Sabbath School for Adults: Education: Lesson 1: Education in the Garden of Eden

Friday October 2

Further Thought: “The holy pair were not only children under the fatherly care of God but students receiving instruction from the all-wise Creator. They were visited by angels, and were granted communion with their Maker, with no obscuring veil between. They were full of the vigor imparted by the tree of life, and their intellectual power was but little less than that of the angels. The mysteries of the visible universe—‘the wondrous works of him which is perfect in knowledge’ "(Job 37:16)—afforded them an exhaustless source of instruction and delight. The laws and operations of nature, which have engaged men’s study for six thousand years, were opened to their minds by the infinite Framer and Upholder of all. They held converse with leaf and flower and tree, gathering from each the secrets of its life. With every living creature, from the mighty leviathan that playeth among the waters to the insect mote that floats in the sunbeam, Adam was familiar. He had given to each its name, and he was acquainted with the nature and habits of all. God’s glory in the heavens, the innumerable worlds in their orderly revolutions, ‘the balancings of the clouds,’ the mysteries of light and sound, of day and night—all were open to the study of our first parents. On every leaf of the forest or stone of the mountains, in every shining star, in earth and air and sky, God’s name was written. The order and harmony of creation spoke to them of infinite wisdom and power. They were ever discovering some attraction that filled their hearts with deeper love and called forth fresh expressions of gratitude.”—Ellen G. White, Patriarchs and Prophets, pp. 50, 51.

Discussion Questions:

•  If God originally intended for school/work to be an opportunity for humans to encounter Him and His creation, are we still in keeping with God’s intention in our work today? How can we become better acquainted with God through our work (paid, educational, voluntary, ministerial, etc.)?

•  When we consider the craftiness of Satan in the Garden of Eden, it is easy to become frustrated with our own human weakness. Adam and Eve knew God was close, and yet they accepted the serpent’s half-truth. How can we, who are removed from such close physical proximity to God, still find power from Him to help us to overcome temptation?

•  Discuss the question of authority and why it is so important to obey that authority. What happens when the lines of authority become blurred? How can authority be abused, and how do we respond when it is?

Inside Story

Helping a Distressed Priest

By Gabriel Golea

The Romanian priest came to me with a problem.“Can you convince the commission members that I have a good job and a good level of education so I can start my doctoral studies?” he asked.The priest had enrolled to study theology at the University of Strasbourg in France, but the doctoral commission had decided that he first needed to repeat a year of undergraduate studies. I was a second-year doctoral student, and he and I struck up a friendship when we realized that we both were from Romania.

“Do you believe in God?” I asked the priest, smiling.He was shocked. “Of course, I do!” he said.“Do you believe in the power of prayer?” I said. “I believe that God can do miracles,” the priest said.“I’m not talking about a ritual or some other religious ceremony,” I said.

“God can answer our prayers if we pray directly to Him.”Several days later, I invited the priest to pray with me. “Before I ask the professors, we should make this a matter of prayer,” I said. The priest agreed.I decided not to try to convince the professors to change the rules for the priest but instead to show them that Romania’s education system met French standards. I met with each of the seven professors who sat on the commission. Each promised to review the matter at the next commission meeting. The professors ended up testing the priest’s knowledge in a special interview and accepting him into the doctoral program. We thanked God for the miracle!

Our friendship flourished over the next two years. The priest often visited my home to talk, eat, and worship with my family. But during his third year, the priest announced that he would leave the program. “I have a new job,” he said. “I have been appointed as Romania’s secretary of state for religious affairs.”

He had become the Romanian government’s top religion official.You never know the far-reaching influence of your words and actions. Upon hearing that a priest had taken office, some Adventists in Romania feared restrictions on religious freedom, especially against members of smaller religious denominations like the Seventh-day Adventist Church. But no crackdown materialized. In fact, the priest turned government minister was exceed-ingly fair and objective with people of all faiths.After he settled into his job, I jokingly asked to visit his office for a photo. “I want to show my children that I know someone famous,” I said.

He laughed. “Come anytime you want,” he said. We remain friends to this day.

Gabriel Golea is executive secretary of the French-Belgian Union based in Paris, France.