December 9, 2018 – Looking Backward and Forward from Zechariah – Burning Bushes for the Spiritually Blind

Burning Bushes for the Spiritually Blind

Exodus 3:1-6 - New International Version (NIV)                 

¹ Now Moses was tending the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian, and he led the flock to the far side of the wilderness and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. ² There the angel of the Lord appeared to him in flames of fire from within a bush. Moses saw that though the bush was on fire it did not burn up. ³ So Moses thought, “I will go over and see this strange sight—why the bush does not burn up.”

⁴ When the Lord saw that he had gone over to look, God called to him from within the bush, “Moses! Moses!”

And Moses said, “Here I am.”

⁵ “Do not come any closer,” God said. “Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground.” ⁶ Then he said, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob.” At this, Moses hid his face, because he was afraid to look at God.

Where did Moses lead his father-in-law’s flock (verse 1)?

Who appeared to Moses in the “flames of fire from within a bush” (verse 2)?

What did Moses want to know (verse 3)?

When did God call to Moses (verse 4)?

How did Moses answer God’s call (verse 4)?

Why was Moses to remove his sandals (verse 5)?

In your opinion, why did God identify Himself as “the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob” (verse 6)?

Why did Moses hide his face (verse 6)?

In your opinion, what is the basic message of this passage?

Zechariah 2:1-13 - New International Version (NIV)

¹ Then I looked up, and there before me was a man with a measuring line in his hand. ² I asked, “Where are you going?”

He answered me, “To measure Jerusalem, to find out how wide and how long it is.”

³ While the angel who was speaking to me was leaving, another angel came to meet him ⁴ and said to him: “Run, tell that young man, ‘Jerusalem will be a city without walls because of the great number of people and animals in it. ⁵ And I myself will be a wall of fire around it,’ declares the Lord, ‘and I will be its glory within.’

⁶ “Come! Come! Flee from the land of the north,” declares the Lord, “for I have scattered you to the four winds of heaven,” declares the Lord.

⁷ “Come, Zion! Escape, you who live in Daughter Babylon!” ⁸ For this is what the Lord Almighty says: “After the Glorious One has sent me against the nations that have plundered you—for whoever touches you touches the apple of his eye— ⁹ I will surely raise my hand against them so that their slaves will plunder them. Then you will know that the Lord Almighty has sent me.

¹⁰ “Shout and be glad, Daughter Zion. For I am coming, and I will live among you,” declares the Lord. ¹¹ “Many nations will be joined with the Lord in that day and will become my people. I will live among you and you will know that the Lord Almighty has sent me to you. ¹² The Lord will inherit Judah as his portion in the holy land and will again choose Jerusalem. ¹³ Be still before the Lord, all mankind, because he has roused himself from his holy dwelling.”

Who did Zechariah see when he looked up (verse 1)?

What was the man going to do (verse 2)?

Who came to meet the angel who was speaking to Zechariah (verse 3)?

Why will Jerusalem “be a city without walls” (verse 4)?

What will God be to Jerusalem (verse 5)?

Where were the people to flee from (verse 6)?

Where were the people who ”live in  Daughter Babylon” to come (verse 7)?

What will the Lord do the those who touch “the apple of his eye” (verses 8 and 9)?

Where is the Lord Almighty going to live (verse 10)?

In your opinion, what does it mean that “many nations will be joined with the Lord in that day” (verse 11)?

What will the Lord inherit (verse 12)?

Where will the Lord choose (verse 12)?

How is all mankind to respond to the Lord (verse 13)?

In your opinion, what is the basic message of this passage?

In your opinion, what are the similarities between the place that Moses stood in Exodus 3:1-6 and the city of Jerusalem that Zechariah sees in Zechariah 2:1-13?

John 9:35-41 – New International Version (NIV)

³⁵ Jesus heard that they had thrown him out, and when he found him, he said, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?”

³⁶ “Who is he, sir?” the man asked. “Tell me so that I may believe in him.”

³⁷ Jesus said, “You have now seen him; in fact, he is the one speaking with you.”

³⁸ Then the man said, “Lord, I believe,” and he worshiped him.

³⁹ Jesus said, “For judgment I have come into this world, so that the blind will see and those who see will become blind.”

⁴⁰ Some Pharisees who were with him heard him say this and asked, “What? Are we blind too?”

⁴¹ Jesus said, “If you were blind, you would not be guilty of sin; but now that you claim you can see, your guilt remains.

What had Jesus heard about the man He ask “do you believe in the Son of Man” (verse 35)?

How did the man respond to Jesus’s question “do you believe in the Son of Man” (verses 35 and 36)?

In your opinion, why is the quote “you have now seen him” significant (verse 37)?

What did the man do after saying, “Lord, I believe” (verse 38)?

How does Jesus define judgment after He says “for judgment I have come into this world” (verse 39)?

Who said “are we blind too” (verse 40)?

Why does their guilt remain (verse 41)?

In your opinion, what is the basic message of this passage?

In your opinion, how is the response of Moses to God in Exodus 3:1-6 similar to the response of the man who was blind from birth in John 9:35-41 to Jesus?

In your opinion, what does John 9:35-41 teach us about how to respond to God’s command issued through Zechariah in Zecharian 2:1-13 to “escape, you who live in Daughter Babylon” if we consider the world of today the “Daughter Babylon”?

Romans 10:5-17 – New International Version (NIV)

⁵ Moses writes this about the righteousness that is by the law: “The person who does these things will live by them.”  ⁶ But the righteousness that is by faith says: “Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’” (that is, to bring Christ down) ⁷ “or ‘Who will descend into the deep?’” (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead). ⁸ But what does it say? “The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart,” that is, the message concerning faith that we proclaim: ⁹ If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. ¹⁰ For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved. ¹¹ As Scripture says, “Anyone who believes in him will never be put to shame.” ¹² For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, ¹³ for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

¹⁴ How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? ¹⁵ And how can anyone preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!”

¹⁶ But not all the Israelites accepted the good news. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed our message?” ¹⁷ Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ.

What does Moses say about the “righteousness that is by the law” (verse 5)?

What does not say “in your heart, ‘who will ascend into heaven” (verse 6)?

What says “the word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart” (verses 6 and 8)?

In your opinion, why does Paul connect the declaring “Jesus is Lord” with the mouth and belief in the heart that God raised Jesus from the dead with salvation (verses 9 and 10)?

Who will “never be put to shame” (verse 11)?

Why is there “no difference between Jew and Gentile” (verse 12)?

Who will be saved (verse 13)?

In your opinion, what is Paul trying to get us to understand with his questions in verses 14 and 15?

“Not all the Israelites” have accepted what (verse 16)?

Where does faith come from (verse 17)?

How is the message heard (verse 17)?

In your opinion, what is the basic message of this passage?

In your opinion, what does Moses’s reaction to God in Exodus 3:1-6 tell us about the man who Paul quotes in Romans 10:5-17 as saying “the person who does these things will live by them”?

In your opinion, what does Paul in Romans 10:5-17 help us understand about the people who will live in the Jerusalem that a “man with a measuring line in his hand” is going out to measure in Zechariah 2:1-13?

In your opinion, how does the reaction of the man who had been born blind to Jesus in John 9:35-41 help us understand the miracle of salvation that Paul is explaining in Romans 10:5-17?

In your opinion, what do these passages from Exodus, Zechariah, John and Romans teach us about what the “blind” who see understand about God?

In your opinion, how can we be a bush on fire but that does not burn up for those who are spiritually blind?

(sprucewhispers.blogspot.com)

December 2, 2018 – Looking Backward and Forward from Zechariah – Destroy to Build

Destroy to Build

2 Chronicles 36:15-23 - New International Version (NIV)   

¹⁵ The Lord, the God of their ancestors, sent word to them through his messengers again and again, because he had pity on his people and on his dwelling place. ¹⁶ But they mocked God’s messengers, despised his words and scoffed at his prophets until the wrath of the Lord was aroused against his people and there was no remedy. ¹⁷ He brought up against them the king of the Babylonians, who killed their young men with the sword in the sanctuary, and did not spare young men or young women, the elderly or the infirm. God gave them all into the hands of Nebuchadnezzar. ¹⁸ He carried to Babylon all the articles from the temple of God, both large and small, and the treasures of the Lord’s temple and the treasures of the king and his officials. ¹⁹ They set fire to God’s temple and broke down the wall of Jerusalem; they burned all the palaces and destroyed everything of value there.

²⁰ He carried into exile to Babylon the remnant, who escaped from the sword, and they became servants to him and his successors until the kingdom of Persia came to power. ²¹ The land enjoyed its sabbath rests; all the time of its desolation it rested, until the seventy years were completed in fulfillment of the word of the Lord spoken by Jeremiah.

²² In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, in order to fulfill the word of the Lord spoken by Jeremiah, the Lord moved the heart of Cyrus king of Persia to make a proclamation throughout his realm and also to put it in writing:

²³ “This is what Cyrus king of Persia says:

“‘The Lord, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth and he has appointed me to build a temple for him at Jerusalem in Judah. Any of his people among you may go up, and may the Lord their God be with them.’”

Why did the “Lord, the God of their ancestors” send word through his messengers “again and again” (verse 15)?

How did the people respond to God’s messengers (verse 16)?

Into whose hands did God give the people (verse 17)?

What was carried into Babylon (verse 18)?

What happened to the temple and the wall of Jerusalem (verse 19)?

Who was carried “into exile to Babylon” (verse 20)?

In your opinion, what does “the land enjoyed its sabbath rests” mean (verse 21)?

Why did “Cyrus king of Persia” make a proclamation (verse 22)?

What had the Lord appointed Cyrus to do (verse 23)?

In your opinion, what is the basic message of this passage?

Zechariah 1:18-21 - New International Version (NIV)

¹⁸ Then I looked up, and there before me were four horns. ¹⁹ I asked the angel who was speaking to me, “What are these?”

He answered me, “These are the horns that scattered Judah, Israel and Jerusalem.”

²⁰ Then the Lord showed me four craftsmen. ²¹ I asked, “What are these coming to do?”

He answered, “These are the horns that scattered Judah so that no one could raise their head, but the craftsmen have come to terrify them and throw down these horns of the nations who lifted up their horns against the land of Judah to scatter its people.”

What did Zechariah see when he looked up (verse 18)?

Who did he ask “what are these” (verse 19)?

How was his question answered (verse 19)?

Then what did the Lord show Zechariah (verse 20)?

In your opinion, why did Zechariah ask “What are these coming to do” (verse 21)?

What had the horns done (verse 21)?

What were the craftsmen going to do (verse 21)?

In your opinion, what is the basic message of this passage?

In your opinion, do you think Zechariah could have anticipated that the one of the craftsmen from Zecharian 1:18-21 would be the mighty king of Persia, who would claim that the Lord “has appointed me to to build a temple for him at Jerusalem in Judah” in 2 Chronicles 36:15-23? 

John 2:18-25 – New International Version (NIV)

¹⁸ The Jews then responded to him, “What sign can you show us to prove your authority to do all this?”

¹⁹ Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days.”

²⁰ They replied, “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and you are going to raise it in three days?” ²¹ But the temple he had spoken of was his body. ²² After he was raised from the dead, his disciples recalled what he had said. Then they believed the scripture and the words that Jesus had spoken.

²³ Now while he was in Jerusalem at the Passover Festival, many people saw the signs he was performing and believed in his name. ²⁴ But Jesus would not entrust himself to them, for he knew all people. ²⁵ He did not need any testimony about mankind, for he knew what was in each person.

What did the Jews ask Jesus (verse 18)?

How did Jesus answer (verse 19)?

In your opinion, why did the Jews misunderstand His answer (verse 20)?

What temple had Jesus spoken of (verse 21)?

When did the disciples recall what Jesus had said (verse 22)?

When did the disciples believe “the scripture and the words that Jesus had spoken” (verse 22)?

What happened when Jesus was “in Jerusalem at the Passover Festival” (verse 23)?

Why did Jesus not “entrust himself to them” (verse 24)?

What did Jesus know (verse 25)?

In your opinion, what is the basic message of this passage?

In your opinion, why did Jesus, who used Nebuchadnezzer and Cyrus to accomplish His purposes in 2 Chronicles 36:15-23 not only prophsy in John 2:18-25 that the Jews would “destroy this temple” but then later allow them to do exactly that?

In your opinion, what does the Lord being able to control the nations in Zechariah 1:18-21 and the disciples remembering that Jesus promised to raise the temple, His body, “in three days” after He was raised from the dead in John 2:18-25 help you understand about Jesus?

1 Peter 2:4-10 – New International Version (NIV)

⁴ As you come to him, the living Stone—rejected by humans but chosen by God and precious to him— ⁵ you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. ⁶ For in Scripture it says:

“See, I lay a stone in Zion,
    a chosen and precious cornerstone,
and the one who trusts in him
    will never be put to shame.”

⁷ Now to you who believe, this stone is precious. But to those who do not believe,

“The stone the builders rejected
    has become the cornerstone,”

⁸ and,

“A stone that causes people to stumble
    and a rock that makes them fall.”

They stumble because they disobey the message—which is also what they were destined for.

⁹ But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. ¹⁰ Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

Who rejected the “living stone” (verse 4)?

Who chose the “living stone” (verse 4)?

What does Peter say that God’s elect, who he wrote 1 Peter 2:4-10 to, are and are being built into (verse 5)?

Who “will never be put to shame” (verse 6)?

What is precious “to you who believe” (verse 7)?

Why do people stumble over the stone (verse 8)?

In your opinion, what does Peter mean by “him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light” (verse 9)?

What are God’s elect (verse 10)?

What have God’s elect received (verse 10)?

In your opinion, what is the basic message of this passage?

In your opinion, which is the greater accomplishment of God, the controlling of the kings and the nations that we see in 2 Chronicles 36:15-23 or the creation of a spiritual house made up of living stones that Peter proclaims in 1 Peter 2:4-10?  Why do you think it is greater?

In your opinion, what has changed the course of human history the most, the horns and craftsmen of Zechariah 1:18-21 or the stone of 1 Peter 2:4-10?  How do you explain why you answered this way?

In your opinion, how is Jesus’s fulfillmet of the promise to rebuild the temple that is His body in John 2:18-25 similar to those who come to Jesus, the living Stone, being built into a “spiritual house” in 1 Peter 2:4-10?

In your opinion, what do these passages from 2 Chronicles, Zechariah, John and 1 Peter show us about God’s sovereignty over those who come to Him and also those who reject Him?

In your opinion, what does it take to be part of building the “spiritual house” that God is building?

(sprucewhispers.blogspot.com)

November 25, 2018 – Looking Backward and Forward from Zechariah – From Judgment to Mercy

-            The

From Judgment to Mercy

Jeremiah 25:4-14 - New International Version (NIV)          

⁴ And though the Lord has sent all his servants the prophets to you again and again, you have not listened or paid any attention. ⁵ They said, “Turn now, each of you, from your evil ways and your evil practices, and you can stay in the land the Lord gave to you and your ancestors for ever and ever. ⁶ Do not follow other gods to serve and worship them; do not arouse my anger with what your hands have made. Then I will not harm you.”

⁷ “But you did not listen to me,” declares the Lord, “and you have aroused my anger with what your hands have made, and you have brought harm to yourselves.”

⁸ Therefore the Lord Almighty says this: “Because you have not listened to my words, ⁹ I will summon all the peoples of the north and my servant Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon,” declares the Lord, “and I will bring them against this land and its inhabitants and against all the surrounding nations. I will completely destroy them and make them an object of horror and scorn, and an everlasting ruin. ¹⁰ I will banish from them the sounds of joy and gladness, the voices of bride and bridegroom, the sound of millstones and the light of the lamp. ¹¹ This whole country will become a desolate wasteland, and these nations will serve the king of Babylon seventy years.

¹² “But when the seventy years are fulfilled, I will punish the king of Babylon and his nation, the land of the Babylonians, for their guilt,” declares the Lord, “and will make it desolate forever. ¹³ I will bring on that land all the things I have spoken against it, all that are written in this book and prophesied by Jeremiah against all the nations. ¹⁴ They themselves will be enslaved by many nations and great kings; I will repay them according to their deeds and the work of their hands.”

Who had the people “not listened or paid any attention” to (verse 4)?

What did the people have to do to “stay in the land the Lord gave to you and your ancestors for ever and ever” (verse 5)?

In your opinion, what does God mean by the instruction “do not arouse my anger with what your hands have made” (verse 6)?

How did the people bring “harm to yourselves” (verse 7)?

Who will the Lord Almighty summon “against this land and its inhabitants and against all the surrounding nations” (verses 8 and 9)?

What will the Lord banish from the lands (verse 10)?

How long will the country be a “desolate wasteland” (verse 11)?

What will happen “when the seventy years are fulfilled” (verse 12)?

How will the Babylonians be repaid (verse 14)?

In your opinion, what is the basic message of this passage?

Zechariah 1:7-14 - New International Version (NIV)

⁷ On the twenty-fourth day of the eleventh month, the month of Shebat, in the second year of Darius, the word of the Lord came to the prophet Zechariah son of Berekiah, the son of Iddo.

⁸ During the night I had a vision, and there before me was a man mounted on a red horse. He was standing among the myrtle trees in a ravine. Behind him were red, brown and white horses.

⁹ I asked, “What are these, my lord?”

The angel who was talking with me answered, “I will show you what they are.”

¹⁰ Then the man standing among the myrtle trees explained, “They are the ones the Lord has sent to go throughout the earth.”

¹¹ And they reported to the angel of the Lord who was standing among the myrtle trees, “We have gone throughout the earth and found the whole world at rest and in peace.”

¹² Then the angel of the Lord said, “Lord Almighty, how long will you withhold mercy from Jerusalem and from the towns of Judah, which you have been angry with these seventy years?” ¹³ So the Lord spoke kind and comforting words to the angel who talked with me.

¹⁴ Then the angel who was speaking to me said, “Proclaim this word: This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘I am very jealous for Jerusalem and Zion, ¹⁵ and I am very angry with the nations that feel secure. I was only a little angry, but they went too far with the punishment.’

¹⁶ “Therefore this is what the Lord says: ‘I will return to Jerusalem with mercy, and there my house will be rebuilt. And the measuring line will be stretched out over Jerusalem,’ declares the Lord Almighty.

¹⁷ “Proclaim further: This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘My towns will again overflow with prosperity, and the Lord will again comfort Zion and choose Jerusalem.’”

What happened “on the twenty-fourth day of the eleventh month, the month of Shebat, in the second year of Darius” (verse 7)?

Where was the “man mounted on a red horse” that Zechariah saw in the vision (verse 8)?

Who answered Zechariah’s question “What are these” by saying “I will show you what they are” (verse 9)?

Who explaind “they are the ones the Lord has sent to go throughout the earth” (verse 10)?

What did they report about the world (verse 11)?

How long had the Lord Almighty been angry with Jerusalem and the towns of Judah (verse 12)?

How did the Lord speak to the angel who was talking to Jeremiah (verse 13)?

What was Zechariah to say about how the Lord Almighty felt about Jerusalem and Zion (verse 14)?

Why was the Lord Almighty angry with “the nations that feel secure” (verse 15)?

How will the Lord Almighty “return to Jerusalem” (verse 16)?

What does the Lord Almighty say will overflow in “my towns” (verse 17)?

In your opinion, what is the basic message of this passage?

In your opinion, what has happened to the prophcy of Jeremiah 25:4-14 by the time Zechariah receives the prophcy of Zechariah 1:7-14?

John 12:31-36 – New International Version (NIV)

³¹ Now is the time for judgment on this world; now the prince of this world will be driven out. ³² And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.” ³³ He said this to show the kind of death he was going to die.

³⁴ The crowd spoke up, “We have heard from the Law that the Messiah will remain forever, so how can you say, ‘The Son of Man must be lifted up’? Who is this ‘Son of Man’?”

³⁵ Then Jesus told them, “You are going to have the light just a little while longer. Walk while you have the light, before darkness overtakes you. Whoever walks in the dark does not know where they are going. ³⁶ Believe in the light while you have the light, so that you may become children of light.” When he had finished speaking, Jesus left and hid himself from them.

What time does Jesus say it is (verse 31)?

Who will be driven out (verse 31)?

In your opinion, what does Jesus mean when He says “and I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself” (verse 32)?

Why did He say this (verse 33)?

What had the crowd “heard from the Law” (verse 34)?

In your opinion, what did Jesus mean when He instructed “You are going to have the light just a little while longer.  Walk while you have the light, before darkness overtakes you.” (verse 35)?

What happens if we “believe in the light while you have the light” (verse 36)?

In your opinion, what is the basic message of this passage?

In your opinion, how is the judgment of the Lord Almighty in Jeremiah 25:4-14 different from the judgment Jesus declares in John 12:31-36?

In your opinion, how does the fact that Zechariah had a vision in the night, or dark, in Zechariah 1:7-14 help us understand about the statement that Jesus makes “walk while you have the light, before darkness overtakes you” in John 12:31-36?

Ephesians 2:1-10 – New International Version (NIV)

¹ As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, ² in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. ³ All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath. ⁴ But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, ⁵ made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. ⁶ And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, ⁷ in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. ⁸ For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— ⁹ not by works, so that no one can boast. ¹⁰ For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

What state were the Ephesian Christians in (verse 1)?

In your opinion, who is “the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient” (verse 2)?

What were we all “deserving of” (verse 3)?

What is God rich in (verse 4)?

How did God make us alive “when we were dead in transgressions” (verse 5)?

How did God raise us up (verse 6)?

What did God show through “his kindness to us in Christ Jesus” (verse 7)?

How are we saved (verse 8)?

Why can no one boast (verse 9)?

What are we created to do (verse 10)?

In your opinion, what is the basic message of this passage?

In your opinion, what does Ephesians 2:1-10 reveal about the Ephesian Christians (and Christians of today) that is in common with the people who Jeremiah said God was angry with in Jeremiah 24:4-14?

In your opinion, what does Zechariah’s predicted return of the Lord to Jerusalem in Zechariah 1:7-14 have in common with explanation that Paul gives in Ephesians 2:1-10 about why God “made us alive with Christ even when we were dead with transgressions”?

In your opinion, what does Paul reveal in Ephesians 2:1-10 about how Jesus, who said in John 12:31-36 that “now is the time for judgment on this world” makes people into “children of light”?

In your opinion, what do these passages from Jeremiah, Zechariah, John and Ephesians teach us about the relationship of anger and judgment to mercy and grace?

In your opinion, what has God prepared for you to do?

(sprucewhispers.blogspot.com)

November 18, 2018 – Looking Backward and Forward from Zechariah – Stiff-Necked or Devoted

Stiff-Necked or Devoted

2 Chronicles 36:11-21 - New International Version (NIV)   

¹¹ Zedekiah was twenty-one years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem eleven years. ¹² He did evil in the eyes of the Lord his God and did not humble himself before Jeremiah the prophet, who spoke the word of the Lord. ¹³ He also rebelled against King Nebuchadnezzar, who had made him take an oath in God’s name. He became stiff-necked and hardened his heart and would not turn to the Lord, the God of Israel. ¹⁴ Furthermore, all the leaders of the priests and the people became more and more unfaithful, following all the detestable practices of the nations and defiling the temple of the Lord, which he had consecrated in Jerusalem.

¹⁵ The Lord, the God of their ancestors, sent word to them through his messengers again and again, because he had pity on his people and on his dwelling place. ¹⁶ But they mocked God’s messengers, despised his words and scoffed at his prophets until the wrath of the Lord was aroused against his people and there was no remedy. ¹⁷ He brought up against them the king of the Babylonians, who killed their young men with the sword in the sanctuary, and did not spare young men or young women, the elderly or the infirm. God gave them all into the hands of Nebuchadnezzar. ¹⁸ He carried to Babylon all the articles from the temple of God, both large and small, and the treasures of the Lord’s temple and the treasures of the king and his officials. ¹⁹ They set fire to God’s temple and broke down the wall of Jerusalem; they burned all the palaces and destroyed everything of value there.

²⁰ He carried into exile to Babylon the remnant, who escaped from the sword, and they became servants to him and his successors until the kingdom of Persia came to power. ²¹ The land enjoyed its sabbath rests; all the time of its desolation it rested, until the seventy years were completed in fulfillment of the word of the Lord spoken by Jeremiah.

How old was Zedekiah when he became king (verse 11)?

What did Zedekiah refuse to do “before Jeremiah the prophet, who spoke the word of the Lord” (verse 12)?

Who did Zedekiah rebell against (verse 13)?

What did the “leaders of the priests and the people do” (verse 14)?

Why did “the Lord, the God of their ancestors” send word to the people “again and again” (verse 15)?

In your opinion, whey did God’s people despise His words and scoff at His prophets (verse 16)?

Who did God give His people to (verse 17)?

Where did all the “articles from the temple of God, both large and small” get carried to (verse 18)?

What happened to God’s temple (verse 19)?

What did the “remnant, who escaped from the sword” become (verse 20)?

How long did the land rest (verse 21)?

In your opinion, what is the basic message of this passage?

Zechariah 1:1-6 - New International Version (NIV)

¹ In the eighth month of the second year of Darius, the word of the Lord came to the prophet Zechariah son of Berekiah, the son of Iddo:

² “The Lord was very angry with your ancestors. ³ Therefore tell the people: This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘Return to me,’ declares the Lord Almighty, ‘and I will return to you,’ says the Lord Almighty. ⁴ Do not be like your ancestors, to whom the earlier prophets proclaimed: This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘Turn from your evil ways and your evil practices.’ But they would not listen or pay attention to me, declares the Lord. ⁵ Where are your ancestors now? And the prophets, do they live forever? ⁶ But did not my words and my decrees, which I commanded my servants the prophets, overtake your ancestors?

“Then they repented and said, ‘The Lord Almighty has done to us what our ways and practices deserve, just as he determined to do.’”

When did “the word of the Lord” come to the prophet Zechariah (verse 1)?

Who was the Lord “very angry” with (verse 2)?

What does the Lord promise to do if the people return to Him (verse 3)?

In your opinion, why did the people’s ancestors not listen or pay attention to God (verse 4)?

How did the people’s ancestors respond when God’s words and decrees overtook them (verse 6)?

In your opinion, what is the basic message of this passage?

In your opinion, why might the people that Zechariah is talking to in Zechariah 1:1-6 respond differently to God than their ancestors responded to Jeremiah’s message from God in 2 Chronicles 36:11-21?

John 1:9-14 – New International Version (NIV)

⁹ The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. ¹⁰ He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. ¹¹ He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. ¹² Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— ¹³ children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.

¹⁴ 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.

Who “was coming into the world” (verse 9)?

What did the world not do (verse 10)?

In your opinion why did “that which was his own” not receive Him (verse 11)?

Who did He “give the right to become children of God” (verse 12)?

How were these “children of God” not born (verse 13)?

What did the Word become (verse 14)?

Where did the Word dwell (verse 14)?

Who came from the Father, “full of grace and truth” (verse 14)?

In your opinion, what is the basic message of this passage?

In your opinion, how is Zedekiah, the king of Israel in 2 Chronicles 36:11-21 an example of the way “the world” and “his own” reacted to Jesus according to John in John 1:9-14?

In your opinion, how is the opportunity that God gave the people in Zechariah 1:1-6 to “return to me . . . and I will return to you” similar to what Jesus gave in John 1:9-14 “to all who did receive him”?

Titus 3:3-8 – New International Version (NIV)

³ At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another. ⁴ But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, ⁵ he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, ⁶ whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, ⁷ so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life. ⁸ This is a trustworthy saying. And I want you to stress these things, so that those who have trusted in God may be careful to devote themselves to doing what is good. These things are excellent and profitable for everyone.

In your opinion, who is the “we” in Paul’s statement that “we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures” (verse 3)?

Who does Paul say had “kindness and love” (verse 4)?

Why did God save “us” (verse 5)?

How did God save “us” (verse 5)?

How was the Holy Spirit “poured out on us generously” (verse 6)?

In your opinion, what does it mean to be “justified by his grace” (verse 7)?

What are those “who have trusted in God” to be careful to do (verse 8)?

In your opinion, what is the basic message of this passage?

In your opinion, how is the reaction of Zedekiah to God in 2 Chronicles 36:11-21 different from the reaction of the “foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved” that Paul is talking about in Titus 3:3-8?

In your opinion, why doesn’t the statement of Zechariah 1:1-6 that “the Lord Almighty has done to us what our ways and practices deserve” not apply for the “foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved” of Titus 3:3-8?

In your opinion, what does Titus 3:3-8 teach us about Jesus and those who received Him in John 1:9-14, “to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God”?

In your opinion, what do these passages from 2 Chronicles, Zechariah, John and Titus teach us about the reactions of people to God?

In your opinion, how can each, individually, devote ourselves to “doing what is good”?

(sprucewhispers.blogspot.com)

November 4, 2018 – Wisdom from Ecclesiastes and the Sermon on the Mount – Built for Action

Built for Action

Ecclesiastes 12:8-14 - New International Version (NIV)      

⁸ “Meaningless! Meaningless!” says the Teacher.
    “Everything is meaningless!”

⁹ Not only was the Teacher wise, but he also imparted knowledge to the people. He pondered and searched out and set in order many proverbs. ¹⁰ The Teacher searched to find just the right words, and what he wrote was upright and true.

¹¹ The words of the wise are like goads, their collected sayings like firmly embedded nails—given by one shepherd. ¹² Be warned, my son, of anything in addition to them.

Of making many books there is no end, and much study wearies the body.

¹³ Now all has been heard;
    here is the conclusion of the matter:
Fear God and keep his commandments,
    for this is the duty of all mankind.
¹⁴ For God will bring every deed into judgment,
    including every hidden thing,
    whether it is good or evil.

What does the Teacher say is “meaningless” (verse 8)?

Who did the the Teacher impart knowledge to (verse 9)?

What did the Teacher search for (verse 10)?

In your opinion, how are the words of the wise “like goads” (verse 11)?

What does the Teacher say to “be warned” about (verse 12)?

What is the Teacher’s “conclusion of the matter” (verse 13)?

What will God do with every deed and every hidden thing (verse 14)?

In your opinion, what is the basic message of this passage?

Matthew 7:24-29 - New International Version (NIV)

²⁴ “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. ²⁵ The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. ²⁶ But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. ²⁷ The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”

²⁸ When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching, ²⁹ because he taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the law.

Who is “like a wise man who built his house on the rock” (verse 24)?

Why did the house not fall even though “the rain come down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house” (verse 25)?

Who is “like a foolish man who built his house on sand” (verse 26)?

What happened to the foolish man’s house when “the rain come down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house” (verse 27)?

How did the crowds feel about Jesus teaching (verse 28)?

How did Jesus teach (verse 29)?

In your opinion, what is the basic message of this passage?

In your opinion, how do the Teacher’s conclusion in Ecclesiastes 12:8-14 and the parable of Jesus recorded in Matthew 7:24-29 agree?

James 2:14-24 – New International Version (NIV)

¹⁴ What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? ¹⁵ Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. ¹⁶ If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? ¹⁷ In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.

¹⁸ But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.”

Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds. ¹⁹ You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder.

²⁰ You foolish person, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless? ²¹ Was not our father Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? ²² You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did. ²³ And the scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,” and he was called God’s friend. ²⁴ You see that a person is considered righteous by what they do and not by faith alone.

Who does James ask the question “can such faith save them” (verse 14)?

In your opinion, what changes if you say to someone “go in peace; keep warm and well fed” (verses 15 and 16)?

What is faith “if it is not accompanied by action” (verse 17)?

In your opinion, what is the difference between someone who says “you have faith; I have deeds” and James who says “I will show you my faith by my deeds” (verse 18)?

What do demons believe that causes them to shudder (verse 19)?

When was Abraham considered righteous (verse 20)?

What worked together to make Abraham’s faith complete (verse 22)?

When was it credited to Abraham “as righteousness” (verse 23)?

What must be added to faith so that someone is considered righteous (verse 24)?

In your opinion, what is the basic message of this passage?

In your opinion, how are the deeds the Teacher says God will bring into judgment in Ecclesiates 12:8-14 and the deeds James encourages in James 2:14-24 different?

In your opinion, how are James’s  description of the one with faith and without deeds and the one with faith and deeds in James 2:14-24 similar to Jesus descriptions of the wise man and the foolish man in Matthew 7:24-29?

1 Thessalonians 1:2-10 – New International Version (NIV)

² We always thank God for all of you and continually mention you in our prayers. ³ We remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.

⁴ For we know, brothers and sisters loved by God, that he has chosen you, ⁵ because our gospel came to you not simply with words but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and deep conviction. You know how we lived among you for your sake. ⁶ You became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you welcomed the message in the midst of severe suffering with the joy given by the Holy Spirit. ⁷ And so you became a model to all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia. ⁸ The Lord’s message rang out from you not only in Macedonia and Achaia—your faith in God has become known everywhere. Therefore we do not need to say anything about it, ⁹ for they themselves report what kind of reception you gave us. They tell how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, ¹⁰ and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead—Jesus, who rescues us from the coming wrath.

When does Paul thank God for the Thessalonians (verse 2)?

What does Paul remember about the Thessalonians (verse 3)?

Who has God chosen (verse 4)?

How did the gospel come to the Thessolians (verse 5)?

In your opinion, how could the Thessalonian Christians have been able to welcome the message with joy when they were “in the midst of severe suffering” (verse 6)?

What did the Thessalonian Christians become (verse 7)?

What “rang out” from the Thessalonian Christians (verse 8)?

What did the Thessalonian Christians turn from idols to do (verse 9)?

Who rescues us from the coming wrath (verse 10)?

In your opinion, what is the basic message of this passage?

In your opinion, how is the Teacher’s statement that “God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil” opposed by Paul’s message in 1 Thessalonians 1:2-10?

In your opinion, how does 1 Thessalonians 1:2-10 show us that Thessalonian Christians were wise and built their faith upon the rock as Jesus describes in Matthew 7:24-29?

In your opinion, how is the faith of Abraham that James described in James 2:14-24 similar to the faith of the Thessalonian Christians that Paul describes in 1 Thessalonians 1:2-10?

In your opinion, what do these passages from Ecclesiastes, Matthew, James and 1 Thessalonians teach us about the difference between actions that are meaningless and actions that prove our faith?

In your opinion, how can our actions show God’s love?

(sprucewhispers.blogspot.com)