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Commentary on "Nature as a Source of Health"
Day 1: Sabbath Afternoon, March 12, 2011 - Introduction
OVERVIEW
The main verse used for this day is Psalm 19:1, 2:
“The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of His hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge.”
The writer gives a general description of how the Garden of Eden was the perfect environment for Adam and Eve. Sin then ruined everything, yet much goodness and beauty remain. The statement is made, “Nature still supplies sufficient resources to satisfy our basic needs. Nature also can provide joy, happiness and well-being to compensate partially for the misery caused by sin. Thus, despite its sometimes violent and deadly convulsions, nature can be a source of mental and physical health”. It then ends with James 1:17:
“Every good gift and perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of light.”
OBSERVATIONS
While the writer starts out with Psalm 19:1, 2 and ended with James 1:17, the message in between is somewhat mixed. Nature, in and of itself, can do nothing. While this seems an obvious statement, I feel it’s necessary to point out. The Bible tells us:
“God is my helper; the Lord is the sustainer of my life.” Psalm 54:4
“And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.” Php. 4:19
“The Lord is my Shepherd, there is nothing I lack.” Psalm 23:1
While nature displays God’s power, divine nature and invisible attributes, we need to remember just that: the power is from God alone. The created can do nothing without the Creator (Rom. 1:25).
“The heavens were made by the word of the Lord, and all the stars, by the breath of His mouth. He gathers the waters of the sea into a heap; He puts the depths into storehouses. Let the whole earth tremble before the Lord; let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him. For He spoke, and it came into being; he commanded, and it came into existence.” Psalm 33:6-9
Nature doesn’t compensate for sin, but point us to the One who does, for God alone can redeem us from sin and death.
“But now He has appeared one time, at the end of the ages, for the removal of sin by the sacrifice of Himself. And just as it is appointed for people to die once—and after this, judgment—so also the Messiah, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for Him.” (Hebrews 9:26b-28)
CONCLUSIONS
- Psalm 19:1, 2, along with James 1:17, are amazing verses that speak of God’s awesome creation, power and gifts to us.
- Nature, in and of itself, can do nothing. The created can do nothing without the Creator (Rom. 1:25).
- Nature doesn’t compensate for sin, but points us to the One who can redeem us from sin and death so we might have eternal life (Heb. 9:26b-28, John 3:16)
Copyright 2011 BibleStudiesForAdventists.com. All rights reserved. Revised March 13, 2011. This website is published by Life Assurance Ministries, Glendale, Arizona, USA, the publisher of Proclamation! Magazine. Contact email: BibleStudiesForAdventists@gmail.com.
The Sabbath School Bible Study Guide and the corresponding E.G. White Notes are published by Pacific Press Publishing Association, which is owned and operated by the Seventh-day Adventist church. The current quarter's editions are pictured above.
Official Adventist Resources
Standard Edition Study Guide Week 12
Teacher's Edition Study Guide Week 12
