Friday: Further Thought – Memorials of Grace

Daily Lesson for Friday 17th of October 2025

Read Ellen G. White, “Crossing the Jordan,” Pages 483, 484, in Patriarchs and Prophets.

Image © Stan Myers from GoodSalt.com

“Study carefully the experiences of Israel in their travels to Canaan. Study the third and fourth chapters of Joshua, recording their preparation for and passage over the Jordan into the promised land. We need to keep the heart and mind in training, by refreshing the memory with the lessons that the Lord taught His ancient people. Then to us, as He designed it should be to them, the teachings of His Word will ever be interesting and impressive.”—Ellen G. White Comments, The SDA Bible Commentary, vol. 2, p. 994.

“Modern Israel are in greater danger of forgetting God and being led into idolatry than were His ancient people. Many idols are worshiped, even by professed Sabbathkeepers. God especially charged His ancient people to guard against idolatry, for if they should be led away from serving the living God, His curse would rest upon them, while if they would love Him with all their heart, with all their soul, and with all their might, He would abundantly bless them in basket and in store, and would remove sickness from the midst of them.”—Ellen G. White, Testimonies for the Church, vol. 1, p. 609.

Discussion Questions

Discuss in your class the miraculous crossing of the Jordan. How would you define miracles? Why does it seem that God is not performing similar miracles today?
What practical ways can you suggest in your class for preventing spiritual forgetfulness, both as individuals or as a church? While it is important that we have an ongoing dynamic relationship with God and that we don’t build our whole Christian experience on powerful past experiences, how can we still use our past experiences as reminders of how God has worked in our lives?
How do you think the Sabbath can, on the one hand, help us remember God’s interventions in our lives and, on the other, give us a foretaste of the promised rest in His kingdom? How does the Sabbath point not only to what we are supposed to remember but to what we can hope for in the future?

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