Those in heaven (including the 24 elders and 4 living creatures) shouted after Babylon’s fall, praising God for His goodness, judgments, and revenge for His servants.
BSF Study Questions Revelation: The Hope Lesson 24, Day 2: Revelation 19:1-5
3) Salvation, glory, and power belong to God. Salvation is Jesus’ sacrifice for us so that we can have eternal life with God. Glory is God’s magnificence and His goodness, giving Him praise. Power is how God is in control of everything and how He can do whatever He wants.
4) Omniscence, omnipotent, just judgments, and how He keeps His promises. I would say all are important in some way to me. All offer me hope, encouragement, and courage to keep going, doing His will in this world.
5a) Babylon’s fall and final judgment
b) Worship in heaven is definitely inspiring. I’m not by nature very worshipful in terms of singing (maybe because I can’t sing), so seeing heaven so full of worship and singing helps me to express myself too.
Conclusions BSF Study Questions Revelation: The Hope Lesson 24, Day 2: Revelation 19:1-5
Seems like those in heaven have been waiting a long time for God’s judgment. This gives us encouragement and hope as it can seem like we wait a long time for things to happen in our lives, too. Great lesson on keeping the faith and then celebrating when it happens!
End Notes BSF Study Questions Revelation: The Hope Lesson 24, Day 2: Revelation 19:1-5
Then the Jewish leaders took Jesus from Caiaphas to the palace of the Roman governor. Pilate came out and asked what charges Jesus was facing. Pilate did not want to deal with this, but the Jewish leaders told them they could not execute Jesus.
BSF Study Questions John’s Gospel: The Truth Lesson 24, Day 2: John 18:28-32
3a) To avoid ceremonial uncleanness and maintain ritual purity since it’s Passover.
b) Not really. They were seeking to kill someone illegally and without justification, and that breaks the 10 Commandments. In Biblical times, there were many ways to be unclean, including by skin diseases, discharges of bodily fluids, touching something dead ( Num 5:2 ), or eating unclean foods (Lev 11 ; Deut 14). In this case, the Jewish leaders were unclean because of their evil hearts.
4a) He was not happy. It was early in the morning. He probably was asleep and did not want to be bothered with Jewish things. And, he had to come out, so he had to get dressed. He did not want to deal with this.
b) Jesus would have to die on the cross as Moses predicted to save the world.
5) The lengths that the religious leaders are going to to execute Jesus. They know Pilate will be angry, but they do it anyways.
6a) We do this all the time. Try to make up for our sins by doing good. We do this out of guilt and hopes of feeling better for our sins. We also do this to ignore our sins, and we feel better by doing good.
b) Jesus. Confession of our sins. Accepting Jesus as our Savior.
Conclusions BSF Study Questions John’s Gospel: The Truth Lesson 24, Day 2: John 18:28-32
We see the true twistedness and evil of the Jewish leaders here.
End Notes BSF Study Questions John’s Gospel: The Truth Lesson 24, Day 2: John 18:28-32
John leaves out the details of Jesus’ trials (Assembly of the council recorded in Matthew 26:57-68 and the daylight meeting of the Sanhedrin (Luke 22:66), instead focusing on Jesus and Pilate.
The Jewish leaders expected Pilate to condemn Jesus immediately and order his execution. Instead, Pilate demanded the charges against Jesus. Since they answered with no specifics, he told them to deal with Jesus.
By Roman law, the Jews did not have the authority to kill anyone.
The Jews would probably have stoned Jesus to death, which would not have fulfilled prophecy.
Fun Fact: Jesus faced 6 trials before he was crucified. Can you imagine this modern day?
The Lord is slow to answer, but He does not leave the guilty unpunished. He will punish Nineveh for their evils.
Yet, the Lord is good. He is a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust in Him.
He will destroy Nineveh.
BSF Study Questions People of the Promise: Kingdom Divided Lesson 24, Day 2: Nahum 1
3a) The Lord takes vengeance and is filled with wrath. The Lord takes vengeance on his foes and vents his wrath against his enemies. 3 The Lord is slow to anger but great in power; the Lord will not leave the guilty unpunished.
b) The Lord is good, a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust in him. He afflicts Judah but promises to do so no more. Yet, the Lord will not leave the guilty unpunished.
c) We are saved by Christ’s blood. There will be justice but also salvation for believers. It’s comforting to know that God will be the judge of everything. We only have to believe and follow Him.
4) Jonah’s message about their doom was believed by the Ninevites and they worked to changed their ways. God relented his anger and punishment because of it. In Nahum’s time, his message was ignored, and Nineveh fell. God showed no mercy.
5a) It gave them hope that they would be freed and could return home one day. It also gave them faith that God keeps His word and enacts revenge; that God has their back. That God is in charge.
b) I know that God cares about what is right and wrong, so that no matter what evil is around me, they will pay one day when they stand before God.
Conclusions BSF Study Questions People of the Promise: Kingdom Divided Lesson 24, Day 2: Nahum 1
Great lesson on how God is in control and He will enact revenge in His timing.
End Notes BSF Study Questions People of the Promise: Kingdom Divided Lesson 24, Day 2: Nahum 1
Nahum preached against injustice and predicted the downfall of Nineveh. Nineveh was the capital of Assyria. God addresses nations as much as He addresses individuals.
God shows mercy, but He also judges.
Nahum means “comfort.”
God will deliver His people and defeat their enemies.
Assyria returned to idolatry, cruelty, and arrogance after Jonah’s warnings. Judah emulated Assyria. Yet, God saved Judah.
After pronouncing the Seven Woes on the Pharisees, Jesus exits the temple and tells his disciples that the temple will be destroyed. When Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples asked him when will the temple be destroyed, what will be the sign of his coming, and what will be the sign of the end of the age. Jesus warns them to watch out for those who come in his name but are not him. Wars will happen, and nations will be pitted against nations. There will be famines and earthquakes.
They will be handed over, persecuted, and put to death because of him. They will be hated. Many will turn away from Christ and many false prophets will appear. Those who stand firm in the face of wickedness will be saved. The Gospel will be preached to the whole world and then the end will come.
BSF Study Questions Matthew Lesson 24, Day 2: Matthew 24:1-14
3a) “Not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down.”
b) The disciples asked Jesus when will the temple be destroyed, what will be the sign of his coming, and what will be the sign of the end of the age.
4a) “Watch out that no one deceives you.” God sent Jesus, but the false prophets are from the devil. He is a liar.
b) Jesus warns them to watch out for those who come in his name but are not him. Wars will happen, and nations will be pitted against nations and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes. They (the disciples) will be handed over, persecuted, and put to death because of him. They will be hated. Many will turn away from Christ and many false prophets will appear.
c) All of them: wars, nations against each other, famines, earthquakes, death, false prophets, and those turning from Christ.
5) Christ is coming, and it could be any time, so we need to be ready by preparing our hearts.
Conclusions BSF Study Questions Matthew Lesson 24, Day 2: Matthew 24:1-14
I like how Jesus doesn’t hold anything back, nor does he sugarcoat what is about to happen to him and to them. Honesty is always the best policy.
End Notes BSF Study Questions Matthew Lesson 24, Day 2: Matthew 24:1-14
Jesus never again returns to the temple, nor will he ever debate the Pharisees and leaders again. He is departing in finality.
The temple was the center of life for every Jew in Jerusalem. It was begun by Zerubbabel and Ezra (Ezra 6:15) and expanded by Herod. People swore by it (Matthew 23:16), and speaking against is was considered blasphemy. (Acts 6:13). Incredibly, the temple was expanded and finished in 63 AD — a mere 7 years before it would be destroyed forever.
The temple was burned in 70 AD, melting all of the precious gold. The Romans wanted the gold, so they dismantled the entire temple to retrieve it.
The Olivet Discourse
Jesus has made his way to the Mount of Olives now. The disciples want to know more about Jesus’s prediction. They most likely thought the End Times would be when the temple fell. They were wrong.
Bible scholars debate why Jesus was not clear here and just told the disciples (and us) when the End Times would come. Some speculate it’s to confound the devil; others say it’s so we will always be ready for Jesus’s return. All we know is that he will return.
Biblical prophecy often contains a near-term event coupled with one that is further away.
Satan is the father of lies, and he will be very active at the End Times. False prophets will appear, too.
Jesus mentions things that will occur (wars, famines, earthquakes, etc), but they are not THE sign of the End Times, but they are a sign of the End Times coming.
Jesus now talks about the period after he ascends to heaven but before he comes again. Here:
The disciples will be persecuted
There will be many false prophets who will deceive many
Wickedness will continue to increase in the world
Natural disasters, famines, and earthquakes (signs of God’s judgment) will intensify
The Gospel will be preached to the entire world. Nothing will prevent the Word of God from being known before the End Times
Jesus’s disciples don’t even fully understand Jesus’s first coming, so they must be insanely confused here.
Fun Fact: The Olivet Discourse is Jesus’s last major teaching recorded before his death.
Joseph was purchased by Potiphar who was one of Pharaoh’s officials, his captain of the guard. God was with Joseph, and he prospered. Potiphar noticed that God was with him and blessed him in everything he did, so he put Joseph in charge of his household. Potiphar was blessed as well because of Joseph and did not have to do anything except feed himself.
Potiphar’s wife wanted to have an affair with Joseph because he was handsome, but Joseph refused to sin against God in that way. She kept asking, and Joseph kept refusing. One day, she grabbed his cloak and asked him to sleep with her. He refused and fled, but she kept his cloak. Potiphar’s wife then claimed that Joseph tried to sleep with her, using his cloak as proof.
BSF Study Questions Genesis: Lesson 24, Day 2: Genesis 39:1-18
3a) God blessed Joseph in Potiphar’s house, and Potiphar noticed so he had Joseph be his attendant. He put Joseph in charge of his entire home, and God blessed Potiphar because of it, both in the house and the field. Potiphar did not have to worry about anything.
b) I see God’s work in my life every day, and as I seek, He reveals. I keep on, keeping-on, but I know He is working through me to accomplish His plans. As God has blessed Joseph, so he does all of us.
4a) Potiphar’s wife flat out asked/told Joseph to come to bed with him. When he refused, she kept pestering him, hoping to wear him down. She grabbed his cloak one day when no one else was around and asked again, but Joseph fled. She was so angry to be rejected that she made up a lie about him.
b) I like how Joseph fled from temptation and avoided her probably at all costs and avoided being alone with her. Joseph was also honest with her and did not lie. It’s best to avoid situations altogether where you could face temptation.
5) I’m currently not facing any major situations, but daily situations to do the right thing can be a challenge as well, especially when you think no one is looking or noticing. That is what I plan to pray about and work on. This might cost money, reputation, or embarrassment.
6) God always provides a way out of temptation (1 Corinthians 10:13) and does not give us more than we can bear. Praying, staying close to God, and knowing He is good helps immensely.
Conclusions BSF Study Questions Genesis: Lesson 24, Day 2: Genesis 39:1-18
Kudos to Joseph here for standing by his boss and by God, especially when it seems he was being battered by Potiphar’s wife to sleep with him. A lot of men give in to this, especially one in Joseph’s position who was a mere slave and this could have been seen as an order.
End Notes BSF Study Questions Genesis: Lesson 24, Day 2: Genesis 39:1-18
Potiphar’s name means devoted to the sun. The ancient Egyptians worshipped the sun god, Ra who was believed to have created the entire world. He was one of their central gods.
Bible scholars debate is Potiphar was a eunuch since many officials in ancient times were castrated so that they would forever be loyal to the king. There is no confirmation of this idea, however, in Potiphar’s case. If you are the captain of the guard of Pharaoh, you are a very important person. After all, you’re in charge of the Pharaoh’s security.
Note how God was with Potiphar from the beginning. Joseph could have been bought by anyone, including someone who would mistreat him. He was not. Joseph showed everyone that God existed through his actions. Even in our darkest hours (pretty sure going from the favored son of a rich man to a slave qualifies), God blesses and uses it for His good.
Odds are, Joseph’s brothers who put him here were probably not doing all that well.
Interestingly, God can bless our work and those we work with in the same way. This can include your home where you work as well.
Success Takes Time
Although this passage reads as such, Joseph did not become a success overnight. Working backwards with the timeframe, Joseph was sold into slavery at age 17 (Genesis 37:2). We are told he was 30 when Pharaoh promoted him (Genesis 41:46), and we know Joseph was imprisoned for two years before this (Genesis 41:1). Thus, it took Joseph 11 years to work his way up to be Potiphar’s right-hand man. Oftentimes, we are not patient enough to let God work in our lives. This is still quite young, even in our day, to rise to such fame.
We can also assume that Joseph worked hard to earn this position, and he was obviously good at it.
Fun Fact: The writers of the Bible only record two other men as being handsome:
Some Bible scholars say Moses, but Moses was called beautiful as a child (Exodus 2:2), which, as all of us parents know, all babies are beautiful!
If Potiphar was indeed a eunuch, Potiphar’s wife may have been seeking sexual intimacy then with other men. Remember, ancient cultures often saw marriage as more of an open relationship, and affairs were very common and sometimes even acceptable. Perhaps Potiphar’s wife was attracted to Joseph’s looks or to the challenge of bagging him. No one knows her motivations. We are only told her actions here.
Joseph Resists Temptation
Since we all know that Joseph was in Potiphar’s house for 11 years, this could have been going on that entire time. If you think of it in that way, then you can understand that one day Joseph’s refusal would anger Potiphar’s wife enough that she would take her revenge. Yet, Joseph stand firm, knowing he would sin against God and his master if he slept with her.
Note that Potiphar’s wife blamed her husband for bringing Joseph into the house. Note how this sin began in the Garden of Eden when Adam blamed God for the first sin because God made Eve (even though he wanted a companion). (Genesis 3:12-13) This sin of blaming others has been around since the beginning of time.
Many people in the Bible could not resist temptation (Abrah, Moses, David, Joh, Peter, Solomon, and, of course, Adam and Eve). Joseph and Daniel did.
Bible scholars believe Potiphar’s wife planned to get Joseph alone, hoping to finally seduce him with no one looking. Instead, Joseph flees sin once again, as we are commanded to do 2 Timothy 2:22.
She lies, knowing Joseph would be put to death. Yet, for someone who wants to sleep with him, she doesn’t seem to care. We are not told if Joseph defended himself. However, it would not matter. Joseph was a slave. His life didn’t matter. Still, Joseph trusted all things would work together for his good.(Romans 8:28).
Summary of passages: Jacob leaves Mesopotamia and heads for the Promised Land. On the way, he sees angels of God who meet him and camp beside him. He sends messengers ahead to tell Esau that he is coming. He calls himself Esau’s servant and asks to find favor in his eyes.
The messengers return, telling Jacob that Esau is coming to meet along with 400 men. Jacob is afraid and assumes Esau will attack him so he divides his band into 2 groups in hopes if one is attacked the other group will survive.
2 Kings 6:8-23: Aram and Israel are at war. A man of God (Elisha the prophet) tells Israel’s king exactly what the king of Aram is planning. This enraged the king of Aram. He accuses his officers of warning the Israelites but they tell him it is Elisha. So the king of Aram tries to capture Elisha in Dothan. They surround the city.
Elisha’s servant who is afraid warns Elisha. Elisha prays and the Lord opens the servant’s eyes to see horses and chariots of fire all around (the supernatural forces of God around us).
The Elisha prays and Aram’s forces are struck with blindness. Elisha then leads Aram’s forces to Samaria. He prays for their eyes to be opened and the Lord does so. The king of Israel asks Elisha if he should kill them. Elisha responds no but instead feed and water them and send them back home.
The king of Israel prepared a great feast for his enemies and they returned home and stopped raiding Israel.
Questions:
3a) God is with us even when we can’t see him. If you treat your enemies humbly and serve them, God will bless you. Jacob humbled himself before Esau, calling himself his servant (when we all know the prophecy states otherwise) and Elisha feeds the enemy with a grand feast and sends them home.
b) Personal Question. My answer: Treat even those whom we don’t like as we would want to be treated. Remember God is all around us. His forces surround us, protecting us from the devil even though we cannot see them. If we call upon them, they will fight for us. Something we need to remember.
4a) Genesis 32:1-2: God sends his angels to help us. We can see angels.
Psalm 34:7: Angels protect those who fear the Lord and delivers them.
Daniel 6:22: Angels do God’s bidding. Here, they shut the mouths of the lions to protect Daniel who was innocent before God.
1 Corinthians 6:2-3: Since the saints (us) will judge the world we will judge angels as well (since we are above angels. See Hebrews 1:4-14).
Hebrews 1:14: Angels are ministering spirits sent to serve us.
b) Personal Question. My answer: Angels serve us and help us. Good to know there are others sent to back me up in the spiritual battles I face.
Conclusions: Mixed on this lesson actually. It seems like every year we have a study of angels so I guess this was it. I liked the 2 Kings passage. It’s a great reminder that God is all around us, watching and helping us, even if we can’t see it, and He has sent helpers (angels) for our benefit. And a reminder to treat our enemies kindly. Then we will be blessed.
I would, however, like to see the camp of angels around me. Cool, huh?
One interesting note: Even though Jacob can see the angels around him, he quickly forgets God is with him and is still afraid–to the point he separates his group. He should trust in God (and His army) to protect him from Esau’s wrath.
Jesus has made his way to the Mount of Olives now. The disciples want to know more about Jesus’s prediction. They most likely thought the End Times would be when the temple fell. They were wrong.
End Notes BSF Study Questions Genesis: Lesson 24, Day 2: Genesis 39:1-18