Hosea -- Lesson 34

From the Sunday School Manual for the Old Testament 

http://lds.org/ldsorg/v/index.jsp?hideNav=1&locale=0&sourceId=dba3c106dac20110VgnVCM100000176f620a____&vgnextoid=198bf4b13819d110VgnVCM1000003a94610aRCRD

Lesson 34: “I Will Betroth Thee unto Me in Righteousness”, Old Testament Gospel Doctrine Teacher’s Manual, 166

Hosea 1–3; 11; 13–14

 

Purpose

To help class members understand that the Lord is loving and merciful and will forgive us when we repent and return to him.

Preparation

• 1. Prayerfully study the following scriptures:
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  • a. Hosea 1–3. Using the similitude of a faithful husband and an adulterous wife, Hosea describes the relationship between the Lord and Israel.
    
  • b. Hosea 11; 13–14. Because of his love for his people, the Lord continues to invite Israel to repent and return to him.
    
• 2. Additional reading: The rest of Hosea.
  
• 3. If you use the attention activity, write each of the following phrases on a separate piece of paper before class. If your class is small, prepare only one piece of paper for each class member.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  • “The children of Israel shall be as the sand of the sea” (Hosea 1:10)
    
  • “I will pour out my wrath upon them like water” (Hosea 5:10)
    
  • “The Lord … shall come unto us as the rain” (Hosea 6:3)
    
  • “He shall come as an eagle” (Hosea 8:1)
    
  • “Israel is an empty vine” (Hosea 10:1)
    
  • “Judgment springeth up as hemlock in the furrows of the field” (Hosea 10:4)
    
  • “They shall be … as the smoke out of the chimney” (Hosea 13:3)
    
  • “I will meet them as a bear that is bereaved of her whelps [cubs]” (Hosea 13:8)
    
  • “I am like a green fir tree” (Hosea 14:8)
    

Suggested Lesson Development

Attention Activity

You may want to use the following activity (or one of your own) to begin the lesson.
Distribute the papers you have prepared among class members (see “Preparation” above). Explain that each of these phrases is a comparison from the book of Hosea. Have each class member who received a paper read the phrase aloud and suggest one possible meaning for the comparison. For example, saying someone is “as a lion” may indicate strength or fierceness.

• • Why do you think Hosea and other prophets used comparisons? (Comparing a complicated or unfamiliar idea with one that is simpler or more familiar makes it more understandable to the people who are being taught. Comparisons also help provide a lot of detail in just a few words.)
  

Explain that in addition to these smaller comparisons, Hosea also used extended comparisons, which are called metaphors or similitudes (similitude is the word used in the scriptures). The book of Hosea contains several comparisons to help us understand the relationship between Jesus Christ and his people.

Scripture Discussion and Application

As you teach the following scripture passages, discuss how they apply to daily life. Encourage class members to share experiences that relate to the scriptural principles.

1. Using the similitude of a faithful husband and an adulterous wife, Hosea describes the relationship between the Lord and Israel.

Teach and discuss Hosea 1–3. If you did not use the attention activity, explain what a similitude is before you begin the discussion.
One of the most frequently used similitudes in the scriptures describes the Lord as a bridegroom (or husband) and his covenant people as his bride (or wife). Hosea 1–3 powerfully uses this similitude, comparing Israel’s idol worship to adultery. In these chapters the prophet Hosea represents the Lord as the husband, and Gomer represents Israel as the wife.

• • In the book of Hosea, the Lord’s relationship with Israel (and with the Church today) is compared to the relationship between a husband and wife. What does this comparison teach us about the level of commitment and devotion the Lord expects from us?
  
• • In what way was ancient Israel comparable to Gomer, who is described as “a wife of whoredoms”? (See Hosea 1:2–3; 2:5, 13. Gomer had left her husband for her lovers; Israel had forgotten the Lord and become wicked.)
  
• • Who or what were Israel’s “lovers”—the things that caused the people to turn away from the Lord? (Other gods, material goods, and the practices of the world.) What things may divert us from our dedication to following the Savior?
  
• • To whom did the adulterous wife give credit for her food and clothing? (See Hosea 2:5.) To whom did the Israelites attribute the fruitful land in which they lived? (See Hosea 2:5, 12; to their false gods or idols.) How do people today give credit to false gods for the blessings they receive?
  
• • How did the husband remind his wife that he—not her lovers—supplied her with food, water, and other possessions? (See Hosea 2:8–9.) In what ways has the Lord provided you with material and spiritual blessings? How can we show our appreciation to the Lord for the blessings he gives us?
  
• • What was the attitude of the husband toward his unfaithful wife in Hosea 2:6–13? How was this attitude different in verses 14–23? (Point out that even though the wife had been unfaithful, the husband still loved her and wanted her to come back to him. Likewise, the Lord still loves his people who have gone astray, and he wants them to turn again to him.)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  • Elder Henry B. Eyring explained: “This was a love story. This was a story of a marriage covenant bound by love, by steadfast love. … The Lord, with whom I am blessed to have made covenants, loves me, and you, … with a steadfastness about which I continually marvel and which I want with all my heart to emulate” (Covenants and Sacrifice [address delivered at the Church Educational System Symposium, 15 Aug. 1995], 2).
    
• • What did the husband promise his wife if she would return to him? (See Hosea 2:19.) What does the Lord promise his people if they will repent and return to him? (See Hosea 2:20, 23.) Why is this promise important?
  
• • In Hosea 3:1–2, the husband purchased his wife from her lover (you may want to explain that in Old Testament cultures, women were often considered property and could be bought or sold). What did the husband require of his wife after he purchased her? (See Hosea 3:3.) What did he promise her? In what sense has Jesus Christ “bought” each of us? (See 1 Peter 1:18–19.) What does Christ require of us in return?
  

2. Because of his love for his people, the Lord continues to invite Israel to repent and return to him.

Teach and discuss Hosea 11; 13–14.
Throughout the book of Hosea, the Lord reproves the Israelites for their great sins. After the Lord, through Hosea, describes the captivity and destruction that will result from Israel’s wickedness, he again invites his people to repent and return to him.

• • Another similitude often used in the scriptures to describe the relationship between the Lord and his people is the master-animal relationship. This similitude is used briefly in Hosea 11:4. What do we learn about the Lord’s feelings for his people through this comparison? (See also Hosea 11:7–9. Note that the Joseph Smith Translation of verse 8 says “mine heart is turned toward thee” instead of “mine heart is turned within me.”)
  
• • Several times the Lord reminded the Israelites of how their ancestors were delivered out of captivity in Egypt (Hosea 11:1; 12:9, 13; 13:4–5). What might this event be a similitude of? (See Hosea 13:14. As the Lord delivered the children of Israel from bondage in Egypt, so will he deliver them—and all people who come unto him—from sin and death.)
  
• • What did the Israelites need to do to return to the Lord and receive deliverance? (See Hosea 12:6; 14:2–3. They needed to repent of their sins and renounce the other gods they had worshiped.) What did the Lord promise to do if they repented? (See Hosea 14:4–7.) What does the Lord promise he will do if we repent of our sins?
  
• • How do the similitudes in the book of Hosea help you understand how the Savior feels about you?
  

Conclusion

Testify that while the Lord’s blessings are reserved for those who keep his commandments, his love is constant and extended to all. Even when we turn away from him through sin, the Lord loves us and wants us to repent and return to him. Encourage class members to be faithful to the Lord.

Additional Teaching Ideas

The following material supplements the suggested lesson outline. You may want to use one or more of these ideas as part of the lesson.

1. “I desired mercy, and not sacrifice” (Hosea 6:6)

In Hosea 6:6 the Lord tells Israel, “I desired mercy, and not sacrifice; and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings.” During his earthly ministry, Christ twice referred to this verse to answer criticism from the Pharisees (Matthew 9:13; 12:7). After examining the context of these two references (Matthew 9:10–13; 12:1–8), discuss what this verse means.

2. “O Israel, thou hast destroyed thyself” (Hosea 13:9)

During Hosea’s ministry, the Northern Kingdom (Israel) was attacked by the Assyrians, who would eventually destroy the kingdom and take the people captive. In a literal sense the Assyrians were responsible for the destruction of Israel. But the Lord said, “O Israel, thou hast destroyed thyself” (Hosea 13:9).

• • In what sense had Israel destroyed itself? What was Israel’s only hope for salvation after the destruction of their nation? (See Hosea 13:9–10; 14:1.)
  

How can following Jesus Christ protect us from temporal and spiritual destruction?

3. Repentance

If it is available, you may want to show “Repentance: It’s Never Too Late,” a six-minute segment from Family Home Evening Video Supplement 2 (53277).

Old Testament Institute Manual lesson on Hosea:  http://institute.lds.org/manuals/old-testament-institute-student-manual-2/ot-in2-04-2kg-10.asp

Text for Posters:

Conclusion:

While the Lord’s blessings are reserved for those

who keep His commandments, His love is constant and extended to all.

Purpose:  We can understand that the Lord is loving and merciful

and will forgive us when we repent and return to him.

“I Will Betroth Thee unto Me in Righteousness”

Hosea 1-3; 11, 13-14

Using Reading Strategies to Read the Scriptures

Using Reading Strategies to Read the Scriptures

Strategies Practice

EZRA

CHAPTER 1

King Cyrus of Persia lets the Jews go back Going back?  When and how did they leave? to Jerusalem to build the temple Why would Cyrus want them to rebuild the temple?—Cyrus returns vessels of house of the Lord taken by Nebuchadnezzar.

  1 Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the Lord by the mouth of ^aJeremiah might be fulfilled, the Lord stirred up the spirit of ^bCyrus king of Persia, that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and put it also in writing, saying,

  2 Thus saith ^aCyrus king of Persia, The Lord God of heaven hath given me all the kingdoms of the earth; and he hath charged me to build him an ^bhouse at Jerusalem, which is in Judah.

  3 Who is there among you of all his people? his God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem, which is in Judah, and build the house of the Lord God of Israel, (he is the God,) which is in Jerusalem.

  4 And whosoever remaineth in any place where he sojourneth, let the men of his place help him with silver, and with gold, and with goods, and with beasts, beside the freewill offering for the house of God that is in Jerusalem.

  5 ¶ Then rose up the chief of the fathers of Judah and Benjamin, and the priests, and the Levites, with all them whose spirit God had raised, to go up to build the house of the Lord which is in Jerusalem.

  6 And all they that were about them ^astrengthened their hands with vessels of silver, with gold, with goods, and with beasts, and with precious things, beside all that was willingly offered.

  7 ¶ Also Cyrus the king brought forth the vessels of the house of the Lord, which Nebuchadnezzar had ^abrought forth out of Jerusalem, and had put them in the house of his gods;

  8 Even those did Cyrus king of Persia bring forth by the hand of Mithredath the treasurer, and numbered them unto Sheshbazzar, the prince of Judah. Notice who this is.  He may be mentioned later.

  9 And this is the number of them: thirty ^achargers of gold, a thousand chargers of silver, nine and twenty knives,

  10 Thirty basons of gold, silver basons of a second sort four hundred and ten, and other vessels a thousand.

  11 All the vessels of gold and of silver were five thousand and four hundred. All these did Sheshbazzar bring up with them of the ^acaptivity that were brought up from Babylon unto Jerusalem. 

EZRA

CHAPTER 2  Skim this chapter

Children of the captivity who returned to Jerusalem and to Judah are listed—Children of priests whose genealogy is lost are denied the priesthood—Faithful people contribute to building of the temple.

  1 Now these are the ^achildren of the province that went up out of the captivity, of those which had been carried away, whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had carried away unto ^bBabylon, and came again unto Jerusalem and Judah, every one unto his city;

  2 ^aWhich came with ^bZerubbabel: Jeshua, Nehemiah, Seraiah, Reelaiah, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispar, Bigvai, Rehum, Baanah. The number of the men of the people of Israel:

  3 The children of Parosh, two thousand an hundred seventy and two.

  4 The children of Shephatiah, three hundred seventy and two.

  5 The children of Arah, seven hundred seventy and five.

  6 The children of Pahath-moab, of the children of Jeshua and Joab, two thousand eight hundred and twelve.

  7 The children of Elam, a thousand two hundred fifty and four.

  8 The children of Zattu, nine hundred forty and five.

  9 The children of Zaccai, seven hundred and threescore.

  10 The children of ^aBani, six hundred forty and two.

  11 The children of Bebai, six hundred twenty and three.

  12 The children of Azgad, a thousand two hundred twenty and two.

  13 The children of Adonikam, six hundred sixty and six.

  14 The children of Bigvai, two thousand fifty and six.

  15 The children of Adin, four hundred fifty and four.

  16 The children of Ater of Hezekiah, ninety and eight.

  17 The children of Bezai, three hundred twenty and three.

  18 The children of Jorah, an hundred and twelve.

  19 The children of Hashum, two hundred twenty and three.

  20 The children of Gibbar, ninety and five.

  21 The children of Beth-lehem, an hundred twenty and three.

  22 The men of Netophah, fifty and six.

  23 The men of Anathoth, an hundred twenty and eight.

  24 The children of Azmaveth, forty and two.

  25 The children of Kirjath-arim, Chephirah, and Beeroth, seven hundred and forty and three.

  26 The children of Ramah and Gaba, six hundred twenty and one.

  27 The men of Michmas, an hundred twenty and two.

  28 The men of Beth-el and Ai, two hundred twenty and three.

  29 The children of Nebo, fifty and two.

  30 The children of Magbish, an hundred fifty and six.

  31 The children of the other Elam, a thousand two hundred fifty and four.

  32 The children of Harim, three hundred and twenty.

  33 The children of Lod, Hadid, and Ono, seven hundred twenty and five.

  34 The children of Jericho, three hundred forty and five.

  35 The children of Senaah, three thousand and six hundred and thirty.

  36 ¶ The priests: the children of Jedaiah, of the house of Jeshua, nine hundred seventy and three.

  37 The children of Immer, a thousand fifty and two.

  38 The children of Pashur, a thousand two hundred forty and seven.

  39 The children of Harim, a thousand and seventeen.

  40 ¶ The Levites: the children of Jeshua and Kadmiel, of the children of Hodaviah, seventy and four.

  41 ¶ The singers: the children of Asaph, an hundred twenty and eight.

  42 ¶ The children of the porters: the children of Shallum, the children of Ater, the children of Talmon, the children of Akkub, the children of Hatita, the children of Shobai, in all an hundred thirty and nine.

  43 ¶ The ^aNethinims: the children of Ziha, the children of Hasupha, the children of Tabbaoth,

  44 The children of Keros, the children of Siaha, the children of Padon,

  45 The children of Lebanah, the children of Hagabah, the children of Akkub,

  46 The children of Hagab, the children of Shalmai, the children of Hanan,

  47 The children of Giddel, the children of Gahar, the children of Reaiah,

  48 The children of Rezin, the children of Nekoda, the children of Gazzam,

  49 The children of Uzza, the children of Paseah, the children of Besai,

  50 The children of Asnah, the children of Mehunim, the children of Nephusim,

  51 The children of Bakbuk, the children of Hakupha, the children of Harhur,

  52 The children of Bazluth, the children of Mehida, the children of Harsha,

  53 The children of Barkos, the children of Sisera, the children of Thamah,

  54 The children of Neziah, the children of Hatipha.

  55 ¶ The children of Solomon’s servants: the children of Sotai, the children of Sophereth, the children of Peruda,

  56 The children of Jaalah, the children of Darkon, the children of Giddel,

  57 The children of Shephatiah, the children of Hattil, the children of Pochereth of Zebaim, the children of Ami.

  58 All the Nethinims, and the children of Solomon’s servants, were three hundred ninety and two.

  59 And these were they which went up from Tel-melah, Tel-harsa, Cherub, Addan, and Immer: but they could not ^ashew their father’s house, and their seed, whether they were of Israel:

  60 The children of Delaiah, the children of Tobiah, the children of Nekoda, six hundred fifty and two.

  61 ¶ And of the ^achildren of the priests: the children of Habaiah, the children of Koz, the children of Barzillai; which took a wife of the daughters of Barzillai the Gileadite, and was called after their name:

  62 These sought their ^aregister among those that were ^breckoned by ^cgenealogy, but they were not found: therefore were they, as ^dpolluted, ^eput from the ^fpriesthood.

  63 And the Tirshatha said unto them, that they should not eat of the most ^aholy things, till there stood up a priest with ^bUrim and with Thummim.

  64 ¶ The whole congregation together was forty and two thousand three hundred and threescore,

  65 Beside their servants and their maids, of whom there were seven thousand three hundred thirty and seven: and there were among them two hundred singing men and singing women.

  66 Their horses were seven hundred thirty and six; their mules, two hundred forty and five;

  67 Their camels, four hundred thirty and five; their asses, six thousand seven hundred and twenty.

  68 ¶ And some of the chief of the fathers, when they came to the ^ahouse of the Lord which is at Jerusalem, offered freely for the house of God to set it up in his place:

  69 They gave after their ability unto the treasure of the work threescore and one thousand drams of gold, and five thousand pound of silver, and one hundred priests’ garments.

  70 So the priests, and the Levites, and some of the people, and the singers, and the porters, and the Nethinims, dwelt in their cities, and all Israel in their cities. 

EZRA CHAPTER 3 Altar rebuilt—Regular sacrifices reinstituted—Foundations of temple laid amid great rejoicing.   1 And when the seventh month was come, and the children of Israel were in the cities, the people gathered themselves together as one man to Jerusalem.   2 Then stood up Jeshua the son of Jozadak, and his brethren the priests, and Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and his brethren, and builded the altar of the God of Israel, to offer burnt aofferings thereon, as it is written in the law of Moses the bman of God.   3 And they set the altar upon his bases; for fear was upon them because of the people of those countries: and they offered burnt offerings thereon unto the Lord, even burnt offerings morning and evening.   4 They kept also the afeast of tabernacles, as it is written, and offered the daily burnt offerings by number, according to the custom, as the duty of every day required;   5 And afterward offered the continual burnt offering, both of the new moons, and of all the set afeasts of the Lord that were consecrated, and of every one that bwillingly offered a freewill offering unto the Lord.   6 From the first day of the seventh month began they to offer burnt offerings unto the Lord. But the foundation of the temple of the Lord was not yet laid.   7 They gave money also unto the masons, and to the carpenters; and meat, and drink, and oil, unto them of Zidon, and to them of Tyre, to bring acedar trees from Lebanon to the sea of Joppa, according to the grant that they had of bCyrus king of Persia.   8 ¶ Now in the second year of their coming unto the house of God at Jerusalem, in the second month, began Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua the son of Jozadak, and the remnant of their brethren the priests and the Levites, and all they that were come out of the captivity unto Jerusalem; and appointed the Levites, from twenty years old and upward, to set forward the work of the house of the Lord.   9 Then stood Jeshua with his sons and his brethren, Kadmiel and his sons, the sons of Judah, together, to set forward the workmen in the house of God: the sons of Henadad, with their sons and their brethren the Levites.   10 And when the builders laid the foundation of the temple of the Lord, they set the priests in their apparel with trumpets, and the Levites the sons of Asaph with cymbals, to praise the Lord, after the ordinance of David king of Israel.   11 And they sang together by course in praising and giving athanks unto the Lord; because he is bgood, for his mercy endureth for ever toward Israel. And all the people shouted with a great shout, when they cpraised the Lord, because the foundation of the house of the Lord was laid.   12 But many of the priests and Levites and chief of the fathers, who were aancient men, that had seen the first house, when the foundation of this house was laid before their eyes, bwept with a loud voice; and many shouted aloud for joy:   13 So that the people could not discern the noise of the shout of joy from the noise of the weeping of the people: for the people shouted with a loud shout, and the noise was heard afar off. Use "print" version.  EZRA CHAPTER 4 Samaritans offer help, then hinder the work—Building of temple and of walls of Jerusalem ceases.   1 Now when the aadversaries See the footnote BD Samaritans  of Judah and Benjamin heard that the children of the captivity builded the temple unto the Lord God of Israel;   2 Then they came to Zerubbabel, and to the chief of the fathers, and said unto them, Let us build with you: for we seek your God, as ye do; and we do sacrifice unto him since the days of Esar-haddon king of Assur, which abrought us up hither.   3 But Zerubbabel, and Jeshua, and the rest of the chief of the fathers of Israel, said unto them, Ye have nothing to do with us to build an house unto our God; but we ourselves together will build unto the Lord God of Israel, as aking Cyrus the king of Persia hath commanded us.Why did they refuse to let the Samaritans help?   4 Then the people of the land aweakened the hands of the people of Judah, and troubled them in building,   5 And hired counsellors against them, to frustrate their purpose, all the days of Cyrus king of Persia, even until the reign of aDarius king of Persia.   6 And in the reign of aAhasuerus, in the beginning of his reign, wrote they unto him an accusation against the inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem.   7 ¶ And in the days of Artaxerxes wrote Bishlam, Mithredath, Tabeel, and the rest of their companions, unto Artaxerxes  What is the connections between this kind and Cyrus? king of Persia; and the writing of the letter was written in the aSyrian tongue, and interpreted in the Syrian tongue.   8 Rehum the chancellor and Shimshai the scribe wrote a letter against Jerusalem to Artaxerxes the king in this sort:   9 Then wrote Rehum the chancellor, and Shimshai the scribe, and the rest of their companions; the Dinaites, the Apharsathchites, the Tarpelites, the Apharsites, the Archevites, the Babylonians, the Susanchites, the Dehavites, and the Elamites,   10 And the rest of the nations whom the great and noble Asnappar brought over, and set in the cities of Samaria, and the rest that are aon this side the river, and at such a time.   11 ¶ This is the copy of the letter that they sent unto him, even unto Artaxerxes the king; Thy servants the men on this side the river, and at such a time.   12 Be it known unto the king, that the Jews which came up from thee to us are come unto Jerusalem, building the rebellious and the bad city, and have set up the walls thereof, and joined the foundations.   13 Be it known now unto the king, that, if this city be builded, and the walls set up again, then will they not pay toll, tribute, and custom, and so thou shalt endamage the revenue of the kings.Can you make a connection today?   14 Now because awe have maintenance from the king’s palace, and it was not meet for us to see the king’s dishonour, therefore have we sent and certified the king;   15 That search may be made in the abook of the records of thy fathers: so shalt thou find in the bbook of the records, and know that this city is a rebellious city, and hurtful unto kings and provinces, and that they have moved sedition within the same of old time: for which cause was this city destroyed.   16 We certify the king that, if this city be builded again, and the walls thereof set up, by this means thou shalt have no portion on this side the river.   17 ¶ Then sent the king an answer unto Rehum the chancellor, and to Shimshai the scribe, and to the rest of their companions that dwell in Samaria, and unto the rest beyond the river, Peace, and at such a time.   18 The letter which ye sent unto us hath been plainly read before me.   19 And I commanded, and search hath been made, and it is found that this city of old time hath made insurrection against kings, and that rebellion and sedition have been made therein.   20 There have been mighty kings also over Jerusalem, which have aruled over all countries beyond the river; and toll, tribute, and custom, was paid unto them.   21 Give ye now commandment to cause these men to acease, and that this city be not builded, until another commandment shall be given from me.   22 Take heed now that ye fail not to do this: why should damage grow to the hurt of the kings?   23 ¶ Now when the copy of king Artaxerxes’ letter was read before Rehum, and Shimshai the scribe, and their companions, they went up in haste to Jerusalem unto the Jews, and made them to cease by force and power.   24 Then ceased the work of the house of God which is at Jerusalem. So it ceased unto the second year of the reign of Darius king of Persia. Cyrus   Artaxerxes  Darius

Job -- Lesson 32

http://www.1st-art-gallery.com/William-Blake/William-Blake-oil-paintings.html

The lesson materials, copied below, from the Old Testament lesson manual are found here.

I have added my own ideas and plans, as well as quotes from other sources.

Lesson 32: “I Know That My Redeemer Liveth”, Old Testament Gospel Doctrine Teacher’s Manual, 157

Job 1–2; 13; 19; 27; 42 

Purpose

To help class members develop strength to face adversity by trusting the Lord, building their testimonies of him, and maintaining personal integrity.

Preparation

• 1. Prayerfully study the following scriptures (you may also want to study the chapter headings in the book of Job to give an overview of the story):
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  • a. Job 1–2. Job, a just and faithful man, experiences severe trials. He remains faithful to the Lord despite losing his possessions, children, and health.
    
  • b. Job 13:13–16; 19:23–27. Job finds strength in trusting the Lord and in his testimony of the Savior.
    
  • c. Job 27:2–6. Job finds strength in his personal righteousness and integrity.
    
  • d. Job 42:10–17. After Job has faithfully endured his trials, the Lord blesses him.
    
• 2. Additional reading: Other chapters in Job; Doctrine and Covenants 121:1–10.
  

Suggested Lesson Development

Attention Activity

You may want to use the following activity (or one of your own) to begin the lesson.
Share the following analogy with class members (or ask a class member to prepare to share it):
Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin once told of farmers in the hot desert of northwest Mexico who “grow varieties of corn and beans that are unusually hardy and drought resistant. These varieties survive and flourish in a harsh climate where other plants would wither and die. One of these plants is the white tepary bean. Its seed will sprout and the plant will grow even when very little rain falls. It sends its roots as deep as six feet into the rocky, sandy earth to find the moisture it needs. It can flower and fruit in the 115-degree (Fahrenheit) desert temperatures with only one yearly rainfall. Its foliage remains remarkably green, with little irrigation, even in the heat of mid-July.”

• • What can we learn from this analogy that can help us endure adversity?
  

Elder Wirthlin suggested: “Perhaps members of the Church could emulate the example of these hardy, sturdy plants. We should send our roots deep into the soil of the gospel. We should grow, flourish, flower, and bear good fruit in abundance despite the evil, temptation, or criticism we might encounter. We should learn to thrive in the heat of adversity” (in Conference Report, Apr. 1989, 7; or Ensign, May 1989, 7).
Explain that this lesson is about Job, a man whose faith and righteousness helped him endure severe adversity.

Joseph B. Wirthlin, “Seeds of Renewal,” Ensign, May 1989, 7

Scripture Discussion and Application

As you teach the following scripture passages, discuss how they apply to daily life. Encourage class members to share experiences that relate to the scriptural principles.

1. Job is sorely tested.

Teach and discuss Job 1–2.

• • What kind of man was Job? You may want to list some of the following characteristics on the chalkboard. Many of the corresponding references are not in the reading assignment, so you may want to ask individual class members to look them up and tell what characteristic is described.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

  Small Group 3-4 in each. After small group work, call for any questions they might have left, or might have generated.

  • a. He was a good man who feared God and shunned evil (Job 1:1).
    
  • b. He was wealthy but not caught up in wealth (Job 1:3, 21).
    
  • c. He had integrity (Job 2:3).
    
  • d. He strengthened the weak (Job 4:3–4).
    
  • e. He walked in the Lord’s paths and esteemed the Lord’s words (Job 23:10–12).
    
  • f. He was compassionate to the widow, the poor, the lame, and the blind (Job 29:12–16).
    
  • g. He was concerned for his enemies and forgave them (Job 31:29–30).
  
  Integrity 
  "The Lord loves those who have integrity. He said about the Prophet’s brother Hyrum Smith, “Blessed is my servant Hyrum Smith; for I, the Lord, love him because of the integrity of his heart, and because he loveth that which is right before me, saith the Lord” (D&C 124:15).
  What is the meaning of integrity? We can find several definitions in the dictionary: rigid adherence to a code or standard of values; moral soundness, especially as it relates to steadfastness to truth, purpose, responsibility, or trust; moral and ethical strength; or the quality of being whole, complete, undivided.
  The Lord described Job as a man who was perfect and upright. As Job was suffering untold trials and tribulations, his wife said to him, “Dost thou still retain thine integrity?” (Job 2:9). Even with all his problems and challenges, Job “sinned not” (Job 1:22). And the Lord said, “There is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil … and still he holdeth fast his integrity” (Job 2:3).
  When Job’s friends falsely accused him of sin, he said:
  “All the while my breath is in me, and the spirit of God is in my nostrils;
  “My lips shall not speak wickedness, nor my tongue utter deceit.
  “God forbid that I should justify you: till I die I will not remove mine integrity from me.
  “My righteousness I hold fast, and will not let it go” (Job 27:3–6).
  Job invited judgment from God so “that God may know mine integrity” (Job 31:6). Job’s conscience was clear, for he knew he was honest and upright in all of his endeavors, and he would never compromise his integrity.
  Many years ago when the railroad was just beginning to cross the United States regularly, President Brigham Young (1801–77) said to a group of Church members: “We want the Saints to increase in goodness, until our mechanics, for instance, are so honest and reliable that this Railroad Company will say, ‘Give us a “Mormon” Elder for an engineer, then none need have the least fear to ride, for if he knows there is danger he will take every measure necessary to preserve the lives of those entrusted to his care.’ I want to see our Elders so full of integrity that they will be preferred by this Company for their engine builders, watchmen, engineers, clerks, and business managers.” 3
  Abraham Lincoln said: “I am not bound to win, but I am bound to be true. I am not bound to succeed, but I am bound to live up to what light I have.” 4 Lincoln is remembered for what he did but also for what he was—a forthright man of integrity."
   from  Staying Power  L. Tom Perry
  
  
  
  Trials
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• • What trials did Job experience? You may want to list some of these trials on the chalkboard. Many of the corresponding references are not in the reading assignment, so you may want to ask individual class members to look them up and tell what trial is described.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

  Small Group again -- (mix up?)  3-4 in each. After small group work, call for any questions they might have left, or might have generated.

  • a. Loss of servants, property, and income (Job 1:13–17).
    
  • b. Loss of children (Job 1:18–19).
    
  • c. Physical illness and pain (Job 2:7; 7:5; 16:16).
    
  • d. Restless sleep filled with nightmares (Job 7:4, 13–14).
    
  • e. Cruel accusations and loss of support from friends and family (Job 2:9; 4:1, 7–8; 11:1–6; 19:13–22).
    
  • f. Confusion about why he was asked to go through these trials (Job 10:15).
    
  • g. Mockery by those who delighted in his downfall (Job 16:10–11; 30:1, 8–10).
    
  • h. The feeling that God had forgotten him or was not listening (Job 19:6–8; 23:3–4; note that the word him in Job 23:3–4 refers to God).
    
• • How do Job’s trials compare with the trials people experience in our day? (The trials are similar: loss of property, loss of children, loss of health, and loss of the love and companionship of friends and family.)
  
• • What did Satan claim was the reason for Job’s righteousness? (See Job 1:9–10.) How did Satan predict Job would react when his wealth and other blessings were taken away? (See Job 1:11; 2:4–5.) How did Job react when this happened? (See Job 1:20–22; 2:10.) What can we learn from these reactions?
  
• • Despite his adversity, Job “sinned not, nor charged God foolishly” (Job 1:22). How do some people charge God foolishly when sorrow, misfortune, or tragedy strike? (They may blame God or question his wisdom or providence, feeling that he does not understand or love them. Some may even question his existence.)
  

2. Job finds strength in the Lord.

Teach and discuss Job 13:13–16; 19:23–27.

• • Job’s trust in the Lord was a great source of spiritual strength for him (Job 13:13–16). What does it mean to trust in the Lord? How can we develop trust in the Lord that will sustain us through trials? (See Romans 8:28; 2 Nephi 2:2, 11, 24; D&C 58:2–4; 122:5–9.) Testify that because the Lord loves us, he has assured us that as we are faithful, all things will be for our good and help us grow.
  
• • In Job 19, Job described the trials that had befallen him, then testified of the Savior. How did Job’s testimony of the Savior help him endure his trials? (See Job 19:25–27.) How can a testimony of the Savior give us strength during adversity?
  
•  
• Definition of reins:  from dictionary.com
  
  
  
  
  
  
  –plural noun
  

  1.
  

  the kidneys.

  2.
  

  the region of the kidneys, or the lower part of the back.

  3.
  

  (esp. in Biblical use) the seat of the feelings or affections, formerly identified with the kidneys.
  Use reins in a Sentence
  See images of reins
  Search reins on the Web

  ---

  Origin:
  bef. 1000;  ME reines, reenes  < OF reins;  cf  OE (once) rēnys;  both < L rēnēs  kidneys, loins (pl.); cf. renal
• 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  • You may want to have class members sing “I Know That My Redeemer Lives” (Hymns,no. 136), or you could play a recording of this hymn.
    

3. Job finds strength in his personal righteousness and integrity.

Teach and discuss Job 27:2–6.

• • Job’s integrity was another source of spiritual strength during his afflictions (Job 27:2–6). What is integrity? How did personal integrity strengthen Job during his trials? How can personal integrity help us during times of trial? (As we maintain our integrity, we can gain strength from knowing that the course of our lives is pleasing to the Lord.)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  • Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin defined integrity as “always doing what is right and good, regardless of the immediate consequences. It means being righteous from the very depth of our soul, not only in our actions but, more important, in our thoughts and in our hearts. Personal integrity implies such trustworthiness and incorruptibility that we are incapable of being false to a trust or covenant” (in Conference Report, Apr. 1990, 38; or Ensign, May 1990, 30). 
  •  
  Definition of integrity from dictionary.com 
  –noun
  

  1.
  

  adherence to moral and ethical principles; soundness of moral character; honesty.

  2.
  

  the state of being whole, entire, or undiminished: to preserve the integrity of the empire.

  3.
  

  a sound, unimpaired, or perfect condition: the integrity of a ship's hull.

  
  integrity  -- word history
  

  c.1450, "wholeness, perfect condition," from O.Fr. integrité,  from L. integritatem  (nom. integritas ) "soundness, wholeness," from integer  "whole" (see integer). Sense of "uncorrupted virtue" is from 1548.

  Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
  Cite This Source

   
  What makes it so plausible to assume that hypocrisy is the vice of vices is that integrity can indeed exist under the cover of all other vices except this one. Only crime and the criminal, it is true, confront us with the perplexity of radical evil; but only the hypocrite is really rotten to the core.
  Hannah Arendt

  To starve to death is a small thing, but to lose one's integrity is a great one.   Chinese Proverb

  
  

4. After Job has faithfully endured his trials, the Lord blesses him.

Teach and discuss Job 42:10–17.

• • After Job had faithfully endured his trials, how did the Lord bless him? (See Job 42:10–15; James 5:11.) How does the Lord bless us as we faithfully endure trials? (See Job 23:10; 3 Nephi 15:9. Encourage class members to share personal experiences. You may want to point out that although the Lord blessed Job with “twice as much as he had before,” the spiritual blessings the Lord gives us as we faithfully endure are even greater than the temporal blessings.)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  • Elder Orson F. Whitney said: “No pain that we suffer, no trial that we experience is wasted. It ministers to our education, to the development of such qualities as patience, faith, fortitude and humility. All that we suffer and all that we endure, especially when we endure it patiently, builds up our characters, purifies our hearts, expands our souls, and makes us more tender and charitable, more worthy to be called the children of God … and it is through sorrow and suffering, toil and tribulation, that we gain the education that we come here to acquire and which will make us more like our Father and Mother in heaven” (quoted in Spencer W. Kimball, Faith Precedes the Miracle, 98).
    
  • The Prophet Joseph Smith said: “I am like a huge, rough stone rolling down from a high mountain; and the only polishing I get is when some corner gets rubbed off by coming in contact with something else, … knocking off a corner here and a corner there. Thus I will become a smooth and polished shaft in the quiver of the Almighty” (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, sel. Joseph Fielding Smith [1976], 304).
    

Conclusion

Summarize your discussion of the book of Job, emphasizing that we can receive strength to endure our trials by trusting in the Lord, building our testimonies of him, and maintaining our integrity so we can know our lives are pleasing to him. You might want to tell class members about a time when you received strength during adversity. Suggest that class members contemplate how they can apply the principles discussed in this lesson to help them endure adversity.

Additional Teaching Ideas

The following material supplements the suggested lesson outline. You may want to use one or more of these ideas as part of the lesson.

1. Job’s friends

• • How did Eliphaz and Bildad, two of Job’s friends, explain his suffering? (See Job 4:7–8; 8:6. They thought Job’s suffering was a punishment from God for sins that Job had committed.) What are the dangers of believing that all suffering comes as God’s punishment for our sins?
  
• • What can the errors of Job’s friends teach us about helping people who suffer adversity?
  

2. Questions to ask during adversity

Elder Richard G. Scott said: “When you face adversity, you can be led to ask many questions. Some serve a useful purpose; others do not. To ask, Why does this have to happen to me? Why do I have to suffer this now? What have I done to cause this? will lead you into blind alleys. It really does no good to ask questions that reflect opposition to the will of God. Rather ask, What am I to do? What am I to learn from this experience? What am I to change? Whom am I to help? How can I remember my many blessings in times of trial?” (in Conference Report, Oct. 1995, 18; or Ensign, Nov. 1995, 17).

3. Keeping perspective during adversity

President Spencer W. Kimball said:
“If we looked at mortality as the whole of existence, then pain, sorrow, failure, and short life would be calamity. But if we look upon life as an eternal thing stretching far into the premortal past and on into the eternal post-death future, then all happenings may be put in proper perspective.
“… Are we not exposed to temptations to test our strength, sickness that we might learn patience, death that we might be immortalized and glorified?
“If all the sick for whom we pray were healed, if all the righteous were protected and the wicked destroyed, the whole program of the Father would be annulled and the basic principle of the gospel, free agency, would be ended. No man would have to live by faith” (Faith Precedes the Miracle [1975], 97).

4. Prosperity of the wicked is short-lived

• • Sometimes the wicked seem to prosper while the righteous suffer. What does the book of Job teach about the seeming prosperity of the wicked? (See Job 21; 24.)

Speeches:
 James E. Faust, “Where Do I Make My Stand?,” Liahona, Nov 2004, 18–21
In an increasingly unjust world, to survive and even to find happiness and joy, no matter what comes, we must make our stand unequivocally with the Lord. We need to try to be faithful every hour of every day so that our foundation of trust in the Lord will never be shaken. My message is one of hope and counsel for those who may wonder about the seemingly unfair distribution of pain, suffering, disaster, and heartache in this life. . . . .

In our time we are going through an increasingly difficult time of refining and testing. The tests are more subtle because the lines between good and evil are being eroded. Very little seems to be sacred in any of our public communication. In this environment we will need to make sure where we stand all of the time in our commitment to eternal truths and covenants.
We learn much about dealing with suffering from “a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was perfect and upright, and one that feared God, and eschewed evil.” . . .
The way to find joy in this life is to resolve, like Job, to endure all for God and His work. By so doing we will receive the infinite, priceless joy of being with our Savior in the eternities. As we sing in one of our well-known hymns:
The soul that on Jesus hath leaned for repose
I will not, I cannot, desert to his foes;
That soul, though all hell should endeavor to shake,
I’ll never, no never, no never forsake! 15 . . . . 
As we live on earth we must walk in faith, nothing doubting. When the journey becomes seemingly unbearable, we can take comfort in the words of the Lord: “I have heard thy prayer, I have seen thy tears: behold, I will heal thee.” 19 Some of the healing may take place in another world. We may never know why some things happen in this life. The reason for some of our suffering is known only to the Lord.

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Models to Follow Thomas S. Monson

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They Marked the Path to Follow

Thomas S. Monson

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Patience, a Heavenly Virtue

Thomas S. Monson

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Staying Power

L. Tom Perry

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Peace in Our Savior

Thomas S. Monson

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“Finishers Wanted”

Thomas S. Monson

Resurrection:  "These simple words—"He is not here, but is risen"—have become the most profound in all literature. They are the declaration of the empty tomb. They are the fulfillment of all He had spoken concerning rising again. They are the triumphant response to the query facing every man, woman, and child who was ever born to earth."
--Gordon B. Hinckley, "He Is Not Here, but Is Risen", Ensign, May 1999, 70

The Story of Job in Legos -- The Brick Testament -- Job
LDS Living Sunday Lessons 

http://www.ldssundayschool.org/Lesson_32

Old Testament Institute Student Manual
The following is from the institute manual:
The Adversary himself had concluded that intolerable circumstances such as these would drive the last feelings of loyalty out of the heart of the most ardent follower of the Lord. He did not, however, know how well Job knew the Lord and that the better anyone knows the Lord the more worthy of trust he appears. This experience, then, with Job must have shattered and discouraged him in his adversary role. And Job, almost as if he knew what had been in the Adversary’s mind, cried out to his comforters in such words of integrity and faith that under the circumstances it would be hard, if not impossible, to parallel, and provided, in doing so, the ultimate answer to the Adversary.


“‘Hold your peace, let me alone, that I may speak, and let come on me what will. Wherefore do I take my flesh in my teeth, and put my life in mine hand? Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him: but I will maintain mine own ways before him. He also shall be my salvation: for a hypocrite shall not come before him. Hear diligently my speech, and my declaration with your ears. Behold now, I have ordered my cause; I know that I shall be justified’ ( 13:13–18 , emphasis added). This is not an arrogant, proud voice, but the voice of a divinely assured son of God, who knows the source of his strength and integrity.

“In the fiery furnace, Job had shown not only the Adversary but also himself that the correct knowledge about God and a right relationship with him were of more value than anything he had obtained out of life—including length of days, offspring, friends, and loved ones, even wealth and health. Job’s simple but profound, ‘though he slay me, yet will I trust in him’ becomes then an absolute refutation of every argument of the adversary about why men serve the Lord and shows that the devil either lied or was deluded when he said otherwise. Thus, it is in this, the thirteenth chapter where Job demonstrates how profound his knowledge and faith in God is, and not the nineteenth or forty-second, that for me the high point of the book of Job is reached.

“In this light President McKay has said that he has always ‘thought that the purpose of the book of Job was to emphasize the fact that the testimony of the spirit—the testimony of the Gospel, is beyond the power of Satan’s temptation or any physical influence’ (Dedication of the Salt Lake Temple Annex in 1963, Deseret News ). The book of Job therefore becomes a great testimonial to us of this great truth. Thus, the three things that any person must know if he is to have faith in the Lord are all reflected in Job’s life. His marvelous testimony, ‘I know that my Redeemer liveth’ ( 19:25 ), indicates how well he knew of the Lord’s existence. Statements like the one in ch. 13 , ‘Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him,’ indicated how well he knew the Being in whom he trusted. And finally, the knowledge that the course of life that he was pursuing was pleasing unto the Lord, all gave him the strength to endure in faithfulness when adversity came into his life. His life, then vividly illustrates that such faith comes when one knows that God exists, that he is perfect in his character and attributes, and that the course of life one pursues is pleasing to the Lord. . . .


Was Job a king?

Alma 5:15
Do ye exercise faith in the redemption of him who created you? Do you look forward with an eye of faith, and view this mortal body raised in immortality, and this corruption raised in incorruption, to stand before God to be judged according to the deeds which have been done in the mortal body?


http://www.ronaldecker.com/jb.htm  JB and Job

http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,810995,00.html   Time Magazine 1959

Chapter 22 -- one of the "friends" says this.  How much of it is true?

  21 Acquaint now thyself with ^ahim, and be at ^bpeace: thereby good shall come unto thee.

  22 Receive, I pray thee, the law from his mouth, and lay up his words in thine heart.

  23 If thou return to the Almighty, thou shalt be ^abuilt up, thou shalt put away iniquity far from thy tabernacles.

  24 Then shalt thou lay up gold as dust, and the gold of Ophir as the stones of the brooks.

  25 Yea, the Almighty shall be thy defence, and thou shalt have plenty of silver.

  26 For then shalt thou have thy delight in the Almighty, and shalt lift up thy ^aface unto God.

  27 Thou shalt make thy prayer unto him, and he shall hear thee, and thou shalt pay thy ^avows.

  28 Thou shalt also decree a thing, and it shall be established unto thee: and the light shall shine upon thy ways.

  29 When men are cast down, then thou shalt say, There is lifting up; and he shall save the ^ahumble person.

  30 He shall deliver the island of the innocent: and it is delivered by the pureness of thine hands. 

Chapter 28 -- wisdom
29:14  robe and diadem
Understanding the true nature of God
Poster for three thing required for faith. . .

THE BOOK OF
JOB

CHAPTERS

1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10
11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	19	20
21	22	23	24	25	26	27	28	29	30
31	32	33	34	35	36	37	38	39	40
41	42