Old Testament
1.When Israel moved away from Sinai after having been camped so long three incidents happened that were truly "example" for Israel. Each incident involved the rejection of God and each was an occasion of immediate judgement.
- As God's people they had to respond to Him with trusting obedience. Any failure to respond led to tragic consequences.
2.Rejection of God's guidance.
- It only took 3 days of traveling in the desert for the Israelites to revert to a pattern they had established before their arrival at Sinai. Forgetting all that God had done for them, they let discomfort dominated their thinking...and control their actions. They complained about their hardship in "the hearing of the Lord."
- In their complaining they rejected His wisdom, and ignored the supernatural provision of the fiery-cloud pillar that directed their every move.
- God immediately acted-in judgement. Fire destroyed some of the outlying parts of the camp. In a panic, the people turned to Moses, who prayed, and the fire was controlled.
3. Rejection of God's provision.
- Shortly after this the people begin to complain about their diet, and were ready to trade their freedom for the meat and vegetables they had in Egypt.
- Had they forgotten they had been slaves?
- The manna that God provided was despised.
- Moses, now gets angry with the people as well. God responded to Moses' need by distributing the leadership responsibility and gift to 70 of the elders.
- God responded to the people. God responded by bringing a great flock of quail. But when the people began to eat, a great plague struck the camp. Thousands of the murmurers dies. The people who had rejected God and His provision bore the dreadful consequences of their choice. "So that place was called Kibroth-hattaavah (which means “graves of gluttony.”
4. Rejection of God's appointed.
- This time Miriam and Aaron, Moses sister and brother, resented the special role Moses was given by God. So they challenge Moses' authority.
- God responded angrily, pointing out the special relationship He Himself had chosen to have with Moses.
- In judgement, Miriam is struck with leprosy, and put out of the camp for seven days. Afterward she is healed in answer to Moses' prayer. Everyone was forced to wait for Miriam for those seven days.
- What's the real sin here?- PRIDE.
5. Whay is God doing this, and what's the point?
- The people, Israel, are about to make some very important decisions about their relation ship with God. These lesons are to teach them about taking responsibilty for their actions and decisions
6. Twelve scouts explore Canaan.
- When they arrive at the borders of Palestine, Moses sent 12 men out in pairs to spy the land. They were to evaluate the strength of the peoples, their numbers, and whether the land was rich or poor.
- Only two, Caleb and Joshua, encouraged the people to trust God.
- They needed to learn that God's presence, rather than their circumstances should be given priority.
New Testament
7. The Passover meal
8. Peter's denial predicted
9. Gethsemane
10. Jesus arrested
Psalm
11. "I will always trust in God’s unfailing love."
Proverbs
12. "Pride leads to disgrace"
- Look back at the story of Miriam.
13. "...but with humility comes wisdom."
14. "Honesty guides good people"
See you next post...
Showing posts with label Gethsemane. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Gethsemane. Show all posts
Sunday, March 9, 2008
Saturday, February 9, 2008
Exodus 29-30:10; Matthew 26:14-46; Psalm 31:19-24; Proverbs 8:14-26 (New Living Translation)
Old Testament
1. The ordination of Aaron and his sons.
2. Animals sacrificed for our sins. Remember Adam and Eve, God sacrificed the first animals to make garments for them after they had sinned. In our new testament lesson we see that Jesus is sacrificed for our sins.
New Testament
3. Judas given 30 pieces of silver to betray Christ. From a previous lesson in Exodus we learned that this is the price of a slave.
4. Lately there has been a school of thought trying to promote the idea that betraying Jesus was Judas ministry. Once again if we turn to the scriptures and read it for ourselves, what Jesus says is..."But how terrible it will be for the one who betrays him. It would be far better for that man if he had never been born!” These two thoughts don't go together. If this were Judas ministry, what he was born to do to help save a broken world, I would expect Jesus to say that He would be rewarded in and by the kingdom for completion of His task. Not that he was better off dead (as some translations say), or to have never been born. Ouch!
5. So, what do you think about this being Judas' ministry, to betray Jesus?
6. Judas persists in playing the game by asking,..."am I the one?" When he knows full well it is him.
7. Jesus celebrates the Passover with the disciples.
8. Jesus predicts Peter's denial. And true to form, hot-headed and impetuaous Peter thinks, feels and says that this is not possible.
9. Jesus prays at Gethsemane
- He takes Peter, James and John
- “My soul is crushed with grief to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.” My soul is crushed...Have you ever been there? If you have, then you want your best friends, your soul mates to watch over you. You want to be surrounded by people who have shared your highs, and aren't afraid to be with you during the low spots.
- “My Father! If it is possible, let this cup of suffering be taken away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.”
- ..."the spirit is willing, but the body is weak!”
- “My Father! If this cup cannot be taken away unless I drink it, your will be done.”
- This is another section of passage that brings up a lot of discussion and debate. Is Jesus sad? Depressed? In anguish? And, if so, why? Isn't He the Son of God? Doesn't He already know what is going to happen?
- I think that Jesus is sad and depressed. I could give all the high-minded reasons. That He is being sacrificed for a race that is not truly repentant. That these people are soooo wicked, will this be enough? Will it do any good? Will it make a difference?
- But that's not what I think is happening here. Jesus is the Son of God, part of the Trinity. The reasons that Jesus came are-
- a) to redeem us and restore God's relationship with us, and ours to Him. He's came here to live among us to remove us from eternal separation and graft us back into the family of God. And...
- b) so that He could have a human experience. How could he possible do this if He can't feel the way we do? If He doesn't know sorrow, joy, loneliness, pity, anger? If Jesus is not truly human (as well as Godly), then His sacrifice means nothing.
- He's frightened and afraid, but even now He teaches us something. He holds on for the Father's reward..."your will be done."
Psalm
10. "For the Lord protects those who are loyal to him"...be faithful.
Proverbs
11. Wisdom and common sense --> success.
See you next post...
1. The ordination of Aaron and his sons.
2. Animals sacrificed for our sins. Remember Adam and Eve, God sacrificed the first animals to make garments for them after they had sinned. In our new testament lesson we see that Jesus is sacrificed for our sins.
New Testament
3. Judas given 30 pieces of silver to betray Christ. From a previous lesson in Exodus we learned that this is the price of a slave.
4. Lately there has been a school of thought trying to promote the idea that betraying Jesus was Judas ministry. Once again if we turn to the scriptures and read it for ourselves, what Jesus says is..."But how terrible it will be for the one who betrays him. It would be far better for that man if he had never been born!” These two thoughts don't go together. If this were Judas ministry, what he was born to do to help save a broken world, I would expect Jesus to say that He would be rewarded in and by the kingdom for completion of His task. Not that he was better off dead (as some translations say), or to have never been born. Ouch!
5. So, what do you think about this being Judas' ministry, to betray Jesus?
6. Judas persists in playing the game by asking,..."am I the one?" When he knows full well it is him.
7. Jesus celebrates the Passover with the disciples.
8. Jesus predicts Peter's denial. And true to form, hot-headed and impetuaous Peter thinks, feels and says that this is not possible.
9. Jesus prays at Gethsemane
- He takes Peter, James and John
- “My soul is crushed with grief to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.” My soul is crushed...Have you ever been there? If you have, then you want your best friends, your soul mates to watch over you. You want to be surrounded by people who have shared your highs, and aren't afraid to be with you during the low spots.
- “My Father! If it is possible, let this cup of suffering be taken away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.”
- ..."the spirit is willing, but the body is weak!”
- “My Father! If this cup cannot be taken away unless I drink it, your will be done.”
- This is another section of passage that brings up a lot of discussion and debate. Is Jesus sad? Depressed? In anguish? And, if so, why? Isn't He the Son of God? Doesn't He already know what is going to happen?
- I think that Jesus is sad and depressed. I could give all the high-minded reasons. That He is being sacrificed for a race that is not truly repentant. That these people are soooo wicked, will this be enough? Will it do any good? Will it make a difference?
- But that's not what I think is happening here. Jesus is the Son of God, part of the Trinity. The reasons that Jesus came are-
- a) to redeem us and restore God's relationship with us, and ours to Him. He's came here to live among us to remove us from eternal separation and graft us back into the family of God. And...
- b) so that He could have a human experience. How could he possible do this if He can't feel the way we do? If He doesn't know sorrow, joy, loneliness, pity, anger? If Jesus is not truly human (as well as Godly), then His sacrifice means nothing.
- He's frightened and afraid, but even now He teaches us something. He holds on for the Father's reward..."your will be done."
Psalm
10. "For the Lord protects those who are loyal to him"...be faithful.
Proverbs
11. Wisdom and common sense --> success.
See you next post...
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