Sunday
May 29
1. THE GODHEAD PRESENT AT CREATION
a. Who took an active part in the creation of the universe? Genesis 1:1, 2, 26; John 1:1-3.
"¥ God, the Father - Hebrews 11:3
¥ Jesus Christ - Colossians 1: 16, 17
¥ The Holy Spirit - Psalm 104: 30"
If Christ made all things, He existed before all things. The words spoken in regard to this are so decisive that no one need be left in doubt. Christ was God essentially, and in the highest sense. He was with God from all eternity. God over all, blessed forevermore.-The SDA Bible Commentary [E. G. White Comments], vol. 5, p. 1126.
b. As we contemplate creation, what do we realize? Psalm 19:1-6.
God encourages us to contemplate His works in the natural world. He desires that we shall turn our mind from the study of the artificial to the natural. We shall understand this better as we lift up our eyes to the hills of God, and contemplate the works which His own hands have created. They are God's work. His hand has molded the mountains and balances them in their position, that they shall not be moved except at His command. The wind, the sun, the rain, the snow, and the ice, are all His ministers to do His will.-The SDA Bible Commentary [E. G. White Comments], vol. 3, pp. 1144, 1145.
Monday
May 30
2. THE POWER OF GOD'S WORD
a. How did the universe come into existence? Psalm 33:6-9.
God spoke, and His words created His works in the natural world. God's creation is but a reservoir of means made ready for Him to employ instantly to do His pleasure.-The SDA Bible Commentary [E. G. White Comments], vol. 1, p. 1081.
b. What should cause us to truly marvel at God's creation? Hebrews 11:3.
In the creation of the earth, God was not indebted to preexisting matter. 'He spake, and it was; . . . He commanded, and it stood fast' (Psalm 33:9). All things, material or spiritual, stood up before the Lord Jehovah at His voice and were created for His own purpose. The heavens and all the host of them, the earth and all things therein, came into existence by the breath of His mouth.-The Ministry of Healing, pp. 414, 415.
Nature in her work testifies of the intelligent presence and active agency of a being who moves in all His works according to His will. It is not by an original power inherent in nature that year by year the earth yields its bounties and continues its march around the sun. The hand of infinite power is perpetually at work guiding this planet. It is God's power momentarily exercised that keeps it in position in its rotation.
The God of heaven is constantly at work. It is by His power that vegetation is caused to flourish, that every leaf appears and every flower blooms. Every drop of rain or flake of snow, every spire of grass, every leaf and flower and shrub, testifies of God. These little things so common around us teach the lesson that nothing is beneath the notice of the infinite God, nothing is too small for His attention.
The mechanism of the human body cannot be fully understood; it presents mysteries that baffle the most intelligent. It is not as the result of a mechanism, which, once set in motion, continues its work, that the pulse beats and breath follows breath. In God we live and move and have our being. Every breath, every throb of the heart, is a continual evidence of the power of an ever-present God.-Testimonies, vol. 8, p. 260.
c. What is revealed by God's creation? Romans 1:20.
Tuesday
May 31
3. THE FIRST DAY
a. What was created on the first day of creation? Genesis 1:3-5.
[God] causes 'the light to shine out of darkness' (2 Corinthians 4:6). When 'the earth was without form, and void, and darkness was upon the face of the deep,' 'the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. And God said, Let there be light; and there was light' (Genesis 1:2, 3).-Christ's Object Lessons, p. 415.
b. What other light also comes from the same source? John 1:6-10; 8:12; 9:5.
God is light; and in the words, 'I am the light of the world' (John 8:12), Christ declared His oneness with God, and His relation to the whole human family. It was He who at the beginning had caused 'the light to shine out of darkness' (2 Corinthians 4:6). He is the light of sun and moon and star. He was the spiritual light that in symbol and type and prophecy had shone upon Israel. But not to the Jewish nation alone was the light given. As the sunbeams penetrate to the remotest corners of the earth, so does the light of the Sun of Righteousness shine upon every soul.-The Desire of Ages, p. 464.
c. How does this light affect all who accept it? Isaiah 60:1, 2.
In the night of spiritual darkness, God's word goes forth, 'Let there be light.' To His people He says, 'Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee' (Isaiah 60:1). . . .
It is the darkness of misapprehension of God that is enshrouding the world. Men are losing their knowledge of His character. It has been misunderstood and misinterpreted. At this time a message from God is to be proclaimed, a message illuminating in its influence and saving in its power. His character is to be made known. Into the darkness of the world is to be shed the light of His glory, the light of His goodness, mercy, and truth."-Christ's Object Lessons, p. 415.
It is the highest duty of every Christian to let the light God has given shine forth in steady rays.-The Review and Herald, December 12, 1893.
Wednesday
June 1
4. THE SECOND DAY
a. What did God create on the second day? Genesis 1:6-8. What do we learn from God's work in the firmament? Psalm 19:1-3.
Shall we not commit to memory the lessons nature teaches? Shall we not open the eyes of our senses; and take in the beautiful things of God? We would do well to read often the nineteenth psalm that we may understand how the Lord binds up His law with His created works. . . .
We are to contemplate the wonderful works of God, and repeat the lessons learned from them to our children, that we may lead them to see His skill, His power, His grandeur in His created works."-The SDA Bible Commentary [E. G. White Comments], vol. 3, p. 1143.
b. What was God's main purpose in creating the world? Isaiah 45:18.
In the beginning, God was revealed in all the works of creation. It was Christ that spread the heavens, and laid the foundations of the earth. It was His hand that hung the worlds in space. . . . And upon all things in earth, and air, and sky, He wrote the message of the Father's love.-The Desire of Ages, 20.
c. Explain why the sky can be especially inspiring to the Christian. Job 37:14-18.
Several years ago, while journeying from Christiania, Norway, to Goteborg, Sweden, I was favored with the sight of the most glorious sunset it was ever my privilege to behold. Language is inadequate to picture its beauty. The last beams of the setting sun, silver and gold, purple, amber, and crimson, shed their glories athwart the sky, growing brighter and brighter, rising higher and higher in the heavens, until it seemed that the gates of the city of God had been left ajar, and gleams of the inner glory were flashing through. For two hours the wondrous splendor continued to light up the cold northern sky-picture painted by the great Master Artist upon the shifting canvas of the heavens. Like the smile of God it seemed, above all earthly homes, above the rock-bound plains, the rugged mountains, the lonely forests, through which our journey lay.-The Faith I Live By, p. 248.
Thursday
June 2
5. THE THIRD DAY
a. What was brought forth in the third day? Genesis 1:9-13.
When God formed the earth, there were mountains, hills, and plains, and interspersed among them were rivers and bodies of water. The earth was not one extensive plain, but the monotony of the scenery was broken by hills and mountains, not high and ragged as they now are, but regular and beautiful in shape. The bare, high rocks were never seen upon them, but lay beneath the surface, answering as bones to the earth. The waters were regularly dispersed. The hills, mountains, and very beautiful plains, were adorned with plants and flowers, and tall, majestic trees of every description, which were many times larger, and much more beautiful, than trees now are. The air was pure and healthful, and the earth seemed like a noble palace. Angels beheld and rejoiced at the wonderful and beautiful works of God.-Spiritual Gifts, vol. 3, p. 33.
It is through the gift of Christ that we receive every blessing. Through that gift there comes to us day by day the unfailing flow of Jehovah's goodness. Every flower, with its delicate tints and its fragrance, is given for our enjoyment through that one Gift.-The Ministry of Healing, p. 424.
b. What relationship exists between creation and the first angel's message? Revelation 14:6, 7.
In the first angel's message men are called upon to worship God, our Creator, who made the world and all things that are therein.-Selected Messages, bk. 2, p. 106.
Friday
June 3
PERSONAL REVIEW QUESTIONS
1. Who took part in the creation of the universe?
2. How did God create everything in the universe?
3. What is the cause of the spiritual darkness in the whole world?
4. What do we learn from God's power manifested in creation?
5. What is the relation between God's creation and the first angel's message?