Daily Lesson for Tuesday 9th of September 2025

By turning to an idol, the Israelites were in the process of divorcing themselves from the true God, the One who had delivered them from Egypt. The Lord squarely placed the blame on them, saying that they have “corrupted themselves” (Exodus 32:7, NKJV)—even crediting this statue with having delivered them from Egypt.

Image © Pacific Press at Goodsalt.com

What a direct contradiction to what God said to them (Exodus 20:2)! This denial of God’s presence and mighty acts was a serious matter. Their thinking and feelings were distorted and completely corrupted.

For the prophet Ezekiel, idolatry lay at the core of all the misery of God’s people, and from there springs all other sins (see, for example, Ezekiel 8:1-18, Ezekiel 20:1-44, Ezekiel 22:1-12). We often wonder why ancient believers were so naïve and uncorrectable when they engaged in worshiping different human-made idols. We are quite sure that we would never do something like that. Are we really free of idols? The idols of today may have different shapes and forms, yet they have a similar appeal.

An idol is something that replaces God, and even though we know it is not right, we still worship it, often repeatedly. It captures our imagination, affection, time, and mind more than does God. It can even enslave our thinking. In fact, we become what we behold, and we will rise no higher than whatever “god” we serve.

If God is not at the center of your life, then other gods will fill His place. If we do not enjoy and cultivate God’s living Presence, we will enjoy and devote our lives to something or someone else. What we substitute for Christ may have different appearances: pride, self-centeredness, money, power, sex, food, TV, drugs, alcohol, impure thoughts, pornography, pleasures, work, sports, family, video games, films, shopping, ideas, politics, music, position, titles, grades, and so forth. The list has no end.

We are very creative and inventive in this regard. We can turn anything that is good, beautiful, and meaningful into an idol. Idolatry is extremely dangerous because it transforms our personality, our way of thinking, our affections, and our social life. It changes our identity and replaces genuine personal relationships with hollow and ultimately meaningless interactions that, in the end, cannot save us.

<–Monday Wednesday–>

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Source: https://ssnet.org/blog/25c-11-corrupting-themselves/

Join It Is Written Sabbath School host Eric Flickinger and this quarter’s author, Dr. Jiří Moskala, as they provide additional insights into this week’s Sabbath School lesson.”

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Source: https://ssnet.org/blog/11-apostasy-and-intercessioin-it-is-written-discussions-with-the-author/

View an in-depth discussion of Apostasy and Intercession 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.

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Source: https://ssnet.org/blog/11-apostasy-and-intercession-hope-sabbath-school-video-discussion/

Daily Lesson for Monday 8th of September 2025

The golden calf resembled the Egyptian bull god, called Apis, or cow god, called Hathor. This was a blatant transgression of the first and second commandments (Exodus 20:3-6).

Image © Providence Collection at Goodsalt.com

This violation could not go unpunished because it openly broke their relationship with the living Lord. Instead of worshiping their Creator, the Israelites worshiped their own creation, which could not see, hear, smell, speak, care, love, or lead.

The Creation order was reversed: instead of understanding that they had been created in God’s image, they now made a god, not even in their own image—which would have been bad enough—but in the image of an animal. This was the god whom they wanted to serve? Thus, they had greatly sinned against the Lord (Isaiah 31:7, Isaiah 42:17).

Idolatry denies the theological understanding that God is God and man is man. Idolatry erases the gap between God and man (Ecclesiastes 5:2) and breaks the connection with Him. Whether it is blatant and open or something concealed in the heart, idolatry quickly ruptures our relationship with the Lord and leads in a downward moral spiral. No wonder the text talks about what they did the next day: after offering sacrifices to the idol, they then began to party, in what Ellen G. White depicted as “an imitation of the idolatrous feasts of Egypt.”—Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 320.

Humans are geniuses at fabricating their own idols. They create their own gods, which is bad enough, but then they go and serve those gods. The Creator is replaced with things that, sooner or later, lead to moral degeneration.

<–Sunday Tuesday–>

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Source: https://ssnet.org/blog/25c-11-idolatry-and-evil/

Exodus points us to a wonderful conclusion with the Israelites being bound for the Promised Land, hence our theme hymn for the quarter being 
We Are Bound For The Promised Land – Hymn 620.

 Sabbath afternoon’s introduction encourages us to remember “about God’s gracious love” as do
Hymn 76 – O Love That Wilt Not Let Me Go, 
Hymn 79 – O Love Of God, How Strong And True!, and 
Hymn 78 – For God So Loved The World.

 With the Failed Leadership in our Sunday study time, it is so sad to learn of Aaron failing “to seize the moment and do what was right”….. instead of trusting the Lord. May we all learn to 
Trust And Obey – Hymn 590 and not follow the sadness of what Aaron did.

 In looking at Idolatry and Evil on Monday, we see that the people forgot that we should say 
I Sing The Mighty Power Of God – Hymn 88 instead of going off to serve other gods. Once again, with sadness, we see The Creator is replaced. Instead, we can wisely choose the 
Lord of Creation – Hymn 320 and give Him all our praise.

 As we follow the story this week, it is with wonder that Moses was prepared to “be a type of Christ” and make atonement: 
What a Wonderful Saviour – Hymn 335. What a beautiful Saviour we have and “God Himself” does the substituting and the saving, as we learn at the end of Thursday’s study time: 
Hymn 299 – Forgive Our Sins As We Forgive and Hymn 340 – Jesus Saves.

Please continue to search the scriptures this week to be blessed, and to bless others.

To learn unknown hymns, you will find the accompaniment music for each one at: https://sdahymnals.com/Hymnal/

Another great resource is for when there is a hymn you wish to sing but can’t find it in your hymnal. Go to https://www.sdahymnal.org/Search and in the search bar type a special word in that is in the hymn. I am sure you will be amazed at the help you will be given.

  2 Timothy 2:15 KJV – “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”

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Source: https://ssnet.org/blog/11-apostacy-and-intercession-singing-with-inspiration/