Lesson 1 – The Messiah Announced in Genesis

“By the inspired testimony of Moses and the prophets he [Paul] clearly proved the identity of Jesus of Nazareth with the Messiah and showed that from the days of Adam it was the voice of Christ which had been speaking through patriarchs and prophets.

“Plain and specific prophecies had been given regarding the appearance of the Promised One. To Adam was given an assurance of the coming of the Redeemer. The sentence pronounced on Satan, ‘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’ (Genesis 3:15), was to our first parents a promise of the redemption to be wrought out through Christ.” –The Acts of the Apostles, p. 222.

1. Who was God’s Coworker in the creation of the heavens and the earth? What is written about man’s creation?

Proverbs 8:27-30 When he prepared the heavens, I was there: when he set a compass upon the face of the depth: 28When he established the clouds above: when he strengthened the fountains of the deep: 29When he gave to the sea his decree, that the waters should not pass his commandment: when he appointed the foundations of the earth: 30Then I was by him, as one brought up with him: and I was daily his delight, rejoicing always before him. John 1:1-3 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2The same was in the beginning with God. 3All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.

Genesis 1:26 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.

“The One appointed in the counsels of heaven came to the earth as an instructor. He was no less a being than the Creator of the world, the Son of the Infinite God. The rich benevolence of God gave Him to our world; and to meet the necessities of humanity, He took on Him human nature. To the astonishment of the heavenly host, He walked this earth as the Eternal Word.” –Fundamentals of Christian Education, p. 399.

“The physical creation testifies of God and Jesus Christ as the great Creator of all things. ‘All things were made by Him; and without Him was not any thing made that was made. In Him was life; and the life was the light of men’ John 1:3, 4.” –The Upward Look, p. 278.

“There are but two powers that control the minds of men–the power of God and the power of Satan. Christ is man’s Creator and Redeemer.” –Temperance, p. 276.

“The ownership of the world belongs to Christ by creation and redemption.” –Review and Herald, March 6, 1894.

FIRST PROMISE OF THE COMING REDEEMER

2. What wonderful, comforting promise did the Lord make to man right after he fell into sin? Who was represented by the woman’s seed?

Genesis 3:15 And 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.

Galatians 3:16 Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ.

“To 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…. Adam and his companion were assured that notwithstanding their great sin, they were not to be abandoned to the control of Satan. The Son of God had offered to atone, with His own life, for their transgression.” –The Faith I Live By, p. 75.

3. What frightening command did the Lord give to Abraham?

Genesis 22:1, 2 And it came to pass after these things, that God did tempt Abraham, and said unto him, Abraham: and he said, Behold, here I am. 2And he said, Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of.

“Yet God had spoken, and His word must be obeyed. Abraham was stricken in years, but this did not excuse him from duty. He grasped the staff of faith and in dumb agony took by the hand his child, beautiful in the rosy health of youth, and went out to obey the word of God. The grand old patriarch was human; his passions and attachments were like ours, and he loved his boy, who was the solace of his old age, and to whom the promise of the Lord had been given.

“But Abraham did not stop to question how God’s promises could be fulfilled if Isaac were slain. He did not stay to reason with his aching heart, but carried out the divine command to the very letter, till, just as the knife was about to be plunged into the quivering flesh of the child, the word came: ‘Lay not thine hand upon the lad;’ ‘for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from Me.’” –Testimonies for the Church, vol. 4, pp. 144, 145.

4. What was revealed to the patriarch through the test of sacrificing his son? What did the offering of Isaac prefigure?

John 8:56 Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day: and he saw it, and was glad.

Hebrews 11:13 These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.

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

“The offering of Isaac was designed by God to prefigure the sacrifice of His Son. Isaac was a figure of the Son of God, who was offered a sacrifice for the sins of the world. God desired to impress upon Abraham the gospel of salvation to men; and in order to make the truth a reality, and to test his faith, He required Abraham to slay his darling Isaac.”–(The Youth’s Instructor, March 1, 1900) Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 1, p. 1094.

5. In what great promise did the Lord tell Abraham about the coming Redeemer?

Genesis 22:18 And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice.

Galatians 3:18 For if the inheritance be of the law, it is no more of promise: but God gave it to Abraham by promise.

“To Abraham was given the promise that of his line the Saviour of the world should come: ‘In thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed.’ ‘He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ.’ Genesis 22:18; Galatians 3:16.” –The Acts of the Apostles, p. 222.

“This same covenant was renewed to Abraham in the promise, ‘In thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed.’ Genesis 22:18. This promise pointed to Christ. So Abraham understood it, and he trusted in Christ for the forgiveness of sins. It was this faith that was accounted unto him for righteousness. The covenant with Abraham also maintained the authority of God’s law. The Lord appeared unto Abraham, and said, ‘I am the Almighty God; walk before Me, and be thou perfect.’ The testimony of God concerning His faithful servant was, ‘Abraham obeyed My voice, and kept My charge, My commandments, My statutes, and My laws.’ Genesis 17:1; 26:5.” –The Faith I Live By, p. 77.

THE LADDER CONNECTING HEAVEN AND EARTH

6. What was shown to Jacob in a dream when he was traveling alone from Canaan to Mesopotamia? Whom did the ladder represent that connected earth with heaven?

Genesis 28:12, 13 And he dreamed, and behold a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven: and behold the angels of God ascending and descending on it. 13And, behold, the Lord stood above it, and said, I am the Lord God of Abraham thy father, and the God of Isaac: the land whereon thou liest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed.

“The ladder is the medium of communication between God and the human race. Through the mystic ladder the gospel was preached to Jacob. As the ladder stretched from earth, reaching to the highest heavens, and the glory of God was seen above the ladder, so Christ in His divine nature reached immensity and was one with the Father. As the ladder, though its top penetrated into heaven, had its base upon the earth, so Christ, though God, clothed His divinity with humanity and was in the world ‘found in fashion as a man.’ The ladder would be useless if it rested not on the earth or if it reached not to the heavens.” –Christ Triumphant, p. 22.

7. Who was the “man” with whom Jacob wrestled all night and who then blessed him?

Genesis 32:24-30 And Jacob was left alone; and there wrestled a man with him until the breaking of the day. 25And when he saw that he prevailed not against him, he touched the hollow of his thigh; and the hollow of Jacob’s thigh was out of joint, as he wrestled with him. 26And he said, Let me go, for the day breaketh. And he said, I will not let thee go, except thou bless me. 27And he said unto him, What is thy name? And he said, Jacob. 28And he said, Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel: for as a prince hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed. 29And Jacob asked him, and said, Tell me, I pray thee, thy name. And he said, Wherefore is it that thou dost ask after my name? And he blessed him there. 30And Jacob called the name of the place Peniel: for I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved.

“Jacob’s persevering faith prevailed. He held fast the angel until he obtained the blessing he desired, and the assurance of the pardon of his sins. His name was then changed from Jacob, the supplanter, to Israel, which signifies a prince of God. ‘And Jacob asked him, and said, Tell me, I pray Thee, Thy name. And he said, Wherefore is it that thou dost ask after My name? And He blessed him there. And Jacob called the name of the place Peniel: for I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved.’ It was Christ that was with Jacob through that night, with whom he wrestled, and whom he perseveringly held until He blessed him.” –The Story of Redemption, p. 95.

A LAWGIVER HOLDING THE SCEPTER

8. What great prophecy did Jacob give in his last hour concerning the coming Messiah? To whom did the name Shiloh refer?

Genesis 49:10 The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be.

“The scepter is a rod carried in the hands of chiefs and rulers as a badge of authority…. ‘The sceptre shall not depart from Judah.’ The ensign of his tribeship shall remain. Judah shall not cease to be a distinct tribe until Shiloh come…. And the tribe of Judah did maintain its supremacy through all its adversities till Christ’s first advent. It remained a distinct tribe till Shiloh came.

“Nearly seventeen hundred years before the death of Christ the dying Jacob uttered this prophecy. Christ Himself threw back the veil, that with prophetic eye Jacob could trace the history of his descendants…. He saw a wonderful Counsellor arise in the midst of this tribe. It was the promised Seed, Shiloh, the Sent of God, who was to set up a spiritual kingdom. Jacob saw the time when the scepter would no longer be in the hands of Judah. The nations would be gathered under the banner of Christ.” –Christ Triumphant, p. 93.

FOR ADDITIONAL STUDY

“The Son of God came down to this earth that in Him men and women might have a representation of the perfect characters which alone God could accept. Through the grace of Christ every provision has been made for the salvation of the human family. It is possible for every transaction entered into by those who claim to be Christians to be as pure as the deeds of Christ. And the soul who accepts the virtues of Christ’s character and appropriates the merits of His life is as precious in the sight of God as is His own beloved Son. Sincere and uncorrupted faith is to Him as gold and frankincense and myrrh–the gifts of the Wise Men to the Child of Bethlehem, and the evidence of their faith in Him as the promised Messiah.” –Christ Triumphant, p. 60.