Sabbath: The Curse Causeless?
Read for This Week’s Study: Ps. 119:65–72; Job 2:11–13; Job 4:1–21; Rom. 3:19, 20; 1 Cor. 3:19; Heb. 12:5; Matt. 7:1.
Memory Text: “ ‘“Can a mortal be more righteous than God? Can a man be more pure than his Maker?”’ ” (Job 4:17, NKJV).
Last week we stressed the importance of putting ourselves in the position of Job, at least to whatever degree possible. In one sense, it shouldn’t have been that hard, because we’ve all been there; that is, to some degree we’ve all found ourselves immersed in suffering that so often seems to make no sense and certainly doesn’t seem fair.
While in the rest of the lesson we should try to keep that perspective, we also need to find the perspective of the other people in the story, the men who come to mourn and grieve with Job.
And that shouldn’t be so hard either. Who among us hasn’t seen the suffering of others? Who hasn’t sought to console others in their pain and loss? Who doesn’t know what it is like to try to find the right words to speak to those whose grief cuts at our own hearts, as well?
In fact, so much of the book of Job is really taken up with the dialogue between Job and these men, as they all try to make sense of what so often seems to make no sense: the endless parade of human suffering and tragedy in a world created by a loving, powerful, and caring God.
Study this week’s lesson to prepare for Sabbath, November 5.
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As we larned last week that we should put ourselvice in a position Job & we bear in our mine that tempation make us move forword as we are waitting for his soon coming.
Just as those men were blaming Job as the cause of his own suffering, we blame God for the pain and suffering of His own creation yet in all truth, God is so much grieved by this occurance. What is happening can't be easily comprehended by our simple minds. For example, we see Christ on the Cross, how comes? God dying, seems unbelievable but it's perfectly true. Why, God has an answer on the Day of reconning.
A glorious Sabbath to you all.
I think that is the key- we try to make sense of pain and suffering, but that is not possible. The great controversy is the playing out of insanity. Satan's complaints and testing of people and wanting to hurt God, the God whose character is love, the God who only wants good for us all, is insane. God is good, God is love, God is right.
I don't blame God, I have read so many times over the years what He has done for me, there is no blame of God, rather gratitude for His faithfulness. Romans 3:3-4. God gave His only Son to save you and I. No blame there. 1 John 3:1-2. If we dwell on what He has done for us, again there is no blame on God. A prime example is Paul Blanke's testimony. "As an octogenarian I have been blessed with a new day for quite a while,for which I am thankful. When we wake to a beautiful new day of clear blue sky and bright sunshine it is difficult to entertain thoughts of doom and gloom. I am thankful for every breath and heart beat. These blessings from God are taken for granted far too often. Live for the promised future, but live for the moment that is experienced here and now."
Blame is lost when we contemplate God's love for us, His grace, mercy, long suffering, kindness, compassionate, gracious. Psalms 86:15
I don't blame God because I know His goodness leads me to repentance. Romans 2:4.
If you find yourself being tempted to blame God start by remembering what He has done for you. Like Job we can say, "Thou has granted us life and favour, and Thy visitation has preserved our spirit. Job 10:12.
John, if we blame God for whatever, does it matter to God? God is not that small. The text that asks the question in Romans 9:20,21 who are we to reply to God?
God is also hurt by human suffering; the suffering that leads to unfortunate misconceptions about his character. I am always touched by the following verse; Isaiah 63:9 'In all their affliction he was afflicted, and the angel of his presence saved them: in his love and in his pity he redeemed them; and he bare them, and carried them all the days of old.'
Like I said before, sin makes no sense, if you could reason it out, you could justify it. You cannot reason out the great controversy. We could only take God at his word that he will be able to explain everything later. And he will take a thousand year to make that sense complete.
We must recall that Job's friends came ostensibly to comfort him. They executed their function as Job's friends correctly by coming to see him when he was suffering. Indeed, they cried aloud when they beheld their suffering comrade. They spent time with him for they stayed with him for 7 days before offering their advice. They thought they had stayed long enough viewing Job's situation to make a judgement call on it, they assumed a position that did not belong to human beings. They conclusion was that Job suffered because of something wrong he had done that remained unconfessed and needed to be repented thereof. Thus they pressed him to admit his wrong and repent. However, the Great Judge, God denounced their condemnation of their friend (Job 42:7). There's a lesson for us in this that we should always remember - exercise caution in judging others. Our role as sinners to a suffering friend is to encourage and assure him/her that God indeed cares. It is to emphasize that He sees our pain and grieves with us. Lets always remember Romans 12:15 "Mourn with those who mourn" and "weep with thise who weep." In our sojourn as sinners we see things "through a glass, darkly"; we see things like puzzling reflectioons on a mirror. The picture we may be viewing may not be whole, it may be incomplete.
Doctor, your closing statement, "The picture we may be viewing may not be whole, it may be incomplete", is well founded. Because that is just as the Scripture declares -- "we know in part, and we prophecy in part." (1Cor 13:9.) Or as it is worded in another translation, "we know in a partial, fragmentary, incomplete way, and we utter divine revelation in the same way." (Wuest.) However large our knowledge might be, and however great the prophetic gift is, we would all do well to remember that it is incomplete and fragmentary. And yet, this does not make of none-effect the fact that the spiritual man "judges all things". (1Cor 2:15). Even with what light they do have, such a person is constantly discriminating/discerning/judging between light and dark, truth and error.
Do we need this kind of suffering for our salvation and sanctification? If I'm feeling everything is going well, do I have to worry about my spiritual life? Can I make suffering my self pretending to be in good way of following Jesus? Please help me. Thanks.
Egide, We do not earn our salvation, It is a gift of God. Ephesians 2:8. God provides for all of our needs as well. I pray for a relationship with God that is acceptable to God. If God leads to help make the choices and freedoms that we are given we should be thankful for a Loving God that cares for all our needs.
I would like to refer to the title of this lesson-page if I may - "The curse causeless?" Those words appear to come from the Proverb, "As the bird by wandering, as the swallow by flying, so the curse causeless shall not come." (Prov 26:2 KJV) Interesting.
It's a question, Stewart. Job's friends believed that a "curse," which they equated with Job's condition did not come without Job "causing" it by sinning. The lesson asks us to examine whether or not this is true.
There will be an end to this one fine day
I need clarification on the caption of this week 'The curse causeless'
Curses cannot hurt you unless you deserve them. They are like birds that fly around and never land.
Bob, does that mean Job deserved the curse from God?
Please remember that the curse came from the enemy, but God dig not stop it.
I some time imagine what if job failed to overcome the trials he was exposed to, what other creatures could think of God and his LAW