Friday, October 18
Read carefully Prophets and Kings, pp. 697–699, regarding the 70-week prophecy and its historical fulfillment.
“The time of Christ’s coming, His anointing by the Holy Spirit, His death, and the giving of the gospel to the Gentiles, were definitely pointed out. It was the privilege of the Jewish people to understand these prophecies, and to recognize their fulfillment in the mission of Jesus. Christ urged upon His disciples the importance of prophetic study. Referring to the prophecy given to Daniel in regard to their time, He said, ‘Whoso readeth, let him understand’. Matthew 24:15. After His resurrection He explained to the disciples in ‘all the prophets’ ‘the things concerning Himself’. Luke 24:27. The Saviour had spoken through all the prophets. ‘The Spirit of Christ which was in them’ ‘testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow’. 1 Peter 1:11” - Ellen G. White, The Desire of Ages, p. 234.
Discussion Questions:
Dwell more on this idea of God’s calling you to do something that you love to do. What are some principles you could follow to know that you are doing God’s will, not just in the case of something you love to do, but in general?
Read the story of Jonah and how he responded to God’s calling in his life. What lessons can we take from his experience? At the same time, contrast what Jonah did to what Paul did when he was called by the Lord. (See Acts 9:1-20). What were some of the major differences between them?
“The history of Judas presents the sad ending of a life that might have been honored of God. Had Judas died before his last journey to Jerusalem he would have been regarded as a man worthy of a place among the twelve, and one who would be greatly missed” - Ellen G. White, The Desire of Ages, p. 716. Think about the story of Judas Iscariot. Was his “calling” to betray Jesus? If so, how fair would that be to him? How can we understand Judas and the opportunities he had in contrast to what he eventually wound up doing? What lessons can we take away from his story about the power of free choice in our lives?
