Gen. 1:24-27; Gen. 2:7, 19; Matt. 10:28; Eccl. 12:1-7; 1 Kings 2:10; 1 Kings 22:40.

 “And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul” (Genesis 2:7).

 The tension between God’s word, “You shall die” (Gen. 2:16, 17, NRSV) and Satan’s counterfeit promise, “You certainly will not die!” (Gen. 3:4, NASB) was not restricted to the Garden of Eden. It has echoed throughout history.

 Many people try to harmonize the words of Satan with the words of God. For them, the warning, “You shall die” refers only to the perishable physical body, while the promise, “You certainly will not die!” is an allusion to an immortal soul or spirit.

 But this approach doesn’t work. For example, can contradictory words of God and of Satan be harmonized? Is there an immaterial soul or spirit that consciously survives physical death? There are many philosophical and even scientific attempts to answer these questions. But, as Bible-based Christians, we must recognize that only the Almighty God, the One who created us, also knows us perfectly (see Psalm 139). Thus, only in His Word to us, the Scriptures, can we find answers to these crucial questions.

 This week we will consider how the Old Testament defines human nature and the condition of human beings at death.

 Study this week’s lesson to prepare for Sabbath, October 15.