Reconciliation - How God Wraps Things Up

[David Edgren]

Sabbath School Discussion Guide
2016 Quarter 4 - Lesson 1
Job: The End

Read Job 42:7-9
What is the most important point in this passage?
God has a special title for Job, what is it? How many times does God call Job this title in this passage? What is message is God trying to get through to God’s three friends?
Do you know anyone who always believes they are right? Why is humility so hard for them? Job’s three friends spoke for God – they thought – and ended up deserving God’s anger. What stopped God’s punishment from falling upon them?
When Job’s friends offered their sacrifices to God in front of Job, who were they ‘making things right’ with? (God and Job) Whose idea was this? (God) Why is reconciliation important to God?

Read Job 42:10-11
What is the most important point in this passage?
Why did Job’s fortune turn positive “when” he prayed for his friends? Was this a cause and effect, coincidence, a reward, or natural result of his prayers?
How hard is it to say nice things to someone you are angry with? How much harder would it be to pray for God to bless that person? What effect do you think it had on Job to officiate at the sacrifices of his three ‘offensive’ friends and then pray that God forgive them?
Again, God is setting people up to reconcile. Is this just a good idea, or is it something bigger? Why?

Read Exodus 22:7
What is the point in this text?
Who gave Job his wealth? (God) Who took it away? (Satan)
Why does God give back double if he is not the thief? What does this teach us about God’s Nature?
Is this a foretaste of something to come? What debt will God ultimately pay is His Son Jesus?
How does this ultimate act of reconciliation help you understand why it’s so important to God that we ‘make things right’ with each other?

Teaching Point: The book of Job is built around three themes that are also the three themes our lives, as God’s people, are built around. This book helps us understand who we are to God and who He wants us to be.

1. Where does evil come from? (Satan, not God)
2. What is going on in the spiritual realms? (Great Controversy)
3. What is Sin and its Solution?
   Sin = to disrespect or destroy a relationship (breaking the Image of God in us)
   Love = healthy relationships (compassion, faithfulness & worship reveals the Image of God)
      Reconciliation = moving from Sin to Love. (restoring the Image of God in us)
      Salvation = God revealing His Nature to us and His Image through us 

Read Job 42:12-17
What is the most important point in this passage?
How do you feel at the end of the story of Job? Do we know the reasons behind the good and the bad times in our life? What does the book of Job tell us about God’s plan for us?

Conclusion: Now that we know how it ends, we will better be able to face the pain and struggle Job goes through in this quarter’s lesson. We will also be able to more bravely face the difficulties in our lives, knowing that God is ultimately in charge and, being passionate about reconciliation, He will make all things right in the end.

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