Lesson 14 (Dec 24-30), Some Lessons from Job

How By Faith and Not by Sight

1. Would have it been unfair for Job to have known about the wager between God and Satan?
2. Why is "seeing" "believing" for humans? What are some realities that cannot be seen? What are some things that we see that are not real?
3. What enables a person to believe without seeing?

Evil Being

1. If, as we believe, the book of Job was the first of the Bible books to be written, what themes might have deemed it important to be the first?
2. How much does nature reveal God? How much does nature reveal Satan?
3. How does order in the universe buttress belief in the justice of God?

With Friends Like These

1. What made Job's friends believe like they did--that suffering was because of sin?
2. How much of the character of Job would the three friends have been aware of?
3. Why did God condemn the three friends for speaking wrong about him? What did they say about God that was wrong?

More Than Thorns and Thistles

1. Did Satan create thorns and thistles, the mosquito, etc?
2. Why would God permit Satan to mar nature?
3. How much can science wipe out thorns, thistles and creatures like mosquitos?

Jesus and Job

1. Why didn't God place Job in the Garden of Eden instead of Adam? Would history have been different?
2. Assuming that Satan tried his hardest to hook Job and Jesus what made their trials the severest?
3. If you were arranging the rewards for Job's success would you have made it any different?

Lesson 13 (Dec 17-23), The Character of Job

Does the Bible intend for us to understand that Job was a real historical figure, or is it an inspired parable intended to teach us important lessons?

The Man from Uz

1. Does the absence of any known site indicating the geographic location of Uz which means "wisdom," prove anything either that the story is not meant to be understood literally or that further research could discover the location?
2. Does the fact that the names of the characters in Job mean nothing significant suggest that the story is not a parable but meant to be taken literally? 
3. What do the words "blameless" and "upright" really mean considering that these words have been used for Noah, Abraham, Joseph and David?
4. What should we understand from the terms "feared the Lord" and "shunned evil?"

Steps Bathed in Cream

1. Is it easier to have the right relationship with God in prosperity or in adversity?
2. Who has more to do with a person's prosperity in life--Satan, God, or the individual?
3. What can a prosperous person do to provide for a time in later life when adversity strikes?

Heart and Eyes

1. Is it possible for others to know enough about individuals to make basic judgements about their characters--whether they are  generally good or bad enough to deserve blessings or curses?
2. At what point if any does "seeing with the eyes" and "sinning in the heart," become as bad as actually committing sin?
3. How much of a duty does a prosperous person have towards those less fortunate? How much less-fortunate should a person be to deserve help from another person?

A House on the Rock

1. What does the "house" stand for in the parable of the men who built on the rock and on the sand? What does the "rock" and the "sand" stand for?
2. What is it that a person can be credited for that enables them to remain faithful and obedient through prosperity and adversity? 
3. How much adversity is required in order to prove the character of a person? Why do some get more than their fair share?

The Manifold Wisdom of God

1. What benefit is it to God when humans remain faithful to him either in prosperity or in adversity?
2. What does it matter to God if one individual fails?
3. What are things that an individual can do to attract God's transforming work?

Lesson 12 (Dec 10-16), Job's Redeemer

My Redeemer Liveth

1. What are things that people redeem? What makes it necessary for a person to be humanly redeemed?
2. Why do you think God chose to reveal himself in the book of Job through a cyclone/hurricane/typhoon/whirlwind?
3. Why did God point out himself as creator to Job? What is the connection between "creator" and "redeemer?"

The Son of Man

1. Why did God feel it necessary to experience the travails of human beings personally?
2. Did the fact that Jesus preserved his divinity even during his incarnation dilute the value of his assuming human nature?
3. Could we have become sons and daughters of God without Jesus becoming the Son of Man?

The Death of Christ

1. Can the perfect life of Christ serve as a practical example for us since we do not have the divine nature he had? Did Jesus have an advantage over human beings in living in obedience to God successfully?
2. Is Jesus' perfect life less important for the salvation of humans as is his death?
3. Considering that Job was blameless and upright, did he need a redeemer?

The Sufferings of the Son of Man

1. What does Isaiah mean when he says that "He hath borne our griefs and carried our sorrows?" Aren't we still bearing them? What griefs and sorrows of mine is Jesus bearing?
2. What made Satan in the book of Job accept God's role in the story?
3. How did God remind Job that he understood the sufferings of creation?

Satan Unmasked

1. Did God unmask Satan and his role to Job?
2. What purpose did God have in describing the behemoth and leviathan to Job? What indicates that those are earthly creatures? What characteristics of those creatures inform us that those are describing something supernatural?
3. Why was it necessary for Job to understand the great controversy? 
4. How does a knowledge of the existence of Satan help us to understand life on  earth?

Lesson 11 (Dec 3-9), Out of the Whirlwind

Out of the Whirlwind

1. Do we need a voice to know God's power and might through a cyclone?
2. Does a cyclone appear suddenly or is there warning?
3. Could Job's friends also hear the voice that Job heard?
4. Why did God not answer Job earlier?

God's Question

1. Why does God ask humans questions? What did he hope to achieve through questioning Job?
2. Were God's questions for Job's benefit or for the friends' benefit?
3. Does God expect humans not to question him?

The Lord as Creator

1. Why would God discuss creation with Job rather than justice and fairness?
2. Does order in creation, the physical universe prove order in the moral universe?
3. Does it make any difference that Satan was present when the world was created?

The Wisdom of the Wise

1. Do we today know more than any other generation in the history of the universe?
2. Is the Bible supposed to be accurate in everything that it says about science?
3. Will God allow humans to migrate to other planets?

Repenting in Dust and Ashes

1. What did Job mean by saying he repented?
2. What did God communicate to Job that silenced him, or was it just being in the presence of God that quieted him?
3. Are the Leviathan and Behemoth real animals or symbolic?

Lesson 10 (Nov 26-Dec 2), The Wrath of Elihu

Miserable Comforters

1. Why did Job's friends change from their purpose to comfort him to accusing him?
2. In any argument why do people want to have the last word? Does keeping silent mean one accepts the other's arguments?
3. What is the best way to end an argument?

The Entrance of Elihu

1. Does the fact that Elihu is not mentioned in the beginning mean that he was not present all along? Is there any evidence that he has been listening to the other three?
2. Was Elihu right in stating that Job was justifying himself rather than God?
3. Did Elihu need to wait till the others had finished or should he have interrupted them if he had better arguments?

Elihu's Defense of God

1. Why was Elihu angry with the failure of the three friends to answer Job successfully when he was saying essentially the same thing?
2. Is there anything wrong in believing that God is not in total control of the events on this world?
3. How did the friends of Job learn about God?

The Irrationality of Evil

1. Is the statement correct, "To explain the origin of sin (evil) would be to excuse it?"
2. Does life have to be fair?
3. Does life have to make sense?
4. Would anything be wrong if God created the universe to run without sin?

The Challenge Evil

1. Did Job and his friends know about the devil?
2. Does God have to give the devil permission for all the misfortunes in our lives?
3. How can we develop the kind of trust in God that Job had?

Lesson 9, (Nov 19-25), Intimations of Hope

Forgers of Lies

1. From where did Job's friends get their information about God?
2. How can we know if what we believe about God is true or not?
3. What does Satan want us to believe about God? What does God do to counter false information about himself?

Though He Slay Me

1. What enabled Job to have that strong faith that even the threat of death could not shake?
2. What did Job have to gain by remaining steadfast in his loyalty to God, considering that he appeared headed for death?
3. How did the friends of Job hope to help him by their arguments?

Intimations of Hope

1. Does Job feel insecure about the "sins of his youth" (13:26)?
2. How much faith did Job have in the sacrifices that he performed at the beginning and ending of the story? How much peace did those sacrifices bring him?
3. How safe is the feeling of assurance that we may experience?

Hope Before the World Began

1. Why would God make provision for salvation from sin even before there was sin? Did that presuppose the entry of sin?
2. In enduring suffering, do those who do not know the truth have a disadvantage compared to those who do?
3. How much did Job know about the plan of salvation?

Images of Hope

1. Why do you think a lamb was selected for sacrifices? How forgiven can one feel after sacrificing an innocent lamb? 
2. Why does God reveal truth progressively? Why could he not reveal everything to Adam?
3. Why did God wait a few thousand years before sending Jesus? Why not immediately after Adam and Eve sinned?

Lesson 8 (Nov 12-18), Innocent Blood

Job's Protest

1. Is Job more correct when he accuses God of being blind (cf 7:28; 9:24) or when he accuses God of watching too closely (7:18,19; 10:14; 13:27)?
2. Is it wrong to question God sense of justice?
3. What does Job mean when he refers to the grave as a place of no return?

Innocent Blood

1. Is anyone on this earth innocent?
2. Why is blood such a powerful symbol? With today's knowledge of physiology can any more correct symbol of life be proposed?
3. Is there any evidence that God is holding back Satan from everyday damage?

Unfair Fates

1. Is there more good or more evil on this earth?
2. Which is worse, to let a guilty man go free, or to wrongly convict an innocent person and condemn him or her to jail?
3. Which was a worse for Barabbas to be loosed or for Jesus to die?
4. What rights do humans have? How did they get these rights?

Sufficient for the Day

1. Where was God when Job was suffering? Did Job get any support from him?
2. What enables humans to carry on in the face of suffering?
3. Do Christians have more endurance than non-Christians?

Things Not Seen

1. How does trust in God contribute to good health?
2. How do doubts and fears affect health?
3. How can a pessimist become an optimist?