people of the promise kingdom divided lesson 18 www.atozmomm.com

BSF Study Questions People of the Promise: Kingdom Divided Lesson 18, Day 5: Isaiah 6:9-13

SUMMARY OF ISAIAH 6:9-13

God describes Isaiah’s mission, which is to preach to people who won’t hear except for the remnant until destruction/judgment comes. But a holy seed (Jesus) would rise from the stump of David to save us all.

BSF Study Questions People of the Promise: Kingdom Divided Lesson 18, Day 5: Isaiah 6:9-13

12a) God gives Isaiah his commission. He tells him to preach to the people even though they won’t hear him, but this would prove their guilt.

b) Till destruction or judgment comes. Until the cities are laid waste and without inhabitant, The houses are without a man, The land is utterly desolate, The LORD has removed men far away, and the forsaken places are many.

13a) Unsure as of the moment. I need healing of my knee right now that is inhibiting me from one task I believe. Unsure on any others. All of my tasks seem difficult at the moment.

b) He gives His word, His hope, and strong will to keep pressing on. The glimpses of hope are enough.

14) That there will be a remnant who hears His word and turns to Him. So all of his preaching wouldn’t be in vain.

Conclusions BSF Study Questions People of the Promise: Kingdom Divided Lesson 18, Day 5: Isaiah 6:9-13

I love how God calls people. Clear and concise in this case. Now, we just need to hear Him in the same way.

End Notes BSF Study Questions People of the Promise: Kingdom Divided Lesson 18, Day 5: Isaiah 6:9-13

God gives Isaiah his commission. He tells him to preach to the people even though they won’t hear him, but this would prove their guilt. God’s word can bring you understanding, make him return to Him, and bring healing to your life.

It’s hard to preach fruitlessly to those who won’t hear, so Isaiah asks for how long. God answers till destruction comes. Yet, there will be a remnant who will hear.

The message is always more important than the messenger.

We know that Isaiah saw God in His glory, which would be Jesus before he was human. We are priviledged to have this knowledge because the Apostle John quotes Isaiah 6:10 and says so (John 12:41).

But God tells Isaiah there is hope: a holy seed (Jesus) would rise from the stump of David to save us all. Hope we all need.

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picture of fisherman so Jesus can pay the temple tax www.atozmomm.com

BSF Study Questions Matthew Lesson 18, Day 5: Matthew 17:22-27

SUMMARY OF MATTHEW 17:22-27

Jesus tells the disciples more about his impending death after they arrive back in Galilee. He tells them he will be betrayed, killed, and then he will be raised on the third day. His disciples are filled with grief at this news.

Jesus arrives in Capernaum. He is questioned if he has paid the temple tax. Peter (of all people) is asked if Jesus paid the temple tax. He replies yes. When Jesus sees him again, he asks Peter who does the kings collect their taxes from? Peter answers from others. Jesus says he (the Son) is exempt from paying the temple tax, but he tells Peter to go and catch a fish, open its mouth, and there he will find four-drachma coins to pay the tax so as to not offend anyone.

BSF Study Questions Matthew Lesson 18, Day 5: Matthew 17:22-27

13a) That he would die.

b) They grieved. Jesus’s death should be a cause of joy for all.

c) I’ve grieved most of my moves to other locations, mainly because I did not want to move in the first place. Yet, there was a plan in all things, even in death.

14) Sometimes it’s best to not rock the boat and go along with what is asked of you.

15) So many. Every day, my needs are met. I’m encouraged in my job and my life

Conclusions BSF Study Questions Matthew Lesson 18, Day 5: Matthew 17:22-27

I don’t remember the temple tax story, so I liked that best of all. Sometimes you just have to do the right thing. Period.

map of Caesarea Philippi www.atozmomm.comEnd Notes BSF Study Questions Matthew Lesson 18, Day 5: Matthew 17:22-27

Jesus usually paired his death with the hope his resurrection brought. The disciples were so grieved that they couldn’t comprehend the meaning of Jesus’s death until much later.

The temple tax is a tax every Jewish man paid. Jesus was not obligated to pay the tax since he was a priest (the Most High Priest in fact).

Jesus did not want to rock the boat, so he paid it. Plus, he wanted to set a good example for others. It’ good to think about and serve others, rather than ourselves.

Jesus used this tax to once again explain his deity to his disciples.

Obviously, the very fish that Peter caught that had money in its mouth would be a miracle from God.

Trying to catch one fish was something Peter, a fisherman, never did in that day. Instead, fishermen used nets to catch a lot of fish, so he was probably baffled by Jesus’s instructions. Still, you obey. I mean, it’s Jesus.

Jesus paid the price for all of us, as he does here for Peter in this example. Cool, isn’t it? It’s like Jesus never gives away an opportunity to foreshadow his true purpose on earth.

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jacob worshipped god at bethel www.atozmomm.com

BSF Study Questions Genesis: Lesson 18, Day 5: Genesis 28:16-22

Summary of Genesis 28:16-22:

Jacob awakes the next day, declaring that this place is the house of God. He poured oil on top of the stone he was sleeping on and called the place Bethel, which means House of God. Jacob vows the Lord will be his God if God is with him and watches over him and gives him food and clothes so that he can return safely home. He declares he will give God a tenth as well.

BSF Study Questions Genesis: Lesson 18, Day 5: Genesis 28:16-22

12) It’s as if Jacob finally realized that God is with him here. I don’t like how it seems like God will be God to Jacob only if God is with him and watches over him and gives him food and clothes so that he can return safely home. It seems like Jacob’s promise is conditional; whereas, God’s promises are not.

13) Every day.

14) Just to trust that I am where I need to be at this time in my life and doing what He wants me to do even though I’d like to be doing something else.

Conclusions BSF Study Questions Genesis: Lesson 18, Day 5: Genesis 28:16-22

I like how Jacob has completely changed after this encounter with God. So it is for Christians, but we need to hold onto that when life does get us down.

map of jacob fleeing to haran www.atozmomm.com genesis 28

End Notes BSF Study Questions Genesis: Lesson 18, Day 5: Genesis 28:16-22

Fun Fact: Bethel is mentioned more times in the Old Testament than any other place except Jerusalem.

God grasps its significance to Jacob by calling himself the God of Bethel. (Genesis 31:13).

Other places we see Bethel in the Bible: (1 Kings 13:32Hosea 10:15Amos 4:4).

God is everywhere, not just one place.

You can translate this as “Since God is will be with me.” However, most Bible scholars believe if is accurate. Jacob is still not confident God will be with him, which is why he puts condition on God being His God. He had to see God do what he said he would before he would believe. Sadly, many are like this instead of just believing God. (Philippians 4:19) (Nahum 1:7).

Laban will help teach Jacob submission.

God did not back down from His promises despite Jacob’s response. He still is the God of Jacob (Exodus 3:6).

God’s promises were not good enough for Jacob. Are His promises good enough for you?

BSF Study Questions Genesis Lesson 18, Day 5: Genesis 22-23

Summary of passage:  God calls Abraham to sacrifice his only son, Isaac as a burnt offering in the mountains of Moriah. So Abraham faithfully takes Isaac to where God calls him, bounds his son, and prepares to kill him.  On the journey, Abraham tells Isaac that God will provide the burnt offering.

An angel of the Lord stopped Abraham before he killed Isaac, saying he has proved he fears God because he didn’t withhold his son from Him.  God provided a ram instead to sacrifice.  The angel says because of Abraham’s faithfulness the Lord will bless him and make his descendants as numerous as the stars and will rule over the cities of their enemies.

All nations on earth will be blessed because of Abraham’s obedience.  Then Abraham went to Beersheba.

Sarah lived to be 127 years old.  She died in Hebron.  Abraham offered to buy a burial plot from the Hittites and they told him he could pick any plot to bury her in.  He approached Ephron and offered to buy his cave.  Ephron offered to give it to Abraham. Abraham refused and offered to pay for the land.  Ephron reluctantly agrees and the land is deeded to Abraham.

Abraham then buries Sarah.

Questions:

11a)  Honestly, I wouldn’t connect the two if you hadn’t of told me to.  In Abraham’s mind, he has sacrificed Isaac.  His mind was tested and he knew what God’s will was.  He offered Isaac’s body as an act of worship.

b)  Being a living sacrifice is denying ourself and being God’s instead.  We yield our body, mind, and will to God.  It’s reading the Bible instead of watching TV.  It’s helping others instead of ourselves.  It’s giving of our time and money when we’d rather not.  It’s changing your poor attitude, giving up destructive addictions, and changing your thinking to be more in tune with Christ’s.

It is a daily death to self.  We must understand and know the will of God and walk that path every day.  We must change our thoughts by obeying God and God’s word and in turn our hearts will change as well.  We must find God’s will for our life and live it and go where HE directs, not where you direct.

c)  Personal Question.  My answer:  Today I will do my utmost to listen and obey Him and His will for my life.  That includes teaching my children, taking care of my family, doing laundry and dishes, and loving others as myself.  I will try to live and breathe Him as much as humanly possible and at the end of the day hopefully I will find rest in what I have done, which I did for Him, through Him and by Him AND according to His will.  Amen.

12a)  On the surface, he purchased it as a place to bury Sarah.  But really he purchased it to set a precedent of an alien owning land in Canaan.  As a landowner in ancient times, you were accorded certain rights others were not.  Now, Abraham could claim those rights.

b)  God promised Abraham he would take possession of Canaan and Abraham now owns a piece of it.

c)  Personal Question.  My answer:  Good question.  God promises to provide for all of my needs and He has.  I purchase food, clothing, and shelter.  We also own cars to transport us to do His work and care for others.  He also has given more.

Conclusions:  I couldn’t help the flippancy in 11a but my haunches raised when I’m told to read a passage and then told to go somewhere else.

I’m conflicted on this lesson as well like yesterday’s.  It was interesting how Abraham used Sarah’s death as a means to own land.  Not sure if I approve of this.  I did like the living sacrifice example.  It brought out the importance of obeying God not only in word and deed but also in heart and mind.

The exchange between Ephron and Abraham is an example of how bargaining was done in that time and in that culture.  Ephron had no intention of giving Abraham the land but that is how the bargaining started off.  Kindness took precedent and is still predominant in the Middle East today when bargaining.

I liked this concise article on living sacrifices enough to link to it despite the overpowering presence of ads:

http://www.abideinchrist.com/selah/mar27.html

Fun Fact:  Sarah is the only woman in the Bible whose age when she died is recorded.