Tag: bsf lesson 1 day 5

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BSF Study Questions Exile & Return: A Time to Build Lesson 1, Day 5: Ezekiel 2:3-10

by atozmom, posted in BSF Exile & Return: A Time to Build 2025/2026

Summary of Ezekiel 2:3-10

God sends Ezekiel to the Israelites to deliver His messages. He tells Ezekiel to not be afraid of the people and to speak His words. Ezekiel then sees a scroll in God’s hands. Words of lament, mourning, and woe are written on it.

BSF Study Questions Exile & Return: A Time to Build Lesson 1, Day 5: Ezekiel 2:3-10

12) To the Israelites

13a) He tells Ezekiel that many will not listen. They may say terrible things. They are rebellious.

b) God tells Ezekiel not to be afraid of their reactions and to eat what he gives him (aka words to say). By telling Ezekiel that they may not listen, this helps Ezekiel not worry about how the message is received, but instead to just deliver the message. Also, by God appearing to Ezekiel personally, this strengthens Ezekiel’s faith by knowing that it is God calling him.

14) We all should remember that we are not responsible for whether people receive the word of God and turn to Him. God is the one who will turn their hearts. All we have to do is deliver the Good News. We are guided by the Holy Spirit and will know what to say. I am encouraged to pray to the Lord to put people in my life whom I am supposed to share Him with. And, I know God will give me the strength to do so.

Conclusions BSF Study Questions Exile & Return: A Time to Build Lesson 1, Day 5: Ezekiel 2:3-10

Great lesson on the real challenges believers face in bringing the Good News to the world.

End Notes BSF Study Questions Exile & Return: A Time to Build Lesson 1, Day 5: Ezekiel 2:3-10

Note: Ezekiel is speaking to both the nations of Judah and Israel here. Apart from God, the Israelites are just another heathen nation.

The people are repeatedly called “rebellious.” Not exactly good in God’s eyes.

“This is what the Sovereign Lord says,” is repeated in the book of Ezekiel. This is to say that Ezekiel is bringing God’s message, not his own, to the people.

Rejection can hurt, but God tells Ezekiel to ignore it.

We are to receive God’s word as if we are eating it: take it completely in.

Note: this may or may not be God’s hands. It could be the cherubims’. The text just says “a hand.”

The message was complete since both sides of the scroll were written on (traditionally, at this time, only one side would be written on).

Note that we have a much more cheerful message to bring to people (the news of Jesus Christ). Ezekiel just had to tell the people to turn to God or face His wrath.

END NOTES SUMMARIZED

Ezekiel 2:3-10 details the core of the prophet’s difficult commission, defining his audience, his required attitude, and the content of his message.

The interpretation of its key elements is as follows:

  • The Rebellious Audience: God explicitly warns Ezekiel that he is being sent to the people of Israel, who are described as an obstinate, stubborn, and rebellious nation. This sets the expectation that his mission will be met with resistance. The goal is not necessarily to achieve success, but to ensure that a prophet of the LORD has spoken, leaving the people without excuse.
  • The Call to Fearlessness: God commands Ezekiel not to be afraid of the people or their hostile words, comparing them to thorns, briers, and scorpions. This highlights the dangerous and painful nature of the prophetic task and emphasizes that the prophet’s courage must come from his divine mandate, not the promise of a positive reception.
  • The Eaten Scroll: Ezekiel is given a scroll to eat, which is covered on both sides with “words of lament and mourning and woe.” This powerful symbolic act reveals two key truths:
    1. Internalization: The prophet must completely absorb and digest God’s message, making it a part of his very being before he can proclaim it to others.
    2. Content: The initial message is not one of comfort, but of unavoidable and severe judgment due to the people’s rebellion.

In essence, this passage establishes Ezekiel’s ministry as one of courageous faithfulness. He is called to internalize and deliver a painful message of judgment to a hard-hearted people, regardless of their response.

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BSF Study Questions Revelation: The Hope Lesson 1, Day 5: Read the Scripture Passages With the Questions

by atozmom, posted in BSF Revelation: The Hope 2024/2025

BSF Study Questions Revelation: The Hope Lesson 1, Day 5: Read the Scripture Passages With the Questions

11) Jesus is the greater/greatest prophet. Moses referred to himself when saying that God would raise up a prophet like him. Moses was close to God and obeyed God. He leads the people out of suffering. Jesus will lead the people from ultimate suffering.

12a) Matthew 16:27: “For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father’s glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what they have done.”

This promises that the Lord will come again and reward us.

Luke 24:44-47:

He said to them, “This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms.” 45 Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures. 46 He told them, “This is what is written: The Messiah will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, 47 and repentance for the forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.”

This promises that Jesus died for our sins, and everyone (Jews and Gentiles) will be forgiven for their sins.

John 14:3: “And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.”

This promises Jesus’ Second Coming when he comes to take us back to him.

I have every confidence that Jesus will come for us so that we can forever reign with him here on earth in the presence of our Father.

b) This gives me hope that all of my pain and suffering are temporary and one day, I will be with Jesus!

Conclusions BSF Study Questions Revelation: The Hope Lesson 1, Day 5: Read the Scripture Passages With the Questions

Where Jesus goes, I go! Love it!

End Notes BSF Study Questions Revelation: The Hope Lesson 1, Day 5: Read the Scripture Passages With the Questions

As we study God’s Word, the hope is that all of us will draw nearer to God, learn more about His magnitude and greatness, and learn more about our Savior, Jesus. Revelation is about Jesus.

I pray for all of you that you show up to this study open-minded and receive what God has for you and that your relationship with Him deepens. Welcome to BSF’s Study of Revelation!

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BSF Study Questions John’s Gospel: The Truth Lesson 1, Day 5: John 1:14, 16-18

by atozmom, posted in BSF John's Gospel: The Truth 2023/2024

Summary of John 1:14, 16-18

The Word (Jesus) became human and he came from the Father. Christ has given us grace and truth. No one has seen God but Jesus has made God known.

We receive grace from Jesus. The law was given through Moses but Christ brings grace and truth. No one has seen God, but Jesus who is God has made him known.

BSF Study Questions John’s Gospel: The Truth Lesson 1, Day 5: John 1:14, 16-18

12)

The Word became flesh: Jesus became human.

And made his dwelling among us: Jesus came to earth.

We have seen his glory: Through Jesus, we see God’s glory and the glory of Jesus.

The glory of the one and only Son: This is Jesus’ and God’s glory.

Who came from the Father: God sent Jesus.

Full of grace and truth: Jesus is full of grace and truth

13a) We receive the grace given by Christ that he has already given us since the beginning of time.

b) Too many ways to count. From not dying, not being harmed, having a good life, having a great family, being blessed with animals, being able to help others, and the list goes on.

c)

The law was given through Moses: the laws put forth by God for living was given by Moses.

Grace and truth came through Jesus Christ: Christ gives us grace and truth.

God’s “one and only Son, who is himself God…has made him known.” Jesus who is God has made God known. This one speaks to me because in Jesus, I can see God and they are one and the same who are with me always. I need all the help I can get!

14) So much. God is full of love, compassion, helpfulness, strength, and judgment. God corrects me when I need it and gives me another chance. God picks me up when I fall. Always and forever.

Conclusions BSF Study Questions John’s Gospel: The Truth Lesson 1, Day 5: John 1:14, 16-18

Great emphasis on the grace of God/Jesus and how we can be close to God/Jesus as God’s children. Great!

End Notes BSF Study Questions John’s Gospel: The Truth Lesson 1, Day 5: John 1:14, 16-18

John states that the Word/Jesus became flesh and lived among us, not in the tabernacle only. John saw Jesus and saw his glory. The Greek verb is “beheld.” The glory of Jesus is full of grace and truth.

Jesus brings a never-ending supply of grace. Jesus replaced the law of Moses.

When you see Jesus, you see God.

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BSF Study Questions People of the Promise: Kingdom Divided Lesson 1, Day 5: 1 Kings 11

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

SUMMARY OF 1 KINGS 11

King Solomon had many foreign wives despite God’s order to not marry foreigner. They led him astray from God over time, causing him to do evil in the eyes of the Lord. He built shrines to foreign gods, and God became angry with him. As punishment, Solomon’s son will lose the kingdom he built. God raised up adversaries agains Solomon, Hadan the Edomite and Rezon son of Eliada. Jeroboam, one of Solomon’s officials, rebelled against him.

Ahijah, a prophet, told Jeroboam about the prophecy God made against Solomon. He also prophesied that Jeroboam would be king of Israel. If he followed God’s statues and did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, God would be with him. He would build him a dynasty and humble David’s descendants for a time. Solomon died and his son, Rehoboam, succeeded him as king.

BSF Study Questions People of the Promise: Kingdom Divided Lesson 1, Day 5: 1 Kings 11

13) Solomon has begun to worship other gods. God had raised adversaries against Solomon because of this and caused trouble in the kingdom. Many had strayed away from the Lord due to Solomon’s example.

14) Solomon’s son will lose the kingdom Solomon built, and Jeroboam would be king of Israel and have ten tribes (all except one, which would be given to Solomon’s son).

15) If you follow God and His Word, you will be rewarded. If not, there are consequences.

16) He waits for an era to end in order to begin something new sometimes. We all go through transitions in life, some of which we understand and others we do not until down the road. In the end, every event in our lives is for God’s purpose whether we recognize it as such or not.

Conclusions BSF Study Questions People of the Promise: Kingdom Divided Lesson 1, Day 5: 1 Kings 11

Great example of the consequences of not following God. The consequences may not be immediate, and they may not even affect you, but it may affect those around you or future generations. Many of us forget that our actions can affect others.

End Notes BSF Study Questions People of the Promise: Kingdom Divided Lesson 1, Day 5: 1 Kings 11

Note Solomon loved many women and they were foreign — both of which went against God’s laws. (Matthew 19:4-6, Genesis 2:23-24). He wanted his wives more than he wanted the Lord. His heart turned from the Lord, too. David sinned, but his heart was always with the Lord.

God became angry with Solomon’s disobedience. The punishment is that God will divide the kingdom. 2 Chronicles 11:12) tell us that the southern kingdom was made up of the tribes of Judah and Benjamin, even though it’s called only one tribe here.

God raised up adversaries against Solomon:

  1. Hadad the Edomite
  2. Rezone, son of Eliadah

Jeroboam was a fellow Israelite who rebelled against Solomon. Jeroboam means “may the people be great.”

The prophet Ahijah tells Jeroboam that he would be king of the ten tribes of Israel after Solomon dies as punishment for Solomon’s sin. God would be with Jeroboam and would give him a lasting dynasty if he would do what was right in the eyes of the Lord. Solomon tried to kill him because of this prophecy.

Solomon dies, and his son, Rehoboam, succeeds him as king.

Fun Fact: This is the first mention of the divided kingdom.

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BSF Study Questions Matthew Lesson 1, Day 5: Matthew 1:1-25

by atozmom, posted in BSF Matthew 2021/2022

SUMMARY OF MATTHEW 1:1-25

Matthew lists the genealogy of Jesus in these 17 verses. You’ll find a mix of characters here, from prostitutes, such as Rahab to kings, such as David and Solomon.  Most of the names are simply that — names of people whom the Bible does not talk about. However, God chose all to be a relative of Jesus. How cool is that?

Consider that there were 14 generations from Abraham to David, from David to the time of the Babylonian exile, and from the exile to the Messiah. Why the number 14? Matthew leaves out generations in order to create this numeric lineup. The letters of the Hebrew alphabet represented numbers, too. The letters in David’s name add up to 14, which is used to show that Jesus was the son of David, but also that Jesus is greater than David.

Mary became pregnant while betrothed to Joseph. Joseph, knowing that he was not the father, wanted to divorce Mary but in a quiet way. An angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph as he slept and reassured him that Mary is faithful. Mary’s child she carries is from the Holy Spirit and is to be named Jesus, meaning “the Lord saves.” This fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah in Isaiah 7:14.

Joseph believed the angel. He took Mary as his wife but did not lie with her until after the birth of Jesus.

BSF STUDY QUESTIONS LESSON 1, DAY 5: MATTHEW 1:1-25

14a ) Matthew emphasizes how Jesus is from the line of David as it was foretold in the Old Testament. The angel mentions how Jesus will be from a virgin birth and called Immanuel (Isaiah 7:14).

b ) God has a plan and he wants to make sure his people knew exactly who Jesus was.

15 ) Their families could have ostracized them and kicked them out of their faith. They could have been social outcasts. Their reputations could have been tarnished, making it hard to make a living in Old Testament times.

16 ) Anytime you lay down yourself and your wants for others costs you something. In truth, I don’t have any earth-shattering examples, but just following him and doing the right thing can be hard and difficult at times, alienating others, too.

CONCLUSIONS BSF STUDY QUESTIONS LESSON 1, DAY 5: MATTHEW 1:1-25

In chapter 1 of Matthew, we get a sense right away of what this book is all about. We will be following Jesus’s birth and life all to the end, and we will be meeting people who aren’t exactly high society. We see how Christianity is right for everyone. Fabulous!

END NOTES BSF STUDY QUESTIONS LESSON 1, DAY 5: MATTHEW 1:1-25

I’m super excited to be studying with you all again this year! Every year is like family, and I can’t wait to see what you all learn! In addition, do comment and share when led. Welcome to BSF’s Study of Matthew! Contact me with questions!

BSF Study Questions Genesis Lesson 1, Day 5: Genesis 1:2

by atozmom, posted in BSF Genesis 2012/2013

Passage:  Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.

Questions:

11)  Spirit of God was hovering over the waters (Genesis 1:2b).  By His breath (Holy Spirit) the skies became fair (Job 26:13).  When you send your Spirit, they (humans) are created, and you renew the face of the earth (Psalm 104:30).

12)  Genesis 6:3:  God’s Spirit will not contend (or remain) with man forever, for he is mortal; his days will be a hundred and twenty years.

Webster’s says contend means “to struggle; to strive or vie in contest; maintain”.  It could also mean the Spirit will not struggle against man’s sinful nature for more than 120 years.

Ezekiel 36:26-27:  God will put the Spirit in us to move us to follow His decrees and keep His laws.

John 3:8:  The Spirit goes where it wants to and you cannot predict where it will go or where it will come from.

John 7:38-39:  Whoever believes in Christ will have the Spirit flowing within them.

John 14:16-17:  The Spirit was sent by God to be with us and in us; to speak the truth to us and be our Counselor.

John 16:7-8:  Jesus had to die so that the Spirit (or Counselor) could be with man.  It will be the Spirit to convict the world of guilt and bring righteousness.

Romans 8:9:  The Spirit lives in you if you belong to God.  You are controlled by the Spirit, not by your sinful nature.  If you don’t have the Spirit, you don’t belong to God.

2 Corinthians 3:3:  The Spirit is written on our hearts that shows/proves we are God’s.

2 Corinthians 3:6:  We are competent to spread the Good News because we have the Spirit.  The Spirit gives life.  Nothing else such as letters.

2 Corinthians 3:18:  We are being transformed into God’s likeness with ever-increasing glory because we have the Spirit within.  The Spirit allows us to reflect God’s glory wherever we go.

Ephesians 1:13-14:  Once we accepted Christ into our hearts, we were marked by the Holy Spirit as God’s.  We are thus guaranteed our inheritance (everlasting life).

Titus 3:5-6:  God saved us through the Holy Spirit, which Christ brought us through his death.

13)  Personal Question.  My answer:  It’s a great reminder that no matter what sins we commit, we are saved and forgiven because of the Holy Spirit, which guides all that we do.  I take comfort in knowing I’m not in control but God is and that I am gradually being transformed because of the Spirit into God’s glory.

It gives me hope because it seems I fall short every day of God’s commands.

14a)  Once Christ is accepted, the Holy Spirit comes and fills that person, marks them, and then guides them for the rest of their earthly days.  The Spirit goes where it chooses to go.  But we can help the Spirit choose others by reflecting God’s glory.

b)  Personal Question.  My answer:  Yes.

Conclusions:  Many people just think of God when they think of Creation.  They picture Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel where he depicts God extending His hand to Adam and imparting life.  But many (including me) forget the intricate role of Jesus and the Holy Spirit in all of this.  Great job by BSF bringing that aspect to light and emphasizing their continued importance in our life today.