Lesson 11 for March 17, 2012

God formed Man out of dirt from the ground and blew into his nostrils the breath of life. The Man came alivea living soul!
(Genesis, 2: 7 MSG)

Who could ever doubt God is an artist? He molded man with His own hands as a potter, using creativity, ingenuity and art. What artist apart from God could bring life to his creation?
Still, God, you are our Father. We're the clay and you're our potter: all of us are what you made us

(Isaiah 64:8 MSG)

God provided the architectural model of the Sanctuary and many details about its construction. He inspired all kind of artist to do their job. That design was only a shadow of the original, which He designed and built in Heaven (Hebrews, 8: 2) Why did God design something so beautiful?

These are the offerings I want you to receive from them: gold, silver, bronze; blue, purple, and scarlet material; fine linen; goats' hair; tanned rams' skins; dolphin skins; acacia wood; lamp oil; spices for anointing oils and for fragrant incense; onyx stones and other stones for setting in the Ephod and the Breastpiece. Let them construct a Sanctuary for me so that I can live among them. You are to construct it following the plans I've given you, the design for The Dwelling and the design for all its furnishings
(Exodus, 25: 3-9 MSG)

The king ordered the Levites to take their places in The Temple of God with their musical instruments cymbals, harps, zithersfollowing the original instructions of David, Gad the king's seer, and Nathan the prophet; this was God's command conveyed by his prophets. The Levites formed the orchestra of David, while the priests took up the trumpets
(2 Chronicles, 29: 25-26 MSG)

God can be seen as musician especially in: 1. The importance He gave to musical worship in the Temple. 2. The inspiration of psalms (chants) in the book of Psalms and in the rest of the Bible. 3. The ability He gave to David to create musical instruments to worship Him (1 Chronicles, 23: 5)

We can see God as an original and varied author as He inspired the biblical writers. The true of Gospel is presented in varied ways: history, poetry, pictorial presentations, parables, There is literary beauty and quality in the Bible. The Hebrew poetry is an example.

In the Bible there is poetry which has called forth the wonder and admiration of the world. In glowing beauty, in sublime and solemn majesty, in touching pathos, it is unequaled by the most brilliant productions of human genius" (CT 429). "The earliest as well as the most sublime of poetic utterances known to man are found in the Scriptures" (Ed 159). There are no songs like the songs of Zion
(SDA Bible Commentary, vol. 3, The poetry of the Bible)

God is also a sculptor, but not one limited to granite or marble. Instead, He sculpts our characters. He can take a sinful human being and mold and chisel and hammer away until that person reflects something of heavens glory. God has given extensive evidence of such profound skills. From cover to cover in Scripture, we find God taking persons we might disregard as unattractive and unworthy and fashioning them into something beautiful.

Review the life of people who were chiseled by God.

Jacob

Moses

David

Mary

Peter

Paul

MUSICIAN ARCHITECT

AUTHOR

POTTER

SCULPTOR