly business to stand in the way of obedience. He will lay every selfish interest at the door of investigation and will approach the word of God as one whose eternal interest is hanging in the balance.” Mind, Character, and Personality, vol. 1, 325.

“Every room in the soul temple has become more or less defiled, and needs cleansing. The cobwebbed closet of conscience is to be entered. The windows of the soul are to be closed earthward and thrown wide open heavenward that the bright beams of the Sun of righteousness may have free access. The memory is to be refreshed by Bible principles. The mind is to be kept clear and pure that it may distinguish between good and evil.” Ibid., 327, 328.

Thursday

5 PERCEPTION AND MOTIVATION

5.a. How does a person become changed for the worse? For the better? Jeremiah 2:13; 2 Corinthians 3:18.

Note: “As those sacred precepts in which God has opened to men the perfection and holiness of His character are neglected, and the minds of the people are attracted to human teachings and theories, what marvel that there has followed a decline of living piety in the church.” The Great Controversy, 478.

“Looking unto Jesus we obtain brighter and more distinct views of God, and by beholding we become changed. Goodness, love for our fellow men, becomes our natural instinct. We develop a character which is the counterpart of the divine character. Growing into His likeness, we enlarge our capacity for knowing God. More and more we enter into fellowship with the heavenly world, and we have continually increasing power to receive the riches of the knowledge and wisdom of eternity.” Christ’s Object Lessons, 355.

5.b.      What should one’s personal aim be? Philippians 3:14.

Note: “The specific place appointed us in life is determined by our capabilities. Not all reach the same development or do with equal efficiency the same work. God does not expect the hyssop to attain the proportions of the cedar, or the olive the height of the stately palm. But each should aim just as high as the union of human with divine power makes it possible for him to reach.” Education, 267.

“Let the youth be impressed with the thought that education is not to teach them how to escape life’s disagreeable tasks and heavy burdens; that its purpose is to lighten the work by teaching better methods and higher aims. Teach them that life’s true aim is not to secure the greatest possible gain for themselves, but to honor their Maker in doing their part of the world’s work, and lending a helpful hand to those weaker or more ignorant.” Ibid., 221, 222.

Friday

PERSONAL REVIEW QUESTIONS

1     Discuss the difference between education and training.

2     How are habits established?

3     Once habits are formed, how do they determine one’s destiny?

4     Discuss the importance of conscience.

5     How can one obtain a symmetrical education?

Copyright 1995 Reformation Herald Publishing Association, 5240 Hollins Road, Roanoke, Virginia 24019-5048, U.S.A.

Bible Study Guides – The Church and Its Youth

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August 23 – 29, 2020

Key Text

“It is good for a man that he bear the yoke in his youth” (Lamentations 3:27).

Study Help: Messages to Young People, 173–175.

Introduction

“The Lord calls for young men and women to enter His service. The youth are receptive, fresh, ardent, hopeful. When once they have tasted the spirit of self-sacrifice, they will not be satisfied unless they are learning constantly of the great Teacher.” Our High Calling, 306.

Sunday

OUR FIRST DUTY

  • Whom did Jesus commend as examples of humble faith? Matthew 18:1–6.
  • What did Jesus ask of one of His most ardent disciples? John 21:15–17.

Note: “The first work that Christ entrusted to Peter on restoring him to the ministry was to feed the lambs. This was a work in which Peter had little experience. It would require great care and tenderness, much patience and perseverance. It called him to minister to those who were young in the faith, to teach the ignorant, to open the Scriptures to them, and to educate them for usefulness in Christ’s service.” The Desire of Ages, 812.

“Although Peter had denied his Lord, the love which Jesus bore him never faltered. Just such love should the undershepherd feel for the sheep and lambs committed to his care. Remembering his own weakness and failure, Peter was to deal with his flock as tenderly as Christ had dealt with him.” Ibid., 815.

  • What searching question will parents, educators, and church leaders of today face? Jeremiah 13:20.

Monday

THE HIGHEST WORK

  • What is the highest missionary work that can be done? Mark 10:13, 14, 16.

Note: “Very much has been lost to the cause of truth by a lack of attention to the spiritual needs of the young. Ministers of the gospel should form a happy acquaintance with the youth of their congregations. …

“Why should not labor for the youth in our borders be regarded as missionary work of the highest kind? It requires the most delicate tact, the most watchful consideration, the most earnest prayer for heavenly wisdom. The youth are the objects of Satan’s special attacks; but kindness, courtesy, and the sympathy which flows from a heart filled with love to Jesus, will gain their confidence, and save them from many a snare of the enemy.” Gospel Workers, 207.

“The work that lies next to our church members is to become interested in our youth; for they need kindness, patience, tenderness, line upon line, precept upon precept. Oh, where are the fathers and mothers in Israel? There ought to be a large number who would be stewards of the grace of Christ, who would feel not merely a casual but a special interest in the young. There ought to be those whose hearts are touched by the pitiable situation in which our youth are placed, and who realize that Satan is working by every conceivable device to draw them into his net.” Counsels to Parents, Teachers, and Students, 41, 42.

“Nothing is of greater importance than the education of our children and young people. The church should arouse and manifest a deep interest in this work; for now as never before, Satan and his host are determined to enlist the youth under the black banner that leads to ruin and death.” Ibid., 165.

  • How did Jesus show the value of children? Matthew 18:2–4.

Note: “Calling a little child to Him, Jesus set him in the midst of them; then tenderly folding the little one in His arms He said, ‘Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven’ (Matthew 18:3). The simplicity, the self-forgetfulness, and the confiding love of a little child are the attributes that Heaven values. These are the characteristics of real greatness.” The Desire of Ages, 437.

Tuesday

HOW TO FEED LAMBS

  • What should children be taught? Psalm 34:11. How should this be done?

Note: “Special talent should be given to the education of the little ones. Many can put the crib high and give food to the sheep, but it is a more difficult matter to put the crib low and feed the lambs.” Testimonies, vol. 6, 205.

“Let me say here that those who have never had children of their own are not usually the best qualified to manage wisely the varied minds of children and youth. They are apt to make one law, from which there can be no appeal. Teachers must remember that they themselves were once children. They should adapt their teaching to the minds of the children, placing themselves in sympathy with them.” Ibid., vol. 5, 653, 654.

  • What spiritual experience should teachers have, and how should they then instruct the children? Deuteronomy 11:18–21.

Note: “When Jesus admonished His disciples not to despise the little ones, He addressed all disciples in all ages. His own love and care for children is a precious example for His followers. If teachers in the Sabbath school felt the love which they should feel for these lambs of the flock, many more would be won to the fold of Christ. At every suitable opportunity, let the story of Jesus’ love be repeated to the children. In every sermon let a little corner be left for their benefit. The servant of Christ may have lasting friends in these little ones, and his words may be to them as apples of gold in pictures of silver.” Counsels on Sabbath School Work, 76.

“The management and instruction of children is the noblest missionary work that any man or woman can undertake. By the proper use of objects the lessons should be made very plain, that their minds may be led from nature up to nature’s God. We must have in our schools those who possess the tact and skill to carry forward this line of work, thus sowing seeds of truth.” Testimonies, vol. 6, 205.

  • What will be the results of faithfulness in educating? Proverbs 22:6; Joel 1:3.

Wednesday

MAKING CHRISTIAN EDUCATION A PRIORITY

  • What was the work of Christ? How is this also the work of the church? Isaiah 40:11.

Note: “The youth need more than a casual notice, more than an occasional word of encouragement. They need painstaking, prayerful, careful labor. He only whose heart is filled with love and sympathy will be able to reach those youth who are apparently careless and indifferent. Not all can be helped in the same way. God deals with each according to his temperament and character, and we must cooperate with Him. Often those whom we pass by with indifference, because we judge them from outward appearance, have in them the best material for workers, and will repay all the efforts bestowed on them. There must be more study given to the problem of how to deal with the youth, more earnest prayer for the wisdom that is needing in dealing with minds.” Gospel Workers, 208.

  • What should guide education for the youth? Proverbs 9:10.

Note: “It is high time for Sabbath-keepers to separate their children from worldly associations and place them under the very best teachers, who will make the Bible the foundation of all study.” Testimonies, vol. 6, 109.

“Employ a Christian teacher, who, as a consecrated missionary, shall educate the children in such a way as to lead them to become missionaries.” Counsels to Parents, Teachers, and Students, 174.

“Many families who, for the purpose of educating their children, move to places where our large schools are established, would do better service for the Master by remaining where they are. They should encourage the church of which they are members to establish a church school where the children within their borders could receive an all-round, practical Christian education. It would be vastly better for their children, for themselves, and for the cause of God if they would remain in the smaller churches, where their help is needed, instead of going to the larger churches, where, because they are not needed, there is a constant temptation to fall into spiritual inactivity.” Testimonies, vol. 6, 198.

“The Lord would use the church school as an aid to the parents in educating and preparing their children for this time before us. Then let the church take hold of the school work in earnest and make it what the Lord desires it to be.” Counsels to Parents, Teachers, and Students, 167.

Thursday

YOUTH IN SERVICE

  • What goal must our church schools have for each of our youth? Isaiah 54:13; 3 John 3, 4.

 Note: “Our church schools are ordained by God to prepare the children for this great work. Here children are to be instructed in the special truths for this time and in practical missionary work. … By them God’s message will be made known and His saving health to all nations. Then let the church carry a burden for the lambs of the flock. Let the children be educated and trained to do service for God, for they are the Lord’s heritage.” Testimonies, vol. 6, 203.

  • Why should we involve them in service early? Ecclesiastes 12:1; Lamentations 3:27.

Note: “We need young men and women, who, having high intellectual culture, are fitted to do the best work for the Lord. We have done something toward reaching this standard, but still we are far behind that which the Lord has designed. As a church, as individuals, if we would stand clear in the judgment we must make more liberal efforts for the training of our young people, that they may be better fitted for the various branches of the great work committed to our hands. …

“Some would be content with the thorough education of a few of the most promising of our youth; but they all need an education that they may be fitted for usefulness in this life, qualified for places of responsibility in both private and public life.” Testimonies, vol. 6, 206, 207.

Friday

PERSONAL REVIEW QUESTIONS

1    What does it mean to feed the lambs of the flock?

2    Why is the most important missionary work often overlooked?

3    How can we improve in the care of our children and youth?

4    What role does the church school have in the church’s work of education?

5    What opportunities can I help provide for training youth in my local church?

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

Bible Study Guides – Guidance for Home Educators

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August 16 – 22, 2020

Key Text

“I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth” (3 John 4).

Study Help: Child Guidance, 17–25, 119–136.

Introduction

“What the parents are, that, to a great extent, the children will be. The physical conditions of the parents, their dispositions and appetites, their mental and moral tendencies, are, to a greater or less degree, reproduced in their children.” The Ministry of Healing, 371.

Sunday

TEACHING THEM DILIGENTLY

  • What responsibility rests on parents as the first educators of children? Deuteronomy 6:6–9.

Note: “As a preparation for teaching His precepts, God commands that they be hidden in the hearts of the parents. ‘These words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart,’ He says; ‘and thou shalt teach them diligently’ (Deuteronomy 6:6, 7). In order to interest our children in the Bible, we ourselves must be interested in it. To awaken in them a love for its study, we must love it.” Education, 187.

  • Who was instrumental in establishing the faith of Timothy? 2 Timothy 1:5. What vital role do mothers play in every facet of education?

Note: “Especially does responsibility rest upon the mother. She, by whose lifeblood the child is nourished and its physical frame built up, imparts to it also mental and spiritual influences that tend to the shaping of mind and character.” The Ministry of Healing, 372.

Monday

LOCATION OF THE HOME

  • With the examples of Abraham and Lot before us, what considerations should take precedence in the choice of a home? Genesis 13:11, 12.

Note: “In choosing a home, God would have us consider, first of all, the moral and religious influences that will surround us and our families. …

“Instead of dwelling where only the works of men can be seen, where the sights and sounds frequently suggest thoughts of evil, where turmoil and confusion bring weariness and disquietude, go where you can look upon the works of God. Find rest of spirit in the beauty and quietude and peace of nature. …

“The home of our first parents was to be a pattern for other homes as their children should go forth to occupy the earth. … The blue heavens were its dome; the earth, with its delicate flowers and carpet of living green, was its floor; and the leafy branches of the goodly trees were its canopy. Its walls were hung with the most magnificent adornings—the handiwork of the great Master Artist. In the surroundings of the holy pair was a lesson for all time—that true happiness is found, not in the indulgence of pride and luxury, but in communion with God through His created works.” The Adventist Home, 131, 132.

  • What choice of location did John the Baptist make in view of his mission? Matthew 3:1.

Note: “John the Baptist, the forerunner of Christ, received his early training from his parents. The greater portion of his life was spent in the wilderness. … It was John’s choice to forego the enjoyments and luxuries of city life for the stern discipline of the wilderness. Here his surroundings were favorable to habits of simplicity and self-denial.” The Adventist Home, 133.

“There is not one family in a hundred who will be improved physically, mentally, or spiritually, by residing in the city.” Country Living, 13.

“Parents can secure small homes in the country, with land for cultivation where they can have orchards and where they can raise vegetables and small fruits. … God will help His people to find such homes outside of the cities.” Medical Ministry, 310.

Tuesday

THE CHILD’S FIRST SCHOOL

  • Whom has God ordained to be the child’s first teachers? Proverbs 1:8.

Note: “Parents should be the only teachers of their children until they have reached eight or ten years of age. As fast as their minds can comprehend it, the parents should open before them God’s great book of nature. The mother should have less love for the artificial in her house and in the preparation of her dress for display, and should find time to cultivate, in herself and in her children, a love for the beautiful buds and opening flowers. By calling the attention of her children to their different colors and variety of forms, she can make them acquainted with God, who made all the beautiful things which attract and delight them. She can lead their minds up to their Creator and awaken in their young hearts a love for their heavenly Father, who has manifested so great love for them. Parents can associate God with all His created works. The only schoolroom for children from eight to ten years of age should be in the open air amid the opening flowers and nature’s beautiful scenery. And their only textbook should be the treasures of nature. These lessons, imprinted upon the minds of young children amid the pleasant, attractive scenes of nature, will not be soon forgotten.” Testimonies, vol. 3, 137.

“In His wisdom the Lord has decreed that the family shall be the greatest of all educational agencies. It is in the home that the education of the child is to begin. Here is his first school.” The Adventist Home, 182.

  • What counsel should encourage parents to educate their own children as long as possible? Psalm 34:13, 14.

Note: “Some fathers and mothers are so indifferent, so careless, that they think it makes no difference whether their children attend a church school or a public school. ‘We are in the world,’ they say, ‘and we cannot get out of it.’ But, parents, we can get a good way out of the world, if we choose to do so. We can avoid seeing many of the evils that are multiplying so fast in these last days. We can avoid hearing about much of the wickedness and crime that exist.” The Adventist Home, 406.

“Neither the church school nor the college affords the opportunities for establishing a child’s character building upon the right foundation that are afforded in the home.” Child Guidance, 170.

Wednesday

LESSONS OF RESPONSIBILITY AND INDUSTRY

  • How are parents to educate their children in order to best prepare them to be responsible adults? Proverbs 22:6.

Note: “Children as well as parents have important duties in the home. They should be taught that they are a part of the home firm. They are fed and clothed and loved and cared for; and they should respond to these many mercies by bearing their share of the home burdens and bringing all the happiness possible into the family of which they are members.

“Let every mother teach her children that they are members of the family firm and must bear their share of the responsibilities of this firm. Every member of the family should bear these responsibilities as faithfully as church members bear the responsibilities of church relationships.

“Let the children know that they are helping father and mother by doing little errands. Give them some work to do for you, and tell them that afterward they can have a time to play.

“Children have active minds, and they need to be employed in lifting the burdens of practical life. … They should never be left to pick up their own employment. Parents should control this matter themselves.” The Adventist Home, 282.

“Allow them to help you in every way they can, and show them that you appreciate their help. Let them feel that they are a part of the family firm. Teach them to use their minds as much as possible, so to plan their work that they may do it quickly and thoroughly.” Child Guidance, 126.

  • What character trait is essential for usefulness? Proverbs 22:29.

Note: “One of the surest safeguards of the young is useful occupation. Children who are trained to industrious habits, so that all their hours are usefully and pleasantly employed … are in little danger of forming vicious habits or associations. …

“Habits of industry and thoroughness will be an untold blessing to the youth in the larger school of life, upon which they must enter as they grow older.” Counsels to Parents, Teachers, and Students, 122, 123.

Thursday

A SACRED WORK

  • How does the Bible describe the sacred work of heads of families? Psalm 128; Isaiah 8:18.

Note: “Parents, you carry responsibilities that no one can bear for you. As long as you live, you are accountable to God to keep His way. … Parents who make the word of God their guide, and who realize how much their children depend upon them for the characters they form, will set an example that it will be safe for their children to follow.” The Adventist Home, 187.

“After the minister has done all he can do for the church by faithful, affectionate admonition, patient discipline, and fervent prayer to reclaim and save the soul, yet is not successful, the fathers and mothers often blame him because their children are not converted, when it may be because of their own neglect. The burden rests with the parents; and will they take up the work that God has entrusted to them, and with fidelity perform it?” Testimonies, vol. 5, 495.

“Do not depend upon the teachers of the Sabbath school to do your work of training your children in the way they should go. The Sabbath school is a great blessing; it may help you in your work, but it can never take your place. God has given to all fathers and mothers the responsibility of bringing their children to Jesus, teaching them how to pray and believe in the word of God.” The Adventist Home, 189.

Friday

PERSONAL REVIEW QUESTIONS

1    Why are parents considered the primary educators of children?

2    How is the environment of the home related to the work of education?

3    What are the potential results of young children spending every day away from home?

4    How is the home education central to usefulness for the rest of your life?

5    Why are some parents tempted to blame the church for their own failures?

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

Bible Study Guides – To Be a Teacher

by

August 9 – 15, 2020

Key Text

“Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15).

Study Help: Education, 275–282.

Introduction

“Teachers are to watch over their students as the shepherd watches over the flock entrusted to his charge. They should care for souls as they that must give an account.” Counsels to Parents, Teachers, and Students, 65.

Sunday

QUALITIES OF A TEACHER

  • To what should the teacher direct the students? 1 Corinthians 11:1.

 Note: “Teachers are to do more for students than to impart a knowledge of books. Their position as guide and instructor of youth is most responsible; for to them is given the work of moulding mind and character. Those who undertake this work should possess well-balanced, symmetrical characters. They should be refined in manner, neat in dress, careful in all their habits; and they should have that true Christian courtesy that wins confidence and respect. The teacher should be himself what he wishes his students to become.” The Signs of the Times, March 14, 1900.

  • What spiritual experience is needed? Deuteronomy 10:12.

Note: “Every educator should daily receive instructions from the Great Teacher, and should labor constantly under His guidance. It is impossible for him rightly to understand or to perform his work, unless he shall be much with God in prayer. Only by divine aid, combined with earnest, self-denying effort, can he hope to fill his position wisely and well.” The Review and Herald, September 22, 1885.

Monday

BEING EQUIPPED TO TEACH

  • What should be the attitude of a teacher toward the Word? For what purpose? 1 Peter 2:2.
  •  What should the leaders in God’s church seek from God? Psalm 145:15. What should they do with this?

 Note: “Because they [those who are watching for the Lord] know that the Lord is at the door, their zeal is quickened to co-operate with the divine intelligences in working for the salvation of souls. These are the faithful and wise servants who give to the Lord’s household ‘their portion of meat in due season’ (Luke 12:42). They are declaring the truth that is now specially applicable.” The Desire of Ages, 634.

“Our standing before God depends, not upon the amount of light we have received, but upon the use we make of what we have. Thus even the heathen who choose the right as far as they can distinguish it are in a more favorable condition than are those who have had great light, and profess to serve God, but who disregard the light, and by their daily life contradict their profession.” Ibid., 239.

  • What was the example of the Bereans in searching the Scriptures? Acts 17:11.

Note: “Oh, that those who minister in holy things would awake, and, like the noble Bereans, search the Scriptures daily! Brethren in the ministry, I entreat of you to study the Scriptures with humble prayer for an understanding heart, that you may teach the way of life more perfectly. Your counsel, prayers, and example must be a savor of life unto life, or you are unqualified to point out the way of life to others.” Testimonies, vol. 2, 343.

“Men, women, and youth, God requires you to possess moral courage, steadiness of purpose, fortitude and perseverance, minds that cannot take the assertions of another, but which will investigate for themselves before receiving or rejecting, that will study and weigh evidence, and take it to the Lord in prayer.” Ibid., 130.

Tuesday

MENTAL PREPARATION FOR TEACHING

  • What should we ask God to grant us in preparation for sharing truth with others? Colossians 1:9, James 1:5.

Note: “Set aside a portion of each day for a study of the Scriptures and communion with God. Thus you will obtain spiritual strength, and will grow in favor with God. He alone can give you noble aspirations; He alone can fashion the character after the divine similitude. Draw near to Him in earnest prayer, and He will fill your hearts with high and holy purposes, and with deep, earnest longings for purity and clearness of thought.” Gospel Workers, 100.

“Ministers who would labor effectively for the salvation of souls must be Bible students and men of prayer. It is a sin to be neglectful of the study of the Word while attempting to teach it to others. Those who feel the worth of souls realize that too much is at stake for them to dare to be careless in regard to their advancement in divine knowledge, and they flee to the stronghold of truth, whence they may obtain wisdom, knowledge, and strength to work the works of God. They will not rest without an unction from on high.” Ibid., 99.

  • What danger do those face who do not make appropriate preparation and who are spiritually unstable? 2 Peter 3:16.

 Note: “Some who enter the ministry do not feel the burden of the work. They have false ideas of the qualifications of a minister. They think that it requires little close study of the sciences or of the word of God in order to gain a fitness for the ministry. Some who are teaching present truth are so deficient in Bible knowledge that it is difficult for them to quote a text of Scripture correctly from memory. By blundering along in the awkward manner that they do, they sin against God. They wrest the Scriptures, and make the Bible say things that are not written therein.

“Some think that an education or a thorough knowledge of the Scriptures is of little consequence if only a man has the Spirit. But God never sends His Spirit to sanction ignorance. He may and does pity and bless those who are so situated that it is impossible for them to obtain an education; and sometimes He condescends to make His strength perfect in their weakness. But it is the duty of such to study His word.” Gospel Workers, 105, 106.

Wednesday

MEETING OPPOSITION

  • By what symbols does Jeremiah tell us that we need to be prepared for competitive and opposing forces in our work for the Lord? Jeremiah 12:5.

Note: “Those who do not love to study, are ever in great danger of becoming dwarfs in spiritual and mental growth. They consider that they have a moderate understanding of Scripture subjects, and they cease to investigate, cease to plow deep that they may obtain all the treasures of knowledge possible. Instead of cultivating studious habits, they yield to inclination, and are content to skim the surface, without going with energy to the bottom of the question under consideration. Those who have this superficial manner of study would not be prepared to meet an opponent in discussion should one oppose them. They penetrate only deep enough into a subject to meet the present emergency, and to conceal the real ignorance of their lazy minds.” The Review and Herald, April 6, 1886.

“The Holy Spirit’s work is to guide into all truth. When you depend on the word of the living God with heart and mind and soul, the channel of communication will be unobstructed. Deep, earnest study of the word under the guidance of the Holy Spirit will give you fresh manna, and the same Spirit will make its use effectual. … Those who make persevering efforts in this direction, putting the mind to the task of comprehending God’s word, are prepared to be laborers together with God.” Testimonies, vol. 6, 163, 164.

  • What spiritual lesson can we learn from David’s refusal to use Saul’s armor to meet Goliath? 1 Samuel 17:39.

 Note: “Young men should search the Scriptures for themselves. They are not to feel that it is sufficient for those older in experience to find out the truth; that the younger ones can accept it from them as authority. …

“No man should be relied upon to think for us. No matter who he is, or in what position he may be placed, we are not to look upon any man as a criterion for us. We are to counsel together, and to be subject one to another; but at the same time we are to exercise the ability God has given us, in order to learn what is truth. Each one of us must look to God for divine enlightenment. We must individually develop a character that will stand the test in the day of God.” Testimonies to Ministers and Gospel Workers, 109, 110.

Thursday

MAKE THEM YOUR OWN

  • What inspiring example was left by Ezra the scribe? Ezra 7:10.

Note: “In order to make full proof of their ministry, those who open the word of God to others should search the Scriptures diligently. They should not be content to use other men’s thoughts, but should dig for truth as for hid treasures. While it is perfectly right to gather ideas from other minds, they should not be satisfied to take those ideas and repeat them in a poll-parrot manner. Make these ideas your own, brethren; frame the arguments yourselves, from your own study and research. Do not borrow the productions of other men’s brains and pens, and recite them as a lesson; but make the most of the talents, the brain power, that God has given you.” The Review and Herald, April 6, 1886.

“By rising early and economizing their moments, ministers can find time for a close investigation of the Scriptures. They must have perseverance, and not be thwarted in their object, but persistently employ their time in a study of the word, bringing to their aid the truths which other minds, through wearing labor, have brought out for them, and with diligent, persevering effort, prepared to their hand. There are ministers who have been laboring for years, teaching the truth to others, while they themselves are not familiar with the strong points of our position. I beg of such to have done with their idleness. It is a continual curse to them. God requires them to make every moment fruitful of some good to themselves or to others. ‘Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord’ (Romans 2:11). ‘He also that is slothful in his work is brother to him that is a great waster’ (Proverbs 18:9).” Testimonies, vol. 2, 500.

Friday

PERSONAL REVIEW QUESTIONS

1    What should a teacher be in order to best fill his position? How does he achieve this?

2    How did the Bereans find “meat in due season”? How can we?

3    What habits must be cultivated by those who teach others?

4    Why must we study deeply for ourselves in order to be able to teach?

5    How can we improve the quality of our teaching in every department?

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

Bible Study Guides – The Foundation of True Education

by

August 2 – 8, 2020

Key Text

“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding” (Proverbs 9:10).

Study Help: Education, 123–127.

Introduction

“The Word of God presents the most potent means of education, as well as the most valuable source of knowledge, within the reach of man.” The Review and Herald, September 25, 1883.

Sunday

GOD’S WORD TO YOU

  • How does God communicate with humanity? Amos 3:7; 2 Peter 1:20, 21.

 Note: “As an educating power the Bible is without a rival. In the word of God the mind finds subject for the deepest thought, the loftiest aspiration. … It lights up the far-distant past, where human research seeks vainly to penetrate. … In the reverent contemplation of the truths presented in His word the mind of the student is brought into communion with the infinite mind.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 596.

  • What are some qualities of Scripture? 2 Timothy 3:16; Psalm 12:6, 7.

 Note: “God did not leave His Word to be preserved in the memories of men and handed down from generation to generation by oral transmission and traditional unfolding. Had He done this, the Word would gradually have been added to by men. … Let us thank God for His written word.” The Upward Look, 52.

“The Bible is the most instructive history that men possess. It came fresh from the fountain of eternal truth, and a divine hand has preserved its purity through all the ages.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 596.

Monday

UNDERSTANDING THE BIBLE

  • To what is the Bible likened? Psalm 119:105.

Note: “God will have a people upon the earth to maintain the Bible, and the Bible only, as the standard of all doctrines and the basis of all reforms. The opinions of learned men, the deductions of science, the creeds or decisions of ecclesiastical councils, as numerous and discordant as are the churches which they represent, the voice of the majority—not one nor all of these should be regarded as evidence for or against any point of religious faith. Before accepting any doctrine or precept, we should demand a plain ‘Thus saith the Lord’ in its support.” The Great Controversy, 595.

  • How is the Word explained? Isaiah 28:10; Luke 24:27; Matthew 4:4.

Note: “No one with a spirit to appreciate its teaching can read a single passage from the Bible without gaining from it some helpful thought. But the most valuable teaching of the Bible is not to be gained by occasional or disconnected study. Its great system of truth is not so presented as to be discerned by the hasty or careless reader. Many of its treasures lie far beneath the surface, and can be obtained only by diligent research and continuous effort. The truths that go to make up the great whole must be searched out and gathered up, ‘here a little, and there a little’ (Isaiah 28:10).” Education, 123.

“Endeavoring to lay aside all preconceived opinions, and dispensing with commentaries, he [William Miller] compared scripture with scripture by the aid of the marginal references and the concordance. He pursued his study in a regular and methodical manner; beginning with Genesis, and reading verse by verse, he proceeded no faster than the meaning of the several passages so unfolded as to leave him free from all embarrassment. When he found anything obscure, it was his custom to compare it with every other text which seemed to have any reference to the matter under consideration. Every word was permitted to have its proper bearing upon the subject of the text, and if his view of it harmonized with every collateral passage, it ceased to be a difficulty. Thus whenever he met with a passage hard to be understood he found an explanation in some other portion of the Scriptures.” The Great Controversy, 320.

Tuesday

SEARCHING THE SCRIPTURES

  • What should we do constantly with the Bible? John 5:39.

Note: “In searching the Scriptures you are not to endeavor to interpret their utterances so as to agree with your preconceived ideas, but come as a learner to understand the foundation principles of the faith of Christ.” Counsels on Sabbath School Work, 25.

  • As workers for God, how are we to prepare ourselves to deeply understand His word? 1 Peter 3:15.

 Note: “Not alone in searching out truth and bringing it together does the mental value of Bible study consist. It consists also in the effort required to grasp the themes presented. The mind occupied with commonplace matters only, becomes dwarfed and enfeebled. If never tasked to comprehend grand and far-reaching truths, it after a time loses the power of growth. As a safeguard against this degeneracy, and a stimulus to development, nothing else can equal the study of God’s word. As a means of intellectual training, the Bible is more effective than any other book, or all other books combined.” Education, 124.

“The close application of those Hebrew students [Daniel and his companions] under the training of God was richly rewarded. While they made diligent effort to secure knowledge, the Lord gave them heavenly wisdom. The knowledge they gained was of great service to them when brought into strait places. The Lord God of heaven will not supply the deficiencies that result from mental and spiritual indolence. When the human agents shall exercise their faculties to acquire knowledge, to become deep-thinking men; when they, as the greatest witnesses for God and the truth, shall have won in the field of investigation of vital doctrines concerning the salvation of the soul, that glory may be given to the God of heaven as supreme, then even judges and kings will be brought to acknowledge, in the courts of justice, in parliaments and councils, that the God who made the heavens and the earth is the only true and living God, the author of Christianity, the author of all truth, who instituted the seventh-day Sabbath when the foundations of the world were laid, when the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted together for joy.” Fundamentals of Christian Education, 374, 375.

Wednesday

ADVANCING LIGHT

  • How does God continue to reveal new light to His people? Proverbs 4:18.

Note: “Let no one come to the conclusion that there is no more truth to be revealed. … Many gems are yet scattered that are to be gathered together to become the property of the remnant people of God.” Counsels on Sabbath School Work, 34.

  • What are we to do with the light we have? 1 Thessalonians 5:21.

 Note: “We have nothing to fear for the future, except as we shall forget the way the Lord has led us, and His teaching in our past history.” Life Sketches of Ellen G. White, 196.

“Many know so little about their Bibles that they are unsettled in the faith. They remove the old landmarks, and fallacies and winds of doctrine blow them hither and thither.” Evangelism, 362.

“No line of truth that has made the Seventh-day Adventist people what they are is to be weakened. We have the old landmarks of truth, experience, and duty, and we are to stand firmly in defense of our principles, in full view of the world.” Testimonies, vol. 6, 17.

“When the power of God testifies as to what is truth, that truth is to stand forever as the truth. No aftersuppositions, contrary to the light God has given are to be entertained. … One will arise, and still another, with new light which contradicts the light that God has given under the demonstration of His Holy Spirit.” Counsels to Writers and Editors, 31, 32.

  • What preparation do we need for the gospel work? Hebrews 5:11–14.

Note: “We must, through fervent prayer and deep and earnest research, become established and settled, rooted and grounded in the faith, and know, each for himself, that we have the truth. If we are thus established, we shall not depart from the faith when tested and tried, as some have done.” The Review and Herald, September 4, 1888.

Thursday

STUDYING TOGETHER

  • What kind of educational environment do we want to encourage in the Sabbath school? 2 Timothy 2:15.

 Note: “Our Sabbath schools are nothing less than Bible societies, and in the sacred work of teaching the truths of God’s word, they can accomplish far more than they have hitherto accomplished.” Counsels on Sabbath School Work, 9.

“If you are called to be a teacher in any branch of the work of God, you are called also to be a learner in the school of Christ. If you take upon you the sacred responsibility of teaching others, you take upon you the duty of going to the bottom of every subject you seek to teach. If you present a subject from the word of God to your pupils in the Sabbath school, you should make the reasons for your faith so plain that your scholars shall be convinced of its truth. You should diligently search and compare the evidences of the word of God on messages that He sends to the church, that you may know what is truth, and be able to direct those who look to you into the way of righteousness.” Ibid., 31.

“Those who have entered upon the work of teaching, or who have been called to any position of responsibility, should not be satisfied to take the product of the researches of other minds, but they should investigate truth for themselves. If they do not form the habit of investigating themes of truth for themselves, they will become superficial in their life and acquirements. … You should examine the truths you have been led to believe, until you know that they are without a flaw.” Ibid., 33.

Friday

PERSONAL REVIEW QUESTIONS

1    Why was it so important that the Word of God be written down?

2    How are we to study to arrive at an understanding of Bible truth?

3    What mental and spiritual benefits are to be derived from deep Bible study?

4    How does God continue to teach His people?

5    How can we improve our church educational environment?

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

Bible Study Guides – The Great Educator

by

July 26 – August 1, 2020

Key Text

“And they were astonished at His doctrine: for He taught them as One that had authority, and not as the scribes” (Mark 1:22).

Study Help: Education, 73–83.

Introduction

“He [Jesus] was a Teacher, such an educator as the world never saw or heard before. He spake as one having authority, and yet He invites the confidence of all.” Selected Messages, Book 3, 138.

Sunday

JESUS’ EARLY LIFE

  • How does the Bible describe Jesus’ early life? Luke 2:40, 52.

Note: “He who came from heaven to be our example and teacher spent thirty years as a member of the household at Nazareth. Concerning these years the Bible record is very brief. No mighty miracles attracted the attention of the multitude. No eager throngs followed His steps or listened to His words. Yet during all these years He was fulfilling His divine mission. He lived as one of us, sharing the home life, submitting to its discipline, performing its duties, bearing its burdens.” The Ministry of Healing, 349.

  • How is Jesus’ humble reputation as a carpenter an example to every young person? Matthew 13:54–56.

Note: “It is in His home life that He [Jesus] is the pattern for all children and youth. The Saviour condescended to poverty, that He might teach how closely we in a humble lot may walk with God. He lived to please, honor, and glorify His Father in the common things of life. His work began in consecrating the lowly trade of the craftsmen who toil for their daily bread.” The Desire of Ages, 74.

Monday

THE EDUCATION OF JESUS AND JOHN THE BAPTIST

  • What was meant in the question asked about Jesus’ education? John 7:15.

Note: “The question asked during the Saviour’s ministry, ‘How knoweth this man letters, having never learned?’ does not indicate that Jesus was unable to read, but merely that He had not received a rabbinical education (John 7:15). Since He gained knowledge as we may do, His intimate acquaintance with the Scriptures shows how diligently His early years were given to the study of God’s word.” The Desire of Ages, 70.

“His education was gained from Heaven-appointed sources, from useful work, from the study of the Scriptures, from nature, and from the experiences of life—God’s lesson books, full of instruction to all who bring to them the willing hand, the seeing eye, and the understanding heart.” The Ministry of Healing, 400.

  • Why did Jesus and John the Baptist not attend the schools of their day? Matthew 15:9.

Note: “Our Saviour did not encourage any to attend the rabbinical schools of His day for the reason that their minds would be corrupted with the continually repeated, ‘They say,’ or, ‘It has been said.’ Why, then, should we accept the unstable words of men as exalted wisdom, when a greater, a certain wisdom is at our command?” Testimonies, vol. 8, 310.

“No one was regarded as qualified to be a religious teacher unless he had studied in the rabbinical schools, and both Jesus and John the Baptist had been represented as ignorant because they had not received this training.” The Desire of Ages, 453.

“Christ came to demonstrate the value of the divine principles by revealing their power for the regeneration of humanity. He came to teach how these principles are to be developed and applied.

“With the people of that age the value of all things was determined by outward show. As religion had declined in power, it had increased in pomp. The educators of the time sought to command respect by display and ostentation. To all this the life of Jesus presented a marked contrast. His life demonstrated the worthlessness of those things that men regarded as life’s great essentials. Born amidst surroundings the rudest, sharing a peasant’s home, a peasant’s fare, a craftsman’s occupation, living a life of obscurity, identifying Himself with the world’s unknown toilers—amidst these conditions and surroundings—Jesus followed the divine plan of education. The schools of His time, with their magnifying of things small and their belittling of things great, He did not seek. His education was gained directly from the Heaven-appointed sources; from useful work, from the study of the Scriptures and of nature, and from the experiences of life—God’s lesson books, full of instruction to all who bring to them the willing hand, the seeing eye, and the understanding heart.” Education 77.

  • What example did John give in his preaching and lifestyle? Matthew 3:1–4.

Note: “It was his [John’s] choice to forgo the enjoyments and luxuries of life for the stern discipline of the wilderness. Here his surroundings were favorable to habits of simplicity and self-denial. Uninterrupted by the clamor of the world, he could here study the lessons of nature, of revelation, and of Providence.” The Desire of Ages, 101.

Tuesday

THE MASTER TEACHER

  • What was the effect on the people of Jesus’ great Sermon on the Mount? Matthew 7:28, 29.

Note: “Jesus had nothing to do with the various subjects of dissension among the Jews. It was His work to present the truth. His words shed a flood of light upon the teachings of patriarchs and prophets, and the Scriptures came to men as a new revelation. Never before had His hearers perceived such a depth of meaning in the word of God.” The Desire of Ages, 253.

“Christ sought to remove that which obscured the truth. The veil that sin has cast over the face of nature, He came to draw aside, bringing to view the spiritual glory that all things were created to reflect.” Christ’s Object Lessons, 18, 19.

  • What effect did Jesus’ method of education have on the disciples? Acts 4:13.

Note: “For three years and a half the disciples were under the instruction of the greatest Teacher the world has ever known. By personal contact and association, Christ trained them for His service. Day by day they walked and talked with Him, hearing His words of cheer to the weary and heavy-laden, and seeing the manifestation of His power in behalf of the sick and the afflicted. Sometimes He taught them, sitting among them on the mountainside; sometimes beside the sea or walking by the way, He revealed the mysteries of the kingdom of God. Wherever hearts were open to receive the divine message, He unfolded the truths of the way of salvation. He did not command the disciples to do this or that, but said, ‘Follow Me.’ On His journeys through country and cities, He took them with Him, that they might see how He taught the people. … They saw Him in every phase of life.” The Acts of the Apostles, 17, 18.

“When He sent forth the Twelve and afterward the Seventy, to proclaim the kingdom of God, He was teaching them their duty to impart to others what He had made known to them. In all His work He was training them for individual labor, to be extended as their numbers increased, and eventually to reach to the uttermost parts of the earth.” Ibid., 32.

Wednesday

JESUS’ METHODS OF TEACHING

  • In what surroundings did Jesus teach His hearers? Matthew 5:1, 2. How did He make use of familiar things?

Note: “Jesus sought an avenue to every heart. By using a variety of illustrations, He not only presented truth in its different phases, but appealed to the different hearers. Their interest was aroused by figures drawn from the surroundings of their daily life. …

“Divine wisdom, infinite grace, were made plain by the things of God’s creation. Through nature and the experiences of life, men were taught of God.” Christ’s Object Lessons, 21, 22.

“As Jesus taught the people, He made His lessons interesting and held the attention of His hearers by frequent illustrations from the scenes of nature about them.” Thoughts from the Mount of Blessing, 38.

“When the Lord was training Israel to be the special representatives of Himself, He gave them homes among the hills and valleys. In their home life and their religious service they were brought in constant contact with nature and with the word of God. So Christ taught His disciples by the lake, on the mountainside, in the fields and groves, where they could look upon the things of nature by which He illustrated His teachings. And as they learned of Christ, they put their knowledge to use by co-operating with Him in His work.” Christ’s Object Lessons, 24.

  • What special teaching technique did Jesus often use? Matthew 13:34, 35.

Note: “In Christ’s parable teaching the same principle is seen as in His own mission to the world. That we might become acquainted with His divine character and life, Christ took our nature and dwelt among us. Divinity was revealed in humanity; the invisible glory in the visible human form. Men could learn of the unknown through the known; heavenly things were revealed through the earthly; God was made manifest in the likeness of men. So it was in Christ’s teaching: the unknown was illustrated by the known; divine truths by earthly things with which the people were most familiar. …

“Natural things were the medium for the spiritual; the things of nature and the life-experience of His hearers were connected with the truths of the written word.” Christ’s Object Lessons, 17.

Thursday

JESUS’ USE OF THE SCRIPTURES

  • How did Jesus choose to enlighten the two disciples on the road to Emmaus? Luke 24:25–27.

Note: “Beginning at Moses, the very Alpha of Bible history, Christ expounded in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself. Had He first made Himself known to them, their hearts would have been satisfied. In the fullness of their joy they would have hungered for nothing more. But it was necessary for them to understand the witness borne to Him by the types and prophecies of the Old Testament. Upon these their faith must be established. Christ performed no miracle to convince them, but it was His first work to explain the Scriptures. They had looked upon His death as the destruction of all their hopes. Now He showed from the prophets that this was the very strongest evidence for their faith.” The Desire of Ages, 796–799.

  • How did Jesus constantly direct attention back to the Scriptures? John 5:39; 17:17; Luke 16:31.

Note: “Christ’s work as a teacher of truth was in marked contrast to that of the rabbis of His time. They dwelt upon traditions, upon human theories and speculations. Often that which man had taught and written about the word, they put in place of the word itself. Their teaching had no power to quicken the soul. The subject of Christ’s teaching and preaching was the word of God. He met questioners with a plain, ‘It is written.’ ‘What saith the Scriptures?’ ‘How readest thou?’ ” Christ’s Object Lessons, 38, 39.

Friday

PERSONAL REVIEW QUESTIONS

1    How did the world’s greatest Teacher spend His early life on earth?

2    Would Jesus or John the Baptist attend the schools of today? Explain.

3    How did Jesus’ teaching differ from the popular teachers of His day?

4    Describe some of Jesus’ methods of teaching and illustrating truth.

5    Why was it vital for Christ to establish the disciples’ faith in God’s Word?

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

Bible Study Guides – Education in Ancient Israel

by

July 19 – 25, 2020

Key Text

“He found him in a desert land, and in the waste howling wilderness; he led him about, he instructed him, he kept him as the apple of his eye” (Deuteronomy 32:10).

Study Help: Education, 33–44.

Introduction

“The men who held fast God’s principles of life dwelt among the fields and hills. They were tillers of the soil and keepers of flocks and herds, and in this free, independent life, with its opportunities for labor and study and meditation, they learned of God and taught their children of His works and ways.

“This was the method of education that God desired to establish in Israel.” Education, 33, 34.

Sunday

THE PATRIARCHS

  • Describe Abraham’s example as a patriarch. Genesis 18:17–19; 12:6–8.

Note: “In early times the father was the ruler and priest of his own family, and he exercised authority over his children, even after they had families of their own. His descendants were taught to look up to him as their head, in both religious and secular matters. This patriarchal system of government Abraham endeavored to perpetuate, as it tended to preserve the knowledge of God. It was necessary to bind the members of the household together, in order to build up a barrier against the idolatry that had become so widespread and so deep-seated.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 141.

  • What lifestyle was pursued by the patriarchs? Hebrews 11:8–10; Genesis 25:27.

Monday

EDUCATION IN THE WILDERNESS

  • How did the Lord direct the education of Israel in the wilderness? 1 Corinthians 10:1–4; Isaiah 63:9.

Note: “The Lord Himself directed the education of Israel. His care was not restricted to their religious interests; whatever affected their mental or physical well-being was also the subject of divine providence, and came within the sphere of divine law.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 592.

“Even in providing their food, God sought their highest good. The manna with which He fed them in the wilderness was of a nature to promote physical, mental, and moral strength.” Education, 38.

“The Hebrew nation were educated during their journeying through the wilderness. They engaged in physical and mental labor. They used their muscles in various lines of work. The history of the wilderness life of God’s chosen people was chronicled for the benefit of the Israel of God till the close of time. … The Lord did not forsake His people in their wanderings through the wilderness, but many of them forsook the Lord. The education they had had in Egypt made them subject to temptation, to idolatry, and to licentiousness, and because they disregarded the commandments of the Lord, nearly all the adults who left Egypt were overthrown in the wilderness; but their children were permitted to enter Canaan.” The Review and Herald, December 17, 1895.

“Everything connected with the pitching of the camp was an object lesson to the children, schooling them in habits of precision and carefulness and order. The children that were old enough were required to learn how to pitch the tents in which they lived, and to observe perfect order in all that they did. … Constantly they were obtaining an education in regard to heavenly things. Constantly the parents were explaining to their children why the Israelites were traveling in the wilderness; why the law was given at Sinai; and what they expected to do and to be when they reached the Land of Promise.” Lift Him Up, 145.

“Israel needed just the experience that God gave to them, and there was no other power that could deal with them as Christ did through all that long journey in the wilderness. The education of Israel was not entrusted to any human agency; they were taught by One who was infinite in wisdom. They were daily learners of what God required His church on earth to be.” Manuscript Releases, vol. 18, 234.

Tuesday

GOD’S PLAN FOR ISRAEL

  • What was God’s purpose for Israel in the settlement of Canaan? Deuteronomy 4:5–10; 11:22–24.

Note: “God chose Israel to reveal His character to men. He desired them to be as wells of salvation in the world. … In the early days of Israel the nations of the world, through corrupt practices, had lost the knowledge of God. They had once known Him; but because ‘they glorified Him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, … their foolish heart was darkened’ (Romans 1:21). Yet in His mercy God did not blot them out of existence. He purposed to give them an opportunity of again becoming acquainted with Him through His chosen people. Through the teachings of the sacrificial service, Christ was to be uplifted before all nations, and all who would look to Him should live.” The Acts of the Apostles, 14.

“God had placed His people in Canaan as a mighty breastwork to stay the tide of moral evil, that it might not flood the world.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 544.

  • How did they fare in the implementation of this plan? Judges 2:7, 10–12; 1:28.

Note: “The Lord had faithfully fulfilled, on His part, the promises made to Israel; Joshua had broken the power of the Canaanites, and had distributed the land to the tribes. It only remained for them, trusting in the assurance of divine aid, to complete the work of dispossessing the inhabitants of the land. But this they failed to do. By entering into league with the Canaanites they directly transgressed the command of God, and thus failed to fulfill the condition on which He had promised to place them in possession of Canaan.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 543.

“Wherever in Israel God’s plan of education was carried into effect, its results testified of its Author. But in very many households the training appointed by Heaven, and the characters thus developed, were alike rare. God’s plan was but partially and imperfectly fulfilled. By unbelief and by disregard of the Lord’s directions, the Israelites surrounded themselves with temptations that few had power to resist.” Education, 45.

Wednesday

SCHOOLS OF THE PROPHETS

  • From references to the existence of the schools of the prophets, what can we learn about their nature and operation? 1 Samuel 19:18–20; 2 Kings 6:1–7.

 Note: “The schools of the prophets were founded by Samuel to serve as a barrier against the widespread corruption, to provide for the moral and spiritual welfare of the youth, and to promote the future prosperity of the nation by furnishing it with men qualified to act in the fear of God as leaders and counselors. In the accomplishment of this object Samuel gathered companies of young men who were pious, intelligent, and studious. These were called the sons of the prophets. As they communed with God and studied His word and His works, wisdom from above was added to their natural endowments. The instructors were men not only well versed in divine truth, but those who had themselves enjoyed communion with God and had received the special endowment of His Spirit. They enjoyed the respect and confidence of the people, both for learning and piety.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 593.

“The chief subjects of study were the law of God with the instructions given to Moses, sacred history, sacred music, and poetry. It was the grand object of all study to learn the will of God and the duties of His people. In the records of sacred history were traced the footsteps of Jehovah. From the events of the past were drawn lessons of instruction for the future. The great truths set forth by the types and shadows of the Mosaic law were brought to view, and faith grasped the central object of all that system, the Lamb of God that was to take away the sins of the world.” Fundamentals of Christian Education, 97.

  • What manual training did Jesus receive when He was on this earth? Matthew 13:55. What about the students of the schools of the prophets?

Note: “The pupils of these schools sustained themselves by their own labor as husbandmen and mechanics. In Israel this was not considered strange or degrading; it was regarded a crime to allow children to grow up in ignorance of useful labor. In obedience to the command of God, every child was taught some trade, even though he was to be educated for holy office.” Fundamentals of Christian Education, 97.

Thursday

NOBLE EXAMPLES

  • How did God reward Joseph’s integrity and faith, after he had suffered great adversity? Genesis 37:28; 41:41–44. What preparation did he have?

Note: “Pure, active, and joyous, the lad [Joseph] gave evidence also of moral earnestness and firmness. He listened to his father’s instructions, and loved to obey God. The qualities that afterward distinguished him in Egypt—gentleness, fidelity, and truthfulness—were already manifest in his daily life.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 209.

  • Describe Daniel’s background. How does Daniel’s life reveal the benefit of godly education? Daniel 1:1–6; 6:1–3.

Note: “By their wisdom and justice, by the purity and benevolence of their daily life, by their devotion to the interests of the people—and they, idolaters—Joseph and Daniel proved themselves true to the principles of their early training, true to Him whose representatives they were. These men, both in Egypt and in Babylon, the whole nation honored; and in them a heathen people, and all the nations with which they were connected, beheld an illustration of the goodness and beneficence of God, an illustration of the love of Christ. …

“The same mighty truths that were revealed through these men, God desires to reveal through the youth and the children of today. The history of Joseph and Daniel is an illustration of what He will do for those who yield themselves to Him and with the whole heart seek to accomplish His purpose.” Education, 56, 57.

Friday

PERSONAL REVIEW QUESTIONS

1    What lifestyle was chosen by the patriarchs, and why?

2    Why did Israel need such extensive education in the wilderness?

3    How did God’s plan compare with what Israel actually achieved?

4    What important elements were present in the schools of the prophets?

5    How did God’s plan for education shine forth in the lives of the noble few?

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

Bible Study Guides – The Original Pattern for Education

by

July 12 – 18, 2020

Key Text

“And the Lord God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it” (Genesis 2:15).

Study Help: Education, 20–22.

Introduction

“The system of education instituted at the beginning of the world was to be a model for man throughout all aftertime. As an illustration of its principles a model school was established in Eden, the home of our first parents. The Garden of Eden was the schoolroom, nature was the lesson book, the Creator Himself was the instructor, and the parents of the human family were the students.” Education, 20.

Sunday

A HOME

  • In what surroundings was man originally placed and what were the instructions given by God? Genesis 2:8; 1:28.

Note: “The home of our first parents was to be a pattern for other homes as their children should go forth to occupy the earth. That home, beautified by the hand of God Himself, was not a gorgeous palace. Men, in their pride, delight in magnificent and costly edifices and glory in the works of their own hands; but God placed Adam in a garden. This was his dwelling. The blue heavens were its dome; the earth, with its delicate flowers and carpet of living green, was its floor; and the leafy branches of the goodly trees were its canopy. Its walls were hung with the most magnificent adornings—the handiwork of the great Master Artist. In the surroundings of the holy pair was a lesson for all time—that true happiness is found, not in the indulgence of pride and luxury, but in communion with God through His created works. If men would give less attention to the artificial, and would cultivate greater simplicity, they would come far nearer to answering the purpose of God in their creation.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 49, 50.

Monday

A GARDEN

  • What occupation did Eden provide for our first parents? Genesis 2:15. Why is this so important for us today?

Note: “Families and institutions should learn to do more in the cultivation and improvement of land. If people only knew the value of the products of the ground, which the earth brings forth in their season, more diligent efforts would be made to cultivate the soil. All should be acquainted with the special value of fruits and vegetables fresh from the orchard and garden.” Counsels on Diet and Foods, 312.

“Better than any other inheritance of wealth you can give to your children will be the gift of a healthy body, a sound mind, and a noble character. Those who understand what constitutes life’s true success will be wise betimes. They will keep in view life’s best things in their choice of a home. …

“Go where, apart from the distractions and dissipations of city life, you can give your children your companionship, where you can teach them to learn of God through His works, and train them for lives of integrity and usefulness.” The Ministry of Healing, 366, 367.

“To parents who are living in the cities the Lord is sending the warning cry, Gather your children into your own houses; gather them away from those who are disregarding the commandments of God, who are teaching and practicing evil. Get out of the cities as fast as possible.” Medical Ministry, 310.

  • What does God teach us about practical work? 1 Thessalonians 4:11, 12.

 Note: “God appointed labor as a blessing to man, to occupy his mind, to strengthen his body, and to develop his faculties. In mental and physical activity, Adam found one of the highest pleasures of his holy existence.” The Faith I Live By, 232.

“Practical work encourages close observation and independent thought. Rightly performed, it tends to develop that practical wisdom which we call common sense. It develops ability to plan and execute, strengthens courage and perseverance, and calls for the exercise of tact and skill.” Education, 220.

Tuesday

A PLACE OF LEARNING

  • What was among the lessons that Eden’s environment offered? Psalm 19:1, 2.

Note: “The book of nature, which spread its living lessons before them [our first parents], afforded an exhaustless source of instruction and delight. On every leaf of the forest and stone of the mountains, in every shining star, in earth and sea and sky, God’s name was written. With both the animate and the inanimate creation—with leaf and flower and tree, and with every living creature, from the leviathan of the waters to the mote in the sunbeam—the dwellers in Eden held converse, gathering from each the secrets of its life. God’s glory in the heavens, the innumerable worlds in their orderly revolutions, ‘the balancings of the clouds’ (Job 37:16), the mysteries of light and sound, of day and night—all were objects of study by the pupils of earth’s first school.” Education, 21.

“Instead of dwelling where only the works of men can be seen, where the sights and sounds frequently suggest thoughts of evil, where turmoil and confusion bring weariness and disquietude, go where you can look upon the works of God. Find rest of spirit in the beauty and quietude and peace of nature. Let the eye rest on the green fields, the groves, and the hills. Look up to the blue sky, unobscured by the city’s dust and smoke, and breathe the invigorating air of heaven.” The Ministry of Healing, 367.

  • What lessons are presented in the growth of plants? Luke 12:27.

Note: “Working the soil is one of the best kinds of employment, calling the muscles into action and resting the mind. Study in agricultural lines should be the A, B, and C of the education given in our schools. This is the very first work that should be entered upon.” Testimonies, vol. 6, 179.

“Thus while the children and youth gain a knowledge of facts from teachers and textbooks, let them learn to draw lessons and discern truth for themselves. In their gardening, question them as to what they learn from the care of their plants. As they look on a beautiful landscape, ask them why God clothed the fields and woods with such lovely and varied hues. Why was not all colored a somber brown? … Teach them to notice the evidences everywhere manifest in nature of God’s thought for us, the wonderful adaptation of all things to our need and happiness.” Education, 119.

Wednesday

A PLACE OF WORSHIP

  • What senses did Adam and Eve utilize in their garden environment? Genesis 3:8, first part.

 Note: “In the song of the bird, the sighing of the trees, and the music of the sea, we still may hear His voice who talked with Adam in Eden in the cool of the day. And as we behold His power in nature we find comfort, for the word that created all things is that which speaks life to the soul.” The Desire of Ages, 281, 282.

“In His interest for His children, our heavenly Father personally directed their education. Often they were visited by His messengers, the holy angels, and from them received counsel and instruction. Often as they walked in the garden in the cool of the day they heard the voice of God, and face to face held communion with the Eternal.” Education, 21.

“Adam and Eve, in their untainted purity, delighted in the sights and sounds of Eden. God appointed them their work in the garden, ‘to dress it and to keep it’ (Genesis 2:15). Each day’s labor brought them health and gladness, and the happy pair greeted with joy the visits of their Creator, as in the cool of the day He walked and talked with them.” The Ministry of Healing, 261.

  • What lessons can be drawn from worship amidst God’s creation? Romans 1:20; Psalm 104:10–24.

Note: “Nature is filled with spiritual lessons for mankind. The flowers die only to spring forth into new life; and in this we are taught the lesson of the resurrection. All who love God will bloom again in the Eden above.” Selected Messages, Book 1, 291.

“The children need to be given lessons that will nurture in them courage to resist evil. Point them from nature to nature’s God, and they will thus become acquainted with the Creator.” Child Guidance, 49.

“The parents may take their children outdoors to view God in nature. They can be pointed to the blooming flowers and the opening buds, the lofty trees and beautiful spires of grass, and taught that God made all these in six days and rested on the seventh day and hallowed it. Thus the parents may bind up their lessons of instruction to their children, so that when these children look upon the things of nature, they will call to mind the great Creator of them all.” Ibid., 533.

Thursday

Mission of the Christian Home

  • What is the purpose of the Christian home?

Note:  “The mission of the home extends beyond its own members. The Christian home is to be an object lesson, illustrating the excellence of the true principles of life. Such an illustration will be a power for good in the world. Far more powerful than any sermon that can be preached is the influence of a true home upon human hearts and lives. As the youth go out from such a home, the lessons they have learned are imparted. Nobler principles of life are introduced into other households, and an uplifting influence works in the community.” The Ministry of Healing, 352.

“Love, the basis of creation and of redemption, is the basis of true education. …

“The law of love calls for the devotion of body, mind, and soul to the service of God and our fellow men. And this service, while making us a blessing to others, brings the greatest blessing to ourselves. Unselfishness underlies all true development. Through unselfish service we receive the highest culture of every faculty. More and more fully do we become partakers of the divine nature. We are fitted for heaven, for we receive heaven into our hearts.” Education, 16.

  • What is the mission given to the Christian home? 2Corinthians 3:2.

 Note: “The world needs today what it needed nineteen hundred years ago—a revelation of Christ.” The Ministry of Healing, 143.

Friday

PERSONAL REVIEW QUESTIONS

1    What characterized the garden of Eden as a home?

2    How were Eden’s residents occupied?

3    What was Eden’s system of education?

4    How did Eden form a place of worship?

5    What lessons have you drawn from the first home, school, and church?

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

Bible Study Guides – Principles of Education

by

July 5 – 11, 2020

Key Text

“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom: a good understanding have all they that do His commandments: His praise endureth for ever” (Psalm 111:10).

Study Help: Education, 13–19.

Introduction

“The object for which you are obtaining an education should not be lost sight of for a moment. It should be to so develop and direct your faculties that you may be more useful and bless others to the extent of your ability.” Testimonies, vol. 3, 223, 224.

Sunday

THE SOURCE OF WISDOM AND KNOWLEDGE

  • Where is true wisdom found? Proverbs 9:10; Colossians 2:2, 3.

Note: “As the moon and the stars of our solar system shine by the reflected light of the sun, so, as far as their teaching is true, do the world’s great thinkers reflect the rays of the Sun of Righteousness. Every gleam of thought, every flash of the intellect, is from the Light of the world.” Education, 14.

  • How does the Lord impart His wisdom to mortals? Proverbs 2:6; Psalm 32:8.

Note: “Whatever line of investigation we pursue, with a sincere purpose to arrive at truth, we are brought in touch with the unseen, mighty Intelligence that is working in and through all. The mind of man is brought into communion with the mind of God, the finite with the Infinite. The effect of such communion on body and mind and soul is beyond estimate.” Education, 14.

Monday

GOD’S IDEAL

  • How do God’s ways compare to our ways? Isaiah 55:8, 9. How is this reflected in God’s ideal for us in education?

Note: “Our ideas of education take too narrow and too low a range. There is need of a broader scope, a higher aim. True education means more than the pursual of a certain course of study. It means more than a preparation for the life that now is. It has to do with the whole being, and with the whole period of existence possible to man. It is the harmonious development of the physical, the mental, and the spiritual powers. It prepares the student for the joy of service in this world and for the higher joy of wider service in the world to come.” Education, 13.

  • Therefore, what is the goal of true education? Ephesians 3:14–19.

Note: “Higher than the highest human thought can reach is God’s ideal for His children. Godliness—godlikeness—is the goal to be reached. Before the student there is opened a path of continual progress. He has an object to achieve, a standard to attain, that includes everything good, and pure, and noble. He will advance as fast and as far as possible in every branch of true knowledge. But his efforts will be directed to objects as much higher than mere selfish and temporal interests as the heavens are higher than the earth.” Education, 18, 19.

  • For what should we be aiming? Jeremiah 9:23, 24.

Note: “The education and training of the youth is an important and solemn work. The great object to be secured should be the proper development of character, that the individual may be fitted rightly to discharge the duties of the present life and to enter at last upon the future, immortal life. Eternity will reveal the manner in which the work has been performed. If ministers and teachers could have a full sense of their responsibility, we should see a different state of things in the world today. But they are too narrow in their views and purposes. They do not realize the importance of their work or its results.” Testimonies, vol. 4, 418.

Tuesday

CONNECTION WITH GOD

  • How was man created? Genesis 1:27. With what potential?

Note: “ ‘God created man in His own image’ (Genesis 1:27), and it was His purpose that the longer man lived the more fully he should reveal this image—the more fully reflect the glory of the Creator. … Had he remained loyal to God, all this would have been his forever. Throughout eternal ages he would have continued to gain new treasures of knowledge, to discover fresh springs of happiness, and to obtain clearer and yet clearer conceptions of the wisdom, the power, and the love of God. More and more fully would he have fulfilled the object of his creation, more and more fully have reflected the Creator’s glory.

“But by disobedience this was forfeited. Through sin the divine likeness was marred, and well-nigh obliterated. Man’s physical powers were weakened, his mental capacity was lessened, his spiritual vision dimmed. He had become subject to death. Yet the race was not left without hope. By infinite love and mercy the plan of salvation had been devised, and a life of probation was granted. To restore in man the image of his Maker, to bring him back to the perfection in which he was created, to promote the development of body, mind, and soul, that the divine purpose in his creation might be realized—this was to be the work of redemption. This is the object of education, the great object of life.” Education, 15, 16.

  • What desire should fill every heart? Psalm 86:11.

Note: “Every human being, created in the image of God, is endowed with a power akin to that of the Creator—individuality, power to think and to do. … It is the work of true education to develop this power, to train the youth to be thinkers, and not mere reflectors of other men’s thought. Instead of confining their study to that which men have said or written, let students be directed to the sources of truth, to the vast fields opened for research in nature and revelation. …

“Such an education provides more than mental discipline; it provides more than physical training. It strengthens the character, so that truth and uprightness are not sacrificed to selfish desire or worldly ambition. It fortifies the mind against evil. … As the perfection of His character is dwelt upon, the mind is renewed, and the soul is re-created in the image of God.” Education, 17, 18.

Wednesday

SERVICE TO OTHERS

  • In learning of God, what do we experience? 1 John 4:16, 19.

 Note: “Love, the basis of creation and of redemption, is the basis of true education. This is made plain in the law that God has given as the guide of life. The first and great commandment is, ‘Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind’ (Luke 10:27). To love Him, the infinite, the omniscient One, with the whole strength, and mind, and heart, means the highest development of every power. It means that in the whole being—the body, the mind, as well as the soul—the image of God is to be restored.” Education, 16.

“In the heart renewed by divine grace, love is the principle of action. It modifies the character, governs the impulses, controls the passions, subdues enmity, and ennobles the affections. This love, cherished in the soul, sweetens the life and sheds a refining influence on all around.” Steps to Christ, 59.

  • How does God’s love influence our relationships with others? John 13:34, 35.

Note: “The same interest and tenderness and long-suffering that He [Jesus] has manifested toward us, we are to manifest toward others. ‘As I have loved you,’ He says, ‘that ye also love one another’ (John 13:34). If Christ dwells in us, we shall reveal His unselfish love toward all with whom we have to do. As we see men and women in need of sympathy and help, we shall not ask, ‘Are they worthy?’ but ‘How can I benefit them?’ ” The Ministry of Healing, 162.

“Satan has used the most ingenious methods to weave his plans and principles into the systems of education, and thus gain a strong hold on the minds of the children and youth. It is the work of the true educator to thwart his devices. We are under solemn, sacred covenant to God to bring up our children for Him and not for the world; to teach them not to put their hands into the hand of the world, but to love and fear God, and to keep His commandments. They should be impressed with the thought that they are formed in the image of their Creator and that Christ is the pattern after which they are to be fashioned. Most earnest attention must be given to the education which will impart a knowledge of salvation, and will conform the life and character to the divine similitude.” Testimonies, vol. 6, 127.

Thursday

A COMPLETE EDUCATIONAL PLAN

  • What does the plan of God entail? 1 Thessalonians 5:23.
  •  How does Jesus’ childhood illustrate this completeness? Luke 2:51, 52.
  •  How can we have success in education? Romans 12:1, 2.

 Note: “All the varied capabilities that men possess—of mind and soul and body—are given them by God, to be so employed as to reach the highest possible degree of excellence. But this cannot be a selfish and exclusive culture; for the character of God, whose likeness we are to receive, is benevolence and love. Every faculty, every attribute, with which the Creator has endowed us is to be employed for His glory and for the uplifting of our fellow men. And in this employment is found its purest, noblest, and happiest exercise.

“Were this principle given the attention which its importance demands, there would be a radical change in some of the current methods of education. … The student would seek the development of God’s gifts in himself, not to excel others, but to fulfill the purpose of the Creator and to receive His likeness.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 595.

“He who created man has provided for his development in body and mind and soul. Hence, real success in education depends upon the fidelity with which men carry out the Creator’s plan.” Ibid.

Friday

PERSONAL REVIEW QUESTIONS

1    Where can we find the source of wisdom?

2    What is the purpose of true education?

3    What work is to be done within each believer?

4    How does education teach us to serve others?

5    What parts of our being are included in a complete education?

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