Sabbath: Innocent Blood
Read for This Week’s Study: Job 10, Isa. 53:6, Rom. 3:10–20, Job 15:14–16, Job 1:18–20, Matt. 6:34.
Memory Text: “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1).
Image © Lars Justinen Goodsalt.com
Algerian–born writer Albert Camus struggled with the question of human suffering. In his book, The Plague, he used a plague as a metaphor for the ills that bring pain and suffering upon humanity. He depicted a scene in which a little boy, afflicted with the pestilence, dies a horrific death. Afterward a priest, who had been a witness to the tragedy, said to a doctor who had been there, too: “That sort of thing is revolting because it passes our human understanding. But perhaps we should love what we cannot understand.” The doctor, enraged, snapped back: “No, Father. I’ve a very different idea of love. And until my dying day, I shall refuse to love a scheme of things in which children are put to torture.”—Albert Camus, The Plague (New York: First Vintage International Edition, 1991), p. 218.
This scene reflects what we have seen in Job: pat and lame answers to what doesn’t have a simple solution. Job knew, as did the doctor here, that the answers given didn’t fit the reality at hand. Thus, that’s the challenge: How do we find answers that make sense of what so often seems without sense? This week we will continue the pursuit.
Study this week’s lesson to prepare for Sabbath, November 19.
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The war we're fighting isn't a physical war but a spiritual in which we battle against the unseen forces working behind the curtain. No one however much innocent or is left out either in this war. There are some happenings we'll physically see but may lack answers to give. Suffering in this last days can either be retributive ,divine or none of the two.Satan is working round the clock to paint God as a tyrant leader who doesn't care about the suffering of humanity, an absentee landlord who dwells and watches from afar and has left His own to struggle and suffer.Everyday,we wake up to the untreateable diseases,accident by sea,air and road,death elsewhere.God is loving and caring,His justice will be shown at the right time.By faith,we live everyday amidst these tribulations and He's been surviving us through. It doesn't matter what you're going through now since the one whom all our hopes are built on is bigger than that problem, and,in Him,justice will be done.
We are always seeking closer to a problem. Mostly to calm down our hurt. The most difficult thing for humans is to leave something unresolved. Thank God for the up coming thousand years to check the books. Let us be patient with the illogical.
That's true. We humans often want answers immediately when if we get them they come with time-sometimes years. Probably more important than finding answers is to not carelessly blame people for their suffering or adverse circumstances.
I don't think we have to dwell much on what does not make sense to us. By so doing we might end up being tempted to accept the devil's explanations. It is enough to know that God is not responsible and that He suffers with us. God has given us enough evidence of His love and grace on which to base our faith and trust Him in everything even during hard times.
In some respects you are right, but I think we need to consider the issues of pain and suffering from the point of view that we have to deal with them ourselves and help others to deal with them.
How do you interact with unchurched folk who are going through painful experiences? We sometimes appropriate these ideas to ourselves and when we are faced with pain and suffering in our unchurched friends we appear smug and arrogant. What have we got to offer these folk other than telling them they ought to get religious? If nothing else, these lessons should encourage us to think beyond ourselves to the needs of others.
Jesus treated the Sameritans the same as the Jewish people.
Personally, I am puzzled over the statement that "God is not responsible." That no one can call God to account is obvious, but I don't think that this was the intended meaning. According to what seems to be the intended meaning, God Himself acknowledged His own sovereignty and responsibility.
Let's not be like Job's friends, trying to avoid dealing with the real issues by giving pat answers. God was the one who made the decisions leading up to Job's suffering, and I for one cannot begin to understand why He did. I do know that God can be trusted, but that's all I know.
God says; "So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple." Luke 14:33. Before we leave this planet, we will be blessed by being stripped of all the things we hold dear on this planet. It really is to our advantage to be blessed with that. We will all have a cup to drink, like Job, like Joseph and like Jesus. This is what we call God blessing us backwards.
Yes,of course we must be willing to forsake all, if necessary, in order to obtain the pearl of great price. However, you make it sound like it would be a blessing to us to be stripped of all that makes life dear, and to what purpose? You make it sound as if God were pleased to make us miserable, out of the sheer perversity of His great heart. I think I'd rather just not have all the answers than to accept such monstrous teachings.
That is probably what is sounded like to the rich young ruler too. He had worked hard at being perfect and was eager to continue on the road to perfection. Jesus does not want our riches, he wants our hearts - and that is very hard for some of us.
Amen, He can be trusted I'm just not convinced that God caused all of that. Didn't God give Satan freedom to do what he wanted, just don't kill Him. Satan could have made him king of the earth with everyyhing he desired but Satan chose to make Job suffer. Just a thought.
hi Maurice,
in dealing with my non-church going neighbour a few years ago who when ill, was admitted to the hospital I worked in as a nurse. She said to me 'I think I am being punished by God and I don't know why'. With Job in mind, I said 'perhaps your illness is to take you out of the house genuinely, because perhaps your family is taking you for granted with all that you do for them. This way they are going to have to do more things for themselves, and help each other, and more appreciate you when you return home'. She said she hadn't thought of things in that way and seemed more settled in herself and soon went home well. I privately prayed for her. Later on I checked in on her at home, she said the family had much improved in their relationships with her were more helpful and let her know they appreciated what she did for them. Prayer works!
Godbless today, Mrs A Stolz
Well I have read all that you have said. Why not consider our purpose (Psalm 8). Were we not created to 'shut the mouth of the avenger'? Are we not to be co-labourer's with God in the work of salvation? We have an important and active part to play in the great controversy. The Psalmist asks 'What is man that thou art mindful of him? The answer is that Jesus has an awful lot riding on his partnership with us.
Because of these arrangements, 'affliction will not rise up again a second time' from any quarter of the universe. Think about it.
God bless us all
in relation to the theme "innocent blood"... do innocent people suffer because of some unseen battle and we should have faith that all is going to end well?
Good question, Amos. Personally, I find that explanation quite unsatisfactory. I believe that our Heavenly Father is closely watching every trial we go through, and permits only what is necessary for our character development, for His glory, and for the good of others -- that which in the end we shall feel was well worth our while.
Yes, I do believe that all is going to end well for those who love God.
The story of JOB is oh so powerful because despite who's we are, we all can genuinely relate. Too many times we ask the "WHY" question and truly it is my opinion that our focus should be on WHEN and HOW. Weird???, i know but If the veil over our lives were lifted, would our position in the great controversy for our lives reveal a willingness to be put to the test like JOB and how are we responding?. Are we like JOB, staying true to the GOD we know that is able to give and take away and return that to us forefold, or are we letting go of our integrity and doubting the author and finisher of our story. Are we giving the enemy the upper- hand?. The controversy over my life right now is as daunting as that of JOB's, but Jesus i know the awful lot you have riding on this partnership with me (AS GRACE MOORE SAYS) and i pray my "how" will be in favor of you.