Class Lesson February 2, 2020

THE POINT: God’s actions are often beyond our understanding, but we can trust Him.

THE PASSAGES: Job 40:1-8; 42:1-6

THE BIBLE MEETS LIFE

The world holds a lot of mystery for small children, and they are not afraid to ask questions. Why is the sky blue? How high is up? Are there more leaves in the world or blades of grass? Why is water wet?

We can smile at the innocence behind their questions, but most of us struggle to answer them! Everyone has an answer, of course, but try explaining it to a four-year-old.

We like having the answers, but sometimes we just don’t know enough.  Television and the Internet are jam packed with programs and sites devoted to unsolved mysteries, and they all offer their own solutions and answers. But in the end, sometimes we have to admit that we just don’t know. Our walk with God is no different. We want answers, but many times the ways of God are just beyond our understanding. In those moments, we can decide to doubt God or trust Him. Job’s encounter with God shows us why trust is always the best way.

WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY?

Job 40:1-5

1 Moreover the Lord answered Job, and said, 2 Shall he that contendeth with the Almighty instruct him? he that reproveth God, let him answer it. 3 Then Job answered the Lord, and said, 4 Behold, I am vile; what shall I answer thee? I will lay mine hand upon my mouth. 5 Once have I spoken; but I will not answer: yea, twice; but I will proceed no further.

Most of the Book of Job (chapters 3-37) centers on the opinions and advice of Job’s three friends, his defense, and a final speech by a young man named Elihu. When we come to Job 38, however, it’s God’s turn to speak. “Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind, and said, Who is this that darkeneth counsel by words without knowledge?” (Job 38:1-2). For two full chapters, God questioned Job, and in the process, showed the distressed man just how little he knew.

It was obvious to Job that, while he hadn’t a clue how to answer God’s questions, God knows both the how and the why. Now in chapter 40, God concluded this string of questions with perhaps the most poignant one: “Shall he that contendeth with the Almighty instruct him? he that reproveth God, let him answer. it.”

This is a humbling question; one to which Job can only respond, “Behold, I am vile; what shall I answer thee?” Job’s words to God are drenched in humility. He confessed his insignificance in comparison to God and acknowledged he had no more questions for God. “I will lay mine hand upon my mouth … I will proceed no further.”

Like Job, we cannot understand why everything happens. We cannot fathom all of the ways God acts and why He sometimes chooses not to act. Paul alluded to this when he reminded us that our current vision is clouded by the circumstances and sin of the world. “For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known” (1 Cor. 13:12). The good news is that one day we will see clearly. When we are able to look into the face of the Lord Jesus, all fear, doubt, and pain will be replaced with understanding and love. However, until that day we have a lot of questions that may remain unanswered.

I (Candace) was teaching second grade when I realized I needed to get one thing across to my students: the teacher is the boss. For example, if I decided that one student should do one thing and another do something else, I would inevitably hear, “That’s not fair!” or “Why is he doing that?” I knew why I was doing what I was doing. I had a plan for how one student learned, while another benefited from a different strategy. I was the adult in charge, and they were too young to really understand all that was happening. They just had to trust me. We’re often like those second graders. We want all the answers, but we just have to trust God. He’s in charge, and He knows why He does what He does.

Question 2: What’s really at the heart of our questioning of God when we’re suffering?

Job 40:6-8

6 Then answered the Lord unto Job out of the whirlwind, and said, 7 Gird up thy loins now like a man: I will demand of thee, and declare thou unto me. 8 Wilt thou also disannul my judgment? wilt thou condemn me, that thou mayest be righteous?

Job had given a very humble response to God, and yet God was not through quizzing Job. When I was a teenager, I would tell my parents, “OK, I understand. Just stop the lecture.” While my attitude was much less reverent than Job’s in this passage, I can’t help but wonder if Job was ready for the “lecture” to stop. But God’s questioning went in a different direction.

God did not take Job to task for inquiring about his suffering. The issue was that Job had accused God of acting unjustly, which is contrary to His nature. “Wilt thou also disannul my judgment? wilt thou condemn me, that thou mayest be righteous?” God is just and He can do nothing unjust.

As we consider suffering and all that it entails, we must be careful not to blame God or question His nature. He is God. He created the heavens and the earth. We are the creation and not the Creator. Who are we to question God’s will or His ways? God is big enough to handle our questions, but as we approach His throne of grace, we must come in humility and trust, not with pride and arrogance.

I (Candace) had to learn the hard way that pride and arrogance are not my friends. When I arrived late to English class in my junior year of high school, I walked in right as the tardy bell rang. This was my third time being late, and my teacher filled out the dreaded “write-up” form. I was a good kid, and I knew she liked me, yet I had challenged her authority over the matter. That prideful arrogance won me an in-school suspension where I spent two days enjoying a freezing cold classroom where no one was allowed to talk all day. My teacher liked me, but she still had a job to do. I learned my place, apologized to her, and moved on a little bruised but a better person. When we have questions about our circumstances, take those questions to God, but keep in mind these three things:

1. God is greater than us. Once Job had a glimpse of the bigness and majesty of God, it put his understanding of his own life and suffering in perspective. Job replied to God’s questions not with answers, but with humility.                                                                                     
2. God is more knowledgeable than we are. Job’s response in verse 4 was perfect; “What shall I answer thee?” Of course, he could not—and neither can we. Things happen in our lives—both good and bad—that we simply cannot understand. It is best to approach God with humility and trust His wisdom and His love.                                                                                  
3. God is just in everything He does. God asked two powerful questions: “Wilt thou also disannul my judgment? wilt thou condemn me, that thou mayest be righteous?” This was more of a declaration than a series of inquiries to Job. Job had no grounds for challenging God’s justice. While in the throes of suffering, it can be easy to think God is not just. But God is just—perfectly just. It is our lack of understanding, knowledge, and perspective that limits our ability to see clearly.

  

ENGAGE

I wish I could ask God …

Why _________________________________________________?

When ________________________________________________?

How _________________________________________________?

I can live with not understanding all of God’s ways, and I can trust that God is ____________________________ .

How can we encourage one another to trust God even when we don’t understand the circumstances surrounding us?

Question 3: What are some of the barriers that keep us from understanding God’s justice?

Job 42:1-6

1 Then Job answered the Lord, and said, 2 I know that thou canst do every thing, and that no thought can be withholden from thee. 3 Who is he that hideth counsel without knowledge? therefore have I uttered that I understood not; things too wonderful for me, which I knew not. 4 Hear, I beseech thee, and I will speak: I will demand of thee, and declare thou unto me. 5 I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear: but now mine eye seeth thee. 6 Wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes.

DIGGING DEEPER

WHAT GOD TAUGHT JOB

Job did not have all the facts about God or his own life. At the same time, readers must hold this statement in tension with Yahweh affirming that Job had spoken correctly (see 42:7). Job agreed with God’s assessment (42:1‑3).

The two verbs are abhor (Hebrew, maas) and repent (nacham). Neither word, in the present context, suggests a repenting of moral evil. Instead, Job seems to be retracting his avowal of innocence (Job 31). From this point forward, Job would “locate his self-worth in his relationship with Yahweh, not in his own moral behavior or innocence.”

The assurance of divine presence gave Job strength to leave the dust and ashes and get on with life. Job expressed a vibrant faith that could live without all the answers because God’s presence was enough.

Rick W. Byargeon, “Repentance in the Book of Job,” Biblical Illustrator, Summer 2013, 59.

We see quite a change in Job from the man he was when God first spoke in him in Job 38. Job now understood how wrong his accusations were toward God. He came to the right conclusion that God is more significant, more knowledgeable, and more just than he was.

Job now fully understood God’s sovereignty. God can do anything He desires, and no human on earth can thwart God’s plans.

Job now understood just how ignorant he was before the Lord. Job previously had some general ideas about the ways and purposes of God, but after God spoke to him, he understood much more clearly. “I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear: but now mine eye seeth thee.” This new understanding led Job to repent. “Wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes.” This was an expression of the deepest level of humility and contrition. His words carry a willingness to learn the ways of God and to restate his own humanity before a mighty and holy God.

Job’s experience with suffering led to an even greater relationship with God than he had before. We likewise should let our own hardships serve as a path to a deeper relationship with God.

“Beloved, are you being sifted? Has God permitted the enemy to launch a full-scale attack against you? God knows what He’s doing. He isn’t looking the other way, and He’s not being mean to you. Maybe this is the only way He can get you to attend to the old so He can do something new.” 1

We must be careful to keep in mind who God is and who we are. We must never forget that our God is trustworthy and good. He is right and just. When we come before Him with this attitude, it produces worship and joy.

Question 4: When has God proven His trustworthiness to you in the midst of suffering?

That may require repentance on our part, just as it did for Job. Throughout the book, Job had maintained he had done nothing wrong, but now he realized his sin was his presumptuousness toward God. So, he repented. Repentance never yields a bad outcome! Repentance frees us to live with God as He desires.

Years after my prideful action toward my English teacher, I became a teacher myself—and my first teaching position was working with her! When I reconnected with her, I apologized again.

I mentioned the incident and told her how much it had taught me. Her response was masterful. She claimed to not remember a thing, hugged me, and told me how proud she was of me. Yes, repentance allows us to deal with the old and move on to the new.

Again, repentance frees us to live with God as He desires. When we acknowledge God’s rightful place and remain in ours, we will be able to see His hand more clearly as He walks with us through our trials. God’s desire and plan is to carry us through our suffering and for us to know Him more.

Question 5: How can our group help one another trust God in times of suffering?

“The door of repentance opens into the hall of joy.”

CHARLES SPURGEON 2

LIVE IT OUT

How you respond to God in the midst of your suffering is a choice.

• Trust. Even if you do not see how God is at work in your life, trust Him. Pray that He would strengthen your faith as you go through difficulty.                                                                                                  
• Examine. Dig into Scripture to see what God has revealed about His nature and character. Choose attributes of God for deeper word studies. Be driven to know what God says about Himself rather than relying on the opinions of others.                                                                                               
• Proclaim. Look for an opportunity to tell someone else why you trust God even when walking the road of suffering. Encourage others who are also suffering.

In His Love,

David & Susan

Class Lesson January 26, 2020

THE POINT: God calls us to stand up for those who suffer from injustice.

THE PASSAGE: Isaiah 58:3-11

THE BIBLE MEETS LIFE

Some of the most popular stories in books or movies revolve around great injustices or crimes. Everybody loves the story where all the wrongs are made right and those who were powerless come out on top in the end.

Sadly, real life is not always that way. A friend was serving at a church event for foster kids and recognized a particular teenager. She knew he had been adopted from Russia as a child, so what was he doing at a party for foster kids? To her dismay, she discovered his adoptive parents surrendered him to foster care because they considered him “too much to handle.”

Our friend seeks to minister to this young man, but it is a challenge because of the young man’s traumatic childhood. You can imagine the lasting scars of someone whose birth parents abandoned him and then his adoptive parents as well. But she still wants to help.

God cares how we treat those who face injustice. Our faith is clearly on display when it comes to how we respond to injustice we see right in front of us.

WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY?

Isaiah 58:3-5

3 Wherefore have we fasted, say they, and thou seest not? Wherefore have we afflicted our soul, and thou takest no knowledge? Behold, in the day of your fast ye find pleasure, and exact all your labours. 4 Behold, ye fast for strife and debate, and to smite with the fist of wickedness: ye shall not fast as ye do this day, to make your voice to be heard on high. 5 Is it such a fast that I have chosen? a day for a man to afflict his soul? is it to bow down his head as a bulrush, and to spread sackcloth and ashes under him? wilt thou call this a fast, and an acceptable day to

the Lord?

KEY WORDS: Your fast (v. 3)—The people did practice the religious ritual of fasting, but without the attitude and lifestyle adjustment God expected.

Sackcloth and ashes (v. 5)—Sackcloth was a rough material made from animal hair. When combined with ashes, it marked deep humility or intense mourning (Esth. 4:1-3; Dan. 9:3; Jonah 3:6-8; Luke 10:13).

Injustice rears its ugly head in racism, sexism, abuse in all its forms, religious persecution, and bullying, just to name a few. Any time the right to life is denied to an individual—whether in aborting an unborn child, an act of assisted suicide committed against one who is critically ill, or euthanasia performed on the elderly—that is also a reprehensible act of injustice. God not only calls believers to act justly toward others, but to stand up for those treated unjustly by others. Even those outside the faith understand the inherent evil in injustice. “Which shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness” (Rom. 2:15).

For example, the ancient Greek writer Cicero in his classic work On Duties described two types of injustice.

“But with respect to injustice there are two types: men may inflict injury; or else, when it is being inflicted upon others, they may fail to deflect it, even though they could. Anyone who makes an unjust attack upon a fellow human being, whether driven by anger or by some other agitation, seems to be laying hands, so to speak, upon another human being. But also, the man who does not defend someone, or obstruct the injustice when he can, he is at fault just as if he had abandoned his parents or his friends or his country.” 1

Even though we are sinful, broken people, we still have a sense of what is right and honorable. Unfortunately, we often give lip service to God’s standard, but we fail to live up to it. This is hypocrisy, and it’s nothing new.

In Isaiah 58, God spoke through the prophet Isaiah about the Israelites’ fast. They gave the pretense of seeking God by fasting (Isa. 58:2), but God was not giving them the positive response they wanted. “Wherefore have we fasted, say they, and thou seest not? wherefore have we afflicted our soul, and thou takest no knowledge?”

God was not responding to their fast—their outward act of selfdenial—because how they treated others was inconsistent with lives truly committed to seeking God. “Behold, in the day of your fast ye find pleasure, and exact all your labours. Behold, ye fast for strife and debate, and to smite with the fist of wickedness.” Jesus showed us the two greatest commands centered on love: love for God and love for others.

“Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself” (Matt. 22:37-39).

The apostle John wrote that we cannot love God without also loving others.

“If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen? And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also” (1 John 4:20-21).

Fasting is good; it is a great spiritual discipline if done for the right reason. Many people will fast for a period of time to improve their health or to lose weight. The reality is that fasting as a spiritual discipline is not about taking on a challenge to give us physical benefits; it is about seeking the face of God. It is not about piety or about doing something demanding so that God will respond more favorably to our requests; it is about being reminded in our hunger that He is the Bread of life.

Fasting is all about seeking God, but spiritual disciplines and acts of devotion are meaningless if our actions toward others do not reflect that same devotion. What’s the point of fasting to get closer to God if we are unwilling to obey and do what He calls us to do?

One thing God calls us to do is to act justly and lovingly toward others. We may not have workers under us we can oppress, but God is concerned about how we treat other people in our workplace, home, school, community, and sports events; and as we communicate on social media. Both our words and actions should reflect Christ in how we respond to those experiencing injustice.

Question 2: What are the benefits and dangers of religious activity in our lives?

Isaiah 58:6-7

6 Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke? 7 Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house? when thou seest the naked, that thou cover him; and that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh?

God desires that we seek Him, not through meaningless rituals, but through an authentic relationship. We can see how authentic that relationship is by how we approach other relationships. Every relationship must be rooted and growing in Him, but that must extend to the way we treat others and in the way we work for those facing injustice.

“The fast” God chooses includes specific actions that draw us close to His heart in the way we show love for others. We are to take an active role in breaking the chains of wickedness and untying the ropes that bind the oppressed. We must make ourselves aware of the needs of others and find a way to meet those needs whenever possible.

God went beyond just warning us not to mistreat people by committing injustice; He calls us to do something to correct the ways others have mistreated them and committed injustice to them. In other words, don’t just avoid the negative; do something positive.

1.  Seek out what is right and just. To truly be walking with God we must seek out what is right and just for others. It is not possible to love God and not love those whom He loves.

2. Fight for those we know who are being mistreated and abused. This could be someone in our workplace, community, or in our own church. As Martin Luther King said, “In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends.” Those who are being oppressed will remember when Christians fail to help them in the midst of their oppression.                                                                                                        

3.  Stand up for those outside our sphere of control. Take up the fight of justice for those we don’t know. Some injustice is outside our ability to make right, but this should not stop us from being their advocates and prayer warriors.

Sometimes things really are black or white. Right or wrong. Godly or godless. Consider even a few of the questions that surround a key sanctity of life issue: abortion. For example: “When is a baby really a baby?” or “How many weeks into a pregnancy is it still acceptable to still have an abortion?” So often we muddy the water when the answer is right there in God’s Word. Abortion is not God’s plan. God created us, loves us, and has a plan for us—every one of us (Ps. 139:13-16). God loves every baby regardless of the circumstances of his or her conception or birth. He was, quite frankly, expecting all of them! No children were ever “accidents.”

In college, I met a woman who was a product of a rape. Her mother chose life over abortion, and now here she was, my pastor’s wife, serving alongside him and living out her faith as a wife and mother.

Question 3: Where do you see injustice and oppression operating in today’s culture?

Question 4: Where do you see God’s people effectively addressing these concerns?

Isaiah 58:8-11

8 Then shall thy light break forth as the morning, and thine health shall spring forth speedily: and thy righteousness shall go before thee; the glory of the Lord shall be thy reward. 9 Then shalt thou call, and the Lord shall answer; thou shalt cry, and he shall say, Here I am. If thou take away from the midst of thee the yoke, the putting forth of the finger, and speaking vanity; 10 And if thou draw out thy soul to the hungry, and satisfy the afflicted soul; then shall thy light rise in obscurity, and thy darkness be as the noon day: 11 And the Lord shall guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in drought, and make fat thy bones: and thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not.

What happens when God’s people turn their fast into actions that seek to feed, rescue, and serve those in need and suffering injustice? God will bring blessings into our lives.

1. God’s presence. “Then shall thy light break forth as the morning.” Scripture frequently equates light with the presence of God. Earlier in Isaiah 9:2, the Messiah to come was described as “a great light”; centuries later, Jesus would identify Himself as “the light of the world” (John 8:12).                                                                                                                                                                  

2. God’s healing. “Thine health shall spring forth speedily.” When we come to God, He forgives, restores, and heals us. The Messiah, Jesus Christ, would be the One to give us this healing recovery. “With his stripes we are healed” (Isa. 53:5).                                                                                                                                                                                                   

3. God’s protection. “Thy righteousness shall go before thee; the glory of the Lord shall be thy reward.” “Jerusalem shall dwell safely: and this is the name wherewith she shall be called, The Lord our righteousness” (Jer. 33:16). When we live in Him, He surrounds us and protects us. How much more do we need than to know God has our front and our back!                                                                                                                                                                                            

4. God’s care. “Then shalt thou call, and the Lord shall answer.” Answer means more than just hearing; He responds and says, “Here I am.” Is there anything better than knowing that the God of the universe hears and responds when we cry out to Him?                                                                                                                                                                              

5. God’s provision. “Thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not.” We serve a God who is aware of our needs and will provide. “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you” (Matt. 6:33).

People won’t always view stepping in to help those suffering injustices as the “smart” choice. However, the blessings that come from obeying God are worth it. God’s blessings are tied to a fulfilled purpose and the joy that comes from intimacy with Christ.

Question 5: What’s the connection between the gospel and the ways we meet the physical needs of others?

ENGAGE

Consider your community—where do you see examples of injustice?

How could your church help meet the needs you listed?

How could your group help meet the needs you listed?

How could you help meet the needs you listed?

LIVE IT OUT

How can you practice God’s way of serving those who are treated unjustly?

• Check your heart. Pray about your attitude toward others facing injustice. Confess any apathy, indifference, or prejudice.
• Check your surroundings. Ask God to reveal injustice right in front of you. Ask for courage and the direction to follow His lead.
• Check your opportunity. Work with others to help those facing injustice. For  example, volunteer with a crisis pregnancy center or a ministry focused on elderly adults.

We are called to do our part. If you have no idea what that may be, just ask God. Don’t miss the blessing of serving!

In His Love,

David & Susan