The Creator Speaks
“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
These devotional questions are original writing for this site, not the official Sabbath School quarterly. Read the full official lesson at ssnet.org.
God made us to walk with Him. In the beginning, He spoke with Adam and Eve face to face, in the cool of the day. Then sin came, and that closeness was broken.
But God did not stop speaking. He has always found a way to reach His people — through creation, through His Word, through prophets, and most of all through His Son, Jesus.
This week begins a new quarter about the gift of prophecy. We start where the Bible starts: in the garden, where God first spoke, and where humanity first turned away.
Made to Walk With God
God did not create us to be alone. He made Adam and Eve in His own image, and He gave them work to do and a world to care for (Genesis 1:27–28). Every day, God met with them. Scripture says He walked with them “in the cool of the day” (Genesis 3:8). This was not a formal visit. It was friendship.
What does it mean that God made us “in His own image” (Genesis 1:27)?
No other creature is described this way — not the birds, not the animals. Only humans carry God's image. It means we were built to know Him, to love Him, and to be loved by Him.
Why did God say it was “not good” for Adam to be alone (Genesis 2:18)?
God is a God of relationship. He made Adam and Eve to need each other, just as He made us to need Him. Loneliness was never part of His original plan.
What did it look like for God to “walk” with Adam and Eve “in the cool of the day” (Genesis 3:8)?
It was simple, daily time together — not a special occasion, but a regular part of life in Eden. God wanted closeness, not distance.
What does the Sabbath (Genesis 2:2–3) tell us about how God wanted to spend time with His people?
God set apart a whole day for rest and fellowship with Him. From the very first week, He built time for relationship into the rhythm of life.
Hiding From God
God made Adam and Eve free. He gave them one simple command — not to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (Genesis 2:17). Love needs freedom to choose. But when the serpent tempted Eve, she and Adam chose to disobey (Genesis 3:1–6). And for the first time, they were afraid of God.
Why did God give Adam and Eve the freedom to disobey Him?
Real love cannot be forced. God wanted their obedience to come from love, not fear — so He gave them a real choice to make.
What did the serpent promise Eve in Genesis 3:5, and why did it sound appealing?
The serpent said she would be “like God, knowing good and evil.” It sounded like wisdom, but it was really a lie meant to pull her away from trusting God's word.
What happened the moment Adam and Eve ate the fruit (Genesis 3:7–8)?
Their eyes were opened, and they felt shame for the first time. Instead of running to God, they hid from Him among the trees.
Have you ever wanted to hide from God after doing something wrong? What made you want to run instead of come close?
A personal question worth sitting with — shame often makes us want distance from God, even though He is the one who can heal it.
God Comes Looking
Even though Adam and Eve hid, God came looking for them. He called out, “Where are you?” (Genesis 3:9). He already knew the answer. He asked because He wanted them to come back to Him. Jesus told a story about this same kind of love — a father who watches and waits for his lost son to come home (Luke 15:11–32).
Why did God ask Adam, “Where are you?” (Genesis 3:9) when He already knew where he was?
The question was not for God's sake, but for Adam's. It was an invitation to step out of hiding and talk with God honestly.
In the parable of the prodigal son (Luke 15:20), what does the father do when he sees his son “a great way off”?
He runs to meet him. He doesn't wait for his son to fully explain or earn his way back — he goes out to find him first, full of compassion.
How did Adam and Eve respond when God asked what happened (Genesis 3:12–13)?
Instead of taking responsibility, Adam blamed Eve, and Eve blamed the serpent. Sin made them quick to point away from themselves.
What does it mean to you that God takes the first step toward us, even when we are the ones who walked away?
A personal reflection question — the point worth sitting with is that grace moves first, before we ever clean ourselves up.
A Promise on the Way Out
Sin changed everything. Adam and Eve had to leave the garden, and the ground itself was cursed (Genesis 3:14–24). Their close, face-to-face friendship with God was broken. The prophet Isaiah later wrote, “Your iniquities have separated you from your God” (Isaiah 59:2). But even as they left Eden, God gave them a promise — hope was not gone.
What changes does Genesis 3:16–19 describe happening because of sin?
Pain in childbirth, hard labor for food, and finally death. Sin brought real, lasting consequences into a world that was never meant to have them.
What promise did God give in Genesis 3:15, sometimes called “the first gospel promise”?
God said the seed of the woman would crush the serpent's head. Even as judgment was announced, God was already promising a future Savior.
Before Adam and Eve left the garden, what did God do for them in Genesis 3:21?
He clothed them Himself, covering their shame — a small picture of how He would one day cover our sin through Christ.
Why do you think God chose to give a promise of hope at the very moment He announced the consequences of sin?
A personal question — even in judgment, God was already planning redemption, showing that His justice and His mercy work together.
God Still Speaks
Sin separated us from God, but He never stopped reaching out. The Bible tells us God spoke through the prophets in many ways and at many times (Hebrews 1:1–2). He speaks through creation, through His written Word, and most fully through His Son, Jesus.
According to Hebrews 1:1–2, how has God chosen to speak to His people?
In the past, through the prophets, in many different times and ways. But now, in these last days, God has spoken to us through His Son.
What does Romans 1:19–20 say creation reveals about God?
God's eternal power and divine nature can be understood through the things He has made. Creation itself is one way God speaks to everyone, everywhere.
What does Jesus say about His followers in John 10:27?
“My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.” Jesus describes a real, personal relationship — His people recognize His voice.
Jesus said, “He who has seen Me has seen the Father” (John 14:9). What does this tell us about the best way to know what God is like?
If we want to know God's character, we look at Jesus. He is God's clearest, fullest word to us.
Ellen White's Early Years
This quarter, each Friday looks at the life of Ellen G. White, who Seventh-day Adventists believe carried a modern gift of prophecy. Her story begins with a childhood accident that changed her life, and a slow, painful journey toward understanding God's love.
What happened to Ellen Harmon at age nine that changed the course of her life?
A classmate threw a stone that struck her in the face, leaving her unconscious for weeks. The injury ended her formal schooling and affected her health for the rest of her life.
How did young Ellen feel about God and her own salvation before she met the preacher Levi Stockman?
She felt afraid of God and believed she was unworthy of heaven, even after her own baptism. She carried deep fear rather than peace.
What changed for Ellen after her conversation with Levi Stockman?
She began to see God as a kind and tender parent, rather than a stern tyrant. For the first time, she felt real love and assurance from God.
Why might it matter that someone who would go on to have such a significant ministry started out afraid of God and unsure of her own salvation?
A personal reflection question — her story is a reminder that God can use someone who once struggled deeply with fear and doubt.
For Discussion
Genesis begins with God speaking face to face with Adam and Eve, and Revelation ends with God dwelling with His people again (Revelation 21:3). What does it mean to you that the whole Bible is really the story of God working to restore that closeness?
An open question worth sitting with as you consider the whole sweep of Scripture, from garden to garden.
Think of a time you felt far from God. What helped you find your way back to Him?
A personal question — there's no single right answer, only your own honest story.
God spoke to Adam and Eve, to the prophets, and finally through His Son. In your own life right now, how do you sense God speaking to you?
Another personal question, worth answering slowly rather than with the first easy answer that comes to mind.
This quarter will explore the gift of prophecy in Scripture and in Ellen White's ministry. What do you hope to better understand by the end of these thirteen weeks?
A good question to return to at the end of the quarter, to see how your answer has changed.
