Sabbath School Lesson for November 7-13, 2026
Introduction to Lesson 7, Now Hear This!
Memory Text: “Now these things happened to them as an example, and they were written for our instruction, upon which the ends of the ages have come” 1 Corinthians 10:11 NASB
Sometimes we forget the lifesaving nature of the messages that are given to us by God. The prophets who received His messages most surely understood their vital importance and delivered and wrote them down as God directed, to help us avoid the errors of past generations.
The reason we know they understood their lifesaving mission was the fact that so many prophets were rejected and suffered for their outspoken cries to the world. People have never taken kindly to voices that point out their mistakes or warn of impeding doom.
So far, our lessons have focused on the ways God spoke to the prophets and the ways they delivered His messages. But now, the tables are turned, causing us to look at how the recipients of His messages, we ourselves included, react and comply with their directives. Will we learn from them, or ignore and even attempt to quiet their voices?
This week, we’ll explore:
- Sunday: Anger at God’s Messenger
- Monday: Destroying the Message: Part 1
- Tuesday: Destroying the Message: Part 2
- Wednesday: Hypocrisy
- Thursday: For Our Admonition
- Friday: Receiving and Delivering Her Messages
Sunday: Anger at God’s Messenger
It’s easy to love and trust God when things are going well in our life. But when things deteriorate or even explode into a disastrous situation of some kind, we tend to lose hold of that loving trust and turn away from God, and even God’s messengers who represent Him.
The anger that has been expressed for prophets of God in the past is essentially anger against God Himself. Unwarranted response of this kind is irrational and causes us to act in angry, violent ways. It is unfaithfulness to God at its worst.
We have read about such unlovely behavior against Moses and Aaron. And against Caleb and Joshua when they did not deliver what the people wanted to hear, but rather the truth that included their lack of faith and refusal to change their ways.
Verses for reflection and discussion:
Numbers 14:4-11
- Why were the people angry at Moses and Aaron, and why was it unwarranted?
Numbers 13:26-30
- Why were the Israelites so afraid, and how did Caleb try to encourage them?
Monday: Destroying the Message: Part 1
Jeremiah’s prophetic assignment was most difficult. As Babylon drew closer and closer to conquering Judah, the lonely prophet cried louder and louder for God’s people to repent before the painful result of their sinful ways would occur.
Most of the Hebrews by then were committing idolatry with its child sacrifices; but there was also rampant adultery, greed, and prideful tyranny throughout the land. God had to put a stop to the heartache and suffering of God’s remnant, before Satan would have complete victory over them.
As Jeremiah’s scrolls were being read to King Jehoiakim in Judah as a last effort to draw him back to the Lord, the king’s anger was aroused to the point that he tossed the scrolls with God’s message into a burning fireplace. This deliberate, disrespectful act later led to the king’s losing his life, including his entire household. In the meantime, Jeremiah was instructed to write the message on scrolls again, which he and his scribe Baruch dutifully set out to do.
Verses for reflection and discussion:
Jeremiah 36:20-26
- What was the response of the king to the reading of Jeremiah’s scroll?
- How and why did God save the prophet and his scribe Baruch after the king’ disrespectful action?
- What are some of the ways people reject God’s word today, and what will be the outcome for their negligence?
Jeremiah 36:27-31
- How would you describe God’s response to Jehoiakim’s hasty, defiant action?
- What does this tell us about the importance and permanence of God’s warning messages for us in the last days?
Tuesday: Destroying the Message: Part 2
Although many pr0phets in ancient Israel and Judah were rejected and suffered for their unwelcome messages, Jeremiah stands out as one who overwhelmingly experienced insult and harassment over the years.
This loyal and reliable prophet continued to warn a series of kings about their enemies overtaking them. King Josiah, Jehoahaz, Jehoiakim, Jehoiachin, and Zedekiah all received warning messages from Jeremiah.
Despite our rejection of God’s prophets, whoever they are, God still uses them to reach backsliding people, and even those who know nothing about God’s saving grace. We may be able to destroy the messenger, but many of God’s messages found in the Bible have survived and continue to call us from our sinful ways.
Verses for reflection and discussion:
2 Chronicles 36:15, 16
- In what ways were God’s messengers received by the people?
- How and why did God respond to their shameful behaviors?
Jeremiah 25:4, Malachi 3:1, and Luke 11:49
- Why does God send us messages through the prophets?
- How do we continue to reject God’s word?
Wednesday: Hypocrisy
The scribes and Pharisees revered the ancient prophets of God, being sure in their minds that they would never have rejected or destroyed them. Jesus rightly called them hypocrites though, for while they claimed innocence in killing the prophets, they were actually plotting to kill the most important Prophet of all, their Messiah! See Matthew 23:29-31.
The many warnings Christ gave the scribes and Pharisees were needed. Though His words might have sounded harsh at times, it was with tender mercy that He continued to rebuke them (Matthew 23: 37).
To be hypocritical means saying one thing, but doing another. Being told that we are hypocritical is never pleasant to our ears either. Many times we have read about the hypocrisy of certain people in the Bible and thought we would never be like that. We would never have been the ones shouting to save Barabbas, for example. But who knows how far our tendency to yield to peer pressure might have taken us.
Verses for reflection and discussion:
Matthew 23:25-35
- What were some of the ways the scribes and Pharisees were being hypocritical, and why did Jesus bother warning them about it so often?
Matthew 23:36-37, Psalm 91:4, and 2 Chronicles 36:15
- What other ways might we describe God’s love and desire to protect us?
Thursday: For Our Admonition
An admonition is a mild rebuke, a friendly warning or piece of advice you would understandably give to someone you love. The stories in the Bible are given with love for that purpose–so we don’t repeat the mistakes of our ancestors.
The past, coupled with what is happening here and now, can help us know what will happen in the future. Our future is determined largely by how we respond to the past. Will we listen, learn, and obey what God reveals to us, or will we stubbornly refuse to heed His warnings and suffer the consequences that are sure to come from our disobedience?
When we obey God, He promises to take care of all our spiritual needs. His admonitions are critical for us to be saved. Let’s share them without hesitation so others can be saved as well.
Verses for reflection and discussion:
1 Corinthians 10:6-12
- Why were prophets inspired to write God’s messages down?
- What can we learn from the people and stories in the Bible?
Friday: Receiving and Delivering Her Messages
Ellen G. White is thought to be a modern-day prophet by the Seventh-day Adventist Church. She and her husband, James White, were founding members, and her many visions and prophetic dreams helped guide the truths that were accepted by the Church, following the Great Disappointment of the Millerites in 1844, when Jesus did not come as predicted.
Over the years, many saw her while she was in vision. Even her skeptics witnessed that she appeared to be in a supernatural state of being totally unconscious of everything around her. They described her as not breathing, with muscles rigid, joints fixed, and eyes open. The messages themselves were always supported by Scripture, and always pointed to Jesus as our lovely Savior.
Despite her critics, she wrote in Testimonies for the Church, vol. 4, p. 232, “I shall warn and counsel and reprove and encourage as the Spirit of God dictates, whether men will hear or whether they will forbear. My duty is not to please myself, but to do the will of my heavenly Father, who has given me my work.”
Next Week: Interpreting Prophetic Writings
To read the Sabbath School Lesson Quarterly and see more resources for its study, go to
