Tag: bsf lesson 12

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BSF Study Questions Exile & Return: A Time to Build Lesson 12, Day 5: Ezra 10:18-44

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

Summary of Ezra 10:18-44

The Israelites and the priests who had married foreign women were examined and found guilty. Their names are listed. They divorced their wives and gave a guilt offering for atonement. Some had children. God preserved the purity of the nation for the Messiah.

BSF Study Questions Exile & Return: A Time to Build Lesson 12, Day 5: Ezra 10:18-44

12) The priests and their descendants. The musicians, gatekeepers (The Levites), and many others.

13a) To show that no one is exempt from God’s laws. This ensured accountability. It showed the seriousness of their sins. To serve as a warning to others who will follow.

b) To be honest, not a lot. This is hard since this was 2,000 years ago. Obviously, it’s never good when families are separated. But, God’s laws are His laws, and it’s not for us to question the consequences of breaking them.

c) The Christian spouse in the marriage now is able to sanctify the unbelieving spouse so that their children are holy. At the time, this was a radical, painful act of national purification. The community saw intermarriage as a direct threat to their covenant identity—the very sin that led to the exile. They chose to surgically remove this influence, sacrificing personal family ties to preserve their “holy seed” and restore their relationship with God. Sometimes hard decisions are necessary to be faithful to God.

14) To obey God’s laws or suffer the consequences. To know that God’s punishments are for our good. Sin has corporate consequences, not just personal ones. Genuine repentance is costly and requires decisive, painful action, not just sorrow. It shows that spiritual purity is a non-negotiable priority, and leaders are held to an even higher standard of accountability.

Conclusions BSF Study Questions Exile & Return: A Time to Build Lesson 12, Day 5: Ezra 10:18-44

Great study of the consequences of sin and what can happen within a family unit because of sin.

End Notes BSF Study Questions Exile & Return: A Time to Build Lesson 12, Day 5: Ezra 10:18-44

This passage is pretty self-explanatory. Those women who did not convert were put out. They number about 114.

We meet Ezra again in the book of Nehemiah about 13 years later.

END NOTES SUMMARIZED

Ezra 10:18-44 is the final, sobering record of the community’s repentance: a public list of every man found guilty of intermarrying with foreign women.

Interpretation

This section is the official documentation of the investigation’s findings. Its structure is significant:

  • Widespread Sin (vv. 18-43): The list is organized by group, beginning with the priests, then the Levites, and finally the rest of the people. This demonstrates that the sin was not isolated but had pervasively corrupted the entire community, including its spiritual leadership.
  • Costly Repentance (v. 19): The guilty priests are specifically noted as having pledged to send away their wives and, significantly, to offer a ram as a guilt offering. This underscores the seriousness of the sin and the costly, tangible nature of their repentance.
  • Painful Conclusion (v. 44): The book ends with the stark summary that all these men had married foreign women, and some even had children with them.

Conclusion

The book of Ezra does not end with a celebration but with this stark list of accountability. It’s a somber conclusion that demonstrates the painful, practical, and necessary steps the community had to take to purify itself. This public record serves as the final, concrete proof of their commitment to restoring their covenant identity and separating themselves from pagan influences, no matter how difficult the personal cost.

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BSF Study Questions Exile & Return: A Time to Build Lesson 12, Day 4: Ezra 10:1-17

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

Summary of Ezra 10:1-17

Ezra continued to mourn over the unfaithfulness of the exiles. The people supported him and repented as well. Ezra issued a proclamation for the people to separate themselves from the people around them, including their foreign wives.  All the peoples agreed.

BSF Study Questions Exile & Return: A Time to Build Lesson 12, Day 4: Ezra 10:1-17

9a) Ezra set the example, and the people followed. Ezra’s authentic public grief had a powerful impact, igniting a corporate conviction that caused the assembly to weep with him. His response didn’t just shame them; it moved them to take ownership, propose a radical covenant to separate, and commit to a unified, organized process of repentance.

b) How else will people change and follow the ways of the Lord if they don’t recognize the gravity of their sins? And, the Lord will forgive if sins are confessed. Grasping sin’s gravity is crucial because it reveals its true cost. It motivates genuine, costly repentance by showing sin as a relational rupture with God, not just a mistake. This understanding protects our community from corruption and magnifies our gratitude for the precious gift of grace and forgiveness.

10a) Shekaniah acknowledges that they have done wrong in the eyes of the Lord, but recognizes there is still hope. He proposes a solution: to make a covenant before our God to send away all these women and their children, in accordance with the counsel of my lord and of those who fear the commands of our God. Let it be done according to the Law.

b) The plan was to separate themselves from the peoples around them and from their foreign wives.

11) Many times. I prayed about it and worked on it daily. Every time it was hard, but I am better, and while I still fail, every small step towards God is a victory!

Conclusions BSF Study Questions Exile & Return: A Time to Build Lesson 12, Day 4: Ezra 10:1-17

I love how we see the power of leaders setting the right example for the people to follow and the results when this happens. Great stuff!

End Notes BSF Study Questions Exile & Return: A Time to Build Lesson 12, Day 4: Ezra 10:1-17

The heart of Ezra’s sorrow is what impacted the people so.

Shechaniah knew there was hope because of the power of God’s spirit working within the people to confess their sins. He proposed concrete action to fix it.

Divorce was permitted by the Law (Deuteronomy 24:1), and this seems to be a good reason to do so for the Israelites at the time.

The children would be expelled as well because children stayed with their mother. Children do suffer for the sins of their parents (then and now). But, it seems not all had children (Ezra 10:44).

Ezra issues a proclamation and fasts. The people all agreed.

The pagan wives would be examined, and if they agreed to follow the Lord, they could stay. There were only about 114 wives actually expelled. The rest converted.

God still takes a strong stance on marriage within the faith. Christians should marry Christians but if a Christian is married to an unbeliever, they should not divorce. Instead, they are to be a witness to the spouse and stay together for the kids (1 Corinthians 7:12-17).

END NOTES SUMMARIZED

Ezra 10:1-17 details the community’s dramatic, unified response to the sin of intermarriage, moving from emotional grief to a practical, organized plan of repentance.

Interpretation

  • Public Confession (vv. 1-8): As Ezra wept and confessed, a massive assembly of men, women, and children gathered, joining him in bitter weeping. A leader named Shecaniah spoke for the people, acknowledging their sin but also declaring, “There is hope.” He proposed a radical, public covenant: to send away all foreign wives and their children. He urged Ezra to lead, and Ezra immediately made the leaders swear an oath to do it. A proclamation was then sent for every exile to gather in Jerusalem within three days or forfeit their property and be excommunicated.
  • Collective Agreement (vv. 9-15): The entire community gathered in the open square, trembling in the cold rain and from the gravity of the matter. Ezra stood and formally charged them to confess their sin and separate. The assembly shouted back in agreement, “It is our duty to do as you have said!” Recognizing that the sin was widespread and could not be handled in a day, they wisely proposed a systematic plan: a committee of leaders would investigate every case, town by town, over time.
  • The Process Begins (vv. 16-17): This proposal was accepted. Ezra and the appointed family heads immediately began the difficult investigation, which took them three full months to complete.

Conclusion

This passage is the climax of Ezra’s reform, showing a nation genuinely broken over its sin. It demonstrates a move from personal grief (Ezra’s) to corporate responsibility (the people’s). The community not only confesses but also commits to a painful and thorough process of purification, showing they were serious about restoring their covenant identity and turning away God’s wrath.

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BSF Study Questions Exile & Return: A Time to Build Lesson 12, Day 3: Ezra 9:5-15

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

Summary of Ezra 9:5-15

Ezra prayed to God. He acknowledged the people’s great sins. He thanks God for their return to Jerusalem and the temple rebuilding. He again acknowledges their sins and how they are unworthy of God’s grace, mercy, and presence.

BSF Study Questions Exile & Return: A Time to Build Lesson 12, Day 3: Ezra 9:5-15

6a) Ezra addressed God on his knees with his hands spread out to the Lord. His face was down due to the greatness of the shame and sin he felt. He prayed and acknowledged the people’s sins, God’s mercy, and their unworthiness to stand before Him. It shows that he is fully aware that God is all-mighty and he is nothing before Him. Ezra’s prayer reveals he is a leader of profound humility who sees God as both perfectly righteous and incredibly merciful. He doesn’t approach God as a detached, righteous leader scolding sinners, but as a broken member of a guilty community.

b) The same. Humbly. With an attitude of a repentant heart and a desire to do better. Approach God with total honesty and humility, not excuses. Confess your sin directly. Acknowledge His perfect righteousness and your own guilt. Don’t bargain, but appeal to His mercy and grace, which He promises to those who genuinely repent.

7) Because the people needed God’s grace and mercy once again. Recalling God’s faithfulness was their only source of hope. As Ezra confessed, they deserved total destruction. Remembering God’s mercy—proven by their very existence as a “remnant”—was their only basis for appealing to His gracious character, giving them the courage to repent rather than fall into complete despair.

8 ) It’s very encouraging. We all sin, but God always forgives. We just need to come to him with a repentant heart and ask for forgiveness and move forward with a desire to do better.

Conclusions BSF Study Questions Exile & Return: A Time to Build Lesson 12, Day 3: Ezra 9:5-15

Great example of how to pray in the midst of sin in your life.

End Notes BSF Study Questions Exile & Return: A Time to Build Lesson 12, Day 3: Ezra 9:5-15

Ezra prayed on his knees like so many in the Bible did (Solomon, Daniel, Stephen, Peter, Paul, and Jesus!).

Yet, many in the Bible don’t pray on their knees, so it’s not a requirement, but it is good!

Ezra spread out his hands, which was very common in OT times. This shows surrender and readiness for God.

Note that Ezra offers no excuses for their sins. He just lays it out there. He rightly asks for mercy and appeals to God’s position and His righteousness.

END NOTES SUMMARIZED

This section is Ezra’s powerful, public prayer of confession. After his initial shock (v. 1-4), he moves to formal repentance, which unfolds in three parts:

  1. Corporate Shame (v. 5-7): Ezra rises from his grief and prays. He doesn’t blame “the people”; he fully identifies with them, using “I” and “our.” He expresses profound shame (“I am… ashamed and disgraced”), confessing that their current sin (intermarriage) is not an isolated mistake. Instead, it’s a continuation of the same unfaithfulness their ancestors practiced, which he identifies as the very reason God sent them into the Babylonian exile (“our guilt has mounted up… we were given over…”).
  2. Acknowledgment of Grace (v. 8-9): He immediately contrasts their sin with God’s recent, undeserved mercy. He acknowledges that God could have destroyed them completely. Instead, God graciously preserved a “remnant,” gave them a “foothold” (or “a peg”) back in Jerusalem, “revived” their spirits, and even gave them favor with the Persian kings to rebuild the Temple and find security (“a wall”).
  3. The Gravity of the New Sin (v. 10-15): This is the core of his anguish. He asks, “what can we say?” He highlights the community’s shocking ingratitude. Despite God’s grace and after experiencing the severe punishment of exile, they have still knowingly broken the specific commands about separation (v. 11-12). He recognizes that God has punished them less than they deserved (v. 13) and that by repeating this sin, they are provoking God’s righteous anger to the point of total annihilation, “leaving no remnant or survivor” (v. 14).

Conclusion

Ezra’s prayer is a model of true repentance. He makes no excuses, shifts no blame, and does not try to minimize the sin. In fact, he argues that God’s recent grace makes their new sin even worse, not more excusable.

He concludes not by begging for a specific outcome, but by affirming God’s total righteousness (“you are righteous”) and their own total guilt (“no one can stand before you because of this”). It is a complete surrender, an admission that they have no defense and stand condemned, placing the entire community at the mercy of the just God they have offended.

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BSF Study Questions Exile & Return: A Time to Build Lesson 12, Day 2: Ezra 9:1-4

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

Summary of Ezra 9:1-4

Ezra learned that the people of Israel, including the leaders, the priests and the Levites, had intermarried with the pagan people around them. Ezra was appalled.

BSF Study Questions Exile & Return: A Time to Build Lesson 12, Day 2: Ezra 9:1-4

3a) Idol worship, human sacrifice,  divination, sorcery, interprets omens, engages in witchcraft, casts spells, who is a medium or spiritist, or who consults the dead, those who cheat/have differing weights in their bags

b) Unsure. Sometimes these things are impressive, but they are really empty. People who are down can easily be persuaded. These practices were enticing because they offered immediate, tangible benefits and a path of social and economic convenience, appealing directly to basic human desires for security, pleasure, and acceptance.

4a) God told the Israelites that when they enter and possess the Promised Land, they must destroy the nations living there totally. They are to make no treaties with them or intermarry with them. They will turn them away from the Lord, and the Lord’s anger will burn against them. They are to break down their altars, smash their sacred stones, cut down their Asherah poles, and burn their idols in the fire.

b) God wants to protect His people and keep them holy so that they can be faithful to Him and be His chosen people.

5) Sin is incredibly dangerous, and it’s so easy to continue down the path of sin once someone starts. God does everything He can to protect us from the devil’s ways. His love for us knows no bounds.

Conclusions BSF Study Questions Exile & Return: A Time to Build Lesson 12, Day 2: Ezra 9:1-4

I love the emphasis on the importance of keeping God’s commands. So vital today!

End Notes BSF Study Questions Exile & Return: A Time to Build Lesson 12, Day 2: Ezra 9:1-4

The spiritual life of the returning Israelites was in shambles. The intermarriage with the pagans can affect all aspects of society. Even the leaders were involved.

END NOTES SUMMARIZED

In Ezra 9:1-4, leaders report to the priest Ezra that the returned Jewish exiles, including priests and Levites, have failed to remain separate from the surrounding peoples and have intermarried with them. This is seen as a grievous sin and a direct violation of God’s covenant commands.

Ezra’s reaction is immediate and visceral: he tears his garments, pulls hair from his head and beard, and sits down completely appalled. His extreme display of grief demonstrates the profound spiritual horror he feels, recognizing that this unfaithfulness threatens the community’s restored relationship with God and repeats the sins that led to their exile in the first place. Others who respect God’s law gather around him, sharing his devastation.

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BSF Study Questions Revelation: The Hope Lesson 12, Day 5: Revelation 6:12-17

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

Summary of Revelation 6:12-17

Jesus opened the 6th seal. There was a great earthquake. The sun turned black, the moon turned blood red, and the stars in the sky fell to earth. The heavens receded, and every mountain and island was removed from its place. Then the kings of the earth, the princes, the generals, the rich, the mighty, and everyone else hid in caves and among the rocks of the mountains. They called to the mountains and the rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! 

BSF Study Questions Revelation: The Hope Lesson 12, Day 5: Revelation 6:12-17

12) Exodus 19:18: Mount Sinai trembled, so both passages have earthquakes

Isaiah 34:4: All the stars in the sky will be dissolved and the heavens rolled up like a scroll; all the starry host will fall like withered leaves from the vine, like shriveled figs from the fig tree. Both say that the stars will fall to the earth like figs dropping from trees. Both describe heaven as being rolled up/receding like a scroll.

Jeremiah 4:23-26: The mountains and hills were quaking, there were no people, and the light was gone from heaven. Both describe an earthquake, people hiding/not existing, and no light/stars in heaven.

Joel 2:30-31: The sun will be dark, the moon will be like blood. Wonders will be seen in heaven and earth. Both describe the sun as dark and the moon as red/blood. More wonders will be seen as well.

Zechariah 14:3-5: The mountains will split. People will flee. God will come. Both describe earthquakes and people running/fleeing/hiding. All before God comes.

13a) Hid in caves amongst the rocks of mountains. Refuge in God.

b) Psalm 46 says that God is our refuge and our strength. We shall not fear no matter what happens. The Lord is with us. He is our refuge. He will be exalted. Romans 5:1-11 says that we are saved, justified by the blood of Christ. We have peace with God because of our faith in Jesus. We have the Holy Spirit to guide us. This says a lot about God! God is everything we will ever need. All we have to do is hold onto Him.

Conclusions BSF Study Questions Revelation: The Hope Lesson 12, Day 5: Revelation 6:12-17

Basically, God is in control of everything that happens, and if we just give it all to Him, He will be our strength, our salvation, our hope, and our everything.

End Notes BSF Study Questions Revelation: The Hope Lesson 12, Day 5: Revelation 6:12-17

The 6th scroll is near the End.

There will be many natural disasters when God comes. God will use nature and nations to execute his judgment.

Many people/Bible scholars hold different opinions on whether these things described will happen before Jesus comes again or as he is coming again. Many believe these are ongoing and you can expect an intensification of these natural events right before Jesus comes again.

Your answer to “Who is able to stand?” is the only question you need to answer. Only believers in Christ will be left standing at the end.

God’s wrath will not matter to believers. Jesus bore this wrath for us already. We have no reason to fear, only to worship!

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BSF Study Questions Revelation: The Hope Lesson 12, Day 4: Revelation 6:9-11

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

Summary of Revelation 6:9-11

Jesus opened the 5th seal, and John saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God (Christian martyrs) and the testimony they had maintained. They asked how long they had to wait for the judgment of the world. Each was given a white robe and told to wait longer till all the martyrs had died.

BSF Study Questions Revelation: The Hope Lesson 12, Day 4: Revelation 6:9-11

9a) John saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God (Christian martyrs) and the testimony they had maintained. They asked how long they had to wait for the judgment of the world and to be avenged.

b) I know that Jesus will bring eternal judgment, so I look at evil in the world with that lens.

10a) The martyrs were told to wait longer till all the martyrs had died. God wants to give everyone a chance to come to him.

b) The white robes can represent garments of salvation, God’s righteousness wrapped around them. It is also a symbol of purity and victory.

11a) Christians should expect suffering and persecution because Jesus suffered and was persecuted. Romans 5:3-5 says, “Suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.” 1 Peter 3:13-17 says that you are blessed if you suffer for doing good. 1 Peter 4:12-16 says that we share in God’s glory when we suffer. 1 Peter 5:10 says that God restores those who suffer. Suffering makes us strong, firm, and steadfast in Christ. 

b) I trust God because he is full of grace and forgives me all of my transgressions. He works all things for my good. He is with me and blesses me even in my hardships. He grows me in Him always. God is holy and true to His word. He will restore us and offer us everlasting life and eternity with Him.

Conclusions BSF Study Questions Revelation: The Hope Lesson 12, Day 4: Revelation 6:9-11

God is full of grace and merciful as He gives everyone a chance to come to Him. How awesome is He!

End Notes BSF Study Questions Revelation: The Hope Lesson 12, Day 4: Revelation 6:9-11

The martyrs are depicted beneath the altar as their blood is poured out as an offering to God. Leviticus 4:7

They are taking refuge in Jesus’ sacrifice.

Asking God for revenge on evil is not wrong. We can expect God to protect His people and defend us and right the wrongs done to us. We’ve seen this before: (Genesis 4:10), (Numbers 35:33).

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BSF Study Questions Revelation: The Hope Lesson 12, Day 3: Reread Revelation 6:1-8

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

Summary of Revelation 6:1-8

Jesus/the Lamb opened the first of the 7 seals. One of the 4 living creatures called a white horse that had a rider on it with a crown.

Jesus opened the 2nd seal, and the 2nd living creature called out a red horse that had a rider that took peace from the earth and made people kill each other.

Jesus opened the 3rd seal and the 3rd living creature called out a black horse whose rider was holding scales.

Jesus opened the 4th seal and a pale horse came. His rider was Death with Hades close behind. They were given power over a fourth of the earth to kill by sword, famine, and plague, and by the wild beasts of the earth.

BSF Study Questions Revelation: The Hope Lesson 12, Day 3: Revelation 6:1-8

6a) The rider of the black horse was holding scales.  “Two pounds of wheat for a day’s wages, and six pounds of barley for a day’s wages, and do not damage the oil and the wine!”

b) Scales here symbolize rationing, so there’s not enough food to go around. The prices are exceedingly high. And, the oil and the wine are reserved for the rich who can afford them.

7a) The final horse is pale and brings Death as the rider with Hades close behind. They were given power over a fourth of the earth to kill by sword, famine, and plague, and by the wild beasts of the earth.

b) Hades is the place where the dead live temporarily until the final judgment by Jesus.

8a) The similarities between Zechariah 6:1-8 and this passage: There are 4 in number with similar color horses. They are traveling throughout the earth. They are war horses. The differences include: the horse of death is pale; here it is dappled. They use chariots here instead of horsemen. Here, the chariots are sent first to specific parts of the earth and then go throughout. In Revelation, they go all throughout the earth.

b) Jesus predicts lots of destruction, the Antichrist, wars, famines, earthquakes, and more.

Conclusions BSF Study Questions Revelation: The Hope Lesson 12, Day 3: Revelation 6:1-8

It’s fair to say the End Times won’t exactly be pleasant. Yet, evil must destroyed once and for all.

End Notes BSF Study Questions Revelation: The Hope Lesson 12, Day 3: Revelation 6:1-8

The scrolls reveal man’s destiny and God’s plan for the world, which will happen before the End Times. The End Times are revealed in Revelation 19.

Note we do see the real Jesus on a white horse just not until Revelation 19:11-16

To sum up the 4 Horsemen of Revelation:

  1. The white horse brings a man of conquest
  2. The red horse brings a man of murder and destruction
  3. The black horse brings scarcity, high costs, inflation, and famine
  4. The pale horse brings Death

Scales here symbolize rationing, so there’s not enough food to go around. The prices are exceedingly high.

Death will be everywhere when the pale horse arrives.

Yet, these horsemen only have power because of God. He is in control, and He will be in charge at the end.

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BSF Study Questions Revelation: The Hope Lesson 12, Day 2: Revelation 6:1-8

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

Summary of Revelation 6:1-8

Jesus/the Lamb opened the first of the 7 seals. One of the 4 living creatures called a white horse that had a rider on it with a crown.

Jesus opened the 2nd seal, and the 2nd living creature called out a red horse that had a rider that took peace from the earth and made people kill each other.

Jesus opened the 3rd seal and the 3rd living creature called out a black horse whose rider was holding scales.

Jesus opened the 4th seal and a pale horse came. His rider was Death with Hades close behind. They were given power over a fourth of the earth to kill by sword, famine, and plague, and by the wild beasts of the earth.

BSF Study Questions Revelation: The Hope Lesson 12, Day 2: Revelation 6:1-8

3a) Come

b)  A horse with a rider appeared. Each horse was a different color with a different rider on it. Each rider was given different things.

4) “Its rider held a bow, and he was given a crown, and he rode out as a conqueror bent on conquest.” Many people believe this is most likely Jesus. However, some Bible scholars believe this is someone imitating Jesus or the Antichrist. This view stems from what the rider is doing — conquering or bringing death and destruction. Do note that no woe is pronounced here.

5a) “Its rider was given the power to take peace from the earth and to make people kill each other.” Humans are by nature evil, so when leaders arise who are evil, they cause havoc, despair, and death and destruction.

b) The source of strife is sin. The solution is Jesus. We must submit to God’s will, resist the devil, and draw closer to God through Bible study and prayer. We must avoid sin and situations that prompt sin.

Conclusions BSF Study Questions Revelation: The Hope Lesson 12, Day 2: Revelation 6:1-8

I love how God is in control of all of these creatures, no matter what they may bring. And, amidst the evil, there is always good that will triumph in the end.

End Notes BSF Study Questions Revelation: The Hope Lesson 12, Day 2: Revelation 6:1-8

The scrolls reveal man’s destiny and God’s plan for the world, which will happen before the End Times. The End Times are revealed in Revelation 19.

Note we do see the real Jesus on a white horse just not until Revelation 19:11-16

Each seal opens up a judgment, or 7 events that we’ll see again as 7 trumpets and bowls.

The 1st 4 seals reveal 4 horsemen bringing judgment.

To sum up the 4 Horsemen of Revelation:

  1. The white horse brings a man of conquest
  2. The red horse brings a man of murder and destruction
  3. The black horse brings scarcity, high costs, inflation, and famine
  4. The pale horse brings Death

Scales here symbolize rationing, so there’s not enough food to go around. The prices are exceedingly high.

Death will be everywhere when the pale horse arrives.

Yet, these horsemen only have power because of God. He is in control, and He will be in charge at the end.

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BSF Study Questions John’s Gospel: The Truth Lesson 12, Day 5: John 8:48-59 and Exodus 3:12-15

by atozmom, posted in BSF Matthew 2021/2022

SUMMARY OF JOHN 8:48-59

Those who obey Jesus’ word will never see death. People begin to insult Jesus, claiming he is demon-possessed. Jesus claimed he was greater than Abraham, that he existed before Abraham, and that he’s the I am. The people tried to stone him, but Jesus got away.

Exodus 3:12-15

God sent Moses to the people to rescue them from Egypt. God says He is “I am.”

BSF Study Questions John’s Gospel: The Truth Lesson 12, Day 5: John 8:48-59 and Exodus 3:12-15

13a) Those who believe in Jesus will have eternal life.

b) Abraham rejoiced at Jesus’ saving grace.

14a) This means that Jesus is equal with God, existed before Creation, and is part of God. It means He is God and all should worship him and believe in him.

b) All the difference. With Jesus, life is good. Without Jesus, life is unbearable.

Conclusions BSF Study Questions John’s Gospel: The Truth Lesson 12, Day 5: John 8:48-59 and Exodus 3:12-15

I love the “I am’s” in the Bible, and I love how Jesus is equal with God and he says so.

End Notes BSF Study Questions John’s Gospel: The Truth Lesson 12, Day 5: John 8:48-59 and Exodus 3:12-15

The people insult Jesus. Still, he says belief in him brings eternal life. Yet, the religious leaders still twist his words and try to trap him, asking him if he is greater than Abraham.

Jesus says he knows God and is honored by God (not self-honor).

Abraham knew Jesus to be greater.

Now Jesus claims to be God, the great I am, the way God called himself in Exodus.

Fun Fact: This is the third time in this chapter Jesus uses the phrase I AM (John 8:24, 8:28)

This is a clear divine title that all Jews would recognize as such.

Jesus says he has existed eternally. He declared that he is God.

This was blasphemous in the eyes of the religious leaders. They looked to stone Jesus, but he escaped. His time had not yet come. (John 7:30).

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BSF Study Questions John’s Gospel: The Truth Lesson 12, Day 4: John 8:31-47

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

SUMMARY OF JOHN 8:31-47

Jesus told the people that The Truth will set those free who believes in him from sin. Everyone who sins is a slave to sin. Since they are looking to kill him, they are not free and are a slave to their father, the devil.

Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love me, for I have come here from God. I have not come on my own; God sent me. Whoever belongs to God hears what God says. The reason you do not hear is that you do not belong to God.”

BSF Study Questions John’s Gospel: The Truth Lesson 12, Day 4: John 8:31-47

11a) The freedom Jesus offers is freedom from the bondage of sin’s guilt and consequences. He offers forgiveness. People receive this freedom when they believe in Christ’s saving grace.

b) Not having guilt from sin, the freedom to ask for and receive forgiveness for my sins from others, the freedom to fail and fall and have Jesus pick me up, the freedom to follow His will for my life.

12a) They are not Abraham’s descendants/children of Abraham if they are looking for a way to kill him. They belong to their father, the devil. If they belonged to Abraham, they would love him and hear what God says.

b) Because they did not belong to God, so they could not hear what God says. Instead, they belong to the devil so they hear his words and obey him.

c) Many ways. Prayer, consult the Bible, examine the character of the words. For example, are you being asked to commit a sin? Jesus would never say that. What does your gut tell you? Abiding/living like Jesus will help you know the Truth.

Conclusions BSF Study Questions John’s Gospel: The Truth Lesson 12, Day 4: John 8:31-47

I love the freedom that Christ offers. There truly is nothing else like it.

End Notes BSF Study Questions John’s Gospel: The Truth Lesson 12, Day 4: John 8:31-47

Jesus is addressing those who believe in him, but have not yet fully committed to following him.

People must live by Jesus’ word to believe in him. When we abide in Jesus’ word and live it, we’ll know the truth. When we know the truth, we are free.

There is no escape from slavery to sin except through Jesus Christ. You can live a life of sin or a life of freedom. But, it’s for life.

Abraham is not their father in a spiritual sense. Their rejection of Jesus shows they don’t have the word or Christ in their lives; thus, they did not have freedom.

Jesus’ actions are consistent with God. The actions of unbelievers are consistent with the devil.

The religious leaders again bring up Jesus’ shady parentage  John 8:19

If you love God, you love Jesus. Period.

Jesus came from God and is different from God.

Unbelievers are of the devil. The devil only speaks lies. Your actions prove this to be so.

We must repent of our sins and turn from our old ways in order to follow Jesus’ teachings.

Only the Holy Spirit can give us the power to live as God intended.

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