Relevant Verses: Isaiah 5; John 3, 1 John 3; Matthew 21; 1 Corinthians 4

Theme: “What More Could I Have Done?”

Leading Question: Does God always do everything he can to save his people?

Our lesson for this week is entitled, “What more could I have done?” echoing the question Isaiah asks in the parable of the vineyard:

Isaiah 5:3-4: “And now, inhabitants of Jerusalem and people of Judah, judge between me and my vineyard. 4 What more was there to do for my vineyard that I have not done in it? When I expected it to yield grapes, why did it yield ...

Relevant Verses: 1 Kings 18; Deut 32; 1 Cor 10; Isa 44; Rev 12; Job 1,2

Theme: “Rules of Engagement”

Leading Question: Does the Bible make clear that in the cosmic conflict God sets limitations on himself and on humans?

We will return to the question of “limits.” But let us begin where the official study guide begins, at the confrontation on Mt. Carmel. Here is the narrative as found in 1 Kings 18:19-40:

1 Kings 18:19-40: 20 So Ahab sent to all the Israelites and assembled the prophets at Mount Carmel. 21 Elijah then came near to all the people and said, ...

Relevant Verses: Gen 1-3; Isa 14; Ezek 28; Matt 4, 13; Eph 6; Rev 12

Theme: “The Cosmic Conflict”

Leading Question: What passages in the Bible teach most clearly that there is a cosmic conflict?

Genesis 1-3: Tree and the SerpentIsaiah 14: Fall of Lucifer (King of Babylon)Ezekiel 28: Covering Cherub (King of Tyre)Matthew 4:1-11: Wilderness TemptationMatthew 13:24-27: An Enemy at workEphesians 6:12: We Wrestle Not against Flesh and BloodRevelation 12:7-9: War in Heaven

Question: If you were uninitiated, which of these passages would be most helpful? Here is each passage, noting the questions, strengths and weaknesses of each passage:

Genesis 1-3: The tree ...

Relevant Verses: Genesis 50; 1 Corinthians 13; Psalm 81; Deuteronomy 6; John 16

Theme: “Free Will, Love, and Divine Providence”

Leading Question: How does one tell if a particular event is “providential,” “natural,” or “demonic”?

Exploring the providential: A biblical story that reeks of providence is the story of Joseph. At the conclusion of the story, after the death of Jacob, Joseph’s brothers feared that he would be seeking revenge on him. Joseph’s comment to his brothers is remarkable for its forgiving spirit:

Genesis 50:15-21: 15 Realizing that their father was dead, Joseph’s brothers said, “What if Joseph still bears a grudge against ...

Relevant Verses: 2 Sam 6; 2 Kings 2; Exod 32; Gen 18; Ps 10, 22, 73; Matt 27; Mark 15; Hab 1, Mal 4, Job 30, 38; Jer 12, 13

Theme: “The Problem of Evil”

Leading Question: Is there a happy solution to the problem of evil?

One of the most enduring issues in our world is the problem of evil. If there is no over-all solution, there are at least four partial solutions, several of which are hinted at in the official study guide.

1. Partial Solution #1: Liberation from the stories of Uzzah and the two she-bears that mauled the 42 ...

Relevant Verses: Malachi 3, Exodus 23, Genesis 18, Numbers 35, Joshua 7

Theme: “God’s Love of Justice”

Leading Question: Is the understanding of “justice” the same among all human beings?

When it comes to matters of diversity, an Ellen White quotation is a good place to start:

Every association of life calls for the exercise of self-control, forbearance, and sympathy. We differ so widely in disposition, habits, education, that our ways of looking at things vary. We judge differently. Our understanding of truth, our ideas in regard to the conduct of life, are not in all respects the same. There are no two ...

Relevant Verses: Psalm 78, Nehemiah 9, Amos 7, Jonah, Mark 3, 10

Theme: “The Wrath of Divine Love”

Leading Question: “The Wrath of Divine Love” sounds so negative. Can’t we just skip it?

We will return to address the “leading question” after an important detour, a brief discussion of Satan in the Old Testament and the inclusion of a chapter from Alden Thompson’s book, Who’s Afraid of the Old Testament God?

The Brief Explanation

A remarkable feature of the Old Testament is the almost total absence of any mention of Satan. In the entire Old Testament, Satan as a supernatural being opposed to God, ...

Relevant Verses: Isaiah 1, 49, Psalm 103, Luke 10, Matthew 9

Theme: “God Is Passionate and Compassionate”

Leading Question: Is it “reasonable” for God to be passionate and compassionate with his wayward children?

Question: Which is more biblical: To say that God will be reasonable with us or that he will be passionate and emotional with us?

In the King James Version, Isaiah 1:18 makes a well known claim about God: “Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be ...

Relevant Verses: Zephaniah 3, Luke 15, Psalm 146, Romans 5

Theme: To Be Pleasing to God

Leading Question: Which is our more serious challenge: Convincing arrogant sinners to abandon their arrogance, or convincing repentant sinners in their chagrined and depressed condition, that God really is eager to accept them?

This week’s memory text, Zephaniah 3:17, is a good place to start this week’s discussion:

Zephaniah 3:17: The Lord your God in your midst,
The Mighty One, will save;
He will rejoice over you with gladness,
He will quiet you with His love,
He will rejoice over you with singing.”

As the official study guide comments: “Zephaniah 3:17 ...

Relevant Verses: Genesis 6, 9, 15; Deuteronomy 7; Jeremiah 31, Psalm 136

Theme: Covenantal Love

Leading Question: “How does the idea of covenant help us understand the word “love”? Our lesson speaks of “covenantal love.” Just what does that mean?

Comment: Where we live there is a “covenant” which spells out what can be built and what cannot be built in our neighborhood. Does the restriction which such a word imply enrich or impoverish our understanding of love?

In the early chapters of Genesis, the word “covenant” appears several times. The first instance is in Genesis 6, just before the great flood:

Gen. 6:17-22: ...