God’s Spokespeople
Sabbath School
The Gift of Prophecy
The Creator Speaks
God Still Speaks
Sin changed humanity’s relationship with God. In Eden, Adam and Eve enjoyed open fellowship with their Creator. They could hear His voice and walk with Him. But after sin entered the world, fear, shame, and separation entered with it. Yet God did not stop communicating with humanity. He continued to speak.
Hebrews 1:1–2 tells us that God spoke in different ways through the prophets, but in these last days He has spoken to us through His Son. Throughout Scripture, God used prophets, visions, dreams, His written Word, and creation itself to reveal His character and His will. Romans 1:19–20 reminds us that even creation gives evidence of God's power and divine nature.
Numbers 12:6 shows that God sometimes communicated through visions and dreams. Second Timothy 3:16–17 tells us that Scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, correcting, and training us in righteousness. God did not leave humanity without guidance. Even though sin disrupted our original face-to-face communion with Him, God continued finding ways to reach us.
But the greatest revelation came through Jesus.
Philip once asked Jesus to show them the Father. Jesus responded, “He that hath seen me hath seen the Father” (John 14:9). What an incredible statement! If we want to know what God is like, we look at Jesus. When we see Jesus showing compassion to the suffering, forgiving sinners, welcoming the rejected, feeding the hungry, and giving His life for others, we are seeing the character of the Father.
Jesus did not reveal a loving Son trying to convince an unwilling Father to care about humanity. Jesus revealed the Father's heart. The love of the Father was already there, and Jesus came to make that love visible.
John 10:27–30 gives another beautiful picture. Jesus said that His sheep hear His voice, that He knows them, and that He gives them eternal life. He also said that no one can snatch them out of His hand. Our God is not distant and uninterested. He speaks. He calls. He knows us. He seeks us. And He holds on to those who belong to Him.
Think about how comforting that is. Sin may have changed our ability to communicate with God as Adam and Eve once did, but sin did not change God's desire to communicate with us. God has continued pursuing humanity throughout history. He has spoken through creation, prophets, Scripture, and ultimately through Jesus Christ.
And what does Jesus tell us about the Father? He tells us that God is love. He tells us that God cares about the lost. He tells us that God is willing to forgive. Most importantly, the cross demonstrates the depth of that love. Jesus willingly gave Himself for us. His self-sacrifice shows us that God's desire is not to destroy sinners but to rescue them.
So when guilt makes you want to hide from God, look at Jesus. When you wonder whether God really cares about you, look at Jesus. When you are afraid that your sins have placed you too far from God, look at Jesus.
God has been speaking all along. And His clearest message is Jesus.
Prayer:
Father, thank You for continuing to speak to humanity even after sin entered our world. Thank You for giving us Your Word, for revealing Yourself through creation, and most of all for sending Jesus to show us Your character and Your love. When guilt, shame, or fear causes us to hide from You, help us to look at Jesus instead. Help us hear His voice, trust His promises, and understand more deeply the Father's heart of love. Thank You for holding us in Your hands and never giving up on us. In Jesus' name, Amen.
More on Lesson 1: The Creator Speaks
4th Quarter Sabbath School: The Gift of Prophecy
