Daily Lesson for Thursday 23rd of October 2025

The first time Israel fought after the Exodus is recorded in Exodus 17:1-16, where the Israelites defended themselves against the Amalekites. Israel had witnessed God’s almighty power in both afflicting the Egyptians and leading the Israelites to freedom. We have seen that God’s initial plan for Israel did not include fighting against other people (Exodus 23:28, Exodus 33:2).

Image © Bible Adventure Collection at Goodsalt.com

But shortly after their deliverance from Egypt, the Israelites started to murmur on the way (Exodus 17:3), even questioning God’s presence in their midst. It was at this moment that Amalek came to fight against Israel. This was not by chance. God allowed the Amalekites to attack Israel so that the Israelites might learn to trust Him again.

Without compromising His principles, God comes down to the level where His people are, continually calling them back to the ideal plan: complete and unreserved trust in divine intervention. In fact, the law of warfare (Deuteronomy 20:1-20) was given only after the 40 years of wilderness experience, which was also caused by Israel’s unbelief. New circumstances demanded new strategies, and it was only then that God required Israel to completely annihilate the Canaanites (Deuteronomy 20:16-18).

Besides the reality that war became a necessity for the children of Israel, it also turned out to be a test of their allegiance to Yahweh. God did not give up on them but allowed them to witness His power by experiencing total dependence on Him.

The participation of the Israelites in the conquest is evident from the conclusion drawn by Joshua at the end of the book. Here the Canaanites are said to have been fighting against the Israelites (Joshua 24:11). While the collapse of the walls of Jericho was the result of a divine miracle, the people of Israel had to be actively involved in the battle and face the stubborn resistance of the city’s inhabitants.

Israel’s participation in armed conflict became a way to develop unconditional trust in Yahweh’s help. Yet, the people were always reminded (Joshua 7:12-13; Joshua 10:8) that the outcome of each battle ultimately lay in the Lord’s hands, and the only way they could influence the outcome of a military conflict was through their attitude of faith, or unbelief, toward the promises of the Lord. The choice was their own.

<–Wednesday Friday–>

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Source: https://ssnet.org/blog/25d-04-the-second-best-option/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=25d-04-the-second-best-option

Daily Lesson for Wednesday 22nd of October 2025

In that moment of crisis, when the people of Israel were forced into a physical impasse, “Moses answered the people, ‘Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today.

Image © Jeff Preston at Goodsalt.com

The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still’ ” (Exodus 14:13-14, NIV). According to the biblical narrative, even the Egyptians themselves understood that reality: “ ‘Let us flee from the face of Israel, for the Lord fights for them against the Egyptians’ ” (Exodus 14:25, NKJV).

God’s miraculous intervention for the helpless Israelites, untrained in military skills, becomes the pattern. The Exodus constituted the model, the paradigm, for God’s intervention on behalf of Israel. Here, not only is the battle fought by Yahweh, but Israel is required not to fight (Exodus 14:14). God is the warrior; the initiative belongs to Him. He establishes the strategy, defines the means, and conducts the campaign. If Yahweh does not fight for Israel, they have no possibility of success.

Ellen G. White interprets this as an expression of the fact that God “did not design that they should gain the land of promise by warfare, but through submission and unqualified obedience to his commands.”—Ellen G. White, Signs of the Times, September 2, 1880. As in their deliverance from Egypt, God would fight their battles for them. All they had to do was stand still and witness His mighty intervention.

History demonstrates that whenever Israel had sufficient trust in God, they did not need to fight (see 2 Kings 19:1-37, 2 Chronicles 32:1-33, Isaiah 37:1-38).

In God’s ideal plan, the Israelites never needed to fight for themselves. It was a consequence of their unbelief, expressed after the Exodus, that God permitted them to have a part in the war conducted against the Canaanites. In the same way, they did not need to raise a single sword against the Egyptians during the Exodus; it would have never been necessary for them to fight in conquering Canaan (Deuteronomy 7:17-19).

<–Tuesday Thursday–>

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Source: https://ssnet.org/blog/25d-04-the-lord-will-fight-for-you/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=25d-04-the-lord-will-fight-for-you

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

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Source: https://ssnet.org/blog/4-the-conflict-behind-all-conflicts-it-is-written-discussions-with-the-author/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=4-the-conflict-behind-all-conflicts-it-is-written-discussions-with-the-author

View an in-depth discussion of The Conflict Behind All Conflicts 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/4-the-conflict-behind-all-conflicts-hope-sabbath-school-video-discussion/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=4-the-conflict-behind-all-conflicts-hope-sabbath-school-video-discussion

As we work our way through the book of Joshua this quarter, we will see that he is ready to 
Fight The Good Fight – Hymn 613 and to move forward into the Promised Land. We may still use last quarter’s theme hymn as this will pop up throughout this quarter as well: 
Hymn 620 – On Jordan’s Stormy Banks I Stand. These two hymns will resound throughout the quarter.

Just as all the people of Israel were marching to their Promised Land, so we are all 
Marching To Zion – Hymn 422 in Sunday’s study time. With all that is happening in the world today may we continue to sing 
Onward, Christan Soldiers! – Hymn 612 as we ask God’s help to fight our battles for and with us.

There are so many uses of the words, fight, conflict, war, and battles in this week’s studies. Our ultimate goal should be to  
Stand Up! Stand Up For Jesus! – Hymn 618 (Wednesday) as we go through this world’s last times, just as the Israelites were to stand up for our Gracious God in Heaven. With this all happening, we pray that “The Lord Will Fight for You”, and all of us continually until Jesus comes. Meantime we are to 
Fight The Good Fight – Hymn 613 with God on our side. We are reminded that “whenever Israel had sufficient trust in God, they did not need to fight”, therefore can we say 
Only Trust Him – Hymn 279? This was the downfall of Israel on Thursday when they lacked trust in God against Amalek.

God kept calling the people back to His plans for them (Thursday) and to trust Him, just as we have Jesus calling us today in 
Hymn 285 – Jesus Calls Us.

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/4-the-conflict-behind-all-conflicts-singing-with-inspiration/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=4-the-conflict-behind-all-conflicts-singing-with-inspiration