Unit 3: Visions of Grandeur

November 2—God’s Glory Fills the Temple—Ezekiel 43:1-12

November 9—The Altar Offers Hope—Ezekiel 43:13-21

November 16—Water from the Sanctuary Gives Life—Ezekiel 47:1-12

November 23—Inheritance Marks a New Beginning—Ezekiel 47:13-23

November 30—Good News Brings Rejoicing—Isaiah 52:1, 2, 7-12

A People in Turmoil

  Most of this quarter’s studies are drawn from the period of Old Testament history when the nation of Judah faced the impending judgment of God. Writings of the prophets Jeremiah (lessons 1-4, September 7—September 28), Habakkuk (lesson 5, October 5), Ezekiel (lessons 9-12, November 2—November 23), and Isaiah (lesson 13, November 30) will be under consideration in this regard.

  Isaiah was the earliest of these four. He predicted the downfall of Jerusalem and the captivity of Judah over 100 years beforehand. Habakkuk, for his part, observed the rising threat of Babylon and questioned God’s justice in allowing such a wicked nation to have its way with His chosen people. Jeremiah lived in Jerusalem at the very time the city was under siege by Babylonian forces. His calls for repentance and reform were not accepted by the people, whose hearts had become too callous to receive his message. Ezekiel experienced firsthand the heartache of the captivity, for he was taken to Babylon in 597 B.C. in the second part of Babylon’s three-stage conquest of Judah.

  These prophets, however, saw much more than gloom and doom. Each proclaimed a message of hope: a promise that those exiled to Babylon would indeed return home to Judah. God was (and is) the Lord of all nations—not just of His chosen people. His plan cannot be hijacked by any nation or individual.

A Person in Turmoil

  While the aforementioned studies focus on national suffering, lessons 6-8 (November 9—November 23) draw our attention to the suffering of an individual. The spotlight is on one of the Bible’s most familiar examples in this regard: Job. Though his setting was different, the timeless message of hope was the source of that man’s comfort as he confronted his own “exile” on an ash heap. We will see in these lessons the intensity of Job’s struggle as he tried to reconcile his pain with his faith in a just God.

  Hope sustained God’s people in exile and Job on his ash heap, and hope can yet sustain us today.

Their Hope, Our Hope

  Hope sustained God’s people in exile and Job on his ash heap, and hope can yet sustain us today. We may not endure the same circumstances as they, but we know that Jesus will return to end our “exile” in this fallen world.

  In the meantime, let us take heart from the assurance that “The scripture cannot be broken” (John 10:35). And as the prophet Habakkuk so eloquently declared, even though the most adverse circumstances imaginable may arise, “The Lord God is my strength” (Habakkuk 3:19). This is a timeless truth indeed!

  Diligent study of these lessons will not only bless you spiritually but also aid you in discovering God's plan for your own life.

-John Alva Owston