Tuesday: A Toddling Son
“When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called My son. . . . I taught Ephraim to walk, taking them by their arms; but they did not know that I healed them.” (Hos. 11:1-3, NKJV).
Image © Lars Justinen from GoodSalt.com
In these verses, Hosea is saying that the Lord’s way is like the tender care of a new parent. Just as a parent tenderly and patiently teaches a child to walk, taking it up by his hands to prevent its fall, so the Lord had cared for Israel right from the beginning. God, who loves and forgives, is the heart of Hosea’s message. Even when He applies discipline, He is deeply compassionate. His anger can be terrifying, but His mercy is beyond comprehension.
Read Deuteronomy 8:5, Proverbs 13:24, Hebrews 12:6, and Revelation 3:19. What is the one point that they all have in common? What comfort can we draw from these texts?
Through Moses, God informed the Egyptian king that Israel was His special child (Exod. 4:22-23). Although all the nations of the earth, including Egypt, were God’s sons and daughters, the Hebrew nation was selected to be God’s firstborn son with special privileges. But along with those privileges came responsibilities. In the wilderness the Lord carried His people in the same way in which “a father carries his son” (Deut. 1:31, NIV). At times He disciplined them just like “a man disciplines his son” (Deut. 8:5, NIV).
“All who in this world render true service to God or man receive a preparatory training in the school of sorrow. The weightier the trust and the higher the service, the closer is the test and the more severe the discipline.”—Ellen G. White,Education, p. 151.
There is no question, any parent who loves his children will discipline them, and always for their own good. If flawed and fallen humans do that, how much more so can we trust in God’s love for us, even during times of trial?
For many of us, the issue is not about trusting God’s discipline. Rather, the struggle is knowing how to interpret the trials that come our way. How do we know if what we are going through is, indeed, God teaching us in the “school of sorrow,” or if it is something else? Bring your answer to class on Sabbath.
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I know now that our God is a loving God and when applying punishment it is part of training because He loves us.Let us pray and read His word deeply so that we can know that most of trials are part of training while we are on the way to heaven.
Thanks and God Bless you all.
Hello MNZAVA,
if i may, Our Wonderful most Awe-Inspiring LORD GOD (Absolute MASTER And RULER CREATOR)= YAHWEH ELOHIM eventually showed me that punishment and what is called chastisement--better know as discipline-- are not the same. because punishment has a permanent sense to it. i will continue asking Our LORD GOD To make it abundantly clear. For now it almost seems like, to me, punishment would be--say Death Row, and chastisement would seem more like a 25-to-life prison term, from an earthly standpoint. Thank LORD GOD and You for comment which helped to illuminate that revelation.
''You should know in your heart that as a man chastens
his son, so the LORD your God chastens you''. It's in the heart where the child is.
We tear the veil when we break our heart before God. We talk to Him, He speaks to us and through us tenderly...
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How we know God's discipline?
Our physical and spiritual growth is dependant upon the supplies from the fountain of living waters.
In this area, it is suicide to begin to live independent of God. From Him we get to know how to tackle life's situation in the present world. Let us humble ourselves and learn from Him where wisdom and righteousness flows from.
If we are to look back as individuals, see how the hand of our Lord has been guiding is us through and ups downs of this life, one would not attribute to his/her own wisdom, intelligence and power. God loved us from the foundation on this world and as such He IS NEVER tired to offer parental counsel and guidance. We are people chosen for His ministry and as such, He will bring admOnition to each of His children to keep them afloat in His plan till we reach the climax of gospel harvest.He can allow the prodigal son's situation as maens of calling us back into His fold.
My pray is that we continue to lean and learn of Him every day of ourlives. He has called us out of darkness into His marvelous light.Why should we again choose darkness when we already know what darkness offers.
Sometimes it is good to be patient with the trials that comes our way.some trials come to test our faith just like what happened to Job,we have to trust God always
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Lord please give me the strength to endure whatever it is that comes my way as a result of preparing me for the kingdom. May I always know that even through these tests, you are with me all the way. Your love for us is so much that you promised to be with us even in the valley of the shadow of death.
Thank you Lord for being the Father I've always wanted. Give us the strength to face whatever it is that you allow to come our way, as a result of you preparing us for the kingdom. May we understand and hold on to your promises, resting assured that even through the valley of the shadow of death you will be with us.
I do not try to discern whether a class in the "school of sorrow" is from God or not. I have to fight to be willing to go through the test. The EG White quote above scares me not reassures me. Christians do not need to decide if sorrow is of God's school or another's. If the Christian (Hos 12:6) returns to God, maintains love and justice and waits upon God for His answer/resolution through a sorrow/suffering then (Romans 8:28) (NKJV) . . . we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.
E.W.qoute is a fact and truth. Even Jesus was made perfect by suffering to obtain everlasting position of most hight Lord.
To all who LOVE the LORD:
We all need to remember that we share our thoughts with one another for strength and help to go back and study for our own.
Every morning I enjoy your thoughts and makes me just wonder what each of us are doing to "work out our own salvation?", just pray for oneanother and keep the good fight of FAITH; for only HE can direct out path.
I pray that we ALL will be seeing each other when the TRUMPET SOUNDS.
May God bless each and everyone of you.
Zsuzsi, that is our prayer, that we shall meet when the trumpet shall sound. Imagine how great that day it will be, hearing someone saying,"It's you who invited me in through your sharing and contribtion on SSNET Sabbath Lessons thru email interactions".
But, first things first, we must begin to live heaven life today, now.
Am being reminded of Eli and his sons. If we do not play our part as parents, God intervenes and we are going to get a bigger picture.
The last question in Tuesday lesson, I could not answer. Can someone please go back and tell how do we know what God is trying to teach us when we are going through a trial. Thanks in advance!!!!
First and foremost I must remember that our loving God will not allow us to be tempted and tried beyond our ability to bear. That is our confidence as we seek God in humility. Prayer and Fasting is our way to seek and find God when we are facing trials. By humbling ourselves in humility of heart, God will manifest his Will to us. We must always remember that our Mercifull God is only interested in saving us and never to destroy. Jeremiah 17: 5-9. I've learned to go to God first in my trials and He guided me through and gave me the understanding of His will of what He is trying to teach me. We must seek God first for this is genuine evident of our total trusting in Him. We must remain faithfull and wholly trusting in God in our afflictions, like Job said in his most perplex moment; "if i accept good things from God, why not bad things too?" This is the trust of Job that lead to God's manifestation of His will to Job and removed the cloud of perplexity from Job. Jesus promised the Holy Spirit that He sent to guide us into all Truths, so we can know and understand what God is trying to teach us in the midst of our trials. Thank you Jesus for the Holy Spirit. Thank God for the Plan of Salvation that would not be discouraged. Jesus promised that He will Never leave nor forsake us. Weeping only last for the night but joy comes in the morning. May your heart continually yearning for God's love and mercy in all your doings.
I want to share something with you Catrina. I was and am going through very heavy trials, however, my question was God, what did I do to deserve this? I didn't say "why" for I promised I wouldn't use that word, well, that is just the same as the prior statement.
I know in whom I believeth and persuaded that He is able to finish the good fight that He started in me! He never lies! Remember, anything that is sad, or negative is always from the evil one.
As Jay put it in Hosea 17:9 We are desperately wicked. Praise God for His goodness and patience with us. As we studies in Tues. lesson, we are as todlers and we need to listen to our Father, Jesus for direction and instruction. Look to Him and I promise, He will comfort you. He did and does for me. My problems are still here but He is bigger that any problem that I encounter. I pray that the Lord will take your hand and you will let Him hold on to you. Keep the faith and I will and I'm sure all of us will pray for you for strength in your journey to heaven.
Thanks to all the comments im so blessed as I read it..Praise God!!!
Yes many times we are tempted, and many times we blame our God for our failures. The truth is with less prayer and lack of seriousness will lead us into sin. Isreal failled to over come because they looked at themselves as a speacial people not wanting much prayer. We need to pray always.