The Lesson study is on pages 1-8 and E. G. White’s Collateral reading is from page 9-18Lesson 2: July 2 – 8 Restoring Dominion*

* Study this week’s lesson to prepare for Sabbath, July 9.

Memory Text: Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” Genesis 1:26

At the Fall our first parents lost more than just their original image of God. “Not only man but the earth also had by sin come under the control of the wicked one, and was to be restored by the plan of Redemption. At his creation, Adam was placed in dominion over the earth. But by yielding to temptation, he was brought under the power of Satan, and the dominion which he held passed to his conqueror. Thus Satan became 'the god of this world.’ He had usurped that dominion over the earth which had been originally given to Adam. But Christ, by His sacrifice paying the penalty of sin, would not only redeem man, but recover the dominion which he had forfeited. All that was lost by the first Adam will be restored by the second.” - Ellen G. White, in Signs of the Times , November 4, 1908 .

No question, after the Fall, human beings lost so much, including the “dominion” that we originally had been given. What was this lost dominion? Though the idea of “dominion” often has negative connotations today, it certainly didn’t back in Eden. What did it mean when humans were first given dominion over the earth? And what can the church do to help people regain some of what was lost after the tragic fall of our first parents in Eden?

Sunday July 3 Created for DominionSomeone recently wrote the following about a friend, an avowed atheist who said

that she sometimes “wakes in the middle of the night, stressing over a bunch of deep questions: ‘Is this world truly the result of an accidental cosmic big bang? How could there be no design, no grand purpose to our existence and to the universe as a whole? Can it be that every life—including my own, my husband’s, my two children’s— is totally irrelevant and meaningless? Does my life have no meaning and purpose?’ ”

After the Fall, humanity lost very much. As the story of the Fall showed, we became alienated not only from God but from each other. Even our relationship toward the earth itself changed. And as the questions asked by the woman above show, we also struggle with knowing who we are and what the purpose of our life is, problems that for many are made much worse by the prevailing idea that our existence resulted only from chance, with no foresight or purpose built in by a Creator God.

What do the following texts teach about the purposes for humanity’s creation? Gen. 1:26–28; And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. 27. So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. 28.  And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth. Ps. 8:3–8; When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained; 4. What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him? 5.  For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honour. 6. Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands; thou hast put all things under his feet : 7. All sheep and oxen, yea, and the beasts of the field; 8. The fowl of the air, and the fish of the sea, and whatsoever passeth through the paths of the seas.

Isa. 43:6, 7. I will say to the north, Give up; and to the south, Keep not back: bring my sons from far, and my daughters from the ends of the earth; 7. Even every one that is called by my name: for I have created him for my glory, I have formed him; yea, I have made him.

A POSSIBLE ANSWER: The purpose of humanity’s creation was to reflect the image or character of God. As such we were to be fruitful, multiply, replenish and subdue the earth, have dominion over all of it. Ultimately, we were created for God’s glory. What does “created for My glory” (Isa. 43:7, NKJV) mean? A POSSIBLE ANSWER: It means that we were created and blessed with all that we are and have to bring glory to God by reflecting His image, growing into maturation, using and cultivating the gifts we are endowed with, developing a Christ-like character and fulfilling our heaven appointed destiny. How does “My [God’s] glory” relate to dominion? A POSSIBLE ANSWER: God’s glory relates to having dominion in that the method and purpose of having dominion is to bring glory to God... Both, possessing dominion and administering that dominion is to bring glory to our Heavenly Benefactor. Hence the purpose, method, outcome of that dominion would reflect the character, will and mind of God.

As we can see in the verses in Genesis, whatever other reasons God had for creating Adam and Eve, they were also created in order to have dominion over the earth (Gen. 1:26–28). Together, reflecting God’s glory and character, the first couple were to be channels through whom He, the One with ultimate glory and dominion (Rev. 1:5, 6) , would nurture, care for, and administer the rest of His earthly creation. Who knows how God’s glory would have been revealed through them and their dominion over the world were it not for the rise of sin?

Now, though, through faith in Jesus, through surrendering our lives to Him in faith and obedience and cooperation, we can say with David: “The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me” (Ps. 138:8, ESV). Knowing that God has a purpose for each of us is a cause for confidence and rejoicing, especially when we are surrendered to Him so that His will can be fulfilled in us. If someone were to ask you, “OK, as a Christian, what do you say that the purpose of your life is?” how would you respond, and why? A POSSIBLE ANSWER: We should say that God’s purpose for our lives is to daily fulfill His will in us, responding to the Holy Spirit’s prompting and that which is the outworking of His providence. We should respond in the light of God’s original purpose for man. Why? Because we were not made for our own self-gratification or narrow/limited ambition... plus, rarely is there a single Divine purpose for anyone that is seen outside His larger ultimate purpose of doing His will. Generally, God’s purpose for us is an outgrowth of the gifts/talents and abilities He has given us plus that which He desires us to participate in (as in meeting a given need/mission) and that which is an outgrowth of His providential guidance... All of which should bring honor and glory to His name.

Monday July 4 The Privilege of DominionWhat is the “dominion” that humans were to have over the earth, as expressed in Genesis 1:26–28? A POSSIBLE ANSWER: The ‘dominion’ that humans were to have over the earth is the delegated right and responsibility to administrate over God’s creation in a manner that is consistent with the God’s character and original purpose.

The biblical word dominion comes from the Hebrew verb radah. This word indicates a right and responsibility to rule. It implies, in this context, a hierarchy of power and authority in which the human race is positioned above the rest of the natural world. While the verb radah, as used in the rest of the Old Testament, does not itself define how this dominion is to be exercised, whether benevolently or malevolently, the context of a sinless and unfallen creation shows that the intent must have been benevolent in nature.

Similar conclusions may be drawn about subduing the earth in Genesis 1:28. The verb subdue, from the Hebrew kavash , also depicts a hierarchical relationship in which

humans are positioned above the earth and are granted power and control over it. Elsewhere in the Old Testament the verb kavash is even more forceful than radah, describing the actual act of subjugation, of forcing another into a subordinate position (Num. 32:22, 29; Jer. 34:11, 16; Esther 7:8; Neh. 5:5). In many of these cases, the abuse of power is obvious and God’s displeasure expressed. But again, taking into consideration the context within the Creation story of a sinless couple created in the image of God to administer the earth, this subduing of the earth can be characterized only as benevolent service to creation on behalf of the Creator. It certainly was not exploitation.

We find an additional dimension to this concept of dominion in Genesis 2:15, where God places Adam in the garden to dress (abad—to work, to serve, to till) and to keep (shamar—to hedge about, guard, protect, attend to, look narrowly, observe, preserve, regard, reserve).

Keeping this in mind, we discover that dominion is caring and loving stewardship or management. Within their relationship with God, our first parents were to have all the resources and authority that they needed to execute their dominion, which would have reflected God’s divine love of His creation.

Though the word dominion today can, and often does, have negative connotations, it certainly didn’t when first expressed in the Bible. What are some principles that we can take from this pre-Fall use of the term and apply to how we relate to whatever or whomever we have “dominion” over? A POSSIBLE ANSWER: 1) Dominion is a joint exercise where the man and the woman were to have the responsibility to carry it out. 2) In its purest form, it was to be carried out without the flaws of our sinful natures... as mankind reflected the image/character of God. 3) Dominion is to be demonstrated in the context of divine accountability. 4) The method and expression of which was an outgrowth of the divine mandate, acquired en-giftedness and consistent with the character of God. 5) In essence, it was stewardship/management expressed in loving service outside oneself on behalf of our Creator. 6) Freedom of the will is not violated and the absence of any abusive conduct is evident. 7) It operates best where it is mutually recognized and accepted...where all entities are responsive to and accountable to the Divine mandate expressed in the original intent of God in Genesis 1:26-28.

Tuesday July 5 BoundariesDoes humanity’s dominion over “all the earth” (Gen. 1:26) indicate that there are

no boundaries to our dominion? Biblical history indicates that dominion (which can also be understood as “stewardship”) must have boundaries.

For example, God told Adam that the tree of knowledge of good and evil was off-limits (see Gen. 2:15–17). The first sin was, then, in the context of stewardship. Adam and Eve overstepped the boundaries that God had set on their dominion. Creation is still suffering from that overstepping of boundaries (see Rom. 8:20–22).

Read Exodus 20:1–17. What kinds of “boundaries” are set there for us in God’s law? A POSSIBLE ANSWER: 4 boundaries relating to how we are to relate to God and 6 boundaries dealing with how we are to relate to our fellow men. ONE: 'You shall have no other gods before Me.' TWO: 'You shall not make for yourself a carved image--any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.' THREE: 'You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain.' FOUR: 'Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.' FIVE: 'Honor your father and your mother.' SIX: 'You shall not murder.' SEVEN: 'You shall not commit adultery.' EIGHT: 'You shall not steal.' NINE: 'You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.' TEN: 'You shall not covet your neighbor's house; you shall not covet your

neighbor's wife, nor his male servant, nor his female servant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that is your neighbor's.' What does the law tell us about the limits of human dominion? A POSSIBLE ANSWER: It tells us our dominion is relative to achieving the overall purpose of God for mankind and is in the context of being accountable to God as owner and humans as stewards. Dominion is circumscribed by the larger principles enunciated in the 10 commandments and God-given individual rights that pertains to our relationship with Him. Its dominion without domination. It is dominion without force, subjugation and disrespect of personhood or property. Our freedom to have dominion must not violate the freedom of others or cause them pain or suffering and death. Lastly, human dominion does not mean complete autonomy, for whenever we go outside the revealed will of God, we suffer fractured relationships, physical loss and spiritual/Moral degradation.

Throughout human history (for example, Pharaoh in Exodus 1–14; Herod in Matthew 2) to the end of time (see Revelation 13), domineering people controlled by Satan are notorious for attempting to dominate that over which they have no rightful control. They imitate Satan, who seized power and made himself “the prince of this world” (John 12:31). Dominion gone awry becomes domination. On the other hand, there are those who refuse to accept control of that over which they need to have dominion (see Matt. 25:14–30, Luke 19:12–27).

Even though sin caused humanity to lose the level of dominion given at Creation, our original dominion was not entirely lost because of sin. There is plenty that is within our current boundaries of responsibility: for example, Christ-enabled self-mastery in our personal lives (see 1 Cor. 9:25–27; Gal. 5:22, 23), and the care of the earth and its creatures and of all that has been given to us by God (see James 1:17, Matt. 25:14–30). We need, as Christians, to understand what our boundaries are and then work to be faithful stewards within those boundaries.

What are some specific boundaries that you need to respect in regard to others, such as family, friends, coworkers? A POSSIBLE ANSWER: Boundaries can be physical, relational/social, emotional/spiritual or financial. Be that as it may, as far as boundaries are concerned, 1) I can respect each person’s need for individuality and existence. Hence, I will not violate the personhood, rights and freedoms of others. 2) I will respect as a boundary that everyone has the right to think and to do. Hence I will not do anything or influence anything that deprives anyone of their God-given right to think and do. 3) I will not force my will on another person who is accountable for their own actions. 4) I will be careful to not permit my liberties and preferences influence others to the extent where I am causing them pain. Here are some examples of boundaries:  I will not allow anyone to physically or verbally abuse me.  I will not knowingly believe or support lies.  I will not allow chemical abuse in my home.  I will not rescue people from the consequences of their irresponsible behavior.  I will not finance a person’s irresponsible behavior.  If you want to act crazy that’s your business, but you can’t do it in front of me. Either you leave or I’ll walk away.  You can spoil your fun, your day, your life – that’s your business – but I won’t let you spoil my fun, my day, or my life. You can’t set a boundary and take care of someone else’s feelings at the same time.

What principles can we use to help us know what those boundaries are (see, for instance, Matt. 7:1, 12)? A POSSIBLE ANSWER: 1) 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' 2) Respect each person’s relationship to God and their right to do what He is telling them to do. 3) Treat others as you know God would have them treat you. 4) Foster that which enables one to demonstrate supreme love to God and un-selfish love to their fellowmen. 5) LOVE according to Ex. 20: 1-17 and 1 Corinthians 13. 6) Dose it align itself with service not servitude, love not lust, solicitation rather than force and giving rather then receiving.

Wednesday July 6 Care of the Earth

“Then the Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to tend and keep it” (Gen. 2:15, NKJV).

15. To dress and to keep it. God, having prepared an abode for man, whom He had created, placed him in this garden home with the definite commission “to dress and to keep it.” This command teaches us that the perfection in which all creation came forth from God’s hands did not exclude the need of cultivation, that is, of human labor. Man had to use his physical and mental faculties to preserve the garden in the same perfect state in which he had received it. The fact that physical labor will be a delightful feature of life in the new earth (Isa. 65:21–23) indicates that work was not intended to be a curse.

The commission given to Adam “to keep” the garden may perhaps be a veiled hint that dangers threatened to wrest it from him should he not be watchful. The verb “to keep,” shamar, means “to guard,” “to watch,” “to preserve,” “to observe,” and “to hold fast.” It is certainly unreasonable to think that Adam was asked to guard the garden against attacks of wild beasts, as some commentators have interpreted this text. No enmity existed on earth before the Fall, either among the animals themselves or between man and beast. Fear and enmity are the results of sin. But another and very real danger threatened to snatch from man his rulership over the earth and his possession of the garden. On the other hand, “to keep” the garden may simply be synonymous with “to dress” it.

We have the assurance that God does nothing affecting man without first informing him with regard to His intentions (Amos 3:7). If God, who does only that which is beneficial for man, deems it necessary to inform us of His purposes, it is certain that He must have kept Adam informed of the danger threatening this earth (PP 36, 52, 53).

What principles, if any, can we take from this text that should influence how we relate to our planet in terms of taking care of it? A POSSIBLE ANSWER: 1) while, the planet was given to us in a state of perfection, it was our responsibility as stewards to maintain its perfect condition. 2) the perfection in which all creation came forth from God’s hands did not exclude the need of cultivation, that is, of human labor. 3) The commission given to Adam “to keep” the garden may perhaps be a veiled hint that dangers threatened to wrest it from him should he not be watchful... a very real danger threatened to snatch from man his ruler-ship over the earth and his possession of the garden. 4) We are to draw on our capabilities and endowments as we dress/ rearrange that which we deem an expression of our personal options. 5) Ecology is a moral and ethical responsibility as it relates to the care of or exploitation of the earth.

Before sin, Adam and Eve had been delegated stewardship over all that God had entrusted to them. They had mastery over plant and animal life. Yet, after sin, all of nature seemed to rebel against them to the same extent that they had rebelled against God. Human beings began to see themselves as powerless in the face of the elements (weather, agriculture, the animal kingdom).

“Among the lower creatures Adam had stood as king, and so long as he remained loyal to God, all nature acknowledged his rule; but when he transgressed, this dominion was forfeited. The spirit of rebellion, to which he himself had given entrance, extended throughout the animal creation. Thus not only the life of man, but the nature of the beasts, the trees of the forest, the grass of the field, the very air he breathed, all told the sad lesson of the knowledge of evil.”—Ellen G. White, Education, pp. 26, 27.

Today we are still ravaged by natural disasters and our deteriorating ecosystem, at least in some places. Thus, we make great efforts to use technology and industry to protect ourselves. However, though technology and industry may help us protect ourselves, sometimes the same technology can damage our planet. Ecology is a moral, ethical, and theological issue, especially when exploitation of the earth can lead to great hardship for others.

“Seventh-day Adventists advocate a simple, wholesome lifestyle, where people do not step on the treadmill of unbridled consumerism, goods-getting, and production of waste. We call for respect of creation, restraint in the use of the world’s resources, reevaluation of one’s needs, and reaffirmation of the dignity of created life.”—In “Official Statement of the Seventh-day Adventist Church on Environment,” 1995.

How do we strike the right balance in our attitude toward the earth: being good stewards of the home we have been given while at the same time avoiding the danger of making the earth and the environment gods whom we all but worship? A POSSIBLE ANSWER: We can strike the right balance by remembering that... A) All that is on the earth was created to bring glory to the creator. B) We are to care for the earth and its contents as an expression of faithful stewardship and our adoring/worship of Him who made it. C) We are at the highest form of creation on earth and everything on it is to be subject unto us. D) The creature and the created is to be cared for but not to be worshiped. What warning might Romans 1:25 have for us here? A POSSIBLE ANSWER: The warning to permit only the truth of God’s Word to mold our relationship with Him and His creation while being sure to not take our eyes of our Creator or have undue veneration for anything created.

Thursday July 7 Restoring “Dominion”Through the Fall we as humans have lost very much, including the kind of

dominion that our first parents were privileged to have in Eden. Christ came in order to restore to us what we lost.

And because of what Christ has done for us, we, too, have been called by God to reach out to others, helping them regain in Christ the salvation and dominion lost at the Fall that He has given back to us. Though this process will not be complete until the second coming of Jesus and beyond, there’s much that we can do now in reaching out to those who are needy, lost, and overwhelmed by the world. We can be used by God to help start that restoration even now, as we reach out and help those in need. What do the following texts each say that can be applied to helping others regain some of the “dominion” lost through sin? Deut. 15:7–12 If there be among you a poor man of one of thy brethren within any of thy gates in thy land which the LORD thy God giveth thee, thou shalt not harden thine heart, nor shut thine hand from thy poor brother: 8.  But thou shalt open thine hand wide unto him, and shalt surely lend him sufficient for his need, in that which he wanteth. 9. Beware that there be not a thought in thy wicked heart, saying, The seventh year, the year of release, is at hand; and thine eye be evil against thy poor brother, and thou givest him nought; and he cry unto the LORD against thee, and it be sin unto thee. 10. Thou shalt surely give him, and thine heart shall not be grieved when thou givest unto him: because that for this thing the LORD thy God shall bless thee in all thy works, and in all that thou puttest thine hand unto. 11. For the poor shall never cease out of the land: therefore I command thee, saying, Thou shalt open thine hand wide unto thy brother, to thy poor, and to thy needy, in thy land. 12. And if thy brother, an Hebrew man, or an Hebrew woman, be sold unto thee, and serve thee six years; then in the seventh year thou shalt let him go free from thee.

7. A poor man. Literally, “a needy one.” Poverty always seems to exist (Deut. 15:11; Matt. 26:11); yet much can be done to reduce it and to alleviate the suffering that accompanies it. So long as there is a diversity of talents among men there will always be some in need of help. Members of the church could do much more for those less fortunate about them, and yet not do less by way of public evangelism. Thy gates. Or, “your towns” (RSV; see ch. 12:12). Shut thine hand. The verb here translated “shut” also means “to withdraw.” It is as if a man placed his hands in his pockets, or behind his back, refusing to extend them forward in a gesture of generosity. In 1 John 3:17 the apostle John comments literally, “whoever may possess the means of life of this world, and should see his brother having need, and should shut up his bowels from him, how abides the love of God in that one?” The anticipated answer is that divine love cannot abide in the heart of such a person. 8. Open thine hand wide. A word picture of a bountiful spirit. The Hebrew form is emphatic, “opening thou shalt open thy hand to him.” Compare the words of Christ (Matt. 5:42; Luke 6:30–34). One of the hardest lessons for many to learn is that selfishness is self-defeating.1

A POSSIBLE ANSWER: We can help others regain some of the “dominion” that was lost by freely and liberally lending to them that which they need without considering ways to get out of it.

1 Nichol, F. D. (Ed.). (1978). The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary (Vol. 1, p. 1005). Review and Herald Publishing Association.

Luke 14:12–14 Then said he also to him that bade him, When thou makest a dinner or a supper, call not thy friends, nor thy brethren, neither thy kinsmen, nor thy rich neighbours; lest they also bid thee again, and a recompence be made thee. 13. But when thou makest a feast, call the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind: 14. And thou shalt be blessed; for they cannot recompense thee: for thou shalt be recompensed at the resurrection of the just. A POSSIBLE ANSWER: What is being said here is.... “Do not be in the habit of always inviting only your friends.” Jesus does not exclude the entertainment of friends, but rather warns against the selfish motives that lead many to entertain only those from whom they expect similar courtesies. Jesus encourages hospitality on the basis of genuine interest in the needs of our fellow men—perhaps the need for food, perhaps the need for friendship. He points out that this kind of hospitality, though not returned in the present life, will be rewarded in the life to come.

1 Pet. 3:15 But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:

15. Sanctify. Or, “reverence,” “consecrate.” The first part of v. 15 is a quotation from Isa. 8:13. The Lord God. Textual evidence favors (cf. p. 10) the reading “the Lord,” that is, the Christ. This reading identifies “the Lord”—Yahweh—of Isaiah’s text (ch. 8:13) with Jesus Christ. For a discussion of Christ’s divine nature see Vol. V, p. 917. In your hearts. The presence of Jesus Christ as a hallowed Friend and Keeper ensures the believer of a stabilizing buoyancy that never fails. See on Gal. 2:20. Answer. Gr. apologia, “defense” (see on 1 Cor. 9:3). Intelligent men should be able to give reasons for what they believe and practice. Reason of the hope. Or, “an account concerning the hope.” The Christian hope centers in Jesus Christ (1 Tim. 1:1) and is a cause for rejoicing (Rom. 5:2; Rom. 12:12) because it promises eternal life (Titus 1:2; Titus 3:7). A diligent, never-ending program of study to understand the will of God is the believers’ only road of character improvement. We are to “grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 3:18; see Eph. 4:13; Phil. 1:9; Col. 1:9, 10; see on Eph. 1:17). Honest men are entitled to expect church members to be able to present their convictions in an intelligent, convincing manner. In fact, church members must be prepared to meet the challenges of the world’s keenest minds. Truth is reasonable and is never afraid of the facts. In you. We must understand the truth ourselves before we can impart it to others. Furthermore, as Christians apprehend more and more of the truth as it is in Jesus Christ, their way of life will increasingly reflect the character of their Lord. The principles of Christianity must be worked out in our lives if our testimony to the truth is to be effective. More often than not a church is judged, not on the basis of its theology or the sermons delivered by its ministry, but by the spontaneous witness of the church members in word and in deed. Meekness. Or, “gentleness.” Truth may be rejected if it is communicated in a superior, argumentative manner. The object of truth is to make men Christlike, but if truth is not presented in a Christlike manner it loses its attractiveness. Fear. That is, fear of God (see on Ps. 19:9).

A POSSIBLE ANSWER: A diligent, never-ending program of study to understand the will of God is the believers’ only road of character improvement. We are to “grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 3:18; see Eph. 4:13; Phil. 1:9; Col. 1:9, 10; see on Eph. 1:17). Honest men are entitled to expect church members to be able to present their convictions in an intelligent, convincing manner. In fact, church members must be prepared to meet the challenges of the world’s keenest minds.

James 1:27 Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.

27. Pure. See on Matt. 5:8. Religion. Gr. thrēskeia, religion, especially as it expresses itself in religious worship. However, the apostle does not here define “true religion,” but points to the fact that the outward evidence naturally accompanies the true heart experience. This is not a description of the whole of religion, but of only two pertinent examples of the genuine religious spirit that leads to such acts. See on Micah 6:8. Undefiled. The Pharisees relied on the forms of ritual righteousness to keep themselves undefiled, but they were full of moral defilement within (see on Mark 7:1–23). James here points to a far superior type of outward evidence of “pure religion.” God and the Father. Or, “God even the Father,” that is, “God the Father.” True religion teaches us to do everything as if we were in the presence of God. Furthermore, God knows the motives as well as the actions (see on Matt. 6:1–18). Even the performance of the good works here mentioned is not evidence of “pure religion and undefiled” unless the works are prompted by right motives. Many give to charity only to enhance their standing in the eyes of their fellow men, or perhaps with their eyes only upon their income tax deductions. To visit. Gr. episkeptomai, “to visit,” with the idea of looking after. The related noun, episkopos, is translated “overseer,” or “bishop” (see on Acts 11:30). The “bishop,” or “elder,” should be an example to all the believers in practicing “pure religion” as here defined, thus revealing a heart filled with the love of God (see on Ps. 68:5). Fatherless. Gr. orphanoi, “orphans” (cf. on John 14:18). Widows. James’s readers doubtless knew well of the contemporary practices of the Pharisees, who took advantage of widows (see on Matt. 23:14). Orphans and widows need the comfort and encouragement of

interested friends, not merely financial support. Keep himself. Exerting the true power of the will, the Christian endeavors to serve God, at the same time praying and depending wholly on Him (see John 17:15; Jude 24). Success in the Christian life comes only to him who unites human effort with the omnipotent power of God. Unspotted. Gr. aspilon, “without moral blemish” (see 1 Tim. 6:14). World. As it now exists, the “world” is synonymous with evil principles and practices that are contrary to the will of God (see John 17:14–16). The truly converted church member will avoid any thought or deed that allows the filth of the “world” to stain him.A POSSIBLE ANSWER: We can help others regain some of the “dominion” lost through sin by caring for those who are marginal and by cooperating with God by living an exemplary life free of moral blemishes. A The truly converted church member should feel the responsibility to avoid any thought or deed that allows the filth of the “world” to stain him.

Isa. 58:7 Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house? when thou seest the naked, that thou cover him; and that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh?A POSSIBLE ANSWER: True religion is practical. To be sure, it includes the rites and ceremonies of the church, but it is in the life lived before one’s fellows that the presence or absence of true religion is manifest. Hence, it is not so much a matter of abstaining from food as it is of sharing food with the hungry that ’dominion’ is possibly regained. Practical godliness is the only kind of religion recognized at the judgment bar of God (Matt. 25:34–46).

2 Thess. 3:10 For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat.

We commanded you. The range of instruction given by Paul to the Thessalonians is amazing. In the short time he was with them he seems to have covered every vital topic, and to have turned his teaching to their immediate needs. Consequently, when absent from them, he was able to refer to the verbal commands he had given. Would not work. Or, “is not willing to work.” Paul is evidently referring to those who, anticipating the immediate return of Christ, were refusing to engage in normal labor, holding that it was unnecessary in view of the second coming. Neither should he eat. The apostle succinctly opposes the reasoning of the fanatics with a terse saying that may have been current in his time or original with himself. His dictum also has present value. Work is a blessing; idleness, a curse (see DA 72; COL 359). God supplies food for the animals, but they have to search for it. Adam was told “in the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread” (Gen. 3:19). The Saviour Himself, as “the carpenter,” set us a worthy example (Mark 6:3). The Christian is to do everything in his power to keep from being a charge upon others. He should work so that, in addition to supporting himself, he is able to help the needy (Eph. 4:28).

A POSSIBLE ANSWER: Especially in the light of the eminent return of Christ ‘dominion’ is enhanced as we teach and practice the principle of supporting ourselves and be able to help others at the same time.

As a church body there’s much that we can do, that we must do, that we have been called to do, to reach out to those in need. Sometimes it’s as basic as providing food, clothes, or shelter to someone in urgent need. Even though giving relief is necessary, something beyond giving relief is needed to help people restore dominion in their lives.

SUMMARY: Though we must always be ready to give a reason for the hope that is in us, we must, when and where we can, meet their physical needs and point them to a better way of life. Though each situation is different and the needs are different, we have been called by God to be a light and a source of healing and hope in our communities. This is an essential part of what it means to be a witness to the world of the loving and saving God whom we serve. We must do all that we can, in the Lord’s strength, to be a beacon of light and hope to those in need. As Christians, we can’t do less. As we fulfill this role of service, we are helping them learn what God is like. And, too, by ministering to their physical needs, we are paving the way for their hearts to be reached by the Holy Spirit. This is what Jesus did, and this is what we are called to do as well.

Friday July 8 Further Thought:

Read Ellen G. White, “Temperance and Dietetics,” pp. 202–206; “Discipline,” pp. 287–290, in Education; “Need for Self- Mastery,” pp. 73, 74, in Counsels on Diet and Foods; “The Principles of Stewardship,” pp. 111–113; “Sharing in the Joys of the Redeemed,” pp. 348–350, in Counsels on Stewardship.

It’s so hard from our perspective today, immersed as we are in a greatly fallen world, to imagine what we have lost through the Fall. This evil world is all that we know, and were it not for the Word of God and how it reveals to us our origins and the origins of sin and death and evil, we’d simply take them for granted, as just part of life itself. Yet the story of the Fall shows us that, indeed, this is not how things were to be. Genesis said that Adam and Eve were to have dominion over the world; then, right after they sinned, suddenly their relationship to the world changed because they changed, and the physical world itself changed as well. Suddenly the dominion they had enjoyed was lost, and the consequences became enormous. “The thorn and the thistle (Gen. 3:17, 18), the aftermath of the Flood (Gen. 7:12), the desert and the wilderness, the groaning of the earth for deliverance (Rom. 8:19–22) are some of the word pictures the Bible uses to

describe the effect of sin upon the world.” Handbook of Seventh-day Adventist Theology

(Hagerstown, Md.: Review and Herald

Pub. Assn.),vol.12, p. 254. How thankful we should

be for the plan of salvation, which will restore all that was lost and which offers us the promise of a future so much better than the past or the present.

Discussion Questions:

1. Though the immediate context of these texts (Exod. 23:10–12; Deut. 11:11, 12; 20:19, 20) doesn’t have to do with ecology as understood today, what principles could one take from them that could help us understand our need to be good stewards of the environment? Also, how do we know if and when we have crossed the line from being a steward of the environment to being a worshiper of it? 2. Think about the natural world as we know it now. Is it a friend or a foe, and how can you justify your answer? 3. Discuss the question asked at the end of Sunday’s study about the meaning and purpose of human life. What answer would you give to someone who asked you that question? How should our answers differ from those who don’t believe in God or salvation? 4. How can we reclaim the word dominion in a way that helps restore its original meaning? That is, how was dominion at first a good thing? How can it be today as well?

------------------------

Sabbath AfternoonEllen G. White, in Signs of the Times, November 4, 1908.

The Plan of Redemption - When Sin EnteredThe fall of man filled all heaven with sorrow. The world that God had made was blighted with the

curse of sin and inhabited by beings doomed to misery and death. There appeared no escape for those who had transgressed the law. Angels ceased their songs of praise. Throughout the heavenly courts there was mourning for the ruin that sin had wrought.

The Son of God, heaven's glorious Commander, was touched with pity for the fallen race. His heart was moved with infinite compassion as the woes of the lost world rose up before Him. But divine love had conceived a plan whereby man might be redeemed. The broken law of God demanded the life of the sinner. In all the universe there was but One who could, in behalf of man, satisfy its claims. Since the divine law is as sacred as God Himself, only one equal with God could make atonement for its transgression. None but Christ could redeem fallen man from the curse of the law, and bring him again into harmony with Heaven. Christ would take upon Himself the guilt and shame of sin—sin so offensive to a holy God that it must separate the Father and the Son. Christ would reach to the depths of misery to rescue the ruined race.

Before the Father He pleaded in the sinner's behalf, while the host of heaven awaited the result with an intensity of interest that words cannot express. Long continued was that mysterious communing—“the counsel of peace”—for the fallen sons of men. The plan of salvation had been laid before the creation of the earth; for Christ is a lamb “foreordained before the foundation of the world”; yet it was a struggle, even with the King of the universe, to yield up His Son to die for the guilty race. But “God so

loved the world, that He gave His only-begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” O, the mystery of redemption! the love of God for a world that did not love Him! Who can know the depths of that love which “passeth knowledge”? Through endless ages, immortal minds, seeking to comprehend the mystery of that incomprehensible love, will wonder and adore.

The plan by which alone man's salvation could be secured involved all heaven in its infinite sacrifice. The angels could not rejoice as Christ opened before them the plan of redemption; for man's salvation must cost their loved Commander unutterable woe. With what wonder and grief did they listen to His words as He told them how He must descend from heaven's purity and peace, its joy and glory and immortal life, and come in contact with the degradation of earth, to endure its sorrow, shame, and death. He would appear upon earth and humble Himself as a man, and by his own experience become acquainted with the sorrows and temptations which man would have to endure. All this would be necessary in order that He might succor those who should be tempted. He must be delivered into the hands of wicked men, and be subjected to every insult and torture that Satan could inspire them to inflict. He must die the cruelest of deaths, lifted up between the heavens and the earth as a guilty sinner. He must endure anguish of soul, the hiding of His Father's face, while the guilt of transgression—the weight of the sins of the whole world—should be upon Him.

How gladly would the angels have given themselves to die in place of their Commander if the sacrifice could have been accepted in behalf of man! But only He who created man had power to redeem him; yet the angels were to have a part to act in the plan of redemption. Christ was to be made “a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death.” As He should take human nature upon Him, they were to minister to Him in His sufferings. They were also to be ministering spirits sent forth to minister for those who should be heirs of salvation. They would guard the subjects of grace from the power of evil angels, and from the darkness thrown around them by Satan.By His death, Christ would ransom many, and would destroy him who had the power of death. He would recover the kingdom which man had lost, and the redeemed were to inherit it with Him, and dwell therein forever. Sin and sinners would be blotted out, never more to disturb the peace of heaven or earth.

What wonder that joy, inexpressible joy, filled heaven! The glory and blessedness of a world renewed outmeasured even the anguish and sacrifice of the Prince of Life. Through the celestial courts echoed the first strains of that song which was to ring out above the hills of Bethlehem—“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good-will toward men.” With a deeper gladness now than in the rapture of the new creation, “the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy.”

The First Promise of SalvationTo man the first intimation of redemption was communicated in the sentence pronounced upon Satan in the garden. The Lord declared, “I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.” This sentence, uttered in the hearing of our first parents, was to them a promise. While it foretold war between man and Satan, it declared that the power of the great adversary would finally be broken. Adam and Eve stood as criminals before the righteous Judge, awaiting the sentence which transgression had incurred; but before they heard of the life of toil and sorrow which must be their portion, or of the decree that they must return to dust, they listened to words that could not fail to give them hope. Though they must suffer from the power of their mighty foe, they could look forward to final victory.

A Complete RestorationNot only man but the earth also had by sin come under the control of the wicked one, and was to be restored by the plan of redemption. At his creation, Adam was placed in dominion over the earth. But by yielding to temptation, he was brought under the power of Satan, and the dominion which he held passed to his conqueror. Thus Satan became “the god of this world.” He had usurped that dominion over the earth which had been originally given to Adam. But Christ, by His sacrifice paying the penalty of sin, would not only redeem man, but recover the dominion which he had forfeited. All that was lost by the first Adam will be restored by the second. The prophet says, “O Tower of the flock, the stronghold of the daughter of Zion, unto Thee shall it come, even the first dominion.” And the apostle Paul points forward to the “redemption of the purchased possession.” God created the earth to be the abode of holy, happy beings. That purpose will be fulfilled when, renewed by the power of God, and freed from sin and sorrow, it shall become the eternal abode of the redeemed. “And there shall be no more curse; but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and His servants shall serve Him.”The sacrificial offerings were ordained by God to be to man a perpetual reminder and a penitential acknowledgment of his sin, and a profession of his faith in the promised Redeemer. They were intended to impress upon the fallen race the solemn truth that death is the result of sin, the transgression of the law of God. To Adam the offering of the first sacrifice was a most painful ceremony. His hand must be raised to take life, which God alone could give. It was the first time he had ever witnessed death, and he knew that had he been obedient to God, there would have been no death of man or beast. As he slew the innocent

victim, he trembled at the thought that his sin must shed the blood of the spotless Lamb of God. This scene gave him a deeper and more vivid sense of the greatness of his transgression, which nothing but the death of God's dear Son could expiate. And he marveled at the infinite goodness that would give such a ransom to save the guilty. A star of hope illumined the dark and terrible future, and relieved it of its utter desolation.

The Law the Point of IssueFrom the first, the great controversy had been upon the law of God. Satan had sought to prove that God was unjust, and that His law was faulty, and that the good of the universe required it to be changed. In attacking the law, he aimed to overthrow the authority of its Author. In the controversy it was to be shown whether the divine statutes were defective and subject to change, or perfect and immutable.When Satan was thrust out of heaven, he determined to make the earth his kingdom. When he had tempted and overcome Adam and Eve, he claimed that by virtue of this conquest, the fallen race were his rightful subjects, and the world was his. By sin the human race had been alienated from God, they were brought into sympathy with Satan, and were ready to unite with him in rebellion against God's law. Christ undertook to redeem man and rescue the world from the grasp of Satan.The law of God could not be set aside even to save lost man. The well-being of the universe demanded that the divine government should be maintained. But in His infinite love and mercy, the Creator sacrificed Himself. In His Son, God Himself bore the penalty of transgression, “that He might be just, and the justifier of him that believeth in Jesus.” Thus man, redeemed from Satan's power, and brought again into harmony with God, might be restored to “the first dominion.” In this world the great controversy was to be decided. The plan of redemption was to be wrought out on the very field that Satan claimed as his.

Wednesday – Care of the EarthEllen G. White, Education, pp. 23-27.

Though created innocent and holy, our first parents were not placed beyond the possibility of wrong-doing. God might have created them without the power to transgress His requirements, but in that case there could have been no development of character; their service would not have been voluntary, but forced. Therefore He gave them the power of choice--the power to yield or to withhold obedience. And before they could receive in fullness the blessings He desired to impart, their love and loyalty must be tested.

In the Garden of Eden was the "tree of knowledge of good and evil. . . . And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat." Genesis 2:9-17. It was the will of God that Adam and Eve should not know evil. The knowledge of good had been freely given them; but the knowledge of evil,--of sin and its results, of wearing toil, of anxious care, of disappointment and grief, of pain and death,--this was in love withheld.

While God was seeking man's good, Satan was seeking his ruin. When Eve, disregarding the Lord's admonition concerning the forbidden tree, ventured to approach it, she came in contact with her foe. Her interest and curiosity having been awakened, Satan proceeded to deny God's word, and to insinuate distrust of His wisdom and goodness. To the woman's statement concerning the tree of knowledge, "God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die," the tempter made answer, "Ye shall not surely die: for God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil." Genesis 3:3-5.

Satan desired to make it appear that this knowledge of good mingled with evil would be a blessing, and that in forbidding them to take of the fruit of the tree, God was withholding great good. He urged that it was because of its wonderful properties for imparting wisdom and power that God had forbidden them to taste it, that He was thus seeking to prevent them from reaching a nobler development and finding greater happiness. He declared that he himself had eaten of the forbidden fruit, and as a result had acquired the power of speech; and that if they also would eat of it, they would attain to a more exalted sphere of existence and enter a broader field of knowledge.While Satan claimed to have received great good by eating of the forbidden tree, he did not let it appear that by transgression he had become an outcast from heaven. Here was falsehood, so concealed under a covering of apparent truth that Eve, infatuated, flattered, beguiled, did not discern the deception. She coveted what God had forbidden; she distrusted His wisdom. She cast away faith, the key of knowledge.

When Eve saw "that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat." It was grateful to the taste, and, as she ate, she seemed to feel a vivifying power, and imagined herself entering upon a higher state of existence. Having herself transgressed, she became a tempter to her husband, "and he did eat." Genesis 3:6. "Your eyes shall be opened," the enemy had said; "ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil." Genesis 3:5. Their eyes were indeed opened; but how sad the opening! The knowledge of evil, the curse of sin, was all that the transgressors gained. There was nothing poisonous in the fruit itself, and the sin was

not merely in yielding to appetite. It was distrust of God's goodness, disbelief of His word, and rejection of His authority, that made our first parents transgressors, and that brought into the world a knowledge of evil. It was this that opened the door to every species of falsehood and error.

Man lost all because he chose to listen to the deceiver rather than to Him who is Truth, who alone has understanding. By the mingling of evil with good, his mind had become confused, his mental and spiritual powers benumbed. No longer could he appreciate the good that God had so freely bestowed. Adam and Eve had chosen the knowledge of evil, and if they ever regained the position they had lost they must regain it under the unfavorable conditions they had brought upon themselves. No longer were they to dwell in Eden, for in its perfection it could not teach them the lessons which it was now essential for them to learn. In unutterable sadness they bade farewell to their beautiful surroundings and went forth to dwell upon the earth, where rested the curse of sin.

To Adam God had said: "Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life; thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field; in the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return." Genesis 3:17-19.

Although the earth was blighted with the curse, nature was still to be man's lesson book. It could not now represent goodness only; for evil was everywhere present, marring earth and sea and air with its defiling touch. Where once was written only the character of God, the knowledge of good, was now written also the character of Satan, the knowledge of evil. From nature, which now revealed the knowledge of good and evil, man was continually to receive warning as to the results of sin. In drooping flower and falling leaf Adam and his companion witnessed the first signs of decay. Vividly was brought to their minds the stern fact that every living thing must die. Even the air, upon which their life depended, bore the seeds of death.

Continually they were reminded also of their lost dominion. Among the lower creatures Adam had stood as king, and so long as he remained loyal to God, all nature acknowledged his rule; but when he transgressed, this dominion was forfeited. The spirit of rebellion, to which he himself had given entrance, extended throughout the animal creation. Thus not only the life of man, but the nature of the beasts, the trees of the forest, the grass of the field, the very air he breathed, all told the sad lesson of the knowledge of evil.

But man was not abandoned to the results of the evil he had chosen. In the sentence pronounced upon Satan was given an intimation of redemption. "I will put enmity between thee and the woman," God said, "and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel." Genesis 3:15. This sentence, spoken in the hearing of our first parents, was to them a promise. Before they heard of the thorn and the thistle, of the toil and sorrow that must be their portion, or of the dust to which they must return, they listened to words that could not fail of giving them hope. All that had been lost by yielding to Satan could be regained through Christ.

This intimation also nature repeats to us. Though marred by sin, it speaks not only of creation but of redemption. Though the earth bears testimony to the curse in the evident signs of decay, it is still rich and beautiful in the tokens of life-giving power. The trees cast off their leaves, only to be robed with fresher verdure; the flowers die, to spring forth in new beauty; and in every manifestation of creative power is held out the assurance that we may be created anew in "righteousness and holiness of truth." Ephesians 4:24, margin. Thus the very objects and operations of nature that bring so vividly to mind our great loss become to us the messengers of hope. As far as evil extends, the voice of our Father is heard, bidding His children see in its results the nature of sin, warning them to forsake the evil, and inviting them to receive the good.

Friday: Further ThoughtEllen G. White, “Temperance and Dietetics,” in Education, pp. 202–206;

Chapter 22 - Temperance and DieteticsDiet and Mental DevelopmentEvery student needs to understand the relation between plain living and high thinking. It rests with us individually to decide whether our lives shall be controlled by the mind or by the body. The youth must, each for himself, make the choice that shapes his life; and no pains should be spared that he may understand the forces with which he has to deal, and the influences which mold character and destiny.

Intemperance is a foe against which all need to be guarded. The rapid increase of this terrible evil should arouse every lover of his race to warfare against it. The practice of giving instruction on temperance topics in the schools is a move in the right direction. Instruction in this line should be given in every school and in every home. The youth and children should understand the effect of alcohol, tobacco, and other like poisons in breaking down the body, beclouding the mind, and sensualizing the soul. It should be made plain that no one who uses these things can long possess the full strength of his physical, mental,

or moral faculties.But in order to reach the root of intemperance we must go deeper than the use of alcohol or

tobacco. Idleness, lack of aim, or evil associations, may be the predisposing cause. Often it is found at the home table, in families that account themselves strictly temperate. Anything that disorders digestion, that creates undue mental excitement, or in any way enfeebles the system, disturbing the balance of the mental and the physical powers, weakens the control of the mind over the body, and thus tends toward intemperance. The downfall of many a promising youth might be traced to unnatural appetites created by an unwholesome diet.

Tea and coffee, condiments, confectionery, and pastries are all active causes of indigestion. Flesh food also is harmful. Its naturally stimulating effect should be a sufficient argument against its use; and the almost universally diseased condition of animals makes it doubly objectionable. It tends to irritate the nerves and to excite the passions, thus giving the balance of power to the lower propensities.

Those who accustom themselves to a rich, stimulating diet, find after a time that the stomach is not satisfied with simple food. It demands that which is more and more highly seasoned, pungent, and stimulating. As the nerves become disordered and the system weakened, the will seems powerless to resist the unnatural craving. The delicate coating of the stomach becomes irritated and inflamed until the most stimulating food fails of giving relief. A thirst is created that nothing but strong drink will quench.

It is the beginnings of evil that should be guarded against. In the instruction of the youth the effect of apparently small deviations from the right should be made very plain. Let the student be taught the value of a simple, healthful diet in preventing the desire for unnatural stimulants. Let the habit of self-control be early established. Let the youth be impressed with the thought that they are to be masters, and not slaves. Of the kingdom within them God has made them rulers, and they are to exercise their Heaven-appointed kingship. When such instruction is faithfully given, the results will extend far beyond the youth themselves. Influences will reach out that will save thousands of men and women who are on the very brink of ruin.

Diet and Mental DevelopmentThe relation of diet to intellectual development should be given far more attention than it has received. Mental confusion and dullness are often the result of errors in diet. It is frequently urged that, in the selection of food, appetite is a safe guide. If the laws of health had always been obeyed, this would be true. But through wrong habits, continued from generation to generation, appetite has become so perverted that it is constantly craving some hurtful gratification. As a guide it cannot now be trusted.

In the study of hygiene, students should be taught the nutrient value of different foods. The effect of a concentrated and stimulating diet, also of foods deficient in the elements of nutrition, should be made plain. Tea and coffee, fine-flour bread, pickles, coarse vegetables, candies, condiments, and pastries fail of supplying proper nutriment. Many a student has broken down as the result of using such foods. Many a puny child, incapable of vigorous effort of mind or body, is the victim of an impoverished diet. Grains, fruits, nuts, and vegetables, in proper combination, contain all the elements of nutrition; and when properly prepared, they constitute the diet that best promotes both physical and mental strength.

There is need to consider not only the properties of the food but its adaptation to the eater. Often food that can be eaten freely by persons engaged in physical labor must be avoided by those whose work is chiefly mental. Attention should be given also to the proper combination of foods. By brain workers and others of sedentary pursuits, but few kinds should be taken at a meal.And overeating, even of the most wholesome food, is to be guarded against. Nature can use no more than is required for building up the various organs of the body, and excess clogs the system. Many a student is supposed to have broken down from overstudy, when the real cause was overeating. While proper attention is given to the laws of health, there is little danger from mental taxation; but in many cases of so-called mental failure it is the overcrowding of the stomach that wearies the body and weakens the mind.

In most cases two meals a day are preferable to three. Supper, when taken at an early hour, interferes with the digestion of the previous meal. When taken later, it is not itself digested before bedtime. Thus the stomach fails of securing proper rest. The sleep is disturbed, the brain and nerves are wearied, the appetite for breakfast is impaired, the whole system is unrefreshed and is unready for the day's duties.

The importance of regularity in the time for eating and sleeping should not be overlooked. Since the work of building up the body takes place during the hours of rest, it is essential, especially in youth, that sleep should be regular and abundant. So far as possible we should avoid hurried eating. The shorter the time for a meal, the less should be eaten. It is better to omit a meal than to eat without proper mastication.

Mealtime should be a season for social intercourse and refreshment. Everything that can burden or irritate should be banished. Let trust and kindliness and gratitude to the Giver of all good be cherished, and the conversation will be cheerful, a pleasant flow of thought that will uplift without wearying.

The observance of temperance and regularity in all things has a wonderful power. It will do more than circumstances or natural endowments in promoting that sweetness and serenity of disposition which count so much in smoothing life's pathway. At the same time the power of self-control thus acquired will be found one of the most valuable of equipments for grappling successfully with the stern duties and realities that await every human being.Wisdom's "ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace." Proverbs 3:17. Let every youth in our land, with the possibilities before him of a destiny higher than that of crowned kings, ponder the lesson conveyed in the words of the wise man, "Blessed art thou, O land, when ... thy princes eat in due season, for strength, and not for drunkenness!" Ecclesiastes 10:17.

Ellen G. White, “Discipline,” in Education pp. 287–290.Chapter 34 - Discipline

One of the first lessons a child needs to learn is the lesson of obedience. Before he is old enough to reason, he may be taught to obey. By gentle, persistent effort, the habit should be established. Thus, to a great degree, may be prevented those later conflicts between will and authority that do so much to create alienation and bitterness toward parents and teachers, and too often resistance of all authority, human and divine.

The object of discipline is the training of the child for self-government. He should be taught self-reliance and self-control. Therefore as soon as he is capable of understanding, his reason should be enlisted on the side of obedience. Let all dealing with him be such as to show obedience to be just and reasonable. Help him to see that all things are under law, and that disobedience leads, in the end, to disaster and suffering. When God says "Thou shalt not," He in love warns us of the consequences of disobedience, in order to save us from harm and loss.

Help the child to see that parents and teachers are representatives of God, and that, as they act in harmony with Him, their laws in the home and the school are also His. As the child is to render obedience to parents and teachers, so they, in turn, are to render obedience to God.

To direct the child's development without hindering it by undue control should be the study of both parent and teacher. Too much management is as bad as too little. The effort to "break the will" of a child is a terrible mistake. Minds are constituted differently; while force may secure outward submission, the result with many children is a more determined rebellion of the heart. Even should the parent or teacher succeed in gaining the control he seeks, the outcome may be no less harmful to the child. The discipline of a human being who has reached the years of intelligence should differ from the training of a dumb animal. The beast is taught only submission to its master. For the beast, the master is mind, judgment, and will. This method, sometimes employed in the training of children, makes them little more than automatons. Mind, will, conscience, are under the control of another. It is not God's purpose that any mind should be thus dominated. Those who weaken or destroy individuality assume a responsibility that can result only in evil. While under authority, the children may appear like well-drilled soldiers; but when the control ceases, the character will be found to lack strength and steadfastness. Having never learned to govern himself, the youth recognizes no restraint except the requirement of parents or teacher. This removed, he knows not how to use his liberty, and often gives himself up to indulgence that proves his ruin.

Since the surrender of the will is so much more difficult for some pupils than for others, the teacher should make obedience to his requirements as easy as possible. The will should be guided and molded, but not ignored or crushed. Save the strength of the will; in the battle of life it will be needed.

Every child should understand the true force of the will. He should be led to see how great is the responsibility involved in this gift. The will is the governing power in the nature of man, the power of decision, or choice. Every human being possessed of reason has power to choose the right. In every experience of life, God's word to us is, "Choose you this day whom ye will serve." Joshua 24:15. Everyone may place his will on the side of the will of God, may choose to obey Him, and by thus linking himself with divine agencies, he may stand where nothing can force him to do evil. In every youth, every child, lies the power, by the help of God, to form a character of integrity and to live a life of usefulness.

The parent or teacher who by such instruction trains the child to self-control will be the most useful and permanently successful. To the superficial observer his work may not appear to the best advantage; it may not be valued so highly as that of the one who holds the mind and will of the child under absolute authority; but after years will show the result of the better method of training.

The wise educator, in dealing with his pupils, will seek to encourage confidence and to strengthen the sense of honor. Children and youth are benefited by being trusted. Many, even of the little children, have a high sense of honor; all desire to be treated with confidence and respect, and this is their right. They should not be led to feel that they cannot go out or come in without being watched. Suspicion demoralizes, producing the very evils it seeks to prevent. Instead of watching continually, as if suspecting evil, teachers who are in touch with their pupils will discern the workings of the restless mind, and will set to work influences that will counteract evil. Lead the youth to feel that they are trusted, and there are few

who will not seek to prove themselves worthy of the trust.On the same principle it is better to request than to command; the one thus addressed has

opportunity to prove himself loyal to right principles. His obedience is the result of choice rather than compulsion.The rules governing the schoolroom should, so far as possible, represent the voice of the school. Every principle involved in them should be so placed before the student that he may be convinced of its justice. Thus he will feel a responsibility to see that the rules which he himself has helped to frame are obeyed.

Rules should be few and well considered; and when once made, they should be enforced. Whatever it is found impossible to change, the mind learns to recognize and adapt itself to; but the possibility of indulgence induces desire, hope, and uncertainty, and the results are restlessness, irritably, and insubordination.

It should be made plain that the government of God knows no compromise with evil. Neither in the home nor in the school should disobedience be tolerated. No parent or teacher who has at heart the well-being of those under his care will compromise with the stubborn self-will that defies authority or resorts to subterfuge or evasion in order to escape obedience. It is not love but sentimentalism that palters with wrongdoing, seeks by coaxing or bribes to secure compliance, and finally accepts some substitute in place of the thing required. "Fools make a mock at sin." Proverbs 14:9. We should beware of treating sin as a light thing. Terrible is its power over the wrongdoer. "His own iniquities shall take the wicked himself, and he shall be holden with the cords of his sins." Proverbs 5:22. The greatest wrong done to a child or youth is to allow him to become fastened in the bondage of evil habit.

The youth have an inborn love of liberty; they desire freedom; and they need to understand that these inestimable blessings are to be enjoyed only in obedience to the law of God. This law is the preserver of true freedom and liberty. It points out and prohibits those things that degrade and enslave, and thus to the obedient it affords protection from the power of evil. The psalmist says: "I will walk at liberty: for I seek Thy precepts." "Thy testimonies also are my delight and my counselors." Psalm 119:45, 24.

In our efforts to correct evil, we should guard against a tendency to faultfinding or censure. Continual censure bewilders, but does not reform. With many minds, and often those of the finest susceptibility, an atmosphere of unsympathetic criticism is fatal to effort. Flowers do not unfold under the breath of a blighting wind.A child frequently censured for some special fault, comes to regard that fault as his peculiarity, something against which it is vain to strive. Thus are created discouragement and hopelessness, often concealed under an appearance of indifference or bravado.

The true object of reproof is gained only when the wrongdoer himself is led to see his fault and his will is enlisted for its correction. When this is accomplished, point him to the source of pardon and power. Seek to preserve his self-respect and to inspire him with courage and hope.

This work is the nicest, the most difficult, ever committed to human beings. It requires the most delicate tact, the finest susceptibility, a knowledge of human nature, and a heaven-born faith and patience, willing to work and watch and wait. It is a work than which nothing can be more important.

Those who desire to control others must first control themselves. To deal passionately with a child or youth will only arouse his resentment. When a parent or teacher becomes impatient and is in danger of speaking unwisely, let him remain silent. There is wonderful power in silence.

The teacher must expect to meet perverse dispositions and obdurate hearts. But in dealing with them he should never forget that he himself was once a child, in need of discipline. Even now, with all his advantages of ages, education, and experience, he often errs, and is in need of mercy and forbearance. In training the youth he should consider that he is dealing with those who have inclinations to evil similar to his own. They have almost everything to learn, and it is much more difficult for some to learn than for others. With the dull pupil he should bear patiently, not censuring his ignorance, but improving every opportunity to give him encouragement. With sensitive, nervous pupils he should deal very tenderly. A sense of his own imperfections should lead him constantly to manifest sympathy and forbearance toward those who also are struggling with difficulties.

The Saviour's rule--"As ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise" (Luke 6:31)—should be the rule of all who undertake the training of children and youth. They are the younger members of the Lord's family, heirs with us of the grace of life. Christ's rule should be sacredly observed toward the dullest, the youngest, the most blundering, and even toward the erring and rebellious.

This rule will lead the teacher to avoid, so far as possible, making public the faults or errors of a pupil. He will seek to avoid giving reproof or punishment in the presence of others. He will not expel a student until every effort has been put forth for his reformation. But when it becomes evident that the student is receiving no benefit himself, while his defiance or disregard of authority tends to overthrow the government of the school, and his influence is contaminating others, then his expulsion becomes a necessity. Yet with many the disgrace of public expulsion would lead to utter recklessness and ruin. In

most cases when removal is unavoidable, the matter need not be made public. By counsel and co-operation with the parents, let the teacher privately arrange for the student's withdrawal.In this time of special danger for the young, temptations surround them on every hand; and while it is easy to drift, the strongest effort is required in order to press against the current. Every school should be a "city of refuge" for the tempted youth, a place where their follies shall be dealt with patiently and wisely. Teachers who understand their responsibilities will separate from their own hearts and lives everything that would prevent them from dealing successfully with the willful and disobedient. Love and tenderness, patience and self-control, will at all times be the law of their speech. Mercy and compassion will be blended with justice. When it is necessary to give reproof, their language will not be exaggerated, but humble. In gentleness they will set before the wrongdoer his errors and help him to recover himself. Every true teacher will feel that should he err at all, it is better to err on the side of mercy than on the side of severity.

Many youth who are thought incorrigible are not at heart so hard as they appear. Many who are regarded as hopeless may be reclaimed by wise discipline. These are often the ones who most readily melt under kindness. Let the teacher gain the confidence of the tempted one, and by recognizing and developing the good in his character, he can, in many cases, correct the evil without calling attention to it.

The divine Teacher bears with the erring through all their perversity. His love does not grow cold; His efforts to win them do not cease. With outstretched arms He waits to welcome again and again the erring, the rebellious, and even the apostate. His heart is touched with the helplessness of the little child subject to rough usage. The cry of human suffering never reaches His ear in vain. Though all are precious in His sight, the rough, sullen, stubborn dispositions draw most heavily upon His sympathy and love; for He traces from cause to effect. The one who is most easily tempted, and is most inclined to err, is the special object of His solicitude.Every parent and every teacher should cherish the attributes of Him who makes the cause of the afflicted, the suffering, and the tempted His own. He should be one who can have "compassion on the ignorant, and on them that are out of the way; for that he himself also is compassed with infirmity." Hebrews 5:2. Jesus treats us far better than we deserve; and as He has treated us, so we are to treat others. The course of no parent or teacher is justifiable if it is unlike that which under similar circumstances the Saviour would pursue.

Meeting Life's DisciplineBeyond the discipline of the home and the school, all have to meet the stern discipline of life. How to meet this wisely is a lesson that should be made plain to every child and to every youth. It is true that God loves us, that He is working for our happiness, and that, if His law had always been obeyed, we should never have known suffering; and it is no less true that, in this world, as the result of sin, suffering, trouble, burdens, come to every life. We may do the children and the youth a lifelong good by teaching them to meet bravely these troubles and burdens. While we should give them sympathy, let it never be such as to foster self-pity. What they need is that which stimulates and strengthens rather than weakens.

They should be taught that this world is not a parade ground, but a battlefield. All are called to endure hardness, as good soldiers. They are to be strong and quit themselves like men. Let them be taught that the true test of character is found in the willingness to bear burdens, to take the hard place, to do the work that needs to be done, though it bring no earthly recognition or reward.

The true way of dealing with trial is not by seeking to escape it, but by transforming it. This applies to all discipline, the earlier as well as the later. The neglect of the child's earliest training, and the consequent strengthening of wrong tendencies, makes his after education more difficult, and causes discipline to be too often a painful process. Painful it must be to the lower nature, crossing, as it does, the natural desires and inclinations; but the pain may be lost sight of in a higher joy.

Let the child and the youth be taught that every mistake, every fault, every difficulty, conquered, becomes a stepping-stone to better and higher things. It is through such experiences that all who have ever made life worth the living have achieved success.

"The heights by great men reached and keptWere not attained by sudden flight,

But they, while their companions slept,Were toiling upward in the night."

"We rise by things that are under our feet;By what we have mastered of good and gain;By the pride deposed and the passion slain,

And the vanquished ills that we hourly meet.""All common things, each day's events,

That with the hour begin and end,Our pleasures and our discontents,

Are rounds by which we may ascend."

We are to "look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal." 2 Corinthians 4:18. The exchange we make in the denial of selfish desires and inclinations is an exchange of the worthless and transitory for the precious and enduring. This is not sacrifice, but infinite gain.

"Something better" is the watchword of education, the law of all true living. Whatever Christ asks us to renounce, He offers in its stead something better. Often the youth cherish objects, pursuits, and pleasures that may not appear to be evil, but that fall short of the highest good. They divert the life from its noblest aim. Arbitrary measures or direct denunciation may not avail in leading these youth to relinquish that which they hold dear. Let them be directed to something better than display, ambition, or self-indulgence. Bring them in contact with truer beauty, with loftier principles, and with nobler lives. Lead them to behold the One "altogether lovely." When once the gaze is fixed upon Him, the life finds its center. The enthusiasm, the generous devotion, the passionate ardor, of the youth find here their true object. Duty becomes a delight and sacrifice a pleasure. To honor Christ, to become like Him, to work for Him, is the life's highest ambition and its greatest joy."The love of Christ constraineth." 2 Corinthians 5:14.

Ellen G. White, “Need for Self-Mastery,” in Counsels on Diet and Foods. pp. 72-74.Give the Health Work its Place

The indifference with which the health books have been treated by many is an offense to God. To separate the health work from the great body of the work is not in His order. Present truth lies in the work of health reform as verily as in other features of gospel work. No one branch, when separated from others, can be a perfect whole.The gospel of health has able advocates, but their work has been made very hard because so many ministers, presidents of conferences, and others in positions of influence, have failed to give the question of health reform its proper attention. They have not recognized it in its relation to the work of the message as the right arm of the body. While very little respect has been shown to this department by many of the people, and by some of the ministers, the Lord has shown His regard for it by giving it abundant prosperity.

When properly conducted, the health work is an entering wedge, making a way for other truths to reach the heart. When the third angel's message is received in its fullness, health reform will be given its place in the councils of the conference, in the work of the church, in the home, at the table, and in all the household arrangements. Then the right arm will serve and protect the body.But while the health work has its place in the promulgation of the third angel's message, its advocates must not in any way strive to make it take the place of the message.

Need for Self-MasteryOne of the most deplorable effects of the original apostasy was the loss of man's power of self-

control. Only as this power is regained, can there be real progress. The body is the only medium through which the mind and the soul are developed for the upbuilding of character. Hence it is that the adversary of souls directs his temptations to the enfeebling and degrading of the physical powers. His success here means the surrender to evil of the whole being. The tendencies of our physical nature, unless under the dominion of a higher power, will surely work ruin and death. The body is to be brought into subjection. The higher powers of the being are to rule. The passions are to be controlled by the will, which is itself to be under the control of God. The kingly power of reason, sanctified by divine grace, is to bear sway in our lives.

The requirements of God must be brought home to the conscience. Men and women must be awakened to the duty of self-mastery, the need of purity, freedom from every depraving appetite and defiling habit. They need to be impressed with the fact that all their powers of mind and body are the gift of God, and are to be preserved in the best possible condition for His service.

Ministers and People to Act in ConcertOne important part of the work of the ministry is to faithfully present to the people the health reform, as it stands connected with the third angel's message, as a part and parcel of the same work. They should not fail to adopt it themselves, and should urge it upon all who profess to believe the truth.The health reform, I was shown, is a part of the third angel's message, and is just as closely connected with it as are the arm and hand with the human body. I saw that we as a people must make an advance move in this great work. Ministers and people must act in concert. God's people are not prepared for the loud cry of the third angel. They have a work to do for themselves which they should not leave for God to do for them. He has left this work for them to do. It is an individual work; one cannot do it for another.

A Part of, but Not the Whole MessageThe health reform is closely connected with the work of the third message, yet it is not the

message. Our preachers should teach the health reform, yet they should not make this the leading theme in the place of the message. Its place is among those subjects which set forth the preparatory work to

meet the events brought to view by the message; among these it is prominent. We should take hold of every reform with zeal, yet should avoid giving the impression that we are vacillating, and subject to fanaticism.

The health reform is as closely related to the third angel's message as the arm to the body; but the arm cannot take the place of the body. The proclamation of the third angel's message, the commandments of God and the testimony of Jesus, is the burden of our work. The message is to be proclaimed with a loud cry, and is to go to the whole world. The presentation of health principles must be united with this message, but must not in any case be independent of it, or in any way take the place of it.

Its Relation to Medical InstitutionsThe sanitariums which are established are to be closely and inseparably bound up with the gospel.

The Lord has given instruction that the gospel is to be carried forward; and the gospel includes health reform in all its phases. Our work is to enlighten the world; for it is blind to the movements which are taking place, preparing the way for the plagues which God will permit to come upon the world. God's faithful watchmen must give the warning.Health reform is to stand out more prominently in the proclamation of the third angel's message. The principles of health reform are found in the word of God. The gospel of health is to be firmly linked with the ministry of the word. It is the Lord's design that the restoring influence of health reform shall be a part of the last great effort to proclaim the gospel message.

Our physicians are to be God's workers. They are to be men whose powers have been sanctified and transformed by the grace of Christ. Their influence is to be knit up with the truth that is to be given to the world. In perfect and complete unity with the gospel ministry, the work of health reform will reveal its God-given power. Under the influence of the gospel, great reforms will be made by medical missionary work. But separate medical missionary work from the gospel, and the work will be crippled.

Ellen G. White, “The Principles of Stewardship,” in Counsels on Stewardship, pp. 111–113.Chapter 23—The Principles of Stewardship

Are we as individuals searching the word of God carefully and prayerfully, lest we shall depart from its precepts and requirements? The Lord will not look upon us with pleasure if we withhold anything, small or great, that should be returned to Him. If we desire to spend money to gratify our own inclinations, let us think of the good we might do with that money. Let us lay aside for the Master small and large sums, that the work may be built up in new places. If we spend selfishly the money so much needed, the Lord does not, cannot, bless us with His commendation.

As stewards of the grace of God, we are handling the Lord's money. It means much, very much to us to be strengthened by His rich grace day by day, to be enabled to understand His will, to be found faithful in that which is least as well as in that which is great. When this is our experience, the service of Christ will be a reality to us. God demands this of us, and before angels and men we should reveal our gratitude for what He has done for us. God's benevolence to us we should reflect back in praise and deeds of mercy.

Do all church members realize that all they have is given them to be used and improved to God's glory? God keeps a faithful account with every human being in our world. And when the day of reckoning comes, the faithful steward takes no credit to himself. He does not say, “My pound;” but, “Thy pound hath gained” other pounds. He knows that without the entrusted gift no increase could have been made. He feels that in faithfully discharging his stewardship he has but done his duty. The capital was the Lord's, and by His power he was enabled to trade upon it successfully. His name only should be glorified. Without the entrusted capital he knows that he would have been bankrupt for eternity.The approval of the Lord is received almost with surprise, it is so unexpected. But Christ says to him, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy Lord.”

How God Proves His StewardsHow inclined is man to set his affections on earthly things! His attention is absorbed in houses and

lands, and his duty to his fellow man is neglected; his own salvation is treated as a matter of little consequence, and the claims of God upon him are forgotten. Men grasp the treasures of earth as tenaciously as if they could hold on to them forever. They seem to think that they have a right to do with their means just as it pleases them, no matter what the Lord has commanded, or what may be the need of their fellow men.

They forget that all they claim as theirs, has simply been entrusted to them. They are stewards of the grace of God. God has committed this treasure to them to prove them, that they may manifest their attitude to His cause, and show the thoughts of their heart toward Him. They are not only trading for time, but for eternity, with their Lord's money, and the use or abuse of their talent will determine their position and trust in the world to come.

A Practical Question

The idea of stewardship should have a practical bearing upon all the people of God.... Practical benevolence will give spiritual life to thousands of nominal professors of the truth who now mourn over their darkness. It will transform them from selfish, covetous worshipers of mammon, to earnest, faithful coworkers with Christ in the salvation of sinners.

In the Master's SteadA steward identifies himself with his master. He accepts the responsibilities of a steward, and he must act in his master's stead, doing as his master would do were he presiding. His master's interests become his. The position of a steward is one of dignity, because his master trusts him. If in any wise he acts selfishly, and turns the advantages gained by trading with his lord's goods to his own advantage, he has perverted the trust reposed in him.A selfish use of riches proves one unfaithful to God, and unfits the steward of means for the higher trust of heaven.

Ellen G. White, “Sharing in the Joys of the Redeemed,” in Counsels on Stewardship, pp. 348–350.

Chapter 68—Sharing in the Joys of the RedeemedThere is reward for the wholehearted, unselfish workers who enter this field, and also for those who

contribute willingly for their support. Those engaged in active service in the field, and those who give of their means to sustain these workers, will share the reward of the faithful.

Every wise steward of the means entrusted to him, will enter into the joy of his Lord. What is this joy?—“Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.” There will be a blessed commendation, a holy benediction, on the faithful winners of souls. They will join the rejoicing ones in heaven, who shout the harvest home.

How great will be the joy when the redeemed of the Lord shall all meet,—gathered into the mansions prepared for them! O, what rejoicing for all who have been impartial, unselfish laborers together with God in carrying forward His work in the earth! What satisfaction will every reaper have, when the clear, musical voice of Jesus shall be heard, saying, “Come, ye blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.” “Enter thou into the joy of thy Lord.”

The Redeemer is glorified because He has not died in vain. With glad, rejoicing hearts, those who have been colaborers with God see of the travail of their soul for perishing, dying sinners, and are satisfied. The anxious hours they have spent, the perplexing circumstances they have had to meet, the sorrow of heart because some refused to see and receive the things which make for their peace, are forgotten. The self-denial they have practiced in order to support the work, is remembered no more. As they look upon the souls they sought to win to Jesus, and see them saved, eternally saved—monuments of God's mercy and of a Redeemer's love—there ring through the arches of heaven shouts of praise and thanksgiving.

Realization Greater Than ExpectationChrist accepted humanity, and lived on this earth a pure, sanctified life. For this reason He has received the appointment of judge. He who occupies the position of judge is God manifest in the flesh. What a joy it will be to recognize in Him our Teacher and Redeemer, bearing still the marks of the crucifixion, from which shine beams of glory, giving additional value to the crowns which the redeemed receive from His hands, the very hands outstretched in blessing over His disciples as He ascended. The very voice which said, “Lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world,” bids His ransomed ones welcome to His presence.

The very One who gave His precious life for them, who by His grace moved their hearts to repentance, who awakened them to their need of repentance, receives them now into His joy. Oh, how they love Him! The realization of their hope is infinitely greater than their expectation. Their joy is complete, and they take their glittering crowns and cast them at their Redeemer's feet.

The Promise SureLong have we waited for our Saviour's return. But none the less sure is the promise. Soon we shall

be in our promised home. There Jesus will lead us beside the living stream flowing from the throne of God, and will explain to us the dark providences through which He led us in order to perfect our characters. There we shall see on every hand the beautiful trees of Paradise, in the midst of them the tree of life. There we shall behold with undimmed vision the beauties of Eden restored. There we shall cast at the feet of our Redeemer the crowns that He has placed on our heads, and, touching our golden harps, we shall offer praise and thanksgiving to Him that sitteth on the throne.

Only a Little While NowIt will only be a little while before Jesus will come to save His children and to give them the finishing

touch of immortality. “This corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality.” The graves will be opened, and the dead will come forth victorious, crying, “O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?” Our loved ones who sleep in Jesus will come forth clothed with

immortality.And as the redeemed shall ascend to heaven, the gates of the city of God will swing back, and those who have kept the truth will enter in. A voice, richer than any music that ever fell on mortal ear, will be heard saying, “Come, ye blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.” Then the righteous will receive their reward. Their lives will run parallel with the life of Jehovah. They will cast their crowns at the Redeemer's feet, touch the golden harps, and fill all heaven with rich music.