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Greetings in the precious and mighty name of our Saviour and Master

Lord Jesus Christ ! HEAR THE WORD OF GOD  

Here is my final conclusion: fear God and obey his commandments, for this is the entire duty of man ~ Ecc 12:13
JERUSALEM GATES

JERUSALEM GATES

JEWISH HOLIDAYS

JEWISH HOLIDAYS

JEWISH LESSONS PROPHETS PAUL
THE AMIDAH  ROMAN EMPORERS hope for the broken hearted    

Before you speak to me about your religion, first show me how you treat other people;

Before you tell me how much you love God, show me you love all His children;

Before you preach to me of your passion for your faith, teach me about it through your compassion for your neighbours;

In the end, I am not as  interested in what you have to tell or sell as I am in how you choose to live and forgive~ Cory Booker plus

 Soar High ! Breakthrough !  Deeper Life !   Let Go -   LET GOD! GOOD BETTER BEST KEEP GROWING KEEP GOING  KEEP GIVING

 

DISCIPLE  4

UNDER THE TREE OF LIFE

 

L1-FAMILY L2- HERITAGE L3-DETERIORATION L4- REBUILD L5-PREVAIL L6- RESCUE L7-WISDOM
L8-INSTRUCTION L9- FUTILE L10-ENJOY L11-CALAMITY L12-MYSTERY L13-BELOVED L14-HYMNBOOK
L15-MOURN L16- PRAISE L17-INCARNATION L18-NEW BIRTH L19- BREAD L20-GUIDANCE L21-BELIEVE
L22-ABIDE L23-CROSS L24-GO TELL L25-UNITY L26-SPEECH L27-APOCALYPSE L28-LISTEN
L29-WOE WOE WOE L30-PERSECUTION L30-PERSECUTION L32-FOREVER      

 

LESSON

TOPIC

DATE

Remarks

 

THE WRITINGS

 

 

1

Redeem the Inheritance

25 February

L1-FAMILY

2

The Dream Restored

4 March

 L2- HERITAGE

3

Rise & Fall of Faithfulness

11 March

  L3-DETERIORATION

4

To Build Again

18 March

 L4- REBUILD

5

For Such A Time As This

25 March

 L5-PREVAIL

6

The Approaching Kingdom

1 April

 L6- RESCUE

7

The Beginning of Knowledge

8 April

 L7-WISDOM

8

The Path of Life

15 April

 L8-INSTRUCTION

9

Destined to Die

22 April

 L9- FUTILE

10

Life is A Gift

29 April

 L10-ENJOY

11

A Just Complaint

6 May

 L11-CALAMITY

12

On God’s Terms

13 May

 L12-MYSTERY

13

Affairs of the Heart

20 May

 L13-BELOVED

14

Songs of Faith

27 May

L14-HYMNBOOK

15

Songs of Pain

3 June

  L15-MOURN

 

YOUNG ADULTS RETREAT/ CHURCH CAMP

10 June 15 June

 

16

Songs of Joy

24 June

 L16- PRAISE

 

JOHN & REVELATION

 

 

17

The Word Became A Human Being

1 July

 L17-INCARNATION

18

Born of Water & Spirit

8 July

 L18-NEW BIRTH

19

Bread of Life

15 July

 L19- BREAD

20

Light of the World

22 July

 L20-GUIDANCE

21

The Coming Hour

29 July

 L21-BELIEVE

22

Power to Bear Fruit

5 August

 L22-ABIDE

23

Where No One Else Can Go

12 August

 L23-CROSS

24

Weeping Turn to Witness

19 August

 L24-GO TELL

25

Our Life Together

26 August

 L25-UNITY

26

The Power of The Tongue

2 September

 L26-SPEECH

27

Vision of End Time

9 September

 L27-APOCALYPSE

28

Letters to The Churches

16 September

 L28-LISTEN

29

What Must Take Place

23 September

 L29-WOE WOE WOE

30

The Power of Evil

30 September

 L30-PERSECUTION

31

A New Heaven & A New Earth

Class Retreat 11 Oct (Sat) (9am to 5pm)

 L30-PERSECUTION

L32-FOREVER

32

Under the Tree of Life

lion and lambs

eschatology

Pre-Trib Rapture vs Mid-Trib or Post-Trib

CHARTS - CLARENCE LARKIN CHARTS  
Pre-Trib Rapture - RB    
The Forbidden Chapter: Isaiah 53 in the Hebrew Bible    

ODB- series

Iran in the Bible: The Mysterious Prophecy of Isaiah 53 Signs of the End Times
The 7 Churches of Revelation

The Seven Churches- RB

7 letters- Brucee Gore

Turkey Biblical Sites Seven Churches

 

Ephesus | The 7 Churches of Revelation  

Robert Breaker

Creation & Human History

Church History

robert breaker  THE WORLD SYSTEM Gap Theory Demons 1st resurrection times

7 plagues daniel 70th  year Rapture  7 raptures Matt 24  Passover  7 feasts israel Last days HS

14400 2 witnerss where dead go 7 i AM in  John Kingdom  rev 15 signs bible numbers  

The World System   Gap Theory Demons where dead go
Israel-Jews   Bible covenants Israel Jubilee Israel last days
Passover   7 feasts israel easter christmas
Land of Palestine        
    Waterbaptism Bible marriage Fornication
7 churches

7 churches

 

  7 plagues 7 mysteries

7 Mysteries

Born Again
times    Times & Seasons bible numbers Dispensations
    Athenian spirit Kingdom Bride 
       
Pray

Blessings and GRace

Grace of God

Sunday

 

  Heb 12

1 Thess 4

2 Thess

7 i AM in  John

1 Cor 15

Acts 5

Eph 4

Eph 5

James 1:1

James 1

James 2

Galations   1st resurrection 7 resurrection  
Calvinist   Catholic   Jehovah Witness
       
Jesus vs Paul

Paul epistles

Paul Ministry

Paul-set dates

Why Paul

Apostle doctrine

  Pentacostal

Holy Spirit

Receiving HS

Last days HS

Tongues

Charismatic

Understanding bible

OT

NT

OT-NT SALVATION

New T -divide

Gospel of salvation

Witnessing

Christian

Blood of Jesus

Trust the Blood

Bloodless Gospel

END TIMES

Apotasy   rev 15 signs God timeline-Jews  
Rapture   Rapture 7 raptures Raptures
No One Knows   Last Days 2 witnessess 14400
Tribulation   Day of the Lord daniel 70th  year Pre Trib
End Times The Anti Christ   Matt 24 18 Types Anti Christ Pre Wrath Rapture
Armagedon        
Millenium Kingdom        
The Judgement   7 judgements    
         
         
 
WHITEBOARD LESSONS
BIBLE PAUL

 

TOWER OF BABEL   ISAIAH PROPHECIES
OT ACTS PROPHETS   SCIENTIFIC FACTS
NT MOSES-JESUS TORAH   EDEN
GOSPELS PASSOVER STORY      
MATTHEW PASSOVER GUIDE      
MARK        
LUKE        
JOHN        
         
         
         
History of the world  

JOHN WESLEY 

GARDEN OF EDEN    

 

 

BIBLE

 

TIMELINE OF THE BIBLE

 

The Bible is a very strange book to modern minds. Even the passages we know very well contain a great number of oddities and  "universals"--themes that are repeated, the most amazing Creation Week as a common literary structure in the Bible.

We can only read by visualisation of the sound, smell, sight, taste and touches as the Word embodies.

We can also use the SOAP approach as a devotional tool -Scripture , Observation, Application and Prayer as a reflection of the lessons, promises, revelation knowledge of God's word.

The Bible, the movement from glorious beginning to the greater glory of the end. It might have looked like scattered fragments. It shows coherence and recurring sequences where you might have seen only randomness and confusion. It gives the world in a grain of sand,  each passage and portion of the Bible is a lens through which the whole is uniquely refracted.

 

BIBLE PROJECT

 

 

OLD TESTAMENT 
Genesis

more

 

Joshua Job Isaiah

more

Amos
Exodus

more

 

Judges Psalms Jeremiah Obadiah
Leviticus

more

 

Ruth Proverbs Lamentations Jonah
Numbers 1 Samuel Ecclesiastes

more

 

Ezekiel

more

Micah
Deuteronomy

more

2 Samuel Song of Solomon Daniel Nahum
  1 Kings   Hosea Habakkuk
  2 Kings   Joel Zephaniah
  1 Chronicles     Haggai
  2 Chronicles     Zechariah
  Ezra     Malachi
  Nehemiah      
  Esther      
         
 

NEW TESTAMENT 

 

Matthew

more

 

Acts 

More

1 Thessalonians Hebrews Revelation

More

Mark

 

Romans

More

 

2 Thessalonians James  
Luke

more

 

1 Corinthians 1 Timothy 1 Peter  
John

more

 

2 Corinthians 2 Timothy 2 Peter  
  Galatians Titus 1 John  
  Ephesians Philemon 2 John  
  Philippians   3 John  
  Colossians   Jude  
         

JOURNEY THRU THE BIBLE

 

 

OLD TESTAMENT 

TEXT

 

Genesis Joshua Job Isaiah Amos
Exodus Judges Psalms Jeremiah Obadiah
Leviticus Ruth Proverbs Lamentations Jonah
Numbers 1 Samuel Ecclesiastes Ezekiel Micah
Deuteronomy 2 Samuel Song of Solomon Daniel Nahum
  1 Kings   Hosea Habakkuk
  2 Kings   Joel Zephaniah
  1 Chronicles     Haggai
  2 Chronicles     Zechariah
  Ezra     Malachi
  Nehemiah      
  Esther      
 

OLD TESTAMENT

VIDEOS 

 

Genesis Joshua Job Isaiah Amos
Exodus Judges Psalms Jeremiah Obadiah
Leviticus Ruth Proverbs Lamentations Jonah
Numbers 1 Samuel Ecclesiastes Ezekiel Micah
Deuteronomy 2 Samuel Song of Solomon Daniel Nahum
  1 Kings   Hosea Habakkuk
  2 Kings   Joel Zephaniah
  1 Chronicles     Haggai
  2 Chronicles     Zechariah
  Ezra     Malachi
  Nehemiah      
  Esther      
 
 

NEW TESTAMENT 

TEXT

 

Matthew Acts  1 Thessalonians Hebrews Revelation
Mark Romans 2 Thessalonians James  
Luke 1 Corinthians 1 Timothy 1 Peter  
John 2 Corinthians 2 Timothy 2 Peter  
  Galatians Titus 1 John  
  Ephesians Philemon 2 John  
Philippians 3 John
  Colossians   Jude  
         
         
         
 

NEW TESTAMENT 

VIDEOS

 

Matthew Acts  1 Thessalonians Hebrews Revelation
Mark Romans 2 Thessalonians James  
Luke 1 Corinthians 1 Timothy 1 Peter  
John 2 Corinthians 2 Timothy 2 Peter  
  Galatians Titus 1 John  
  Ephesians Philemon 2 John  
  Philippians   3 John  
  Colossians   Jude  
         
         
         

 

THE LAST SUPPER

Lamentation over the Dead Christ by Niccolň dell’Arca and Andrea Mantegna.

   

 

Introduction to the Prophets

Prophets -  northern kingdom of Israel and the southern kingdom of Judah.

Period

Northern
Kings

Northern
Prophets

Southern
Kings

Southern
Prophets

United kingdom under Saul, David, Solomon, c. 1030 - 931

Divided
kingdom

Jeroboam (931-910)

Nadab (910-909)

Baasha (909-886)

Elah (886)

Zimri (885)

Omri (885-874)

Ahab (874-853)

Jehoram (852-841)

Jehu (841-814)

Jehoahaz (814-798)

Jehoash (798-782)

Jeroboam II (793-753)

Zechariah (753-752)

Shallum (752)

Menahem 752-742)

Pekahiah (742-740)

Pekah (752-732)

Hoshea (732-722)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Elijah

 

Elisha

 

 

Amos

Jonah

 

 

 

 

Hosea

Rehoboam (931-913)

Abijah (913)

Asa (911-870)

 

 

 

Jehoshaphat (873-848)

Jehoram (853-841)

Queen Athaliah (841-835)

Joash (835-796)

Amaziah (796-767)

Uzziah (790-740)

Jotham (750-731)

 

 

 

 

Ahaz (735-715)

Hezekiah (715-686)

Manasseh (695-642)

Amon (642-640)

Josiah (640-609)

Jehoahaz (609)

Jehoiakim (609-597)

Jehoiachin (597)

Zedekiah (597-586)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Obadiah

Joel

 

Isaiah

 

 

 

 

Micah

 

 

 

Jeremiah

Zephaniah
Huldah
Nahum

Habakkuk

Babylonian
exile

 

 

 

Ezekiel

Daniel

Post-exilic
prophets

 

 

Zerubbabel, governor

 

Nehemiah, governor

Haggai

Zechariah

Malachi

 PAUL

 

BOOK OF ACTS

Study of Paul in Acts

ACTS 13 ACTS 14 ACTS 15 ACTS 16 ACTS 17
ACTS 18 ACTS 19 ACTS 20 ACTS 21 ACTS 22
 

Quick guide to St. Paul’s travels

Quick Guide to the Pauline Epistles

WHO WAS PAUL, AND HOW SHOULD WE UNDERSTAND HIS EPISTLES?

 

THE APOSTLE PAUL IN GREECE WITH IAN PAUL AND STEPHEN TRAVIS

THE APOSTLE PAUL'S CORINTH BY IAN PAUL & STEPHEN TRAVIS AN ON LOCATION GUIDE

 

The Complete Story of Paul: The Apostle to the Gentiles

The History Of St. Paul, The Apostle With David Suchet (Part One) | Our History

Who was Paul of Tarsus? Jewish Biography as History Dr. Henry Abramson

Paul's Journey to

 Damascus

Paul's Journey to Cyprus,

Pamphylia & Galatia

. Paul's Journey to

 Phrygia & Macedonia

 Paul's Journey to

 Ephesus, Philippi

& Corinth

 Paul's Journey

to Rome

 
Paul's Letters to Galatia

 & Thessalonica

Paul's Letters to Corinth &

Rome

Paul's Letters to

 Ephesus, Colossae

& Philippi

 Paul's Letters to

Timothy & Titus

The Letter

to the Jewish

 believers

 

ROMAN EMPORERS

PAUL'S LETTERS

Who Wrote The Bible

 

PAULS 3 MISSIONARY TRIPS

   

 JEWISH LESSONS

       
       
       
       

535 BCE- 200 CE  - The 6 Periods of Political Rules

 

535  333 BCE Persian Period

1.Persian king Cyrus, allowed the Jews to return to their homeland and rebuild their temple ( religious tolerance)

2. Persian Empire Under wrote the $ for Temple rebuilding

3. Ezra & Nehemiah – consolidating the modality of worship

4. Limited enthusiasm to return to Zion ( <50,000). Most Jews remain in Babylonia

5. Social Consolidation effort: Banning Intermarriage to retain ‘Jewishness’

6. Result in conflict with neighbors – Samaria which was also under Persian rule

7. In Jewish tradition it is believed that the period of prophecy ended with Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi

8. The beginning of the antagonist relationship between Jews and Samaritans

 

       
       

Who Is a Jew ?

Nehemiah’s Social Consolidation effort by banning Intermarriage to retain ‘Jewishness’…. Political Or Religious Reason?

Who Is a Jew: Patrilineal or Matrilineal Descent?

According to traditional Jewish law (halacha), Jewishness is passed down through the mother. So, if your mother was Jewish, you are too. This position is held by most members of the Conservative and Orthodox communities. The Reform movement recognizes the children of one Jewish parent — mother or father — as a Member of the Tribe if the child is raised Jewish.
Some people say that Judaism goes by matrilineal descent because we always know who a person’s mother is, and we don’t always know who a person’s father is. However, a person’s status as a priest, Levite, or Israelite is passed down from the father, and such distinctions were of utmost importance in biblical and Rabbinic times (and still, to a certain degree, today).

Key Takeaways
1. The "Shechinah departed from Israel“ a.k.a Holy Spirit
2. The beginning of the antagonist relationship between Jews and Samaritans – who is a Jew?
3. Differences in Opinion over what constituted Sacred Text (Pentateuch vs Tanakh)
4. Alphabet set change - Jesus “Jot & Tittle”Differences
5. Samaritans also have their own temple at Mt Gerizim
 

A.J Levine
1. “Rule of three”: the first two set up the third
2. For Jesus’ Audience, Mention a priest and a Levite, and anyone who know Judaism will know the third person is an Israelite.
3. Both priest and Levite should have stopped to help. The audience, surprised at this lack of compassion, would presumed that the third person would be an Israelite and he would help.
4. Surprise!.. The ‘enemy’ is the one that helps. It is Jesus’ warning against prejudice
5. Jewish listeners might balk at the idea of receiving Samaritan aid. They might have thought. "I'd rather die than acknowledge that one from that group saved me.”

 

The Samaritans

Who are the Samaritans

who is a Jew

The Parable of the Good Samaritan

Luke 10: 25-37 (ESV)

 
       

334  323 BCE Greek Period (Alexander the Great)

Jews in Greek and Roman periods

Simon the Just (Shimon Hatzadik)

1. Tradition has it that Alexander the Great wanted to destroy Jerusalem. He was then conducting a war against Syria and Phoenicia and he wanted the Jews of Palestine to help him. The Jews informed him that they cannot do so because they swore loyalty to king Darius the Mede.
2. Hearing this Alexander announced to his soldiers that he would take revenge. When the Jews heard that Alexander was marching on Jerusalem with a great army they were stricken with fear. The High Priest Simon the Just together with all the priests and elders went to greet him. Simon the Just was dressed in the priestly vestments that he used to wear when going into the Holy of Holies during the service on the Day of Atonement.

3. As soon as Alexander saw him he descended from his chariot and bowed to him. The commanders of his troops asked him what happened to make the conqueror of so many lands, who placed his foot on the necks of so many kings, bow before a Jew whom he previously threatened to destroy.

4. Alexander answered that every night preceding a victory he saw an old man in his
dream who resembled the Jewish High Priest.
5. He therefore refused to do him any harm and believed that being kind to him would bring him luck in the coming wars. Simon the Just then led Alexander into the Temple. Alexander liked the Temple and asked that a stone image of himself be placed near the altar. Simon the Just answered that this was impossible because the Jewish faith does not allow images in the Temple. But he promised to immortalize the memory of Alexander’s kindness in another manner.

6. He had all the boys, who were born that year, named Alexander. The king liked this idea even better than having his statue near the altar. (The Jewish Spiritual Heroes)


Key Events Recap
1. Conquest of Alexander the Great of Israel without
destruction (Simon the Just)
2. Samaria supported and then rebelled against
Alexander the Great.
3. Start of the Hellenization of Jewish culture

 

 

 Greek Period- Alexander the Great

Greek Influence and Alexander the Great  Athens and Jerusalem (Jewish History Lab)  
       
       

323  204 BCE Ptolemaic Period (Greek-descended Egyptian)

After Alexander the Great- Hellenization


1. Alexander died in 323 B.C., and his death plunged his empire into a civil war that lasted for the next 20 years. Eventually, his empire was divided among various generals, the two most important being Seleucus and Ptolemy.
2. Seleucus received most of Asia Minor, Syria, and Mesopotamia. This was known as the Seleucid kingdom. Ptolemy received Egypt, which became known as the Ptolemaic kingdom.
3. Judea was located right between the Seleucids to the north and the Ptolemies to the south. During most of the 3rd century B.C., it was under the rule of the Ptolemies. During most of the 2nd century B.C., it was under the rule of the Seleucids.
 

Ptolemaic Period- Peace with Religious Freedom and The Septuagint
Seleucid Period - War with temple in eqypt - Antiochus IV -Abomination of Desolation
 

Jewish Independence (Maccabean/Hasmonean Period) Retook Temple - Hannakuh means “Dedication” - Maccabean -foreign and homegrown Hellenism – Beginning of Pharisees and Sadducees
Roman Intervention in civil war- War between Hasmonean rulers - Forced conversions of the Idumeans

Hanukkah Part I, The Ptolemaic Empire

Winter holidays around the world have light as their central theme. So too is the case with Hanukkah where we celebrate the miracle of the olive oil that fueled the Menorah at the rededication of the Temple of Jerusalem by the Maccabees in 164 B.C.E.

Key Events - Expanded
1. Both the Seleucid and Ptolemaic economies flourished from 300 to 220 BCE.

2. Israel prospered due to the connection between the Seleucid and the Ptolemaic empire

3. There was a rivalry between the Ptolemaic in Egypt and the Seleucid Syrian Empire with Jews in Israel and Babylon caught in between.

4. The Ptolemaic empire began to build Alexandria as the capital which attracted Jews.

5. Alexandria was to be the ‘Greatest Greek City in the world’ – successful in many areas like arts & science Ptolemaic Period (Greek-descended Egyptian) 323 – 204 BCE

6. By 250 BCE, Alexandria was one of the largest cities in the world with a population of ~ 1 million. 25% of the population was Jewish

7. A close relationship between the Jews of Alexandria and Jerusalem developed.

8. Jews in Alexandria also became Greek-speaking

9. The high priest of Jerusalem became an important figure in the Jewish nation and the power of the Jewish Nation still resides in Jerusalem rather than in Alexandria

10. By 220 BCE, Ptolemy IV reverted to Egyptian culture from Greek traditions.

 

1. The Septuagint

(Pentateuch translated)

Greek version of Old testament / LXX

Antiochus Epiphanes Ptolemaic  
       
       
       
       

204  165 BCE Seleucid Period (Greek-descended Syrian)

Key Events
1. Both Seleucid and Ptolemaic economies flourished from 300 to 220 BCE.
2. In 220 BCE, the Ptolemy IV reverted back to Egyptian culture and traditions.
3. Seleucid Antiochus III wanted to ‘re-constituted’ Alexander the Great Empire Hellenization program by conquering Egypt once again.
4. Antiochus III managed to annex Israel from Ptolemy’s control in 199 BCE
5. High Priest in Jerusalem, Onias III who was loyal to Ptolemy, left Israel with 9000 for Egypt and both Onias III/IV built another temple in Leontopolis in Egypt.
6. Jason, brother of Onias III was appointed high priest in Jerusalem by Antiochus III.
7. Antiochus IV became the greatest threat that Israel ever known to that time. Born in Athens he was a disciple of Hellenism. He is described as the Nero of Jewish history.
8. Antiochus IV Sought to unify Kingdom through Strict Hellenization
9. Antiochus IV robbed temples and increased taxes.
10. He sold the office of the high Priest to the highest bidder, angering the Jews. A newcomer named Menelaus outbid Jason in 171 BCE
11. Tried to turn Jerusalem into a Greek city.
12. Antiochus IV, also called Epiphanes waged war on Egypt. The second campaign is cut short by Roman intervention.

13. He retreated shamefully and vented his anger on Jerusalem

14. He also attacked Jerusalem on Sabbath knowing orthodox Jews would not fight and killed many people. The city was plundered and burned

15. 167 BCE, Antiochus IV forbade the people to live by their ancestral laws, observance of Sabbath, festivals, and circumcision and destroyed copies of Torah
 

1.The “Abomination of Desolation”
2. High Priest role to the highest bidder - the priesthood was of divine origin, and its sale to the highest bidder was looked upon as a grave sin against God.
3. Three co-existing temples – Jerusalem, Mt Gerizim, Leontopolis
 

       
       
       
       
       

167 - 65 BCE Jewish Independent (Maccabean/Hasmonean Period)

Français : Matthatias refuse de sacrifier aux idoles Artist Gustave Popelin

1. The Revolution was flamed by Antiochus IV “Abomination of Desolation”
2. It started when a Seleucid soldier forced the Jewish priest Mattathias (Matityahu) to offer a pagan sacrifice at Modein
3. Mattathias refused. He kills the soldier and flees to the mountains with his 5 sons. They started a guerilla war.
4. Mattathias died in 166 BCE and his son Judas(Yehudah) continued to lead the revolt –

and became known as “Maccabeus” (the hammer)


5. Judas led the retaking of the temple exactly 3 years after 
Antiochus IV defiled it. Jewish sacrifices and rituals were reinstated and Hannakuh was created to remember the day.
6. 
Hannukah means “Dedication”. This is the Miracle of oil in Menorah
burning for 8 days when there was only 1 day’s worth of oil.

7. The war with Seleucid continued, and Judas also died in battle. His brothers Jonathan and Simon were also killed.

The Maccabees refused to accept the terms of peace with the Seleucid.
8. The war only stopped in 134 BCE when the Maccabees attained full
independence from the Seleucid.
9. The last brother John Hyrcanus became high priest in 134 BCE.

He also greatly expanded the kingdom and inaugurated the Hasmonean Dynasty.
10. This was also the beginning of the Pharisees and Sadducees sect.
 

 

       
       
       
       
       

65 BCE  135 CE  Roman Period

Roman Period 65 BCE – 70 CE

ANTIPATER


1. Antipater the Idumean of Edomite descent (who was also Herod’s Father), through forced conversion, was chosen by Roman General Pompey to be the ‘key advisor’ to Hyrcanus II.

2. Hyrcanus II became ‘Ethnarch’ meaning ruler, and Antipater the governor of
Judea.

3. Antipater appointed Herod as military governor of Galilee and his brother, Phasael, over Judea.

4. Antipater died, and civil war broke out. Herod appealed
 

HEROD

1. Herod the Great ruled Judea from 37 BCE to 4 CE.
2. Octavian who became Caesar Augustus ‘promoted’ Herod to be ‘king of the Jews’.
3. People never saw Herod as the rightful Jewish king which infuriated him.
4. Herod’s biggest gift to Jews was renovating their temple.
5. Herod was cunning, clever, and constantly suspicious of conspiracy against him.
6. Herod killed many family members who he suspected conspired against him. His wife, Mariamme who was a Hasmonean Princess, was also killed


1. When Herod died, his sons contested his will and appealed to Caesar.
2. Caesar divided Herod’s kingdom among them and they became Ethnarchs –
Archelaus over Judea/Samaria/Idumea, Antipas over Galilee & Philip over Syria.
3. Archelaus was erratic and was replaced with Roman governors (these were Pilate, Felix and Festus mentioned in the New Testament).
4. Herod’s grandson, Agrippa I, who had a stronger claim to Jewish identity through matrilineal descent, regained the title of ‘king of the Jews’
 

The role of the high Priest the Roman period

1. The office of high priest became a political tool in the hands of the Roman administration.
2. Herod, in an attempt to completely disassociate himself from the Hasmonean dynasty, passed the priesthood into the hands of such houses as Phiabi and Boethus, both having been transplanted from the Jewish Diaspora.
3. Although the high priests continued to serve as presidents of the Sanhedrin, both their actual powers and measure of esteem among the people gradually deteriorated.
4. The high priests from the Hasmonean period onward were primarily Sadducees, and frequent quarrels erupted between the Sadducees and the Pharisees, even during the Roman peiod
5. By the end of the Second Temple period, the high priest was considered no more than a religious functionary of the Roman administration.
6. Even the garments of the high priest were entrusted at times to the hands of the local Roman procurator and handed over to the priests just before the various festivals.
 

High Priest during Jesus’ & Apostles’ time– Not Lifetime ‘guaranteed’ position!

The High Priests During Jesus’ Life
1. Jesus, son of See (until 6 C.E)
2. Annas (6–15)
3. Ishmael b. Phiabi (c. 15–16)
4. Eleazar, son of Annas (c. 16–17)
5. Simon, son of Kamithos (17–18)
6. Joseph Caiaphas (c. 18–37)
7. Jonathan, son of Annas (Easter to Pentecost 37)
8. Theophilus, son of Annas (from 37)
9. Simon Kantheras, son of Boethus (from 41)
10. Matthias, son of Annas
11. Elionaius, son of Kantheras (c. 44)
12. Joseph, son of Kami (c. 45–46)
 

Key Takeaways
1. Herod became king but with no heirs
2. Renovated Temple but with Roman ideas built in (Marketplace)
3. High Priest role appointed by Roman Administration
 

 

 

The Rise of the Rabbis

     
       
       
       
       

65 BCE  135 CE  Roman Period

Great Assembly…
Key Functions and Contributions:


The Great Assembly, a body of Jewish sages and leaders, is traditionally associated with the early stages of canonization.
They are believed to have played a crucial role in the editing, compiling, and preservation of sacred texts, including the Torah and some of the Prophets.


1. Codification of Jewish Law: The Great Assembly is credited with the final editing and codification of the Hebrew Bible, particularly the Torah. They helped to solidify the text and ensured its transmission to future generations.
2. Establishment of Prayer Practices: They are also credited with formalizing Jewish prayer, including the composition of key prayers like the Amidah, which remains central to Jewish liturgy.
3. Institution of Religious and Ethical Norms: The assembly laid down many of the ethical and moral teachings that became foundational in Jewish tradition. They emphasized the importance of Torah study, prayer, and acts of kindness.
4. Transition of Prophecy to Wisdom: The Great Assembly marked a transition from the era of prophecy to the era of wisdom and rabbinic leadership. With the
 

WHAT IS ZUGOT?


The Zugot (Hebrew: "pairs") were a series of five pairs of Jewish sages who led the Sanhedrin (the Jewish supreme court) during the period of the Second Temple in Jerusalem, from around 170 BCE to 30 CE.
Each pair consisted of a Nasi (president) and an Av Beit Din (head of the court), and they played a significant role in the development of Jewish oral law.
The period of the Zugot was significant in Jewish history as it set the stage for the
development of Rabbinic Judaism ( i.e after 70 CE).
The discussions and debates between these pairs contributed to the shaping of the Mishnah, which is the foundational text of the Jewish oral tradition ( Oral Law).

Who were the Zugot?


1. Jose ben Joezer (Nasi) and Jose ben Johanan (Av Beit Din) - Active around the middle of the 2nd century BCE.
2. Joshua ben Perachiah (Nasi) and Nittai of Arbela (Av Beit Din) - Led during the latter part of the 2nd century BCE.
3. Judah ben Tabbai (Nasi) and Shimon ben Shetach (Av Beit Din) - Key figures in the early
1st century BCE, known for their opposition to the Sadducees.
4. Shemayah (Nasi) and Avtalyon (Av Beit Din) - Mid-1st century BCE leaders, traditionally said to have been converts or descendants of converts.
5. Hillel (Nasi) and Shammai (Av Beit Din) - The most famous of the Zugot, active at the turn of the Common Era. Their differing interpretations of Jewish law laid the foundation for much of the later Talmudic debate.
 

Who is Shammai?

1. Shammai was likely a Palestinian Jew. His family was relatively well off, and he was an engineer by trade.
2. Shammai, a conservative, belonged to the upper classes and followed strictly the older, rigid, Oral Tradition.
3. A man of an irascible temperament, he adhered to the "letter of the law" in most
cases, believing it was the responsibility of Jews to uphold the Torah absolutely.
1. Shammai was the Av Bet Din, the "Father," or Senior Judge, of the Court of the Great Sanhedrin.
2. Shammai was the head of the great school, the Beit Shammai (House of Shammai).


Who is Hillel?

1. Hillel was born in Babylon. He descended from the Tribe of Benjamin on his father's side, and from the family of David on his mother's side.
2. Hillel was known for his kindness and winsome personality, by which he would draw secular-minded Jews under the wings of the divine. Hillel was known for teaching the ‘Spirit of the Torah’. Hillel devoted himself to studying the Torah whilst also working as a woodcutter.
3. Hillel lived in Jerusalem during the time of King Herod and the Roman emperor Augustus. His 40 years of leadership likely covered the period of 30 BCE to 10 CE. Hillel was its Nasi, or President of the Sanherian
4. Hillel was the head of the great school, the Beit Hillel (House of Hillel)
 

 

The Men of the Great Assembly

Zugot Making Sense of the Chosen 10.Shammai and Hillel  JESUS - HILLEL
       

AMIDAH

https://hebrew4christians.com/Prayers/Daily_Prayers/
Shemoneh_Esrei/H4C-weekday-amidah.pdf
 

The Amidah תפילת (Hebrew: Tefilatהעמידה,
HaAmidah, 'The Standing Prayer'), also called the Shemoneh Esreh שמנה עשרה ('eighteen'),

 is the central prayer of the Jewish liturgy.

https://hebrew4christians.com/Prayers/Daily_Prayers/ Shemoneh_Esrei/H4C-weekday-amidah.pdf

The first three benedictions state the fundamental beliefs of Judaism in the one true creator God;
1. God of History
2. God of nature
3. The God who sanctifies

The intermediate benedictions 4-15 are petitions. 4-9 are personal in nature;
4. For understanding
5. Repentance
6. Forgiveness
7. Deliverance from affliction
8. Healing
9. Deliverance from want.


The 10th -15th benedictions are national petitions;
10. For the reunion of Israel
11. The righteous reign of God
12. Against slanderers, informers and traitors***
13. For the righteous
14. The rebuilding of Jerusalem
15. The Messianic King.


Benedictions 16-18 are regarding service to God:
16. The Hearing of Prayer
17. The Temple Service
18. Thanksgiving for God's mercies.
19. Grant Peace
 

 

 
 

 

JERUSALEM GATES

The Valley of The Shadow of Death, Jerusalem

map of gates

city gates

Gates in Nehemiah

3. JAFFA GATE 4. NEW GATE  

7. LIONS GATE

 

1. DUNG GATE  
   

5. DAMASCUS GATE

 

8. GOLDEN GATE

The Eastern Gate in Prophecy

2. ZION GATE  
   

6. HEROD GATE

 

     
         

JEWISH HOLIDAYS

JEWISH HOLIDAYS

The Passover Seder: Hanukkah

Hanukkah Story

 

 

via dolorosa

14 stations

video

chinese

HEBREW ALPHABETS 
Haggadah For Your Seder Menorahs Have Only 7 Branches?      
Yom Ha'atzmaut: Israel Independence Day Rosh Hashanah? The Jewish New Year      
Shavuot

Book of Ruth

Yom Kippur? The Jewish High Holiday      
Counting the Omer Sukkot: Ecclesiastes Reimagined      
Tisha B'av Tu B'shvat Tale      
Shabbat Dinner Purim      
Havdalah (Learn the blessings!)        
         
 
 
         

 

aerial aerial2 aerial3
     
     
BABYLON SEIGE OF MASADA 73AD siege of jerusalem
BABYLON SITE JERUSALEM AND THE LOST TEMPLE OF THE JEWS 3RD TEMPLE LOCATION
SOLOMON TEMPLE

SOLOMON TEMPLE

COMING TEMPLE REAL LOCATION
How to deal with dark times- Tim Keller Why Does God Allow So Much Suffering and Evil? John MacA The Problem of Suffering and the Goodness of God - Ravi Zacharias

L1-FAMILY

 L2- HERITAGE

  L3-DETERIORATION

 L4- REBUILD

 L5-PREVAIL

 L6- RESCUE

 L7-WISDOM

 L8-INSTRUCTION

 L9- FUTILE

 L10-ENJOY

 L11-CALAMITY

 L12-MYSTERY

 L13-BELOVED

L14-HYMNBOOK

  L15-MOURN

 L16- PRAISE

L17-INCARNATION

 L18-NEW BIRTH

 L19- BREAD

 L20-GUIDANCE

 L21-BELIEVE

 L22-ABIDE

 L23-CROSS

 L24-GO TELL

 L25-UNITY

 L26-SPEECH

 L27-APOCALYPSE

 L28-LISTEN

 L29-WOE WOE WOE

 L30-PERSECUTION

 L30-PERSECUTION

L32-FOREVER

L1-FAMILY  1 Redeem the Inheritance
Ruth said,

`Do not press me to leave you

or to turn back from following you!

Where you go, I will go;

where you lodge, I will lodge;

your people shall be my people,

and your God my God."

—Ruth 1:16

OUR HUMAN CONDITION

Maintaining family is hard work. Family is constrictive, demanding, and not always convenient for us. Caring for others can be exhausting and painful. Staying connected is not easy. It's all we can do to look after ourselves.

PSALM OF THE WEEK
For thirty-two weeks, every day, every week, we will live in the Psalms. We will join our voices with the faith community that stretches across the centuries and reaches around the world. Pray Psalm 146 aloud each day this week.
 

146 你们要赞美耶和华!

我的心啊,你要赞美耶和华。

2 我要一生赞美耶和华,

一息尚存都要赞美祂。

3 你们不要倚靠权贵,

不要倚靠世人,

他们救不了你们。

4 他们气息一断,便归回尘土,chéntǔ

他们的打算转眼成空。

5 蒙雅各的上帝相助、仰望Yǎngwŕng上帝耶和华的人有福了!

6 耶和华创造了天、地、海和其中的万物,

祂永远信实Xěnshí可靠。

7 祂为受压制的人申冤,Shēnyuān

赐食Cě shí物给饥饿的人,

使被囚者Qiú zhě得自由。

8 耶和华叫瞎子看见,

扶持Fúchí被重担所压的人,

祂喜爱义人。

9 耶和华保护寄居异地Jějū yědě的人,

看顾Kŕngů孤儿寡妇,

祂挫败Tā cuňbŕi恶人的阴谋诡计。

10 耶和华永远掌权。

锡安啊,Xī ān a,

你的上帝要世世代代做王。

你们要赞美耶和华!

PRAYER
Pray daily before study:
"LORD, make us prosperous again,just as the rain brings water back to dry riverbeds.
Let those who wept as they planted their crops,gather the harvest with joy!" (Psalm 126:4-5, TEV).
 

Being faithful community, we take family seriously, giving high priority to family responsibilities, even extended family, often at considerable sacrifice. We reach outside family to include others.

Day 1 Ruth 1-4 (the story)
Day 2 Ruth 1 (Ruth and Naomi in Moab); Judges 3:12-30 (tension between Israel and Moab); Psalms 13; 77 (prayers for deliverance)
Day 3 Ruth 2 (Ruth meets Boaz); Leviticus 19 (be holy); 23:9-22 (appointed festivals); Deuteronomy 24:10-22 (laws to protect the poor); Psalm 69 (prayer for deliverance)
Day 4 Ruth 3 (family loyalty); Genesis 38 (Judah and Tamar); Psalm 103 (thanksgiving)
Day 5 Ruth 4 (Boaz marries Ruth); Deuteronomy 25:5-10 (redeem the inheritance); Jeremiah 32:1-15 (Jeremiah buys a field); 1 Chroni-cles 2:1-17 (descendants of Judah); Matthew 1:1-17 (Ruth, ancestor of kings); Psalm 111 (hymn of praise to the Lord)
Day 6 Read and respond to "Fruit From the Tree of Life" and "Marks of Faithful Community." Day 7 Rest
 

L2- HERITAGE The Dream Restored

 

"Say to my servant David: . . . I declare to you that the LORD will build you a house. When your days are fulfilled to go to be with your ancestors, I will raise up your offspring after you, one of your own sons, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build a house for me, and I will establish his throne forever."

—1 Chronicles 17:7, 10-12

OUR HUMAN CONDITION
Now, and who we are now, is what matters. We can't live in the past—in fact we want to be free of the past. Besides, people who look backward tend to sentimentalize the "good old days," offering us little of value for our own time. We want no claim on us by either the past or the future. Free to be, in the here and now! That's us.
 

PSALM OF THE WEEK

As you read Psalm 132 aloud daily, think about your congregation and your place of worship. Recall the people who made possible your place of worship. Say a prayer for those who prepare it weekly for worship. Picture in your mind and offer thanks for people who passed on to you both a place and a heritage of faith.

132 耶和华啊,

求你顾念大卫和他所受的一切苦难。

2 他曾向你起誓,

向雅各的大能者许愿说:

3-5 “我不为耶和华找到居所,

不为雅各的大能者找到安居之处,

必不进家门,

不沾床,不睡觉,不打盹。”

 

6 我们在以法他Ephrathah,听到约柜 yuē guě 的消息,

在基列·耶琳jī lič·yé lín找到了它。Kirjath-Jearim.

7 让我们进入耶和华的居所,

在祂脚前俯伏敬拜。Fǔfú jěng bŕi

 

8 耶和华啊,

求你起来和你大能的约柜一同进入圣所。

9 愿你的祭司jěsī身披公义,

愿你忠心的子民高声欢唱。

10 为了你仆人Púrén大卫的缘故,

求你不要弃绝Qě jué你所膏立的人。

 

11 耶和华曾向大卫起了永不废弃的誓说:fčiqě de shě shuō

“我必使你的后代继承你的王位。

12 你的后代若守我的约,

遵行我教导他们的法度,

他们的子孙必永远坐在你的宝座上。”

13 因为耶和华已经拣选Jiǎnxuǎn了锡安,

愿意将锡安作为祂的居所。

14 祂说:“这是我永远的居所;

我要住在这里,

因为我喜爱这地方。

15 我要使她粮食充足,

使她里面的穷人饮食无忧。

16 我要用救恩作她祭司的衣裳,

城里忠心的子民必高声欢唱。

17 我必使大卫的后裔在那里做王,

我必为我所膏立的预备明灯。

18 我必使他的仇敌满面羞愧,Xiūkuě,

但他头上的王冠必光芒四射。”

 

 

PRAYER

Pray daily before study:
"Happy are those whom you choose, whom you bring to live in your sanctuary.
We shall be satisfied with the good things of your house, the blessings of your sacred Temple" (Psalm 65:4, TEV).
 

Being faithful community, we value the power of memory and heritage to form us into God's worshiping people, obedient in the present and responsible to the future.

Day 1 1 Chronicles 1-6 (genealogy rooted in creation; descendants of Abraham, Judah—including David and Solomon, tribes east of the Jordan, and the Levites)
Day 2 1 Chronicles 7-12 (genealogies of northern tribes, descendants of Benjamin, people of Jerusalem after the exile, death of Saul, David anointed king)
Day 3 1 Chronicles 13-18 (bringing the ark of the covenant to Jerusalem, psalm of praise, God's covenant with David, David extends the kingdom)
Day4 1 Chronicles 19-23 (David's wars, census and plague, preparation for building the Temple, Levites and their duties)
Day 5 1 Chronicles 24-29 (divisions of worship heads, military divisions, civil officials, and Temple personnel; plans for Temple to Solomon)
Day 6 Read and respond to "Fruit From the Tree of Life" and "Marks of Faithful Community." Day 7 Rest
 

 

L3-DETERIORATION Rise & Fall of Faithfulness
 

"If my people who are called by my name humble themselves,

pray, seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land."

—2 Chronicles 7:14

 

OUR HUMAN CONDITION
We pretend to be self-sufficient, able to live freely, without boundaries. We're drawn by the claim of culture that the right choice is having many choices, that the way to live fully is to have it all.
 

PSALM OF THE WEEK

As you pray Psalm 85 aloud daily, reflect on the needs both communal and individual that call for such a prayer. Pray the prayer as your congrega­tion's prayer to God. What is being asked? What is being acknowledged? Why does your faith congre­gation need this prayer?

PRAYER
Pray daily before study:
"Turn to us, Almighty God! Look down from heaven at us; come and save your people!" (Psalm 80:14, TEV).
 

Being faithful community, we freely choose to be bound together as the people of God.

Day 1 2 Chronicles 1-5 (Solomon receives wis-dom, builds and furnishes the Temple)
Day 2 2 Chronicles 6-9 (Solomon's prayer, dedi-cation of the Temple, the queen of Sheba, death of Solomon)
Day 3 2 Chronicles 10-18 (the kingdom divided—Judah and Israel, good kings and bad kings)
Day 4 2 Chronicles 19-28 (more good and bad kings; goodness and prosperity, sin and punishment)
Day 5 2 Chronicles 29-36 (Hezekiah, the great Passover, invasion and defeat of Sen-nacherib, Josiah's reform, the book of the Law found, fall of Jerusalem, edict of Cyrus)
Day 6 Read and respond to "Fruit From the Tree of Life" and "Marks of Faithful Community." Day 7 Rest
 

 

L4- REBUILD To Build Again
 

"Thus says King Cyrus of Persia: The LORD, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth, and he has charged me to build him a house at Jerusalem in Judah. Any of those among you who are of his people—may their God be with them!—are now permitted to go up to Jerusalem in Judah, and rebuild the house of the LORD, the God of Israel—he is the God who is in Jerusalem."

—Ezra 1:2-3

OUR HUMAN CONDITION
Sometimes an opportunity comes along to take a bold action or an unpopular stand that requires total commitment, great risk, and uncertain outcome. We hesitate, then stay put. The obstacles are too great, the cost too heavy. We play it safe.
 

PSALM OF THE WEEK

As you pray Psalm 126 aloud daily, imagine cre­ative ways to express its sense of joy—perhaps through dance, a drawing, or a banner. Find a hym­nal with the song "Bringing In the Sheaves." Con­sider the words. What is the seed for sowing? the harvest reaped? the cause for rejoicing?

PRAYER
Pray daily before study:
"0 God, be kind to Zion and help her; rebuild the walls of Jerusalem" (Psalm 51:18, TEV)


Being faithful community, we stand ready to hear rather than not hear, ready to do rather than not do in order to respond to God's call and direction

Day 1 Lamentations 1-5 (lament over Jerusalem); Ezra 1-2 (Cyrus's edict, returned exiles)
Day 2 Ezra 3-6 (Temple foundation laid, opposi¬tion to rebuilding, Darius's decree); Haggai 1-2 (prophetic encouragement and warn¬ing); Ezra 7-10 (Ezra's mission, mixed marriages); Psalm 85 (prayer for restoration)
Day 3 Nehemiah 1:1-7:4 (Nehemiah's prayer, return to Jerusalem, rebuilding the wall)
Day 4 Nehemiah 7:5-10:39 (list of returned exiles, reading the Law, public confession and covenant)
Day 5 Nehemiah 11-13 (Jerusalem residents, ded-
ication of the wall, Nehemiah's reform);
Psalms 147; 149-150 (hymns of praise) Day 6 Read and respond to "Fruit From the Tree of
Life" and "Marks of Faithful Community."

Day 7 Rest


L5-PREVAIL For Such A Time As This
 

"If you keep silence at such a time as this, relief and deliver­ance will rise for the Jews from another quarter, but you and your father's family will perish. Who knows? Perhaps you have come to royal dignity for just such a time as this."

—Esther 4:14

OUR HUMAN CONDITION
Being different can bring trouble, can even be dangerous. Better to keep what we believe to our¬selves. Certainly don't want to offend anyone by what we say or do. Being serious about beliefs seems to rub people the wrong way. We want to get along with others, especially people in power. Better lie low.
 

PSALM OF THE WEEK
Keep Esther's people in mind as you pray Psalm 83 aloud daily. While the psalmist names nations and people threatening Israel in his day, call to mind the many forms of persecution Jews have faced down through history. Pray daily for Israel and its neighbors now that they may achieve a peace beneficial to all.
 

PRAYER
Pray daily before study:
"Save us by your might; answer our prayer, so that the people you love may be rescued" (Psalm 60:5, TEV
 

Being faithful community, we act in God's name when God seems silent. We stand up to persecution on God's behalf—whatever the form, wherever it occurs.Day 1

Esther 1-3 (Queen Vashti, Mordecai and Esther, Esther becomes queen, Haman's plot); Exodus 17 (Israel defeats Amalekites)
Day 2 Esther 4-6 (Esther plans to help her people, Mordecai honored); 1 Samuel 15 (Saul's war with the Amalekites)
Day 3 Esther 7-10 (Esther's feast, Haman hanged, Mordecai promoted, edict revoked, enemies of the Jews destroyed, Purim)
Day 4 Esther (Greek Version, Apocrypha duction; 11-12 (Addition A); 1-3; 13 (Addition B); 3-4; 13 (Addition C)
Day 5 Esther (Greek Version, Apocrypha)-14 (Addition C); 15 (Addition D); 5-8; 16 (Addition E); 8:13-10:3; 10:4-11:1 (Addi¬tion F)
Day 6 Read and respond to "Fruit From the Tree of Life" and "Marks of Faithful Community."
Day 7 Rest



L6- RESCUE The Approaching Kingdom

I make a decree, that in all my royal dominion people should

tremble and fear before the God of Daniel:

For he is the living God,

enduring forever.

His kingdom shall never be destroyed,

and his dominion has no end.

He delivers and rescues,

he works signs and wonders in heaven and on earth."

—Daniel 6:26-27

OUR HUMAN CONDITION
Because we assume our times and systems are forever, we make the necessary tradeoffs to fit in. Whether we recognize it or not, we all tend to con-form—in small ways, every day.
 

PSALM OF THE WEEK
Let Psalm 9 guide you in praying for the nations of the world. As you pray the psalm aloud, let the verses suggest to you needs of particular nations. Keep a balance in your view of nations as you pray for judgment, mercy, justice.
 

PRAYER
Pray daily before study:
"LORD, I have come to you for protection;
never let me be defeated!
Because you are righteous, help me and rescue me.
Listen to me and save me!
Be my secure shelter and a strong fortress to protect me;
you are my refuge and defense" (Psalm 71:1-3, TEV)

Being faithful faithful community, we actively resist faith-denying elements in our culture, whatever the cost.

Day 1 Daniel 1-3 (Daniel and his friends, Nebu-chadnezzar's dream, the fiery furnace); Leviticus 11 (clean and unclean animals); 17:10-12 (life is in the blood)
Day 2 Daniel 4-6 (Nebuchadnezzar's second dream, handwriting on the wall, the lions' den); Psalm 55 (prayer for deliverance)
Day 3 Daniel 7-12 (Daniel's visions, prayer for the people, end time)
Day 4 2 Maccabees 5-6 (Antiochus IV's persecu¬tion of Jews); 1 Maccabees 1-4 (introduc¬tion of Greek culture and religion, desecra¬tion of Temple, Jewish revolt, rededication of Temple)
Day 5 2 Esdras 3:1-5:20 (Ezra in Babylon, vision, God's ways incomprehensible, questions about coming age)

Day 6 Read and respond to "Fruit From the Tree of Life" and "Marks of Faithful Community." Day 7 Rest


L7-WISDOM The Beginning of Knowledge

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction."

—Proverbs 1:7

OUR HUMAN CONDITION
We don't like being told what to do, how to live. We resent the notion that anyone knows more about how we should act than we do. The old sayings probably aren't true anyway. We sure don't want to be bossed around, much less be disciplined by any-one else. We're not worried about consequences; we'll beat them.
 

PSALM OF THE WEEK
In Psalm 1, the righteous are compared to trees and the wicked to chaff. As you read Psalm 1 aloud on Days 1-4, think about what other images might replace trees and chaff and still carry the psalm's message. Make note of characteristics of trees and chaff. On Days 5-6, rewrite the psalm, replacing trees and chaff with other images.
 

PRAYER
Pray daily before study:
"My sins, 0 God, are not hidden from you;you know how foolish I have been.
Don't let me bring shame on those who trust in you, Sovereign LORD Almighty!
Don't let me bring disgrace to those who worship you" (Psalm 69:5-6, TEV).
 

Being faithful community, we listen to wisdom and try to incorporate those insights into daily behaviorDay 1 Read "Fruit From the Tree of Life."
Day 2 Proverbs 1-3 (awe and reverence toward God, value of wisdom)
Day 3 Proverbs 4-6 (parental instruction and warnings)
Day 4 Proverbs 7-9 (warning against adultery, the call of wisdom, wisdom at Creation, folly's invitation)
Day 5 Proverbs 10-12 (wise sayings, rewards of righteousness, dangers of wickedness)
Day 6 Proverbs 13-15 (rewards of wisdom, con-sequences of folly, danger of anger). Read and respond to "Marks of Faithful Commu-nity."
Day 7 Rest
 

Lesson 7: WISDOM The Beginning of Knowledge

Video Segment Video Presenter: Raymond C. Van Leeuwen

Professor of Biblical Studies, Eastern University. A member of CHRISTIAN BELIEVER: KNOWING GOD WITH HEART AND MIND and Hebrew and Greek editor of The Interpreter’s Bible, she is an ordained elder in the Eastern Pennsylvania Conference of the United Methodist Church.

Listen for: three themes:

1.       The characteristics of Israel’s wisdom

2.       The concept of “the fear of the LORD”

3.       The contrast between wisdom and folly

 

Video Discussion:

1.       How did Israel’s wisdom differ from the wisdom of Israel’s neighbours (characteristics of Israel’s wisdom)?

2.       What does “the fear of the LORD” mean and how does it influence wise living?

3.       Describe the way of folly and the way of wisdom.

Scripture & Study Manual

Part 1 – Psalm of the Week

1.      Pray Psalm 1 aloud

2.      Discussion & Invitation

Ř  What substitutes did you make in place of “trees” and “chaffs”?

Ř  Invitation – Read “personal” version of Psalm 1.

 

Part 2 – Plumbing Wisdom

1.  Together Read aloud: Proverbs 1:7 and Our Human Condition

2.  Now together Read aloud in reverse order:

3.  Talk in pairs about what you heard when the proverb 1:7 and “human condition” were read together


 

Part 3 Contrasting Wisdom and Folly .Work in your group and share your findings

Consider statements about wisdom & folly

1.      Wisdom is the way things really are.

2.      Wisdom contains the character of God in the stuff of existence.

3.      Folly represents invitation to evil in general.

4.      Choices have consequences.

Consider the statements one at a time:

1.      What do you think each statement is saying?

2.      What does it mean?

3.      Give an illustration or an example.

4.      In terms of your own knowledge or experience, where do you see truth in each of the statements?

Part 4 – Counsels contained in Proverbs 1-15 Form 3 groups and each take a day assignment Group 1 – Proverbs 4-6                                                          Group 2 Proverbs 7-9

Group 3 – Proverbs 10-12

 

Identify the following themes in the day’s reading

1.      Emphasis on moral formation

2.      Contrasts between the wicked and the righteous

3.      Contrasts the way of wisdom and the way of folly

4.      Fear of God as the beginning of wisdom

5.      Relationship between choice and consequence

Encounter the Word Scripture Selection: Proverbs 3:1-12; 3: 21-35

Step 1: Listen while the 2 passages are read aloud

Step 2: Form 2 groups and paraphrase the selected passage. Go through verse by verse (10mins)

Ř  What is being said?

Ř  How might it be said differently?

Ř  Paraphrase.

Ř  Share your paraphrase.

Ř   

Marks of Faithful Community

Being faithful community, we listen to wisdom and try to incorporate these insights into daily behavior.

 

1.      Discuss in your group the 3 questions in your manual under marks of Faithful Community (Page 61 of Manual)

2.      Read the Marks of Faithful Community and our Human Condition again

Ř  To what extent and in what ways does the conviction underlying the Marks of Faithful Community erase the feelings expressed in our Human Condition?

 The Radical Disciple

The Radical Disciple, open to wisdom’s guidance and correction, practices both discernment and discipline: Discernment in choosing the right path to wisdom and deciding which teachings apply in a given situation. Discipline in staying on the path and in making decisions informed by wisdom along the way.

Discuss:

1.       What is taken into account of in choosing the right path to wisdom and deciding which teachings apply in a given situation?

2.       What side roads, bumps, dead ends complicate staying on wisdom’s path?

Additional Materials for information

Video Summary:

1.       Israel’s wisdom included the fear of the LORD, insight into basic life patterns, ability to apply that insight, ability to act on that insight.

2.       The “fear of the LORD” is shorthand for all of life lived in devotion to God

3.       Life is a journey of two ways: the way of folly, the way of wisdom

 

Video Pointers:

1.      Wisdom in Israel

a)      Rooted in “Fear of the Lord”

Ř  Shorthand for all of life lived in devotion to God

b)      Insight into basic life patterns

c)      Ability to apply insight in situation

d)      Ability to act on insight

2.      Proverbs 1-9: Life a Journey of Two Ways

The Way of Folly Metaphor “Strange Woman” The Way of Wisdom – Metaphor “Wife”

3.      Images of Ways, Women, Houses

4.      Proverbs 8

a)      Wisdom personified as woman, with God at creation

b)      A means for understanding Jesus Christ, the Word and Wisdom of God by whom the world was created, and in whom all things hold together

5.      Proverbs 10-15

a)      A collection of 2 line sayings about opposites; righteous & wicked; good & bad

b)      Applies to different situations not universal laws; a wise person knows which proverb fits in each case.

Understanding Proverbs

Most often, proverbs are written in the form of couplets. These are constructed in three ways:

Contrasting

Meaning and application come from the differences or contrast between the two statements of the proverb.

Key Word--- “but”

Comparing

Meaning and application come from the similarities or comparison between the two statements of the proverb.

Key words “as/so” “better/than” Examples 10:26; 15:16, 17; 25:25 

Complementing

Meaning and application come from the way the second statement complements the first.

Key word “and” Examples 10:18; 15:23

Seven things that God hates (6:16-19)

1.       A proud look

2.       A lying tongue

3.       Hands that shed innocent blood

4.       A wicked, plotting heart 

5.       Eagerness to do wrong

6.       A false witness

7.       Sowing discord among brothers

Four things which are never satisfied (30:15-16)

1.  The grave

2.  The barren womb

3.  A barren desert

4.  A fire

 

Four wonderful and mysterious things (30:18-19)

1.  How an eagle glides through the sky

2.  How a serpent crawls upon a rock

3.  How a ship finds its way across the ocean

4.  The growth of love between a man and a woman

 

Four things which the earth finds unbearable (30:21-23)

1.  A slave who becomes a king

2.  A fool when he is filled with meat

3.  A bitter woman when she finally marries

4.  A servant girl who marries her mistress’ husband

 

Four small but wise things (30:24-28)

1.  Ants (They aren’t strong, but store up food for the winter)

2.  Cliff badgers (delicate little animals who protect themselves by living among the rocks)

3.  Locust (Though they have no leader, they stay together in swarms)

4.  Spiders (They are easy to catch and kill, yet are found even in kings’ palaces)

Two things Agur requests of God (30:7-9)

1.  Remove from me vanity and lies.

2.  Give me neither poverty nor riches-feed me with food convenient for me: lest I be full, and deny thee and say, who is the Lord? Lest I be poor, and steal, and take the name of my God in vain.

 


Classical passages: Proverbs

Ř  1:24-28

Ř  3:5, 6 , 9-12, 19-26

Ř  6:16-19

Ř  8:22-31

Ř  11:30

Ř  14:12,34

Ř  16:3, 7, 18

Ř  18:10

Ř  24:16, 17, 28, 29


 

 

Ř  25:19-22

Ř  27:1

Ř  28:13

Ř  29:1, 18

Ř  30:4-9, 11-14

Ř  31:10-12, 28, 30

 

 

 

 

 

 


L8-INSTRUCTION The Path of Life

Whoever heeds instruction is on the path to life."


—Proverbs 10:17

OUR HUMAN CONDITION
We're not sure which of today's voices to listen to. We have trouble sorting the false from the true. Actually, unless this so-called wisdom can fit on a T-shirt or a bumper sticker, we're not interested. We want what's current, even temporary, not neces¬sarily wisdom.
 

PSALM OF THE WEEK
Each day choose a path and pray Psalm 25 aloud as you walk it. Or if you have access to a labyrinth (a circle design used for meditative walking), pray the psalm as you walk the labyrinth.
 

PRAYER
Pray daily before study:
"I praise you, 0 LORD. ...
I delight in following your commands more than in having great wealth.
I study your instructions;
I examine your teachings.
I take pleasure in your laws;
your commands I will not forget" (Psalm
119:12, 14-16, TEV).
 

Being faithful community, we trust God's wisdom, not the world's wisdom, in making our choices.

Read "Fruit From the Tree of Life."
Proverbs 16-18 (perils of pride, dangers of strife, relationships)
Proverbs 19-21 (virtue of integrity, rewards of justice)
Proverbs 22-24 (sayings of the wise; dan-gers of drunkenness, gluttony; weakness and laziness)
Proverbs 25-27 (wise sayings, the nature of folly, virtue tested)
Proverbs 28-31 (penalties of fear, need for wisdom, four types of sinners, a capable wife). Read and respond to "Marks of Faithful Community."
Rest
 

Lesson 8: The Path to Life: Instruction

 

Video Segment

Video Presenter: Deborah A Appler, Asst Professor of Old Testament, Moravian Theological Seminary

Listen for: Ways the wisdom of Proverbs goes beyond the individual to the home and into the community

Video Summary

1.      Proverbs provides grounding in the midst of society’s conflicting messages

2.      Proverbs presents practical wisdom on choices that take place in the context of relationships that begin in the home and extend into the larger community

3.      Proverbs cares about justice and righteousness.

4.      The terms paths, walking, and ways demonstrate how one is instructed to move towards wisdom.

Video Discussion

1.      What wisdom does ‘Proverbs’ offer the individual?

2.      What relationship do you see between wisdom practiced in the home and life in the community?

3.      Why do the terms paths, walking and ways fit the subject of wisdom?

 

Scripture & Study Manual

Part 1

1.       Read our Human Condition together: “Our Human Condition - We’re not sure which of today’s voices to listen to. We have trouble sorting the false from the true. Actually, unless this so-called wisdom can fit on a T-shirt or bumper sticker, we’re not interested. We want what’s current, even temporary, not necessarily wisdom. “


 

2.       What assumptions about life and expectations of life underlie the ideas, thoughts, and attitudes expressed in “our human condition?

3.       What response would the proverbs you have read this week make to “our human condition?

 

Part 2: Proverbs by their nature invite underlining or marking because they speak to our situation, call up a memory, or beckon us with their wisdom.

1.      In your group, review quickly daily notes and Scripture readings from Day 2 to 6, each person to share what particular Proverbs you have marked and why?

2.      Identify 1 proverb you will share with class later.

3.      Together, review Page 64, “Form or Style”. How has this information aided you in the understanding of Proverbs?

Part 3: The study manual suggests choosing a theme and matching proverbs to the theme. In your groups hear one another choice of themes and related proverbs.

1.      In your groups share your responses to locating Proverbs that illustrate each of the 10 Commandments. Identify the connections between Proverbs & the commandments. Share with class.

2.      Share together: After studying Proverbs from the perspective of the 10 Commandments, why, in your view are the 10 Commandments the wisdom or path that leads to life?

Part 4: Pray Psalm 25 together as a class.

Walk round the floor of our classroom, or anywhere round the premise of the building, as you recite this Psalm (5mins)

Upon return, let us give thanks by praying the following together.

“Father Lord, we thank you for the privilege of putting us together studying your word in Disciple 4 this season. Your friendship is for those who fear you and you make known to them your covenant. Show us your path, lead us in your truth, and teach us your ways so that we will not stray. You will uphold us with your steadfast and your faithfulness endures forever. In you we will not be put to shame as we take refuge in you, the God of our salvation. Integrity and uprightness preserve us as we wait for you. In Jesus name we pray. Amen “

Feedback on experience .

Encounter the Word

Scripture Selection: Proverbs 22:17-23:18 (Words of Wisdom)

1.      Read silently, work individually to

a.      identify and list various themes addressed in the passage.

b.      Identify the key words and repeated phases.

 

2.      In your own group, hear what each of you discovered in the study.

a.      Discuss specific contexts where the proverbs apply today.

b.      Note any proverbs that do not fit life in today’s society.

 

Marks of Faithful Community

Being faithful community, we trust God’s wisdom, not the world’s wisdom, in making our choices.

Ř  Read “Marks of Faithful Community together.

 

Ř  Now read “Our Human Condition”-We’re not sure which of today’s voices to listen to. We have trouble sorting the false from the true. Actually, unless this so-called wisdom can fit on a T-shirt or bumper sticker, we’re not interested. We want what’s current, even temporary, not necessarily wisdom.

 

Ř  What response is the “Mark of Faithful Community” making to “Our Human Condition”?Share your responses to questions under “Mark of Faithful Community (Page 69 of manual)

The Radical Disciple goes beyond “being good” for reward to living rightly regardless of reward. What are you doing that requires passion, vision, hard work, proverbial wisdom, sacrificial love?

Ř  Everyone to share your response to the above question.

Proverbs (Introduction)

·       Knowledge is good, but a vast difference stands between “knowledge” (having the facts) and “wisdom” (applying those facts to life). We may amass knowledge, but without wisdom our knowledge is useless. We must learn how to live out what we know. A proverb is a short, concise sentence that conveys moral truth. The book of Proverbs is a collection of these wise statements. The main theme of Proverbs, as we might expect, is the nature of true wisdom. Solomon writes, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction” (1:7). He then proceeds to give hundreds of practical examples of how to live according to godly wisdom.

 

·       The word proverb comes from a Hebrew word that means “to rule or to govern,” and these sayings, reminders, and admonitions provide profound advice for governing our lives.

 

·       As you read Proverbs, understand that knowing God is the key to wisdom. Listen to the thoughts and lessons from the world’s wisest man; and apply these truths to your life.

 

·       Don’t just read these proverbs; act on them!


L9- FUTILE Destined to Die

'Meaningless! Meaningless!' says the Teacher.

`Utterly meaningless!

Everything is meaningless."

—Ecclesiastes 1:2, NIV

OUR HUMAN CONDITION
We live as if tomorrow were a sure thing. We accumulate. The next new experience, the next new possession—we gather them around us to distract us from the fact that nothing lasts. That we're going to die.
 

PSALM OF THE WEEK
In Psalm 39 the psalmist puts into words what we often have thought: Life goes by too quickly. As you read the psalm aloud daily, talk back, raise questions, speak your mind—either aloud or with paper and pen.
 

PRAYER
Pray daily before study:
"Hear my prayer, 0 God;
don't turn away from my plea!
Listen to me and answer me;
I am worn out by my worries" (Psalm55:1-2, TEV).
 

Being faithful community, we accept life's mystery in all of its forms, and we accept death as a part of life.

Day 1 Ecclesiastes 1-2 (futility of wisdom and pleasure)
Day 2 Ecclesiastes 3-4 (a time for everything, value of a friend, impermanence of fame)

Day 3 Ecclesiastes 5-7 (injustice and hopelessness, wisdom and folly)
Day4 Ecclesiastes 8-9 (God's mysterious ways)

Day 5 Ecclesiastes 10-12 (vulnerability of wisdom, diligence, zest for life, youth and old age)
Day 6 Read and respond to "Fruit From the Tree of Life" and "Marks of Faithful Community."

Rest
 

Lesson 9: Destined To Die

Theme Word: Futile

Theme Verse: Ecclesiastes 1:2

Our Human Condition: We live as if tomorrow were a sure thing. We accumulate. The next new experience, the next new possession-we gather them around us to distract us from the fact that nothing lasts. That we’re going to die.

Video Segment

Video Presenter: Samuel Pagan, President of Evangelical Seminary of Puerto Rico

Listen for: Listen for the meanings of the word vanity and how Qoheleth attempts to make sense of life.

Video Summary

1.       Ecclesiastes presents its message in concrete fashion, challenging the traditional Jewish wisdom and understanding of life

2.       Ecclesiastes is included in the writings and aims at making sense through observation and experience

3.       Two truths stand out: God is ruler over all things, and everyone dies

Video Discuss

1.       How does the word vanity convey Qoheleth’s view of life

2.       What is the central message of Ecclesiastes?

3.       Why do you think so little of the book is read in Christian churches?

 

Scripture & Study Manual

Part 1: Repeated throughout Ecclesiastes are the words all, toil, and vanity.

 

1)      In 3 groups, each owning one word, scan the Scriptures and your notes for Days 1-3, looking for their assigned word and

 

2)  Identify the specific ideas the writer wants to convey using that word.


 

3)  Then discuss these questions:

a.       What philosophy or view of life is the writer of Ecclesiastes attempting to counter or correct?

b.      How does the writer’s repetition of this key word reinforce his message?

c.       What encouragement do you find in Ecclesiastes' discourses on life’s futility?

 

Part 2: Like the writer of Proverbs, the writer of Ecclesiastes has much to say about wisdom. Consider Ecclesiastes 1:12-18; 2:12-23; 7:5-14; 8:1-9; 9:13-18

1.       In your group, read 1 of the passages and talk about how the writer defines wisdom.

2.       What insight did you get from this reading?

3.       Each group to share your insights.

4. Together, let us compare the ways the writers of Ecclesiastes and the writers of Proverbs understand wisdom.

 

Part 3: Ecclesiastes offers a stark picture of the realities of death

a.      Hear these passages read aloud:- Eccl 3:16-4:4; Eccl 9:1-6; Eccl 12:1-7

b.      Now “talk back” to Qoheleth - Responding to his understanding of death and your personal understanding.

c.       Respond to the question on Page 76 of your Manual

d.      Read Psalm 39:4-6 together in unison.

Encounter the Word

Scripture Selection: Ecclesiastes 5:1-7

1.      Read the passage aloud together.

2.      Re-read silently on your own again reflecting.

3.      In your own group, discuss these questions

a.      What does this passage tell us about God?

b.      What does this passage tell us about human beings?

c.       What does this passage tell us about the relationship between God and human beings?

4.      Discuss together as a class the following question: If as the writer of Ecclesiastes observes “All is vanity” (1:2) why is it important to “fear God”? (5:7)

 

Marks of Faithful Community

Being faithful community, we accept life’s mystery in all its form; and accept death as part of life.

1.       Read “Marks of Faithful Community” then “Our Human Condition”

2.       What doubts, fears, or other concerns keep you (or have kept you) from accepting death as part of life? (Page 77 of Manual, Q1).

3.       Recall experiences that have helped you accept death as part of life.

 

The Radical Disciple

Enter into the spirit of the teacher and identify those things over which you have no control. Relax in faith. Seek contentment rather than excess. Listen more than you speak. Find meaning in giving rather than getting. Let go of the need to have the final answers. Trust God.

 

a.       Read 1st sentence of the Radical Disciple (Page 77)

b.      Identify some of the things over which we have no control.

c.       Name some of the mysteries we encounter in life.

d.      Response to the rest of questions under “Marks of Discipleship.

e.       Let us close by reading Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 together.

Additional fro Information

Qoheleth (Hebrew: Preacher)

The name Qoheleth is unique in the English Bible. It is the only Biblical name that always gets translated, and that for no apparent reason. It's the name of a Bible book, named after its protagonist, much like Isaiah, Jonah or Micah. But Qoheleth, or the Book of Qoheleth is always translated either with Preacher or with Ecclesiastes. The latter is a Greek/ Latin translation of Qoheleth.

 

The name Qoheleth has to do with the verb, (qahal), meaning to assemble. HAW Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament adds that this verb "conveys the idea of assembling without regard to purpose." People assemble with the intent to wage war, to worship, to celebrate, to listen to an orator, etc. The verb comes from the noun (qahal 1991a), assembly, company, and congregation.

The Latin translation of this noun is most often ekklesia and sometimes sunagoge.

Ecclesiastes

Solomon searched for satisfaction almost as though he was conducting a scientific experiment. Through this process, he discovered that life without God is a long and fruitless search for enjoyment, meaning and fulfillment True happiness is not in our power to attain because we always want more than we can have. In addition, there are circumstances beyond our control that can snatch away possessions or attainment.

Solomon shows how empty it is to pursue the pleasures that this life has to offer rather than seek to have a relationship with the eternal God. The search for pleasure, wealth, and success is ultimately disappointing. Nothing in this world can fill the emptiness and satisfy the deep longings in our restless hearts.

Solomon tried to shake people's confidence in their own efforts, abilities, and wisdom and to direct them to faith in God as the only sound basis for living. Without God, there is no lasting reward or benefit in hard work.

The certainty of death makes all human achievement futile. God has a plan for each of us that go beyond life and death. The reality of aging and dying reminds each individual of the end to come when God will judge each person's life.


L10-ENJOY Life is A Gift

This is what I have seen to be good: it is fitting to eat and drink and find enjoyment in all the toil with which one toils under the sun the few days of the life God gives us; for this is our lot."

—Ecclesiastes 5:18

OUR HUMAN CONDITION

Only five more days till the weekend. Only eleven more months till vacation. Only twenty more years till retirement. We're preparing. One of these days we'll be able to enjoy life.

PSALM OF THE WEEK
Pray Psalm 90 aloud daily. Each day choose a verse or a line and meditate on it all day. Write it on a sticky note and put it where you will see it. Memorize 90:17 and pray it as you begin work each day.
 

PRAYER
Pray daily before study:
"What a rich harvest your goodness provides!
Wherever you go there is plenty.
The pastures are filled with flocks;
the hillsides are full of joy.
The fields are covered with sheep;
the valleys are full of wheat.
Everything shouts and sings for joy" (Psalm65:11-13, TEV).
 

Being faithful community, we receive life as a gift, live it now, enjoy it, and thank God for it.

Day 1 Ecclesiastes 1-2 (eat, drink, and enjoy your work)
Day 2 Ecclesiastes 3-4 (rhythm, dependability, and order in life and in the universe, good friends make life easier)
Day 3 Ecclesiastes 5-7 (keep your vows, enjoy possessions as a momentary gift, accept mystery and incongruity)
Day 4 Ecclesiastes 8-9 (all people and all deeds are in God's hands, death is inevitable, do your tasks with joy, enjoy life)
Day 5 Ecclesiastes 10-12 (be generous, sow gen-erously, trust God, live now)
Day 6 Read and respond to "Fruit From the Tree of Life" and "Marks of Faithful Community."

Day 7 Rest

Lesson 10: Life Is a Gift: Enjoy

Video Segment

Video Presenter: W. Sibley Towner, Professor of Biblical Interpretation, Union Theological Seminary and Presbyterian School of Christian Education

Listen for: the 6 assertions about God in Ecclesiastes and for what is missing in the writer’s portrait of God.

Video Discuss

1.      Taking the 6 assertions about God as a whole, what one word describes the God of Qoheleth?

2.      What do you think accounts for the missing elements in Ecclesiastes’ portrait of God? 

Scripture & Study Manual

Part 1 - The writer of Ecclesiastes weaves his admonitions to enjoy life into his sober observations about life’s futility.

1)      Form 4 groups and examine these 4 passages:

Eccl 2:22-26; Eccl 5:13-20; Eccl 8:14-17; Eccl 9:7-10.

2)      Each group take 1 passage and work through the passage using these questions and share:

Ř  What kind of enjoyment does the writer recommend?

Ř  To what extent is one’s enjoyment an answer to futility and absurdity?

Ř  What part does God play in the enjoyment described? 

Part 2

1.      Read these 2 passages from Ecclesiastes aloud, as a group : Eccl 1:2-11 and Eccl 3:1-8.

2.      Respond to the questions on the top of page 85 of your Manual. 

Part 3

1.      Consider Psalm 90, which you have read everyday.

2.      In your group, identify the words or phrases that echo Ecclesiastes.

3.      Compare the tone of Psalm 90 with the tone of Ecclesiastes. Which “voice” do you hear best? Why?

 

Encounter the Word Ecclesiastes 11

1.      Read aloud, reflect silently on meaning of passage.

2.      Use these questions to help your reflection:

·       What is the wisdom in not knowing the future?

·       What are the advantages and disadvantages of not knowing “the work of God “(11:5)? 

·       How do we work and act with resourcefulness and generosity; yet without anxiety over the results? 

·       Paraphrase Ecclesiastes 11 in your own words and share.

Encounter The Word : Ecclesiastes 11

The Value of Diligence

11 Send out your bread upon the waters, for after many days you will get it back.

2  Divide your means seven ways, or even eight, for you do not know what disaster may happen on earth.

3   When clouds are full, they empty rain on the earth; whether a tree falls to the south or to the north, in the place where the tree falls, there it will lie.

4  Whoever observes the wind will not sow; and whoever regards the clouds will not reap.

5   Just as you do not know how the breath comes to the bones in the mother’s womb, so you do not know the work of God, who makes everything.

6   In the morning sow your seed, and at evening do not let your hands be idle; for you do not know which will prosper, this or that, or whether both alike will be good.

Youth and Old Age

7  Light is sweet, and it is pleasant for the eyes to see the sun.

8    Even those who live many years should rejoice in them all; yet let them remember that the days of darkness will be many. All that comes is vanity.

9   Rejoice, young man, while you are young, and let your heart cheer you in the days of your youth. Follow the inclination of your heart and the desire of your eyes, but know that for all these things God will bring you into judgment.

10   Banish anxiety from your mind, and put away pain from your body; for youth and the dawn of life are vanity.

Marks of Faithful Community

Being faithful community, we receive life as a gift, live it now, enjoy it and thank God for it.

1.      Read “Marks of Faithful Community” then “Our Human Condition”

2.      What causes people to resist moving from the situation described in “our Human Condition” to the situation described in the “Marks of Faithful Community”?

3.      Share responses to the questions under “Marks of Faithful Community” (Page 85)

The Radical Disciple

Start the day with a prayer of thanksgiving. During the day, avoid complaining; express thanks to others. Reflect satisfaction in work done, help given and received. Be a friend. End the day with a prayer of gratitude and trust. Know that each day is a gift.

Let us express our thanks to each other for the opportunity to be together this season! Let us close by a prayer of gratitude & trust in God.

Video Summary

We are not certain about the time, gender, or vocation behind the title Qoheleth

We do know that the Teacher believed in God.

1.      God is the Sovereign Orderer of the world.

2.      We human beings cannot know what specific deeds God actually does.

3.      Everything that happens is decreed by God.

4.      God made us free to choose good or evil and holds us responsible for what we do.

5.      God is to be feared – held in awe and respect.

6.      God gives human beings the means to enjoy life and expects us to do it.

Notice what is missing in this portrait of God. God is not an actor in history, doing mighty deeds of liberation or sweeping away nations who violate the covenant. Also missing is the personal relationship of an individual with God. This book permits us to acknowledge that, even within a world made and preserved by the sovereign God, sometimes bad things happen to good people and no mighty acts are forthcoming and cautions against speaking too easily about who God is and what God will do.

 

All of us, believers, can profit by this reality check from the teacher Qoheleth “never be rash with your mouth nor let your heart be quick to utter a word before God, for God is in heaven and you upon earth. Therefore, let your words be few.”

Additional for Information only : Ecclesiastes (2)

Almost 3,000 years ago, Solomon spoke of his human dilemma, but the insights and applications of his message are relevant to our time. Ecclesiastes, Solomon’s written sermon, is an analysis of life’s experiences and a critical essay about life’s true meaning. In this profound book. Solomon takes us on a reflective journey through his life, explaining how everything he had tried, tested, or tasted had been “meaningless”—useless, irrational, pointless, foolish, and empty—an exercise in futility. And remember, these words are from one who “had it all”—tremendous intellect, power, and wealthy.

       When Solomon became king, he asked God for wisdom (2 Chronicles 1:7-12), and he became the wisest man in the world (1 King 4:29-34). Solomon studied, taught, judged, and wrote. Kings and leaders from other nations came to Jerusalem to learn from him. But with all the practical insight on life, Solomon failed to heed his own advice, and he began a downward spiral. Near the end of his life, Solomon looked back with an attitude of humility and repentance. He took stock of his life, hoping to spare his readers the bitterness of learning through personal experience that everything apart from God is empty, hollow and meaningless.

       Although the tone of Ecclesiastes is negative and pessimistic, we must not conclude that the only chapter worth reading and applying is the last one, where he draws his conclusions. In reality, the entire book is filled with practical wisdom (how to accomplish things in the world and stay out of trouble) and spiritual wisdom (how to find and know eternal values).

       Solomon had a very honest approach. All of his remarks relating the futility of life are there for a purpose: to lead us to seek fulfillment and happiness in God alone. He was not trying to destroy all hope, but to direct our hopes to the only one who can truly fulfill them and give our life meaning. Solomon affirms the value of knowledge, relationship, work, and pleasures, but only in their proper place. Everything temporal must be seen in light of the eternal.

       After this biographical tour, Solomon made his triumphant conclusion: “Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the duty of all mankind. For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil (12:13,14)


 

Part 1 (Group 1) Ecclesiastes 2:22-26

22 What do mortals get from all the toil and strain with which they toil under the sun? 23 For all their days are full of pain, and their work is a vexation; even at night their minds do not rest. This also is vanity.

24 There is nothing better for mortals than to eat and drink, and find enjoyment in their toil. This also, I saw, is from the hand of God; 25 for apart from him who can eat or who can have enjoyment? 26 For to the one who pleases him God gives wisdom and knowledge and joy; but to the sinner he gives the work of gathering and heaping, only to give to one who pleases God. This also is vanity and a chasing after wind.

 

Part 1 (Group 2) Ecclesiastes 5:13-20

13 There is a grievous ill that I have seen under the sun: riches were kept by their owners to their hurt, 14 and those riches were lost in a bad venture; though they are parents of children, they have nothing in their hands. 15 As they came from their mother’s womb, so they shall go again, naked as they came; they shall take nothing for their toil, which they may carry away with their hands. 16 This also is a grievous ill: just as they came, so shall they go; and what gain do they have from toiling for the wind? 17 Besides, all their days they eat in darkness, in much vexation and sickness and resentment.

18 This is what I have seen to be good: it is fitting to eat and drink and find enjoyment in all the toil with which one toils under the sun the few days of the life God gives us; for this is our lot. 19 Likewise all to whom God gives wealth and possessions and whom he enables to enjoy them, and to accept their lot and find enjoyment in their toil—this is the gift of God. 20 For they will scarcely brood over the days of their lives, because God keeps them occupied with the joy of their hearts.

Part 1 (Group 3) Ecclesiastes 8:14-17

14 There is a vanity that takes place on earth, that there are righteous people who are treated according to the conduct of the wicked, and there are wicked people who are treated according to the conduct of the righteous. I said that this also is vanity. 15 So I commend enjoyment, for there is nothing better for people under the sun than to eat, and drink, and enjoy themselves, for this will go with them in their toil through the days of life that God gives them under the sun.

16 When I applied my mind to know wisdom, and to see the business that is done on earth, how one’s eyes see sleep neither day nor night, 17 then I saw all the work of God, that no one can find out what is happening under the sun. However much they may toil in seeking, they will not find it out; even though those who are wise claim to know, they cannot find it out.

 

Part 1 (Group 4) Ecclesiastes 9:7-10

7 Go, eat your bread with enjoyment, and drink your wine with a merry heart; for God has long ago approved what you do. 8 Let your garments always be white; do not let oil be lacking on your head. 9 Enjoy life with the wife whom you love, all the days of your vain life that are given you under the sun, because that is your portion in life and in your toil at which you toil under the sun. 10 Whatever your hand finds to do, do with your might; for there is no work or thought or knowledge or wisdom in Sheol, to which you are going.

Part 2 (Group 1 & 2) Ecclesiastes 1:2-11

2  Vanity of vanities, says the Teacher, vanity of vanities! All is vanity.

3  What do people gain from all the toil at which they toil under the sun?

4  A generation goes, and a generation comes, but the earth remains forever.

5  The sun rises and the sun goes down, and hurries to the place where it rises.

6   The wind blows to the south, and goes around to the north; round and round goes the wind, and on its circuits the wind returns.7 All streams run to the sea, but the sea is not full; to the place where the streams flow, there they continue to flow. 8 All things are wearisome; more than one can express; the eye is not satisfied with seeing, or the ear filled with hearing. 9 What has been is what will be, and what has been done is what will be done; there is nothing new under the sun. 10 Is there a thing of which it is said, “See, this is new”? It has already been, in the ages before us. 11 The people of long ago are not remembered, nor will there be any remembrance of people yet to come by those who come after them.

 

2  (Group 3 & 4) Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 (Everything Has Its Time)

3  For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven:

2  a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted;

3  a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;

4  a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;

5  a time to throw away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; 6 a time to seek, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to throw away;

7  a time to tear, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;

8  a time to love, and a time to hate; a time for war, and a time for peace.

 

Part 3 Psalm 90

God’s Eternity and Human Frailty (A Prayer of Moses, the man of God.)

1  Lord, you have been our dwelling place in all generations.

2  Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever you had formed the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God.

3  You turn us back to dust, and say, “Turn back, you mortals.”

4  For a thousand years in your sight are like yesterday when it is past, or like a watch in the night.

5  You sweep them away; they are like a dream, like grass that is renewed in the morning;

6  in the morning it flourishes and is renewed; in the evening it fades and withers.

7  For we are consumed by your anger; by your wrath we are overwhelmed.

8  You have set our iniquities before you, our secret sins in the light of your countenance.

9  For all our days pass away under your wrath; our years come to an end like a sigh.

10  The days of our life are seventy years, or perhaps eighty, if we are strong; even then their span is only toil and trouble; they are soon gone, and we fly away.

11  Who considers the power of your anger? Your wrath is as great as the fear that is due you.

12  So teach us to count our days that we may gain a wise heart.

13  Turn, O LORD! How long? Have compassion on your servants!

14  Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love, so that we may rejoice and be glad all our days.

15  Make us glad as many days as you have afflicted us, and as many years as we have seen evil.

16  Let your work be manifest to your servants, and your glorious power to their children.

17   Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us; and prosper for us the work of our hands— O prosper the work of our hands!


L11-CALAMITY A Just Complaint

The LORD said to Satan, 'Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man who fears God and turns away from evil. He still persists in his integrity, although you incited me against him, to destroy him for no reason.' "

—Job 2:3

OUR HUMAN CONDITION

We want clearly defined rules of cause and effect. If we live a good life, work hard, eat right, exercise, save our money, obey the rules, we surely deserve health and prosperity. We pretend that life as it is meant to be doesn't include anything bad, that life should work so we avoid suffering and pain.

PSALM OF THE WEEK
Recognizing that basic injustices do exist, pray Psalm 17 aloud daily for yourself and also on behalf of others. Recall your own experiences of injustice, your sense of things being unfair. Each day think of someone who needs deliverance of some kind, who needs justice. Plead that person's cause as you pray the psalm aloud.
 

PRAYER
Pray daily before study:
"How much longer will you forget me, LORD?
Forever?
How much longer will you hide yourself from me?
How long must I endure trouble?
How long will sorrow fill my heart day and night?
How long will my enemies triumph over me?" (Psalm 13:1-2, TEV).
 

Being faithful community, we recog­nize the need to ask why when we experience suffering and injustice, and are assured of God's presence even when answers do not come.

Day 1 Job 1-3 (prologue, attack on Job, Job curses the day of his birth)
Day 2 Job 4-8 (first speech of Eliphaz, Job
replies, first speech of Bildad) Day 3 Job 9-14 (Job replies, first speech of
Zophar, Job replies)
Day 4 Job 15-17 (second speech of Eliphaz, Job replies)
Day 5 Job 18-21 (second speech of Bildad, Job replies, second speech of Zophar, Job replies)
Day 6 Read and respond to "Fruit From the Tree of Life" and "Marks of Faithful Community."

Day 7 Rest

Lesson 11: A Just Complaint: Calamity 

Video Segment

Video Introduction:

1.       Answers to all life’s mystery expecting more than God will provide; faith does not address all of life’s contradictions nor answers all of life’s questions.

2.       True faith may require us to lean into those questions all our lives; believe in a friendly universe in which rights and goodness, and love and wholeness will ultimately prevail; Job teaches us stubborn conviction in the face of all contrary evidence.

 

Video Presenter: Carol A. Newsom, Professor of Old Testament, Candler School of Theology, Emory University. She is a member of the international editors for the Dead Sea Scrolls and co-editor of the Women’s Bible Commentary. Dr Newsom is Episcopalian. She wrote the commentary on Job in The New Interpreter’s Bible.

Listen for: Israel’s understanding of suffering and Job’s thoughts about God.

Video Discussion

1.       How did ancient Israel understand suffering?

2.       How has Job’s experience of suffering affected his view of God?

Scripture & Study Manual

Part 1 SETTING THE SCENE (Act 1): Retelling the Story – Give a Title to the Section of the story, tell the story to the group.


 

1.      Group 1 – Job 1:1-12

2.      Group 2 – Job 1: 13 - 22

3.      Group 3 – Job 2: 1 - 8

4.      Group 4 – Job 2: 9 13

Part 2 A friend’s counsel & Job’s reply acted out (Act 2)

Identify the main points the friends make in their counsel to Job and the main points Job makes in his replies. (Days 2& 3 & study manual). Taking turns, act out the dialogue at the end.


 

1.       Group 1 – Eliphaz (4-5)

2.       Group 1 – Job (6-7)

3.       Group 2 Bildad (8)

4.       Group 2 – Job (9-10)

5.       Group 3 – (Zophar (11)

6.       Group 3 Job (12-14)


 

Together as a Group:

1.       What sense do you have of the friends at this point?

2.       What sense do you have of Job at this point? 

Part 3 A friend’s counsel & Job’s reply acted out (Act 3).

Identify the main points the friends make in their counsel to Job and the main points Job makes in his replies. (Days 4 &5 & study manual). Act out the dialogue at end.

1.       Group 1 – Eliphaz (15)

2.       Group 1 Job (16-17)

3.       Group 2 Bildad (18)

4.       Group 2 – Job (19)

5.       Group 3 – Zophar (20)

6.       Group 3 – Job (21)

 

Together as a Group

1.       How would you describe the attitude of the friends at this point in this dialogue?

2.       What is Job’s state of mind at this point?

3.       Which of the explanations for suffering given by the friends have you heard?

4.       Respond to questions at top of study manual Page 93.

Ř  So, Job not only disputes the cause-and-effect relationship between sin and suffering; he undermines the claim of Psalm 1 that the wicked “are like chaff that the wind drives away.” What do you think?

Encounter the Word

Scripture Lesson: Job 3

Reading 1: Job 3:1-10                 Reading 2: Job 3:11-19                                                          Reading 3: Job 3:20-26

 

Work through Job 3 in your groups:

1.       Study Job 3 for two purposes:

1.        To understand the feelings that underlie Job’s words and

2.       To write a plea of mercy on Job’s behalf (each group to write a plea and present at end).

2.        Use this question to guide the Scripture study:

1.        What do you learn about Job’s feelings from his choice of words and images?

2.       Talk about what sort of plea for mercy Job might make.

Marks of Faithful Community

Our Human Condition - We want clearly defined rules of cause and effect. If we live a good life, work hard, eat right, exercise, save our money, obey the rules, we surely deserve health and prosperity. We pretend that life as it is meant to be doesn’t include anything bad, that life should work so we avoid suffering and pain.

Being faithful community, we recognize the need to ask why when we experience suffering and injustice and are assured of God’s presence even when answers do not come.

How does this statement address both our innocence about life and our recognition of the reality of life evident in “Our Human Condition”?

Share responses to the 3 questions in this section page 93.

1.       Why do you choose to live a righteous life, knowing no one is immune to CALAMITY in life?

2.       What understandings of God and our relationship to God make us secure enough to confront God when tragedy strikes?

3.       Describe an experience when you provided or received the ministry of silent presence.

The Radical Disciple

The Radical Disciple resists the urge to give pat answers. But more, a radical disciple goes to those who have lost their money, had their house burn down, or lost a family member to death and offers help and love in the name of Jesus. Most of all, the radical disciple practices the ministry of presence. Discuss: Why do you think pat answers come first to the tongue when tragedy strikes?


Closing - Psalm 17:1-7, A Prayer of David

Job (1)

Suffering can be, but is not always, a penalty for sin. In the same way, prosperity is not always a reward for being good. Those who love God are not exempt from trouble. Although we may not be able to understand fully the pain we experience, it can lead us to rediscover God.

We must learn to recognize but not fear Satan’s attacks because Satan cannot exceed the limits that God sets. Don’t let any experience drive a wedge between you and God. Although you can’t control how Satan may attack, you can always choose how you will respond when it happens.


Although God is present everywhere, at times he may seem far away. This may cause us to feel alone and to doubt his care for us. We should serve God for who he is, not what we feel. He is never insensitive to our suffering. God is in control of the world and only he understands why the good are allowed to suffer. This only becomes clear to us when we see God for who he is. We must courageously accept what God allows to happen in our lives and remain committed to him. 


 

Video – Highlights

1.       Job – the man who dared to argue his case with God.

2.       Theologically challenging – raises hard questions about the experience of suffering, our desire to find a reason for everything that happens, about the place of evil in the world, and about the nature of God the creator, and our relationship with God.

3.       Job doesn’t answer all the questions raised; Job offers challenging perspectives that help us understand the issues that the book raised.

4.       Job is not primarily concerned about the problem of innocent suffering but the question of “Why are people pious?”

5.       The question raised in the book of Job:

Ř  Why are the people pious? Is piety a kind of religious insurance policy? Worship God and act morally and you’re guaranteed a life without trouble; or is true piety a relationship of trust in God, quite independent of good fortune or bad?

Ř  Explores this question by imagining how a person known for his great reputation of piety would react if his life is suddenly turned upside down; neither Job nor his friends has to know the reason for his suffering for the story to work; they have to rely on their inherited theological beliefs and their own experience to make sense of the situation.

6.       To understand Job’s friends’ counsel to Job, we need to understand the traditional understanding of the nature of suffering in ancient Israel.

Ř  Not all suffering evidence of sin; they knew some things just happen, some caused by human evil; or an indication that a person’s relationship with God has been disturbed; might be an indication of sin.

Ř  Distinction between sinful acts and being a truly wicked person; that it’s possible to offend God without even realizing it; suffering provide an occasion for self- reflection, an opportunity for moral self-examination; and act to restore order.

Ř  God could be trusted to respond to anyone who call for help; underlies the Psalm of supplication to God:

v  An innocent person can call on God for relief from suffering; as well as someone harassed by enemies. Those who thought they sinned and did not know they offended God can pray for forgiveness.

v  Assurance that God would help the wicked who repented.

v  This belief is key to Friend’s advice; they don’t know why Job suffers, suggested several possible reasons, not interested in finding an explanation for Job’s sufferings, but urging Job to do what’s so obvious to them – Eliphaz said, “If it were I, I will seek God”; Job’s obstinate refusal to hear their advice (as they


 

assume any pious person ought to respond) suggests that Job may not be the person they thought he was; their stand towards Job hardens.

Ř  Job described his calamity as heavier than the sand of the sea; depicting God as his hostile enemy; who fills him with bitterness.

v  Precedents bitterness of Naomi “I went away full, but the Lord has brought me back empty;” desolation of Saul – “the Lord has turned from you and become your enemy.”

v  The advice the friends give and the traditions which they base their advice provides wonderful ways for coping with trouble; but Job starts from a different place he doesn’t want to cope; he starts from his radical experience from what it feels like God’s hostility; he’s angry and wants to expose the fundamental injustice of the situation; drives him to insist on his own innocence; Job takes his complaint directly to God;

 

7.       Job’s Contradictory Experience of God Job is grounded in his belief that God is Just; but his recent experience shows that God’s treatment of Job is unjust.

 

8.       Martin Buber Job believes in God in spite of believing in Justice; he believes in Justice in spite of believing in God.

 

9.       Job holds fast to his integrity wherever that may lead.

Video Summary

1.       The crucial question is why are people pious? Israel did not think suffering was evidence of sin. Israel made a distinction between sinful acts and being a truly wicked person.

2.       God could be trusted to respond to anyone who called on God for help.

3.       Job entertains the possibility that God has become his bitter enemy.

4.       Job is grounded in the belief that God is just.


L12-MYSTERY On God’s Terms

Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell me, if you have understanding.

Who determined its measurements—surely you know!"

—Job 38:4-5

OUR HUMAN CONDITION
We struggle to know how we fit into the scheme of things. We want to know why things happen the way they do. We think if we can learn how life works, we can control the outcome. We are uncom-fortable with mystery.
 

SALM OF THE WEEK
We are trying to live in the psalms. Pray Psalm 102 aloud daily and reflect on what it means to live in a psalm, parts of which may not connect with your experience at the moment. Be aware of whether the words strike you differently each day.
 

PRAYER
Pray daily before study:
"Your righteousness, God, reaches the skies. You have done great things;there is no one like you.
You have sent troubles and suffering on me, but you will restore my strength" (Psalm 71:19-20, TEV).
 

Being faithful community, we approach God with a sense of awe, accepting God's sovereignty, acknowl­edging life's mystery, and rejoicing in our place in God's creation.



Day 1 Job 22-24 (third speech of Eliphaz, Job's complaint in reply)
Day 2 Job 25-28 (third speech of Bildad, Job's
reply; wisdom found only in God)
Day 3 Job 29-31 (Job's final defense)
Day 4 Job 32-37 (four speeches of Elihu)
Day 5 Job 38-42 (first speech of God, Job's reply, second speech of God, Job's reply, epi¬logue)
Day 6 Read and respond to "Fruit From the Tree of Life" and "Marks of Faithful Community." Day 7 Rest
 

Lesson 12: On God’s Terms: Mystery

Video Segment

Video Presenter: Carol A. Newsom, Professor of Old Testament, Candler School of Theology, Emory University. She is a member of the international editors for the Dead Sea Scrolls and co-editor of the Women’s Bible Commentary. Dr Newsom is Episcopalian. She wrote the commentary on Job in The New Interpreter’s Bible.

Listen for:

How Job’s unspoken assumptions about a trial limit his view of things. Pay attention to the way God reframes the issues. 

Video Discussion

1.       What are the problems with Job’s model of a trial for solving his situation?

2.       What does God show Job about the world that he cannot see?

Video Summary

1.       Job’s thinking about confrontation with God in terms of a legal trial is new.

2.       God reframes the issues.

3.       Job understands the world and his situation in terms of legal right and wrong.

4.       God speaks of creation and of the chaotic.

5.       God does not provide a rational explanation for suffering. 

Scripture & Study Manual

Part 1 – The great MYSTERY debate continued.

Identify the main points the friends make in their counsel to Job and the main points Job makes in his replies (Day 2 & 3). Then each group speaks for the friends or Job. 

Group 1 – Eliphaz (22)

Group 2 – Job (23-24)
 

Group 3 Bildad (25)

Group 4 – Job (26-27)

Together as a Group

1.       Where does the dialogue leave us

a.       in relation to the wicked?

b.      in relation to the righteous?

c.       in relation to the justice of God?

Part 2– Job’s Soliloquy- hear the beautiful yet sad words of Job about his past and present conditions. Read at a fast pace, one verse after another.

A: Responsive Reading for Job’s Life Story in Job 29-30

Ř  Form a Circle Facing Inwards for Job 29

Ř  Form a Circle Facing Outwards for Job 30

B: In your group, scan Job 31 and daily notes and talk about how Job asserts his integrity. Share with rest of class at end.

 

Part 3– Listen to the young in years: Elihu (Job 32-37)

Identify the ideas (without comment) presented by Elihu not presented by the three friends. 

What is different in Elihu’s view points than the other Job’s comforters?


 

Part 4 – Consider the MYSTERY in Creation.

Work in your groups:

Group 1: Job 38, 42:1-6

Group 2: Job 39, 42:1-6

1.       Look for MYSTERY God points to in Creation.

2.       Talk about what satisfies Job in God’s speech.

3.       Share with class after discussions

Group 3: Job 40, 42:1-6

Group 4: Job 41, 42:1-6

Complete our study of the book of Job by sharing the conclusion of the story (Job 42:7-17). Write a short sentence of the conclusion individually and share round the class in a cycle.


 

Encounter the Word Scripture: Job 28

Exercise: Turn Job 28 into a litany consisting of several statements, with each statement followed by a refrain on where wisdom is found.

A litany, in Christian worship and some forms of Jewish worship, is a form of prayer used in services and processions, and consisting of a number of petitions.

 

Work through Job 28 in your groups:

Exercise: Read Job 28 silently, then talk about the ideas you want to include in your litany, and sentences that might serve as a refrain. Write a litany.

Each group read your litany aloud to the class

Marks of Faithful Community

Our Human Condition - We struggle to know how we fit into the scheme of things. We want to know why things happen the way they do. We think if we can learn how life works, we can control the outcome. We are uncomfortable with MYSTERY.

Being faithful community, we approach God with a sense of awe, accepting God’s Sovereignty, acknowledge life’s mystery, and rejoicing in our place in God’s creation.

Consider the Mark of Faithful Community’s Response to the Human Condition phrase by phrase.

Together respond to the questions on Page 101 of your manual.

The Radical Disciple

The Radical Disciple accepts life for what it is a mixture of order and chaos, joy and despair, good and bad, reason and mystery – and lives trusting in God’s purpose.

 

Sometimes, learning comes by saying what something is not.

In your group, turn the radical disciple statement into its opposite. For example, what is opposite of “trusting in God’s purpose?” What is the value in thinking in new ways?

Closing

Psalm 102:1-2 - A Prayer of one overwhelmed with trouble, pouring out problems before the LORD.

For information:

Video Highlights

1.       Job’s confrontation of God in terms of a legal trial.

the man who dared to argue his case with God; God is guilty of attempted murder, yet Job is convinced that God is Just.

-  Chapter 9 might it be possible for Job to come to trial with God

-  Chapter 13 Job wants to argue his case with God, and he’s certain of vindication

-  Chapter 16 Heavenly witness who might testify for him

-  Chapter 23 Job vividly imagines how trial will unfold

-  Chapter 31- Job swears his great oath.

 

2.       Are there any precedents in Job’s approach to God in Israelite’s tradition a new approach

-          OT examples of people arguing with God over matters of justice, but none cast it in terms of legal trial.

-          - Moses, Abraham, Jeremiah.

3.       New images & metaphors in religious experience help people organize chaotic & confusing feelings into a clearer picture.

-          Disasters upon Jobs feel like an accusation by God and punishment from God for some guilty deed; Job knows himself innocent, thinks God is guilty of accusing him & attacking him so violently that he is likely to die – attempted murder; yet Job believes God is just.

4.       Hence, a legal fight to determine who’s right & who’s wrong to clarify the situation.

5.       Image of trial with God is powerful; more suited to address Job’s experience of suffering than the advice of friends.

6.       What are the unspoken assumptions and implications of this image that Job uses? What image of God does it presuppose?

-          Job imagines God will say, “You, Job are innocent, and I, God are guilty of treating you unjustly.” Is this thinkable?

-          OT God changing his mind, repenting of some actions; Psalmists & Prophets bring before God the anguish they feel and injustice in the world God supposedly to rule, but Job’s model is unique

7.       Problem with Job’s model of a trial lies less with its understanding of God than with its understanding of the meaning of suffering.

-          Traditional understanding of suffering was subtle & flexible – Job seems to have a narrow understanding of the meaning of suffering; assumes his suffering is sent by God; either justified as punishment for sin, or unjustified so abuse by God

-          Job’s assumption restricts him to one limited way of seeing things


 

-          The speeches of God from the whirlwind. God isn’t answering Job. Job is not asking the right questions, so there’s no way of answering Job on his own terms.

8.       In answering Job, God reframes the issues. God rebukes Job’s arrogance with rhetorical questions; where were you, do you know, can you do God asserts that God is God & Job is not.

9.       God redirects Job’s vision, showing him something about the world that Job cannot sees.

10.   God’s speeches not easy to understand; get glimpse by looking at the images God uses and contrasting them with Job’s way of thinking.

1.       Job understands the world and his situation in terms of legal right & wrong

2.       God speaks of creation & the chaotic

-          images of the foundation of the earth, design of the world, regular and orderly function of light & darkness, snow & rain; presence of chaotic and fearful elements within this created world;

-          The sea was a traditional image of forces that threatens to dissolve the structure of creation; the sea is unruly but having a boundary beyond which it cannot come upon the land.

-          The wild animals did not see wild animals as endangered species, as creatures who belong to the frightening realm of the desolate wilderness; wilderness symbolic of the chaotic; God speaks of taking care of these strange & separate creatures.

-          Imagery climax in description of behemoth & leviathan; part of God’s world but have their limits & boundaries.

12.   What do we make of Job? What God said is relevant to the issue of suffering:

i.      Our task is to reflect on the images & their implications

ii.      Not all suffering can be reduced to legal right or wrong; or punishment or abuse; diseases & accidents, violent & tragedies exists.

iii.      Fearful & Chaotic experiences are a part of the world and of our lives God insists that Job acknowledge this.

13.   God shows Job a world where:

i.      The Chaotic is present but not unrestrained

ii.      God is there, creating and maintaining, pushing back the darkness every morning, setting a limit to the sea, bring rain and new growth even into the desolate places

14.   God gives no rational explanation for suffering, butGod gives Job a new way of looking at the world and at his relationship to God; one that goes beyond the category of blame and guilt;


 

God offers Job a way to situate suffering within a sustaining and renewing creation, a way to be reconciled instead of alienated

Happy Ending - A symbol of reconciliation and new beginning A fitting conclusion to the story of Job

The majesty and mystery of Scripture! What a gift for living!

Lesson Synopsis:

1.       Job believes that God is a God of justice by that God has been treating him unjustly.

2.       If God is just, then God will listen and act fairly in a trial.

3.       Job assumes his suffering is sent by God. So, either it is justified as a punishment for sin or it is unjustified and amounts to abuse by God.

4.       God doesn’t seem to answer Job. God asserts that God is God and Job is not.

5.       Job understands the word and his situation in terms of legal right and wrong, but God speaks instead of creation and of the chaotic. Not all suffering can be reduced to legal right and or wrong.

6.       Fearful and chaotic experiences are simply a part of the world and of our lives.

7.       God does not provide an explanation for suffering. But God allows Job a new way of looking at the world and at his relationship to God. God offers Job a way to situate suffering within sustaining creations.

JOB

Job, the book, tells the story of Job, the man of God. It is a gripping drama of riches-to-rags-to-riches, a theological treatise about suffering and divine sovereignty, and a picture of faith that endures. As you read Job, analyze your life and check your foundation. May you be able to say that when all is gone but God, he is enough

       Finally, God spoke out of a mighty storm. Confronted with the great power and majesty of God, Job fell in humble reverence before him-speechless. God rebuked Job’s friends (and Job), and the drama ended with Job restored to happiness and wealth.

      

It is easy to think that we have all the answers. In reality, only God knows exactly why events unfold as they do, and we must submit to him as our sovereign. As you read this book, emulate Job and decide to trust God no matter what happens

 

 

 


L13-BELOVED  Affairs of the Heart
 

Set me as a seal upon your heart, / as a seal upon your arm; for love is strong as death, / passion fierce as the grave.

Its flashes are flashes of fire, / a raging flame.

Many waters cannot quench love, / neither can floods drown it. If one offered for love / all the wealth of one's house, it would be utterly scorned."

—Song of Solomon 8:6-7

OUR HUMAN CONDITION
We underestimate the need and desire for inti-macy. We think of love as a feeling that just comes and goes. We romanticize love and treat sex as an all-consuming end in itself.
 

PSALM OF THE WEEK

As you pray Psalm 84 aloud daily, reflect on the similarities in the feelings of joy and anticipation associated with being in the presence of God and being in the presence of the lover. Consider ways love grows—the more it is expressed to God, the more it is expressed to the lover.

PRAYER

Pray daily before study:

"As I lie in bed, I remember you; all night long I think of you,

because you have always been my help. In the shadow of your wings I sing for joy. I cling to you,

and your hand keeps me safe" (Psalm 63:6-8, TEV).

 

Being faithful community, we express and respond to the need and desire for intimacy by imitating God's lavish self-giving to us.

Day 1 Song of Solomon 1-2 (love songs of the woman and the man)
Day 2 Song of Solomon 3-4 (woman dreams of searching for her lover, wedding procession, man praises her beauty); Genesis 2:4-25 (creation of man and woman)
Day 3 Song of Solomon 5-6 (dream of love, a search, the woman's beauty); Proverbs 2-3 (search for wisdom, trust and honor God)
Day 4 Song of Solomon 7 (delight and desire); Proverbs 4-5 (wisdom's way, faithfulness in marriage)
Day 5 Song of Solomon 8 (lovers' vows, promise of fidelity); Ecclesiastes 9; 11 (enjoy your wife, rejoice while young)
Day 6 Read and respond to "Fruit From the Tree of Life" and "Marks of Faithful Community."

 Day 7 Rest
 

 


L14-HYMNBOOK Songs of Faith

Praise the LORD!

How good it is to sing praises to our God;

for he is gracious, and a song of praise is fitting."

—Psalm 147:1

OUR HUMAN CONDITION

Pain, anger, sorrow, disappointment, loneliness—even joy, delight, and love—go unspoken, unex­pressed. Wholeness and integrity are strangers. Where is release?

PSALM OF THE WEEK

Pray Psalm 103 aloud daily. As you pray, picture others in your group who also are praying it. Pause to reflect as verses and sections remind you of situ­ations in your own life or in the life of your faith community.

PRAYER

Pray daily before study:

"I have complete confidence, 0 God;

I will sing and praise you!

Wake up, my soul!

Wake up, my harp and lyre!

I will wake up the sun" (Psalm

57:7-8, TEV).

Being faithful community, we pray, knowing God welcomes us and knowing nothing we say or feel is outside that welcome.

Day 1 Read "Fruit From the Tree of Life." Day 2 Book /—Psalms 1 (wisdom psalm); 2
(royal psalm); 22 (individual lament); 23
(song of trust)
Day 3 Book //—Psalms 42-43 (lament, deliver¬ance and restoration); 46 (song of Zion); 51 (penitential psalm); 57 (lament, deliverance from enemies)
Day 4 Book ///—Psalms 74 (community lament); 78 (historical psalm); 81 (festival liturgy); 88 (individual lament)
Day 5 Book /V—Psalms 90 (community lament); 93 (God as king, enthronement); 95 (God as king, liturgy of praise); 105 (history of God's deeds)
Day 6 Book V—Psalms 112 (wisdom psalm); 113 (hallelujah psalm); 119 (meditation on
Torah); 130 (deliverance, individual lament); 150 (hymn of praise, doxology). Read and respond to "Marks of Faithful Community."
Day 7 Rest
 

 


L15-MOURN Songs of Pain

Why are you cast down, 0 my soul,

and why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my help and my God."

—Psalm 42:5-6

OUR HUMAN CONDITION

Being anything other than positive, upbeat, is not acceptable. So we put on a happy face, say all the right things, drive the pain inside, and turn on ourselves.

PSALM OF THE WEEK

Pray Psalm 143 aloud daily. Make the psalm your own. Each day name your enemy—cancer cells, tension in the family, depression, insecurity about the future. Keep the enemy in mind as you pray.

PRAYER

Pray daily before study:

"Even if I go through the deepest darkness, I will not be afraid, LORD,

for you are with me" (Psalm 23:4, TEV).

 

Being faithful community, we take God's Word with us into pain and trouble and let the psalms of lament be our voice.

Day 1 Individual Lament—Psalms 3; 4; 31 (deliv-erance); 39 (healing); 71 (an aged person in distress); 77 (deliverance from trouble)
Day 2 Community Lament—Psalms 12 (help in faithless times); 80 (Israel's restoration); 85 (restoration of God's favor); 94 (appeal to God the avenger of the righteous); 126 (deliverance from national misfortune); 137 (lament for Jerusalem)
Day 3 Penitence—Psalms 6 (healing); 32 (thanks-giving for forgiveness); 38 (plea for healing and forgiveness); 103 (thanksgiving for God's goodness); 131 (submission to God's will)
Day 4 Trust—Psalms 11 (confidence and trust in God); 63 (delight in God's presence); 91 (assurance of God's protection); 121 (confi¬dence in God's care); 139 (known to God)
Day 5 Torah, Wisdom—Psalms 19 (God's glory in creation and the Law); 37 (retribution for
the wicked); 49 (transience of life and wealth); Liturgies—Psalms 82 (God's judg-ment on pagan gods); 115 (greatness of God)
Day 6 Read and respond to "Fruit From the Tree of Life" and "Marks of Faithful Community." Write your personal lament.
Day 7 Rest

Lesson 15 Songs of Pain - Mourn 

Video Segment

Presenter: Michael Jinkins, Assoc Prof of Pastoral Theology, Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary

Dancer: Diana Brown Holbert  

Listen for: the affirmation that the Lord reigns, for the unsettling nature of the psalms of lament.

 Video Discussion

  1. What makes us uncomfortable with the biblical claim that the Lord reigns over every aspect of our lives?
  2. Why are the psalms of lament unsettling?
  3. How do the psalms of lament challenge our understanding of God and our relationship with God?

 

Your reflections on the Psalms of lament are profound and raise important theological and existential questions. Let’s explore your three questions in light of the themes you’ve outlined:

1. What makes us uncomfortable with the biblical claim that the Lord reigns over every aspect of our lives?

  • Desire for Autonomy: Modern culture highly values individualism and self-determination. The idea of God’s absolute sovereignty challenges our perceived control over our lives, making us uneasy about surrendering our plans, desires, and struggles to a higher authority.
  • Fear of Vulnerability: Acknowledging God’s reign means admitting our limitations and dependence. This can feel threatening in a world that equates strength with self-sufficiency.
  • Misconceptions of God’s Rule: If God is seen as harsh or capricious (rather than loving and just), His reign may evoke fear rather than trust. The Psalms of lament correct this by portraying God as both sovereign and faithful, but this tension can still unsettle us.
  • The Problem of Suffering: If God reigns over everything, why does He allow pain? The Psalms of lament don’t resolve this tension but insist on bringing our questions to God, which can be uncomfortable if we prefer avoidance or easy answers.

2. Why are the psalms of lament unsettling?

  • Raw Honesty: They disrupt polite religiosity by giving voice to despair, anger, and doubt (e.g., "Why have you forsaken me?" in Psalm 22). This confronts our tendency to sanitize faith.
  • Lack of Instant Resolution: Many laments don’t conclude with neat answers. They sit in tension, mirroring the unresolved pain of life, which challenges our preference for closure.
  • Confrontation with Evil/Suffering: They force us to face the reality of brokenness—both in the world and in ourselves—rather than retreat into denial or superficial optimism.
  • Demand for Justice: Laments often cry out against injustice (e.g., Psalm 10), implicating systems we might benefit from or feel powerless to change.

3. How do the psalms of lament challenge our understanding of God and our relationship with God?

  • God Welcomes Our Anger and Grief: They dismantle the idea that faith requires cheerful stoicism. God invites our full emotional engagement, even when it’s messy.
  • Sovereignty ≠ Absence: The laments assume God is present in suffering (Ps 34:18) and capable of acting, even when He seems silent. This challenges our impulse to equate God’s silence with indifference.
  • Transformation Through Trial: They reframe suffering as a locus of encounter with God (Ps 119:71) rather than a sign of His abandonment. This contradicts prosperity gospel or "comfortable Christianity."
  • Communal and Personal: Laments are both individual (Ps 13) and collective (Ps 44), reminding us that faith isn’t privatized. Our relationship with God is lived in solidarity with others’ pain.
  • Hope Amidst Lament: Even in despair, the Psalms often pivot toward trust (e.g., Ps 13:5–6). This challenges us to hold lament and hope together, rejecting false binaries.

Conclusion:

The Psalms of lament unsettle us because they refuse to let us domesticate God or our own humanity. They demand a faith that engages reality fully—raw, unresolved, and rebellious—while still confessing, "The Lord reigns." In doing so, they redefine power (God’s strength made perfect in weakness, Ps 73:26), justice (God’s defense of the oppressed, Ps 72:12–14), and hope (delivery through the valley, not around it, Ps 23:4). The discomfort they provoke is ultimately invitational: to a deeper, more honest, and transformative relationship with the God who rules all—and yet stoops to hear our cries. 

Video Summary

  1. The psalms of lament demand a re-orientation of human life in relation to God.
  2. In the world of the psalms, the reign of the Lord is absolute and comprehensive.
  3. God is at the center rather than self.
  4. God does not immunize the faithful against difficulties; neither does God abandon the faithful.

 

The sovereign God of the Psalms of lament is holy Creator of all that exists and ruler over all that has been created. The Lord is Judge in absolute righteousness, defender of the defenseless, guardian of the righteous. The Psalmists understands that God does not immunize the faithful against suffering and difficulties, but neither does God abandon the faithful. The Lord delivers us, but we are delivered through the valley of the shadow of death, not merely from it. The Psalms of lament remind us there is no healing without sickness, no resurrection without death. A people who avoids acknowledging the painful realities of life and who refuse to submit these unpleasant aspects of their lives to God, may miss God’s greatest gift, the opportunity to be judged and transformed by the Lord whose reign extends over all parts of our lives. 

Scripture & Study Manual

Part 1: Let us examine the various elements of laments in Psalms.

  1. In your group, review individual lament and your notes for Day 1:
    1. Look for expressions of trust and mention of God’s past actions in each psalm.
    2. Identify the lament pattern!

 

 

  1. In the same group, look at community laments and notes for Day 2 and discuss the following questions:
    1. Where do you see Israel’s strong belief in a God of justice expressed in these psalms?
    2. What difference in tone and content do you see between the individual and community laments?

 

The individual laments in Psalms 3, 4, 31, 39, 71, and 77 follow a pattern of distress, remembrance of God’s past faithfulness, and renewed trust—even when the immediate future remains uncertain. These psalms teach us how to navigate suffering by anchoring ourselves in God’s character and historical acts of deliverance. Here’s how they answer your question:

1. How Did God Help Us in the Past?

The psalmists repeatedly look back at God’s faithfulness as a foundation for present hope:

  • Psalm 3 – David, fleeing Absalom’s rebellion, recalls that God has been his "shield" and sustainer in past battles (v. 3).
  • Psalm 31 – The psalmist remembers, "In you, Lord, I have taken refuge" (v. 1) and recounts God’s past deliverance (v. 21-22).
  • Psalm 77 – Asaph wrestles with despair but then chooses to remember God’s mighty deeds in Exodus (vv. 11–20).

Key Insight:
God’s past faithfulness is not just a memory—it’s evidence of His unchanging nature. If He delivered before, He can do it again.

2. Can We Be Confident About the Future?

The psalms don’t promise instant relief, but they do affirm that God is trustworthy, even in ongoing suffering:

  • Psalm 4 – Though distress remains, the psalmist finds peace in God’s presence (v. 8).
  • Psalm 39 – Acknowledging life’s brevity, the psalmist still turns to God as his only hope (v. 7).
  • Psalm 71 – The elderly psalmist, after a lifetime of trials, declares, "You have been my hope, Sovereign Lord, my confidence since my youth" (v. 5).

Key Insight:
Confidence in God doesn’t mean certainty about how He will act, but that He will act—whether in deliverance, endurance, or ultimate redemption.

3. The Tension Between Lament and Trust

These psalms show that faith isn’t the absence of fear or pain, but the choice to cry out to God rather than against Him:

  • Psalm 77:7-9 – "Will the Lord reject forever?" shows raw doubt, yet the psalmist still seeks answers in God’s history.
  • Psalm 31:14-15 – "But I trust in you, Lord… My times are in your hands" is a declaration made mid-suffering.

Key Insight:
Biblical lament doesn’t suppress questions—it directs them toward the One who holds the future.

4. How This Applies to Us

  • Remembering God’s Faithfulness – Like the psalmists, we must actively recall how God has sustained us before (journaling, testimony-sharing, etc.).
  • Honesty in Prayer – God invites our complaints (Ps 142:2), but the goal is trust, not just venting.
  • Future Hope Rooted in God’s Character – Our confidence isn’t in a pain-free life, but in the God who walks with us (Ps 23:4) and will ultimately make all things right (Ps 73:24-26).

Conclusion

The Psalms of lament teach us that faith is a journey through suffering, not around it. God’s past deliverance doesn’t guarantee immediate relief today, but it does guarantee His faithfulness. As we, like the psalmists, cry out, remember, and cling to Him, we find a hope that endures—not because our circumstances change, but because our God does not.

"When I am afraid, I put my trust in you." (Psalm 56:3)

 

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ISRAEL ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Looking at israel from the perspective community lament in Psalms 12, 80, 85, 94 , 126 and Psalms 137, how has God dealt with Israel as a nation, and how has Israel respond based on their belief in Adonai being the God of Justice

The community laments in Psalms 12, 80, 85, 94, 126, and 137 reveal a recurring cycle in Israel’s relationship with God: crisis, lament, remembrance of God’s past faithfulness, and a plea for restoration. These psalms show how God has dealt with Israel as a nation—often in justice and mercy—and how Israel responds based on their belief in Adonai as the God of justice and covenant faithfulness.

1. How Has God Dealt with Israel as a Nation?

A. God Judges Israel’s Sin (Justice)

  • Psalm 12 – The Lord responds to oppression and deceit (vv. 3–5), promising to protect the vulnerable (v. 5).
  • Psalm 80 – Israel is like a vine (symbolizing God’s covenant people) that has been broken down by invaders (vv. 8–13). This reflects God’s discipline due to unfaithfulness (cf. Isaiah 5:1–7).
  • Psalm 94 – A cry for God to judge the wicked, affirming that "the Lord will not reject his people" (v. 14) but will discipline them (v. 10).

Key Insight:
God’s justice is not arbitrary—He punishes Israel’s idolatry and injustice, but always with the purpose of restoration (see Psalm 85).

B. God Remembers Mercy (Covenant Faithfulness)

  • Psalm 85 – After judgment, the psalmist pleads, "Restore us again, God our Savior… Will you be angry with us forever?" (vv. 4–5). God’s wrath is temporary, but His love is steadfast (vv. 7, 10).
  • Psalm 126 – A post-exilic song celebrating God’s restoration: "The Lord has done great things for us!" (v. 3).
  • Psalm 137 – A raw lament from exile, yet it presumes God’s justice ("Remember, Lord, what the Edomites did…" v. 7).

Key Insight:
Even in wrath, God remembers mercy (Habakkuk 3:2). His discipline is corrective, not destructive.

2. How Does Israel Respond to God’s Justice?

A. Lament and Repentance

  • Psalm 80:3, 7, 19 – Repeated cry: "Restore us, O God; make your face shine on us, that we may be saved."
  • Psalm 85:4–6 – A plea for revival: "Will you not revive us again, that your people may rejoice in you?"
  • Psalm 94:12–15 – Affirms that discipline is for their good, leading them back to God.

Key Insight:
True lament is not just complaint—it includes repentance and a return to covenant loyalty.

B. Trust in God’s Future Justice

  • Psalm 12:5 – Confidence that God "will protect the oppressed."
  • Psalm 126:5–6 – Hope that present suffering will lead to future joy: "Those who sow with tears will reap with songs of joy."
  • Psalm 137:7–9 – A cry for God’s justice against enemies, trusting that He will vindicate His people.

Key Insight:
Israel’s hope is not in their own righteousness but in God’s unchanging justice and covenant love.

3. Key Lessons for Today

  1. God’s Justice and Mercy Are Inseparable – He disciplines His people but never abandons them (Psalm 94:14).
  2. Lament Is an Act of Faith – Israel’s cries assume that God hears and will act (Psalm 80:1–2).
  3. Restoration Follows Repentance – Judgment is not the end; God’s goal is always redemption (Psalm 85:10–13).
  4. Hope in God’s Ultimate Justice – Even in exile (Psalm 137), Israel looks to God as the final judge.

Conclusion

Israel’s community laments show a nation that suffers under God’s discipline yet clings to His justice and mercy. They respond with raw honesty, repentance, and hope—knowing that Adonai, the God of justice, will not forsake His people forever.

For us today, these psalms teach:

  • God’s people are not immune to suffering, but suffering is not the end.
  • True faith wrestles with God yet trusts His justice.
  • The ultimate hope is not in political power but in God’s covenant faithfulness.

"Righteousness and peace kiss each other." (Psalm 85:10) 

Part 2: The Radical Disciple called for writing a personal lament.

The Radical Disciple (Page 125) - The radical disciple learns to express the full range of emotions to God. Write a personal lament. Base it in a past or present trouble. Include these elements: a call, a description of trouble, plea for respond, statement of trust that God is listening, a vow or expression of praise.

Use the following flow to help you in your writing

I was involved in a car accident due to drink driving and was incarcerated for 6 weeks- and the judge was unusually harsh in the judgement as my case has been sensationalise, circulated online, as well as extensive media coverage, had amplified the public disquiet. The judge also make several assumptions that I should stop and get out and check when the car moved over uneven terrain, that I might drive and hurt security guards and that i might go on to the road and cause accident., when in fact all these are assumptions. Please help me to write a personal lament, based on the above trouble, plea of respond, a statement of trust that god is listening, a vow and expression of praise that God is in control like phrases from the book of psalms

 Here is a personal lament modeled after the Psalms, incorporating your pain, plea for justice, trust in God’s sovereignty, and eventual praise—even amid unresolved suffering.


A Lament in the Wilderness of Injustice

(Inspired by Psalms 13, 22, 31, and 142)

1. CRY OF DISTRESS
"O Lord, how long will You forget me? Forever?
How long will You hide Your face from me?" (Psalm 13:1)

God, I am crushed under the weight of this judgment—
not just the sentence, but the shame, the scorn, the lies.
They have made me a spectacle, a story to be twisted,
a warning tale for others to dissect.
The judge assumed motives I never had,
imagined dangers I never posed.
"I am poured out like water… my bones are out of joint." (Psalm 22:14)

2. PLEA FOR JUSTICE
"Vindicate me, Lord, for I have walked in integrity.
Let the malice of my accusers be exposed." (Psalm 26:1, 35:26)

You know the truth, Lord.
You know I did not act with the recklessness they accuse me of.
You see how fear and public outrage swayed the scales,
how assumptions became verdicts.
"Rise up, O Judge of the earth; pay back to the proud what they deserve." (Psalm 94:2)
But even as I ask for vindication,
I surrender my rage to You.

3. REMEMBRANCE OF GOD’S FAITHFULNESS
"I will remember the deeds of the Lord…
Your path led through the sea, Your way through mighty waters." (Psalm 77:11, 19)

Yet this I call to mind:
You have delivered me before.
You have been my refuge when friends turned away,
my strength when my name was slandered.
"In the past, You have shown me mercy—
will You now abandon me to the dust?" (Psalm 71:9, 20)

4. STATEMENT OF TRUST
"Into Your hands I commit my spirit;
You have redeemed me, Lord, faithful God." (Psalm 31:5)

Though the world brands me a villain,
You call me Yours.
Though the court records condemn me,
You are my Advocate.
"The Lord is close to the brokenhearted;
He saves those crushed in spirit." (Psalm 34:18)
I will wait on You—not for a changed sentence,
but for a changed heart.

5. VOW & PRAISE
"I will sing to the Lord, for He has been good to me." (Psalm 13:6)

If You lift me from this pit, I will proclaim Your mercy.
If You leave me here, I will still say:
"You are God, and Your judgments are right." (Psalm 119:75)
Let the mockers see—not my innocence, but Your grace.
Let the critics witness—not my defense, but my dependence.
"You have turned my mourning into dancing…
my God, I will give You thanks forever." (Psalm 30:11-12)


Key Elements of Your Lament

  • Raw Honesty (like Psalm 137: "How can we sing in a foreign land?")
  • Appeal to God’s Justice (like Psalm 7: "Judge me, O Lord, according to my righteousness.")
  • Trust Despite Unfairness (like Psalm 73: "When my heart was embittered… I am always with You.")
  • Praise as Defiance (like Psalm 42: "Why so downcast, O my soul? Put your hope in God!")

This lament doesn’t demand immediate deliverance but anchors you in the God who hears, sees, and reigns—even when human systems fail. May it be a step toward healing.

"The Lord is a stronghold for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble." (Psalm 9:9)

 Part 3:

a.      Together read Psalm 143 together aloud in unison (see slides)

b.      Briefly share what you experience as you make Psalm 143 personal as you pray daily.

c.      Share with another person the Psalm you have chosen on Page 123 of your manual and why.

d.     Psalm 143

e.     A psalm of David.

f.      Lord, hear my prayer,
    listen to my cry for mercy;
in your faithfulness and righteousness
    come to my relief.
Do not bring your servant into judgment,
    for no one living is righteous before you.
The enemy pursues me,
    he crushes me to the ground;
he makes me dwell in the darkness
    like those long dead.
So my spirit grows faint within me;
    my heart within me is dismayed.
I remember the days of long ago;
    I meditate on all your works
    and consider what your hands have done.
I spread out my hands to you;
    I thirst for you like a parched land.[a]

g.     Answer me quickly, Lord;
    my spirit fails.
Do not hide your face from me
    or I will be like those who go down to the pit.
Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love,
    for I have put my trust in you.
Show me the way I should go,
    for to you I entrust my life.
Rescue me from my enemies, Lord,
    for I hide myself in you.
10 Teach me to do your will,
    for you are my God;
may your good Spirit
    lead me on level ground.

h.     11 For your name’s sake, Lord, preserve my life;
    in your righteousness, bring me out of trouble.
12 In your unfailing love, silence my enemies;
    destroy all my foes,
    for I am your servant.

i.       Footnotes 

Part 4: Examine the tendency to ignore difficult verses in Psalms.

a.       Read Pages 122-123 on “Curses”

b.      Talk about the passage.

c.       How might our avoiding difficult psalms be influenced by desire to downplay the justice of God?

Understanding Psalm 137: A Cry of Exile, Grief, and Justice

Psalm 137 is one of the most raw and emotionally intense psalms in the Bible. It expresses the deep sorrow, rage, and longing of the Jewish people during their exile in Babylon (586–538 BC) after the destruction of Jerusalem. To understand it properly, we must consider its historical context, literary structure, and theological message.

1. Historical Context: The Trauma of Exile

  • The Babylonian Captivity: In 586 BC, Babylon destroyed Jerusalem, burned the Temple, and deported the Israelites (2 Kings 25, Jeremiah 39).
  • Forced Relocation: The psalm opens with the exiles sitting "by the rivers of Babylon" (v. 1), a foreign land where they were mocked and taunted (v. 3).
  • Deep Grief: The Temple was the center of their faith, so its destruction felt like God had abandoned them (Lamentations 1–2).

Key Insight: This psalm is not just personal lament but national trauma.

2. Literary Structure: From Sorrow to Fury

The psalm moves in three emotional stages:

A. Lament (vv. 1–4)

  • "By the rivers of Babylon we sat and wept…" (v. 1)
  • The exiles are too heartbroken to sing worship songs (v. 4).
  • Their captors mock them, demanding "songs of Zion" (v. 3).

B. Oath of Loyalty to Jerusalem (vv. 5–6)

  • "If I forget you, Jerusalem, may my right hand forget its skill."
  • The psalmist swears never to abandon their identity as God’s people.

C. Cry for Vengeance (vv. 7–9)

  • A shocking plea for God to punish Babylon ("Happy is the one who repays you… dashes your infants against the rocks").
  • This reflects ancient Near Eastern warfare language (see Isaiah 13:16; Hosea 13:16).

Key Insight: The psalm moves from grief → loyalty → rage.

3. Theological Meaning: Justice, Not Personal Vengeance

The violent ending disturbs modern readers, but we must interpret it carefully:

A. It’s a Prayer, Not a Command

  • The psalmist entrusts justice to God, not human hands (Romans 12:19).
  • Similar to other imprecatory psalms (Psalms 58, 109), it cries out for divine justice, not personal revenge.

B. It Reflects Covenant Justice

  • Babylon was not just an enemy but a nation that defied God (Jeremiah 50–51).
  • The psalmist asks God to fulfill His promise to judge oppressive nations (Deuteronomy 32:43).

C. It Points to Christ’s Justice

  • Jesus wept over Jerusalem (Luke 19:41) but also warned of judgment (Matthew 23:37–38).
  • Revelation 18 echoes Psalm 137 in celebrating Babylon’s (Rome’s) fall.

Key Insight: The psalm teaches us to bring our rage to God, not suppress it.

4. How Should We Apply Psalm 137 Today?

A. Honesty in Grief

  • Like the psalmist, we can pour out our pain to God (even anger).
  • Example: Praying for persecuted Christians today who suffer injustice.

B. Trusting God’s Justice

  • We don’t take vengeance but ask God to judge evil rightly (Revelation 6:10).
  • Example: Praying for God to stop oppression without hatred in our hearts.

C. Hope Beyond Judgment

  • The exiles eventually returned (Ezra 1), showing God’s mercy.
  • Christ fulfills this longing for justice and redemption (Luke 4:18–19).

Key Insight: Psalm 137 is not a model for hatred but a cry for God’s kingdom to come.

Conclusion: A Psalm for the Brokenhearted

Psalm 137 teaches us:

  1. God welcomes our rawest emotions.
  2. Justice belongs to Him, not us.
  3. Even in exile, we hold onto hope.

"Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted." (Matthew 5:4)*

 +++++

Part 5: Examine psalms from Day 3 to 5 to see what they tell us about the nature of God.

Group 1- Day 3-              What assurance do these psalms offer that God is a God who forgives?

Group 2 – Day 4-             What assurance do these psalms offer that God is a God who can be

trusted?

Group 3 – Day 5-             What do these psalms tell us about God?  

Encounter the Word

Scripture Selection: Psalm 139

  1. Read aloud : Psalm 139
  2. Work individually, reread and make notes on what Psalm 139 teaches you:
    1. What does the psalm tell us about God?
    1. What does the psalm tell us about women & men?
    1. What does the psalm tell us about the relationship between God and human beings?

3.    Share your insights  

Marks of Faithful Community

Being faithful community, we take Gods Word with us into pain and trouble and let the psalms of lament be our voice.

 *    Read Our Human Condition- Share with another person when & why you have experienced this statement as true.  

*    What response does the Marks of Faithful Community make to our Human Condition?

 

*    Share your responses to the questions on page 125 of your manual.

Next Lesson: 24th June 2025

Lesson 16 – Praise- Songs of Joy

Remember to write a personal psalm of thanksgiving using Psalm 103 as model (see the Radical Disciple, Pg 126)

 

For info: Additional Notes

Video Notes

·       Psalms of lament echo the cries that rise from the souls of broken and hurting people and articulate the agonies that have silenced the souls. It holds the fragile line against total desolation. 

·       The Songs of Lament is a source of almost unimaginable power in the heart of the Old Testament – they are cries for God’s assistance and complaints against him in our times of need. 

·       The Psalms of lament demand a re-orientation of life in relation to God, an understanding of God’s character and his relationship to humanity and the claims they made. 

·       The world of the Psalms is grounded in the theological affirmation that the Lord reigns, in the fate of nations, human struggles, our existence and circumstances. His reign is absolute and comprehensive. 

·       The disjunction and tension between this world and the world in Psalms are undeniable. In the world of Psalms, God is in the center rather than the self. 

·       The sovereign Lord of the psalms of lament is creator of all creations that exist and ruler of all. He is judged in absolute righteous not subject to bribes and flattery. He lays claims to all he created humanity and all parts of human life. His power is all encompassing and not limited in any way. Because he reigns the psalmist can cry out to him. But in doing so he risks dislocation and transformation. 

·       The psalmist struggled with the theological question, “if God reigns, why is life so difficult even for those who live so faithfully and trust in the Lord?”.  The crisis of biblical faith runs through the psalms of lament, and the reign of the Lord grinds against the experience of the people. 

·       The psalms of lament begin with a call upon God by the psalmist out of the depth of his soul from the struggles he faced. He wants to understand how it is possible for a God to reign, to allow the faithful to suffer and God’s own law to be scorned. In his anguish, he calls to remembrance God’s past faithfulness, but he really wants an answer to “where are you now when I need you”? 

·       The psalmist pleads, begs and bargains with God, reminding him of promises. He asks God to judge between his cause and others. He prayed because he believes God reigns in justice absolutely and universally and will hear his cries. 

·       Praying psalms of lament is a pilgrimage into the unknown in which one’s understanding of God and the relationship with him will be challenged. Through the lamentations, the psalmist realized that God does not immunize the faithful against sufferings and difficulties but neither does he abandon the faithful even when they feel God-forsaken. He delivered us through the valley of death not just from it. 

·       To pray the psalms of lament we need to detach from our self and rest in God’s reign. His ways are not always our ways, and we may not fully understand why and when things happen. But the psalms will not allow us to retreat into self-delusion or denial of difficulties of living faithfully in this world too.

 

·       The churches today must not avoid these difficult lament psalms, though they may be unsettling. It would be easier to talk about the more upbeat psalms, for example Psalm 23 is always preferred to Psalm 22, which Jesus referred to during his crucifixion.

·       Psalms of thanksgiving and praise can only make sense against a backdrop of the psalms of lament, when one has been delivered from the anguish of his soul by the transforming love, grace and mercy of God.

Types of Psalms
Classifying the Psalms by Genre

Dennis Bratcher

Lament Psalms

  Community

12, 44, 58, 60, 74, 79, 80, 83, 85, 89*, 90, 94, 123, 126, 129

  Individual

3, 4, 5, 7, 9-10, 13, 14, 17, 22, 25, 26, 27*, 28, 31, 36*, 39, 40:12-17, 41, 42-43, 52*, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 59, 61, 64, 70, 71, 77, 86, 89*, 120, 139, 141, 142

Specialized Lament Psalms

  Penitential

6, 32*, 38, 51, 102, 130, 143

  Imprecatory

35, 69, 83, 88, 109, 137, 140

Thanksgiving (Todah) Psalms

  Community

65*, 67*, 75, 107, 124, 136*

  Individual

18, 21, 30, 32*, 34, 40:1-11, 66:13-20, 92, 108*, 116, 118, 138

Specialized Thanksgiving (Todah) Psalms

  Salvation History

8*, 105-106, 135, 136

  Songs of Trust

11, 16, 23, 27*, 62, 63, 91, 121, 125, 131

Hymnic Psalms

  Hymn and Doxology

8*, 19:1-6, 33, 66:1-12, 67*, 95, 100, 103, 104, 111, 113, 114, 117, 145, 146, 147, 148, 149, 150

Liturgical Psalms (for Public Worship)

  Covenant Songs

50, 78, 81, 89*, 132

  Royal / Enthronement

2, 18, 20, 21, 29, 45, 47, 72, 93, 95*, 96, 97, 98, 99, 101, 110, 144

  Songs of Zion

46, 48, 76, 84, 87, 122

  Temple Liturgies

15, 24, 68*, 82, 95*, 115, 134

Community Psalms

  Wisdom Psalms

1*, 36*, 37, 49, 73, 112, 127, 128, 133

  Torah Poems

1*, 19:7-14, 119

*These Psalms are difficult to classify because they could fit into more than one group or are mixed types.

-Dennis Bratcher, Copyright © 2014, Dennis Bratcher, All Rights Reserved


L16- PRAISE Songs of Joy

Praise the LORD!

Praise God in his sanctuary;

praise him in his mighty firmament!

Praise him for his mighty deeds;

praise him according to his surpassing greatness!"

—Psalm 150:1-2

OUR HUMAN CONDITION

Life is an uphill struggle. Our bodies ache; our jobs are stressful; the weather is uncomfortable. Children are a heavy responsibility; aged parents are a burden. What is there to be joyful about?

PSALM OF THE WEEK

Psalm 100 calls all nations to praise the Lord. Pray Psalm 100 aloud daily with a globe or world map in view, calling on different countries and areas of the world by name to praise the Lord.

PRAYER

Pray daily before study:

"May the peoples praise you, 0 God; may all the peoples praise you!

May the nations be glad and sing for joy, because you judge the peoples with justice and guide every nation on earth" (Psalm 67:3-4, TEV).

Being faithful community, we praise God because God is worthy of praise, whatever our life situation.

Day 1 Lord of History—Psalms 33; 106; 136 (God's great deeds); Thanksgiving—Psalms 145; 146 (praise for God's care)
Day 2 Thanksgiving—Psalms 18 (royal psalm, king's thanksgiving for victory); 34; 92 (individual thanksgiving after deliverance from enemies); 107 (community thanks¬giving for pilgrims); 124 (community thanksgiving for national deliverance)
Day 3 Praise—Psalms 8 (God's glory); 100 (all nations praise the Lord); 104 (hymn to the Creator); 148 (all creation praise the Lord)
Day 4 Trust—Psalms 27 (trust for deliverance); 62; 125 (confidence in God's protection); 131 (submission to God's guidance)
Day 5 Praise—Psalms 111 (God's great deeds); 112 (a wisdom psalm); Hallels—Psalms 113-118 ("Egyptian Hallel," festival hymns of praise to God); Liturgy—Psalm 122 (praise, prayer for Jerusalem); Enthrone king¬ship); Doxology—Psalm 150 (everything praise the Lord)
Day 6 Read and respond to "Fruit From the Tree of Life" and "Marks of Faithful Community."
Day 7 Rest

Lesson 16:  Songs of Joy - Praise

Video Segment

Presenter: John C Holbert – Lois Craddock Perkins Professor of Homiletics, Perkins School of Theology, Southern Methodist University  & Diana Brown Holbert

Listen for: reasons to praise God and for descriptions of justice and righteousness.

Video Discussion

  1. Why is God worthy of praise?
  1. How would you describe the justice of God?
  1. Who are the righteous?

Video Summary

  1. Every Psalm of praise begins with the call to praise.
  2. The God who does not die, who creates all there is, is faithful to God’s creation.
  3. The deeds of this God are particularly seen in mighty acts of justice.
  4. “The righteous” are those who are committed to “justice”.

The Psalms surprise us with their insight, power and timeless truth. Psalm 146 is a wonderful example of a psalm of praise. The opening general demand for praise is matched by the personal command that all the psalmists must praise God. This is the Creator of all; without this one we would not be. That fact is worthy of praise! But more. This Creator “keeps faith forever”. Our God is worthy of praise, because our God never

forgets the ones we often forget. Psalm 146 fits the classic pattern for a psalm of praise. It includes an opening command to praise, several powerful reasons praise is demanded, a final certainty that praise is the appropriate thing to do when approaching this God, and a repeated command to praise. This God always will do the work of justice and will call us to join in that work.

Scripture & Study Manual

 Part 1: This week’s suggestion for “The Radical Disciple” was to write a psalm of thanksgiving.  Let’s hear each other’s written Psalm.

Part 2: Form 4 groups to consider how this week’s psalms present the God we praise and the humans we are.  Each group to scan scripture and daily notes to discuss questions:

Group 1 – Day 1 – Lord of History            Group 2 – Day 2 - Thanksgiving

Group 3 – Day 3 – Praise                            Group 4 – Day 4 – Trust

Group 1- Day 1

       What different words were used to describe God?

       What did you learn about people from these psalms?

Group 2 – Day 2

       What is the basis for the psalmist’s assurance that the Lord will deliver?

       In what sense can we be sure God will when we cry to God?

Group 3 – Day 3

  • What is evidence of God’s majesty & glory?
  • What are examples of God’s wisdom in creation?

Group 4 –Day 4

  • What images of trust, strength and power do you see in these psalms?
  • How who you describe the psalmist’s own sense of his relationship to God?

Part 3: Experience Psalm 113-118 (Egyptian Hallel) as Israels remembering freedom from slavery.  We will read this aloud.

The total class will read the psalms together intersperse with recalling events in Israel's history (persons assigned passages will be ready to mention events briefly (not read) at the appropriate intervals.)

Events in the following passages:

Exodus 1:8-14;  12:21-27; 12: 40-42;  14:19-31;  16:9-12;  17:1-6;  28:1-3;

Deuteronomy 6:10-25; Joshua 3:14-17; 2 Chronicles 6:1-11.

 

End by reading in unison Psalm 122

Encounter the Word

Scripture Selection: Psalm 107: 1-32 (20mins)

  1. Adapt the pattern of the Psalms to contemporary experiences of deliverance from troubles
  2. Form 4 groups. Each group takes a portion of the Psalm (Ps 107:1-9; 10-16; 17-22; 23-32)
    1. Notice the repeating pattern & wordings in verses 6-8 which repeat in each of the other assigned portions.
    2. Study your assigned portion, identify a contemporary experience of deliverance from trouble, and write a psalm, describing the experience and include the words and pattern of the verses that repeat.
    3. Read your written psalm to the class (rest of class please listen & no comments needed)

 Marks of Faithful Community

Being faithful community, we praise God because God is worthy of praise, whatever our life situation.

*    Responses to Page 132 of the Manual

1.       Share your favorite psalm and why it is particularly meaningful for you.

2.       What past actions of God cause you to praise God?

3.       What is the power in praise? How does praising God affect you? 

*    Reflect then read our Human Condition & Marks of Faithful Community together. Then respond to the question below.

If genuine praise of God has little to do with how we feel, what enables you to praise God in difficult times?

 

*    The Radical Disciple  - The radical disciple praises God.

*    Close by reading Psalm 100 together

Additional Information

Psalms

Ř  This book can help you give voice to your feelings  Expressing emotions can be frustrating—especially if you’re also trying to maintain spiritual balance  Is it okay to be “sometimes up and sometimes down?” Can you shout for joy when God gets you out of a jam? And what can you say when you feel abandoned by God? Whatever you feel—joy or sorrow, peace or anguish—you’ll find your feelings expressed somewhere in Psalms. You’ll find comfort and strength when you identify with the Old Testament saints who wrote these prayers and songs.

   Prayer has to do with developing intimacy with God. Prayer is really desiring God, more than anything else. As Sadhu Sundar Singh said, “Prayer does not mean asking God for all kinds of things we want; it is rather the desire for God Himself, the only Giver of life”.

   Our Lord Himself had regular times of prayer, no matter how busy he was (Mk 1:35). His prayer was characterized by how He always addressed the Father—”Abba,” an intimate term that showed that prayer was essentially a profoundly loving relationship.

 


 JOHN AND REVELATION

L17-INCARNATION The Word Became A Human Being
 

Lesson 17The Word Became a Human Being - Incarnation

 Video Segment

Presenter: Ben Witherington III, Professor of New Testament, Asbury Theological Seminary

Listen for: what it means to call Jesus the Word of God and how John draws on Greek and Hebrew ideas of wisdom.

Video Discussion

  1. What do you think John wants to say by calling Jesus the Word of God?

 

  1. How does John use Greek and Hebrew ideas about wisdom to reveal Jesus’ identity?

 

Video Summary

  1. John 1:1-18 was written to answer the question: “Who is Jesus?”
  2. Many persons seek Jesus, trying to find out who he is; the difficulty is that none knows what the reader knows – Jesus is the incarnation of the Word of God.
  3. John’s use of Logos to refer to Jesus recalls the Creation story.

 

Scripture & Study Manual

Part 1: Recalling the Scripture and Daily Notes, study John 1 in three sections (About 15 mins per section).

a.       The Prologue: 1:1-18. Scan the account of Creation in Genesis 1 and the giving of the Law in Exodus 20  How does the Prologue’s use of the term logos (word) draw upon the concept of God’s word as depicted in Genesis and Exodus? 

b.      The Testimony of John: 1:19-34. Why does the Prologue establish John the Baptist's identity before introducing Jesus? 

c.       The Testimony of the first disciples:  1:35-51. Jesus’ first words in John are: “What are you looking for?”  What did Jesus want the two disciples of John the Baptist to hear in that question? What did Jesus want his readers to hear in the question?

Part 2: When Jesus says, Come and see (1:39), what is Jesus inviting his disciples to do? What is John inviting his readers to understand about the nature of discipleship? 

*    Share your written paragraph on the question on Page 139.

What the words “come and see” have meant in your life?  

Encounter the Word

Scripture Selection: John 1:43-51

  1. Read the passage as a dialogue (assigned people to read as narrator, Jesus, Philip & Nathanael).
  2. Read the passage silently again on your own.
  3. Together – Identify what were the names of Jesus mentioned in the passage?

 

  1. In two groups:

a)      What do the various names reveal about who the first disciples think Jesus is?

 

b)      What does the name Jesus gives to himself in 1:51 reveal about who he is?

 

Marks of Faithful Community

*    Being faithful community, we receive and claim the teaching of the community that Jesus is God in the flesh.

 

*    Our Human Condition - We hope for something new and something different, but when it comes it does not match our expectations, it surprises us, confuses us, and puts us on the defensive.

*    Read John 1: 14 aloud - “The Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son, full of grace and truth! 

*    In what ways has or does the teaching that Jesus is God in the flesh put you on the defensive? 

*    Share your  responses to the questions on page 139.

The Radical Disciple

The Radical Disciple lives in a pluralistic society and at the same time believes that Jesus is the unique Word of God

*    What issues related to living in a pluralistic society challenge our belief that Jesus is the unique Word of God?  

*    Close by reading Psalm 33:1-9 together.

Psalm 33:1-9  English Standard Version (ESV)

The Steadfast Love of the Lord

1 Shout for joy in the Lord, O you righteous! Praise befits the upright.
Give thanks to the Lord with the lyre; make melody to him with the harp of ten strings!
Sing to him a new song; play skilfully on the strings, with loud shouts.

For the word of the Lord is upright, and all his work is done in faithfulness.
He loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of the steadfast love of the Lord.

By the word of the Lord the heavens were made, and by the breath of his mouth all their host.
He gathers the waters of the sea as a heap; he puts the deeps in storehouses.

Let all the earth fear the Lord; let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him!
For he spoke, and it came to be; he commanded, and it stood firm.

 

Assignment for Next Week - Memorize John 1: 1-18

Prayer: Pray for a deeper understanding of the miracles of Jesus and what the miracles say to us who our Jesus is.

Pray that we will remain steadfast in our faith and be strengthened daily by his grace.

 

The Word

What does John mean by “the Word”? The Word was a term used by theologians and philosophers, both Jews and Greeks, in many different ways. In Hebrew Scripture, the Word was an agent of creation (Psalm 33:6), the source of God’s message to his people through the prophets, and God’s law, his standard of holiness. In Greek philosophy, the Word was the principle of reason that governed the world, or the thought still in the mind, while in Hebrew thought, the Word was another expression for God. John’s description shows clearly that he is speaking of Jesus – a human being he knew and loved, but at the same time the Creator of the universe. To Jewish readers, “the Word was God” was blasphemous. To Greek readers, “the Word became flesh” was unthinkable. To John, this new understanding of the Word was gospel, the Good News of Jesus Christ.

 

Video Highlights for info

The gospel of John unlike the other 3 gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke) invites us to mystery. In John, Jesus was with God before the beginning of time, had a full share in the creation of all that is, and He will be with God beyond the ending of history.

John leaves us in no doubt that in Jesus; we are in direct contact with eternity, with the mind and heart of God.

John 1:1-18 is considered by scholars to be a quotient of a Christological hymn and adopted and adapted by John as a prologue and introduction to this gospel. It is the key to the interpretation of the whole gospel of John to understand who Jesus is.

Who is Jesus? – Jesus was before all creation, the Word of God, and God.

What does it mean to call Jesus the “Word of God”?

John’s gospels could be called the gospel about seekers. Different kind of persons seek Jesus to find out who He is – John the Baptist, Nicodemus, various Samaritans, the Greeks and others. The difficulties were that none of these seekers knew what we the readers already know – Jesus is the reincarnation of the word of God, a divine being.

We must not only know who Jesus is but understand His purpose of coming -where He comes from, why He came, where He is now and that He will come again.

The prologue John 1:1-18 tells us that the Word of God, who is also the Son of God, has come from God and according to John 7:33, He will return to the one who sent Him.

John used the Greek term “logos”, meaning “word”, to refer to Jesus recalls the creation story. In Genesis 1, God created heavens and the earth by speaking.

In John, it is further defined that the God’s WORD is a person, a divine being, the second person of the Trinity. In referring to the WORD as a person, John drew from Jewish thoughts, influenced by Greek ideas about God’s wisdom. John applied the Jews had about wisdom being pre-existent with God before creation- helping make the universe, coming down to God’s people, being rejected and returning to God- here to Jesus.

Not only are the mind and knowledge of God summed up on this WORD, but life and light are resident in Him too. What in Genesis are said to be aspects of creation, life and light are now said to be qualities of the one who was present with God when creation was made. The term “light” became John’s metaphor for knowledge, “life” for salvation. Thus, to say “light” and “life” (in Greek “photos’ & “zoe”) are in Him are to say the source of God’s knowledge and salvation is God’s son – His WORD, JESUS.

John is monotheist – a person who believes in one God. In this passage he is saying that the godhead is a plurality of persons, with GOD the creator – and the WORD here specifies as two of them – we see the beginning of Trinitarian thinking base much on to Jewish reflections about wisdom.

The WORD was involved in and the agent of creation. Human beings in general; would reject Him; and so, would most of His own people. And indeed, His own family, during His ministry, a creator rejected by His own creation.

Using OT language, John said, “The WORD took on flesh and tabernacled among us”. He was not saying the WORD turn into flesh, but that human nature has been added to the divine being. The divine WORD continues to tabernacle among God’s people and His divine presence conveyed grace and truth.

Thus, what we have seen here is the high watermark of Christology thinking in the NT.

The titles "Son of Man" and "Son of God" are both critically important in understanding who Jesus is in the Bible. They highlight different, yet complementary, aspects of His nature and mission.

Significance of "Son of God"

The title "Son of God" primarily emphasizes Jesus' divine nature and unique relationship with God the Father. It signifies:

  • His Deity: To be the "Son of God" means to be of the same nature as God, to be God manifest in human form. The Jewish leaders understood this clearly, which is why they accused Jesus of blasphemy when He claimed this title (John 19:7).
  • His Eternal Relationship with the Father: Jesus' sonship is not merely a metaphor but reflects an eternal, intimate relationship within the Godhead. He is "of God."
  • His Uniqueness: He is not a son in the same way believers are "children of God" by adoption. He is the only begotten Son (John 3:16).
  • His Authority and Kingly Rule: In the Old Testament, kings of Israel were sometimes referred to as "sons of God" (2 Samuel 7:12-14a), connecting the title to royal lineage and authority. Jesus, as the Son of God, is the ultimate King.

Bible Verses for "Son of God":

  • Luke 1:35: "The angel answered, 'The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God.'" (Annunciation to Mary)
  • Matthew 3:17: "And a voice from heaven said, 'This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.'" (Jesus' baptism)
  • Matthew 16:16: Simon Peter answered, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." (Peter's confession)
  • John 1:1, 14: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God... The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth."
  • John 10:30: "I and the Father are one." (Jesus asserting His equality with God)
  • John 19:7: The Jewish leaders "insisted, 'We have a law, and according to that law he must die, because he claimed to be the Son of God.'"

Significance of "Son of Man"

"Son of Man" was Jesus' favorite self-designation, appearing over 80 times in the Gospels. While it can simply mean "human being" in some contexts (like in Psalm 8:4 or the prophet Ezekiel being called "son of man" numerous times), Jesus' use of the title carries profound theological weight, primarily drawing from Daniel 7.

How to explain Jesus as a Son of Man and biblical theology on this issue:

  1. His True Humanity: On one level, "Son of Man" emphasizes Jesus' full humanity. He was truly a human being, experienced life as a human, and could identify with human suffering. This is crucial for His role as Savior, as He had to be truly human to represent humanity and offer Himself as a sacrifice for human sin.
    • Matthew 8:20: Jesus said to him, "Foxes have dens and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head." (Emphasizing His humility and human experience)
    • Mark 8:31: He then began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and after three days rise again. (Foretelling His human suffering and death)
  2. Messianic and Apocalyptic Figure (Daniel 7): The most significant biblical theology behind "Son of Man" comes from Daniel 7:13-14. This passage describes "one like a son of man" coming "with the clouds of heaven" to the "Ancient of Days" (God), who is then given "authority, glory and sovereign power; all nations and peoples of every language worshiped him." This vision portrays a divinely appointed, exalted, and eternal ruler.
    • Daniel 7:13-14: "In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence. He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all nations and peoples of every language worshiped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom one that will never be destroyed."
    • Matthew 26:64: "Yes, it is as you say," Jesus replied. "But I say to all of you: In the future you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven." (Jesus' direct reference to Daniel 7 during His trial, which the Jewish leaders understood as a claim to deity and power, leading to their accusation of blasphemy.)
    • Mark 14:62: "I am," said Jesus. "And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven."
    • Acts 7:56: "Look," he said, "I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God." (Stephen's vision)
  3. Authority and Judgment: As the Son of Man, Jesus claims authority on earth to forgive sins, to be Lord of the Sabbath, and to be the one who will execute judgment at the end of time.
    • Matthew 9:6: "But I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins."
    • Mark 2:28: "So the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath."
    • John 5:27: "And he has given him authority to judge because he is the Son of Man."
  4. Suffering Servant and Glorified King: The title "Son of Man" uniquely bridges Jesus' earthly humility, suffering, and death with His ultimate exaltation and glorious return as King and Judge. It allowed Jesus to speak of His impending suffering without immediately triggering the political expectations of a conquering Messiah that many Jews had.

In summary, the two titles, "Son of God" and "Son of Man," are not contradictory but complementary. "Son of God" emphasizes Jesus' divine identity, His eternal relationship with the Father, and His inherent deity. "Son of Man," while affirming His true humanity, also carries a profound messianic and apocalyptic meaning, pointing to His unique authority, His suffering as a human, and His ultimate role as the glorious, judging King from Daniel's prophecy. Together, these titles reveal the dual nature of Jesus Christ: fully God and fully man, the perfect mediator between God and humanity.

L18-NEW BIRTH Born of Water & Spirit
 

Lesson 18NEW BIRTH – Born of Water and Spirit: New Birth

Video Segment

Video Presenter: Marianne Meye Thompson, Professor of New Testament Interpretation, Fuller Theological Seminary. An ordained minister in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), she is the author of several books on the Gospels and the Gospel of John.

Listen for: Note what the word “sign” means in John and why he uses that word to describe the miracles and works of Jesus.

Video Discussion

  1. How do the works of Jesus function as signs in John?
  1. What kind of belief do the signs call for?
  1. What “sight and insight” comes from the sign of Jesus turning water into wine?

Video Summary

  1. The miracles or works of Jesus function as signs because they point beyond themselves.
  2. Two levels of perception in seeing a sign are “sight” and “insight”.
  3. Jesus’ deeds are manifestations of God’s life-giving power in and through him.

 

Scripture & Study Manual

Part 1- The first 2 signs

In your group, compare the assigned passages, using the questions that follow to guide you:        John 2:1-11                    John 4:46-54

  1. What elements do the passages have in common? How do they differ?
  2. How do the details help to convey the meaning of the signs?
  1. In each of the passages, what does Jesus offer those who witness his miraculous sign?
  2. What evidence does John give of belief in Jesus resulting from what Jesus accomplishes with these first two signs?

Part 2: – Jesus first extended conversations with 2 individuals-Nicodemus (John 3:1-21) & the Samaritan woman (John 4:7-42)

  1. Scan the passages & daily notes. Describe the occasion & setting of the conversation. Compare & contrast.

 

  1. Explore the content of the conversation between Jesus & each individual.
      • What change takes place in each character’s understanding of Jesus over the course of the conversation?
      • What images does Jesus’ use and how are they appropriate to each person?
  1. Discuss John’s purpose.
      • What aspect of Jesus’ identity is clarified through each conversation?
  1. Together: discuss – How would you describe the faith of Nicodemus & the Samaritan woman based on their conversations with Jesus.
  1. Hear reports of research on the various interpretations of John 3:5

Encounter the Word

Scripture Selection: John 2:13-22

1.      Read John 2:13-22 aloud.

2.      Now hear the parallel accounts of Jesus, cleansing the Temple in;

              Matthew 21:12-13      Mark 11:15-17              Luke 19:45-46

3.      Work in your group and compare the 4 passages, making notes on the similarities and differences in the Synoptic accounts and John’s account. Pay attention to the chronology of the event, the details given, and the words Jesus speaks. Share your findings.

4. What message about Jesus do you think John intended to convey in the way he tells the story of Jesus’ cleansing the Temple?

 

Marks of Faithful Community

Being faithful community, we see life as both physical and spiritual, and while we exist in the physical, we live in new life graciously offered by God in Jesus Christ.

 

Read aloud, “Our Human Condition”- We are born, and we die.  In between we attend to our physical needs.  What can give life to our living?  What can give purpose to our dying?             

*    Reflect:  How does the new life offered by God in Jesus give purpose both to our living and to our dying?

 

*    Hear each other’s responses to the questions under “Marks of the Faithful Community.” – page 147.

  1. Jesus offers new life to the living.  Think about the people and the events in the week’s readings. What was new about the life Jesus offered in those Scriptures?  How does it apply to you?
  2. Different versions of the bible translate John 3:3 as “born again”, “born from above” or “born anew”.  How do you understand each of those terms? 
  3. Which one of these three terms best describe your experience of new life in Christ?

The Radical Disciple

The radical disciple bears witness to the new life in Christ through daily acts of faithful living.

 

*    Discuss: How do you think your experience of new life is evident to those around you?

Next Week - Lesson 19, Bread of Life

·       Pray that we will all live the new life that God has given to us through Jesus Christ.

·       Pray that the grace of God is sufficient for all our needs and we are confident that it is so.

Lesson Review

  1. All the Gospels report that Jesus did amazing deeds, called “marvels”, “powers”, “wonders”, or “mighty deeds”. But the Gospel of John uses two other words, which we translate as “works” and “signs”.
  2. When Jesus speaks of his deeds of healing or feeding the multitudes or raising the dead, he refers to them as his “works”. When he speaks to others about his “works”, he refers to them as “signs”. 
  3. The joining of the “sign” with the “I AM” saying shows that the signs point beyond themselves to what Jesus brings and what he embodies in his very person.
  4. When we understand Jesus’ deeds as manifestations of God’s life-giving power in and through him, we understand them as “signs”, as indicators of the unique relationship he has to God.
  5. Signs call for belief in the reality to which they point. They are witnesses to the distinctive identity of Jesus as the one who makes God known.

 

Additional Video Notes for info

1.       Seeing is believing OR believing is seeing?

2.       John invites us to read the story of Jesus through the eyes of faith - those who believe, the signs are signs of God, declaring God’s glory and God’s rule.

3.       In the gospels of the NT, the amazing deeds done by Jesus of healing, feeding multitudes, raising the dead etc. are described and translated in the Synoptic gospels as marvels, powers, wonders, mighty deeds. In John, they are regularly translated as works and signs.

4.       The works of Jesus are referred to as the “works of my Father” or the ‘works of God.” Jesus does what His Father does, giving life and healing the sick. Jesus’ works are the works of God through Him.

5.       The miracles or works of Jesus function as “signs” for those who see them and understand. They point beyond themselves to deeper significance.

6.       In OT –> Plagues on Egyptians are “signs”; prophetic “signs” – Jeremiah carrying the “yolk” – Judah coming under the yolk of foreign rules.

7.       John uses the OT word of signs to point to the deeper reality of the blessings of life that Jesus brings – realities of salvation that God brings through Jesus; God’s work in Jesus

8.       “I AM” sayings of Jesus accompany the signs. The signs therefore point to a deeper significance of what Jesus brings, and what he embodies in himself. When he fed the multitude, he embodies the sustenance that God provides for his people. He is the bread of life. When he healed the blind man, one comes to see that he is the light of the world.

9.       Two levels of perception in seeing a sign;

·       Sight – but without insight

·       Insight – the greater significance

10.   Those who have true insight will be like Peter who declares, you have the words of eternal life when he saw the feeding of the multitudes

11.   Water into wine – Jesus revealed his glory: abundance of wine a consistent OT figure for joy; in the days of Messiah, all vineyards will be phenomenally fruitful; Jesus – from his fullness we have all received grace upon grace; coming age of God – a foretaste of abundance

12.   Healings – power of Jesus’ word to give life, given by God, Jesus’ deeds are indicators of the unique relationship between God & Jesus, as the life-giving Son of the Father

13.   Responses to Jesus’ miracles – in other gospels, different responses; wonder, awe, amazement, anger and agitation, praise of God and thanksgiving. In John the responses are always; belief and unbelief.

14.   We are to believe that Jesus’ works are God’s works. The signs are witnesses to the person of Jesus and the salvation and the blessings of God that are bestowed through Him. They are pointers to the distinctive identity of Jesus as the one who makes God known.

15.   See Jesus’ signs and believe. But believe in Jesus and see God.

 Signs of John's Gospel

The Gospel of John stands out from the Synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark, and Luke) in its presentation of Jesus' miracles. John doesn't just record miracles as amazing events; he calls them "signs" (Greek: semeion), emphasizing that they point to a deeper truth about Jesus' identity and mission. John explicitly states his purpose in writing: "But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name" (John 20:30-31). The signs are strategically chosen to build a case for Jesus' divinity and messianic claims.

Here are the prominent signs and their biblical meaning and significance on the person of Jesus:

The Seven Signs of John's Gospel

While there are other miraculous events, scholars typically identify seven "signs" that John highlights:

  1. Water into Wine (John 2:1-11)
    • Description: At a wedding in Cana, Jesus turns a large quantity of water into high-quality wine when the supply runs out.
    • Meaning/Significance:
      • Jesus' Glory and Deity: John explicitly states this was "the first of his signs" and "manifested his glory." It reveals Jesus' power over creation and His divine authority to transform.
      • New Covenant: The abundance and quality of the new wine symbolize the superiority and fullness of the new covenant that Jesus inaugurated, replacing the old, ritualistic Judaism (represented by the water jars for purification). It's a foreshadowing of the overflowing joy and blessing of God's kingdom.
      • Messianic Feast: In the Old Testament, the coming of the Messiah was often associated with a lavish feast, sometimes involving abundant wine (e.g., Isaiah 25:6). Jesus' act hints at His messianic role in bringing ultimate joy and provision.
  2. Healing the Royal Official's Son (John 4:46-54)
    • Description: A royal official from Capernaum pleads with Jesus to heal his dying son. Jesus simply tells him, "Go, your son will live," and the boy is healed at that very moment, despite the distance.
    • Meaning/Significance:
      • Jesus' Authority Over Distance and Sickness: This sign demonstrates Jesus' power to heal from afar, without physical touch or presence. It highlights His omnipotence and transcendent authority.
      • Faith Without Seeing: The official believes Jesus' word before seeing the result, serving as an example of true faith. This emphasizes that faith in Jesus' word is powerful and effective, even when immediate evidence is not present.
      • Life-Giving Word: Jesus' spoken word alone is sufficient to bring about healing and life.
  3. Healing the Paralytic at Bethesda (John 5:1-15)
    • Description: At the Pool of Bethesda, Jesus encounters a man who has been an invalid for 38 years. Jesus asks him if he wants to be well, then commands him to "Get up! Pick up your mat and walk." The man is instantly cured.
    • Meaning/Significance:
      • Jesus as Lord of the Sabbath: This miracle occurs on the Sabbath, provoking controversy with the Jewish leaders. Jesus' actions and subsequent discourse (John 5:16-47) establish His authority over the Sabbath law, declaring that "My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I too am working" (John 5:17). He is greater than the Law.
      • Jesus as the Source of Life: The man's long-standing paralysis symbolizes the spiritual deadness of humanity under sin. Jesus' ability to restore movement and life points to His power to give spiritual life to those who are spiritually "dead" or "paralyzed" by sin.
      • Divine Authority to Forgive Sins: Though not explicitly stated as "forgiving sins" in this passage, Jesus' ability to perform such a profound healing on the Sabbath, and His subsequent claims of equality with God, implicitly demonstrate His divine authority, which includes the power to forgive sins.
  4. Feeding the Five Thousand (John 6:1-14)
    • Description: Jesus miraculously feeds over five thousand people with five barley loaves and two small fish, with twelve baskets of leftovers.
    • Meaning/Significance:
      • Jesus as the Bread of Life: This sign is followed by Jesus' extensive "Bread of Life" discourse (John 6:22-59). He declares Himself to be the true bread from heaven, superior to the manna God provided in the wilderness. He offers spiritual nourishment and eternal life to those who "eat" His flesh and "drink" His blood (symbolizing faith in His atoning work).
      • Divine Provision and Sustenance: It demonstrates Jesus' divine power to create and provide abundantly, mirroring God's provision for Israel in the wilderness. He is capable of meeting all human needs, both physical and spiritual.
      • Messianic Fulfillment: This miracle echoes the Old Testament motif of God providing for His people and connects Jesus to the prophet Elisha, who also multiplied bread (2 Kings 4:42-44).
  5. Jesus Walking on Water (John 6:16-21)
    • Description: After feeding the multitude, Jesus walks on the stormy Sea of Galilee to meet His disciples in their boat.
    • Meaning/Significance:
      • Jesus' Lordship Over Creation: This sign unequivocally demonstrates Jesus' divine power over nature, a power typically attributed only to God (Job 9:8; Psalm 77:19). He is not subject to the laws of the physical world.
      • Divine Presence in the Storms of Life: Jesus' coming to the disciples in the midst of their struggle symbolizes His presence and power to bring peace and safety in life's trials.
      • "I AM" Statement: While not explicitly stating "I AM," Jesus' self-revelation ("It is I; do not be afraid" in Greek is Egō eimi, echoing divine self-identification) in this context further reinforces His divine identity.
  6. Healing the Man Born Blind (John 9:1-41)
    • Description: Jesus heals a man born blind, using mud and instructing him to wash in the Pool of Siloam. This leads to a prolonged interrogation of the man by the Pharisees, who refuse to believe.
    • Meaning/Significance:
      • Jesus as the Light of the World: This sign is directly linked to Jesus' declaration, "While I am in the world, I am the light of the world" (John 9:5). Just as He gave physical sight, He offers spiritual enlightenment to those in darkness.
      • Spiritual Blindness vs. Sight: The miracle contrasts the physical blindness of the man with the spiritual blindness of the Pharisees, who, despite seeing the evidence, refuse to acknowledge Jesus' identity. It highlights that true sight is spiritual and comes through faith in Jesus.
      • Judgment: This miracle brings judgment upon those who claim to see but are spiritually blind (John 9:39-41).
  7. Raising Lazarus from the Dead (John 11:1-45)
    • Description: Jesus intentionally delays His arrival, allowing Lazarus to die and be in the tomb for four days, before raising him back to life with a powerful command.
    • Meaning/Significance:
      • Jesus as the Resurrection and the Life: This is the climactic sign, serving as the ultimate demonstration of Jesus' power over death itself, and directly preceding His own death and resurrection. Jesus declares, "I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die" (John 11:25).
      • Forecasting His Own Resurrection: It provides irrefutable evidence of Jesus' authority over life and death, setting the stage for the ultimate sign – His own resurrection.
      • The Power of Faith: Mary and Martha's faith, though initially wavering, is ultimately rewarded. The miracle calls for belief in Jesus as the source of eternal life.
      • Catalyst for His Crucifixion: This highly public and undeniable miracle was the final straw for the Jewish authorities, leading them to actively plot Jesus' death (John 11:47-53).

Overall Biblical Meaning and Significance on the Person of Jesus

The signs in John's Gospel are not merely demonstrations of power; they are deliberate revelations of who Jesus is:

  • He is Divine: Each sign, in its unique way, points to Jesus' divine nature, demonstrating powers that only God possesses (control over nature, healing from afar, giving life). John's Gospel opens by declaring Jesus as the "Word" who "was God" and "became flesh" (John 1:1, 14), and the signs continually affirm this truth.
  • He is the Messiah (Christ): The miracles fulfill Old Testament prophecies and messianic expectations, confirming Jesus' claim to be the promised deliverer and King.
  • He is the Son of God: The signs provide undeniable evidence that Jesus is uniquely God's Son, in whom the Father's glory is fully revealed.
  • He is the Source of Life: From transforming water (symbolizing new life) to raising the dead, Jesus consistently presents Himself as the giver of life—both physical and eternal. This is a central theme of John's Gospel.
  • He Demands and Enables Belief: The primary purpose of these signs, as stated in John 20:30-31, is to lead readers to believe in Jesus as the Christ, the Son of God, and thereby receive eternal life. They are invitations to faith.
  • He Reveals God the Father: Jesus states, "Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father" (John 14:9). His signs are the Father's works, revealing the Father's character, power, and love through the Son.

In essence, John uses these "signs" as a carefully constructed argument, inviting readers to move beyond mere wonder at miraculous events to a profound belief in Jesus' true identity as the Christ, the Son of God, and the only way to eternal life.

Nicodemus - the famous Phrassse of the Sanhedrin - came to Jesus by night and the born again phenomenan was make know to him. What is mean to be born again - in spirit.

The encounter between Jesus and Nicodemus in John 3 is a pivotal moment in the New Testament, introducing the concept of being "born again" or "born from above." Nicodemus, a Pharisee and a member of the Sanhedrin (the Jewish ruling council), was a highly respected religious leader, well-versed in the Law and traditions. His coming to Jesus by night is often interpreted in several ways:

  • Fear of Man/Reputation: As a prominent leader, publicly associating with Jesus, who was already stirring controversy, could have jeopardized his standing and reputation among his peers. The night offered secrecy and a chance for an unobserved, intimate conversation.
  • Time for Serious Inquiry: Nighttime was also a traditional time for deep study and philosophical discussions among rabbis. Nicodemus genuinely sought understanding and may have chosen the quiet hours for an uninterrupted, profound exchange with Jesus.
  • Symbolic of Spiritual Darkness: More symbolically, Nicodemus came to Jesus (the Light of the World) "in the night," representing his own spiritual darkness or lack of understanding regarding the kingdom of God, despite his extensive religious knowledge.

What it Means to Be Born Again (in Spirit) - John 3:1-8

Jesus immediately cuts to the chase with Nicodemus, declaring, "Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again" (John 3:3). Nicodemus, interpreting this physically, asks, "How can someone be born when they are old? Surely they cannot enter a second time into their mother's womb to be born!" (John 3:4). Jesus then clarifies:

"Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. You should not be surprised at my saying, 'You must be born again.' The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit." (John 3:5-8)

To be "born again in spirit" means a spiritual rebirth or regeneration, not a physical one. Here's a breakdown of its meaning and biblical theology:

  1. A Supernatural Transformation (Born "from Above"):
    • The Greek word anothen can mean both "again" and "from above." Jesus' emphasis is on a birth that originates from God, not from human effort or natural processes. It is a divine, supernatural work of the Holy Spirit.
    • This implies that humanity, in its natural state ("flesh"), is spiritually dead or incapable of understanding and entering God's kingdom. Our default nature is alienated from God due to sin (Ephesians 2:1, Romans 3:23).
    • Significance: It highlights God's sovereign initiative in salvation. We cannot "will" ourselves into the kingdom or achieve it through good works, religious observance, or intellect (something Nicodemus, as a Pharisee, might have relied on). It is a gift of God's grace.
  2. Born of "Water and the Spirit":
    • This phrase has been interpreted in various ways, but a common understanding is:
      • Water: Can refer to physical birth (the "waters" of the womb, contrasting with the spiritual birth) or, more likely in this context, spiritual cleansing and repentance often associated with baptism or the prophetic promises of a new covenant (like Ezekiel 36:25-27, where God promises to "sprinkle clean water" on His people and give them a "new heart" and "new spirit").
      • Spirit: Refers directly to the Holy Spirit's regenerating work. The Spirit breathes new life into a spiritually dead person, enabling them to understand and respond to God.
    • Significance: It underscores that external rituals (like water baptism) are insufficient on their own. True entry into God's kingdom requires an internal, spiritual transformation brought about by the Holy Spirit. The "water" often symbolizes the washing away of sin, while the "Spirit" denotes the impartation of new life and a new nature.
  3. A New Spiritual Nature and Identity:
    • "Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit" (John 3:6). This means that our first birth gives us our physical, earthly nature, which is fallen and unable to please God. The "born again" experience gives us a new spiritual nature, aligned with God.
    • This new nature brings about a changed heart, new desires, and a new orientation towards God and His ways. It is a radical change from the inside out.
    • Significance: It explains why merely reforming one's behavior isn't enough for salvation. True Christianity isn't about self-improvement but about a complete spiritual overhaul. "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!" (2 Corinthians 5:17).
  4. Invisible but Evident (Like the Wind):
    • Jesus compares the work of the Spirit to the wind: "The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit" (John 3:8).
    • The process of spiritual birth is invisible and mysterious; we don't control it or fully comprehend how it happens. However, its effects are discernible and real, just as you can't see the wind but you can see its effects (e.g., leaves rustling, clothes blowing).
    • Significance: This addresses Nicodemus's confusion about "how can this be?" It emphasizes that spiritual realities operate differently from physical ones and require faith. While the work itself is internal and unseen, it manifests in a transformed life, a desire for God, and obedience to His commands.

In essence, to be "born again in spirit" means to experience a radical, supernatural regeneration by the Holy Spirit, leading to a new spiritual life, a new nature, and the ability to "see" and "enter" the kingdom of God. It's a fundamental change from spiritual death to spiritual life, making salvation possible for those who believe in Jesus. It is the beginning of a true, living relationship with God.

Jesus encounter the samaritan woman at the well- How do this encounter reveal and Jesus and what is the outcome of this encounter. Contrast it with Jesus encounter with Nicodemus

The encounter between Jesus and the Samaritan woman at Jacob's well in John 4 is a masterful display of Jesus' identity and mission, deeply contrasting with His conversation with Nicodemus.

How this Encounter Reveals Jesus

This encounter reveals several profound aspects of Jesus:

  1. His Divine Transcending of Barriers:
    • Racial/Ethnic Barriers: Jews and Samaritans had deep-seated animosity, avoiding interaction. Jesus intentionally passes through Samaria (John 4:4) and initiates conversation with a Samaritan, shocking both the woman and His disciples (John 4:9, 27). This demonstrates His mission extends beyond Jewish boundaries.
    • Gender Barriers: In that culture, it was highly unusual and improper for a man, especially a rabbi, to speak with a woman in public, let alone a foreign woman and one with a questionable reputation. Jesus breaks this social convention, elevating the woman's dignity and valuing her as an individual.
    • Moral/Social Barriers: The woman's past (five husbands, living with a sixth man) would have made her an outcast even among her own people, evidenced by her coming to the well at noon, the hottest part of the day, to avoid others. Jesus engages her, not with condemnation, but with grace and an offer of true life.
    • Significance: This reveals Jesus as the universal Savior, whose love and salvation are for all people, regardless of their background, gender, or past sins. He breaks down artificial human divisions.
  2. His Identity as the "Living Water":
    • Jesus' central offer is "living water" (John 4:10). Initially, the woman interprets this literally as physical water that would prevent thirst.
    • Jesus clarifies that this "living water" is a spiritual provision: "Whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life" (John 4:14). This refers to the Holy Spirit (as explained in John 7:37-39) and the eternal life that He alone can offer.
    • Significance: This reveals Jesus as the ultimate source of spiritual satisfaction and eternal life. He is the one who can quench the deepest human longings and provide lasting fulfillment that no worldly "water" (possessions, relationships, achievements) can offer.
  3. His Omniscience and Prophetic Authority:
    • Jesus reveals His supernatural knowledge of the woman's marital history (John 4:17-18). He knows the intimate details of her life, proving He is more than just a passing stranger or a Jew.
    • This revelation causes the woman to recognize Him as a "prophet" (John 4:19).
    • Significance: His perfect knowledge of her past validates His divine authority and sets the stage for His ultimate revelation as the Messiah. It shows that He sees beyond external appearances and knows the human heart.
  4. His Identity as the Messiah (Christ):
    • The woman expresses her belief in the coming Messiah who "will explain everything to us" (John 4:25).
    • In one of the most explicit self-declarations in John's Gospel, Jesus responds, "I who speak to you am he" (John 4:26). This is the first time in John's Gospel that Jesus directly reveals His messianic identity to an individual.
    • Significance: This is the climactic revelation, proving Jesus is the long-awaited Christ, the fulfillment of Israel's hopes, and the one sent by God.
  5. His Vision for True Worship:
    • The woman raises the common Jewish-Samaritan dispute over the proper place of worship (Jerusalem vs. Mount Gerizim).
    • Jesus declares, "A time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is Spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth" (John 4:23-24).
    • Significance: This reveals that true worship is not bound by geographical locations, specific temples, or external rituals, but by an internal, spiritual reality—a heart attitude of sincerity and truthfulness that comes from being born of the Spirit and knowing God personally.

The Outcome of this Encounter

The outcome of this encounter is profoundly transformative and far-reaching:

  1. The Woman's Transformation:
    • From a skeptical, defensive, and perhaps shamed individual, she becomes a believer in Jesus as the Messiah.
    • Her transformation is immediate and powerful: she leaves her water jar (symbolizing her previous quest for physical satisfaction) and runs back to her town.
    • She becomes an evangelist, publicly proclaiming her encounter with Jesus: "Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did. Could this be the Messiah?" (John 4:28-29). This is remarkable given her outcast status.
  2. Conversion of Many Samaritans:
    • Due to the woman's testimony, many Samaritans from her town come to Jesus.
    • They invite Jesus to stay, and He remains for two days.
    • As a result, "many more believed because of his word. They said to the woman, 'We no longer believe just because of what you said; now we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this man really is the Savior of the world'" (John 4:41-42). This marks a significant early expansion of the gospel beyond traditional Jewish circles.
    • Significance: This demonstrates the power of personal testimony and the direct impact of Jesus' teaching on those who hear it. It also foreshadows the global reach of the Gospel, breaking down ethnic and religious barriers.
  3. Disciples' Instruction:
    • While the woman is gone, Jesus uses the opportunity to teach His disciples about spiritual harvest: "Don't you have a saying, 'It's still four months until harvest'? I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest" (John 4:35). He then explains His "food" is to do the will of the Father.
    • Significance: Jesus is training His disciples to see spiritual opportunities everywhere, even in despised Samaria, and to understand the urgency of the mission.

Contrast with Jesus' Encounter with Nicodemus

The encounters with Nicodemus (John 3) and the Samaritan woman (John 4) are often presented as a deliberate literary contrast by John, highlighting different aspects of receiving salvation:

Feature

Nicodemus

Samaritan Woman

Identity

Jewish religious leader, Pharisee, Sanhedrin member, "teacher of Israel" (Jn 3:1, 10)

Samaritan, woman, social outcast, morally questionable past (Jn 4:7-9, 17-18)

Time of Visit

By night (Jn 3:2)

At noon (Jn 4:6)

Approach

Initiates contact with Jesus, seeking answers

Approached by Jesus, initially resistant

Knowledge

Highly educated in Jewish Law and theology

Limited, traditional, and somewhat superstitious religious understanding

Starting Point

Focused on how one can enter the kingdom (physical vs. spiritual birth)

Focused on where one should worship (geography vs. spirit and truth)

Jesus' Focus

"Born again" (spiritual rebirth), the necessity of the Spirit's work

"Living Water" (spiritual satisfaction), the universality of salvation, true worship

Obstacles

Intellectual pride, societal expectations, fear of man, difficulty grasping spiritual concepts

Social/racial prejudice, personal shame, limited religious understanding

Jesus' Reveal

The necessity of new birth through the Spirit; His identity as the Son of Man who must be lifted up (Jn 3:14)

His identity as the "Living Water," the Prophet, and explicitly, the Messiah ("I am He")

Immediate Outcome

Appears confused ("How can this be?"), further action not immediately stated (though he later helps bury Jesus, Jn 19:39)

Instant belief, leaves her jar, becomes an immediate and effective evangelist

Impact

Individual salvation (implied but not explicitly stated as immediate conversion)

Individual conversion and the conversion of many in her community

Representation

Represents those who are "in" the religious establishment but still need spiritual understanding and regeneration.

Represents the "outsiders," the despised, the marginalized, who are nevertheless ripe for the gospel.

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This powerful contrast underscores that Jesus' message of salvation is universal and not limited by social status, ethnicity, gender, or past sins. He meets people exactly where they are, addressing their deepest needs, and offers them the transformative power of spiritual life and truth. While Nicodemus, the respected insider, struggles with understanding, the ostracized Samaritan woman, an outsider, quickly grasps the spiritual truth and becomes a fervent witness. Both encounters showcase Jesus' profound ability to perceive the human heart and offer the unique spiritual truths necessary for salvation.

(John 3:5)Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit"

The phrase "Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit" (John 3:5) is one of the most debated and interpreted verses in the New Testament. Its interpretation is crucial for understanding the nature of salvation and entry into God's kingdom.

Here's how we generally interpret it, along with the main debates among Bible scholars:

Common Interpretations

There are broadly three main categories of interpretation for "born of water and the Spirit":

  1. Water = Physical Birth; Spirit = Spiritual Birth:
    • Interpretation: This view suggests that "water" refers to the literal physical birth (the "waters" breaking before birth) and "Spirit" refers to the spiritual rebirth necessary for salvation.
    • Reasoning: Proponents point to Nicodemus's initial misunderstanding about re-entering his mother's womb (John 3:4) as evidence that Jesus is contrasting physical birth with a new, spiritual birth. Thus, one must first be born physically to exist, and then born spiritually to enter God's kingdom.
    • Significance: This interpretation emphasizes the dual reality of human existence (physical and spiritual) and the distinct necessity of spiritual regeneration.
    • Debate: Critics argue that it makes the "water" part seem redundant ("you must be born physically to enter the kingdom" - well, obviously). They also question if "born of water" was a common idiom for physical birth in that culture.
  2. Water = Baptism; Spirit = Spiritual Regeneration:
    • Interpretation: This view sees "water" as a direct reference to water baptism and "Spirit" as the work of the Holy Spirit in regeneration.
    • Reasoning:
      • Historical: Many early Church Fathers held this view, linking baptism to the initiation of new life in Christ.
      • Contextual: John the Baptist's ministry involved water baptism for repentance, and baptism became a foundational practice in the early church (e.g., Acts 2:38, Titus 3:5).
      • Grammatical: The single Greek preposition "ek" ("of" or "from") governs both "water" and "Spirit," suggesting they are two aspects of a single birth process, often seen as baptism representing the outward sign and the Spirit the inward reality.
    • Significance: This view emphasizes the importance of baptism as an ordinance connected to salvation and the work of the Spirit.
    • Debate:
      • "Works" Salvation: A major criticism from Protestant theology is that this interpretation can lead to a "works-based" salvation (i.e., that baptism is necessary for salvation) which contradicts the emphasis on salvation by grace through faith alone (Ephesians 2:8-9). Proponents often counter that baptism is not a work of merit but an act of obedience and a means of grace, a symbolic act that accompanies the inward spiritual reality, or even the moment the Spirit regenerates.
      • The Thief on the Cross: The example of the thief on the cross (Luke 23:40-43), who was promised paradise by Jesus without being baptized, is often cited against the necessity of water baptism for salvation.
      • Jesus' Own Emphasis: After this verse, Jesus continues to speak only of the Spirit's work and belief, not mentioning "water" again in the conversation.
  3. Water = Cleansing/Word/Old Covenant (Symbolic); Spirit = Spiritual Regeneration:
    • Interpretation: This is a more symbolic interpretation where "water" represents spiritual cleansing or purification (drawing from Old Testament imagery like Ezekiel 36:25-27, where God promises to "sprinkle clean water" and give a "new heart" and "new spirit"). It could also symbolize the cleansing work of God's Word (Ephesians 5:26).
    • Reasoning:
      • Old Testament Background: Nicodemus, as a "teacher of Israel" (John 3:10), would have been familiar with Old Testament prophecies of a new covenant involving spiritual cleansing and the outpouring of the Spirit.
      • Parallelism: This view sees "water and the Spirit" as a hendiadys or a way of saying one thing with two terms—the cleansing and renewing work of the Spirit. So, "born of water and the Spirit" means "born of the cleansing Spirit."
      • John's Use of "Water": In John's Gospel, "water" often has a deeper, spiritual meaning (e.g., Jesus offering "living water" to the Samaritan woman in John 4, which is later identified with the Spirit in John 7:37-39).
    • Significance: This interpretation strongly emphasizes the sovereign, internal work of the Holy Spirit in bringing about regeneration and spiritual purity, aligning with the concept of faith alone for salvation.
    • Debate: Some argue that this interpretation is too spiritualized and moves away from a more literal reading of "water," especially given the existence of literal water baptism.

Key Debates Among Bible Scholars

The core of the debate revolves around two main points:

  1. The Relationship between "Water" and "Spirit":
    • Separate Entities vs. Unified Concept: Are "water" and "Spirit" two distinct requirements (physical birth + spiritual birth, or baptism + spiritual regeneration), or do they describe one single spiritual event (regeneration by the Spirit, sometimes symbolized by water)?
    • "And" as "Even": Some scholars, like John Calvin, argued that the Greek word kai ("and") could be translated as "even" or "that is," meaning "born of water, that is, the Spirit." This would make the entire phrase refer solely to the Spirit's work. However, many Greek grammarians and translators do not support this as the primary meaning in this context.
  2. The Role of Water Baptism in Salvation:
    • Is Baptism Absolutely Necessary for Salvation? This is the most heated debate.
      • Yes (Sacramental/Baptismal Regeneration): Some traditions (e.g., Roman Catholicism, some high-church Protestant denominations, Churches of Christ) see John 3:5 as evidence that water baptism is a necessary component for salvation and the impartation of the Spirit. They argue that neglecting baptism is to neglect a clear command from Jesus regarding entry into the kingdom.
      • No (Symbolic/Ordinance): Many Protestant traditions (e.g., Baptists, Evangelicals) argue that salvation is by grace through faith alone, and baptism is an outward symbol of an inward change that has already occurred (or is occurring simultaneously), not a prerequisite for it. They believe John 3:5 refers to spiritual cleansing (often linked to the Word of God or repentance) that accompanies the Spirit's work, or even just physical birth contrasted with spiritual birth, and not necessarily water baptism. They emphasize John 3:16 ("whoever believes") as the core requirement.
      • Integrated but not Mechanical: Some scholars attempt a middle ground, suggesting that while baptism isn't a "work" that earns salvation, it's the divinely appointed means through which the Spirit often operates in the initial experience of new birth, emphasizing the integral connection between faith, repentance, Spirit, and the outward sign.

Conclusion:

While there are differing scholarly views, most evangelical scholars today lean towards the interpretation that "born of water and the Spirit" primarily refers to the spiritual regeneration wrought by the Holy Spirit, often drawing from the Old Testament imagery of cleansing and renewal. The "water" is often understood as symbolic of purification from sin (whether through repentance, the Word of God, or the Spirit's cleansing work itself), rather than explicitly water baptism as a prerequisite for salvation.

The core message, regardless of the nuances of "water," remains consistent: entry into the kingdom of God is not achieved through human effort, religious upbringing, or external rituals alone, but through a supernatural transformation (a "new birth") brought about by the Holy Spirit. This spiritual regeneration is absolutely essential for anyone to "see" and "enter" God's kingdom.

 

L19- BREAD Bread of Life


 

 

 

L20-GUIDANCE Light of the World
 

 

L21-BELIEVE The Coming Hour
 

 

L22-ABIDE Power to Bear Fruit
 

 

 

L23-CROSS Where No One Else Can Go

 

 

L24-GO TELLWeeping Turn to Witness

 

 

L25-UNITY Our Life Together

 

 

 

L26-SPEECH The Power of The Tongue

 

 

L27-APOCALYPSE Vision of End Time
 






 

L28-LISTEN Letters to The Churches
 

 

L29-WOE WOE WOE What Must Take Place
 

 

 

L30-PERSECUTION The Power of Evil
 

 

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L32-FOREVER Under the Tree of Life