Post by The Ambassador on Aug 10, 2019 12:59:14 GMT
The Awesome Potential of Man
Note: Last Sabbath's Study presented a very unique theory that has come about mainly because of our advanced scientific understanding regarding the earth. Whereas, the Bible presents only about 6,000 years of mankind's history following the Genesis account, science now has much evidence that the earth is in fact much, much older. The answer seems to be that the earth had much history long before man came along, and since scripture only speaks to God's dealings with man, this history (preceding the advent of mankind on earth) is mostly lost to us. There are some references made to this time period in the scriptures, but usually speaks in generalities—not giving us any clear idea as to when, or for how long this time period was. While it seems to be our best working theory on what exactly happened, when, and why, we of course, have no way of knowing for sure.
God is love (I John 4:8). His way of life is based on His spiritual laws of love and outgoing concern for others. It is the way of giving, assisting, helping, sharing and cooperating with others (Matthew 7:12; 22:37-40). Our Creator is not selfish, cruel, heartless or hateful. He does not—and cannot—think those ways. He cannot break His spiritual laws of love, which means that everything that He does is for the benefit of others. This is God’s holy, righteous character.
Godly character is:
- The ability to know and decide what is right from wrong.
- To choose the right way over the wrong way.
- despite overwhelming obstacles, to do what is right and reject what is
wrong.
Holy, righteous character is so precious, so special and unique, that it cannot be created all at once, in an instant. Just as it takes much time, patience and learning to be able to paint a beautiful masterpiece, godly character must be developed and grown over a long period. It is impossible for God to instantly create a being (whether angel or human) that has His character. Instead, it must be developed over a lifetime of experiences.
Godly Character
And God wants to develop His character in you! God wants you to become just like Him: Fair, honest, patient, selfless, trustworthy, pure, innocent, kind, humble, sincere, good, reliable, truthful, respectful, peaceful—without sin!
But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. —Gal. 5: 18-23
The Eternal understood that only another God-being—one who thinks and lives like God, and always puts others ahead of himself— could be trusted to take care of, manage and rule over the universe. So God decided to reproduce Himself—to expand His Family, just as your parents decided to expand their family by having you.
God created man in his own image
He decided to create physical beings—humans—in whom He could develop His righteous character. With a small portion of His Spirit working in their minds, they would literally become God’s sons, yet still be physical. If they practiced seeking and obeying Him throughout their physical lifetimes, He would change them into spirit so that they could enter His kingdom. With His holy character fully developed within them, they would become just like God!Only then could they be trusted to manage and rule the universe God’s Way. Beginning with the earth, they would convert, or change, dead, battle-scarred planets and moons in countless galaxies through- out creation into garden paradises. They would also help and guide other humans into developing godly character so that they, too, would
be born into the ever-expanding God Family.
But, if human beings refused to obey their Creator—if they reject- ed His laws and practiced the way of greed, selfishness and vanity—the way of sin—God would have to reject them. In His mercy, He would end their physical lives, never allowing them to suffer forever in misery like the fallen angels.
Therefore, God the Father and the Word, guided by their supreme wisdom and intelligence, spent many years carefully planning and preparing for their next creation— MAN !
Next Sabbath: GOD RECREATES THE EARTH
Bible Reading
The Book of Tobit or Tobias
Absence of Tobias mourned by his Parents
Tobit Chapter Three
Next Sabbath: Chapter 4
The Book of Tobit or Tobias
Absence of Tobias mourned by his Parents
Tobit Chapter Three
1 Then, sad at heart, I sighed and wept, and began this prayer of lamentation:
2 You are just, O Lord, and just are all your works. All your ways are grace and truth, and you are the Judge of the world.
3 Therefore, Lord, remember me, look on me. Do not punish me for my sins or for my needless faults or those of my ancestors.
4 For we have sinned against you and broken your commandments; and you have given us over to be plundered, to captivity and death, to be the talk, the laughing-stock and scorn of all the nations among whom you have dispersed us.
5 And now all your decrees are true when you deal with me as my faults deserve, and those of my ancestors. For we have neither kept your commandments nor walked in truth before you.
6 So now, do with me as you will; be pleased to take my life from me; so that I may be delivered from earth and become earth again. Better death than life for me, for I have endured groundless insult and am in deepest sorrow. Lord, be pleased to deliver me from this affliction. Let me go away to my everlasting home; do not turn your face from me, O Lord. Better death for me than life prolonged in the face of unrelenting misery: I can no longer bear to listen to insults.
Sarah the daughter of Raguel
7 It chanced on the same day that Sarah the daughter of Raguel, who lived in Media at Ecbatana, also heard insults from one of her father's maids.
8 For she had been given in marriage seven times, and Asmodeus, the worst of demons, had killed her bridegrooms one after another before ever they had slept with her as man with wife. The servant-girl said, 'Yes, you kill your bridegrooms yourself. That makes seven already to whom you have been given, and you have not once been in luck yet.
9 Just because your bridegrooms have died, that is no reason for punishing us. Go and join them, and may we be spared the sight of any child of yours!'
10 That day, she grieved, she sobbed, and she went up to her father's room intending to hang herself. But then she thought, 'Suppose they were to blame my father! They would say, "You had an only daughter whom you loved, and now she has hanged herself for grief." I cannot cause my father a sorrow which would bring down his old age to the dwelling of the dead. I should do better not to hang myself, but to beg the Lord to let my die and not live to hear any more insults.'
11 And at this, by the window, with outstretched arms she said this prayer: You are blessed, O God of mercy! May your name be blessed for ever, and may all things you have made bless you everlastingly.
12 And now I turn my face and I raise my eyes to you.
13 Let your word deliver me from earth; I can hear myself insulted no longer.
14 O Lord, you know that I have remained pure; no man has touched me;
15 I have not dishonored your name or my father's name in this land of exile. I am my father's only daughter, he has no other child as heir; he has no brother at his side, nor has he any kinsman left for whom I ought to keep myself. I have lost seven husbands already; why should I live any longer? If it does not please you to take my life, then look on me with pity; I can no longer bear to hear myself defamed.
16 This time the prayer of each of them found favor before the glory of God,
17 and Raphael was sent to bring remedy to them both. He was to take the white spots from the eyes of Tobit, so that he might see God's light with his own eyes; and he was to give Sarah the daughter of Raguel as bride to Tobias son of Tobit, and to rid her of Asmodeus, that worst of demons. for it was to Tobias before all other suitors that she belonged by right. Tobit was coming back from the courtyard into the house at the same moment as Sarah the daughter of Raguel was coming down from the upper room.
Next Sabbath: Chapter 4