Image © Pacific Press

Sabbath Afternoon

Read for This Week’s Study: Genesis 25:21-34, Genesis 28:10-22, Genesis 11:1-9, Genesis 29:1-30, Genesis 30:25-32.

Memory Text: “And Esau said, ‘Is he not rightly named Jacob? For he has supplanted me these two times. He took away my birthright, and now look, he has taken away my blessing!’ And he said, ‘Have you not reserved a blessing for me?’” (Genesis 27:36, NKJV).

We now pick up on the continued family history of Isaac, the miracle child and early ancestor of the promised seed. The story doesn’t start out particularly well, however. The flawed character of his son Jacob will be manifested in the rivalry between the two brothers over the birthright (Genesis 25:27-34) and consequently over the right to obtain the blessing of Isaac (Genesis chapter 27).

Because Jacob deceives his father and steals the blessing from his older brother, he will have to flee for his life. In exile, God confronts him at Bethel (Genesis 28:10-22). From then on Jacob, the deceiver, will experience some deception himself. Instead of Rachel, whom Jacob loved (Genesis chapter 29), Leah, the older daughter, will be given to Jacob, and he will have to work 14 years to earn his wives.

Yet, Jacob will also experience God’s blessing, for in exile he will have 11 of his sons, and God will increase his wealth.

Thus, whatever else we can see in this story, we can see how God will fulfill His covenant promises, one way or another, regardless of how often His people fail.

Study this week’s lesson to prepare for Sabbath, May 28.

Sunday–>

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Support for the mission activities of the Seventh-day Adventist church has always been part of the Sabbath School program. This video is Mission Spotlight for this week.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dtk5p4thF0E&w=560&h=315]

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Two Divine Appointments

By Theda Pienaar

I have a habit of not traveling without first asking God whether the trip would be His will. I live in Ireland, while my family lives in South Africa and a sister lives in Namibia. I visit them about once a year. On the airplane, I read the Bible, Ellen White books, and the Adult Bible Study Guide. I also always take Steps to Christ in my bag. The books shorten the trip and lead to interesting contacts. Every time I travel, something interesting happens.

Image © Pacific Press

One time, I started talking with the man seated next to me while waiting for our flight at the airport in Dublin, Ireland. It turned out that he worked as a special detective for the Irish police force and traveled home to see his family in Cape Town, South Africa, every two to three months. We chatted about life while waiting for the plane to board. On the plane, a young woman sat beside me and immediately began speaking. “I arrived late at the airport and just made the plane,” she said. “I am so stressed!”

“God knew that you needed to catch this plane,” I said.

I spoke about how God takes charge of our lives when we allow Him.

Just before takeoff, the flight attendant told the young woman that she had taken the wrong seat. She left and who should sit beside me but the policeman. “Isn’t this interesting!” I said. “I believe God does things for a reason.”

“You believe in God?” the man said.

He asked about my religious background, and I said I am a Seventh-day Adventist. “Isn’t that strange,” he said. “My wife has been trying to convert me for many years. She is Seventh-day Adventist.”

“I am thrilled to meet you,” I said. And I was.

We spoke about salvation, and I gave him a copy of Steps to Christ. “My wife has been trying to get me to read this,” he said. “Now I will read it.”

My two encounters were so remarkable. The ice was broken with the police detective before we boarded the plane. I also was able to mention God to the woman who sat in the wrong seat. Ireland is a very secular country, and it is not easy to speak to people about Christianity. But God provided two opportunities before the plane even left the ground.

This mission story illustrates the following components of the Seventh-day Adventist Church’s “I Will Go” strategic plan: Mission Objective No. 2, “To strengthen and diversify Adventist outreach in large cities [and] among unreached and under-reached people groups”; Spiritual Growth Objective No. 5, “To disciple individuals and families into spirit-filled lives”; and the Holy Spirit Objective, “To be defined as the Holy Spirit leads.” Read more: IWillGo2020[dot]org.

Produced by the General Conference Office of Adventist Mission. Find more mission stories at adventistmission[dot]org

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Further Thought:

Because Abraham was the extraordinary prophet with whom God would share His plans (Genesis 18:17), God entered Abraham’s human sphere and shared with him, to some degree, His plan of salvation through the sacrifice of His Son.

Image © Stan Myers from GoodSalt.com

“Isaac was a figure of the Son of God, who was offered a sacrifice for the sins of the world. God would impress upon Abraham the gospel of salvation to man. In order to do this, and make the truth a reality to him as well as to test his faith, He required him to slay his darling Isaac. All the sorrow and agony that Abraham endured through that dark and fearful trial were for the purpose of deeply impressing upon his understanding the plan of redemption for fallen man. He was made to understand in his own experience how unutterable was the self-denial of the infinite God in giving His own Son to die to rescue man from utter ruin. To Abraham no mental torture could be equal to that which he endured in obeying the divine command to sacrifice his son.” — Ellen G. White, Testimonies for the Church, vol. 3, p. 369.

“Abraham had become an old man, and expected soon to die; yet one act remained for him to do in securing the fulfillment of the promise to his posterity. Isaac was the one divinely appointed to succeed him as the keeper of the law of God and the father of the chosen people, but he was yet unmarried. The inhabitants of Canaan were given to idolatry, and God had forbidden intermarriage between His people and them, knowing that such marriages would lead to apostasy. The patriarch feared the effect of the corrupting influences surrounding his son … In the mind of Abraham the choice of a wife for his son was a matter of grave importance; he was anxious to have him marry one who would not lead him from God … Isaac, trusting to his father’s wisdom and affection, was satisfied to commit the matter to him, believing also that God Himself would direct in the choice made.” — Ellen G. White, Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 171.

Discussion Questions:

<–Thursday

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This video is produced by the South Pacific Division Discipleship team.

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