Before ancient Israel had kings, they were led in times of crisis by military leaders known as judges. Samuel the prophet was the last of the judges. 1 and 2 Samuel were originally one book or scroll and describe God’s dealings with Samuel, Saul, David, Bathsheba and Absalom.
Was Hannah an example of personal sacrifice and gratitude? What did she pray after God blessed her?
And Hannah prayed, and said, My heart rejoiceth in the Lord, mine horn is exalted in the Lord: my mouth is enlarged over mine enemies; because I rejoice in thy salvation. There is none holy as the Lord: for there is none beside thee: neither is there any rock like our God. (1 Samuel 2:1-2 KJV)
When Samuel expressed disappointment over Israel’s choice of a king, what did God say to him?
But the Lord told him, “Listen to the people and everything they say to you. They have not rejected you; they have rejected Me as their king.” (1 Samuel 8:7 HCSB)
How did Samuel pass on God’s warning that Kings are not the answer? How often are the words “take” and “his” used to describe a king? Could this indicate the utter selfishness of human governments in general?
And he said, “This will be the behavior of the king who will reign over you: He will take your sons and appoint them for his own chariots and to be his horsemen, and some will run before his chariots. He will appoint captains over his thousands and captains over his fifties, will set some to plow his ground and reap his harvest, and some to make his weapons of war and equipment for his chariots. He will take your daughters to be perfumers, cooks, and bakers. And he will take the best of your fields, your vineyards, and your olive groves, and give them to his servants. He will take a tenth of your grain and your vintage, and give it to his officers and servants. And he will take your male servants, your female servants, your finest young men, and your donkeys, and put them to his work. He will take a tenth of your sheep. And you will be his servants. And you will cry out in that day because of your king whom you have chosen for yourselves, and the Lord will not hear you in that day.” (1 Samuel 8:11-18 NKJV)
Samuel told Saul that Israel desired him. Did Saul react with humility? Is this a lesson for all of us to remain humble?
Saul answered, “But am I not a Benjamite, from the smallest tribe of Israel, and is not my clan the least of all the clans of the tribe of Benjamin? Why do you say such a thing to me?” (1 Samuel 9:21 NIV)
Is neglect of prayer a sin? What would Samuel say?
Moreover, as for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the Lord in ceasing to pray for you; but I will teach you the good and the right way. (1 Samuel 12:23 NKJV)
What is the good and right way that Samuel taught?
Only fear the Lord and serve Him in truth with all your heart; for consider what great things He has done for you. (1 Samuel 12:24 NASB)
Why was Saul ultimately rejected as king?
But now your kingdom must end, for the Lord has sought out a man after his own heart. The Lord has already appointed him to be the leader of his people, because you have not kept the Lord’s command. (1 Samuel 13:14 NLT cp. Acts 13:22)
Though David committed terrible sins, he repented and remained a man of God (Psalm 4:7; 9:1; 18:1-3; 23:6; 25:11; 27:1; 31:9; 62:9; 119:34). How many church leaders have been like David, faulty but repentant? David was anointed king three times. Was he anointed the first time as a youth in front of his older brothers?
So Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him right there in front of his brothers. The Lord’s spirit came over David from that point forward. Then Samuel left and went to Ramah. (1 Samuel 16:13 CEB)
Was David later anointed king over the southern kingdom of Judah?
The people of Judah met with David at Hebron and poured olive oil on his head to show that he was their new king. Then they told David, “The people from Jabesh in Gilead buried Saul.” (2 Samuel 2:4 CEV)
Perhaps 15 years after the first anointing, was David finally anointed king over all Israel, north and south? Does God often teach us patience to build our faith?
So all the elders of Israel came to the king at Hebron, and King David made a covenant with them at Hebron before the Lord, and they anointed David king over Israel. (2 Samuel 5:3 ESV)
Can even a man after God’s own heart have great personal failings? What did Nathan say to David?
Why have you despised the commandment of the Lord, to do evil in His sight? You have killed Uriah the Hittite with the sword; you have taken his wife to be your wife, and have killed him with the sword of the people of Ammon. (2 Samuel 12:9 NKJV)
All God’s people have great personal failings, and there are times that people must be kicked out of church for great public sins (1 Corinthians 5). Yet churches are filled with people who sin and those who claim to be without sin are liars (1 John 1:8). Do we promote an atmosphere of grace in the church towards our mutual failures or legalistic judgmentalism? You decide!
Never Die?
Let’s learn a couple of ways to examine a Bible passage: 1) solving dilemmas, and 2) finding the Good News. Let’s examine the resurrection of Lazarus in John 11:1-45.
What was the setting?
Now a certain man was sick, Lazarus of Bethany, the town of Mary and her sister Martha. It was that Mary who anointed the Lord with fragrant oil and wiped His feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick. Therefore the sisters sent to Him, saying, “Lord, behold, he whom You love is sick.” (John 11:1-3)
Good News
Was there Good News?
When Jesus heard that, He said, “This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified through it.” (John 11:4)
Was Jesus’ delay a dilemma?
Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. So, when He heard that he was sick, He stayed two more days in the place where He was. Then after this He said to the disciples, “Let us go to Judea again.” (John 11:5-7)
Was Jesus’ boldness in the face of danger a dilemma?
The disciples said to Him, “Rabbi, lately the Jews sought to stone You, and are You going there again?” (John 11:8)
Did Jesus previously explain doing His Father’s work while it was His day to do so?
I must work the works of Him who sent Me while it is day; the night is coming when no one can work. (John 9:4)
Was Jesus' willingness to bring light to a dark place a dilemma?
Jesus answered, “Are there not twelve hours in the day? If anyone walks in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world. But if one walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him.” These things He said, and after that He said to them, “Our friend Lazarus sleeps, but I go that I may wake him up.” (John 11:9-11)
Did the disciples also face a dilemma? Why did Jesus delay?
Then His disciples said, “Lord, if he sleeps he will get well.” However, Jesus spoke of his death, but they thought that He was speaking about taking rest in sleep. Then Jesus said to them plainly, “Lazarus is dead. And I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, that you may believe. Nevertheless let us go to him.” (John 11:12-15)
Was Thomas facing a dilemma?
Then Thomas, who is called the Twin, said to his fellow disciples, “Let us also go, that we may die with Him.” (John 11:16)
Is it a dilemma that Jesus waited? Does God often delay His answer to our prayers so that we too may believe?
So when Jesus came, He found that he had already been in the tomb four days. (John 11:17 NKJV)
Was Martha’s dilemma a mix of doubt and faith? Is that common among us too?
Now Bethany was near Jerusalem, about two miles away. And many of the Jews had joined the women around Martha and Mary, to comfort them concerning their brother. Then Martha, as soon as she heard that Jesus was coming, went and met Him, but Mary was sitting in the house. Now Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that whatever You ask of God, God will give You.” (John 11:18-22)
How did Jesus reassure Martha? What was her dilemma about the resurrection?
Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” Martha said to Him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.” (John 11:23-24)
The Resurrection
What was the Good News? Did Jesus say He would only be the resurrection at His return or that He IS the resurrection? What does it mean that a believer shall never die? Is that a dilemma for us to understand?
Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?” (John 11:25-26)
What did Martha believe?
She said to Him, “Yes, Lord, I believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God, who is to come into the world.” (John 11:27)
What events transpired next?
And when she had said these things, she went her way and secretly called Mary her sister, saying, “The Teacher has come and is calling for you.” As soon as she heard that, she arose quickly and came to Him. Now Jesus had not yet come into the town, but was in the place where Martha met Him. Then the Jews who were with her in the house, and comforting her, when they saw that Mary rose up quickly and went out, followed her, saying, “She is going to the tomb to weep there.” (John 11:28-31)
Did Mary have the same doubts as her sister? Do we doubt when God delays?
Then, when Mary came where Jesus was, and saw Him, she fell down at His feet, saying to Him, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died.” (John 11:32)
What did Jesus do? Do real men weep, or is Jesus the most perfect example of manhood in human history?
Therefore, when Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her weeping, He groaned in the spirit and was troubled. And He said, “Where have you laid him?” They said to Him, “Lord, come and see.” Jesus wept. (John 11:33-35)
How did people react?
Then the Jews said, “See how He loved him!” And some of them said, “Could not this Man, who opened the eyes of the blind, also have kept this man from dying?” (John 11:36-37)
How did Jesus react? What was Martha’s dilemma?
Then Jesus, again groaning in Himself, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone lay against it. Jesus said, “Take away the stone.” Martha, the sister of him who was dead, said to Him, “Lord, by this time there is a stench, for he has been dead four days.” (John 11:38-39)
Public Prayer
Why did Jesus pray in public here? Elsewhere He taught us to pray in private (Matthew 6:6). Did others disobey Jesus by praying publicly (Matthew 21:13; Acts 1:14; Acts 16:13; Acts 21:5; 1 Timothy 2:8)? Is the lesson not to pray publicly to glorify self, but that others may believe and to glorify God?
Jesus said to her, “Did I not say to you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?” Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead man was lying. And Jesus lifted up His eyes and said, “Father, I thank You that You have heard Me. And I know that You always hear Me, but because of the people who are standing by I said this, that they may believe that You sent Me.” (John 11:40-42)
What was the Good News for those who were there?
Now when He had said these things, He cried with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come forth!” And he who had died came out bound hand and foot with graveclothes, and his face was wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Loose him, and let him go.” (John 11:43-44)
What happened to their faith?
Then many of the Jews who had come to Mary, and had seen the things Jesus did, believed in Him. (John 11:45)
A skeptical world just can’t hear the Good News, that whoever lives by believing in Jesus will never die. He boldly claimed, I AM the resurrection and the life. Let’s take off the grave clothes of doubt and fear, believe in Jesus Christ and live forever.
New King James Version (NKJV) Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
What was the setting?
Now a certain man was sick, Lazarus of Bethany, the town of Mary and her sister Martha. It was that Mary who anointed the Lord with fragrant oil and wiped His feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick. Therefore the sisters sent to Him, saying, “Lord, behold, he whom You love is sick.” (John 11:1-3)
Good News
Was there Good News?
When Jesus heard that, He said, “This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified through it.” (John 11:4)
Was Jesus’ delay a dilemma?
Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. So, when He heard that he was sick, He stayed two more days in the place where He was. Then after this He said to the disciples, “Let us go to Judea again.” (John 11:5-7)
Was Jesus’ boldness in the face of danger a dilemma?
The disciples said to Him, “Rabbi, lately the Jews sought to stone You, and are You going there again?” (John 11:8)
Did Jesus previously explain doing His Father’s work while it was His day to do so?
I must work the works of Him who sent Me while it is day; the night is coming when no one can work. (John 9:4)
Was Jesus' willingness to bring light to a dark place a dilemma?
Jesus answered, “Are there not twelve hours in the day? If anyone walks in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world. But if one walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him.” These things He said, and after that He said to them, “Our friend Lazarus sleeps, but I go that I may wake him up.” (John 11:9-11)
Did the disciples also face a dilemma? Why did Jesus delay?
Then His disciples said, “Lord, if he sleeps he will get well.” However, Jesus spoke of his death, but they thought that He was speaking about taking rest in sleep. Then Jesus said to them plainly, “Lazarus is dead. And I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, that you may believe. Nevertheless let us go to him.” (John 11:12-15)
Was Thomas facing a dilemma?
Then Thomas, who is called the Twin, said to his fellow disciples, “Let us also go, that we may die with Him.” (John 11:16)
Is it a dilemma that Jesus waited? Does God often delay His answer to our prayers so that we too may believe?
So when Jesus came, He found that he had already been in the tomb four days. (John 11:17 NKJV)
Was Martha’s dilemma a mix of doubt and faith? Is that common among us too?
Now Bethany was near Jerusalem, about two miles away. And many of the Jews had joined the women around Martha and Mary, to comfort them concerning their brother. Then Martha, as soon as she heard that Jesus was coming, went and met Him, but Mary was sitting in the house. Now Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that whatever You ask of God, God will give You.” (John 11:18-22)
How did Jesus reassure Martha? What was her dilemma about the resurrection?
Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” Martha said to Him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.” (John 11:23-24)
The Resurrection
What was the Good News? Did Jesus say He would only be the resurrection at His return or that He IS the resurrection? What does it mean that a believer shall never die? Is that a dilemma for us to understand?
Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?” (John 11:25-26)
What did Martha believe?
She said to Him, “Yes, Lord, I believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God, who is to come into the world.” (John 11:27)
What events transpired next?
And when she had said these things, she went her way and secretly called Mary her sister, saying, “The Teacher has come and is calling for you.” As soon as she heard that, she arose quickly and came to Him. Now Jesus had not yet come into the town, but was in the place where Martha met Him. Then the Jews who were with her in the house, and comforting her, when they saw that Mary rose up quickly and went out, followed her, saying, “She is going to the tomb to weep there.” (John 11:28-31)
Did Mary have the same doubts as her sister? Do we doubt when God delays?
Then, when Mary came where Jesus was, and saw Him, she fell down at His feet, saying to Him, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died.” (John 11:32)
What did Jesus do? Do real men weep, or is Jesus the most perfect example of manhood in human history?
Therefore, when Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her weeping, He groaned in the spirit and was troubled. And He said, “Where have you laid him?” They said to Him, “Lord, come and see.” Jesus wept. (John 11:33-35)
How did people react?
Then the Jews said, “See how He loved him!” And some of them said, “Could not this Man, who opened the eyes of the blind, also have kept this man from dying?” (John 11:36-37)
How did Jesus react? What was Martha’s dilemma?
Then Jesus, again groaning in Himself, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone lay against it. Jesus said, “Take away the stone.” Martha, the sister of him who was dead, said to Him, “Lord, by this time there is a stench, for he has been dead four days.” (John 11:38-39)
Public Prayer
Why did Jesus pray in public here? Elsewhere He taught us to pray in private (Matthew 6:6). Did others disobey Jesus by praying publicly (Matthew 21:13; Acts 1:14; Acts 16:13; Acts 21:5; 1 Timothy 2:8)? Is the lesson not to pray publicly to glorify self, but that others may believe and to glorify God?
Jesus said to her, “Did I not say to you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?” Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead man was lying. And Jesus lifted up His eyes and said, “Father, I thank You that You have heard Me. And I know that You always hear Me, but because of the people who are standing by I said this, that they may believe that You sent Me.” (John 11:40-42)
What was the Good News for those who were there?
Now when He had said these things, He cried with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come forth!” And he who had died came out bound hand and foot with graveclothes, and his face was wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Loose him, and let him go.” (John 11:43-44)
What happened to their faith?
Then many of the Jews who had come to Mary, and had seen the things Jesus did, believed in Him. (John 11:45)
A skeptical world just can’t hear the Good News, that whoever lives by believing in Jesus will never die. He boldly claimed, I AM the resurrection and the life. Let’s take off the grave clothes of doubt and fear, believe in Jesus Christ and live forever.
New King James Version (NKJV) Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Deuteronomy for Christians (Bible E-Course 24b)
Let’s review some highlights in Deuteronomy still relevant to Christians.
Images
We’ll begin with statues and pictures in churches. Are such images wrong? What about the images of cherubs and pomegranates in the tabernacle?
You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is on the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. (Deuteronomy 5:8 ESV)
Some Christians stop there, but there’s more.
And you shall make two cherubim of gold; of hammered work you shall make them at the two ends of the mercy seat. (Exodus 25:18 NKJV)
Is any seeming contradiction resolved by reading the rest of the second commandment?
Do not bow down to them or worship them because I, the Lord your God, am a passionate God. I punish children for their parents’ sins—even to the third and fourth generations of those who hate me. (Deuteronomy 5:9 CEB)
So, if bowing to images is wrong, what about bowing to a fellow servant? What did an angel tell John?
My name is John, and I am the one who heard and saw these things. Then after I had heard and seen all this, I knelt down and began to worship at the feet of the angel who had shown it to me. But the angel said, Don't do that! I am a servant, just like you. I am the same as a follower or a prophet or anyone else who obeys what is written in this book. God is the one you should worship. (Revelation 22:8-9 CEV)
Various
Now let’s look at various other instructions that relate to modern conversations. For instance, is patriarchy inherently bad or did God have a divine purpose in male leadership?
Each tribe must choose some experienced men who are known for their wisdom and understanding, and I will make those men the official leaders of their tribes. (Deuteronomy 1:13 CEV)
Why was the Shema Yisrael (Hear O Israel), an important Jewish prayer, quoted by Jesus? Is this a relevant principle for Christians?
Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. (Deuteronomy 6:4-5 ESV cp. Mark 12:29-30)
How often should we speak with our children about God’s word?
These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. (Deuteronomy 6:6-7 NIV)
When tested by the devil, what did Jesus quote from Deuteronomy?
He humbled you by letting you go hungry; then He gave you manna to eat, which you and your fathers had not known, so that you might learn that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord. (Deuteronomy 8:3 HCSB cp. Matthew 4:4; Luke 4:4)
The treatment of immigrants and refugees is an area where some Christians fail miserably. How should we treat foreigners?
That means you must also love immigrants because you were immigrants in Egypt. (Deuteronomy 10:19 CEB)
Are three worship seasons still observed by Christians? Most languages call Easter Passover, the Feast of Weeks is Pentecost, and Christmas celebrates the incarnation when God “tabernacled” in the flesh with us.
Passover… the Feast of Weeks… the Feast of Tabernacles (Deuteronomy 16 NKJV)
Would God support abortion or magic?
Don't sacrifice your son or daughter. And don't try to use any kind of magic or witchcraft to tell fortunes or to cast spells or to talk with spirits of the dead. (Deuteronomy 18:10 CEV)
Is this next text a prophecy of Christ?
I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee, and will put my words in his mouth; and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him. (Deuteronomy 18:18 KJV)
What would God say to anyone preaching human philosophy or worldly ideas?
But the prophet who speaks a word presumptuously in my name, which I have not commanded him to speak, or who speaks in the name of other gods, that same prophet shall die. (Deuteronomy 18:20 WEB)
Do people have free will? All the ancient fathers of the church before Augustine believed so. Did Israel have a choice?
Today I have given you the choice between life and death, between blessings and curses. Now I call on heaven and earth to witness the choice you make. Oh, that you would choose life, so that you and your descendants might live! (Deuteronomy 30:19 NLT)
Do deceptive signs and wonders still exist? What about statues that bleed or faith healers? Do dubious ideas give them away?
If there arises among you a prophet or a dreamer of dreams, and he gives you a sign or a wonder, and the sign or the wonder comes to pass, of which he spoke to you, saying, ‘Let us go after other gods’—which you have not known—‘and let us serve them,’ you shall not listen to the words of that prophet or that dreamer of dreams … (Deuteronomy 13:1-3 NKJV)
Is gender confusion God’s will?
A woman shall not wear a man’s clothing, nor shall a man put on a woman’s clothing; for whoever does these things is an abomination to the Lord your God. (Deuteronomy 22:5 NASB)
Though Christians are under a new covenant, can we still learn from Deuteronomy?
All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness (2 Timothy 3:16 NIV)
The purpose of the law was as a tutor (Galatians 3:24) to expose our sins (Romans 3:20) and lead us to Christ. Which of our common human failures has Deuteronomy exposed to you? You decide.
Images
We’ll begin with statues and pictures in churches. Are such images wrong? What about the images of cherubs and pomegranates in the tabernacle?
You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is on the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. (Deuteronomy 5:8 ESV)
Some Christians stop there, but there’s more.
And you shall make two cherubim of gold; of hammered work you shall make them at the two ends of the mercy seat. (Exodus 25:18 NKJV)
Is any seeming contradiction resolved by reading the rest of the second commandment?
Do not bow down to them or worship them because I, the Lord your God, am a passionate God. I punish children for their parents’ sins—even to the third and fourth generations of those who hate me. (Deuteronomy 5:9 CEB)
So, if bowing to images is wrong, what about bowing to a fellow servant? What did an angel tell John?
My name is John, and I am the one who heard and saw these things. Then after I had heard and seen all this, I knelt down and began to worship at the feet of the angel who had shown it to me. But the angel said, Don't do that! I am a servant, just like you. I am the same as a follower or a prophet or anyone else who obeys what is written in this book. God is the one you should worship. (Revelation 22:8-9 CEV)
Various
Now let’s look at various other instructions that relate to modern conversations. For instance, is patriarchy inherently bad or did God have a divine purpose in male leadership?
Each tribe must choose some experienced men who are known for their wisdom and understanding, and I will make those men the official leaders of their tribes. (Deuteronomy 1:13 CEV)
Why was the Shema Yisrael (Hear O Israel), an important Jewish prayer, quoted by Jesus? Is this a relevant principle for Christians?
Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. (Deuteronomy 6:4-5 ESV cp. Mark 12:29-30)
How often should we speak with our children about God’s word?
These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. (Deuteronomy 6:6-7 NIV)
When tested by the devil, what did Jesus quote from Deuteronomy?
He humbled you by letting you go hungry; then He gave you manna to eat, which you and your fathers had not known, so that you might learn that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord. (Deuteronomy 8:3 HCSB cp. Matthew 4:4; Luke 4:4)
The treatment of immigrants and refugees is an area where some Christians fail miserably. How should we treat foreigners?
That means you must also love immigrants because you were immigrants in Egypt. (Deuteronomy 10:19 CEB)
Are three worship seasons still observed by Christians? Most languages call Easter Passover, the Feast of Weeks is Pentecost, and Christmas celebrates the incarnation when God “tabernacled” in the flesh with us.
Passover… the Feast of Weeks… the Feast of Tabernacles (Deuteronomy 16 NKJV)
Would God support abortion or magic?
Don't sacrifice your son or daughter. And don't try to use any kind of magic or witchcraft to tell fortunes or to cast spells or to talk with spirits of the dead. (Deuteronomy 18:10 CEV)
Is this next text a prophecy of Christ?
I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee, and will put my words in his mouth; and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him. (Deuteronomy 18:18 KJV)
What would God say to anyone preaching human philosophy or worldly ideas?
But the prophet who speaks a word presumptuously in my name, which I have not commanded him to speak, or who speaks in the name of other gods, that same prophet shall die. (Deuteronomy 18:20 WEB)
Do people have free will? All the ancient fathers of the church before Augustine believed so. Did Israel have a choice?
Today I have given you the choice between life and death, between blessings and curses. Now I call on heaven and earth to witness the choice you make. Oh, that you would choose life, so that you and your descendants might live! (Deuteronomy 30:19 NLT)
Do deceptive signs and wonders still exist? What about statues that bleed or faith healers? Do dubious ideas give them away?
If there arises among you a prophet or a dreamer of dreams, and he gives you a sign or a wonder, and the sign or the wonder comes to pass, of which he spoke to you, saying, ‘Let us go after other gods’—which you have not known—‘and let us serve them,’ you shall not listen to the words of that prophet or that dreamer of dreams … (Deuteronomy 13:1-3 NKJV)
Is gender confusion God’s will?
A woman shall not wear a man’s clothing, nor shall a man put on a woman’s clothing; for whoever does these things is an abomination to the Lord your God. (Deuteronomy 22:5 NASB)
Though Christians are under a new covenant, can we still learn from Deuteronomy?
All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness (2 Timothy 3:16 NIV)
The purpose of the law was as a tutor (Galatians 3:24) to expose our sins (Romans 3:20) and lead us to Christ. Which of our common human failures has Deuteronomy exposed to you? You decide.
The Ten Commandments (Bible E-Course 24a)
Let’s briefly look at the relevance of Deuteronomy and the Ten Commandments.
There are many different ways of counting the Ten Commandments. In their excellent commentary A Survey of the Old Testament, Hill and Walton offer the standard Protestant numbering of the Ten Commandments as an outline of Deuteronomy.
He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant—not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life. (2 Corinthians 3:6 NIV)
Upon what two great commandments did Jesus teach that the entire Old Testament hangs, that is the law and the prophets?
‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets. (Matthew 22:37-40 NKJV)
Jesus explained some spiritual applications of the law in the sermon on the mount. Let’s briefly examine the Ten Commandments.
1. No other gods before Me
No other “Elohim” meaning gods, angels, judges and other great and mighty ones before the God of heaven. What about the gods of money, status, and self-righteous legalism?
2. No idols
This bans bowing down to and worshiping statues and pictures. Idols are variously described as vile, disgusting, detestable, vain, worthless and useless in the Bible.
3. No taking God’s name in vain
The common expression OMG is among the worst swear words. Some people avoid God’s name lest they take it in vain, but in the Lord’s Prayer we are encouraged to use God’s name rightly, to hallow God’s name (Matthew 6:9). We cannot hallow that which we avoid.
4. Remember the Sabbath day
Not explicitly commanded in the New Testament, a day of rest and worship was a blessing. The Sabbath was a foretaste of the only rest command in the New Testament, our true rest in Jesus (Matthew 11:28) now and forever (Hebrews 3-4).
5. Honor your father and mother
This commandment is repeated in Ephesians 6:1-3 and the reasons are that it may be well with us and that we may live long. What happens when parents are dishonored and abused? Jesus kept His Father’s commandments (John 15:9-17).
6. You shall not murder
In the sermon on the mount, Jesus describes even verbal abuse as the spirit of murder. What is the opposite of murder? Could it be love of neighbor, valuing every human life from conception on?
7. You shall not commit adultery
In the sermon on the mount, Jesus describes lust in our hearts as the spirit of adultery. Even an inappropriate glance or touch should be avoided as if the hand or eye were gone. This commandment encompasses every misuse of sex. The opposite of adultery is to protect and preserve the sacred marriage bed between one man and one woman.
8. You shall not steal
Theft encompasses all of life from fair wages, fair prices to diligent workers. What is the worst theft of all history? Perhaps it would be an exclusive sect keeping the Gospel of the kingdom of God from the world.
10. You shall not covet your neighbor’s
Covetousness can be a spirit of theft, adultery, or lack of trust in God’s provision. Jesus encourages us to be content with our wages (Luke 3:14) and look to God for our food and clothing needs (Matthew 6:25-34).
What about those who claim to be without sin?
If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. (1 John 1:8 NIV)
In the sermon on the mount, Jesus taught us that even the most faithful can fail the spirit of the Ten Commandments. Point by embarrassing point we all fail. Does the law show us our sin? What did Paul say?
Well then, am I suggesting that the law of God is sinful? Of course not! In fact, it was the law that showed me my sin. I would never have known that coveting is wrong if the law had not said, “You must not covet.” (Romans 7:7 NLT)
How then can we be made righteous?
However, we know that a person isn’t made righteous by the works of the Law but rather through the faithfulness of Jesus Christ. We ourselves believed in Christ Jesus so that we could be made righteous by the faithfulness of Christ and not by the works of the Law—because no one will be made righteous by the works of the Law. (Galatians 2:16 CEB)
The law reveals our sins and leads us to Jesus. Will you come to Jesus? You decide!
There are many different ways of counting the Ten Commandments. In their excellent commentary A Survey of the Old Testament, Hill and Walton offer the standard Protestant numbering of the Ten Commandments as an outline of Deuteronomy.
- Deuteronomy 6-11
- Deuteronomy 12
- Deuteronomy 13:1-14:21
- Deuteronomy 14:22-16:17
- Deuteronomy 16:18-18:22
- Deuteronomy 19-21
- Deuteronomy 22:1-23:14
- Deuteronomy 23:15-24:7
- Deuteronomy 24:8-16
- Deuteronomy 24:17-26:15
He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant—not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life. (2 Corinthians 3:6 NIV)
Upon what two great commandments did Jesus teach that the entire Old Testament hangs, that is the law and the prophets?
‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets. (Matthew 22:37-40 NKJV)
Jesus explained some spiritual applications of the law in the sermon on the mount. Let’s briefly examine the Ten Commandments.
1. No other gods before Me
No other “Elohim” meaning gods, angels, judges and other great and mighty ones before the God of heaven. What about the gods of money, status, and self-righteous legalism?
2. No idols
This bans bowing down to and worshiping statues and pictures. Idols are variously described as vile, disgusting, detestable, vain, worthless and useless in the Bible.
3. No taking God’s name in vain
The common expression OMG is among the worst swear words. Some people avoid God’s name lest they take it in vain, but in the Lord’s Prayer we are encouraged to use God’s name rightly, to hallow God’s name (Matthew 6:9). We cannot hallow that which we avoid.
4. Remember the Sabbath day
Not explicitly commanded in the New Testament, a day of rest and worship was a blessing. The Sabbath was a foretaste of the only rest command in the New Testament, our true rest in Jesus (Matthew 11:28) now and forever (Hebrews 3-4).
5. Honor your father and mother
This commandment is repeated in Ephesians 6:1-3 and the reasons are that it may be well with us and that we may live long. What happens when parents are dishonored and abused? Jesus kept His Father’s commandments (John 15:9-17).
6. You shall not murder
In the sermon on the mount, Jesus describes even verbal abuse as the spirit of murder. What is the opposite of murder? Could it be love of neighbor, valuing every human life from conception on?
7. You shall not commit adultery
In the sermon on the mount, Jesus describes lust in our hearts as the spirit of adultery. Even an inappropriate glance or touch should be avoided as if the hand or eye were gone. This commandment encompasses every misuse of sex. The opposite of adultery is to protect and preserve the sacred marriage bed between one man and one woman.
8. You shall not steal
Theft encompasses all of life from fair wages, fair prices to diligent workers. What is the worst theft of all history? Perhaps it would be an exclusive sect keeping the Gospel of the kingdom of God from the world.
9. You shall not bear false witness
The commandment against lying protects the marketplace and economy. The spirit of lying is well-known. Lying is a delusion stealing the truth. Let us follow the way, and the truth, and the life, Jesus.
The commandment against lying protects the marketplace and economy. The spirit of lying is well-known. Lying is a delusion stealing the truth. Let us follow the way, and the truth, and the life, Jesus.
10. You shall not covet your neighbor’s
Covetousness can be a spirit of theft, adultery, or lack of trust in God’s provision. Jesus encourages us to be content with our wages (Luke 3:14) and look to God for our food and clothing needs (Matthew 6:25-34).
What about those who claim to be without sin?
If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. (1 John 1:8 NIV)
In the sermon on the mount, Jesus taught us that even the most faithful can fail the spirit of the Ten Commandments. Point by embarrassing point we all fail. Does the law show us our sin? What did Paul say?
Well then, am I suggesting that the law of God is sinful? Of course not! In fact, it was the law that showed me my sin. I would never have known that coveting is wrong if the law had not said, “You must not covet.” (Romans 7:7 NLT)
How then can we be made righteous?
However, we know that a person isn’t made righteous by the works of the Law but rather through the faithfulness of Jesus Christ. We ourselves believed in Christ Jesus so that we could be made righteous by the faithfulness of Christ and not by the works of the Law—because no one will be made righteous by the works of the Law. (Galatians 2:16 CEB)
The law reveals our sins and leads us to Jesus. Will you come to Jesus? You decide!
Evangelism at a Local Watering Hole
Who can spread the Gospel? Let’s see that the Gospel is spread by ordinary people who have had an encounter with Jesus. Let’s examine the woman at the well in John 4:5-42.
An Unbiased Savior
John 4:5-9 Eventually he came to the Samaritan village of Sychar, near the field that Jacob gave to his son Joseph. Jacob’s well was there; and Jesus, tired from the long walk, sat wearily beside the well about noontime. Soon a Samaritan woman came to draw water, and Jesus said to her, “Please give me a drink.” He was alone at the time because his disciples had gone into the village to buy some food. The woman was surprised, for Jews refuse to have anything to do with Samaritans. She said to Jesus, “You are a Jew, and I am a Samaritan woman. Why are you asking me for a drink?”
Sychar is between Gerizim (“rocky mount”) and Ebal (“bald mount”). On “rocky mount” Israel shouted the blessings and on “smooth mount” the cursings (Deuteronomy 11), picturing how blessings may look rocky and cursings seem the easy way. St Photini Church is built over Jacob’s well, named for this Samaritan woman.
Jesus broke several taboos, talking with a Samaritan woman alone, entering a Samaritan village despite local bigotry. Sychar is possibly a nickname meaning “place of drunkards,” like Sin City or Filthadelphia. Would we enter a neighborhood with a sinful reputation or a biker bar for the sake of the Gospel?
Living Water
John 4:10-15 Jesus replied, “If you only knew the gift God has for you and who you are speaking to, you would ask me, and I would give you living water.” “But sir, you don’t have a rope or a bucket,” she said, “and this well is very deep. Where would you get this living water?” “But those who drink the water I give will never be thirsty again. It becomes a fresh, bubbling spring within them, giving them eternal life.”
Jesus aroused the woman’s curiosity by speaking about living water, a term for flowing water. She assumed he meant good water from the well. But she was about to find out that he was speaking metaphorically about something entirely different, deeper truths which the whole world desperately needs to know.
Unlike well water, living water is like a stream or river. It flowed from the woman’s encounter with Christ into her community as the Gospel flows into our communities. We were all once enemies of Christ, drinking still water. Jesus offers us living water that quenches regardless of our background.
Worshiping in Spirit and Truth
John 4:16-24 “Go and get your husband,” Jesus told her. “I don’t have a husband,” the woman replied. Jesus said, “You’re right! You don’t have a husband—for you have had five husbands, and you aren’t even married to the man you’re living with now. You certainly spoke the truth! But the time is coming—indeed it’s here now—when true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth. The Father is looking for those who will worship him that way. For God is Spirit, so those who worship him must worship in spirit and in truth.”
Who was the woman Jesus met at the well? Let’s not read more into the story than it says. She’d had five husbands. Whether simultaneously, sequentially, divorced or widowed we don’t know. What is clear is that Jesus did not condemn her. Without bigotry, He taught her about true worship.
Outward things like music, languages, robes, crosses, gestures and liturgies are NOT worship. They may accompany worship, but true worship is in spirit and true or sincere. We do not need to conform to any outward show of religion. We are free to worship the Father in spirit and truthfully.
Photinia of Samaria
John 4:29, 34, 42 “Come and see a man who told me everything I ever did! Could he possibly be the Messiah?” … Then Jesus explained: “My nourishment comes from doing the will of God, who sent me, and from finishing his work… Then they said to the woman, “Now we believe, not just because of what you told us, but because we have heard him ourselves. Now we know that he is indeed the Savior of the world.”
The best evangelists are ordinary people. The Samaritan woman may have even been a loner, who fetched her water at a time when the crowds were not there. The best evangelists are often new people and those from the fringes, but always those who have had an encounter with Jesus.
Like Jesus, our food is also to do the will of God and finish His work. A harvest is ready to be reaped. God has already prepared that harvest in our community. Hearts are ripe for harvesting a new crop of Christians. Even lone Christians can tell others about Jesus.
According to tradition, the woman was baptized by the apostles with the name Photina, also known as Saint Photina and Saint Svetlana. She and her family became evangelists, moved to Carthage to preach the Gospel where her elder son Victor was taken prisoner to Rome where he converted his jailer.
Somewhere out there is a future evangelist waiting at a local watering hole for us, waiting for the living water that flows from heaven through us. Is our food to do God’s will, or do we hide the words that others need to hear? Let’s be about our Father’s work.
Holy Bible. New Living Translation copyright© 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Publishers Inc.
An Unbiased Savior
John 4:5-9 Eventually he came to the Samaritan village of Sychar, near the field that Jacob gave to his son Joseph. Jacob’s well was there; and Jesus, tired from the long walk, sat wearily beside the well about noontime. Soon a Samaritan woman came to draw water, and Jesus said to her, “Please give me a drink.” He was alone at the time because his disciples had gone into the village to buy some food. The woman was surprised, for Jews refuse to have anything to do with Samaritans. She said to Jesus, “You are a Jew, and I am a Samaritan woman. Why are you asking me for a drink?”
Sychar is between Gerizim (“rocky mount”) and Ebal (“bald mount”). On “rocky mount” Israel shouted the blessings and on “smooth mount” the cursings (Deuteronomy 11), picturing how blessings may look rocky and cursings seem the easy way. St Photini Church is built over Jacob’s well, named for this Samaritan woman.
Jesus broke several taboos, talking with a Samaritan woman alone, entering a Samaritan village despite local bigotry. Sychar is possibly a nickname meaning “place of drunkards,” like Sin City or Filthadelphia. Would we enter a neighborhood with a sinful reputation or a biker bar for the sake of the Gospel?
Living Water
John 4:10-15 Jesus replied, “If you only knew the gift God has for you and who you are speaking to, you would ask me, and I would give you living water.” “But sir, you don’t have a rope or a bucket,” she said, “and this well is very deep. Where would you get this living water?” “But those who drink the water I give will never be thirsty again. It becomes a fresh, bubbling spring within them, giving them eternal life.”
Jesus aroused the woman’s curiosity by speaking about living water, a term for flowing water. She assumed he meant good water from the well. But she was about to find out that he was speaking metaphorically about something entirely different, deeper truths which the whole world desperately needs to know.
Unlike well water, living water is like a stream or river. It flowed from the woman’s encounter with Christ into her community as the Gospel flows into our communities. We were all once enemies of Christ, drinking still water. Jesus offers us living water that quenches regardless of our background.
Worshiping in Spirit and Truth
John 4:16-24 “Go and get your husband,” Jesus told her. “I don’t have a husband,” the woman replied. Jesus said, “You’re right! You don’t have a husband—for you have had five husbands, and you aren’t even married to the man you’re living with now. You certainly spoke the truth! But the time is coming—indeed it’s here now—when true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth. The Father is looking for those who will worship him that way. For God is Spirit, so those who worship him must worship in spirit and in truth.”
Who was the woman Jesus met at the well? Let’s not read more into the story than it says. She’d had five husbands. Whether simultaneously, sequentially, divorced or widowed we don’t know. What is clear is that Jesus did not condemn her. Without bigotry, He taught her about true worship.
Outward things like music, languages, robes, crosses, gestures and liturgies are NOT worship. They may accompany worship, but true worship is in spirit and true or sincere. We do not need to conform to any outward show of religion. We are free to worship the Father in spirit and truthfully.
Photinia of Samaria
John 4:29, 34, 42 “Come and see a man who told me everything I ever did! Could he possibly be the Messiah?” … Then Jesus explained: “My nourishment comes from doing the will of God, who sent me, and from finishing his work… Then they said to the woman, “Now we believe, not just because of what you told us, but because we have heard him ourselves. Now we know that he is indeed the Savior of the world.”
The best evangelists are ordinary people. The Samaritan woman may have even been a loner, who fetched her water at a time when the crowds were not there. The best evangelists are often new people and those from the fringes, but always those who have had an encounter with Jesus.
Like Jesus, our food is also to do the will of God and finish His work. A harvest is ready to be reaped. God has already prepared that harvest in our community. Hearts are ripe for harvesting a new crop of Christians. Even lone Christians can tell others about Jesus.
According to tradition, the woman was baptized by the apostles with the name Photina, also known as Saint Photina and Saint Svetlana. She and her family became evangelists, moved to Carthage to preach the Gospel where her elder son Victor was taken prisoner to Rome where he converted his jailer.
Somewhere out there is a future evangelist waiting at a local watering hole for us, waiting for the living water that flows from heaven through us. Is our food to do God’s will, or do we hide the words that others need to hear? Let’s be about our Father’s work.
Holy Bible. New Living Translation copyright© 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Publishers Inc.
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