This lesson picks up where we left off last week and provides further insight into Job’s weak but lingering faith in God. He has been battered, abused, falsely accused, and robbed of his health, prosperity, reputation, and dignity. But he refuses to give up on God.
Though it’s the only book in the Bible that never mentions God, Esther conveys events with such perfect literary symmetry that a profound theological point is made: God’s providence is at work in everything on behalf of his people.
Through Romans chapter 11 Paul writes about orthodoxy, or the “what” of our faith in Christ. Now starting in chapter 12 he turns a corner and writes the rest of the book about orthopraxy, or the “how” of living our faith. His instructions begin inside the church community itself, for we must learn how to love one another before we can show the rest of the world how the love of Jesus is different.
In the wake of another election season, we have the chance to get a glimpse of our hearts and where we may be misplacing our hope. This misplaced hope often leads to anxiety. Ben discusses how to place our hope in Jesus in a way that practically applies to our day to day life.
In these passages, we will see Job addressing the false claims of his friends while trying to defend his innocence in the face of their relentless accusations of guilt. Job even utters a series of extended prayers to God, pleading for vindication and a validation of his innocence.
Almost 70 years after returning home after their exile to Babylon, the Israelites wondered if the promises of a new Jerusalem would ever be fulfilled. The prophet Zechariah answers their concerns through dreams and visions, challenging God’s people to remain faithful.
