Sabbath School Lesson for September 26-October 2, 2026
Introduction of Lesson 1, The Creator Speaks
Memory Text: “God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds.” Hebrews 1:1, 2 NKJV
In our modern world of technology, we are able to communicate digitally with those far away. God has also found alternative ways to reach us with His message of love and salvation, since we are now so far apart from Him. As mentioned in Hebrews 1:1-2, He has found faithful prophets who have agreed to speak His words to us. He even went so far as to send His Son in human form, so we could more easily see and understand how to please Him.
God has an overwhelming desire to communicate with His fallen, created beings. He longs to have a relationship with us, despite our unfortunate disobedience that made face-to-face interaction impossible.
Thankfully, He has promised that there will be gifted messengers, right up to the end of the world when Jesus returns to this earth (Joel 2:28). We long for the time of our full restoration, when we can converse in person with our loving Creator as Adam and Eve originally did in the Garden of Eden.
This week, we’ll explore…
- Sunday: Communication in Eden
- Monday: Hiding From God
- Tuesday: God Seeks Humanity
- Wednesday: Expelled From the Garden
- Thursday: God’s Spokespeople
- Friday: Ellen G. White
Sunday: Communication in Eden
The first few chapters of Genesis reveal the close relationship God had with Adam and Eve before the Fall. Originally, they enjoyed direct contact with their Maker–walking with Him in the cool of the day, receiving instruction on how to care for the Garden, and enjoying the Sabbath together as a celebration of the Creation of their special world.
The first social institution was the marriage of Adam and Eve. The families they would create would fill the world with those who would love God, and walk and talk face-to-face with Him just as the first couple had.
However, Satan has attacked every gift God designed to bring happiness to the human family. This includes marriage, the Sabbath, and many other gifts, including His messengers, the prophets.
Verses for reflection and discussion:
Genesis 1:27, 28, 2:15-17, and 3:9
- What kind of communication did God have with Adam and Eve in the beginning?
- What did God’s effort to find them tell us about God? What kind of God is He?
Monday: Hiding From God
In order to have beings who truly love Him, God has to give them freedom of choice. Love that is forced isn’t really love at all. Just a hollow substitute.
Therefore, Adam and Eve were given a test, an opportunity to show how much they loved and trusted God. This was done by restricting them from the fruit of one tree in the Garden. God warned them specifically not to eat fruit from the forbidden tree. But unfortunately, the first couple failed the test, bringing them instant feelings of shame and guilt when they discovered that they were naked, without the garment of light that represented God’s presence (Psalm 104:1, 2).
The sad pair attempted to sew fig leaves together to cover themselves, hiding from the presence of God as much as they could. We, too, attempt to make ourselves righteous by our own works and run away from God, instead of repenting and letting His righteousness cover us. Eventually, we discover that it’s impossible to hide from God.
Verses for reflection and discussion:
Genesis 3:1-8, Jeremiah 23:24, and Hebrews 4:13
- What motivated Adam and Eve to cover themselves and hide from God?
- Why is it useless to hide from God?
Tuesday: God Seeks Humanity
Throughout the Bible, we find examples of God searching for us, calling out to us, and trying to convey His undying love. In the Garden of Eden, God searched for Adam and Eve and had a serious conversation with them. He described the appalling situation that sin had caused, but included a glimmer of hope for their future (Genesis 3:15).
Several parables Jesus told were about finding something that was lost. There were the parables of the lost sheep, the lost coin, and even the lost son. See Luke 15. Peter, the disciple who denied His Lord three times, was an example of someone who was lost and later found by God (Luke 21).
God continues to search for broken, sinful human beings in our world today. We are encouraged to see the many changed lives that are evidence that His efforts and ours to find each other can be successful.
Verses for reflection and discussion:
Genesis 3:9-10 and Luke 15:11-32
- Why does God search for us as shown in the case of Adam and Eve and the parable of the prodigal (wasteful) son?
- How can we make it easier for God to find us?
Jeremiah 29:13
- Why is our searching for Him also important?
- What motivated the prodigal son to go searching for his father?
- Why does our motivation matter in finding God? Or does it?
Wednesday: Expelled From the Garden
As Adam and Eve discovered, their death did not occur immediately after eating the forbidden fruit. The most immediate result was their loss of close communion with God. As Isaiah 59:2 points out, “your iniquities have separated you from your God”.
Adam and Eve’s separation included their expulsion from the Garden of Eden. This had been a place where face-to-face interaction with God had occurred, but also where the tree of life was available. One of their cruelest punishments must have been leaving such a beautiful setting.
Their existence in an unfamiliar world of sin showed them the true effects of disobedience. Adam must work harder, and Eve would suffer heavily in childbirth. Their happy, trusting relationship as husband and wife was never the same.
God had a plan to redeem them, however. He revealed in the first dialogue with the guilty pair what His plan was. A Seed would be born of Eve, who would fight the battle with Satan, and win! How comforting that must have sounded to their ears.
Verses for reflection and discussion:
Genesis 3:14-19
- Although God revealed these curses, what was actually the source of these unfortunate outcomes?
Genesis 3:20-24
- Why was it necessary for Adam and Eve to be banned from the Garden?
- What effect did their expulsion have on their way of communicating with God?
Thursday: God’s Spokespeople
God has many ways of speaking to us, despite our sinful tendencies. He communicates to us through…
- nature (Romans 1:20)
- prophets (Hebrews 1:1)
- Scripture (2 Timothy 3:16)
- Jesus (John 14:7-9)
- visions and dreams (Numbers 12:6)
- Holy Spirit (John 16:13)
The most effective way to reach us where we are, of course, was through Jesus, who was the embodiment of all God desires us to be (John 14:9, 10). The incarnation of Christ (making Him one of us) has given us the most face-to-face encounter with God the Father possible. Everything about Jesus shouts to us that He is a God of love, willing to suffer and die for us.
Verses for reflection and discussion:
Romans 1:20, Hebrews 1:1-2 Timothy 3:16, John 14:7-9, Numbers 12:6, and John 16:13
- What do all these ways to know God tell us about Him?
- How has God been able to reach you most effectively?
- Which of these methods can and should use we share Him with others?
Matthew 5:16, Galatians 2:20, and 1 Timothy 4:12
- How can the way we live our lives be a way for God to communicate with others?
- How are people seeing Jesus through you?
Friday: Ellen G. White
Peter, in his sermon right after Pentecost, quoted the prophet Joel, reminding us that in the last days there would be an outpouring of the Holy Spirit. This would enable “all flesh” (men and women, young and old, rich and poor) to prophesy and do miraculous works (Acts 2:16-21).
Seventh-day Adventists today believe that Ellen Gould (Harmon) White was given a gift of prophecy. Born in 1827, she was baptized by immersion into the Methodist Church when she was a teenager of fifteen. Although she and her family had heard and believed the preaching of William Miller about the soon Coming of Christ, she continued to feel unworthy and struggled to see the love of God, thinking He was a stern tyrant, demanding our obedience.
As young Ellen struggled with these fears and anxieties, a Methodist preacher, Levi Stockman, changed her views of God. He presented Him as a kind and loving parent, making it possible for young Ellen to fall in love with her Savior and devote the rest of her life to proclaiming the truths in His word.
These truths included the doctrine of the state of the dead–that the dead are asleep and waiting for the Resurrection and the Day of Judgment. Also, that there is no forever-burning hell where people are tortured throughout eternity, but rather the total destruction of the unrighteous at the end of the millennium. Many Christians have appreciated the clarity of her views on these issues.
Next Week: The Call of a Prophet
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