Read Job 38:1. What happens here that is different from everything else in all the other dialogues? Suddenly and unexpectedly, the Lord now appears in the book of Job, the first time since Job 2:6—“And the LORD said to Satan, ‘Behold, he is in your hand, but spare his life’ ” (NKJV). Nothing really prepares … Continue reading –>
Read for This Week’s Study: Job 38-39, John 1:29, Matt. 16:13, 1 Cor. 1:18–27, Job 40:1–4, Job 42:1–6, Luke 5:1–8. Memory Text: “ ‘Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? Tell Me, if you have understanding’ ” (Job 38:4, NKJV). Whatever their differences, the characters in the book of Job had one … Continue reading –>
Further Thought: In a discussion concerning the question of faith and reason, author John Hedley Brooke wrote about the German philosopher Immanuel Kant (1724–1804) and his attempt to understand the limits of human knowledge, especially when it came to the working of God. For Kant, “the question of justifying the ways of God to man … Continue reading –>
Certainly the primary characters in the book of Job, as mere mortals seeing “through a glass darkly” (1 Cor. 13:12), were working from a very limited perspective, a very limited understanding of the nature of the physical world, much less the spiritual one. Interesting, too, that in all these debates about the evil that befell … Continue reading –>
Key Thought: Elihu lacks humility and his words are no different than the others. Evil remains unexplained, and only faith can give us hope.. Lesson 10, December 3, 2016 1. Have a volunteer read Job 32:1-5. a. Ask class members to share a thought on what the most important point in this text is. b. … Continue reading –>
A few years ago, when a friend of mine lost her mother, she would text me. I tried to call, to be more personable, but it seemed right after the loss, all she wanted to do was text. After the loss of my mother last June, I get it now. Immediately after the death of a … Continue reading –>
You can view an in-depth discussion of “The Wrath of Elihu” in the Hope Sabbath School class led by Pastor Derek Morris. (Adobe Flash Player version.) A Youtube version of this week’s lesson at Hope Sabbath School is below. You can download the video, the MP3 audio, and the lesson outline from the HopeTV Sabbath … Continue reading –>
All four of these men, believers in God, believers in a God of justice, found themselves in a dilemma: how to explain Job’s situation in a rational and logical manner that was consistent with their understanding of the character of God. Unfortunately, they ended up taking a position that turned out basically wrong in their … Continue reading –>
A lot of commentary has been written over the ages about Elihu and his speech, some seeing it a major turning point in the direction of the dialogue. Yet, it’s really not that easy to see where Elihu adds anything so new or so groundbreaking that it changes the dynamic of the dialogue. Instead, he … Continue reading –>
Miserable comforters. How would you like to be visited in the hospital after serious cancer surgery by one of Job’s “friends”? Have you ever been drawn into an argument between you and God about what is fair? Do you ever plead with God, “Why? Why?” Or do you stop talking to God when you can tell … Continue reading –>
From Job chapters 26 to 31, the tragic hero of this story, Job, gives his final speech to the three men. Though eloquent and passionate, he basically repeats the argument he has been making all along: I do not deserve what has been happening to me. Period. Again, Job represents so much of humanity in … Continue reading –>
Even after Job’s powerful expression of faith (Job 13:15-16), the verbal sparring continued. Over the course of many chapters, the men go back and forth, arguing many deep and important questions about God, sin, death, justice, the wicked, wisdom, and the transient nature of humanity. What truths are being expressed in the following texts? Job … Continue reading –>
