Tag: bsf lesson 13 day 2

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BSF Study Questions Revelation: The Hope Lesson 13, Day 2: Revelation 7:1-3

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

Summary of Revelation 7:1-3

John saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds of the earth to prevent any wind from blowing on the land or on the sea or on any tree. He saw another angel coming up from the east, having the seal of the living God. He called out in a loud voice to the four angels who had been given the power to harm the land and the sea: “Do not harm the land or the sea or the trees until we put a seal on the foreheads of the servants of our God.”

BSF Study Questions Revelation: The Hope Lesson 13, Day 2: Revelation 7:1-3

3) The four angels were standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds of the earth to prevent any wind from blowing on the land or on the sea or on any tree.

4a) God’s judgment.

b) The winds are being held back so that the faithful/believers can be marked, so they are not harmed in God’s judgment on unbelievers. The winds will also only damage 1/3 of the earth (so judgment is being held back here, too), giving others a chance to turn to God before the final judgment is pronounced.

c) I’m sure there have been many, many times in my life where I deserved to suffer more/worse consequences for my sins than I was given. God is extremely merciful when we mess up, knowing the right consequences to teach us a lesson without overdoing it. He is SO great!

Conclusions BSF Study Questions Revelation: The Hope Lesson 13, Day 2: Revelation 7:1-3

I love God’s mercy here and His care for His people. No mistakes will be made under God’s care!

End Notes BSF Study Questions Revelation: The Hope Lesson 13, Day 2: Revelation 7:1-3

Winds are often a force of judgment in the Bible.

God often used seals to mark his people Ezekiel 9:4. Kings used seals for royal decrees and orders. Hence, they are always to be obeyed.

We’ll see in (Revelation 14:1) that the seal is some form of God’s name.

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BSF Study Questions John’s Gospel: The Truth Lesson 13, Day 2: John 9:1-12

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

SUMMARY OF JOHN 9:1-12

Jesus healed a blind man who had been blind since birth. He did so by spitting on the ground, making mud, and rubbing it in the man’s eyes. When the man washed in the Pool of Siloam, he could see.  The man was blind so that the works of God could be seen in him.

BSF Study Questions John’s Gospel: The Truth Lesson 13, Day 2: John 9:1-12

3) His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” He told them that no sin was responsible, but that God made the man blind for His glory.

4a) Jesus used spit and mud. Jesus can heal in any way he wants. What matters is your obedience and belief in him.

b) Some believed in the miracle; others did not.

5)  God’s Word, God’s leadership, God’s direction, and God’s promise that all things work together for my good.

Conclusions BSF Study Questions John’s Gospel: The Truth Lesson 13, Day 2: John 9:1-12

We see Jesus’ unconventional healing methods and how all you need is trust.

End Notes BSF Study Questions John’s Gospel: The Truth Lesson 13, Day 2: John 9:1-12

The disciples did not seek to help the blind man; only to talk about him.

Many people believed then and some do now that suffering is because of a sin they’ve committed. Instead, it’s for God’s glory.

Jesus’ unconventional healing here harkened back to creation and how God used dust and clay for His works and it shows that the method of healing does not matter; only God’s power does.

The man had to go to the pool to take action to show he had faith in Jesus’ words.

Fun Fact: This is the first recording in the Bible of a man born blind was given sight. Only God does this (Psalm 146:8); therefore, Jesus is God, the Messiah (Isaiah 35:5)

The healing was hard to believe.

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BSF Study Questions People of the Promise: Kingdom Divided Lesson 13, Day 2: Amos 1-2

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

SUMMARY OF AMOS 1

Amos, one of the shepherds of Tekoa, a prophet, pronounces judgment on Israel and their neighbors, Damascus, Gaza, Tyre, Edom, and Ammon. God will destroy Israel’s neighbors and dry up their fields.

SUMMARY OF AMOS 2

Amos  pronounces judgment on Moab and Judah. Judah is because they have rejected God’s laws and decrees and been led astray by false gods. The Lord will judge Israel for how they treat the poor and do not honor him.

BSF Study Questions People of the Promise: Kingdom Divided Lesson 13, Day 2: Amos 1-2

3a) Israel, Damascus, Gaza, Tyre, Edom, Ammon, Moab, Judah

b) The foreign nations took slaves and fought one another. For Israel and Judah, because they turned from God and worshipped other gods.

c) The other nations’ sins centered around cruelty to other nations and crimes against humanity, as well as crimes against God’s people. Israel and Judah turned from God and His ways.

4a) It’s everywhere. Sin against others. Cruelty to others. Murder, rape, assault, you name it. And, people everywhere are turning from God, including His people.

b) To turn towards him, not away from him.

Conclusions BSF Study Questions People of the Promise: Kingdom Divided Lesson 13, Day 2: Amos 1-2

Lots of judgments here. Great reminder that God is just, and we will all be held accountable for our actions once we reach heaven.

End Notes BSF Study Questions People of the Promise: Kingdom Divided Lesson 13, Day 2: Amos 1-2

Fun fact: Amos the prophet is only mentioned in this book, not in any other books of the Bible.

Amos means “burden,” and Amos was definitely burdened as he was the bearer of bad news for all.

Amos was a farmer and not of the school of prophets. He was a live during Uzziah king of Judah, and in the days of Jeroboam the son of Joash, which would be between 760 B.C. and 750 B.C.

Remember, the kingdom of Judah to the south had good kings. The kingdom of Israel to the north had nothing but bad kings.

Here, Assyria had defeated Israel’s enemy, Syria, so Israel was prosperous.

Amos pronouces judgment on nations for sin upon sin.

  • Israel was judged because they disobeyed God.
  • Damascus was judged for coming against God’s people.
  • Gaza was judged because they came against God’s people.
  • Tyre was judged because they sinned against God’s people.
  • Edom was judged because they attacked Judah.
  • Ammon was judged because they attacked Israel.
  • Moab was judged because of their cruelty to Edom.
  • Judah was judged because they despised and disobeyed God’s laws.

Fire expresses judgment in the New Testament, but it also can be a purifying of the spirit with fire.

Israel took advantage of the poor. There was sexual immorality. There was idolatry.

God’s people were now a burden to him. They would not succeed without His strength.

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BSF Study Questions Matthew Lesson 13, Day 2: Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23

by atozmom, posted in BSF Matthew 2021/2022

SUMMARY OF MATTHEW 13:1-9

Jesus was sitting by the lake (Sea of Galilee), but the crowds were so big that he got into a boat so the people could see and hear him better. He told the parable of sower. Some of the seeds that the farmer scattered fell on rocky places. They sprang up quickly, but because the soil was shallow, they withered due to a lack of root. Other seeds fell among thorns, which choked the plant. Other seeds fell on good soil where it produced a good crop.

SUMMARY OF MATTHEW 13:18-23

Jesus explains the meaning of the parable of the sower. When people hear the message about the kingdom of God and do not understand it, the evil one takes away what was sown in his heart. This is the seed along the path.  The one who received the seed that fell on rocky places hears the Word and receives it with joy. But he falls away when trouble arises because he has no root. The seed in the thorns is the man who hears the word, but is unfruitful because of his worries and deceitfulness of wealth.  The one who received the seed on good soil hears the Word and understands it. He produces a good crop.

BSF Study Questions Matthew Lesson 13, Day 2: Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23

3) He told the parable of sower. Some of the seeds that the farmer scattered fell on rocky places. They sprang up quickly, but because the soil was shallow, they withered due to a lack of root. Other seeds fell among thorns, which choked the plant. Other seeds fell on good soil where it produced a good crop.

4)

The sower signifies: God or Jesus

The seed signifies: the Word of God

The soil along the path signifies: those who hear but don’t take action

The birds that snatch the seed signifies: the evil one

The rocky soil signifies: problems that arise that prevent one accepting God’s Word

The thorny soil signifies: those who don’t truly accept God’s Word even after growth

The good soil signifies: those who accept Christ as their Savior

5a) The seed that fell on good soil. It was the only one that produced a crop.

b) The same in all four accounts was God and Him extending His hand to us to believe His word. The seeds all started out equally, meaning they all had a chance to be fruitful. What was different was the soil and how each responded to God’s Word and let hindrances keep them from God.

c) We need to ensure our roots are deep so we can withstand the evil one’s attacks on us. We need to not let circumstances sway us to turn from God. We need a solid foundation of knowing God’s Word in order to spend eternity with God and survive and thrive in this world.

Conclusions BSF Study Questions Matthew Lesson 13, Day 2: Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23

Great life lessons we can glean from this parable. I love Jesus’s parables because they all apply to us today and we can learn so much when we study the meaning in depth.

Here are some great parable readings for you!

End Notes BSF Study Questions Matthew Lesson 13, Day 2: Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23

MATTHEW 13:1-9

The boat gave Jesus a platform to speak from (Mark 4:1). With rising opposition, Jesus could no longer preach in synogogues, so he taught outdoors.

Parables are meant to teach one main principle to those listening. They made the idea easier to remember, and it stayed longer with the people. The parables of Matthew 13 focus on God’s kingdom. Your response determines if you will have eternal life or eternal damnation.

Jesus spoke to things the people would understand. Everyone understood farming.

The seeds fell on four places:

  1. Next to the path — this was where many people walked and thus the seeds would be trampled and not grow.
  2. In rocky places — characterized by thin soil as we are told
  3. Amongst thorns — fertile ground, but with hazards
  4. On good soil — fertile and free of other plants growing

Jesus uses “he who has ears, let him hear.” to call attention to his words.

The meaning behind his words would make no sense to those with spiritual deafness. Those who recognized Jesus would understand his words.

MATTHEW 13:18-23

Each soil type represents one of four ways that we respond to Jesus:

  1. Next to the path — those who hear God’s Word, but are unaffected. Their hearts are hardened, so they have no real understanding of what they are hearing. You must understand God’s Word before you can take action.
  2. In rocky places — those who are super excited when they first hear God’s Word, but then their excitement quickly fades and they fade away, too when times get rough
  3. Amongst thorns — those who grow with God for a while, but then are taken down by the evil one, temptations, worries, and deceitfulness of wealth
  4. On good soil — those that hear God’s Word and stick it through, bearing fruit along the way

What the Parable of the Sower Means to Us

We all go through the different types of soil in our lives — times where our faith wanes or where we are on fire for God. However, what matters in the end is that we strive to be the good soil and bear fruit in all that we do.

It can be helpful to ask yourself which soil are you and what can you change to become the good soil.

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BSF Study Questions Genesis Lesson 13, Day 2: Genesis 14:1-12

by atozmom, posted in BSF Genesis 2012/2013

Summary of passage:  Basically, the Babylonians attacked a group of peoples living in the Siddim Valley who had been under their control but had rebelled.  The Babylonians defeated or re-conquered them and took even more territory.  The Babylonians sacked Sodom and Gomorrah, which included Lot and his possessions since he was living in Sodom.

Questions:

3a)  Amraphel King of Shinar (Babylonia), Arioch king of Ellasar, Kedorlaomer king of Elam, and Tidal king of Goiim

b)  Bera king of Sodom, Birsha king of Gomorrah, Shinab king of Admah, Shemeber king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela (or Zoar)

c)  Plain of Shinar (or Babylonia)

4a)  Lot put himself in the midst of these pagan countries by choosing the most fertile land as he saw it and pitched his tent near the evil city of Sodom (Genesis 13:11-13) and so he was caught up in the wars and taken along with the rest.

b)  Personal Question.  My answer:  All of our choices are the same–to either choose God or to not choose Him.  To choose God’s way or something else (either your way, the devil’s way, or some other idol or false god’s way).  This is what all of our choices come down to.  Obedience or disobedience.  It’s as simple as that.

Conclusions:  Didn’t like this lesson because we didn’t learn anything.  Of course, Lot would end up in trouble.  He chose to live with evil people.  The names of these kings are obscure to most and I would wager meaningless.  And the personal question?  I truly don’t think details matter.  What it comes down to is this:  you either choose God or you don’t.  Period.

My kids had this question too and they were stumped.  So this is their answer as well.

I do admire the note at the beginning.  This is unusual.  But it sums up typical ancient times:  people were conquered; the people rebelled; the conquerors put down the rebellion; prisoners and goods were taken.

End Note:  Great home drawn map of the region and the battles!  I love this website:

http://www.generationword.com/notes_for_notesbooks_pg/genesis/14_1.htm