Summary of passages: Please see previous posts.
Questions:
3a) Physical Needs: God clothed them. Food: now man must sow the ground for his food. The garden had provided shelter for man.
Spiritual Needs: A Father (God) to lead man.
Man thought he needed the knowledge of good and evil (or of God and what God knows) but in all actuality man doesn’t.
b) 3:15 “…and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head and you will strike his heel.” Matthew and Luke recounts how God provided Mary a child through the Holy Spirit.
4) Faith is believing in what we cannot see and being sure of it despite this. The writer uses the example that we believe God made the universe even though no one saw this happen and believing God made all we see from what we do not see.
5a) Personal Question. My answer: Abel knew God demanded the best from him so he brought the best. Just like God demands the best from us so we must give Him our best. Whatever that looks like for each of us.
b) Faith. Hebrews 11:5: “By faith Enoch was taken from this life…”
c) Personal Question. My answer: I must keep the faith. Hebrews 11:13: “…They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them…” Hebrews 11:39-40: “…yet none of them received what had been promised. God had planned something better for us…”
Even though I cannot see it, it is there. God’s promises for me. In Him. And when I feel like this life sucks I must keep moving towards Him. Through faith. For He has a better plan.
Conclusion: Interesting how 2 obscure men in the Bible (Enoch and Abel) who maybe have a dozen verses between them (that’s being generous) made such an impact on others who remembered their faith. For we are not told much about what they did. Only Enoch walked with God and Abel brought the fat. That’s about it. Then they die.
This gives me hope. Currently, I am struggling with my life and its meaning. I feel like God has so much more for me and here I am languishing.
For who am I? Who was Abel? Just a guy who had faith and got killed for it. Who was Enoch? Just a guy who walked with God and because of it was spared a physical death. Who will remember me? No one will read about me when I die. Yet there is something out there for me that will make an impact. I just feel I’m not there yet.
End Note: Admittedly, I skimmed this Lesson (a review lesson) and was dreading it. I skimmed today’s passages and thought Not again! I mean, how many times do I have to read Hebrews. Seriously?
So I thought God must have something here for me. So I read all of Hebrews 11. And sure enough I came up with the answer to question 5c and the conclusion.
That even though I am only one person out of 7 billion people or however many people are on the planet now I can make a difference and an impact. If I have the faith in God and trust Him to do it. Not me. But Him. Just like all the people mentioned in Hebrews 11. All had one thing in common: faith in God. And all accomplished His mission in their lives.
This is my prayer for me and you: keep the faith and accomplish His purpose in our lives.
Fun Fact: Check out this website with cool charts on the world population throughout history:
Who am I ? You made me remember of this song that I love! Hope you like it, too! Take care, thanks for being a sis’ in Christ! Praised be our Lord! Regards from Brazil!
Dear Atozmom, I hv enjoyed reading your Bsf blog and also your testimony now for a month or so. I continue to pray for you that your aspiration to be a writer will come to fruition. And that your spouse will gain favor with our Lord in his work. Keep the faith in our Lord…we all go through seasons. God bless you richly. Jeremiah 29:11 Mark
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I wasn’t able to attend my BSF meeting this week. Your blog has provided that additional look into scripture that I love so much about small group. Thanks so much for your faithfulness in keeping this blog. It has been a blessing to me over the last three years. 😉 God Bless
I just wanted to say thank you. I don’t think you realize how much God uses you to get to me. Thank you!