through a glass

1. Lesson 7

2. “The wisdom of this world is foolishness in
God’s sight.
As it is written: ‘He catches the wise in
their craftiness’ ”
1 Corinthians 3:19
Key Text
2

3. “For now we see in a
mirror, dimly, but
then face to face.
Now I know in part,
but then I shall know
just as I also am
known”
(1 Corinthians 13:12)
The psalmist wrote, “The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament shows His
handiwork” (Psalm 19:1). We can find proof of the existence of a Creator in us and in the
nature around us; a Creator who perfectly designed this world. Nevertheless, when we seeing
the predators, the natural disasters that kill thousands in a second, etc… many people doubt
whether that Creator exists or is a kind Creator. The truth is that we can only see the reality
“darkly”. If we want to fully understand the relationship between God and His creation and
how nature reveals Him, we must first understand some concepts.
1. God’s sovereignty.
2. The threefold curse of Earth.
3. Satan’s work.
4. The limitations of human wisdom.
5. The limitations of the general revelation in contrast to
the special one.

4. “The earth is the Lord’s, and all
its fullness, the world and those
who dwell therein. For He has
founded it upon the seas, and
established it upon the waters”
(Psalm 24:1-2)
The Bible states that God created everything
we know. So God is owner and sovereign of
everything.
Satan claims that he is the owner of this world, but
God still is the absolute sovereign.
Nevertheless, He loves us and decided to pay a
ransom for us. He then became our sovereign in
two ways, as Creator and as Redeemer.
“But now, thus says the
Lord, who created you, O
Jacob, and He who formed
you, O Israel: “Fear not, for I
have redeemed you; I have called
you by your name; you are Mine”
(Isaiah 43:1)

5. FIRST CURSE, THORNS AND THISTLES
•“Then to Adam He said, “Because you have heeded the voice of your wife, and
have eaten from the tree of which I commanded you, saying, ‘You shall not eat
of it’: “Cursed is the ground for your sake; in toil you shall eat of it all the days of
your life. Both thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you, and you shall eat
the herb of the field.”” (Genesis 3:17-18)
SECOND CURSE, THE EARTH LOST ITS STRENGTH
•“So now you are cursed from the earth, which has opened its mouth to receive
your brother’s blood from your hand. When you till the ground, it shall no
longer yield its strength to you. A fugitive and a vagabond you shall be on the
earth” (Genesis 4:11-12)
THIRD CURSE, THE FLOOD
•“And the Lord smelled a soothing aroma. Then the Lord said in His heart, “I will
never again curse the ground for man’s sake, although the imagination of man’s
heart is evil from his youth; nor will I again destroy every living thing as I have
done”” (Genesis 8:21)
“When the faithful dead shall be resurrected, and the king of glory shall open before them
the gates of the city of God, and the nations who have kept the truth enter in, what beauty
and glory will meet the astonished sight of those who have seen no greater beauties in the
earth than that which they beheld in decaying nature after the threefold curse was upon
the earth” (E.G.W., Spiritual Gifts, vol.3, p.88)

6. “Then I heard a loud voice saying in
heaven, “Now salvation, and
strength, and the kingdom of our
God, and the power of His Christ
have come, for the accuser of our
brethren, who accused them before
our God day and night, has been
cast down. And they overcame him
by the blood of the Lamb and by the
word of their testimony, and they
did not love their lives to the death.
Therefore rejoice, O heavens, and
you who dwell in them! Woe to the
inhabitants of the earth and the sea!
For the devil has come down to you,
having great wrath, because he
knows that he has a short time.””
(Revelation 12:10-12)

8. “Satan, with all his masterly power, has interposed himself between man and the
law of God, that through falsehood and sophistry he may inspire men with the
same rebellion against God and his law as actuates himself. Those whom he can
not deceive, he hates. He misinterprets their words and actions, and causes the
world to persecute and destroy, in order that earth may hold no soul who is not
in league with the prince of this world and the ruler of its darkness.
E.G.W. (The Signs of the Times, November 14, 1895)
History testifies to the fact
that no man can serve God
without coming in conflict
with the united forces of evil.
The conflict between the
believer and his foes may be
painful and protracted, and at
times the soul may, through
manifold temptations, yield
to the power of the evil one;
but God will not give his
servant up to be the prey of
the destroyer as long as he
cries unto him”

9. “The wise men are ashamed, they
are dismayed and taken.
Behold, they have rejected the word
of the Lord; so what wisdom do
they have?” (Jeremiah 8:9)
“For the Lord gives wisdom; from His mouth
come knowledge and understanding; He
stores up sound wisdom for the upright; He
is a shield to those who walk uprightly; He
guards the paths of justice, and preserves
the way of His saints. Then you will
understand righteousness and justice, equity
and every good path. When wisdom enters
your heart, and knowledge is pleasant to
your soul” (Proverbs 2:6-10)
As humans, we have gained an
incredible amount of knowledge and
information, especially in the last two
hundred years. Knowledge and
information, however, are not
necessarily the same thing as wisdom.
We have also gained a much greater
understanding of the natural world than
our forefathers ever had. A greater
understanding, however, isn’t the same
thing as wisdom either.We may only understand the
world around us when we see it
from the divine perspective.

10. “The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament
shows His handiwork. Day unto day utters speech, and night
unto night reveals knowledge”
(Psalm 19:1-2)
For the believer, the Creation surely speaks of God’s care. Nevertheless, although
the testimony of Creation is strong, its revelation is incomplete because of the
result of sin and the curse after the fall. That’s the reason why God uses a special
revelation through prophets, dreams and visions in addition to that general
revelation. He specially revealed Himself through Jesus Christ, “He who has seen
Me has seen the Father” (John 14:9)

11. “Creation speaks to us of the skill and power of God. In His
goodness God has placed on the earth beautiful flowers and
trees, wonderfully adapted to the countries and the climate in
which they grow. And, though sin has marred the form and
beauty of the things of nature, though on them there may be
seen traces of the work of the prince of the power of the
air, yet they still speak of God, and still reveal some of the
beauty of Eden.
In the heavens above, in the earth, in the broad waters of the
ocean, we see the handiwork of God. All creation testifies of
His power, His wisdom, His love. Yet not from the stars, or
the ocean, or the cataract can we learn of the personality of
God. This Christ came to reveal…
E.G.W. (The upward look, November 16)
Christ came to reveal to a fallen race the love
of God. He, the Light of the world, veiled the
dazzling splendor of the brightness of His
divinity, and came to live on this earth as a
man among men, that they might, without
being consumed, become acquainted with
their Creator. No man has seen God at any
time, except as He is revealed through
Christ”

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