General and Special Revelation
Sabbath School
The Gift of Prophecy
Revelation and Inspiration
God Wants to Speak to Us
Bible Reading: Hebrews 1:1–2
Throughout history, God has continually reached out to humanity. He has spoken through His prophets, revealed Himself through creation, and ultimately made Himself known through His Son, Jesus Christ. But why is God so interested in speaking to us? The answer is found in His love. He created us, desires a relationship with us, and wants us to understand His character, His will, and His wonderful plan to save us from sin.
Hebrews 1:1–2 tells us that God spoke in the past through the prophets in various ways, but in these last days He has spoken to us through His Son. The prophets delivered messages from God that helped people understand His purposes, recognize their need for repentance, and look forward to the coming Messiah. Jesus, however, revealed God in a unique and complete way. Through His words, His actions, His compassion, and ultimately His death on the cross, we see the heart of our heavenly Father. Jesus did not merely bring a message from God; He came to show us what God is like.
God also speaks through the world He has created. Psalm 19:1 declares, “The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork” (KJV). When we look at the stars, the mountains, the changing seasons, and the intricate details of life, we see evidence of God's wisdom and power. Romans 1:20 explains that God's invisible attributes, including His eternal power and divine nature, can be understood through the things He has made. Creation invites us to look beyond ourselves and recognize that we are not here by accident. There is a Creator who has given us life and wants us to know Him.
Yet creation alone does not tell us everything we need to know about God's plan of salvation. For that, we need His revealed Word. Jesus said in John 5:39, “Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.” The Scriptures point us to Jesus. They reveal our sinful condition, explain God's plan of redemption, and show us the way to eternal life through Christ. God speaks to us through His Word because He wants more than for us simply to know that He exists. He wants us to know His character, trust His promises, receive His forgiveness, and experience the transforming power of His love.
However, hearing God's message does not mean everyone will respond to it in the same way. In Matthew 13:24–30, Jesus tells the parable of the wheat and the tares. An enemy secretly sowed weeds among the wheat, and both grew together until the harvest. This parable reminds us that good and evil exist side by side in this world, and outward appearances do not always reveal what is truly happening in a person's heart. God allows time for His purposes to unfold, and the final separation belongs to Him. We should therefore be careful not to assume that we can perfectly judge another person's spiritual condition. Instead, we should listen to God's voice, allow His Word to correct us, and seek to grow in the character of Jesus.
God's desire to communicate with us is an expression of His love. He does not leave us to wander through life without guidance or hope. He speaks through the testimony of creation, the messages of the prophets, and, most clearly, through Jesus Christ as revealed in Scripture. But we must be willing to listen. We can read the Bible mechanically and still miss its central message if we fail to see Jesus at its heart. As we study God's Word, we should ask not only, “What does this passage teach me?” but also, “What does this reveal about God, and how can it bring me closer to Jesus?”
Today, take time to listen. Open the Scriptures with a willing heart, look for Jesus in their pages, and trust the One who has gone to such lengths to make Himself known to you. The God who created the heavens and the earth is also the God who came near to us through His Son, died for our sins, and offers us the hope of eternal life. He is still calling us to know Him, trust Him, and walk with Him each day.
Prayer
Heavenly Father, thank You for loving us enough to reveal Yourself to us. Thank You for speaking through creation, through Your prophets, and most wonderfully through Your Son, Jesus Christ. Help us not merely to hear Your words but to understand them and allow them to change our lives. As we study the Bible, open our eyes to see Jesus more clearly and our hearts to trust Him more completely. Give us wisdom to recognize truth, humility to accept correction, and patience toward others as You continue Your work in this world. Help us remain faithful to You until the day when all things are made right. Thank You for never leaving us without guidance or hope. In Jesus' precious name, Amen.
More on Lesson 5: Revelation and Inspiration
4th Quarter Sabbath School: The Gift of Prophecy
