Sabbath school lesson 2, 3rd quarter 2019

1. Blueprint For a
Better World
Lesson 2 for July 13, 2019
Adopted from www.fustero.es
www.gmahktanjungpinang.org
“‘You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any
grudge against the children of your people, but
you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the
Lord’” (Leviticus 19:18)

2. After many years of slavery, God
delivered the people of Israel
from Egypt.
He gave them fair laws in their
way to the Promised Land. “And
what great nation is there that
has such statutes and righteous
judgments as are in all this law
which I set before you this day?”
(Deuteronomy 4:8).
These laws protected especially the weak.

3. THE LEGISLATOR
“So the people believed; and when they
heard that the Lord had visited the children
of Israel and that He had looked on their
affliction, then they bowed their heads and
worshiped.” (Exodus 4:31)
God showed Himself to Moses in
bush that “was burning with
fire” and “was not consumed”
(Exodus 3:2).
He told Moses that He had seen
the sorrow of His people and He
had heard their cry (v. 7).
God commissioned Moses to deliver Israel from Egypt
(v. 10). They would not exit Egypt empty handed.
Egypt would pay the Israelites for all the work they
had done as slaves (v. 21).
In their way to Canaan, God resolved
to make a nation from that people of
former slaves. They gave them fair
laws that could be a blessing for the
entire world. Therefore, He called
them to mount Sinai.

4. “Jehovah revealed Himself, not alone in
the awful majesty of the judge and lawgiver,
but as the compassionate guardian of His
people: ‘I am the Lord thy God, which have
brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of
the house of bondage.’ He whom they had
already known as their Guide and Deliverer,
who had brought them forth from Egypt,
making a way for them through the sea, and
overthrowing Pharaoh and his hosts, who had
thus shown Himself to be above all the gods of
Egypt—He it was who now spoke His law.”
E.G.W. (Patriarchs and Prophets, cp. 27, p. 305)

5. The Ten Commandments were the
Constitution of the people of Israel. It was the
highest law from which all other laws derive
from them.
Fulfilling the Commandments is a sign of our
love to God (the first 4; Dt. 6:5; Mt. 22:37-38)
and our neighbor (the last 6; Lv. 19:18;
Mt. 22:39).
We should fulfill the Commandments both
with our acts and our intentions
(Matthew 5:21-30).
A society in which everyone keeps the
Commandments would be an active, vibrant
society in which everyone enthusiastically
acted on their love for God by loving and
caring for one another.
THE TEN
COMMANDMENTS
“So He declared to you His covenant which He
commanded you to perform, the Ten
Commandments; and He wrote them on two
tablets of stone.” (Deuteronomy 4:13)

6. “What a God is our God! He rules over His
kingdom with diligence and care, and He
has built a hedge—the Ten
Commandments—about His subjects to
preserve them from the results of
transgression. In requiring obedience to the
laws of His kingdom, God gives His people
health and happiness, peace and joy. He
teaches them that the perfection of
character He requires can be attained only
by becoming familiar with His word.”
E.G.W. (Counsels to Parents, Teachers, and Students, cp. 64, p. 454)

7. There are three chapters (21-23) in Exodus which include different types of laws:
Laws on
slavery
(21:2-11)
Laws on
violent
crimes
(21:12-36)
Laws on
property
(22:1-15)
Laws on
daily life
(22:16-31)
How to
apply
these laws
(23:1-9)
Caring for those vulnerable
(slaves, foreigners, widows
and orphans) is key in these
laws.
PROTECTIVE
LAWS
“You shall neither mistreat a stranger nor oppress
him, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt.
You shall not afflict any widow or fatherless
child.” (Exodus 22:21-22)
The Israelites had to care for the less favored
and to treat them the same caring way God
had treat them when they were foreigners in
Egypt.

8. “The laws which God gave His ancient people were
wiser, better, and more humane than those of the most
civilized nations of the earth. The laws of the nations
bear marks of the infirmities and passions of the
unrenewed heart; but God’s law bears the stamp of the
divine.”
E.G.W. (Patriarchs and Prophets, cp. 42, p. 465)

9. Deuteronomy 14:22-29
explains that the
Israelites had to give a
second tithe, with a
different purpose from
the first one.
For two years, this
second tithe was carried
to Jerusalem. They ate
part of it in family and
shared it with those in
need.
THE SECOND
TITHE
“At the end of every third year you shall bring out the
tithe of your produce of that year and store it up within
your gates. And the Levite, because he has no portion nor
inheritance with you, and the stranger and the fatherless
and the widow who are within your gates, may come and
eat and be satisfied, that the Lord your God may bless
you in all the work of your hand which you do.”
(Deuteronomy 14:28-29)
The third year, this special tithe was shared with the “local”
needy in each city.
Every Israelite gave about 25-33% of their income to maintain the
nation. Part of it was destined to look after those in need.

10. “The consecration to God of a tithe of all increase, whether of the
orchard and harvest field, the flocks and herds, or the labor of
brain or hand, the devotion of a second tithe for the relief of the
poor and other benevolent uses, tended to keep fresh before the
people the truth of God’s ownership of all, and of their opportunity
to be channels of His blessings. It was a training adapted to kill out
all narrowing selfishness, and to cultivate breadth and nobility of
character.”
E.G.W. (Education, cp. 5, p. 44)

11. The Jubilee was the year of
liberation of the land.
Everyone got their inheritance
back in the Jubilee.
This way, no one could amass
large estates. In addition,
families didn’t lose their
lands—their livelihood—
forever. When someone had to sell their
inheritance, the price for it was
equivalent to the benefit from the
subsequent harvests until the
Jubilee.
Because of sin, there will always be
poor people (Matthew 26:11). The
Jubilee was the solution God
proposed to minimize social
inequality.
THE JUBILEE
“And you shall consecrate the fiftieth year,
and proclaim liberty throughout all the land to
all its inhabitants. It shall be a Jubilee for you;
and each of you shall return to his possession,
and each of you shall return to his family.”
(Leviticus 25:10)

12. “Where shall we find laws more
noble, pure, and just than are
exhibited on the statute books
wherein is recorded the
instruction given to Moses for the
children of Israel? From what
other source can we gather such
strength or learn such noble
science? What other book will
teach men so well how to love,
fear, and obey God? What other
book presents to students more
ennobling science, more
wonderful history? It clearly
portrays righteousness and
foretells the consequence of
disloyalty to the law of Jehovah.” E.G.W. (Education, cp. 5, p. 43)