SSLS 2016-12-02

2016 4th Quarter

Lesson 10, November 26-December 2, The Wrath of Elihu

Friday, December 2

“In the carrying forward of his work in the earth, and the manifestation of his power, God does not consult the will or imperfect judgment of men. His plans and methods may be directly opposite to those approved by human wisdom. If men would criticise and condemn the Saviour’s work, when they had such evidence of divine power as the miracle at Bethesda [of the cripple healed on the Sabbath], can we wonder that they criticise and condemn those through whom he works today? Unbelief will always find an excuse for its existence. God designs that men shall believe, not because there is no possibility of doubt, but because there is abundant evidence for faith. Christ bade the Pharisees, ‘Search the Scriptures, for in them ye think ye have eternal life, and they are they which testify of me.’ The Jewish teachers professed to be expounders of God’s word; but had they prayerfully studied and rightly understood its teachings, they would not have substituted their own traditions for the law of Jehovah.” (Ellen White, Signs of the Times, June 8, 1882.)

“It has been the special work of Satan to lead fallen man to rebel against God’s government, and he has succeeded too well in his efforts. He has tried to obscure the law of God, which in itself is very plain. He has manifested a special hate against the fourth precept of the decalogue, because it defines the living God, the maker of the heavens and the earth. The plainest precepts of Jehovah are turned from, to receive infidel fables.

“Man will be left without excuse. God has given sufficient evidence upon which to base faith, if he wishes to believe. In the last days, the earth will be almost destitute of true faith. Upon the merest pretense, the word of God will be considered unreliable, while human reasoning will be received, though it be in opposition to plain Scripture facts. Men will endeavor to explain from natural causes the work of creation, which God has never revealed. But human science cannot search out the secrets of the God of Heaven, and explain the stupendous works of creation, which were a miracle of almighty power, any sooner than it can show how God came into existence.” (Ellen White, Vol. 1, Spirit of Prophecy, 89.)