FIRST QUARTER 2025
SABBATH SCHOOL INSIGHT #4
JANUARY 25, 2025
"GOD IS PASSIONATE AND COMPASSIONATE".

 

As we study our lesson this week, our quarterly notes that “God created people with the capacity for emotions, and God himself is displayed throughout Scripture as experiencing profound emotions.” 

The remainder of our lesson examines how the Bible shows us that God is both passionate and compassionate, two fundamental emotions from both a godly and a human perspective.  Our lesson also points out that God’s love is perfect and this, I believe, makes a major difference in how we see them reflected in God’s interactions with the human race and each of us individually.

We know that God’s agape love is an infinite and totally unselfish love for all of humanity and each of us individually. God is for us and not against us and as our seeking Savior He will be seeking after us until our dying breath.

These emotions and others such as patience and mercy are all part of God’s character which we need in our lives, not through our own strength, but His—Christ in us, the hope of glory! 

Looking first at God as our passionate God, Wednesday’s lesson notes that the Hebrew word “qana” is used in scripture to describe God’s passion for His people and also to show that He is a jealous God. This of course is not in the human sense, but reflects a righteous passionate love for His people.

Deuteronomy 4:24 tells us that “The Lord your God is a consuming fire, a jealous (qana) God.” Also, we see in 2 Corinthians 11:2 that Paul writes: “For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy.”

Let us now take a look at some quotes that show God as a consuming fire: 

“The breath of God is at work every moment in all the earth, consuming impurity, and making it possible for men to live. Everywhere and all the time God is showing us for what purpose breath is given: it is to purify and cleanse, and give life. Then when men identify themselves with vileness and sin, it is inevitable that they should be consumed by that which would be their life, if they were willing. ‘Our God is a consuming fire.’ The very same fire that purifies the gold burns up the dross. Everything therefore depends upon how we stand related to God. Shall we receive Him as our life indeed, by allowing Him to redeem us from all iniquity, or shall He be to us the devouring fire? ‘Blessed are all they that put their trust in Him.'”—E. J. Waggoner, Present Truth, June 15, 1899, p. 373, emphasis supplied here and throughout.

Here, we see God’s purpose is to give us H is breath of life to purify and cleanse us and allow Him to redeem us from all iniquity. However, if we choose sin over God, then He becomes a devouring fire to us having done all He can for us.

“‘I the Lord thy God am a jealous God.’ The close and sacred relation of God to His people is represented under the figure of marriage. Idolatry being spiritual adultery, the displeasure of God against it is fitly called jealousy. 

“‘Visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate Me.’ It is inevitable that children should suffer from the consequences of parental wrongdoing, but they are not punished for the parents’ guilt, except as they participate in their sins. It is usually the case, however, that children walk in the steps of their parents. By inheritance and example the sons become partakers of the father's sin. Wrong tendencies, perverted appetites, and debased morals, as well as physical disease and degeneracy, are transmitted as a legacy from father to son, to the third and fourth generation. This fearful truth should have a solemn power to restrain men from following a course of sin. 

“‘Showing mercy unto thousands of them that love Me, and keep My commandments.’ In prohibiting the worship of false gods, the second commandment by implication enjoins the worship of the true God. And to those who are faithful in His service, mercy is promised, not merely to the third and fourth generation as is the wrath threatened against those who hate Him, but to thousands of generations.”—Ellen G. White, Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 306.

Here again, we see God’s love and mercy reflected to those who are faithful, but to those that are rejecting His love through spiritual adultery, He will be a jealous God.

“Doubtless the reason the Lord has not been able to do more through us, is that we would have been uplifted and would have taken a praise to ourselves, and when such a thing as that comes to pass, there is an end to our usefulness. Our God is a jealous God. He will not give his merited praise to another. He inhabits the praises of Israel, and we have no right to rob him of his dwelling-place.

“In our study of Galatians, we have seen how the apostle Paul grasped this truth. In Galatians 1:16, we find Christ revealed in him, and the result was (verse 24), ‘And they glorified God in me.’ So, the Lord was making his mighty power to be known through the apostle to such an extent that man lost sight of him and saw only the Lord manifested through him. If we were all, with the apostle Paul, crucified with Christ, so that Christ might live his life in each one of his followers, what a power we should be in the world! There would be no room then for self to have any place in our hearts, and the Lord could then do great things through us.”—E. J. Waggoner, The Home Missionary vol. 5, April, 1893, p. 46.

It is interesting to note that when we uplift and praise ourselves our usefulness to God ceases. Like Paul we need to be crucified with Christ, leaving no room for self in our hearts, and then the Lord can use us to fulfill His passion for as many as possible to spend eternity with Him.

Continuing this week’s study of important facets of God’s character, when we look at God’s compassion for each and every one of us, it is clearly exemplified in Christ’s life on this planet. From beginning to end, without ceasing, He touched the lives of those He met. Whatever the concern—physical healing, food, evil spirits—we see in God’s Word that ultimately Christ was changing lives by touching hearts and providing forgiveness and hope where there had been none. God’s goal then, as it is today, was to give us new hearts and a desire to spend eternity together!

The following quotes focus on God’s compassion and provide some good insight and perspective for us to contemplate:

“The great heart of infinite Love is drawn toward the sinner with boundless compassion. ‘We have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins.’ Yes, only believe that God is your helper. He wants to restore His moral image in man. As you draw near to Him with confession and repentance, He will draw near to you with mercy and forgiveness. We owe the Lord everything. He is the author of our salvation. As you work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, ‘it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure’.

All the paternal love which has come down from generation to generation through the channel of human hearts, all the springs of tenderness which have opened in the souls of men are but as a tiny rill to the boundless ocean, when compared with the infinite, exhaustless love of God. Tongue cannot utter it; pen cannot portray it. You may meditate upon it every day of your life; you may search the Scriptures diligently in order to understand it; you may summon every power and capability that God has given you, in the endeavor to comprehend the love and compassion of the Heavenly Father; and yet there is an infinity beyond. You may study that love for ages; yet you can never fully comprehend the length and the breadth, the depth and the height, of the love of God in giving His Son to die for the world. Eternity itself can never fully reveal it. Yet as we study the Bible, and meditate upon the life of Christ and the plan of redemption, these great themes will open to our understanding more and more.”—Ellen G. White, Signs of the Times, May 14, 1902.

What a wonderful future God has for us. An eternity to spend with Him to more fully understand His love and compassion for us. We really do owe the Lord everything!

“Our Lord Jesus Christ came to this world as the unwearied servant of man's necessity. ‘He took our infirmities, and bare our sicknesses,’ [Matthew 8:17.] that He might minister to every need of humanity. The burden of disease and wretchedness and sin He came to remove. It was His mission to bring to men complete restoration; He came to give them health and peace and perfection of character.

“Varied were the circumstances and needs of those who besought His aid, and none who came to Him went away unhelped. From Him flowed a stream of healing power, and in body and mind and soul men were made whole.

"The Saviour's work was not restricted to any time or place. His compassion knew no limit. On so large a scale did He conduct His work of healing and teaching that there was no building in Palestine large enough to receive the multitudes that thronged to Him. On the green hillslopes of Galilee, in the thoroughfares of travel, by the seashore, in the synagogues, and in every place where the sick could be brought to Him, was to be found His hospital. In every city, every town, every village through which He passed, He laid His hands upon the afflicted ones, and healed them. Wherever there were hearts ready to receive His message, He comforted them with the assurance of their heavenly Father's love. All day He ministered to those who came to Him; in the evening, He gave attention to such as through the day must toil to earn a pittance for the support of their families.

“Jesus carried the awful weight of responsibility for the salvation of men. He knew that unless there was a decided change in the principles and purposes of the human race, all would be lost. This was the burden of His soul, and none could appreciate the weight that rested upon Him. Through childhood, youth, and manhood, He walked alone. Yet it was heaven to be in His presence. Day by day He met trials and temptations; day by day He was brought into contact with evil, and witnessed its power upon those whom He was seeking to bless and to save. Yet He did not fail nor become discouraged….

“He was always patient and cheerful, and the afflicted hailed Him as a messenger of life and peace. He saw the needs of men and women, children and youth, and to all He gave the invitation, “Come unto Me.” 

“During His ministry, Jesus devoted more time to healing the sick than to preaching. His miracles testified to the truth of His words, that He came not to destroy, but to save. Wherever He went, the tidings of His mercy preceded Him. Where He had passed, the objects of His compassion were rejoicing in health, and making trial of their new-found powers. Crowds were collecting around them to hear from their lips the works that the Lord had wrought. His voice was the first sound that many had ever heard, His name the first word they had ever spoken, His face the first they had ever looked upon. Why should they not love Jesus, and sound His praise? As He passed through the towns and cities, He was like a vital current, diffusing life and joy.”— Ellen G. White, Gospel Workers, pp. 41-43.

What a beautiful picture this provides of Christ’s ministry and of His love for all, which includes each and every one of us today. Christ wants to take us home and He needs us to share this good news of our passionate and compassionate God, not as an obligation but as a privilege.

 

~John Campbell