Despite all the evil and darkness that surround us, there is hope. What is hope? Hope is looking forward with confidence that good is going to come out of even our worst situation. From a Biblical perspective hope is based not on the natural, what has been experienced, but on the supernatural, what God has promised. With His promises, we are able to hold on with joy, peace, patience, and anticipation that our present circumstances are just temporary.
Sin, Evil, Death, Dying, and What Happens After
This series addresses an age-old concern that we all have: the concern for sin, evil, death, and what happens after we die. Is there hope after death? When God created us, humans, he intended for us to live forever in a loving relationship with him. But this relationship has been broken by sin.
Here, we address the origin of sin, and we look more closely at death and dying.
But, instead of looking at death negatively, we look at it in the context of hope, the promised hope based on what Jesus did for us when he died and came back to life again.
From the Sabbath School Adult Bible Study Guide 2022 Quarter 4: Sabbath.School
See also Hope Sabbath School and 3ABN Sabbath School
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Inviting God’s Presence
Holy Father, we cling to your promise of deliverance from the evils. Help us keep the faith and endure until. In Jesus Name Amen
From the awful tragedy in the Garden of Eden with Adam and Eve Genesis 3:15, 21 offers us our first glimmer of hope.
Genesis 3:15
15 And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her seed; He shall bruise you on the head, And you shall bruise him on the heel.” (Genesis 3:15)
Genesis 3:21
21 The Lord God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them. (Genesis 3:21)
Genesis 3 provides a narrative of the awful changes that happened after the Fall. Everything changed. Adam and Eve could see the difference between how the world was and what it had become.
At the same time God, in his loving mercy gave Adam and Eve reassurance for the present and hope for the future.
First, God cursed the serpent. The curse of the serpent came with a Messianic promise that offered hope for all humanity. God declared in Genesis 3:15:
“‘And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel’ ” (Genesis 3:15, NKJV).
Now the word “enmity” means hostility. Enmity comes from the Hebrew word “eybah.”
This word implies that there would be a long-lasting cosmic controversy between good and evil. Not only will this battle between good, and evil persist. It indicates that there would also be a personal repulsion to sin. Thus, the word “enmity” indicates that God will put hatred for sin in the mind of us humans.
Because of what our fore parents Adam and Eve done we are fallen human beings.
Therefore, by nature, we are completely fallen according to Ephesians 2:1,5
1 And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, (Ephesians 2:1)
5 even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), (Ephesians 2:5)
Not only that according to Romans 6:20 we are slaves to sin.
20 For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. (Romans 6:20)
What does this say?
Without Jesus, our “spiritual lives” are “dead” We are “slaves to sin.”
But our hope is in Jesus. He gives us new life. The grace that Christ implants in every human life are what creates in us enmity against Satan.
This “enmity,” is a divine gift from Eden. It fills us with hatred for sin and makes us enemies of Satan. This hatred for sin allows us to accept God’s mercy and saving grace.
God’s mercy and saving grace are necessary, for, without them, our lives can’t change. Without their converting power humanity would continue to be captives of Satan, and slaves to him, ever ready to do his bidding.
After making the Messianic promise, the promise of a Savior in Genesis 3:21, the Lord uses an animal offering to demonstrate to Adam and Eve His promise.
21 Also for Adam and his wife the Lord God made tunics of skin, and clothed them. (Genesis 3:21)
This lets Adam and Eve know that the promised one who would redeem them must die for their sins.
As expressed in the Book, Story of Redemption:
“When Adam, according to God’s special directions, made an offering for sin, it was to him a most painful ceremony. His hand must be raised to take life, which God alone could give, and make an offering for sin. It was the first time Adam had witnessed death. As he looked at the bleeding victim, struggling in the agonies of death, he was to look forward by faith to the Son of God, whom the victim prefigured, who was to die man’s sacrifice.”—Ellen G. White, The Story of Redemption, p. 50. Adapted
2 Corinthians 5:21 and Hebrews 9:28 confirms the fulfillment of the First Gospel Promise God made to Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden.
II Corinthians 5:21
21 For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. (II Corinthians 5:21)
Hebrews 9:28
28 so Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. To those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation. (Hebrews 9:28)
So sadly, we see in Genesis 3:19, 22–24 that Adam and Eve are evicted from the Garden of Eden. (Split)
Regrettably, leaving the Garden of Eden, Adam and Eve know they will die someday.
Genesis 3:19
19 In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread till you return to the ground, For out of it you were taken; For dust you are, And to dust you shall return.” (Split)
Genesis 3:22-24
22 Then the Lord God said, “Behold, the man has become like one of Us, to know good and evil. And now, lest he put out his hand and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live forever”—
23 therefore the Lord God sent him out of the garden of Eden to till the ground from which he was taken.
24 So He drove out the man; and He placed cherubim at the east of the garden of Eden, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to guard the way to the tree of life. (Genesis 3:22-24)
Notice that when they leave Eden, they are not wearing fig leaves anymore as in Genesis 3:7.
7 Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves coverings. (Genesis 3:7)
Instead, we find in Genesis 3:21 God, Himself made them clothes from animal skins.
Genesis 3:21
21 Also for Adam and his wife the Lord God made tunics of skin, and clothed them. (Genesis 3:21)
These clothes are a symbol of God’s clothing of righteousness as in Zechariah 3:1–5; and Luke 15:22).
Zechariah 3:1-5
1 Then he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the Angel of the Lord, and Satan standing at his right hand to oppose him.
2 And the Lord said to Satan, “The Lord rebuke you, Satan! The Lord who has chosen Jerusalem rebuke you! Is this not a brand plucked from the fire?”
3 Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments, and was standing before the Angel.
4 Then He answered and spoke to those who stood before Him, saying, “Take away the filthy garments from him.” And to him He said, “See, I have removed your iniquity from you, and I will clothe you with rich robes.”
5 And I said, “Let them put a clean turban on his head.” So they put a clean turban on his head, and they put the clothes on him. And the Angel of the Lord stood by. (Zechariah 3:1-5)
Luke 15:22
22 “But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet. (Luke 15:22)
Hence, from the very beginning, we can see that the gospel, the Good News that Jesus saves us from sin is not new. It had been revealed to humanity far back in the Garden of Eden. Our role in this Good News is to accept Jesus’ death as our sacrifice for sin so that we can be saved. Jesus is your Future Hope!
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