God's character

The focal verses for Step 4 of LifeWay’s Explore the Bible lesson “Respond with Faith” are Job 1:9-11. God is supreme over Satan, who insinuates Job is faithful only because God blesses him. Satan insults God, implying that God ‘pays’ for Job’s faithfulness. Job is not serving for “nothing”. Take away God’s blessings and Job will curse God. Doesn’t God already know the answer to this challenge? So why does God give the response in verse 12?

What does the interaction in these verses tell you about God? Yes, He is supreme even over evil, but God knows the outcome of Satan’s work in advance (Satan does not since he is not all knowing). What does it say about God that He would take an insult like this from Satan and not smoke him right then and there?

Yes, God is slow to anger (Exod 34:6). Being “slow to anger” is right and true since that is what God is. It follows that we should not be quick tempered (Proverbs 14:17, 1 Corinthians 13:4-5, James 1:19-20). When you are challenged, how do you respond? When bad things happen in your life do get angry as a first response, or do you demonstrate faith?

Discuss these verses with class members and ask them to learn from God character how to be more Christ-like. How can we learn to adopt God’s view of a situation and not rely only on our own perspective?