Daily Lesson for Wednesday 7th of May 2025

There is tension throughout the entire story of salvation. God wishes to restore the communion that we once enjoyed with Him and longs to draw close to us. But bringing sinners into His presence would destroy them. “For You are not a God who takes pleasure in wickedness,” David writes, “nor shall evil dwell with You” (Psalms 5:4, NKJV). At the same time, David also writes, “But as for me, I will come into Your house in the multitude of Your mercy; in fear of You I will worship toward Your holy temple” (Psalms 5:7, NKJV).

Image © Deb Minnard at Goodsalt.com

When the first temple was dedicated by Solomon, the Shekinah glory—the presence of God that had accompanied the children of Israel en route to Canaan—filled the temple, and so the priests could not remain to complete their work of ministry (1 Kings 8:10-11). When the second temple was dedicated, the ark of the covenant, representing God’s throne, was missing because some faithful men, upset at the nation’s sins, had hidden it. The literal presence of God did not fill the temple this time. It was heartbreaking. How could Haggai’s promise possibly come true?

It was in the second temple that Jesus, the incarnation of God, appeared in Person, in flesh and blood. God Himself had stepped out from behind the veil to become one of us and to join us in this broken world. Because the Son of God was now the Son of man, we could see His face, hear His voice, and witness, for example, when He touched an unclean leper and made him whole (Matthew 8:3). Instead of bringing us closer in His direction, God brought us closer to Him by moving in _our _direction. He came down, personally, to us. No wonder the Bible said about Jesus: “ ‘Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,’ which is translated, ‘God with us’ ” (Matthew 1:23, NKJV). Think about what this means: the Creator of the cosmos condescended not only to live among us but to die for us.

<–Tuesday Thursday–>

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Source: https://ssnet.org/blog/25b-06-jesus-at-the-temple/

In this week’s Sabbath School lesson, I read,

… I will shake all nations, and they shall come to the Desire of All Nations, and I will fill this temple with glory,’ says the LORD of hosts. ‘The silver is Mine, and the gold is Mine,’ says the LORD of hosts. ‘The glory of this latter temple shall be greater than the former,’ says the LORD of hosts. ‘And in this place I will give peace,’ says the LORD of hosts.” Haggai 2:7-9 NKJV

I was already familiar with the meaning of this passage, that even though the latter temple was not filled with the temporal splendor of the former temple, it would be filled with greater glory than the former, when the Son of God bodily entered the temple. I paused, though, and wondered if that was the final goal. I also question if we, as Seventh-day Adventists, are missing the final goal when considering the heavenly sanctuary as greater than the earthly sanctuary. Of course it is “greater,” but is the sanctuary in heaven the final goal? Was the latter sanctuary the final goal? What is the final goal

Then I considered these passages,

Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone, in whom the whole building, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit. Ephesians 2:19-22 NKJV

For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height— to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. Ephesians 3:14-19 NKJV

To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. Him we preach, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus. Colossians 1:27-28 NKJV

These passages may remind you of similar passages, but you may already see where I am going with this. Even if the latter earthly sanctuary was filled with more glory than the former, what good does that do me today? Even if the heavenly sanctuary is filled with more glory than either earthly sanctuary, what good does that do me today down here on earth, unless my heart becomes God’s sanctuary? For our theology to be balanced and correct, we must see beyond the earthly temporal sanctuaries and realize that the goal is not even met in the heavenly sanctuary. The real goal is for God to dwell in our hearts and lives.

As Seventh-day Adventists, we talk about being the remnant church and restoring the church to how it was in the New Testament before the compromises of the Dark Ages. That is correct, but it still is not the goal.

The final goal of Christ’s sacrifice and the Gospel is to restore people into the image of God that man was created with before the fall. The final goal is also to restore our relationship with God to how it was before the fall. In other words, the goal of the Gospel goes way beyond restoring a people to how they were before the Dark Ages; the goal of the Gospel goes back to restoring people to how they were created to be before the fall.

Image © Review & Herald Publishing at Goodsalt.com

What happened in the earthly sanctuary and what is happening now in the heavenly sanctuary are amazing. But what is more amazing is what God, through His Son and the Holy Spirit, is actively doing in our hearts today.

You are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read by all men; clearly you are an epistle of Christ, ministered by us, written not with ink but by the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of flesh, that is, of the heart. 2 Corinthians 3:2-3 NKJV

People today can’t visibly see Christ entering the latter temple mentioned in Haggai. However, they can visibly see the results of Christ living in our hearts today, which is the real goal.

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Source: https://ssnet.org/blog/the-final-goal-of-the-sacrifice/

Daily Lesson for Tuesday 6th of May 2025

The book of Revelation refers to Jesus as “the Lamb” nearly 30 times. From the earliest days in the plan of redemption, God’s people have used lambs as a symbol of the coming Messiah. Abel offered “the firstborn of his flock” (Genesis 4:4, NKJV), and before the Israelites departed Egypt for the land of promise, they were instructed to redeem every firstborn person or animal with a one-year-old lamb (Exodus 12:5).

Image © Pacific Press at Goodsalt.com

Years after the death, resurrection, and ascension of Christ, Peter reflected on what had transpired, and he wrote, “Knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot” (1 Peter 1:18-19, ESV).

Jesus lived the one human life that satisfied the holiness of God; the rest of us have sinned, and the way we live our sinful lives quite literally tells lies about the nature of our Maker.

Jesus, however, became the “last Adam” (1 Corinthians 15:45). Where we had failed, He lived perfectly. In His humanity, He was everything the human race was supposed to be. He reflected God’s glory perfectly. “If you have seen me,” He told Philip, “you have seen the Father” (John 14:9, CEV).

Jesus, meanwhile, was crucified on Passover, further demonstrating that He is the antitypical Lamb. In John 18:19-20, Jesus said that He “spoke openly” (NKJV) of His doctrine. In a parallel way, regarding the Passover lamb in Exodus 12:5-6, the children of Israel were instructed to choose a lamb for Passover, and “keep it,” or put it on display during the days leading up to the sacrifice. When the high priest questioned Jesus about His teachings, Jesus made reference to the fact that He Himself had been on open display in the temple for everybody to consider. His life, His works, His teaching—all revealed who He really was. He is the Lamb without blemish, the most powerful expression of God’s righteousness and glory.

<–Monday Wednesday–>

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Source: https://ssnet.org/blog/25b-06-the-passover-lamb/

Daily Lesson for Monday 5th of May 2025

Some have criticized the entire concept of sacrifice, claiming that it is cruel, harsh, and, in a sense, unfair. Yet, that’s precisely the point. Christ’s death was cruel, harsh, and unfair—the innocent dying for the guilty. That’s what it took to solve the sin problem. And Christ’s death was what all these harsh, cruel, and unfair sacrifices pointed to.

Image © Steve Creitz from GoodSalt.com

The lambs and other sacrificial animals were mere symbols pointing forward to the atoning sacrifice of the Lamb of God. They were acts of faith, giving sinners a tangible way to express faith in the work of the coming Messiah. We often refer to these kinds of symbols as types, which are fulfilled by an antitype, or the appearance of the thing or event they foreshadowed. Some have even described the sacrifices as “mini-prophecies” of the death of Jesus on the cross.

The rituals associated with sacrifice were a little like paying for a trip. When you purchase a train, bus, or airplane ticket, you do not immediately receive the journey you paid for. Instead, you are given a ticket or boarding pass, a symbol or promise of the journey to come. You can sit on that piece of paper all you want, but it will not convey you to any destination. Once you have boarded and the journey begins, however, you have received what you paid for, and the paper ticket becomes unnecessary.

So it was with the sacrificial animals. They had an important role to play, but once the real sacrifice was made, they became meaningless—a reality depicted when the veil between the Holy Place and the Most Holy Place in the earthly sanctuary was rent asunder at the death of Jesus. “Then the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom” (Mark 15:38, NKJV). The whole sacrificial system, temple and all, pointed forward to the death of Jesus on the cross. Once Jesus fulfilled His promise at the cross and rose victorious over death, the types became unnecessary.

<–Sunday Tuesday–>

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Source: https://ssnet.org/blog/25b-06-the-blood-of-bulls-and-goats/

To learn of the “Allusions, Images and Symbols” in Bible Prophecy we are really in great need of saying to God 
Give Me The Bible – Hymn 272 so we are able to learn with His abundant help. This will be our theme for this, the second quarter of Bible Study, 2025.

The greatest sacrifice ever made is studied this week. Our God of infinite love shows in study times
Worthy, Worthy Is The Lamb – Hymn 246.

The sacrifices shown to us on Sunday, help us to say 
All To Jesus I Surrender – Hymn 309, and as with Abel’s story we can clearly see that we are 
By Christ Redeemed – Hym 402.

Monday has us asking the question 
What Does The Lord Require? – Hymn 571 through the sacrifices that were made with “The Blood of Bulls and Goats”.

 It is in “The Passover Lamb” on Tuesday that we see the 
Marvelous Grace – Hymn 109 “where the blood of the Lamb was spilt”. Oh, how wonderful to then sing that there is 
Power In The Blood – Hymn 294 and proclaim again 
Worthy, Worthy Is The Lamb – Hymn 246.

May we continue to go 
Deeper Yet – Hymn 302 into the crimson blood shed for each of us. It will be the greatest joy in all eternity as a human being to be able to hear the cherubim announcement that John saw in vision, 
Holy, Holy, Holy – Hymn 73. We learn then, that “we need Christ as our Redeemer”: 
By Christ Redeemed – Hymn 402 and Redeemed – Hymn 337/338. Thursday closes saying the cross shows us “just how much God loves us”: 
O Love Of God, How Strong And True – Hymn 79.

Friday’s “Further Thought” reminds us again 
Worthy, Worthy Is The Lamb – Hymn 246 and of the wonders of the “spotless Lamb of God” as sung in 
Jesus, Priceless Treasure – Hymn 239.

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/6-unsterstanding-sacrifice-singing-with-inspiration/