lesson two
OCTOBER 1–7
The Great
Controversy
“The Lord said to Satan, ‘The Lord rebuke you, Satan!
The Lord, who has chosen Jerusalem, rebuke you! Is not
this man a burning stick snatched from the fire?’ ”
(Zech. 3:2, NIV).
sabbath
OCTOBER 1
Introduction
The Cross
Before the Crown
Ps. 121:1;
John 12:32;
Heb. 2:14; 11:1;
Rev. 12:10–12
“ And though this world, with devils filled, / Should threaten to undo us, / We
will not fear, for God hath willed / His truth to triumph through us. / The prince
of Darkness grim, / We tremble not for him; / His rage we can endure, / For lo!
his doom is sure, / One little word shall fell him.”1 These words were penned
by the great reformer Martin Luther after he posted his Ninety-Five Theses.
When we look past our present suffering,
we see the hope we have in Christ.
No one is exempt from the wiles of the devil. However, self-entitlement
often leads us to think that hard times should never happen to us. That is
when we fall into the devil’s snare and start to play a dangerous game that we
are sure to lose. Satan is persistent. He waited to tempt Jesus until He had
been in the wilderness for forty days without food or water. It is no different
for us. He tests us by getting us to believe in our strength. However, when we
depend upon God’s Word, and when, through the power of the Holy Spirit,
our faith is strong in that Word, we can, in God’s name, bid the devil go, and
he will flee.
Job, known throughout Uz as a wealthy man and revered in the heavenly
courts as a blameless, righteous man, was targeted by Satan for an untimely
demise. Job lost his children, his livelihood, and his health, one right after
the other. Even his wife and closest friends caused him great pain. Covered
with boils and in agonizing pain, his death seemed inevitable. But through
the eyes of faith, Job saw Jesus, his Redeemer (Job 19:25–27; Heb. 11:1).
Because Jesus paid the ultimate sacrifice on the cross, we should be willing
to give our lives to His cause.
There is calamity everywhere in the world. However, when we turn our
eyes upon Jesus, we see a renewed life on earth and a crown waiting for
us in heaven. When we look past our present suffering, we see the hope we
have in Christ. When we look to the hills (Ps. 121:1), we see Christ lifted up,
drawing us unto Himself (John 12:32). By beholding Him, we are changed
into His likeness. Then, with confidence we can say, “That word above all
earthly powers, / No thanks to them, abideth; / The Spirit and the gifts are
ours / Through Him who with us sideth; / Let goods and kindred go, / This
mortal life also; / The body they may kill; / God’s truth abideth still, / His kingdom is forever.”2
____________
1. Seventh-day Adventist Hymnal, “A Mighty Fortress,” no. 506.
2. Ibid.
Dawnette Chambers, Chicago, Illinois, U.S.A.
20
sunday
Evidence
Job 1:1, 3,
6–12; 2:3
OCTOBER 2
He Loves You,
He Loves You Not?
It is believed that the book of Job was written during the time of the patriarchs.1 Literary critics struggle with whether to classify it as a book of poetry,
a narrative, a lamentation, a legal book, or a controversy dialogue.2 Even its
authorship is debated.3 Nevertheless, the book of Job is rich with meaning
when studied carefully.
Job’s love for God is called into question.
Job’s name comes from the Hebrew word lyyov, which literally means “persecuted, hated.”4 In contrast, the Bible describes Job as “blameless and upright, and one who feared God and shunned evil” (Job 1:1, 8; 2:3, NKJV). He
is a righteous man and is blessed with wealth and fame. As such, he is the
“greatest of all the people of the East” (Job 1:3, NKJV).
Job’s story is set in his homeland of Uz and in the heavenly realm. These
settings give us insight into how events in the spiritual world can affect our
earthly situations. In Job 1:6–12, Satan, whose name means “adversary,”5
accuses Job before God and suggests that he is only faithful because God
blesses and protects him. Satan accuses God of failing to give him access to
Job. Thus, Job’s love for God is called into question.
The book of Job gets to the gist of one of life’s most challenging questions:
If God is good and all-powerful, why does He allow evil things to happen to the
people He loves? When reading this book, we can be tempted to call the loving
heart of God into question. However, when we take a deeper look, we discover
that Job’s story not only demonstrates God’s love for us but also shows the
beauty in the opportunity we have to express our love for Him.
REACT
1. Read Job 1:6–12. Consider how Job was both blessed and hated. What is
the character of the One who blesses Job and of the one who hates him? See
Isaiah 14:12–14; Ezekiel 28:12–16.
2. How does God’s goodness toward Job put him in a position to be hated?
3. How can you provide opportunities for your faith in God to be proven true?
____________
1. “An Introduction to the Book of Job,” Bible.org, accessed September 8, 2015, https://bible
.org/article/introduction-book-job.
2. Gregory W. Parsons, “Literary Features of the Book of Job,” Bibliotheca Sacra 138 (551)
(July 1981), 213–229.
3. Charles R. Swindoll, “Job,” Insight.org, accessed September 8, 2015, http://www.insight
.org/resources/bible/the-wisdom-books/job.
4. “Job,” Behindthename.com, accessed September 8, 2015, http://www.behindthename
.com/name/job.
5. The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Dictionary, s.v. “Satan,” p. 982.
Ailiana K. Denis, Bolingbrook, Illinois, U.S.A.
Loreal McInnes, Berrien Springs, Michigan, U.S.A.
21
monday
OCTOBER 3
Logos
The Story of
the Great Controversy
Job 1:1–12;
John 12:31;
Rom. 3:26;
Rev. 12:10–12, 17
The Beginning (Job 2)
Job 2 begins with a council meeting. We do not know when this meeting
occurred, nor do we know the reason behind it. We do not even know where
this meeting took place. While we assume the location to be heaven, the text
does not explicitly confirm that. The only information provided pertains to
those in attendance: (1) angels, (2) God, the epitome of goodness, and (3)
Satan, the paragon of evil.
Job does not understand what is going on.
He asks God questions, but he never leaves Him.
The text depicts a meeting of two antithetical forces. Although these two
forces are in opposition to one another, they do engage in dialogue with each
other. What could good and evil have to talk about? Is it comforting or not to
think that the answer might be humankind? After Satan answers God’s question about his whereabouts, it is God, the Creator of the universe (Neh. 9:6),
the One who is love itself (1 John 4:8), who mentions Job. Why would God
do this? In this cosmic battle, this clash between titans, humanity is caught in
the middle, trying to make sense of it all.
The Characters (Job 1; Revelation 12)
In his apocalypse, John records a vision of a woman and a dragon. The
woman gives birth, and the dragon is watching and waiting through the delivery in order to destroy the child, a son. However, the dragon fails, and the
male child is “snatched up to God and to his throne” (Rev. 12:5, NIV). War
breaks out in heaven, and the dragon and his angels fight against Michael
and His angels. In the end, Michael is victorious and casts down the dragon,
“that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan” (Rev. 12:9, NIV), and while
banished on earth, Satan pursues the woman and attacks her offspring.
It would be faulty exegesis to apply Revelation 12 to Job. However, the
principle presented in these chapters can shed insight on Job’s situation.
Revelation 12 shows that things important to God will come under attack.
Both the male child of the woman in Revelation 12 and Job are important to
God and loved by Him. Because of this, they become automatic targets for
God’s enemies.
Job was a good man. He did his best. He may have been slightly arrogant,
but in the grand scheme of things, he was a righteous man (Job 1:1; 2:3).
Yet, for all his good works, calamity still befalls him. It is not just one thing that
attacks Job but a series of unfortunate events. Job does not understand that
because of his association with God, he has become a target of Satan. His
22
friends do not understand, either. From their perspective, he is at fault. But
not all bad things are a result of bad works. Sometimes, oftentimes in fact,
bad things do happen to righteous people.
The Plot (Gen. 3:1–5)
In Genesis 3:1–5, God’s character is on trial for the entire universe to
observe. Satan’s thesis, when extrapolated from his cunning rhetoric, is that
God is ultimately unfair and unjust. His argument was so convincing that he
was able to persuade a third of the angels in heaven (Rev. 12:4). Satan found
success again when he was able to convince Adam and Eve that God was a
liar. Satan was able to paint a monstrous picture of God even in paradise. He
twisted God’s character by making Him out to be a selfish liar: “ ‘You will not
certainly die,’ the serpent said to the woman. ‘For God knows that when you
eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good
and evil’ ” (Gen. 3:4, 5, NIV).
If Satan was able to malign God’s character in a perfect world, how much
easier must it be for him to defame God’s character in a fallen world? Satan
knows he cannot fight against God and win. So he takes on an “opponent” he
can handle: God’s creation. Satan knows that God’s creation is important to
Him, and that if he can possess God’s creation, he can break the very heart
of God. Humanity is just a pawn in Satan’s game of chess that he seeks to
corrupt and use to attack the King.
The Climax and the Resolution (Rom. 3:26)
Although God is being tried unfairly, He allows the trial to continue, because in the end He will be vindicated. His character will be exonerated,
finally leading to judgment of the real culprit (John 12:31). God’s main character witness hung on a tree so that He could “demonstrate his righteousness at the present time” (Rom. 3:26, NIV).
The purpose of each of Satan’s attacks is to separate humanity from the
Creator. When he attacks Job, he hopes Job will forsake God. Job does not
understand what is going on. He asks God questions, but he never leaves
Him. In the end, God speaks to Job, and Job admits that while he may not
understand the ways of God, God is God, and He therefore knows best. This
enemy in the great controversy in which we find ourselves seeks to separate
us from God for all eternity. The issue is not, Why is this happening? but
rather, Will we let God be God and trust that He knows what is best? Are we
willing to wait for Him to clear His name and character?
REACT
1. What are some other “evidences” that have been brought against God
to show that He is unfair and unjust?
2. In what ways has Satan corrupted God’s creation? (Don’t think only
about humanity.)
3. What are we to do while we wait out this great controversy?
Mark Anthony Reid, Berrien Springs, Michigan, U.S.A.
23
tuesday
OCTOBER 4
Testimony
“No Pain, No Gain”
Job 1:8
In the great controversy, there are two sides—those who serve God, and
those who do not. Job served God. His life shows that people who are God’s
servants are Satan’s enemies.
“Of Job, the patriarch of Uz, the testimony of the Searcher of hearts was,
‘There is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that
feareth God, and escheweth evil.’ ”1
Sin is rooted in selfishness.
“Unselfishness, the principle of God’s kingdom, is the principle that Satan
hates; its very existence he denies. From the beginning of the great controversy he has endeavored to prove God’s principles of action to be selfish,
and he deals in the same way with all who serve God. To disprove Satan’s
claim is the work of Christ and of all who bear His name.”2
Sin is rooted in selfishness. The Bible records that Job was a perfect and
upright man. This means that he was unselfish. The life that Job lived was a
testimony against Satan and his accusations against God.
Satan claimed that Job served God only because he was protected. It
was because of his accusations that God allowed Job to be tested. In Job’s
testing, he was a type of Christ. Christ was tempted and assailed by Satan,
yet He was victorious.
“It was to give in His own life an illustration of unselfishness that Jesus
came in the form of humanity. And all who accept this principle are to be
workers together with Him in demonstrating it in practical life. To choose the
right because it is right; to stand for the truth at the cost of suffering and
sacrifice—‘this is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their righteousness is of Me, saith the Lord.’ Isaiah 54:17. ”3
Job serves as an example of how choosing to serve God could very well
cause pain in this life. However, we can find comfort in knowing that our sufferings are not in vain. If we remain faithful as Job did, we, too, will be able
to exclaim, “When he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold” (Job 23:10).
REACT
How can we be sure that we are on the winning side of the great controversy? Explain.
__________
1. Ellen G. White, Education, p. 155.
2. Ibid., p. 154.
3. Ibid., pp. 154, 155.
Yolanda Pugh, Tallahassee, Florida, U.S.A.
24
wednesday
OCTOBER 5
How-to
Job 1:21
Managing Our Emotions
During a Crisis
The book of Job offers us a powerful example of the great controversy and
how bad things happen to good people. It also shows us how to deal with our
emotions during a crisis. The following are ways we can do so:
Acknowledge the problem. It is difficult to manage one’s emotions during
a crisis, especially if one is confronted with the personal and economic losses
that Job faced. The Bible warns about how our emotions can lead to sin (Gen.
4:6; Prov. 29:11; Eph. 4:26). However, this does not mean that we should not
have any emotional responses to what happens to us. Neither does it mean
that one should ignore problems. Job acknowledged the problem, addressed
the issues, and experienced emotions ranging from sadness to frustration to
anger. However, “in all of this, Job did not sin by charging God with wrong­
doing” (Job 1:22, NIV).
The Bible warns about how our emotions can lead to sin.
Be honest with God. Not only was Job honest with God, but God was honest with him (Job 38:4). Honesty does not mean, however, that God is obligated to share everything that is going on. It is interesting that Job never
received a full explanation for his suffering. God did not provide information
about His conversation with Satan. However, despite the fact that God was not
responsible for Job’s calamity, God did reward him for his faith by restoring his
fortune. In this life we may never receive an explanation for what happens to us
or receive restoration of our losses. However, Jesus promises that those who
endure with Him until the end will receive their reward (Matt. 24:13).
Reconcile your community. When a crisis occurs, it can be easy for family
members, friends, and onlookers to come up with explanations. Many of these
explanations can leave the person who is suffering feeling worse. Job’s wife
suggested that he curse God (Job 2:9). Job’s friends suggested that he suffered because he deserved to suffer (Job 4–23).
Remember that while you are suffering, other people may be observing
how you handle the situation. Their faith may depend on your response. At
the end of the narrative, God vindicates Job and chastises his friends for their
comments. It is when Job reconciles to God by praying on behalf of his friends
that he begins to experience healing and restoration (Job 42:10).
REACT
1. In what other ways can we manage our emotions?
2. Why did God want Job to pray for his friends? What does this say about
God’s character in light of the great controversy?
Nikolai Greaves, Berrien Springs, Michigan, U.S.A.
25
thursday
OCTOBER 6
Opinion
We Are Burned
but Not Consumed
Job 1:6–12;
Zech. 3:2;
Rom. 3:26; 5:3–5;
2 Cor. 7:1
During biblical times, many people believed that one’s suffering was due to
one’s sins. Two centuries later, many Christians still believe this. During childhood, many of us are taught that the world operates on a reward and punishment system—that everything we experience is a result of the good or bad that
we’ve done. We find ourselves doing whatever it takes to get an A in life in order
to avoid instability. So when we, as Christians, work hard to climb the ladder
of success only to encounter unexpected, unfortunate events, why do some of
us become utterly devastated, emote bitterness, and doubt the goodness and
even the existence of God? It’s simply because our faith rests on a business
contract that God never devised.
God doesn’t operate on a point system.
Many look at Christianity as an exchange transaction. When we scratch
God’s back with confessions of belief in Him, He is then obligated to scratch
our backs with wholistic prosperity. Sadly, we have allowed such a worldly concept of checks and balances to seep into our spiritual lives. Thus we are led to
think that God is an untrustworthy promise-breaker if He doesn’t abide by this
rigid structure. This is just what Satan wants us to think. Just like in the days of
Job, he continues to challenge the love and loyalty of God’s children, setting
out to prove that we serve God only because of what we can get from Him, and
that if His hedge is removed, we will curse Him and abandon Him. For many
of us, that’s true. One disagreeable move from God, and we’re out! However,
such thinking reveals a superficial love for our Father and a self-righteousness
that relishes entitlement.
God doesn’t operate on a point system. If He did, only Jesus would have
been deserving of a life with no affliction. Yes, pain hurts. But how does one
truly know peace without a storm, joy without sorrow, spiritual strength without
physical weakness, forgiveness without the suffering and death of Christ? We
are burned but not consumed (Zech. 3:2).
It’s often said that we know who our friends are whenever we encounter
trouble. Does God know who His true friends are? Instead of abandoning God
during times of pain and lack of understanding, instead of being distracted by
the fire and allowing it to spark doubt, let us take refuge in Christ. He suffered
all so that He can be all to us.
REACT
What lessons of suffering do we forfeit when we only perceive suffering as
God‘s punishment? How is the Lord a hedge in our suffering?
Monique Marisa Norris, Kissimmee, Florida, U.S.A.
26
friday
Job 1:6–12;
Rev. 12:7–9
Exploration
OCTOBER 7
Enemy Attack
CONCLUDE
No one likes to suffer. But life is messy, and the reality is that no one
gets through it without some pain and difficulty. Sometimes trouble is unavoidable. It is just part of living in a fallen world. Sometimes we bring our
problems on ourselves by our own choices and actions. But the book of
Job gives us another insight into pain and suffering. There are times we
are the object of an enemy attack in a war that Satan has waged against
our Creator for millennia. At those times we need special grace to stand in
faithfulness to God and to trust His goodness to get us through.
CONSIDER
• Reading through the lyrics of the hymn “A Mighty Fortress,” no. 506 in
the Seventh-day Adventist Hymnal. Then write your own hymn about
how God is a fortress for you in troubled times.
• Using a concordance or Bible app to find verses that refer to the Lord
as a “refuge,” “fortress,” and “help.” Write out each verse in your journal.
• Getting a group together to read and discuss the first chapter in the
book Patriarchs and Prophets by Ellen G. White titled, “Why Was Sin
Permitted?”
• Reaching out to someone going through a difficult time. You could
start by sitting, listening, and praying with them. You could also share
encouraging scriptures or your own faith experiences and even offer
practical help, as you are able.
• Painting a picture of Jesus demonstrating God’s love and titling it
“God’s Main Character Witness.”
• Interviewing other believers and recording their responses (on paper
or video) to the question, “What is the difference between Satan’s accusing and the Holy Spirit’s convicting?” Share their thoughts with
your Sabbath School class or Bible study group.
• Watching a video called “Paradigm Shift” that addresses the statement, “If God exists, and if God is good, then why is our world filled
with suffering?” (http://www.digma.com/paradigm-shift/?video=play).
CONNECT
Ellen G. White, Patriarchs and Prophets, chap. 1, “Why Was Sin Permitted?”
Ellen G. White, The Great Controversy.
Linda Lyons Richardson and David Lyons, Don’t Waste the Pain: Learning
to Grow Through Suffering (NavPress, 2010).
Sonia Huenergardt, Chehalis, Washington, U.S.A.
27