Closer To Heaven
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Join It Is Written Sabbath School host Eric Flickinger and this quarter’s author, Dr Adenilton Tavares de Aguiar, as they provide additional insights into this week’s Sabbath School lesson.
View an in-depth discussion of “Authentic Christian Ministry” in the Hope Sabbath School class led by Pastor Derek Morris.
Click on the image below to view the video:
With thanks to Hope Channel – Television that will change your life.
Source: https://ssnet.org/blog/10-authentic-christian-ministry-hope-sabbath-school-video-discussion/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=10-authentic-christian-ministry-hope-sabbath-school-video-discussion
La Lettera di Giacomo ci ricorda che «L'ira dell'uomo non produce la giustizia di Dio.» (Giacomo 1:20). Perdonare non significa dire che ciò che è successo non conta. Significa scegliere di non lasciare che continui a vivere dentro di noi. Source: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/dWKhF5LVMW4
MUSCAT, OMAN — The Seventh-day Adventist Church in Muscat broke ground July 17 on a new worship facility, marking a milestone in a project that began with a government visit and years of planning and prayer, according to a report from the Middle East and North Africa Union (MENAUM). The groundbreaking ceremony brought together members […] Source: https://atoday.org/muscat-adventists-celebrate-groundbreaking-after-years-of-prayer-and-planning/
NUWAKOT, NEPAL — ADRA Nepal has begun delivering emergency supplies to families affected by catastrophic flooding that originated in the northern district of Rasuwa and swept downstream, killing more than 1,000 people and leaving thousands missing. ADRA teams are working with government officials, humanitarian organizations, and local communities in Nuwakot, one of the districts affected […] Source: https://atoday.org/adra-responds-as-nepal-communities-recover-from-catastrophic-flooding/
Now streaming on the Amazing Facts channel: Bible Answers Live with Pastor Doug Batchelor. Tune in for clear, Bible-based answers to life’s most important questions. Watch, share, and grow in the Word. Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_syTJ8NS7lg
Feeling forgotten doesn’t mean God has forgotten you. He sees you, knows you, and stays with you in the waiting. (Luke 12:7) If you need prayer today, leave your request below or DM us. We’d love to pray with you. Source: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/c9ZhnVqMm4g
By Jack Hoehn | 1 September 2026 | During my lifetime the answer none has become an option in multiple choice questionnaires about a person’s faith or religious affiliation. Perhaps none of the above would be more accurate. For questionnaires like this, the list of possible beliefs, lifestyles, faiths, or anti-faiths could be very long. […] Source: https://atoday.org/a-religion-of-everything/
The Biblical Person of the Day
Asenath – The Woman at Joseph’s Side in Egypt
Profile
Short StoryAsenath was an Egyptian woman and the daughter of Potiphera, priest of On. We encounter her in the story of Joseph when, after many years of suffering, God exalted him and gave him a high position in Egypt.
After Joseph interpreted Pharaoh’s dreams, Pharaoh placed him over the entire land of Egypt. As a sign of this new dignity, he also gave Asenath to Joseph as his wife.
Asenath thus became part of a story that extended far beyond Egypt. She entered the life of a man whom God had guided through suffering, faithfulness, and divine protection.
Asenath became the mother of two sons: Manasseh and Ephraim. Jacob later adopted these two children in a special way and gave them a place among the tribes of Israel.
Although Asenath came from Egypt, her sons were included in Israel’s history of promise. Her family thus became a sign that God continues to fulfill His plans even in a foreign land.
The Bible tells us very little about Asenath’s personal life. Yet her place at Joseph’s side was significant because she lived during a time of famine, preservation, and divine guidance.
Asenath’s story shows that God can include people and families in His story through unexpected paths. In Egypt, far from Canaan, a family line grew through her that would later play an important role in Israel.
The Decisive MomentAsenath becomes Joseph’s wife and the mother of Manasseh and Ephraim, whose descendants later become important tribes of Israel.
7 Special Facts About Asenath
Strengths & Weaknesses
became part of God’s guidance in Joseph’s life
stood beside a man who carried great responsibility
became the mother of two important ancestors of Israel’s tribes
her family was included in the history of God’s promise
nothing is explicitly reported about her personal faith
her own voice is not recorded in the biblical account
The Failure That Shaped HerThe Bible does not record any particular personal failure committed by Asenath.
Her life is shaped primarily by the fact that, as Joseph’s wife and the mother of Manasseh and Ephraim, she became part of God’s greater story.
Key Verse“And he gave him Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera priest of On, as a wife.” (Genesis 41:45)
The Life LessonGod can include people in His great plan even in foreign lands, through unexpected relationships, and through quiet family stories.
Application for TodayDo not underestimate the significance of a quiet place in God’s story. Not everyone is mentioned in many words, but through family, faithfulness, and hidden paths, God can prepare the future.
A Question for YouWhere might God be quietly and almost invisibly including your life in a greater story that you cannot yet fully understand?
ContextAsenath lived in Egypt during the time of Joseph, when God used Joseph’s wisdom to preserve many people throughout the famine.
ConnectionsAsenath is connected with Joseph, Pharaoh, Potiphera, Manasseh, Ephraim, and the later history of the tribes of Israel.
Asenath shows that God also works through people about whom very little is recorded. Her story reminds us that quiet lives can acquire a significance in God’s hands that extends far beyond their own time.
See you tomorrow with the next biblical person!
The Life Story The Life Story of Asenath – Mother of a Line of Promise 
A Woman from EgyptAsenath was a woman from Egypt. She was the daughter of Potiphera, priest of On, and therefore belonged to a setting shaped by Egyptian culture, religion, and social prominence.
The Bible tells us nothing about her childhood, inner life, or personal thoughts. She enters the story only at the moment when Joseph, after many long years of testing, is suddenly exalted.
This brief mention demonstrates that some people receive only a few verses in the Bible and yet stand at important turning points in the history of salvation.
Joseph After His SufferingJoseph had passed through a long and painful journey. His brothers had sold him, he had been taken to Egypt as a slave, falsely accused, and thrown into prison.
Yet God was with him. When Pharaoh had dreams that no one could interpret, Joseph was brought out of prison and, through the wisdom God gave him, provided their interpretation.
This interpretation not only saved Joseph, but also prepared the way for many people to be saved during the coming famine.
Joseph Is ExaltedPharaoh recognized Joseph’s wisdom and placed him over the entire land of Egypt. Joseph was clothed with royal authority and given the responsibility of preparing Egypt for seven years of abundance followed by seven years of famine.
In this context, Pharaoh also gave Joseph an Egyptian name and Asenath as his wife.
For Asenath, this meant that her life became connected with a man whose story had been shaped by God’s guidance, even though that guidance had led him through deep valleys.
At Joseph’s SideAsenath became the wife of a man who suddenly carried great power and responsibility. Joseph had to gather provisions, organize the administration, make decisions, and guide an entire nation through an approaching crisis.
The Bible does not describe Asenath’s part in this period in detail, yet her place at Joseph’s side belonged to this phase of his life.
She lived with him during a time when God’s wisdom became visible in practical ways. Through Joseph’s faithful service, people were preserved from starvation.
The Birth of ManassehAsenath gave birth to Joseph’s first son, Manasseh. Joseph gave him this name because God had made him forget all his hardship and all his father’s household.
This name did not mean that Joseph erased his past. Rather, it testified that God was able to grant healing and a new beginning.
For Asenath, Manasseh became the first son in a family that stood between Egypt and the history of God’s promise.
The Birth of EphraimAsenath also gave birth to Joseph’s second son, Ephraim. Joseph gave him this name because God had made him fruitful in the land of his affliction.
This name carries a particularly profound meaning. Despite his high position, Joseph called Egypt the land of his affliction because he had not forgotten the pain of his journey.
Yet it was precisely there that God granted fruitfulness. Through Asenath, Manasseh and Ephraim were born—two sons who would later become highly significant in Israel.
Jacob Blesses Her SonsWhen Jacob was old, Joseph brought his two sons to him. Jacob adopted Manasseh and Ephraim in a special way and placed them on the same level as his own sons.
Asenath’s sons were therefore not regarded merely as Joseph’s children, but received a special place among the tribes of Israel.
For Asenath, this meant that her children, born in Egypt, were included in the line of promise.
The Blessing upon Ephraim and ManassehJacob blessed Joseph’s two sons. In doing so, he crossed his hands and placed his right hand on Ephraim, the younger son, and his left hand on Manasseh, the firstborn.
Joseph initially tried to correct this, but Jacob refused to change his hands. He knew what he was doing and spoke prophetically about the future of both sons.
In this way, Asenath’s family visibly became part of God’s sovereign guidance. Human origin, birthplace, and cultural background could not limit God’s plan.
A Bridge Between Egypt and IsraelAsenath stands in the biblical story like a quiet bridge. She came from Egypt, but through Joseph, her sons were included in Israel’s history.
This makes her story especially significant. She reminds us that God’s paths sometimes cross boundaries that people would keep clearly separated.
An Egyptian mother gave birth to two tribal ancestors whose names continued to live on in Israel.
A Quiet Life with a Great ImpactAsenath does not speak in her own words anywhere in the biblical account. We hear no prayer from her, no speech, and no personal decision.
Nevertheless, her place is significant. Manasseh and Ephraim could not have been born without her, and her role as their mother connected her with Israel’s future.
This reminds us that God’s story does not advance only through the loudest voices. Quiet people often exert an influence that reaches far into the future.
The Enduring Message of Her LifeAsenath demonstrates that God includes even those who receive little visible mention in His great purposes. Her name appears at the point where Joseph’s path of suffering gives way to responsibility, family, and fruitfulness.
Her story reminds us that God causes the future to grow even in a foreign land. What began in Egypt later became part of Israel’s history.
Closing ThoughtAsenath was an Egyptian woman who was placed at Joseph’s side and became the mother of Manasseh and Ephraim.
Her own voice remains hidden, yet through her sons, her life became connected with the history of God’s promise.
Her life story shows that God can use quiet lives, foreign places, and unexpected relationships to continue fulfilling His promises.
The Biblical Person of the Day
Ephraim – The Son Who Unexpectedly Received the Greater Blessing
Profile
Short StoryEphraim was the younger son of Joseph and Asenath. He was born in Egypt at a time when Joseph, after enduring great suffering, had risen to a position of significant responsibility in the land.
His name recalls fruitfulness. Joseph gave him this name because God had made him fruitful in the land of his affliction.
Ephraim did not grow up in Canaan, but in Egypt. Nevertheless, his story belonged not only to Egypt, but was deeply connected with God’s promise to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
When Jacob was old and sick, Joseph brought his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim, to him. Jacob adopted them in a special way and placed them on the same level as his own sons.
Then something unexpected happened. Joseph positioned Manasseh, the firstborn, so that he would receive the blessing of Jacob’s right hand. But Jacob crossed his hands and placed his right hand on Ephraim, the younger son.
Joseph tried to correct him, but Jacob refused to change his hands. He knew what he was doing. Manasseh would also become great, but Ephraim would become greater.
Ephraim’s story shows that God’s blessing does not always follow human order. God sees beyond origin, age, and expectation.
The Decisive MomentJacob places his right hand on Ephraim, even though he is the younger son, and pronounces the greater blessing over him.
7 Special Facts About Ephraim
Strengths & Weaknesses
lived under God’s special blessing
was included in Israel’s promise despite being born in Egypt
became the ancestor of a powerful tribe
reminds us of the fruitfulness God can give during difficult times
little is reported about his personal life
the later tribe of Ephraim often displayed pride and spiritual unfaithfulness
The Failure That Shaped HimThe Bible does not record any particular personal failure committed by Ephraim.
His story is shaped primarily by Jacob’s unexpected blessing and God’s sovereign choice.
Key Verse“Truly his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his descendants shall become a multitude of nations.” (Genesis 48:19)
The Life LessonGod’s blessing does not always follow human expectations. The Lord can choose someone younger, overlooked, or unexpected for a special place in His story.
Application for TodayDo not constantly compare yourself with others. God’s path for you does not have to follow the order people expect. What God blesses can grow even where no one expected it to flourish.
A Question for YouWhere do you need to trust today that God sees and can bless you even when you feel that you are not in first place?
ContextEphraim lived in Egypt during the time of Joseph. Jacob’s blessing upon him belongs to the transitional period in which Jacob’s family developed into the tribes of Israel.
ConnectionsEphraim is connected with Joseph, Asenath, Manasseh, Jacob, and the later tribe of Ephraim, which played a major role in the history of Israel.
Ephraim demonstrates that God’s blessing is free and sovereign. His story reminds us that God can include people in His promise and make them greater than human expectations would suggest.
See you tomorrow with the next biblical person!
The Life Story The Life Story of Ephraim – Fruitful in the Land of Affliction 
A Son of Joseph in EgyptEphraim was born in Egypt. His birth did not take place in the land God had promised to Abraham, but in a foreign kingdom.
His father, Joseph, had passed through a long journey of suffering. His brothers had sold him, he had been taken to Egypt as a slave, falsely accused, and thrown into prison.
Yet God had not abandoned Joseph. The prisoner became the man whom God used to preserve many people during the famine.
A Name Filled with MeaningJoseph gave his second son the name Ephraim. This name recalls how God had made Joseph fruitful in the land of his affliction.
This is a profound testimony. Joseph did not simply call Egypt a land of success, even though he received great honor there. He still remembered that it had also been the land of his suffering.
Yet it was precisely where there had been so much pain that God granted fruitfulness. Ephraim’s name thus became a living memorial to the grace of God.
Between Egypt and the PromiseEphraim grew up in a unique tension. Outwardly, his life belonged to Egypt because he had been born there and his father held a high position in the country.
Yet his deeper story belonged to Israel. He was Jacob’s grandson, Isaac’s great-grandson, and a descendant of Abraham.
This demonstrates that God’s promise is not limited by outward circumstances. Even in a foreign land, God was able to continue the line of His story.
Jacob Grows OldWhen Jacob became old and sick, Joseph brought his two sons to him. It was a significant moment because Jacob had reached the end of his long journey through life.
Jacob had experienced many things: flight, deception, loss, fear, reconciliation, and God’s faithful guidance. Now he was preparing to bless his grandsons.
Joseph brought Manasseh and Ephraim to his father so that they might receive the patriarch’s blessing.
Adopted as SonsJacob did something extraordinary. In a certain sense, he adopted Ephraim and Manasseh as his own sons.
They thereby received a place among the tribes of Israel. Through his two sons, Joseph received a double portion.
For Ephraim, this meant that he did not remain merely the son of a man serving in the Egyptian court, but became part of God’s inheritance among Israel.
The Crossed HandsJoseph positioned his sons before Jacob so that Manasseh, as the firstborn, would receive the blessing of Jacob’s right hand. This corresponded to the customary human order.
But Jacob crossed his hands. He placed his right hand on Ephraim, the younger son, and his left hand on Manasseh.
Joseph was surprised. He thought that his father had made a mistake and tried to move his hands. But Jacob replied that he knew exactly what he was doing.
The Greater BlessingJacob said that Manasseh would also become great. Yet Ephraim, the younger son, would become greater, and his descendants would become a multitude of nations.
This blessing shows that God is not bound by human systems of rank. He can choose the younger, elevate the unexpected, and direct His plans differently from the way people would arrange them.
Ephraim did not receive this blessing because he had earned it, but because God acted according to His wisdom and providence.
An Ancestor in IsraelEphraim became the ancestor of an important tribe of Israel. The tribe of Ephraim later played a major role in the history of God’s people.
Joshua, the successor of Moses, came from Ephraim. The territory of the tribe also became important, and the name Ephraim was later sometimes used to refer to the entire northern kingdom of Israel.
In this way, Jacob’s words concerning Ephraim were fulfilled. The old patriarch’s blessing did not remain merely a word spoken beside a sickbed, but became part of history.
Blessing and ResponsibilityThe later history of Ephraim also reveals a serious side. The tribe that had been so richly blessed later became associated repeatedly with pride, apostasy, and spiritual unfaithfulness.
This reminds us that blessing always carries responsibility. Those who receive much are called to live faithfully with what they have received.
God’s blessing must not lead to self-confidence. It should produce humility, gratitude, and obedience.
The Enduring Message of His LifeEphraim demonstrates that God can grant fruitfulness in the land of affliction. What Joseph had experienced through suffering, loss, and life in a foreign land became a testimony to God’s faithfulness through Ephraim’s name.
His story reminds us that God’s blessing does not always follow human order. God sees more deeply, chooses sovereignly, and can make even the younger or unexpected person great.
Closing ThoughtEphraim was born in Egypt, but his story became part of Israel’s promise. He was the younger son, yet Jacob placed his right hand of blessing upon him.
His name tells us that God can produce fruit even in the land of affliction.
His life story shows that God’s blessing is not bound by human order and that the Lord can grant fruitfulness precisely where suffering and alienation once existed.
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