Lesson 5, January 23-29
Sabbath Afternoon
Memory Text: “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: And the government shall be upon his shoulder: And his name shall be called Wonderful, Counseller, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.” Isaiah 9:6
Dr. Robert Oppenheimer, who supervised the creation of the first atomic bomb, appeared before a Congressional Committee [in the United States]. They inquired of him if there were any defense against the weapon. “‘Certainly,’ the great physicist replied.
‘And that is—’
Dr. Oppenheimer looked over the hushed, expectant audience and said softly: ‘Peace.’ ” — Compiled by Paul Lee Tan, Encyclopedia of 7,700 Illustrations: Signs of the Times (Rockville, Md.: Assurance Publishers, 1979), p. 989.
Peace is an elusive dream for the human race. It has been estimated that since the beginning of recorded history the world has been entirely at peace only about 8 percent of the time. During these years, at least eight thousand treaties have been broken (Paul Lee Tan, p. 987, adapted).
In 1895 Alfred Nobel, the inventor of dynamite, provided for a trust to establish a prize for individuals who make an outstanding contribution to peace (Paul Lee Tan, p. 988, adapted). In recent years, however, even some winners of the Nobel Peace Prize have been involved in violent conflict.
This week, we’ll read about the only one who can bring true and everlasting peace.
