Hope Sabbath School

This study begins a long but all-important journey this quarter—a journey into the meaning of suffering, evil, and death. Yes, suffering can be studied as a separate phenomenon of human existence; it can be studied from a scientific or psychological perspective in such terms as perception, affections, and consequences. However, the biblical view on suffering is much deeper. The Bible explains the origin of suffering—an origin that exonerates God from any responsibility for bringing sin into existence. The Bible also shows how God uses suffering as a transformational framework for our own enrichment, victory, and eternal life.

This study will highlight some reasons we may suddenly find ourselves under pressure and experiencing tests in places in which circumstances cause us to change, develop, and grow in character. This will help to give us an awareness of what God is doing in our lives so that when we enter a crucible, we will have an idea of how to respond.

This study focuses more on crucibles of maturity. While it is true that many of our troubles are created by us, God is ultimately the Sovereign of the entire universe and the history of nations, as well as our individual lives. God not only wants us to grow as individuals but also as families, as communities, and as nations. In the context of our fallenness, growth takes on additional dimensions.

Amy Carmichael took a group of children to a traditional goldsmith in India. In the middle of a charcoal fire was a curved roof tile. On the tile was a mixture of salt, tamarind fruit, and brick dust. Embedded in this mixture was gold. As the fire devoured the mixture, the gold became purer. The goldsmith took the gold out with tongs and, if it was not pure enough, he replaced it in the fire with a new mixture. But each time the gold was replaced, the heat was increased. The group asked, “How do you know when the gold is purified?” He replied, “When I can see my face in it.”

When things become really painful, some of us reject God completely. For others there is the temptation to change our view of God and imagine all sorts of bad things about Him. The question is, Just how hot can it get? How much heat is God willing to risk putting His people through in order to bring about His ultimate purpose of shaping us into the “image of his Son” (Rom. 8:29, NIV)?

How do you handle the crucibles that you go through?

When we find ourselves within the crucible, hope does not always seem so easy. As circumstances press in around us, we begin to question everything, particularly the wisdom of God. Even though we don’t always understand God and He seems to do unpredictable things, that doesn’t mean that God is against us. It simply means that we don’t have the full picture yet. But we struggle with the idea that for us to have peace, confidence, and hope, God must be understandable and predictable. He needs to be, in our thinking, “safe.” As such, we set ourselves up for disappointment

It is even more challenging to realize that we are called to see “him who is invisible” not simply when times are good but especially when everything is going wrong. For this we need faith, a Christlike faith that must be shaped by the truth about God and God’s kingdom. The truth about our Father’s goodness, the power in the name of Jesus, the power of the Resurrection, and the compassion of God are essential truths that will enable us to stand strong when we are in the crucible and may be tempted to doubt everything.

It’s always easy to shout with joy to the Lord when we feel joy. It’s not so easy, however, when things are bad, when we are in the worst situations imaginable, when the crucible heats up. Yet, it’s precisely then that we need—perhaps more than ever—to praise God, for praise is a means of helping us sustain faith.

Hope and meekness, as essential tools for overcoming crucibles, are both defined by waiting. However, the concept of biblical waiting is not only about waiting but also waiting with patience. This patience is not a political stratagem but is part of the fruit of the Spirit. This study will look at what could be behind some of the most trying of all crucibles: the crucibles of waiting.

While the empires and kingdoms of the earth are constructed on such values as audacity, power, and military conquest, the religion of God builds and conquers with meekness, love, and grace. However, God’s meekness does not mean that He is powerless. Rather, meekness is an essential trait of God’s character and His way of relating to the universe and to us sinners. This study highlights two major themes. 1. Meekness is essential to Christianity.  2. Christians are not meek in and of themselves.

Death is a fascinating element in all religions. In biblical Christianity, death has two connotations. On one hand, death is the result of, and punishment for, sin. On the other hand, our life with God starts with death− death to sin. Only when we experience this death to sin can we fully enjoy life in God’s kingdom. Death to sin leads to overcoming and confronting the death that is the result of sin. But both events are possible because of Christ’s death for us.

Anytime we study the topic of suffering, we must ask the question: How did sin and suffering first start? The Bible gives us good answers. Sin and suffering happened because angels didn’t respect the gift of freedom that God gave them. This answer leads us to ask another question: Did God know ahead of time that the angels were going to sin? Yes, but God felt that giving the angels the freedom to choose was “worth the risk.” Worth the risk? For what? For us, while God sits on His throne in heaven? Not exactly. In God’s eyes, freedom is so precious. That is why He made us free. God also chose to accept our punishment and suffer for us if we chose to sin. We see this suffering in the life and death of Jesus. Jesus suffered as a human. His suffering connects humans on earth with God in heaven forever.