Friday, December 14, 2018

December 23, 2018 – Christmas – Salvation, Anticipated and Received




Salvation, Anticipated and Received

Psalm 80:1-7 - New International Version (NIV)

Hear us, Shepherd of Israel,
    you who lead Joseph like a flock.
You who sit enthroned between the cherubim,
    shine forth before Ephraim, Benjamin and Manasseh.
Awaken your might;
    come and save us.

Restore us, O God;
    make your face shine on us,
    that we may be saved.

How long, Lord God Almighty,
    will your anger smolder
    against the prayers of your people?
You have fed them with the bread of tears;
    you have made them drink tears by the bowlful.
You have made us an object of derision to our neighbors,
    and our enemies mock us.

Restore us, God Almighty;
    make your face shine on us,
    that we may be saved.

Who did the “Shepherd of Israel” lead (verse 1)?

In your opinion, what does the psalmist mean by “awaken your might” (verse 2)?

Why did the psalmist want God’s face to shine on him (verse 3)?

What did the psalmist say God’s anger was smoldering against (verse 4)?

What did the psalmist say God fed His people (verse 5)?

Who is an “object of derision” (verse 6)?

How does the psalmist ask for God to save them (verse 7)?

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

Micah 5:2-5a - New International Version (NIV)                 

“But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah,
    though you are small among the clans of Judah,
out of you will come for me
    one who will be ruler over Israel,
whose origins are from of old,
    from ancient times.”

Therefore Israel will be abandoned
    until the time when she who is in labor bears a son,
and the rest of his brothers return
    to join the Israelites.

He will stand and shepherd his flock
    in the strength of the Lord,
    in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God.
And they will live securely, for then his greatness
    will reach to the ends of the earth.

And he will be our peace

Who will come from Bethlehem Ephrathah (verse 2)?

What are the origins of the one who will come (verse 2)?

What will end “when she who is in labor bears a son” (verse 3)?

Who will return “when she who is in labor bears a son” (verse 3)?

How will the son “stand and shepherd his flock” (verse 4)?

Why will his flock “live securely” (verse 4)?

What will the son be (verse 5)?

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

In your opinion, what is similar about the salvations that Micah 5:2-5a and Psalm 80:1-7 seek?

Luke 1:39-55 – New International Version (NIV)

39 At that time Mary got ready and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judea, 40 where she entered Zechariah’s home and greeted Elizabeth. 41 When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. 42 In a loud voice she exclaimed: “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear! 43 But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? 44 As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. 45 Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill his promises to her!”

46 And Mary said:

“My soul glorifies the Lord
47     and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
48 for he has been mindful
    of the humble state of his servant.
From now on all generations will call me blessed,
49     for the Mighty One has done great things for me—
    holy is his name.
50 His mercy extends to those who fear him,
    from generation to generation.
51 He has performed mighty deeds with his arm;
    he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts.
52 He has brought down rulers from their thrones
    but has lifted up the humble.
53 He has filled the hungry with good things
    but has sent the rich away empty.
54 He has helped his servant Israel,
    remembering to be merciful
55 to Abraham and his descendants forever,
    just as he promised our ancestors.”

Where did Mary hurry to (verse 39)?

Where did Mary greet Elizabeth (verse 40)?

What happened when Mary greeted Elizabeth (verse 41)?

Who did Elizabeth again say was blessed (verse 42)?

In your opinion, why did Elizabeth ask “why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me” (verse 43)?

Who does Elizabeth say is blessed (verse 45)?

How does Mary’s soul respond to “the Lord” (verse 46)?

Who does Mary’s spirit “rejoice in” (verse 47)?

What has God been “mindful of” (verse 48)?

Who has done “great things” for Mary (verse 49)?

Who does God extend mercy to (verse 50)?

Who has God scattered (verse 51)?

Who has God lifted up (verse 52)?

Who has God “sent away empty” (verse 53)?

What has God remembered to be (verse 54)?

Who did God promise these things to (verse 55)?

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

In your opinion, what does the psalmist pleading for God to “awaken your might, come and save us” in Psalm 80:1-7 but God delivering salvation through a humble girl in Luke 1:39-55 teach us?

In your opinion, what can we learn from the fact that according to Micah 5:2-5a God’s chosen will come from the small town of Bethlehem and that in Luke 1:39-55 Mary, the mother of the Saviour, sings about her humble state?

Hebrews 10:5-10 – New International Version (NIV)

Therefore, when Christ came into the world, he said:

“Sacrifice and offering you did not desire,
    but a body you prepared for me;
with burnt offerings and sin offerings
    you were not pleased.
Then I said, ‘Here I am—it is written about me in the scroll—
    I have come to do your will, my God.’”

First he said, “Sacrifices and offerings, burnt offerings and sin offerings you did not desire, nor were you pleased with them”—though they were offered in accordance with the law. Then he said, “Here I am, I have come to do your will.” He sets aside the first to establish the second. 10 And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

What did Christ say God did not desire (verse 5)?

What had God prepared for Christ (verse 5)?

In your opinion, why was God not pleased with “burnt offerings and sin offerings” (verse 6)?

Who said “I have come to do your will, my God” (verse 7)?

What did Christ say first (verse 8)?

What did Christ then say (verse 9)?

In your opinion, what does Paul mean when he says “He sets aside the first to establish the second” (verse 9)?

How are Christians made holy (verse 10)?

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

In your opinion, what does Hebrews 10:5-10 teach us about how God answered the psalmist’s prayer in Psalms 80:1-7?

In your opinion, what does Hebrews 10:5-10 teach us about the ruler that Micah 5:2-5a indicated was coming from Bethlehem to rule the world?

In your opinion, what does Hebrews 10:5-10 teach us about the mercy of the Mighty One that Mary sang about in Luke 1:39-55?

In your opinion, how do these passages from Psalms, Micah, Luke and Hebrews help us in the process of moving from a desire for salvation, to an understanding of where salvation comes from, to salvation?

In your opinion, how can we who have accepted Mary’s Child as our Savior and Shepherd glorify the Lord and rejoice in God our Savior?



(sprucewhispers.blogspot.com)

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