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Wally

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 Lesson 14 December 24–30




Some Lessons From Job



So likewise ye, when ye shall have done all those things which are commanded you, say, We are unprofitable servants:  we have done that which was our duty to do.  Luke 17:10

Richard Myers

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Re: SDA Sabbath School Lesson 14--4th Quarter 2016--Some Lessons From Job
« Reply #1 on: December 24, 2016, 08:23:02 AM »
Sabbath Afternoon

Read for This Week’s Study: 2 Cor. 5:7, Job 1–Job 2:8, Matt. 4:10, Matt. 13:39, John 8:1–11, Heb. 11:10, Heb. 4:15.

Memory Text: “Behold, we count them happy which endure. Ye have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord; that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy.” James 5:11

We’ve come to the end of this quarter’s study on Job. Though we might have covered much in the book, we must admit that there’s still so much more to cover, so much more to learn. Of course, even in the secular world, everything we learn and discover simply leads to more things to learn and to discover. And if it’s like that with atoms, stars, jellyfish, and math equations, how much more so with the Word of God?

“We have no reason to doubt God’s word because we cannot understand the mysteries of His providence. In the natural world we are constantly surrounded with wonders beyond our comprehension. Should we then be surprised to find in the spiritual world also mysteries that we cannot fathom? The difficulty lies solely in the weakness and narrowness of the human mind.” — Ellen G. White, Education, p. 170.

Yes, mysteries remain, especially in a book like Job, where many of life’s most difficult questions are raised. Nevertheless, we will look at some lessons we can take away from this story that can help us, like Job, to be faithful to the Lord amid a world of troubles.

The important questions that are raised in the Book of Job are not mysteries. God's church has been entrusted with answers we are to find in the Book of Job.


Jesus receives His reward when we reflect His character, the fruits of the Spirit......We deny Jesus His reward when we do not.

Richard Myers

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Re: SDA Sabbath School Lesson 14--4th Quarter 2016--Some Lessons From Job
« Reply #2 on: December 27, 2016, 09:56:20 AM »
Sunday December 25

By Faith and Not by Sight

Read 2 Corinthians 5:7 and 2 Corinthians 4:18.

5:7   (For we walk by faith, not by sight:) 

4:18   While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen [are] temporal; but the things which are not seen [are] eternal. 

 
What crucial truths are revealed in these texts? How can these truths help us as we seek to be faithful followers of the Lord?

The immediate context of 2 Corinthians 4:18 is eschatological, talking about the end times, when we are clothed in immortality, a great promise that we don’t yet see fulfilled. That’s a promise we have to take by faith and not by sight, because it hasn’t come to pass yet.

Likewise, the book of Job shows us that there’s so much more to reality than what we can see. This should not, though, be so difficult a concept for people living in our day and age to grasp, not when science has revealed the existence of unseen forces all around us.

The revelations of science ought to cause man to consider that the perfection seen in creation does not just happen. There is order and perfection because there is a Creator God who creation points to. The heavens declare the glory of God. Man is without excuse for not knowing there is a God.

But, the faith being spoken of in Corinthians, is saving faith. That can only come from knowing God. We must trust Him with all we are and all we have. Do we look past the trials of this life to the unseen world where we shall, if by grace we are fully surrendered, soon live? Are we wanting the "good life" in this world, or are we giving glory to God in our trials as did Job in chapters one and two? Are we like Stephen when he spoke the truth knowing it would result in his death? Have we come to the point where Job and Stephen were when they rejoiced in their suffering and gave glory to God? Do we say
"Lord, lay not this sin to their charge"? Can we say as did Job, "The LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD."  If not, why not?


A preacher stood before a church in a large city. He asked the congregation to be quiet. For a few seconds there was no sound. He then pulled out a radio and turned it on, running the dial across the channels. All sorts of sounds came out of the radio.

“Let me ask,” the preacher said. “Where did these sounds come from? Did they originate in the radio itself? No, these sounds were in the air all around us, as radio waves, waves just as real as my voice is now. But the way we are wired, we don’t have access to them. But the fact that we can’t see or feel or hear them doesn’t mean that they don’t exist, right?”

What other real things that we can’t see (such as radiation or gravity) exist around us? What spiritual lessons can we draw from the fact that these unseen forces not only exist but can impact our lives?

As the book of Job showed, none of the people involved really grasped what was going on. They believed in God and even had some understanding about God and His character and creative power. But outside the bare facts of reality that they could see—i.e., Job’s calamity—they didn’t have a clue as to what was happening behind the scenes.

Job and Elihu understood what was going on to a great degree. While Job falsely thought it was God who was attacking him, he did understand it was for his good. Even after he lost his hold on God, he was able to reconnect off and on, and testify to his three friends, and to us that he would benefit from his great trial. "When He hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold." Job 23:10.  Thus, Job saw what the author of our lesson does not see, why it is that bad things happen to "good" people. Job was perfect before God, yet He allowed him to suffer greatly. Job knew that his character was being developed. He knew that the furnace of affliction would purify his character just as gold is purified in the furnace. By faith he understood God was in control and even if he died, he would come forth from the grave to receive his inheritance.

We do indeed understand more than Job. We are without excuse for knowing we are to
"glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; And patience, experience; and experience, hope: And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us." Romans 5:3-5.


In the same way, might we not at times be as clueless as to the unseen realities around us? The book of Job, then, teaches us that we need to learn to live by faith, realizing our weakness and just how little we really see and know.

It is our love for God that will allow us to look beyond what we see with our human eyes to the unseen world. The things we see shall pass away, but the unseen world is everlasting. We live for Jesus, to glorify Him who gave all for us. We glory in our trials knowing they will testify of Him. We have seen the Master and we trust in Him with the whole heart. We are undivided in our service to God. The reason for our suffering is not a mystery. Over and over again in Scripture we find the answer. Here is just one such verse.
"Unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on Him, but also to suffer for His sake." Philippians 1:29. Of all the gifts that Heaven can bestow upon men, fellowship with Christ in His sufferings is the most weighty trust and the highest honor.


Jesus receives His reward when we reflect His character, the fruits of the Spirit......We deny Jesus His reward when we do not.

Pastor Sean Brizendine

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Re: SDA Sabbath School Lesson 14--4th Quarter 2016--Some Lessons From Job
« Reply #3 on: December 28, 2016, 08:32:29 AM »
Monday December 26

Evil Being


One of the great questions that has challenged human thinking deals with evil. Though some philosophers and even religionists have denied the existence of evil or think we should at least abandon the term, most people would disagree. Evil is real; it’s a part of this world. Though we can argue over what is or is not evil, most of us (to paraphrase a U.S. Supreme Court justice in another context) “know it when we see it.”

Evil is defined by the "transgression of the law" (1 John 3:4) as sin. Sin is moral evil in the universe. We know it exists because God''s word clearly reveals it. What we see in the world is the fruit of the inner evil nature of man that unregenerate will continue to foment rebellion in harmony with the great rebel leader, Satan. Unless the heart is cleansed from sin and selfishness by beholding the loveliness of Jesus and making an entire surrender to Him so that He can give us a new heart and mind. We need this change in us to be true Christians. We see in Job lessons that help us realize that this is an ONGOING need of every human being that professes the name of Christ.

Evil is sometimes put into two broad classes: natural and moral. Natural evil is defined as the kind that arises from natural disasters, such as when earthquakes or floods or pestilences bring suffering. Moral evil results from deliberate actions of other human beings, such as murder or robbery.

"Moral evil" is simply the outflow of an evil heart. We need a new heart--all of us--or we will be continuing to bring moral evil into the universe. Our fallen, sinful nature is depraved and we must have Jesus Christ, our Savior, to give us an experience of becoming "partakers of the divine nature" so that we may "escape the corruption that is in the world through lust" (2 Peter 1:4).

All sorts of theories, ancient and modern, attempt to account for the existence of evil. As Seventh-day Adventists, we believe that the Bible teaches that evil originated in the fall of a created being, Satan. The popular culture, aided by materialistic philosophical speculations, has denied the idea of Satan. But one can do so only by rejecting the clear testimony of Scripture, which depicts Satan as a real being out to do humans as much harm as possible.

This is a truth especially revealed in the book of Job.

Yes, this is a rather obvious truth. But there is more than this. Satan has no power to cause you and me to do evil when we are abiding "perfect" in Christ. God does not intend for His church to remain in ignorance as to why there are so many perplexities in the churches and as to why Satan is allowed to do the things he does. There is no mystery here. Light has been shining abundantly that we would move past the basic reality of Satan's existence to understand why his existence has been continued for our good. Let us see things clearly from an inspired source:

     Satan saw that his disguise was torn away. His administration was laid open before the unfallen angels and before the heavenly universe. He had revealed himself as a murderer. By shedding the blood of the Son of God, he had uprooted himself from the sympathies of the heavenly beings. Henceforth his work was restricted. Whatever attitude he might assume, he could no longer await the angels as they came from the heavenly courts, and before them accuse Christ's brethren of being clothed with the garments of blackness and the defilement of sin. The last link of sympathy between Satan and the heavenly world was broken. {DA 762.2}
     Yet Satan was not then destroyed. The angels did not even then understand all that was involved in the great controversy. The principles at stake were to be more fully revealed. And for the sake of man, Satan's existence must be continued. Man as well as angels must see the contrast between the Prince of light and the prince of darkness. He must choose whom he will serve. {DA 762.3}
     In the opening of the great controversy, Satan had declared that the law of God could not be obeyed, that justice was inconsistent with mercy, and that, should the law be broken, it would be impossible for the sinner to be pardoned. Every sin must meet its punishment, urged Satan; and if God should remit the punishment of sin, He would not be a God of truth and justice. When men broke the law of God, and defied His will, Satan exulted. It was proved, he declared, that the law could not be obeyed; man could not be forgiven. Because he, after his rebellion, had been banished from heaven, Satan claimed that the human race must be forever shut out from God's favor. God could not be just, he urged, and yet show mercy to the sinner. {DA 762.4}


Read Job 1:1 to Job 2:8.

Job 1:1-22
1 There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was perfect and upright, and one that feared God, and eschewed evil.
2 And there were born unto him seven sons and three daughters.
3 His substance also was seven thousand sheep, and three thousand camels, and five hundred yoke of oxen, and five hundred she asses, and a very great household; so that this man was the greatest of all the men of the east.
4 And his sons went and feasted in their houses, every one his day; and sent and called for their three sisters to eat and to drink with them.
5 And it was so, when the days of their feasting were gone about, that Job sent and sanctified them, and rose up early in the morning, and offered burnt offerings according to the number of them all: for Job said, It may be that my sons have sinned, and cursed God in their hearts. Thus did Job continually.
6 Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan came also among them.
7 And the Lord said unto Satan, Whence comest thou? Then Satan answered the Lord, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it.
8 And the Lord said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil?
9 Then Satan answered the Lord, and said, Doth Job fear God for nought?
10 Hast not thou made an hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side? thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land.
11 But put forth thine hand now, and touch all that he hath, and he will curse thee to thy face.
12 And the Lord said unto Satan, Behold, all that he hath is in thy power; only upon himself put not forth thine hand. So Satan went forth from the presence of the Lord.
13 And there was a day when his sons and his daughters were eating and drinking wine in their eldest brother's house:
14 And there came a messenger unto Job, and said, The oxen were plowing, and the asses feeding beside them:
15 And the Sabeans fell upon them, and took them away; yea, they have slain the servants with the edge of the sword; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee.
16 While he was yet speaking, there came also another, and said, The fire of God is fallen from heaven, and hath burned up the sheep, and the servants, and consumed them; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee.
17 While he was yet speaking, there came also another, and said, The Chaldeans made out three bands, and fell upon the camels, and have carried them away, yea, and slain the servants with the edge of the sword; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee.
18 While he was yet speaking, there came also another, and said, Thy sons and thy daughters were eating and drinking wine in their eldest brother's house:
19 And, behold, there came a great wind from the wilderness, and smote the four corners of the house, and it fell upon the young men, and they are dead; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee.
20 Then Job arose, and rent his mantle, and shaved his head, and fell down upon the ground, and worshipped,
21 And said, Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return thither: the Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.
22 In all this Job sinned not, nor charged God foolishly.

Job 2:1-8
1 Again there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan came also among them to present himself before the Lord.
2 And the Lord said unto Satan, From whence comest thou? And Satan answered the Lord, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it.
3 And the Lord said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil? and still he holdeth fast his integrity, although thou movedst me against him, to destroy him without cause.
4 And Satan answered the Lord, and said, Skin for skin, yea, all that a man hath will he give for his life.
5 But put forth thine hand now, and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will curse thee to thy face.
6 And the Lord said unto Satan, Behold, he is in thine hand; but save his life.
7 So went Satan forth from the presence of the Lord, and smote Job with sore boils from the sole of his foot unto his crown.
8 And he took him a potsherd to scrape himself withal; and he sat down among the ashes.


"When we live by faith on the Son of God, the fruits of the Spirit will be seen in our lives; not one will be missing." {The Desire of Ages, 676.4}

Pastor Sean Brizendine

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Re: SDA Sabbath School Lesson 14--4th Quarter 2016--Some Lessons From Job
« Reply #4 on: December 28, 2016, 08:33:40 AM »
(Monday's Lesson Continued)

How do these two chapters help us understand the role of Satan in the evil that’s so prevalent in the world?

God allows Satan to exercise his usurped power only to a limit--for the ultimate good of the character building of those whom He loves, and for the complete revelation of the evil character of Satan and those who follow him, so that the destruction of sin and sinners will be completely fair, just, and understood by an onlooking universe who need to understand how God works in love and benevolence, not by arbitrary force as does Satan.

In Job’s case, Satan was directly responsible for the evil, both moral and natural, that fell upon this man. But what we see in the book of Job doesn’t necessarily mean that every example of evil or suffering is directly related to demonic activity. The fact is, as with the characters in the book of Job, we just don’t know all the reasons for the terrible things that happen. In fact, the name of “Satan” never even came up in the dialogues regarding Job’s misfortunes. The speakers blamed God, they blamed Job, but never Satan himself. Nevertheless, the book of Job should show us who is responsible in the end for the evil on the earth.

What do these following texts tell us about the reality of Satan?

"Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time" (Rev. 12:12).
"Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve" (Matt. 4:10).
"The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels" (Matt. 13:39).
"Those by the way side are they that hear; then cometh the devil, and taketh away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved" (Luke 8:12).
"And ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan hath bound, lo, these eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the sabbath day?" (Luke 13:16).
"Then entered Satan into Judas surnamed Iscariot, being of the number of the twelve" (Luke 22:3). "And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat" (Luke 22:31).
"But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land?" (Acts 5:3).
"Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour" (1 Peter 5, verse eight).


More important, what examples do you have of Satan’s influence in your life? How can you be protected against him?

Through the work of Satan, both of my parents died of separate health related issues when I was young (I was orphaned at the age of 15). Satan is the author of sin, suffering, and death, but God overrules it for purposes of good to them that love Him. To the second question, the answer is always the same--our only protection from Satan is found in complete surrender to Jesus. By beholding His loveliness, we will be motivated to surrender fully to Him. We need Jesus continually. "Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded" (James 4:7-8).
"When we live by faith on the Son of God, the fruits of the Spirit will be seen in our lives; not one will be missing." {The Desire of Ages, 676.4}

Richard Myers

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Re: SDA Sabbath School Lesson 14--4th Quarter 2016--Some Lessons From Job
« Reply #5 on: December 28, 2016, 04:22:06 PM »
Amen, Pastor Sean! Such important truth!


The popular culture, aided by materialistic philosophical speculations, has denied the idea of Satan. But one can do so only by rejecting the clear testimony of Scripture, which depicts Satan as a real being out to do humans as much harm as possible.

This is a truth especially revealed in the book of Job.

Yes, this is a rather obvious truth. But there is more than this. Satan has no power to cause you and me to do evil when we are abiding "perfect" in Christ.

Amen! And I agree with what you have shared in regards to our fallen evil nature. Sin is in our flesh. We will sin unless we are abiding in Christ.  Our only hope is to be reconciled with God.

Satan has no power to make us sin even if we are outside of Christ. There is an exception, though. When one surrenders his whole mind to Satan, then Satan has control and will not let it go unless he is cast out by the power of God. When we are neither surrendered to Christ or Satan wholly, then we sin of our own nature. "For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin. For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I. If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law that [it is] good. Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but [how] to perform that which is good I find not. For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do." Romans 7:14-19.

By nature we are captive to the law of sin and death, but Christ will set us free from this captivity if we will give Him the whole heart. "There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death." Romans 8:1,2.
Jesus receives His reward when we reflect His character, the fruits of the Spirit......We deny Jesus His reward when we do not.

Pastor Sean Brizendine

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Re: SDA Sabbath School Lesson 14--4th Quarter 2016--Some Lessons From Job
« Reply #6 on: December 29, 2016, 05:44:51 AM »
Amen, Richard! I appreciate being able to recognize the difference between Satan causing a person to sin and the work of the fallen nature. Our only safety now and ever is to have Jesus abiding in our hearts CONTINUALLY by a living, active faith, which is manifest in all of the fruits of the Spirit so that not one is missing. Such is our opportunity to reflect Jesus and to refute Satan's lies and charges that it is impossible to keep the law of God! With God all things are possible!
"When we live by faith on the Son of God, the fruits of the Spirit will be seen in our lives; not one will be missing." {The Desire of Ages, 676.4}

Richard Myers

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Re: SDA Sabbath School Lesson 14--4th Quarter 2016--Some Lessons From Job
« Reply #7 on: December 29, 2016, 07:00:37 AM »
Amen, Pastor Sean. What is impossible with man is evidence of the power of grace to do what man cannot do in and of himself. Jesus makes it abundantly clear, that we must be changed, for none are good, and He has power to do it.

     "And He said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments.... It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God. When his disciples heard it, they were exceedingly amazed, saying, Who then can be saved? But Jesus beheld [them], and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible." Matthew 19:17,24-26.


So it is today. Satan has deceived many today into believing they may sin a known sin and retain salvation. Thus, multitudes remain in a Laodicean condition thinking they are saved, but in fact are "miserable, and wretched, and poor, and blind, and naked." Jesus tells us that if we will come to Him just as we are, He will save us. What a loving God is our Savior!

Jesus receives His reward when we reflect His character, the fruits of the Spirit......We deny Jesus His reward when we do not.

Richard Myers

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Re: SDA Sabbath School Lesson 14--4th Quarter 2016--Some Lessons From Job
« Reply #8 on: December 29, 2016, 12:12:32 PM »
Tuesday December 27

With Friends Like These . . .

All through the book of Job, the three (and then four) men who came to speak to Job did so with good motives. They had heard what had happened to him, and they came “to mourn with him and to comfort him” (Job 2:11). However, after Job first started speaking, bemoaning the tragedies that befell him, they apparently felt it was more important for them to put Job in his place and set his theology straight than it was to encourage and uplift the spirits of their suffering friend.

Yes, there is a difference between what Job's three friends said, and what God said in the last five chapters of the Book.

But, what of Job's fourth friend? His dealing with Job, was it more in line with what the three friends said, or what God said?

Time after time, they got it all wrong. But suppose they had got it all right? Suppose all these things came upon Job because he had deserved them? They might have been theologically correct, but so what? Did Job need correct theology? Or did he need something else entirely?

Read John 8:1–11.

 8:1   Jesus went unto the mount of Olives. 
 8:2   And early in the morning he came again into the temple, and all the people came unto him; and he sat down, and taught them. 
 8:3   And the scribes and Pharisees brought unto him a woman taken in adultery; and when they had set her in the midst, 
 8:4   They say unto him, Master, this woman was taken in adultery, in the very act. 
 8:5   Now Moses in the law commanded us, that such should be stoned: but what sayest thou? 
 8:6   This they said, tempting him, that they might have to accuse him. But Jesus stooped down, and with [his] finger wrote on the ground, [as though he heard them not]. 
 8:7   So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her. 
 8:8   And again he stooped down, and wrote on the ground. 
 8:9   And they which heard [it], being convicted by [their own] conscience, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest, [even] unto the last: and Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst. 
 8:10   When Jesus had lifted up himself, and saw none but the woman, he said unto her, Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee? 
 8:11   She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more. 


What did Jesus reveal here that these men were greatly lacking?

It is not a good example. Job's three friends falsely accused Job. They perverted the truth and disparaged the character of Job. And, when we see what Jesus said to Job (five chapters worth), it is not what Jesus said to Mary. There were few words to Mary, and five chapters to Job. Why the difference?


In this story, there is a major difference between the woman taken in adultery and her accusers on the one hand and Job and his accusers on the other. The woman was guilty. Though she might have been less guilty of sin than those accusing her, there was never a question of her guilt, whatever the mitigating circumstances. In contrast, Job was not guilty, at least in the sense of guilt that his accusers had claimed for him. But even if he had been guilty like this woman, what Job needed from these men was what this woman needed, and what all suffering people need: grace and forgiveness.

It is true, the woman saw her guilt, but Job did not. Job began innocent and perfect, but when he sinned, his guilt was argued against even when he was guilty of self righteousness and condemning God. Maybe this is why God thought it necessary to send Elihu first, then to make the point so clear, that Job would not argue any more? Job never argued with God.
"Wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes." Job 42:6.

“In His act of pardoning this woman and encouraging her to live a better life, the character of Jesus shines forth in the beauty of perfect righteousness. While He does not palliate sin, nor lessen the sense of guilt, He seeks not to condemn, but to save. The world had for this erring woman only contempt and scorn; but Jesus speaks words of comfort and hope.” — Ellen G. White, The Desire of Ages, p. 462.

What the book of Job should teach us is that we need to give others what we would like were we in their shoes. There is surely a time and place for rebuke, for confrontation, but before we consider taking on that role, we need to remember humbly and meekly that we are sinners ourselves.

If we are sinners ourselves, then maybe we ought not reprove anyone. On the other hand what if we are repentant sinners? What does the Bible say about what we must do before we seek to reprove another? What does a beam do when it is one's eye?


How can we learn more compassion for those who are suffering, even suffering from their own wrong courses of action?

Is compassion for the guilty something we learn? How can a sinner show compassion for the one who murdered his wife? Or on a more simple and Biblical basis, how can one love his enemy? These things are impossible when we are talking about true compassion and true love from the heart. Why?

Was Nicodemus a compassionate man when Jesus reproved him, told him he needed to be converted? No he was not, not in the Biblical meaning of compassionate. He was selfish, evil by nature. What did Jesus tell him he needed to do? He needed to be born of the Spirit. That which is born of the flesh is evil, and can do no good thing. But, telling one he needs to be born of the Spirit is not telling one what he must do in order to be able to love the unlovable. What must we do if we want to be converted and compassionate Christians?
Jesus receives His reward when we reflect His character, the fruits of the Spirit......We deny Jesus His reward when we do not.

Richard Myers

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Re: SDA Sabbath School Lesson 14--4th Quarter 2016--Some Lessons From Job
« Reply #9 on: December 29, 2016, 01:38:19 PM »
Wednesday December 28

More Than Thorns and Thistles

As we all know, and some know too well, life is hard. Right at Eden, after the Fall, we were given some hints of how hard it would be, when the Lord let our first parents know what some of the results of their transgression would be (see Gen. 3:16–24).

Let's start with Genesis 3:15, for there it is revealed we have no hatred towards sin because of our fallen nature. That is what is hard.

3:15   And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel. 
 3:16   Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire [shall be] to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee. 
 3:17   And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed [is] the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat [of] it all the days of thy life; 
 3:18   Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field; 
 3:19   In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou [art], and unto dust shalt thou return. 
 3:20   And Adam called his wife's name Eve; because she was the mother of all living. 
 3:21   Unto Adam also and to his wife did the LORD God make coats of skins, and clothed them. 
 3:22   And the LORD God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever: 
 3:23   Therefore the LORD God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken. 
 3:24   So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life. 


These were just hints though. After all, if the only challenges we faced in life were “thorns and thistles,” human existence would be radically different from how it is today.

No, this is why we included verse 15. When understood correctly, it explains why we see the suffering in the world today. Man is enmity with God, and aligned with
Satan and sin. And, how can we overlook the great rebellion in the church and the suffering it causes so many. Many leaders in the NAD, Europe, and Australia either ignore these verses or outright reject them.
"And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.  Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire [shall be] to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee."

Paul makes reference to this truth in 1 Timothy when he says he does not allow a woman to usurp the authority of a man. "Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression. Notwithstanding she shall be saved in childbearing, if they continue in faith and charity and holiness with sobriety." Verses 14, 15. Now we see so very many suffering as the rebellion in making women rulers over men increases the misery in a divided church.


We look around, and what do we see but suffering, sickness, poverty, war, crime, depression, pollution, and injustice? The historian of antiquity Herodotus wrote about a culture in which people mourned—yes, mourned when a baby was born, because they knew the inevitable sorrow and suffering that the child would face were he or she to reach adulthood. Seems morbid, but who can refute the logic?

In the book of Job, though, there is a message for us about the human condition. As we saw, Job could be deemed a symbol of all humanity, in that all of us suffer—often in ways that just don’t seem fair, that don’t seem appropriate to whatever sins we have all inevitably committed. It wasn’t fair to Job, and it’s not fair to us.

Thus we see more condemnation of God. God allowed this suffering. The world is not fair, but God is in absolute control. He stopped Satan from hurting Job and his family. But, He then allowed all that happened to Job. It was Job's good that he suffered. He had more to learn. When he gets to heaven, he will acknowledge his suffering worked for his good as well as God's glory.


And yet, in all of this what the book of Job can say to us is that God is there, God knows, and God promises that it doesn’t all have to be for nothing.

Secular writers, atheistic writers, struggle to come to terms with the meaninglessness of a life that ends forever in death. They struggle and struggle for answers and yet come up with nothing, because this life, in and of itself, offers nothing. There’s an atheistic philosophy called “nihilism,” from a Latin word, nihil, that means “nothing.” Nihilism teaches that our world and our lives in the world mean nothing.

The book of Job, though, points us to a transcendent reality beyond the nihil that our mortal lives threaten us with. It points us to God and to a realm of existence from which we can draw hope. It tells us that all that happens to us does not happen in a vacuum but that there is a God who knows all about what is happening, a God who promises to make it all right one day.

Then, just maybe it is fair? What is not fair is that Jesus suffered in our place.


Whatever grand questions the book of Job leaves unanswered, it doesn’t leave us with nothing in our hands but the ashes of our lives (see Gen. 3:19, Job 2:8 ). Instead, it leaves us with the hope of hopes, the hope of something beyond what’s presented to our immediate senses.

What Bible texts explicitly say that we have a great hope that transcends anything this world offers? (See, for instance, Heb. 11:10, Rev. 21:2.)

This world cannot offer us love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance. The whole Bible reveals the character of a God whose grace transforms the lives of all who will come to Him just as they are. This promise is seen in Genesis 3:15. There was no hope for humanity prior to this covenant. Until God spoke these words to Satan, Adam and Eve had no hope. But, when understood rightly, this covenant promises to give man a new heart that hates Satan and sin. It is a promise to write God's law upon the heart. But, these are conditional promises. Not all men and women will receive this enmity towards Satan and sin. What is the condition for receiving this transformation of character, and nature?
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colporteur

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Re: SDA Sabbath School Lesson 14--4th Quarter 2016--Some Lessons From Job
« Reply #10 on: December 30, 2016, 07:04:36 AM »
Sabbath Afternoon

Read for This Week’s Study: 2 Cor. 5:7, Job 1–Job 2:8, Matt. 4:10, Matt. 13:39, John 8:1–11, Heb. 11:10, Heb. 4:15.

Memory Text: “Behold, we count them happy which endure. Ye have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord; that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy.” James 5:11


Is there a difference between this text in the NKJV as opposed to the KJV ?  Perhaps not the overall thought but perseverance and patience are two different things and sometimes even opposite.
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colporteur

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Re: SDA Sabbath School Lesson 14--4th Quarter 2016--Some Lessons From Job
« Reply #11 on: December 30, 2016, 07:14:44 AM »
 Why was this story of Job put in the Bible ? Was it not to a good degree for our benefit as were the stories of John the Revelator, John the Baptist, and others ?


"John was cast into a caldron of boiling oil; but the Lord preserved the life of His faithful servant, even as He preserved the three Hebrews in the fiery furnace. As the words were spoken, Thus perish all who believe in that deceiver, Jesus Christ of Nazareth, John declared, My Master patiently submitted to all that Satan and his angels could devise to humiliate and torture Him. He gave His life to save the world. I am honored in being permitted to suffer for His sake. I am a weak, sinful man. Christ was holy, harmless, undefiled. He did no sin, neither was guile found in His mouth." Acts of the Apostles p. 570

"In all ages God's appointed witnesses have exposed themselves to reproach and persecution for the truth's sake. Joseph was maligned and persecuted because he preserved his virtue and integrity. David, the chosen messenger of God, was hunted like a beast of prey by his enemies. Daniel was cast into a den of lions because he was true to his allegiance to heaven. Job was deprived of his worldly possessions, and so afflicted in body that he was abhorred by his relatives, and friends; yet he maintained his integrity. Jeremiah could not be deterred from speaking the words that God had given him to speak; and his testimony so enraged the king and princes that he was cast into a loathsome pit. Stephen was stoned because he preached Christ and Him crucified. Paul was imprisoned, beaten with rods, stoned, and finally put to death because he was a faithful messenger for God to the Gentiles. And John was banished to the Isle of Patmos "for the word of God, and for the testimony of Jesus Christ." Acts of the Apostles p. 575

 II Timothy 3:12     “Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.”


     Jesus did not interpose to deliver His servant. He knew that John would bear the test. Gladly would the Saviour have come to John, to brighten the dungeon gloom with His own presence. But He was not to place Himself in the hands of enemies and imperil His own mission. Gladly would He have delivered His faithful servant. But for the sake of thousands who in after years must pass from prison to death, John was to drink the cup of martyrdom. As the followers of Jesus should languish in lonely cells, or perish by the sword, the rack, or the fagot, . . . what a stay to their hearts would be the thought that John the Baptist, to whose faithfulness Christ Himself had borne witness, had passed through a similar experience!  {CC 278.3}

Some of God's people are likewise suffering today for their faith and many more will in the future. Some will be thrown into lonely dungeon cells and abandoned and accused by family and former friends. God's people will be made to look guilty and defenseless, the reason for God's wrath. However, one infinitely more mighty than these enemies of God is at work to redeem and save. When God's people are placed in like circumstances as the patriarchs of old we can take consolation in the fact that we are not alone and others before us have faithfully tread a similar path, not the least being Jesus Himself.
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Richard Myers

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Re: SDA Sabbath School Lesson 14--4th Quarter 2016--Some Lessons From Job
« Reply #12 on: December 30, 2016, 08:40:07 AM »
Sabbath Afternoon

Read for This Week’s Study: 2 Cor. 5:7, Job 1–Job 2:8, Matt. 4:10, Matt. 13:39, John 8:1–11, Heb. 11:10, Heb. 4:15.

Memory Text: “Behold, we count them happy which endure. Ye have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord; that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy.” James 5:11


Is there a difference between this text in the NKJV as opposed to the KJV ?  Perhaps not the overall thought but perseverance and patience are two different things and sometimes even opposite.

I don't know what the NKJV says, cp. I don't recall what the author used, but whatever it was, I always change to the KJV.  While it would be nice to have a modern translation, I don't believe the NKJV can be trusted. So, I will not use it and lead others to do so.

Either word serves to reveal the character God had developed in Job. When one has suffered to the degree Job did, and then can praise God, he is patient indeed. And, he has persevered.
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Re: SDA Sabbath School Lesson 14--4th Quarter 2016--Some Lessons From Job
« Reply #13 on: December 30, 2016, 09:42:37 AM »
Why was this story of Job put in the Bible ? Was it not to a good degree for our benefit as were the stories of John the Revelator, John the Baptist, and others ?


...Some of God's people are likewise suffering today for their faith and many more will in the future. Some will be thrown into lonely dungeon cells and abandoned and accused by family and former friends. God's people will be made to look guilty and defenseless, the reason for God's wrath. However, one infinitely more mighty than these enemies of God is at work to redeem and save. When God's people are placed in like circumstances as the patriarchs of old we can take consolation in the fact that we are not alone and others before us have faithfully tread a similar path, not the least being Jesus Himself.

Amen, cp.  The lessons have not spoken the truth in this matter. And, while all Christians have been allowed to suffer, it is us who ought to understand, for what is coming will glorify God greatly. The 144,000 will experience what Job did, but will not fall. The anti-typical Day of Atonement is more than the investigative judgment. God is preparing a people to stand without a Mediator. But, the lesson is silent. How shameful. And, this is the teaching coming from the General Conference.

God help us to study the Bible for ourselves with the aid of the Holy Spirit. Thanks for sharing the quotes, cp. They are right to the point.
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Re: SDA Sabbath School Lesson 14--4th Quarter 2016--Some Lessons From Job
« Reply #14 on: December 30, 2016, 09:57:44 AM »

Thursday December 29

Jesus and Job


Bible students through the ages have sought to find parallels between the story of Job and the story of Jesus. And though Job is not exactly a “type” of Jesus (as were the animals in the sacrificial system), some parallels do exist. In these parallels we can find another lesson from Job: that of what our salvation cost the Lord.

We ought to understand that Job's experience was a faint shadow of what the 144,000 will experience. How so?


Compare Job 1:1 with 1 John 2:1, James 5:6, and Acts 3:14. What parallels are there?

Read Matthew 4:1–11. What parallels exist here between Jesus and Job?

Read Matthew 26:61; Luke 11:15, 16; and John 18:30. How do these texts parallel the experience of Job?

Compare Job 1:22 with Hebrews 4:15. What parallel exists?

These texts do reveal interesting parallels between the experiences of Job and Jesus. Job, of course, was not sinless, as was Jesus; nevertheless, he was a faithful and righteous man whose life brought glory to the Father. Job was sorely tested by the devil, as was Jesus. All through the book of Job, Job was falsely accused; Jesus, too, faced false accusations.

Was Job faithful and righteous? Which is it? Did Job sin? Was he perfect as God said? Yes, both are true. His heart was pure and holy. He obeyed God perfectly in chapters one and two. He was indeed perfect and righteous. But, he sinned. Why do these two truths face so much opposition?


Finally, and perhaps most important, despite all that happened, Job stayed faithful to the Lord. Much more consequently for us all, Jesus stayed faithful, as well. Despite everything that happened to Him, Jesus lived a sinless life, one that perfectly embodied the character of God. Jesus was the “express image of His [God’s] person” (Heb. 1:3, NKJV), and thus alone had the righteousness needed for salvation, “even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference” (Rom. 3:22).

Without righteousness, none shall enter the kingdom of God.


As great as it all was, Job, his suffering, and his faithfulness amid the suffering was a small and imperfect reflection of what Jesus, his Redeemer, would face in Job’s behalf and in ours, when He will indeed come and “stand at the latter day upon the earth” (Job 19:25).

Job's heart was pure, and his character far surpassed the character or Adam in holy flesh. Let's learn the lessons from the Book of Job.
Jesus receives His reward when we reflect His character, the fruits of the Spirit......We deny Jesus His reward when we do not.

colporteur

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Re: SDA Sabbath School Lesson 14--4th Quarter 2016--Some Lessons From Job
« Reply #15 on: December 30, 2016, 10:43:58 AM »
The NKJV says " indeed we count them blessed who endure. You have heard of the perseverance of Job and seen the end intended by the Lord- that the Lord is very compassionate and merciful" James 5:11.

KJV    "Behold, we count them happy which endure. Ye have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord; that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy.  James 5:11

I realize that Scripture is not word inspired but the idea that one can improve on the KJV by changing 10 or more words in the text does not sit right with me. There may be a number of words we could replace "patience" with that would not be error, they do not have the same meaning. One can "persevere" and be entirely impatient. The Greek word here is hupomone - "cheerful or hopeful, endurance, constancy, enduring, patience, patient continuance (waiting)"  I do not see "perseverance" as even listed here. While some of the words might be considered a synonym for "perseverance" I guess I am not very open to changes by the NKJV translators given the frank error they have brought forth in their new translation not the mention that many of the NKJV Bibles have a pagan symbol either on the outside or inside of the front cover.
 
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Re: SDA Sabbath School Lesson 14--4th Quarter 2016--Some Lessons From Job
« Reply #16 on: December 30, 2016, 01:42:55 PM »
You're a cantankerous old coot, aren't you, cp?  ;)

I'm with you on this one.  "Patience," and "perseverance" are not synonymous.  A patient person can persevere, and a persevering person can be patient.  But, as you pointed out, someone who perseveres can be impatient.  And a patient person can be that way passively, without persevering.
So likewise ye, when ye shall have done all those things which are commanded you, say, We are unprofitable servants:  we have done that which was our duty to do.  Luke 17:10

colporteur

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Re: SDA Sabbath School Lesson 14--4th Quarter 2016--Some Lessons From Job
« Reply #17 on: December 30, 2016, 02:02:20 PM »
 ;D  a coot and a mud hen are synonymous.  I used to shoot them just for fun back when I was a great white hunter. But I do not know what the Greek word for Coot is so I cannot be sure.  :-)
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Re: SDA Sabbath School Lesson 14--4th Quarter 2016--Some Lessons From Job
« Reply #18 on: December 30, 2016, 02:13:25 PM »
Why was this story of Job put in the Bible ? Was it not to a good degree for our benefit as were the stories of John the Revelator, John the Baptist, and others ?


It is definitely for our benefit, or it wouldn't be there.  But, from my experience, many Adventists are slow to learn the lessons of Job.   When adversity strikes, they will ask, "why me?"  A better question would be, "why not me?  I'm no better than anyone else, and don't deserve a carefree life any more than anyone else."  After, all, we are all guilty of high treason, and are on probation; and it is only by the grace of God that we have the blessings that we do.

Another trap many Adventists fall into is the same one the disciples (who, apparently had not learned the lesson of Job, either) fell into when they asked Jesus, "who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?"  If someone  gets sick, some are quick to judge, questioning which laws of health they broke.  Which laws of health did Job break?  None that we know of.  His disease was caused directly by Satan.  We often forget that there are environmental and hereditary factors over which we have little or no control.  My dad's mother is a case in point.  A health conscience person, living a healthful lifestyle, she nevertheless died of lung cancer, having never smoked.

But even if a person's misfortunes are the result of their own poor choices, condemnation is not what they need (Job's friends are not our example for how to relate to the sick and afflicted).  Telling a person who is dying of lung cancer because the smoked for 50 years, that they are reaping what they've sown, may be technically correct, but it is hardly helpful to the sufferer.  They need comfort, not condemnation; hope, not harassment.  People in this condition are often more receptive to the Gospel, but not it they get browbeaten by Pharisaical, holier-than-thou Christians.
So likewise ye, when ye shall have done all those things which are commanded you, say, We are unprofitable servants:  we have done that which was our duty to do.  Luke 17:10

Wally

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Re: SDA Sabbath School Lesson 14--4th Quarter 2016--Some Lessons From Job
« Reply #19 on: December 30, 2016, 02:17:58 PM »
;D  a coot and a mud hen are synonomous (really, google it) but I do not know what the Greek word for Coot is so I cannot be sure.  :-)

I can give you the Latin equivalent:  Fulica, but the Greeks must have a word for it.  The European species is very common over there.
So likewise ye, when ye shall have done all those things which are commanded you, say, We are unprofitable servants:  we have done that which was our duty to do.  Luke 17:10