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BSF Study Questions People of the Promise: Kingdom Divided Lesson 12, Day 4: Jonah 3

by atozmom, posted in BSF People of the Promise: Kingdom Divided 2022/2023

SUMMARY OF JONAH 3

God gives Jonah the same command twice to go to Nineveh and proclaim His message. Jonah obeyed.

It took Jonah 3 days to deliver God’s message to all the people: Forty more days and Nineveh will be overthrown. When Jonah’s message reached the king of Nineveh, he ordered everyone to cover themselves in sackcloth, fast, and call on God. They were to give up their evil ways and violence. God saw this and relented. He did not punish them because they repented.

BSF Study Questions People of the Promise: Kingdom Divided Lesson 12, Day 4: Jonah 3

10a) “Forty more days and Nineveh will be overthrown.” A message of destruction.

b) The Ninevites believed God. A fast was proclaimed, and all of them, from the greatest to the least, put on sackcloth. They called upon God and turned from their evil and violent ways. God does listen, and God’s word can change people and their lives.

11a) God is merciful. God listens. God relents. God warns. God gives people second chances. God is gracious, loving, and caring

b) I love second chances. I need them a lot. I love God’s mercy, too, for all my daily sins. I love God’s warning. I should listen more. These truths draw me closer to God.

12) This one is hard. Unsure. Hopefully, with my kids. I’ve learned to give God the glory for everything.

Conclusions BSF Study Questions People of the Promise: Kingdom Divided Lesson 12, Day 4: Jonah 3

So encouraging to see so many people turn to the Lord. God is gracious, loving, and caring. He loves us so much He never stops chasing us. How awesome!

End Notes BSF Study Questions People of the Promise: Kingdom Divided Lesson 12, Day 4: Jonah 3

God had work to do through Jonah, and He was determined to accomplish it, despite how much we (humans) resist it.

Oftentimes, God only gives us enough information that we can process at one time. The rest will come in time and with faith.

The word “overthrown” was used in the destruction of other cities in the Bible, too.  (Genesis 19:25, Lamentations 4:6, and Amos 4:11).

Believing God is repenting. The people put on sackcloth (animal hair clothes essentially) and came to God. God, in his mercy, forgave.

Nineveh does receive judgment as we read in Nahum. It was just delayed 150 years out of God’s mercy.

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BSF Study Questions Matthew Lesson 12, Day 2: Matthew 11:1-15

by atozmom, posted in BSF Matthew 2021/2022

SUMMARY OF MATTHEW 11:1-15

Jesus is continuing his ministry in the towns of Galilee. John the Baptist was in prison, and when he heard Jesus had come, he sent his disciples to ask if he was the One. Jesus told them to tell John that he has come to help the blind see, the lame walk, the deaf hear, and raise the dead. He has come to preach the Good News to the poor. All who hear and believe will be blessed.

Jesus then spoke about John the Baptist, saying he is the Elijah who was to come, a prophet who none have been risen greater than he. The kingdom has been advancing thanks to John.

BSF Study Questions Matthew Lesson 12, Day 2: Matthew 11:1-15

3a) John is in prison, so he is probably hoping to get out when the One comes. He wants to know if Jesus will rescue him.

b) Jesus quoted Isaiah who prophesied about the Savior, saying when he (Jesus) comes, the deaf will hear, the blind will see, the lame will walk, and the humble will rejoice. He preaches Good News to the poor and binds up the broken hearted (Isaiah 14:3-5).

c) Many times: in our moves, our past bankruptcy, and even now as we try to navigate another move possibly and career changes. All changes test your faith in some way, and you learn to lean on God more and more.

4a) John the Baptist was probably confused if Jesus was a political Messiah, sent to overthrow Rome, or the one he is — the one to save our souls instead. So, he asked Jesus himself, as we all should.

b) By asking Jesus. By bringing their questions to him and asking and waiting for him to respond.

5) He said no one born of women has been greater than he.

Conclusions BSF Study Questions Matthew Lesson 12, Day 2: Matthew 11:1-15

Great example of how it’s okay to doubt who Jesus is and ask him to reveal himself. Many people come to Christ this way. Doubting is human, so give yourself some grace when you arrive at these moments in your life and continue to bring your doubts to Jesus.

Great historical fiction on the life of John the Baptist!

End Notes BSF Study Questions Matthew Lesson 12, Day 2: Matthew 11:1-15

Some Bible scholars say that John sent his disciples to ask who Jesus was for the disciples’ sake and not his own.

John the Baptist was in jail for calling out Herod Antipas, the ruler of Judea at this time. Herod had seduced his brother’s wife and ended up marrying her. John rebuked him for it and ended up in prison Matthew 14:3-12.

John is confused here, no doubt. He may be expecting a political Messiah — one who will rescue him. Perhaps, he didn’t want Jesus to forget about his troubles, too. Being in prision is hard, no doubt.

Jesus uses the prophecies of Isaiah to say he has come — but not in the political way many crave.

Jesus commends John the Baptist as the greatest prophet and man for being Jesus’s herald.  Isaiah 40:3 and Malachi 3:1. Note that Jesus bears witness to John as he had done for him.

The kingdom of heaven is forceful in pushing back the darkness and in converting people to Jesus.

John the Baptist was in the spirit of Elijah  (Luke 1:17). John was the last of the Old Testament prophets. We see Elijah at the Transfiguration  (Matthew 17:3), and we’ll see him as one of two prophets to come in Revelation 11:3-12.

Fun Fact: “He who has ears, let him hear” was a saying of Jesus after he said something important he wanted his followers to remember.

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BSF Study Questions Genesis: Lesson 12, Day 5: Genesis 19:30-38

by atozmom, posted in BSF Genesis 2020/2021

Summary of Genesis 19:30-38:

Lot and his two daughers were afraid to live in Zoar so they lived in a cave in the mountains. The older daughter gets worried that they are all alone with no men to marry, so she convinces her sister to get her father drunk and both of them lie with him. They both become pregnant, having sons. One is named Moab and becomes the father of the Moabites and the other is named Ben-Ammi, who becomes the father of the Ammonites — both of whom will constantly war and bicker with Israel, as well as tempt them to sin.

BSF Study Questions Genesis: Lesson 12, Day 5: Genesis 19:30-38

13) The older daughter gets worried that they are all alone with no men to marry, so she convinces her sister to get her father drunk and both of them lie with him.

14) All kinds. The problem is man’s mind is twisted by sin and so we can pretty much justify any action — even murder — in our own minds.

15) Moabites and Ammonites. Both nations would continue to tempt Israel into sin. Numbers 25:1 tells us Israel was tempted into sexual immorality with Moabite women. Ruth was a Moabite who would become the mother of Obed who had Jesse who had David whom Jesus came from. Now that is powerful. God continues to judge the sins of Moabites in Jeremiah 48:46-47. God judges Ammon in Ezekiel 25:3-6, making it a resting place for sheep.

16) Lot was afraid so he fled to the mountains. Did he pray to God at all during this time, asking God where to go? It seems all of Lot’s decisions in life were made out of fear, like choosing Sodom in the first place because it looked good and he was afraid the other places were not fruitful. God rescued him; God had not abandoned him; surely God would answer had he prayed. So my answer: don’t let fear guide you. Pray and pray some more. Fear usually is not God’s path for us.

Conclusions BSF Study Questions Genesis: Lesson 12, Day 5: Genesis 19:30-38

Why did Lot not go and live with Abraham is beyond me here. Would have avoided all of this. Ask God before fleeing from life to the mountains and letting your daughters live in ignorance of the world.

End Notes BSF Study Questions Genesis: Lesson 12, Day 5: Genesis 19:30-38

Lot had access to wine from somewhere. Bible scholars think that the daughters may have thought the whole world was destroyed and there were no men left. However, they did live in Zoar so that is not the case. Probably the daugthers’ minds were so twisted by sin since they saw incest and sodomy all around them that they thought this was okay.

Lot did not seek God at all we are told. Lot’s life was tragic, indeed. He let himself become drunk, lie with his daughters who had children who would become thorns in Israel’s side for generations. Luckily, God used this for good as we see with Ruth, one of Jesus’s relatives.

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BSF Study Questions Genesis: Lesson 12, Day 4: Genesis 19:15-29

by atozmom, posted in BSF Genesis 2020/2021

Summary of Genesis 19:15-29:

Finding no one else righteous to save, the angels told Lot to take his wife and two daughters and flee. Lot did not want to go. The angels pulled him and his family away, and God showed them mercy. They told them not to look back  or they would be swept away. Lot asked to flee to a small town instead, fearing he couldn’t make it to the mountains. The angels agreed.

When Lot was safe in this town called Zoar, God rained down burning sulphur on Sodom and Gomorrah, destroying them. However, Lot’s wife looked back and turned into a pillar of salt. Abraham saw the destruction the next morning, and God remembered Abraham and brought Lot out safely.

BSF Study Questions Genesis: Lesson 12, Day 4: Genesis 19:15-29

10) Lot hesitated so the angels had to grasp his hand and pull him away. He still did not want to flee to the mountains as instructed, instead opting for a small town to rest in. Lot was so attached to his home he didn’t want to leave his nice life for an unknown life. This fear holds many of us back.

11) God’s judgement is complete and perfect, yet merciful, still giving everyone a chance to turn to Him.

12) Personal question. My answer: Good question. Unsure. Right to be right, maybe? Old life instead of new life. Clinging to security rather than risk.

Conclusions BSF Study Questions Genesis: Lesson 12, Day 4: Genesis 19:15-29

I love this story because it shows immediate consequences of disobeying God with Lot’s wife and oftentimes we see consequences later on down the road. Indecision and hesitancy are things we all face and have to overcome to choose God and his ways.

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End Notes BSF Study Questions Genesis: Lesson 12, Day 4: Genesis 19:15-29

We see the angels were the ones who saved Lot and his family. They have to be pulled out of Sodom and urged forward. Luckily, God does this for us as well.

God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah because there were only 4 righteous people, rather than 10. Genesis 18

Because Lot was so ingrained in the world, it’s hard to say if he was happy being saved or not.

Yet God in His righteousness would not destroy the righteous people, so He waited until they were save to rain down sulphur.

Many Bible scholars believe the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah now lie below the Dead Sea as the map shows to show God’s complete annihilation of the cities. Sodom and Gomorrah were beautiful places (remember Lot chose them for their beauty), yet the people within, all of whom could have turned to God, were the opposite of beautiful.

Lot’s Wife

Many Bible scholars believe this was a unique judgement on Lot’s wife and she did actually turn to salt. Other think she got caught up in the pyroclastic flow of the fire because she turned back. The verb in Greek connotates a looking intently, as if she paused and would not move forward.

We see Lot’s wife in  Luke 17:32  where Jesus speaks of the End Times where those who try to stay in the world will lose their life and not gain eternity.

Never look back in life; look forward to God instead. So many of us lose out on so many opportunities because we hesitate. Keep moving forward.

Abraham probably is grateful he is spared and sees God is faithful.

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BSF Study Questions Genesis: Lesson 12, Day 3: Genesis 19:1-14; Ezekiel 16:49-50; 2 Peter 2:5-11

by atozmom, posted in BSF Genesis 2020/2021

Summary of Genesis 19:1-14:

The two men who left God walk to Sodom and find Lot at his post at the city’s entrance. Lot recognized their significance immediately and pleaded with them to come to his house for the night. They agreed. Later that night, all of the men of Sodom surround Lot’s house and demand he send out the two men so that they can have sex with them. Lot pleaded with them not to tak the two men, and even offered up his two virgin daughters instead.

The crowd would not listen, and as they moved towards the house, the angels struck them with blindness so they couldn’t find the door. They got Lot back inside safely. They told Lot that they were sent to destroy the city due to the outcry against it, so if he had anyone he wanted to save, to get them. Lot ran to save his future sons-in-law, but they thought he was joking.

Ezekiel 16:49-50:

Sodom is described as arrogant, overfed, and unconcerned. They didn’t help the poor and needy. They were haughty and did detestable things.

2 Peter 2:5-11:

God rescues the righteous while judging the unrighteous and made an example of Sodom and Gomorrah of what will happen to the ungodly. We learn Lot was distressed by what he saw around him (but apparently not enough to leave).

BSF Study Questions Genesis: Lesson 12, Day 3: Genesis 19:1-14; Ezekiel 16:49-50; 2 Peter 2:5-11

7) Lot sat at the city gate, which is where leaders sat to make important decisions. This suggests that Lot has become one of them. Also, that Lot would allow his own daughters to be raped. That’s a new low right there.

8a) It was deep if you’re willing to let your own daughters be raped. Plus, it was a gang rape. It seemed all the men were corrupt and committing crimes.

b) God prevents this from happening. He can only tolerate so much evil, and He had had enough.

9) We are all impacted by the sins around us as crimes continue to happen every day. It can be overwhelming to think about so knowing that God has got this is comforting, indeed.

Conclusions BSF Study Questions Genesis: Lesson 12, Day 3: Genesis 19:1-14; Ezekiel 16:49-50; 2 Peter 2:5-11

This is a sad chapter for me. If humanity has sunk so low, the only hope is God. Deep inside, we are all capable of this type of sin.

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End Notes BSF Study Questions Genesis: Lesson 12, Day 3: Genesis 19:1-14; Ezekiel 16:49-50; 2 Peter 2:5-11

Note we are told for sure that these are angels who have come to Sodom and Gomorrah to destroy it. Lot probaby didn’t know they were angels, but he did know they were important, and probably much different than your average visitor passing through Sodom’s gates.

Lot has been going down the path of sin since Abraham offered him the choice of land in Genesis 13 (Genesis 13:10). Now he is a leader. You could say he has compromised his soul.

What you miss out of the Ezekiel passage Ezekiel 16, is that God is comparing Judah and Jerusalem to the evil of Sodom and Gomorrah. The sins listed are shared sins.

Gang rape is serious, and it was accepted. This is bad, indeed.

Homosexuality is indeed a sin according to many passages in the Bible: (Romans 1:26-28).  (Leviticus 18:22, 20:13)

One interesting thing is that homosexuals say they were born with that tendency. However, the Bible says we are all born and prone to sin, so homosexuality is just one way sin manifests itself.

Lot calls them wicked (hypocrite) when he’s about to sell his daughters’ souls. In ancient times, guests held a higher place than women. Note despite Lot’s standing in the community, no one respected him.

The angels step in to stop any more grievous sins from taking place and ask Lot if there is anyone else to save. This question is one we should be asking on a daily basis. Remember only God is omniscient. The angels here truly do not know.

The fiances of his daughters were considered family even though they weren’t married. They laughed at him, probably with a heart full of sin as well.

Lot is saved; but is he? And for what? Don’t waste your life like Lot. 1 Corinthians 3:15: Turn your life to good for others.