Tag: bsf answers lesson 9

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BSF Study Questions People of the Promise: Kingdom Divided Lesson 9, Day 5: 2 Kings 5:1-6:7

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

SUMMARY OF 2 KINGS 5:1-6:7

Naaman was a well regarded commander of the army of the king of Aram. However, he had leprosy. A captive girl from Israel told Naaman’s wife about Elisha who could heal him. Naaman asked the king for permission to go and see Elisha, which the king granted and he gave him a letter, too. The king of Israel couldn’t help him, but Elisha could.

Elisha told Naaman to go wash himself 7 times in the Jordan River and he would be cured. But Naaman was mad. He thought Elisha would cure him in a big hoopla and display of God’s power. Naaman’s servants told him to follow Elisha’s orders, which he did. Naaman was cured. Naaman converts to worshipping God. He offers Elisha gifts, but he refuses.

Elisha’s servant, Gehazi, got greedy. He followed Naaman to ask for some money and he kept it for himself. Elisha cursed him with leprosy for this.

Elisha then retrieves an axhead from the Jordan River using God’s power.

BSF Study Questions People of the Promise: Kingdom Divided Lesson 9, Day 5: 2 Kings 5:1-6:7

11) Naaman was a well regarded commander of the army of the king of Aram. However, he had leprosy.

12a) A captive girl from Israel told Naaman’s wife about Elisha who could heal him. Naaman asked the king for permission to go and see Elisha and he went.

b) He thought Elisha would cure him in a big hoopla and display of God’s power. Naaman’s servants told him to follow Elisha’s orders, which he did. Washing in the River was the same as being told to do great things, they reasoned.

c) I’m super bad at admitting when I’m wrong and apologizing.

13) He converted him and, odds are, his family, too.

14) God ultimately wants everyone to come to him. He reveals himself as a testimony to others to follow Him, too.

15) First, he was greedy. Second, he lied about it instead of confessing and asking for forgiveness.

16) Elisha knew that the man would have to pay for the axhead that he lost since it wasn’t his, so he took compassion on the man and retrieve it for him.

Conclusions BSF Study Questions People of the Promise: Kingdom Divided Lesson 9, Day 5: 2 Kings 5:1-6:7

My favorite part was the captive girl. I’m unsure if I would have done the same due to my anger at being a slave. Here, God uses a girl’s tragedy to convert her enemy. Powerful stuff!

End Notes BSF Study Questions People of the Promise: Kingdom Divided Lesson 9, Day 5: 2 Kings 5:1-6:7

Aram or Syria was a bitter enemy of Israel and Judah. (1 Kings 22:35-36).

Note that the title “man of valor” is used with Gideon (Judges 6:12), Jephthah (Judges 11:1), David (1 Samuel 16:18), Jeroboam (1 Kings 11:28), and Eliada (2 Chronicles 17:17). In fact, Naaman is the only Gentile in the Bible referred to with this title.

Leprosy in the ancient world was a death sentence. It also was a cause for ostracism, as people didn’t understand and didn’t want to catch it.

The servant girl cared and had faith. That is all God requires of us, too. God used her to accomplish a greater good.

Many Bible scholars believe this story is out of order since the letter sent by the king of Syria to the king of Israel would likely not have happened during intense hostilities.

Ten talents of gold would be equivalent to $1.2 million today.

Elisha rebukes the king of Israel for having no faith in God or him.

Note Elisha did not see Naaman, only sent him a message. He had the wrong expectations of God, like many of us do.

When Naaman’s servants pointed out that his reasoning was inconsistent about washing in the river and that he was only refusing because it was humbling, Naaman agreed. Only God could heal, especially since Elisha was not there. God gets all the credit here unequivocally.

Naaman was like the leper who came back to thank Jesus after he was healed (Luke 17:12-19).

The taking of the soil with him was common in the ancient world. He also asked to be pardoned when he pretended to worship the gods of Syria, as he would be expected to do as an official.

Gehazi hid the talents because he knew Elisha would not approve. The judgement is more severe for believers who know better. It was his selfish desire to gain from God’s blessings.

2 Kings 6

Elisha’s following had grown so much that he needed a new building.

Iron was precious and uncommon in ancient times. The way Elisha retrieved it left no doubt that God retrieved it.

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BSF Study Questions People of the Promise: Kingdom Divided Lesson 9, Day 3: 2 Kings 4:8-37

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

SUMMARY OF 2 KINGS 4:8-37

A well-to-do woman made a place for Elisha to stay with her whenever he came to Shunem. One day, he asked his servant to find out if the woman wanted anything because she has been so kind to him. The woman had no son, so Elisha told her about this time next year, she would have one.

Indeed, she did have a son who grew, but one day he got a headache. The boy died in her arms. She sent for Elisha who sent his servant ahead to heal the boy. The servant could not. When Elisha arrived, he lay upon the boy, and the boy’s body grew warm. He once again lived.

BSF Study Questions People of the Promise: Kingdom Divided Lesson 9, Day 3: 2 Kings 4:8-37

5) She prepared a permanent place for Elisha to stay whenever he visited Shunem. She fed him a meal every time he came, too. She knew he was a holy man of God. When Elisha asks her what does she want as a reward for this hospitality, she asks for nothing, saying she is content.

6a) The unexpected joy was God rewarding her with a son when she was old. But the boy got sick and died.

b) When he saw the woman coming, he knew immediately something was wrong. He sent his servant out to find out and then he worked to make it right.

7) He doesn’t answer our prayers when the answer is not in our best interest or not in His will. We do not know the future, but God does. He orchastrates events, and we are to trust Him.

Conclusions BSF Study Questions People of the Promise: Kingdom Divided Lesson 9, Day 3: 2 Kings 4:8-37

I love reading about miracles. There is something inherently comforting in knowing God is omnipotent.

End Notes BSF Study Questions People of the Promise: Kingdom Divided Lesson 9, Day 3: 2 Kings 4:8-37

The woman went out of her way for Elisha who then did the same for her.

Being barren in the ancient world was a stigma, and people were looked down upon because of it.

Many Bible Scholars suggest the boy got heat stroke since he was out working in the fields.

The woman believed Elisha could raise her son from the dead since she laid him on Elisha’s bed and left immediately to get him.

Note Elisha thought God would reveal the woman’s problems to him.

The child may have been healed by the staff if the woman had full faith to leave Elisha.

The boy was raised due to Elisha’s faith and God’s willingness to have the boy live.

Note how Jesus commanded Lazarus to come from the tomb. Here, Elisha and Elijah asked God to raise the dead.

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BSF Study Questions Matthew Lesson 9, Day 5: Matthew 8:28-34

by atozmom, posted in BSF Matthew 2021/2022

SUMMARY OF MATTHEW 8:28-34

Jesus encounters two demon-possessed men in the region of Gadarenes or Gergesenes. They would not let anyone pass. The demons recognized Jesus and asked him why he has come.

They then asked Jesus if he would drive them out into the herd of pigs. Jesus granted their request. The herd of pigs then rushed off a bank into a lake and drowned. This scene scared the shepherds. They ran off to tell everyone what they had seen. The whole town became scared. They told Jesus to leave their region.

BSF Study Questions Matthew Lesson 9, Day 5: Matthew 8:28-34

13a) They two demonized men recognized Jesus and asked him why he has come and if he would torture them before the appointed time. They then asked Jesus if he would drive them out into the herd of pigs, which Jesus did.

b) They recognized that Jesus was the Son of God. James 2:19 tells us that even demons know that there is only One God — and they are afraid. They know they are doomed.

14) He took pity on the men.

15) Jesus’s actions scared the townspeople. Perhaps they thought he’d do the same to them. Jesus left because he knew they would not listen to him (Matthew 10:14).

16) It’s truly awe-inspiring and hard to put into words. It gives me hope to trudge along each and every day as I continually seek His purpose for my life.

Conclusions BSF Study Questions Matthew Lesson 9, Day 5: Matthew 8:28-34

I love how Matthew throws in so many varied stories. We go from Jesus healing many people to him rebuking a storm and helping those who are demon-possessed. Great stuff.

I love Tomie de Paola!

End Notes BSF Study Questions Matthew Lesson 9, Day 5: Matthew 8:28-34

map of region of Gergesenes or Gadarenes bsf matthew matthew 8 www.atozmomm.com
By By Nichalp – Own work, CC BY-SA 2.5, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=460339

The exact location of the region of Gergesenes (or Gadarenes) is unknown. Bible scholars believe it is located on the eastern shore of the Sea of Galiee and was a small town where the larger city of Gadara was lcoated. Here, many Gentiles lived.

Do note the other Gospels tell this story, but only mention one of the demon-possessed men.

Any contact with dead bodies made Jews unclean. So these men who were coming out of tombs (presumably they were living there) were terrifying to the Jewish people.

Seeing Jesus, the demons knew their time was up. They knew they would be cast out and would suffer in hell forever.

Pigs are unclean to the Jewish people. Why they were there, no one knows. But it is the perfect place to cast out demons at that time. The demons wanted to possess the pigs rather than be left without something to terrorize. Note they had to get permission from Jesus in order to take over the bodies of swines.

Note that this is the only example of casting out demons into the bodies of animals. This may be where stories have come from of humans possessing animal bodies.

The demons were bent on killing, which is why they killed the pigs immediately. This proved, too, that the demons were now inside the pigs and not the men. Jesus wanted to ensure everyone knew this miracle had occurred.

One could say that the people could easily have been pleased that Jesus had driven the demons out of the men. Truthfully, it could have gone either way here. However, fear ruled, so the townspeople asked Jesus to leave. Plus, the destruction of the pigs cast doubt into the minds of those who saw. Would Jesus destroy them, too? This is exactly what Satan wants you to think. This is a message to us to be wary always.

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