Sabbath School Lesson for February 22-28, 2025
Introduction of Lesson 9, The Cosmic Conflict
Memory Text: ” ‘And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel.’ ” Genesis 3:15 NKJV
Speaking to the serpent, or Satan the devil, these words of Genesis 3:15 are considered the first gospel, or protoevangelium. We understand a prototype to be a first model of something; so this promise given in the Garden of Eden was the first gospel promise shared to mankind here on earth.
How merciful of God to give Adam and Eve the assurance that He had a plan to correct their unfortunate disobedience and lack of trust. The Messiah, called the Seed, would be born of the woman (a symbol of the church). It took years to unfold; but true to His word, the Messiah has come in the form of our Lord Jesus Christ.
We’ve also seen an enormous amount of enmity, or hatred, manifested by God’s archenemy, Satan, against the Seed and us. We long to find out as much as we can about this conflict. Fortunately, the Bible provides many answers to our questions. It would be helpful to know where it all started and what the nature of the controversy is, so we can fight against it more effectively.
- Sunday: An Enemy Has Done This–the parable of the wheat and tares
- Monday: The Origin of the Controversy on Earth–in the Garden of Eden
- Tuesday: The Origin of the Controversy in Heaven–a battle in heaven
- Wednesday: If You Worship Me–how we are tempted
- Thursday: The Nature of the Cosmic Conflict–God’s character vs. Satan’s
Sunday: An Enemy Has Done This
Many parables of Jesus are documented in Matthew’s Gospel. Several of them in chapter 13 deal with planting seeds and watching them grow. The parable of the wheat and tares (Matthew 13:24-30) was followed by an explanation by Jesus (Matthew 13:36-39), leaving little doubt about its interpretation.
As Jesus simply and tenderly explained, He, the Son of Man, is the Sower. The field where the planting takes place is the world. The good seeds are the children of God’s kingdom; but the tares, or weeds, are the followers of Satan, the wicked one. Yes, Satan (the parable calls him “an enemy”) is responsible for the tares in the field. The harvest happens at the end of time, and heavenly angels are the reapers.
Thus, we have been shown that the devil is the one responsible for evil on our planet. We’ve been told to let the weeds grow until the harvest. Only when the tares have achieved their full growth will they be safe for Jesus and His angels to separate them from the healthy wheat. Burning the tares even fits the final outcome God has planned for the wicked. Their total destruction by fire guarantees that they will not threaten the good wheat any longer.
Verses to discuss:
Matthew 13:24-30 and 13:36-39
- Why do you think the disciples were particularly interested in Jesus’ explanation of the wheat and tares parable?
- For what reasons do you think the tares and wheat are to grow together, and how does this make our lives more difficult?
Monday: The Origin of the Controversy on Earth
We know that God created everything perfect on this planet. Genesis 1:31 assures us that His creation here was “very good”. However, there was one place God warned our first parents about. It was at the tree of knowledge of good and evil. God knew that Lucifer dwelled there, and that eating of the fruit of that tree would be deadly for Adam and Eve. If only they had trusted God and remained loyal to Him, they would have been spared all the subsequent evil that erupted in the world.
Notice the tactics of Satan when Eve found herself at the forbidden tree. The serpent first caused her to question God’s motive in keeping her from knowing good and evil. After challenging what God said, he boldly charged God with being a liar by saying that they would not surely die if they ate the fruit of the tree.
Questioning God was not the problem, but not trusting Him was very problematic. Adam and Eve did not trust and love God to the extent that our earth then became center stage for the great controversy which started in heaven.
Verses to discuss:
Genesis 1:31
- What do you think God’s purpose was in creating our world and in making it so perfect?
Genesis 3:1-7 and Revelation 12:7-9
- How and why did Satan and his angels end up here on planet Earth?
Tuesday: The Origin of the Controversy in Heaven
We aren’t left to wonder how Satan found himself on our planet. The conflict evidently began in heaven itself, as several prophecies point out.
Ezekiel 28:12-19 and Isaiah 14:12-15 refer to earthly kings of Tyre and Babylon, but they move from the local realm and end up describing Lucifer/Satan, a being in heaven.
We learn from these passages that Lucifer was created perfect and had the exalted, prominent position of “covering cherub”, which was closest to the throne of God (Exodus 25:19-20). However, he evidently became jealous of God’s Son and thought he should be worshiped too. Isaiah said he wanted to “be like God”. And Ezekiel said his “heart was lifted up” because of his beauty. The “trading” of Ezekiel 28:16 is a Hebrew word that means “slander”. In essence, pride, which led to slander and lies about God, led to his downfall (Proverbs 16:18).
Verses to discuss:
Ezekiel 28:12-19 and Exodus 25:19-20
- How do we know this is a description of Lucifer?
- What do we know about the position of covering cherub from the earthly sanctuary?
- What kind of lies do you think Lucifer told about God?
Isaiah 14:12-15 and Ephesians 5:1
- What’s the difference between being “like God” and being worshipped “like God”?
Wednesday: If You Worship Me
Hebrews 4:15 informs us that Jesus was tempted in all points as we are. So discovering how Jesus resisted His temptations might be helpful when we are tempted. Matthew 4 and Luke 4 record how Satan tempted Jesus after His baptism, and are graphic illustrations of how He fought valiantly against the tempter’s snares.
Shortly after His baptism, Jesus went to the wilderness to fast and pray for many days. He would need a massive amount of spiritual strength for His earthly ministry.
The first temptation Satan brought to Jesus involved turning rocks into bread, which must have been difficult to resist after so many days without food. We, too, are often tempted with earthly pleasures. But then, Satan brought Him to a place where He was tempted to use His divine power to save Himself from a fall off the pinnacle of the temple. Did He believe God had the power to save Him? We, too, are often challenged to keep our faith strong and not doubt God’s ability to save us. Then, Satan promised Him “all the kingdoms of the world”, if He would simply bow down and worship him, instead of the Father.
Each point of temptation Satan used involved a twisted version of Scripture, Jesus responded to the lies with the truth of God’s words. We know our Father in heaven will help us recall Bible verses as well when we need them. When Satan lures us with his lies, we can pray and know that God’s words which we have studied will be there to defend us.
Verses to discuss:
Matthew 4:1-11
- How did Jesus counter the temptations of Satan in the wilderness, and how can we use His methods of resistance?
Luke 4:6
- What lie did Satan use in this offer to Jesus?
Ephesians 6:12
- Why is it important to remember the spiritual nature of our struggle with sin?
Thursday: The Nature of the Cosmic Conflict
The Greek word for devil, “diabolos”, literally means “slanderer” or “false accuser”. Thus, we commonly use the word “diabolical” to mean “devilish”. Satan has tried repeatedly to diminish God’s authority by attacking His character, and making God seem either unloving or unjust.
Lying is therefore a large part of Satan’s strategy to secure the worship to which he feels entitled. To be a false accuser must involve lying, or saying something false, and the Bible verifies this about Satan in John 8:44. He is actually called the father of lies. Lying started with him, and continues to keep people from knowing and loving God.
Satan uses flattery and deceit, but God’s character is opposed to such tactics. From Him, we will only find righteousness and truth. There is love in God’s judgment, just as there is justice in His love. Combined, we have a Rock upon which we can build our own character. Anything we hear about God that doesn’t match His character of love and justice, we know to be a lie.
Verses to discuss:
John 8:44-45 and Revelation 12:7-9
- What do these verses tell us about the lying, accusing nature of the cosmic conflict?
- How does knowing about the devil’s past lies help us recognize them?
Friday: Final Thoughts
The cosmic conflict is basically a battle over character–God’s character versus that of Satan. The Bible tells us that God is not responsible for Satan’s rebellion and the entrance of sin in the universe. It is difficult, however, to justify why evil forces have been present here for so long. Doesn’t God have the power to end it? He certainly does, and has promised to do so at just the right time. This might help explain the delay…
“Evil must be permitted to come to maturity. For the good of the entire universe through ceaseless ages Satan must more fully develop his principles, that his charges against the divine government might be seen in their true light by all created beings, that the justice and mercy of God and the immutability [permanent nature] of His law might forever be placed beyond all question.” ~Ellen G. White, The Great Controversy, p. 499.
Next Week: Rules of Engagement
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