Background: I Kings chapters 12 & 13 – Around 930 B.C., Israel divided into two kingdoms: Northern Kingdom (Israel/Samaria) ruled by Jereboam and the Southern Kingdom (Judah) ruled by Reheboam. Jereboam established a new place of worship for the people of the Northern Kingdom. They were to worship two golden calves that represented their new gods. God sent a prophet to speak against this abomination performed by Jereboam. Read I Kings 13:1-2.
Flash forward nearly 300 years later …
II Kings 22:1-7: Josiah becomes king at age 8. At age 26, the Temple in Jerusalem was being repaired. During the repair someone made a discovery.
Read II Kings 22:8-13
1) What was discovered and who discovered it? The Book of Law … specifically the Book of Deuteronomy. Found by Hilkiah the high priest.
2) Who did he give the book to? Hilkiah gave the book to Shaphan, secretary to the king and he read it.
3) vs. 10. What did the secretary tell the king? “The high priest gave me a book.” He did not call it the Book of the Law. Why?
Read Deuteronomy chapters 4-6
4) What was the king’s response after hearing the words of the book? Tore his clothes in a symbol of repentance.
Read II Kings 23:1-3
5) Who did the king send for? The elders of Jerusalem and Judah. Who were they? Leaders of the people - Men of standing, men of respect.
6) vs. 2. Where did the king go and who went with him? The Temple. All the people of Judah and Jerusalem from every section of society; priests and prophets.
7) Who read from the Book of the Covenant? King Josiah. Point out the book is referred to as the Book of Covenant. Covenant defined – a solemn agreement that is binding on all parties. God and His people. God agrees to bless His people in return His people agree to submit to God’s authority – embodied in the Book of the Law. Josiah reads to the people the Book of Deuteronomy.
8) What is significant about who it is that is reading the Book? Josiah is the people’s leader. The fact that he is king gives greater weight to what he is doing. If Hilkiah the high priest or a prophet been the one to read from the Book would the people have responded the way they did?
9) vs. 3 What did Josiah and the people do? Made a covenant to walk after God. To learn and keep God’s Word. More importantly, act out God’s word in their lives. “Faith without works is dead.”
Read II Kings 23:4-20, 24
10) What did Josiah do? Eradicate idolatry and pagan religions in Judah.
Read II Kings 23:21-23, 25
11) What did Josiah restore? The celebration of the Passover.
12) How did the spiritual transformation of Judah happen? People hearing and applying the Word of God.
13) Did the people continue to walk after God after Josiah’s death (II Kings 23:31-36). If no, why? Both of Josiah’s sons did what was evil. Perhaps speaks to Josiah’s failure as a father. Josiah and the people of Judah did not fulfill God’s commandment found in Deuteronomy chapter 6.
13) Could such a spiritual transformation happen in the U.S. today?
Thursday, November 17, 2011
Thursday, November 10, 2011
Transforming Power of the Bible Pt. 1
Read II Kings 21:1-9, 16
1) Describe the spiritual environment in Judah during the reign of King Manasseh –
a) Rebuilt high places – places of worship set apart for a pagan god(s) (Baal, Asherah, etc.) Located on hills. These gods were usually fertility gods; therefore, worship rituals included immoral activity.
b) Built altars to Baal and Asherah – fertility gods worshipped by many people groups in the Middle East. Asherah was the wife of Baal. Many Jews worshipped Asherah as the wife of Yahweh. Asherah poles – cult symbol connected with the worship of Asherah. Wooden artifact or tree dedicated to Asherah. Asherah poles could be seen throughout Judah.
c) Worshipped the stars and planets; built altars to them in the Temple (the house of the Lord) in Jerusalem.
d) Human sacrifice – Manasseh offered his son to the god Molech. Literal translation of verse 6 – “made his son pass through the fire.” Manasseh’s son was burned alive as part of a ritual purification practice to the god Molech. His infant son was passed through fire to receive the blessings of Molech. The child died and therefore was not deemed worthy of Molech’s blessings.
e) Astrology and spiritism (communication with the dead) was practiced – fortune telling, mediums (psychics), necromancer (someone who could speak to the dead)
f) Placed an idol of Asherah in the Temple (House of the Lord) – Typically images of female fertility gods were extremely sexual. Accentuated her sexual appearance. Jews continued to worship God in the Temple. However, they brought him down to the same level with other gods (Stars, planets, Baal, Asherah). The Lord (Yahweh) was just one of many gods.
g) Manasseh committed great bloodshed - specifically innocent blood. Why? Who were the innocents? The innocents were probably Jews who refused to follow Manasseh’s example. Rejected the worship of other gods. Unhappy/angry with Manasseh … his desecration of the Temple, his promotion of the worship of false gods, etc. Voiced their anger. Manasseh’s response – had them killed. From the description in verse 16, sounds like it was a high number who were killed. According to Jewish tradition, one of them was the prophet Isaiah. Manasseh had him sawed in half (Hebrews 11: 37)
Let me add that it is probable that there were priests in the Temple who supported/tolerated Manasseh’s actions. A lot of authority/influence came with the position of priest. If you want to keep that social position, you went along with whatever the king wanted. There were probably men who claimed to be prophets of God who supported/tolerated Manasseh’s actions. They gave God’s seal of approval to Manasseh’s actions. False prophets – “God spoke to me and said ‘I have a brother named Baal and a wife named Asherah. Worship them also or else!’
2) Do you see any parallels between the spiritual environment of Judah during the reign of Manasseh and the spiritual environment of the United States today? List examples –
a) High places and altars to false gods – Celebrity worship such as the Kardashians – the high place/altar is the TV set; sports – the high place/altar is the football stadium/arena.
b) Sexual immorality practiced publicly
c) Astrology, mediums, psychics all over the place.
d) human sacrifice = abortion; the infant is not worthy of life
e) Disgrace the House of the Lord – Churches/denominations that tolerate/condone sinful practices. Pastors speaking from the pulpit who condone sexual immorality (homosexuality, sex outside of marriage) and/or who condone other religions (there are many roads to God, Jesus was a great religious figure like Mohammed and Buddha)
f) Persecution of true followers of God – Christians who speak against sexual immorality, abortion, and sinful activities; who disagree with the teachings of other religions; who condemn idolatry (celebrity worship), astrology, psychic hotlines ... how are they perceived in the world? Intolerant, backwards thinking, religious nut jobs, insensitive to the religious rights of others. Form of persecution? Ridicule
Next Sunday – Read II Kings chapters 22 and 23. What happened that transformed the spiritual environment of Judah? Also read Deuteronomy chapter 4.
1) Describe the spiritual environment in Judah during the reign of King Manasseh –
a) Rebuilt high places – places of worship set apart for a pagan god(s) (Baal, Asherah, etc.) Located on hills. These gods were usually fertility gods; therefore, worship rituals included immoral activity.
b) Built altars to Baal and Asherah – fertility gods worshipped by many people groups in the Middle East. Asherah was the wife of Baal. Many Jews worshipped Asherah as the wife of Yahweh. Asherah poles – cult symbol connected with the worship of Asherah. Wooden artifact or tree dedicated to Asherah. Asherah poles could be seen throughout Judah.
c) Worshipped the stars and planets; built altars to them in the Temple (the house of the Lord) in Jerusalem.
d) Human sacrifice – Manasseh offered his son to the god Molech. Literal translation of verse 6 – “made his son pass through the fire.” Manasseh’s son was burned alive as part of a ritual purification practice to the god Molech. His infant son was passed through fire to receive the blessings of Molech. The child died and therefore was not deemed worthy of Molech’s blessings.
e) Astrology and spiritism (communication with the dead) was practiced – fortune telling, mediums (psychics), necromancer (someone who could speak to the dead)
f) Placed an idol of Asherah in the Temple (House of the Lord) – Typically images of female fertility gods were extremely sexual. Accentuated her sexual appearance. Jews continued to worship God in the Temple. However, they brought him down to the same level with other gods (Stars, planets, Baal, Asherah). The Lord (Yahweh) was just one of many gods.
g) Manasseh committed great bloodshed - specifically innocent blood. Why? Who were the innocents? The innocents were probably Jews who refused to follow Manasseh’s example. Rejected the worship of other gods. Unhappy/angry with Manasseh … his desecration of the Temple, his promotion of the worship of false gods, etc. Voiced their anger. Manasseh’s response – had them killed. From the description in verse 16, sounds like it was a high number who were killed. According to Jewish tradition, one of them was the prophet Isaiah. Manasseh had him sawed in half (Hebrews 11: 37)
Let me add that it is probable that there were priests in the Temple who supported/tolerated Manasseh’s actions. A lot of authority/influence came with the position of priest. If you want to keep that social position, you went along with whatever the king wanted. There were probably men who claimed to be prophets of God who supported/tolerated Manasseh’s actions. They gave God’s seal of approval to Manasseh’s actions. False prophets – “God spoke to me and said ‘I have a brother named Baal and a wife named Asherah. Worship them also or else!’
2) Do you see any parallels between the spiritual environment of Judah during the reign of Manasseh and the spiritual environment of the United States today? List examples –
a) High places and altars to false gods – Celebrity worship such as the Kardashians – the high place/altar is the TV set; sports – the high place/altar is the football stadium/arena.
b) Sexual immorality practiced publicly
c) Astrology, mediums, psychics all over the place.
d) human sacrifice = abortion; the infant is not worthy of life
e) Disgrace the House of the Lord – Churches/denominations that tolerate/condone sinful practices. Pastors speaking from the pulpit who condone sexual immorality (homosexuality, sex outside of marriage) and/or who condone other religions (there are many roads to God, Jesus was a great religious figure like Mohammed and Buddha)
f) Persecution of true followers of God – Christians who speak against sexual immorality, abortion, and sinful activities; who disagree with the teachings of other religions; who condemn idolatry (celebrity worship), astrology, psychic hotlines ... how are they perceived in the world? Intolerant, backwards thinking, religious nut jobs, insensitive to the religious rights of others. Form of persecution? Ridicule
Next Sunday – Read II Kings chapters 22 and 23. What happened that transformed the spiritual environment of Judah? Also read Deuteronomy chapter 4.
Thursday, November 3, 2011
Story of the Bible - pt. 4: How the OT came together
Septuagint
Septuagint (sometimes abbreviated LXX) is the name given to the Greek translation of the Jewish Scriptures. The Septuagint has its origin in Alexandria, Egypt and was translated between 300-100 BC. The term “Septuagint” means seventy in Latin, and the text is so named to the credit of these 70 scholars. According to an ancient document called the Letter of Aristeas, it is believed that 70 to 72 Jewish scholars were commissioned during the reign of Ptolemy Philadelphus to carry out the task of translation. Most scholars consider the Letter of Aristeas steeped in legend rather than historical truth. The motivation behind the Septuagint lays more in the fact that there was a large Jewish population living outside Palestine. The Septuagint was aimed at Hellenistic Jews (Jews who spoke Greek and adopted Greek culture and learning) who were beginning to lose their Hebrew language and heritage. The process of translating the Hebrew to Greek also gave many non-Jews (Gentiles) a glimpse into Judaism. For the first time Gentiles (Greeks, Romans, Egyptians, Syrians, etc.) could read God’s Word. Emphasize – Primary goal of the Jewish scholars involved in translating the Septuagint was not establish a definitive Hebrew canon of Scriptures but to preserve Jewish heritage and culture in a non-Jewish world.
Not all Jews accepted the Septuagint. One religious group in particular that was active during Jesus’ life: the Sadducees. They rejected the Prophets and Writings as authoritative Scripture. They regarded the Pentateuch as the only authoritative Scripture.
The Septuagint contains the standard 39 books of the Old Testament canon, as well as certain apocryphal books. The term "Apocrypha" was coined by the fifth-century biblical scholar, Jerome, and generally refers to the set of ancient Jewish writings written during the period between the last book in the Jewish scriptures, Malachi, and the arrival of Jesus Christ. Word “apocrypha” means “hidden away”. Biblical scholars, both Jewish and Christian, questioned their legitimacy as authoritative Scripture. Jerome who translated the Bible into Latin around 410 A.D. (Bible called the Latin Vulgate which became the official version of Bible used by Catholic Church) included a disclaimer before each Apocryphal book that it was not found in the Hebrew Bible and therefore should not be regarded as canonical. In fact, Jerome was reluctant to even do a Latin translation of the Apocrypha because they were not found in the Tanakh. Overtime Jerome’s disclaimers disappeared from future translations of the Latin Vulgate. As a consequence, the Apocrypha began to be accepted as canonical.
Why were the Apocryphal books not found in the Hebrew Bible? They did not meet O.T. benchmarks we talked about previously. The Apocrypha had 1) Historic and geographic inaccuracies – Book of Judith starts by saying it was written while Nebuchadnezzar was king of Assyria. Actually he was a Babylonian king. 2) Lacked commonality with accepted O.T. books. Doctrinal inconsistencies; Apocrypha books read more like morality tales, myths, and legends. Read examples found in NIV Archeological Bible. II Esdras – apocalyptic/end times book consisting of seven visions. Attributed to Ezra the scribe. Actually written as a reaction to destruction of temple in Jerusalem in 70 A.D. hundreds of years after Ezra’s death. Martin Luther was so confused by the visions in the book that it said he threw it into the Elbe River. Point out similarities between American Apocrypha (George Washington chopping down cherry tree, Daniel Boone, Davey Crockett) and Jewish Apocrypha. However, scholars refused to declare them worthless. The Apocryphal books were included in the Septuagint for historical and religious purposes, but are not recognized by Protestant Christians or Orthodox Jews as canonical (inspired by God). Emphasize again purpose of Septuagint translators was to preserve Jewish heritage and culture not to establish a Hebrew canon. Martin Luther wrote that the Apocrypha are books which are not considered equal to the Holy Scriptures, but are useful and good to read" … in other words he regarded the Apocrypha to be morality tales or useful for learning Jewish culture. I Maccabbees – Tells the story of Jewish revolt against foreign rule. The Church of England told its members to read the Apocrypha for example of life and instruction of manners.” Example – the Apocrypha book titled Ecclesiasticus – it reads like a book of etiquette sort of like Emily Post or Roberts Rules of Order. “Speak concisely. Say much in a few words.” “Act like a man who knows more than he says.” “Prepare what you have to say and then you will be listened to.” Therefore, they were “hidden away” in a separate section of the Bible often at the end of the OT. It’s important to point out that the New Testament writers never quoted from the Apocryphal books, and that the Apocrypha was never considered part of the canonical Jewish scripture (the Tanakh). However, the Roman Catholic Church (in 1546 at the Council of Trent and perhaps in reaction to Protestant Bible) and the Orthodox churches include the Apocrypha in their Bible. Most Protestant Bibles (KJV, NASB, NIV) do not include the Apocrypha. Separatist Groups within the Church of England (Puritans, Presbyterians, Baptists, etc., did not consider the Apocrypha to be authoritative. Excluded them from their Bibles.)
The Septuagint was also a source of the Old Testament for early Christians during the first few centuries AD. Many early Christians spoke and read Greek, thus they relied on the Septuagint translation for most of their understanding of the Old Testament. The New Testament writers also relied heavily on the Septuagint, as a majority of Old Testament quotes cited in the New Testament are quoted directly from the Septuagint (others are quoted from the Hebrew texts). Some modern Bible translations also use the Septuagint along side Hebrew manuscripts as their source text. (ex. The New American Standard Bible) – Point out that the NASB, KJV, NIV do not rely solely on one translation of OT – use multiple sources (Tanakh, Septuagint, Latin Vulgate, etc. – show example in Bible - more recently the Dead Sea Scrolls) in order to be as accurate as possible to original language. Unfortunately, we do not have the original Books of Genesis, Joshua, Isaiah.
Starting approximately in the 2nd century (100-200 A.D.), several factors led most Jews to abandon the Septuagint. The Jews began to perceive the Septuagint as Christian Bible. Christians naturally used the Septuagint since it was the only Greek version available to the earliest Christians; and since Christians, as a group, had rapidly become overwhelmingly Gentile and, therefore, unfamiliar with Hebrew. The association of the Septuagint with a rival religion may have rendered it suspect in the eyes of the newer generation of Jews and Jewish scholars. Perhaps more importantly, the Greek language — and therefore the Greek Bible — declined among Jews after most of them fled from the Greek-speaking eastern Roman Empire into non-Greek speaking countries when Jerusalem was destroyed by the Romans. Instead, Jews adopted the Hebrew based Tanakh as their Bible.
Septuagint (sometimes abbreviated LXX) is the name given to the Greek translation of the Jewish Scriptures. The Septuagint has its origin in Alexandria, Egypt and was translated between 300-100 BC. The term “Septuagint” means seventy in Latin, and the text is so named to the credit of these 70 scholars. According to an ancient document called the Letter of Aristeas, it is believed that 70 to 72 Jewish scholars were commissioned during the reign of Ptolemy Philadelphus to carry out the task of translation. Most scholars consider the Letter of Aristeas steeped in legend rather than historical truth. The motivation behind the Septuagint lays more in the fact that there was a large Jewish population living outside Palestine. The Septuagint was aimed at Hellenistic Jews (Jews who spoke Greek and adopted Greek culture and learning) who were beginning to lose their Hebrew language and heritage. The process of translating the Hebrew to Greek also gave many non-Jews (Gentiles) a glimpse into Judaism. For the first time Gentiles (Greeks, Romans, Egyptians, Syrians, etc.) could read God’s Word. Emphasize – Primary goal of the Jewish scholars involved in translating the Septuagint was not establish a definitive Hebrew canon of Scriptures but to preserve Jewish heritage and culture in a non-Jewish world.
Not all Jews accepted the Septuagint. One religious group in particular that was active during Jesus’ life: the Sadducees. They rejected the Prophets and Writings as authoritative Scripture. They regarded the Pentateuch as the only authoritative Scripture.
The Septuagint contains the standard 39 books of the Old Testament canon, as well as certain apocryphal books. The term "Apocrypha" was coined by the fifth-century biblical scholar, Jerome, and generally refers to the set of ancient Jewish writings written during the period between the last book in the Jewish scriptures, Malachi, and the arrival of Jesus Christ. Word “apocrypha” means “hidden away”. Biblical scholars, both Jewish and Christian, questioned their legitimacy as authoritative Scripture. Jerome who translated the Bible into Latin around 410 A.D. (Bible called the Latin Vulgate which became the official version of Bible used by Catholic Church) included a disclaimer before each Apocryphal book that it was not found in the Hebrew Bible and therefore should not be regarded as canonical. In fact, Jerome was reluctant to even do a Latin translation of the Apocrypha because they were not found in the Tanakh. Overtime Jerome’s disclaimers disappeared from future translations of the Latin Vulgate. As a consequence, the Apocrypha began to be accepted as canonical.
Why were the Apocryphal books not found in the Hebrew Bible? They did not meet O.T. benchmarks we talked about previously. The Apocrypha had 1) Historic and geographic inaccuracies – Book of Judith starts by saying it was written while Nebuchadnezzar was king of Assyria. Actually he was a Babylonian king. 2) Lacked commonality with accepted O.T. books. Doctrinal inconsistencies; Apocrypha books read more like morality tales, myths, and legends. Read examples found in NIV Archeological Bible. II Esdras – apocalyptic/end times book consisting of seven visions. Attributed to Ezra the scribe. Actually written as a reaction to destruction of temple in Jerusalem in 70 A.D. hundreds of years after Ezra’s death. Martin Luther was so confused by the visions in the book that it said he threw it into the Elbe River. Point out similarities between American Apocrypha (George Washington chopping down cherry tree, Daniel Boone, Davey Crockett) and Jewish Apocrypha. However, scholars refused to declare them worthless. The Apocryphal books were included in the Septuagint for historical and religious purposes, but are not recognized by Protestant Christians or Orthodox Jews as canonical (inspired by God). Emphasize again purpose of Septuagint translators was to preserve Jewish heritage and culture not to establish a Hebrew canon. Martin Luther wrote that the Apocrypha are books which are not considered equal to the Holy Scriptures, but are useful and good to read" … in other words he regarded the Apocrypha to be morality tales or useful for learning Jewish culture. I Maccabbees – Tells the story of Jewish revolt against foreign rule. The Church of England told its members to read the Apocrypha for example of life and instruction of manners.” Example – the Apocrypha book titled Ecclesiasticus – it reads like a book of etiquette sort of like Emily Post or Roberts Rules of Order. “Speak concisely. Say much in a few words.” “Act like a man who knows more than he says.” “Prepare what you have to say and then you will be listened to.” Therefore, they were “hidden away” in a separate section of the Bible often at the end of the OT. It’s important to point out that the New Testament writers never quoted from the Apocryphal books, and that the Apocrypha was never considered part of the canonical Jewish scripture (the Tanakh). However, the Roman Catholic Church (in 1546 at the Council of Trent and perhaps in reaction to Protestant Bible) and the Orthodox churches include the Apocrypha in their Bible. Most Protestant Bibles (KJV, NASB, NIV) do not include the Apocrypha. Separatist Groups within the Church of England (Puritans, Presbyterians, Baptists, etc., did not consider the Apocrypha to be authoritative. Excluded them from their Bibles.)
The Septuagint was also a source of the Old Testament for early Christians during the first few centuries AD. Many early Christians spoke and read Greek, thus they relied on the Septuagint translation for most of their understanding of the Old Testament. The New Testament writers also relied heavily on the Septuagint, as a majority of Old Testament quotes cited in the New Testament are quoted directly from the Septuagint (others are quoted from the Hebrew texts). Some modern Bible translations also use the Septuagint along side Hebrew manuscripts as their source text. (ex. The New American Standard Bible) – Point out that the NASB, KJV, NIV do not rely solely on one translation of OT – use multiple sources (Tanakh, Septuagint, Latin Vulgate, etc. – show example in Bible - more recently the Dead Sea Scrolls) in order to be as accurate as possible to original language. Unfortunately, we do not have the original Books of Genesis, Joshua, Isaiah.
Starting approximately in the 2nd century (100-200 A.D.), several factors led most Jews to abandon the Septuagint. The Jews began to perceive the Septuagint as Christian Bible. Christians naturally used the Septuagint since it was the only Greek version available to the earliest Christians; and since Christians, as a group, had rapidly become overwhelmingly Gentile and, therefore, unfamiliar with Hebrew. The association of the Septuagint with a rival religion may have rendered it suspect in the eyes of the newer generation of Jews and Jewish scholars. Perhaps more importantly, the Greek language — and therefore the Greek Bible — declined among Jews after most of them fled from the Greek-speaking eastern Roman Empire into non-Greek speaking countries when Jerusalem was destroyed by the Romans. Instead, Jews adopted the Hebrew based Tanakh as their Bible.
Thursday, October 27, 2011
Story of the Bible - pt. 3: How the OT came together
The Bible was a little over 1500 years in the making. From the time the first words were written until the last words in Revelation – 1500 B.C.–100 A.D. - 1600 years.
The first words written are not “in the beginning.” They were “I am the Lord your God …” Exodus 20: 2” - The Ten Commandments.
The materials the Bible was written on – stone, clay, animal hide (leather) and papyrus – at first scrolls and later (N.T. era) bound volumes.
Originally the Bible was not divided into chapters and verses. The Bible was first divided into chapters in the 1100’s. The chapters were divided into verses in the 1500’s. The first printing of a Bible with chapters and verses was published in 1551. The original purpose for verses was not for the reader’s benefit but for the printer’s benefit. It helped the printer know where a page began and ended so that there would be no duplication on the next page. Thus the verses sometimes break off in the middle of a thought, sentence, or paragraph. What is the positive to the Bible being divided into chapter and verses? Help us memorize Scripture. What is the negative to the Bible being divided into chapter and verses? They can interfere with the understanding of what a verse is saying by taking it out of context. Ex. Romans chapters 6-8.
The official canon (authoritative writings) of the Bible was established during the Protestant Reformation (1500’s A.D.) – Catholic canon was established at the Council of Trent (1546); Protestant canon was established by Martin Luther (1534), King James Version (1611), and by Separatists groups (Puritans, Presbyterians, Baptists, etc.) within the Church of England.
How the Bible came together is act of God. The official canon was completed after centuries of deliberation, discussion, and debates. Multiple councils and meetings were held and numerous treatises and letters were written to decide on what books should or should not be in the Bible. There were those (Jewish and Christian) who believed certain books should be excluded (most notably Esther) or included (the Apocrypha). A number of benchmarks had to be met before a book was considered canonical. Old Testament - Historical authenticity – events and author, fulfilled prophecy, God played a major role in the book; commonality among O.T. books – Books of O.T. fit together like pieces in a large jigsaw puzzle. Other books that scholars and churches claim should be canon (ex. Apocrypha books) are jigsaw pieces that do not fit in the authorized O.T. jigsaw puzzle. New Testament – Historical authenticity – eyewitness of Jesus, lived during the birth of Christianity, and/or church was known to have existed (ex. Revelation) and consistency in doctrine with other accepted NT books. Over the course of time (centuries), this discussion and debate produced the Bible we have today.
382-410 A.D. – Jerome was commissioned by the pope who was the leader of the Church to translate the Hebrew Old Testament and Greek New Testament into Latin, the predominant language in the world at that time. The Latin Vulgate was THE official Bible of the Church and would be for the next thousand years. It is still the Bible used by the Catholic Church today and would be the template for future bible translations. The New Testament in the Vulgate Bible included the 27 books regarded at the time to be the New Testament adding greater authority to the 27.
Late 1400’s-early 1500’s A.D. – The Protestant Reformation era. The Church divides between Catholic led by Pope in Rome and Protestant led by Martin Luther, John Calvin, and others. Protestant leaders reexamine/call into question decisions/church rules made by the papal led Church during the past one thousand years including the books that made up the Old and New Testament.
One should not forget the role played by God in the creation of the Bible. For example, Martin Luther openly stated that the Books of Esther, Hebrews, James, Jude, and Revelation should be excluded from the biblical canon. Esther – because it does not mention God’s name. Hebrews, James, Jude, and Revelation – they did not support Luther’s doctrine of justification. However, Luther included all these books in what became the Luther Bible. Why? It’s my opinion that the Holy Spirit convinced Luther to leave these books in his Bible. The Luther Bible had a huge impact on the development and direction of Christianity.
Bible divided into two parts – Old Testament and New Testament. They were not referred to as Old and New Testament until after 100 A.D. Prior to then, the Old Testament was referred to as the Law and the Prophets or sometimes the Law, the Psalms/Writings, and the Prophets. Testament is Latin for Covenant. Old Covenant and New Covenant. Covenant defined – a solemn agreement that is binding on all parties. God and man. Old/New Covenant – God agrees to redeem man in return man agrees to submit to God’s authority.
Old Testament – An overview
Consists of 39 books that covers a period from the beginning of time (Genesis) until 400 B.C. (Malachi)
Written mostly in Hebrew. Some Aramaic. Authors - Shepherds, farmers, kings, priests, and government officials.
Origins of the Old Testament:
I. The Tanakh – is an acronym that identifies the Hebrew Bible. The acronym is based on the initial Hebrew letters of each of the text's three parts:
1. Torah תורה meaning "Instruction." It is also called the Chumash חומש, meaning "the five" or "the five books of Moses." In Greek, it is called the Pentateuch. The Torah is often referred to as the law of the Jewish people.
2. Nevi'im נביאים, meaning "Prophets." This term is associated with anything to do with the prophets.
3. Ketuvim כתובים, meaning "Writings" or "Hagiographa."
The Tanakh contains 24 books. Christians count the books found in the OT as thirty-nine, not twenty-four. This is because Jews often count as a single book what Christians count as several. Examples – Samuel, Kings, Chronicles, Ezra-Nehemiah, Minor Prophets are grouped together as one book called the Twelve.
Evidence suggests that the process of canonization of the Tanakh occurred between 200BC and 200 AD. Jewish historian Flavius Josephus in the 70’s AD wrote that the Tanakh contained the books "all Jews immediately - and from their very birth! - esteem to contain Divine doctrines, and persist [in performing these doctrines] in them, and, if occasion be, willingly die for them". Josephus also wrote “Many ages have passed, no one has been so bold as to either add anything to them or take anything from them, or to make any changes to them. By 200 AD, after much deliberation, the Jews recognized the Tanakh as the authorized Hebrew Scripture.
Masoretes
The Masoretes were a special group of Jewish scribes entrusted with the task of making copies of the Tanakh by hand between 500 B.C.-90 AD. They developed a meticulous system of counting the number of words in each book of the Bible to make sure they copied it accurately. Any scroll found to have an error was buried according to Jewish law
The first words written are not “in the beginning.” They were “I am the Lord your God …” Exodus 20: 2” - The Ten Commandments.
The materials the Bible was written on – stone, clay, animal hide (leather) and papyrus – at first scrolls and later (N.T. era) bound volumes.
Originally the Bible was not divided into chapters and verses. The Bible was first divided into chapters in the 1100’s. The chapters were divided into verses in the 1500’s. The first printing of a Bible with chapters and verses was published in 1551. The original purpose for verses was not for the reader’s benefit but for the printer’s benefit. It helped the printer know where a page began and ended so that there would be no duplication on the next page. Thus the verses sometimes break off in the middle of a thought, sentence, or paragraph. What is the positive to the Bible being divided into chapter and verses? Help us memorize Scripture. What is the negative to the Bible being divided into chapter and verses? They can interfere with the understanding of what a verse is saying by taking it out of context. Ex. Romans chapters 6-8.
The official canon (authoritative writings) of the Bible was established during the Protestant Reformation (1500’s A.D.) – Catholic canon was established at the Council of Trent (1546); Protestant canon was established by Martin Luther (1534), King James Version (1611), and by Separatists groups (Puritans, Presbyterians, Baptists, etc.) within the Church of England.
How the Bible came together is act of God. The official canon was completed after centuries of deliberation, discussion, and debates. Multiple councils and meetings were held and numerous treatises and letters were written to decide on what books should or should not be in the Bible. There were those (Jewish and Christian) who believed certain books should be excluded (most notably Esther) or included (the Apocrypha). A number of benchmarks had to be met before a book was considered canonical. Old Testament - Historical authenticity – events and author, fulfilled prophecy, God played a major role in the book; commonality among O.T. books – Books of O.T. fit together like pieces in a large jigsaw puzzle. Other books that scholars and churches claim should be canon (ex. Apocrypha books) are jigsaw pieces that do not fit in the authorized O.T. jigsaw puzzle. New Testament – Historical authenticity – eyewitness of Jesus, lived during the birth of Christianity, and/or church was known to have existed (ex. Revelation) and consistency in doctrine with other accepted NT books. Over the course of time (centuries), this discussion and debate produced the Bible we have today.
382-410 A.D. – Jerome was commissioned by the pope who was the leader of the Church to translate the Hebrew Old Testament and Greek New Testament into Latin, the predominant language in the world at that time. The Latin Vulgate was THE official Bible of the Church and would be for the next thousand years. It is still the Bible used by the Catholic Church today and would be the template for future bible translations. The New Testament in the Vulgate Bible included the 27 books regarded at the time to be the New Testament adding greater authority to the 27.
Late 1400’s-early 1500’s A.D. – The Protestant Reformation era. The Church divides between Catholic led by Pope in Rome and Protestant led by Martin Luther, John Calvin, and others. Protestant leaders reexamine/call into question decisions/church rules made by the papal led Church during the past one thousand years including the books that made up the Old and New Testament.
One should not forget the role played by God in the creation of the Bible. For example, Martin Luther openly stated that the Books of Esther, Hebrews, James, Jude, and Revelation should be excluded from the biblical canon. Esther – because it does not mention God’s name. Hebrews, James, Jude, and Revelation – they did not support Luther’s doctrine of justification. However, Luther included all these books in what became the Luther Bible. Why? It’s my opinion that the Holy Spirit convinced Luther to leave these books in his Bible. The Luther Bible had a huge impact on the development and direction of Christianity.
Bible divided into two parts – Old Testament and New Testament. They were not referred to as Old and New Testament until after 100 A.D. Prior to then, the Old Testament was referred to as the Law and the Prophets or sometimes the Law, the Psalms/Writings, and the Prophets. Testament is Latin for Covenant. Old Covenant and New Covenant. Covenant defined – a solemn agreement that is binding on all parties. God and man. Old/New Covenant – God agrees to redeem man in return man agrees to submit to God’s authority.
Old Testament – An overview
Consists of 39 books that covers a period from the beginning of time (Genesis) until 400 B.C. (Malachi)
Written mostly in Hebrew. Some Aramaic. Authors - Shepherds, farmers, kings, priests, and government officials.
Origins of the Old Testament:
I. The Tanakh – is an acronym that identifies the Hebrew Bible. The acronym is based on the initial Hebrew letters of each of the text's three parts:
1. Torah תורה meaning "Instruction." It is also called the Chumash חומש, meaning "the five" or "the five books of Moses." In Greek, it is called the Pentateuch. The Torah is often referred to as the law of the Jewish people.
2. Nevi'im נביאים, meaning "Prophets." This term is associated with anything to do with the prophets.
3. Ketuvim כתובים, meaning "Writings" or "Hagiographa."
The Tanakh contains 24 books. Christians count the books found in the OT as thirty-nine, not twenty-four. This is because Jews often count as a single book what Christians count as several. Examples – Samuel, Kings, Chronicles, Ezra-Nehemiah, Minor Prophets are grouped together as one book called the Twelve.
Evidence suggests that the process of canonization of the Tanakh occurred between 200BC and 200 AD. Jewish historian Flavius Josephus in the 70’s AD wrote that the Tanakh contained the books "all Jews immediately - and from their very birth! - esteem to contain Divine doctrines, and persist [in performing these doctrines] in them, and, if occasion be, willingly die for them". Josephus also wrote “Many ages have passed, no one has been so bold as to either add anything to them or take anything from them, or to make any changes to them. By 200 AD, after much deliberation, the Jews recognized the Tanakh as the authorized Hebrew Scripture.
Masoretes
The Masoretes were a special group of Jewish scribes entrusted with the task of making copies of the Tanakh by hand between 500 B.C.-90 AD. They developed a meticulous system of counting the number of words in each book of the Bible to make sure they copied it accurately. Any scroll found to have an error was buried according to Jewish law
Friday, October 21, 2011
The Story of the Bible - Introduction pt. 2
Read Exodus 20:3-17
5) a) List the Ten Commandments. b) Meditate/pray – let God’s Spirit inspire you – write down what God is saying to humanity in each of the ten commandments. The first four really stood out for me.
1st commandment – Relates to God’s authority over man - No one else is to have authority over me but God. No one is to control my life but God. Not money, not spouse, not children, not job
2nd commandment – Worship - I am not to worship anyone or anything but God.
3rd commandment – Vain – Hebrew – empty, worthless; I am to respect God. I am to have deep reverence for God. Evidence of this – How I use his name. I am not use it to express my feelings about something (surprise, anger). His name is not to be used as an adjective/adverb. Not to be used flippantly in conversation. See Yahweh article in last week’s handout on how the Jews respected God’s name.
4th commandment – Follow God’s example. “Holy” means to set apart/be different. One day of the seven day week is to be different than the others. Rest one day out of seven.
6) Do you notice a division within the Ten Commandments? The first four are concerned with relationship between humanity and God. The last six are concerned humanity’s relationship with one another. Focus on the first four commandments:
5) a) List the Ten Commandments. b) Meditate/pray – let God’s Spirit inspire you – write down what God is saying to humanity in each of the ten commandments. The first four really stood out for me.
1st commandment – Relates to God’s authority over man - No one else is to have authority over me but God. No one is to control my life but God. Not money, not spouse, not children, not job
2nd commandment – Worship - I am not to worship anyone or anything but God.
3rd commandment – Vain – Hebrew – empty, worthless; I am to respect God. I am to have deep reverence for God. Evidence of this – How I use his name. I am not use it to express my feelings about something (surprise, anger). His name is not to be used as an adjective/adverb. Not to be used flippantly in conversation. See Yahweh article in last week’s handout on how the Jews respected God’s name.
4th commandment – Follow God’s example. “Holy” means to set apart/be different. One day of the seven day week is to be different than the others. Rest one day out of seven.
6) Do you notice a division within the Ten Commandments? The first four are concerned with relationship between humanity and God. The last six are concerned humanity’s relationship with one another. Focus on the first four commandments:
Thursday, October 13, 2011
The Story of the Bible pt. 1
Ta biblia ta hagia, "the holy books"), which derived from biblion ("paper" or "scroll,” the ordinary word for "book"), which was originally a diminutive of byblos ("Egyptian papyrus"), possibly so called from the name of the Phoenician port from which Egyptian papyrus was exported to Greece.
Biblical scholar Mark Hamilton states that the Greek phrase Ta biblia ("the books") was "an expression Hellenistic Jews used to describe their sacred books several centuries before the time of Jesus," and would have referred to the Septuagint. The Online Etymology Dictionary states, "The Christian scripture was referred to in Greek as Ta Biblia as early as c.223."
1) What does the Bible have to say about itself?
Exodus 31:18 – When He (God) had finished speaking with him upon Mount Sinai, He gave Moses the two tablets of the testimony, tablets of stone, written by the finger of God.
Exodus 32:15-16 - Then Moses turned and went down from the mountain with the two tablets of the testimony in his hand, tablets which were written on both sides; they were written on one side and the other. The tablets were God's work, and the writing was God's writing engraved on the tablets.
Deuteronomy 4:13 - So He (God) declared to you His covenant which He commanded you to perform, that is, the Ten Commandments; and He wrote them on two tablets of stone.
Deuteronomy 9:10 - The LORD gave me the two tablets of stone written by the finger of God; and on them were all the words which the LORD had spoken with you at the mountain from the midst of the fire on the day of the assembly.
If you were to give a title summarizing the above verses, what would it be? God is the author of the Bible.
2600 times in the Bible, you see this refrain – “The Lord says” or in the King’s English “Thus saith the Lord!”
Hebrews 1:1 - God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways …
Luke 1:70 – As He (God) spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets from of old …
Numbers 12:6-8 – He (God) said, “Hear now My words: if there is a prophet among you, I, the LORD, shall make Myself known to him in a vision I shall speak with him in a dream. Not so, with My servant Moses, he is faithful in all My household; with him I speak mouth to mouth, even openly, and not in dark sayings, and he beholds the form of the LORD.
Jeremiah 1:1-4 – The words of Jeremiah the son of Hilkiah, of the priests who were in Anathoth in the land of Benjamin, to whom the word of the LORD came in the days of Josiah the son of Amon, king of Judah, in the thirteenth year of his reign …. Now the word of the LORD came to me saying …
Micah 1:1 – The word of the LORD which came to Micah of Moresheth in the days of Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah, kings of Judah, which he saw concerning Samaria and Jerusalem.
If you were to give a title summarizing the above verses, what would it be? God spoke His Word to men.
The men God spoke to – Shepherds (Amos), fishermen (Peter), kings (David, Solomon), priests (Ezekiel, Ezra), government officials (Daniel), and a doctor (Luke.)
Mark 12:36 – David himself said in the Holy Spirit, 'THE LORD SAID TO MY LORD, “SIT AT MY RIGHT HAND, UNTIL I PUT YOUR ENEMIES BENEATH YOUR FEET."
2 Timothy 3:16 – All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness
II Peter 1:21 – for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.
If you were to give a title summarizing the above verses, what would it be? God’s Holy Spirit inspired men to write down His Word.
Define inspire/inspiration – expire means to breathe out. Inspire means to breathe in
Literal translation in II Timothy – God breathed – God breathed His Word into man. What image does that produce? Mouth to mouth resuscitation. Gives life.
Hebrews 4:12a – For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword.
If you were to summarize the above verse, what would you write?
God’s Word is full of life and energy
Active – literal translation energy
Review our summaries. Put them together to write an overall summary of what the Bible says about itself.
The Bible was authored by God and was spoken to men whom inspired by God’s Spirit wrote down His Word. God’s Word is not dead, but is full of life and energy.
Last sentence is very important. The words that God spoke to Moses, Jonah, Ezekiel, Matthew, Paul did not “die” when a book was completed. God’s was not just for the person/people/nations He was speaking to a thousand years ago. He is speaking to us as well in Jonah, Micah, Genesis, Nahum, Romans, Colossians, etc. To say otherwise, is to say God’s Word is dead. To believe otherwise, is to believe that God’s Word is dead. If that’s the case, might as well throw the Bible in a trash can.
2)Why did/does God speak to humanity through the Bible? What is He saying to humanity?
Psalm 119:11 – Your word I have treasured in my heart that I may not sin against You.
II Timothy 3:16-17 – All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.
Matthew 4: 4 – But He (Jesus) answered and said, "It is written, 'MAN SHALL NOT LIVE ON BREAD ALONE, BUT ON EVERY WORD THAT PROCEEDS OUT OF THE MOUTH OF GOD.'"
Hebrews 4:12 – For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.
If you were to summarize the above verses, what would you say? Purpose of God’s Word – Draw humanity to obedience to Him so that they might find life and purpose.
Disobedience – death and uselessness
Biblical scholar Mark Hamilton states that the Greek phrase Ta biblia ("the books") was "an expression Hellenistic Jews used to describe their sacred books several centuries before the time of Jesus," and would have referred to the Septuagint. The Online Etymology Dictionary states, "The Christian scripture was referred to in Greek as Ta Biblia as early as c.223."
1) What does the Bible have to say about itself?
Exodus 31:18 – When He (God) had finished speaking with him upon Mount Sinai, He gave Moses the two tablets of the testimony, tablets of stone, written by the finger of God.
Exodus 32:15-16 - Then Moses turned and went down from the mountain with the two tablets of the testimony in his hand, tablets which were written on both sides; they were written on one side and the other. The tablets were God's work, and the writing was God's writing engraved on the tablets.
Deuteronomy 4:13 - So He (God) declared to you His covenant which He commanded you to perform, that is, the Ten Commandments; and He wrote them on two tablets of stone.
Deuteronomy 9:10 - The LORD gave me the two tablets of stone written by the finger of God; and on them were all the words which the LORD had spoken with you at the mountain from the midst of the fire on the day of the assembly.
If you were to give a title summarizing the above verses, what would it be? God is the author of the Bible.
2600 times in the Bible, you see this refrain – “The Lord says” or in the King’s English “Thus saith the Lord!”
Hebrews 1:1 - God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways …
Luke 1:70 – As He (God) spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets from of old …
Numbers 12:6-8 – He (God) said, “Hear now My words: if there is a prophet among you, I, the LORD, shall make Myself known to him in a vision I shall speak with him in a dream. Not so, with My servant Moses, he is faithful in all My household; with him I speak mouth to mouth, even openly, and not in dark sayings, and he beholds the form of the LORD.
Jeremiah 1:1-4 – The words of Jeremiah the son of Hilkiah, of the priests who were in Anathoth in the land of Benjamin, to whom the word of the LORD came in the days of Josiah the son of Amon, king of Judah, in the thirteenth year of his reign …. Now the word of the LORD came to me saying …
Micah 1:1 – The word of the LORD which came to Micah of Moresheth in the days of Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah, kings of Judah, which he saw concerning Samaria and Jerusalem.
If you were to give a title summarizing the above verses, what would it be? God spoke His Word to men.
The men God spoke to – Shepherds (Amos), fishermen (Peter), kings (David, Solomon), priests (Ezekiel, Ezra), government officials (Daniel), and a doctor (Luke.)
Mark 12:36 – David himself said in the Holy Spirit, 'THE LORD SAID TO MY LORD, “SIT AT MY RIGHT HAND, UNTIL I PUT YOUR ENEMIES BENEATH YOUR FEET."
2 Timothy 3:16 – All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness
II Peter 1:21 – for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.
If you were to give a title summarizing the above verses, what would it be? God’s Holy Spirit inspired men to write down His Word.
Define inspire/inspiration – expire means to breathe out. Inspire means to breathe in
Literal translation in II Timothy – God breathed – God breathed His Word into man. What image does that produce? Mouth to mouth resuscitation. Gives life.
Hebrews 4:12a – For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword.
If you were to summarize the above verse, what would you write?
God’s Word is full of life and energy
Active – literal translation energy
Review our summaries. Put them together to write an overall summary of what the Bible says about itself.
The Bible was authored by God and was spoken to men whom inspired by God’s Spirit wrote down His Word. God’s Word is not dead, but is full of life and energy.
Last sentence is very important. The words that God spoke to Moses, Jonah, Ezekiel, Matthew, Paul did not “die” when a book was completed. God’s was not just for the person/people/nations He was speaking to a thousand years ago. He is speaking to us as well in Jonah, Micah, Genesis, Nahum, Romans, Colossians, etc. To say otherwise, is to say God’s Word is dead. To believe otherwise, is to believe that God’s Word is dead. If that’s the case, might as well throw the Bible in a trash can.
2)Why did/does God speak to humanity through the Bible? What is He saying to humanity?
Psalm 119:11 – Your word I have treasured in my heart that I may not sin against You.
II Timothy 3:16-17 – All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.
Matthew 4: 4 – But He (Jesus) answered and said, "It is written, 'MAN SHALL NOT LIVE ON BREAD ALONE, BUT ON EVERY WORD THAT PROCEEDS OUT OF THE MOUTH OF GOD.'"
Hebrews 4:12 – For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.
If you were to summarize the above verses, what would you say? Purpose of God’s Word – Draw humanity to obedience to Him so that they might find life and purpose.
Disobedience – death and uselessness
Thursday, October 6, 2011
Walking with Abraham pt. 7 - Covenant Tested
When Abraham and Isaac reached their destination, Abraham proceeded to build the altar, arranged the wood on the altar, bound Isaac, and placed him on the altar. No evidence that Isaac put up a struggle. He took out his knife, raised it, and was about to bring it down to slay his son when he heard a voice from heaven cry out his name. Abraham stopped immediately and said “Here I am.” Throughout his test, Abraham was always listening. No matter the level of stress/anxiety Abraham was experiencing his ears were open to hearing from God. Lesson there for us.
8. What reason did God give to Abraham as to why He wanted Abraham to go through this experience? What was the purpose of God’s test? Repeat definition of test with emphasis on what is in bold - the method by which the presence, quality, or genuineness of anything is determined. The trial of the quality of something. In this test, God is using the sacrifice of Isaac to test the presence, quality, or genuineness of something in Abraham. It was a trial whose purpose was to find the quality of something in Abraham. What was that something? That Abraham feared God; therefore, he would obey and trust God no matter what if even it meant the life of his only son Isaac. Fear of God defined – healthy recognition of the sovereignty/supreme authority of God. As Job put it – God gives and God takes away. Abraham learned that God gives, God takes away, and God gives back (See question 10) God tested Abraham to determine the presence, quality, and genuineness of Abraham’s faith/obedience to Him and Abraham passed the test successfully. Method of testing – Abraham was to sacrifice his one and only son whom he loved dearly – Isaac. Abraham had failed this test in the past. He did not always have faith that God would protect him or his family (see Genesis chapter 12.)
9. Why did God choose this method (sacrificing Isaac) to test Abraham? Another purpose for a test is to teach. What God was teaching to Abraham was the Gospel – the good news of salvation. Read Galatians 3:7-9. God was showing Abraham how He would bring about salvation to humanity. The near sacrifice of Isaac foreshadows a similar event that would take place thousands of years later. A Father would one day lead His Son … His one and only Son whom He loved … to be sacrificed. The event would occur in the same vicinity that Abraham offered Isaac. The Father would lead His Son, not for three days, but for three years, on His journey to the mountain. Just as Abraham’s son carried wood that lead to his death, God’s Son carried wood that would lead to his death. When the journey ended, there would be no angel crying “Stop!” There would be no substitute found to sacrifice in the Son’s place. This Son died. Consequently, the plan of salvation that was put into motion through Abraham’s obedience to God’s call came to a successful conclusion in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The blessing promised to Abraham and his descendants would now be passed down to us. That blessing is salvation through Jesus Christ.
10. Why was Abraham willing to go through with the sacrifice of his son? Read Hebrews 11:17-19. Abraham believed God would raise Isaac from the death despite the fact that up to this point no one had ever been raised from the dead. Other examples of Abraham passing the test. Genesis 22: 5, 8. How was Abraham able to have such faith? His faith was steeped in God’s promise that through Isaac His covenant with Abraham would be carried out.
11. Verse 13-14 - What did Abraham do? Worshipped God. Even after the difficult emotional/spiritual test God had put he and Isaac through. Would you have responded to God in the same way?
Read verses 15-19
12. What did the angel say to Abraham? Repeated the covenant. Why God will keep His covenant with Abraham? Abraham obeyed.
And God did keep His covenant with Abraham.
Isaac
Jacob/Israel
Twelve sons
Descendants become the Twelve Tribes
Nation of Israel
Death of Sarah at age 125. Abraham remarries has more children. Before he dies gives children by second marriage their inheritance and they move east. Abraham dies at age 175. Isaac is 75. Abraham lived long enough to see his grandchildren – Esau and Jacob.
APPLICATION
Read the following verses to determine a common reason why God tests His people.
Exodus 16: 4
Then the LORD said to Moses, "Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you; and the people shall go out and gather a day's portion every day, that I may test them, whether or not they will walk in My instruction.
Exodus 20:20
Moses said to the people , "Do not be afraid ; for God has come in order to test you, and in order that the fear of Him may remain with you, so that you may not sin."
Deuteronomy 8:2-3
You shall remember all the way which the LORD your God has led you in the wilderness these forty years, that He might humble you, testing you, to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep His commandments or not. He humbled you and let you be hungry, and fed you with manna which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that He might make you understand that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by everything that proceeds out of the mouth of the LORD.
Psalm 26:1-3
Vindicate me, O LORD, for I have walked in my integrity, and I have trusted in the LORD without wavering. Examine me, O LORD, and try me; test my mind and my heart. For Your lovingkindness is before my eyes, and I have walked in Your truth.
VII. Conclusion
Why did God choose Abraham? Why did God choose an old man who was a nobody from a nobody people to make His covenant with … to initiate His plan of salvation? Remember I Samuel 16: 7 - But the LORD said to Samuel, "Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart." What did God see in the heart of Abraham that would have God choose Abraham to be the Father of the Chosen People? Attributes/characteristics? God does not choose names out of a hat. Number one has to be Abraham’s faith. Followed by obedience. Heart of worship (built many altars). Wisdom and integrity (battle with kings). Love (Lot, Ishmael). Justice (Sodom). There were negative characteristics that God saw in Abraham’s heart. Some major flaws – Passing Sarah off as his sister, the Hagar incident (listened to Sarah rather than God, lack of compassion for Hagar and Ishmael). God saw the good and the bad in Abraham’s heart and yet He still chose to make His covenant with Abraham. God looked beyond Abraham’s shortcomings/flaws and saw what was good and right and said “I choose Abram!” Common theme in Scripture. When God looks at your heart, what does He see?
8. What reason did God give to Abraham as to why He wanted Abraham to go through this experience? What was the purpose of God’s test? Repeat definition of test with emphasis on what is in bold - the method by which the presence, quality, or genuineness of anything is determined. The trial of the quality of something. In this test, God is using the sacrifice of Isaac to test the presence, quality, or genuineness of something in Abraham. It was a trial whose purpose was to find the quality of something in Abraham. What was that something? That Abraham feared God; therefore, he would obey and trust God no matter what if even it meant the life of his only son Isaac. Fear of God defined – healthy recognition of the sovereignty/supreme authority of God. As Job put it – God gives and God takes away. Abraham learned that God gives, God takes away, and God gives back (See question 10) God tested Abraham to determine the presence, quality, and genuineness of Abraham’s faith/obedience to Him and Abraham passed the test successfully. Method of testing – Abraham was to sacrifice his one and only son whom he loved dearly – Isaac. Abraham had failed this test in the past. He did not always have faith that God would protect him or his family (see Genesis chapter 12.)
9. Why did God choose this method (sacrificing Isaac) to test Abraham? Another purpose for a test is to teach. What God was teaching to Abraham was the Gospel – the good news of salvation. Read Galatians 3:7-9. God was showing Abraham how He would bring about salvation to humanity. The near sacrifice of Isaac foreshadows a similar event that would take place thousands of years later. A Father would one day lead His Son … His one and only Son whom He loved … to be sacrificed. The event would occur in the same vicinity that Abraham offered Isaac. The Father would lead His Son, not for three days, but for three years, on His journey to the mountain. Just as Abraham’s son carried wood that lead to his death, God’s Son carried wood that would lead to his death. When the journey ended, there would be no angel crying “Stop!” There would be no substitute found to sacrifice in the Son’s place. This Son died. Consequently, the plan of salvation that was put into motion through Abraham’s obedience to God’s call came to a successful conclusion in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The blessing promised to Abraham and his descendants would now be passed down to us. That blessing is salvation through Jesus Christ.
10. Why was Abraham willing to go through with the sacrifice of his son? Read Hebrews 11:17-19. Abraham believed God would raise Isaac from the death despite the fact that up to this point no one had ever been raised from the dead. Other examples of Abraham passing the test. Genesis 22: 5, 8. How was Abraham able to have such faith? His faith was steeped in God’s promise that through Isaac His covenant with Abraham would be carried out.
11. Verse 13-14 - What did Abraham do? Worshipped God. Even after the difficult emotional/spiritual test God had put he and Isaac through. Would you have responded to God in the same way?
Read verses 15-19
12. What did the angel say to Abraham? Repeated the covenant. Why God will keep His covenant with Abraham? Abraham obeyed.
And God did keep His covenant with Abraham.
Isaac
Jacob/Israel
Twelve sons
Descendants become the Twelve Tribes
Nation of Israel
Death of Sarah at age 125. Abraham remarries has more children. Before he dies gives children by second marriage their inheritance and they move east. Abraham dies at age 175. Isaac is 75. Abraham lived long enough to see his grandchildren – Esau and Jacob.
APPLICATION
Read the following verses to determine a common reason why God tests His people.
Exodus 16: 4
Then the LORD said to Moses, "Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you; and the people shall go out and gather a day's portion every day, that I may test them, whether or not they will walk in My instruction.
Exodus 20:20
Moses said to the people , "Do not be afraid ; for God has come in order to test you, and in order that the fear of Him may remain with you, so that you may not sin."
Deuteronomy 8:2-3
You shall remember all the way which the LORD your God has led you in the wilderness these forty years, that He might humble you, testing you, to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep His commandments or not. He humbled you and let you be hungry, and fed you with manna which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that He might make you understand that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by everything that proceeds out of the mouth of the LORD.
Psalm 26:1-3
Vindicate me, O LORD, for I have walked in my integrity, and I have trusted in the LORD without wavering. Examine me, O LORD, and try me; test my mind and my heart. For Your lovingkindness is before my eyes, and I have walked in Your truth.
VII. Conclusion
Why did God choose Abraham? Why did God choose an old man who was a nobody from a nobody people to make His covenant with … to initiate His plan of salvation? Remember I Samuel 16: 7 - But the LORD said to Samuel, "Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart." What did God see in the heart of Abraham that would have God choose Abraham to be the Father of the Chosen People? Attributes/characteristics? God does not choose names out of a hat. Number one has to be Abraham’s faith. Followed by obedience. Heart of worship (built many altars). Wisdom and integrity (battle with kings). Love (Lot, Ishmael). Justice (Sodom). There were negative characteristics that God saw in Abraham’s heart. Some major flaws – Passing Sarah off as his sister, the Hagar incident (listened to Sarah rather than God, lack of compassion for Hagar and Ishmael). God saw the good and the bad in Abraham’s heart and yet He still chose to make His covenant with Abraham. God looked beyond Abraham’s shortcomings/flaws and saw what was good and right and said “I choose Abram!” Common theme in Scripture. When God looks at your heart, what does He see?
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