1rst Trimester 2013   THE ORIGINS

Lesson & References Index  (For the context Check www.biblia.com www.biblegateway.com) with notes added from the different versions of the lesson by our site www.sse6.blogspot.com-- Lesson 5 – January 26 to February 1

From: http://www.ssnet.org/lessons/13a/helps/lesshp05.html

 http://www.ssnet.org/lessons/13a/#Helps

 

Creation and Morality

(All Bible texts are in the NKJV Bible unless otherwise indicated)

Sabbath Afternoon

Memory text: Genesis 2:16-17

16 And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, “Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; 17 but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.”

People often say they can see God reflected in physical things like stars, mountains, lakes, or forests. But can they see God reflected in the decisions His people make and in their behaviors?
This week we also will learn about our dependence on Him, how He made us in His own image, and how we can apply morality and accountability to our daily lives. Felix Otieno, Homa Bay County, Kenya, Collegiate Quarterly, Sabbath JANUARY 26, 2013, www.cqbiblestudy.org, Citation of the day added by us here at sse6.blogspot.com

Sunday – Our Dependence on the Creator

Genesis 2:7

7 And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being.

Exodus 32:15-16

15 And Moses turned and went down from the mountain, and the two tablets of the Testimony were in his hand. The tablets were written on both sides; on the one side and on the other they were written. 16 Now the tablets were the work of God, and the writing wasthe writing of God engraved on the tablets.

Luke 4:40

40 When the sun was setting, all those who had any that were sick with various diseases brought them to Him; and He laid His hands on every one of them and healed them.

John 9:6

6 When He had said these things, He spat on the ground and made clay with the saliva; and He anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay.

Genesis 2:16-17 - See memory verse.

Psalm 95:6-7

6 Oh come, let us worship and bow down;
Let us kneel before the LORD our Maker.
7 For He is our God,
And we are the people of His pasture,
And the sheep of His hand.
Today, if you will hear His voice:

Read Psalm 100

1 Make a joyful shout to the LORD, all you lands!
2 Serve the LORD with gladness;
Come before His presence with singing.
3 Know that the LORD, He is God;
It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves;
We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.
4 Enter into His gates with thanksgiving,
And into His courts with praise.
Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.
5 For the LORD is good;
His mercy is everlasting,
And His truth endures to all generations.

In like manner, because we are always dependent on our heavenly Father for life and its necessities, it is always appropriate for us to accept God’s guidance. Because He is a God of love, we can trust Him to always provide what we need for our own good. L. James Gibson, Sabbath School lesson of the day. He's director of the Geoscience Research Institute (www.grisda.org) in Loma Linda, California. Citation of the day added by us here at sse6.blogspot.com

Logos: Our God-Given Rights Gen. 1:26-28; Ps. 95:6, 7; Matt. 25:31-46; Acts 17:16-31; Phil. 2:1-8

Our Right to Ownership(Ps. 95:6, 7; Psalm 100) (Mal. 3:6 As the flock under His care, we need to depend on Him for life and wisdom...
If we accept the provision for salvation He has made through Jesus Christ, we will have joy in this life and after...
A Representative of God (Gen. 1:26-28; 9:6)This shows that humans were to represent God upon the earth. To this end, we are charged with the responsibility of taking care of His other creations...
God gave us the ability to multiply, fill the earth, and take care of it, implying that we are to also take care of each other, thereby exercising God's love to one another (1 John 4:7, 8)....
In the Footsteps of Christ (Phil. 2:1-8)The Bible instructs us to love our enemies (Matt. 5:44). With our human minds, we may think that this is impossible. Our Creator, however, loves everyone....
 (Luke 10:25-37) God wants us to be kind, merciful, and loving to all whose paths we cross, just like He was. When we are, we are bound together as a family in Christ.
Facing the Judgment (Matt. 25:31-46) God wants us to recognize Him in all situations of our lives whether we are happy or sad...However, God observes our every step as we go about our lives...
Do we have sympathy toward the sick, the hungry, the homeless, those who are in prison, and those whose lives have been devastated by war? What do we do for people who need help so that they will see Christ in us?
Seline Khavetsa, Nairobi, Kenya, Collegiate Quarterly, Sunday JANUARY 27, 2013, www.cqbiblestudy.org, Citation of the day added by us here at sse6.blogspot.com

Monday – In the Image of God

Genesis 1:26-28

26 Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” 27 So God created man in Hisown image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. 28 Then God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”

Genesis 9:6

6 “Whoever sheds man’s blood,
By man his blood shall be shed;
For in the image of God
He made man.

James 3:9

9 With it we bless our God and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the similitude of God.

As the Godhead is manifest in three Persons in relationship, so the image of God in humans is expressed in relationship of male and female. The ability to form relationships is part of the image of God. Relationships, of course, imply responsibility and accountability, which means morality. Hence, right here we are given a strong hint at how morality finds its basis in the Creation story. L. James Gibson, Sabbath School lesson of the day. He's director of the Geoscience Research Institute (www.grisda.org) in Loma Linda, California. Citation of the day added by us here at sse6.blogspot.com 

Testimony: A Picture of Jesus Deut. 10:17-19

God created us in His image so we could be His representatives on earth. God loves us and longs to be closer to us than earthly parents are to their children. He also wants us to love our fellow humans.
“In the story of the good Samaritan, Christ illustrates the nature of true religion. He shows that it consists not in systems, creed, or rites, but in the performance of loving deeds, in bringing the greatest good to others, in genuine goodness.”1 1 Ellen G. White, The Desire of Ages, p. 497. in Silas Onyango, Nairobi, Kenya, Collegiate Quarterly, Monday JANUARY 28, 2013, www.cqbiblestudy.org, Citation of the day added by us here at sse6.blogspot.com
 

Tuesday – Made of One Blood

Genesis 2:23

23 And Adam said:
“This is now bone of my bones
And flesh of my flesh;
She shall be called Woman,
Because she was taken out of Man.”

Acts 17:26

26 And He has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, and has determined their preappointed times and the boundaries of their dwellings,

Matthew 23:9

9 Do not call anyone on earth your father; for One is your Father, He who is in heaven.

Proverbs 14:31

31 He who oppresses the poor reproaches his Maker,
But he who honors Him has mercy on the needy.

Proverbs 22:2

2 The rich and the poor have this in common,
The LORD is the maker of them all.

Matthew 26:11

11 For you have the poor with you always, but Me you do not have always.

The Hebrew word for “Eve” (Havah) can be translated as “life-giver.” Eve’s name represents the fact that she is the ancestor of all humans. We are all one family in the most literal sense...
How is this another example of why a correct grasp of origins is crucial to the understanding of morality? L. James Gibson, Sabbath School lesson of the day. He's director of the Geoscience Research Institute (www.grisda.org) in Loma Linda, California. Citation of the day added by us here at sse6.blogspot.com 

Evidence: Practicing Moral Accountability Eccl. 12:14

Biblical standards are applicable to everyone, without fear or favor, in all of life's situations...
For those who believe in Jesus Christ and live according to His principles through the indwelling of His Holy Spirit, life does not end here. Instead, there is a meaningful ultimate hope that carries them into the future of this life and beyond to eternity. Beatrice Akinyi, Nairobi, Kenya, Collegiate Quarterly, Tuesday JANUARY 29, 2013, www.cqbiblestudy.org, Citation of the day added by us here at sse6.blogspot.com
 

Wednesday – Character of Our Creator

Matthew 5:44-48

44 But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, 45 that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. 46 For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? 47 And if you greet your brethren only, what do you do more than others? Do not even the tax collectors do so? 48 Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.

Luke 10:29-37

29 But he, wanting to justify himself, said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”

30 Then Jesus answered and said: “A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, who stripped him of his clothing, wounded him, and departed, leavinghim half dead. 31 Now by chance a certain priest came down that road. And when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. 32 Likewise a Levite, when he arrived at the place, came and looked, and passed by on the other side. 33 But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was. And when he saw him, he had compassion. 34 So he went tohim and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine; and he set him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him. 35 On the next day, when he departed, he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said to him, ‘Take care of him; and whatever more you spend, when I come again, I will repay you.’ 36 So which of these three do you think was neighbor to him who fell among the thieves?”

37 And he said, “He who showed mercy on him.”

Then Jesus said to him, “Go and do likewise.”

Philippians 2:1-8

1 Therefore if there is any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and mercy, 2 fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. 3 Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. 4 Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.

5 Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, 6 who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, 7 but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.

What a contrast is seen between the principles of God’s kingdom and the principles of Satan’s rulership. God calls the strong to care for the weak, while Satan’s principles call for elimination of the weak by the strong. God created a world of peaceful relationships, but Satan has distorted it so thoroughly that many regard survival of the fittest as the normal standard of conduct. If the vicious process of natural selection (in which the strong overpower the weak) were the means by which we came into existence, why should we do differently? L. James Gibson, Sabbath School lesson of the day. He's director of the Geoscience Research Institute (www.grisda.org) in Loma Linda, California. Citation of the day added by us here at sse6.blogspot.com 

How-to: Depending on Christ John 14:6
...From the very beginning, He has been persistent in His love for us, even after Adam and Eve sinned. Because of His love for us, God came to earth as Christ to bridge the gap sin had created. Therefore, in addition to being our Creator, Christ is also our Redeemer; and through faith in Him, we are reconciled to God....
Have faith in God...Communicate with God. We can communicate with Him through prayer, Bible study, meditation on His Word, and service to others. Being in nature and studying its ways also helps us to communicate with our Creator. Singing songs to Him or playing inspiring music can also motivate us to communicate with Him. Make a personal decision to change... Persevere in prayer. Goretty Atieno, Homa Bay County, Kenya, Collegiate Quarterly, Wednesday JANUARY 30, 2013, www.cqbiblestudy.org, Citation of the day added by us here at sse6.blogspot.com

Thursday – Morality and Accountability

Acts 17:16-31

16 Now while Paul waited for them at Athens, his spirit was provoked within him when he saw that the city was given over to idols. 17 Therefore he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and with the Gentile worshipers, and in the marketplace daily with those who happened to be there. 18 Then certain Epicurean and Stoic philosophers encountered him. And some said, “What does this babbler want to say?”

Others said, “He seems to be a proclaimer of foreign gods,” because he preached to them Jesus and the resurrection.

19 And they took him and brought him to the Areopagus, saying, “May we know what this new doctrine is of which you speak? 20 For you are bringing some strange things to our ears. Therefore we want to know what these things mean.” 21 For all the Athenians and the foreigners who were there spent their time in nothing else but either to tell or to hear some new thing.

22 Then Paul stood in the midst of the Areopagus and said, “Men of Athens, I perceive that in all things you are very religious; 23 for as I was passing through and considering the objects of your worship, I even found an altar with this inscription:

TO THE UNKNOWN GOD.

Therefore, the One whom you worship without knowing, Him I proclaim to you: 24 “God, who made the world and everything in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands. 25 Nor is He worshiped with men’s hands, as though He needed anything, since He gives to all life, breath, and all things. 26 And He has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, and has determined their preappointed times and the boundaries of their dwellings, 27 so that they should seek the Lord, in the hope that they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us; 28 for in Him we live and move and have our being, as also some of your own poets have said, ‘For we are also His offspring.’ 29 Therefore, since we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Divine Nature is like gold or silver or stone, something shaped by art and man’s devising. 30 Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent, 31 because He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained. He has given assurance of this to all by raising Him from the dead.”

Revelation 20:11-13

11 Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them. 12 And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books. 13 The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works.

Matthew 25:31-40

31 “When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory. 32 All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats. 33 And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left. 34 Then the King will say to those on His right hand, ‘Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: 35 for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; 36 I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.’

37 “Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feedYou, or thirsty and give You drink? 38 When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? 39 Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’40 And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of
these My brethren, you did it to Me.’

According to Paul, the God who made the world and everything in it has fixed a day on which He will judge the world. To be endowed with morality implies accountability, and each of us will be held responsible for our actions and our words...
The difference between the two groups in Jesus’ parable is how each person treated those who were in need. The Creator is interested in how His creatures treat each other, especially those who are needy...
Think through the reality and certainty of judgment. Why, then, is the gospel and the promise of salvation in Christ so crucial in order for us to have assurance in that judgment? L. James Gibson, Sabbath School lesson of the day at www.ssnet.org. He's director of the Geoscience Research Institute (www.grisda.org) in Loma Linda, California. Citation of the day added by us here at sse6.blogspot.com 

Opinion: Lessons From My Mother Phil. 2:5-8

If we live for each other, we can make a big difference in our communities, especially in difficult times. The love and help we extend to fellow humans in need go a long way in teaching them about the love their Creator has for them. Indeed, such love and service to others are pillars of God's character. They are what sent Him to earth as Christ to save everyone, not just a select few, from sin. Hellen Atieno, Rongo Township, Kenya, Collegiate Quarterly, Thursday JANUARY 31, 2013, www.cqbiblestudy.org, Citation of the day added by us here at sse6.blogspot.com

Friday – Further Study

Recognizing Adam as the first human also refutes the possibility that any fossils were ancestral to Adam or other humans. From where, then, did these fossils come? Several other possibilities exist.
First, the humanlike fossils might be forms of humans with normal intelligence but with growth patterns unlike any present-day human. A second possibility is that the fossils may have been degenerate, due to their own lifestyle or environmental stress or other factors. A third possibility is that they may be the results of Satan’s direct attempts to corrupt Creation in ways we do not understand. Another possibility is that they were not humans but were similar in morphology. Different people may prefer different explanations but, because we do not have direct evidence to settle the matter, it is best to avoid being dogmatic in our speculations. Fossils do not come with labels attached that say, “Made in China 500 million years ago” or the like.
Our understanding of earth history, which varies greatly among scientists, provides a frame of reference within which we interpret fossils, but we do not have proof of our interpretations. They are, in the end, only that: interpretations, nothing more. L. James Gibson, Sabbath School lesson of the day at www.ssnet.org. He's director of the Geoscience Research Institute (www.grisda.org) in Loma Linda, California. Citation of the day added by us here at sse6.blogspot.com 

Exploration: Going My Way?

God had created Adam and Eve perfect, for they were created in God's image. God also had perfect standards for humans to follow so that they would continue to be like Him. Since Adam and Eve's fall in the Garden of Eden, all humans became imperfect. However, God's standards and requirements continue to be the same—to be like Him. In our own power, we cannot attain this state, but Jesus' life and death allowed our sins to be forgiven and to be replaced by Jesus' goodness. We can choose to accept this special provision. Jesus does not ask us to first do good so that we can be called His followers. The positive changes in our lives are evidence of our connection with Jesus. Prema Gaikwad, Silang, Philippines, Collegiate Quarterly, Thursday JANUARY 31, 2013, www.cqbiblestudy.org, Citation of the day added by us here at sse6.blogspot.com