Hey all!
Since we saw a lot of symbols this week in our Matthew study, I thought I’d find some great additional Bible study tools for you!
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John the Baptist baptizes Jesus who came from Galilee to the Jordan River. John said that Jesus needed to baptize him, not the other way around. Jesus told him he needed to be baptized to fulfill all righteousness. When Jesus was baptized, heaven opened up and the Spirit of God came down upon him. A voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.”
12 ) Jesus came to earth as a human partly to show others how to live. He was baptized to show that Christians should be baptized as well.
13a) That the Spirit would come down from heaven as a dove and remain, baptizing with the Holy Spirit.
b) He was praying.
14 ) We are here only because of God. We are here to do His will, not ours. If we were doing our will, we’d all be sinners, doing whatever we pleased in utter chaos. Instead, we work to please our God, our Creator, as a form or worship and honor for what He has given us and done for us.
15) It is important as Jesus showed us how to live and what to do. Baptism is a special day when you accept Christ into your life publically. If Jesus did it, we should, too. Here, Jesus being baptized also legitimizes John’s baptisms of the people since it was outside of Jewish tradition.
I love how God opens up the heavens, showing his pleasure. God gives us many signs of how to live, as well as signs of reassurance that we are walking with Him. God does so much just for us. Try to digest that thought today. Great stuff!
John questions Jesus because Jesus had no sin so therefore had nothing to repent of. Yet, Jesus knew this was the right thing to do. This one act allowed Jesus to identify with mankind. This is the official beginning of Jesus’s ministry. It’s an important sign to all that Jesus is here.
God showed all sinners that Jesus was identifying with them, not being cleansed of any sin. It was important that God show everyone this was His Son and that Jesus was different, so he sent the physical sign of the dove for all to see. Jesus now has the power of God (he always did, since he is God, but this is official for humans, like a ceremony). It was also important that John the Baptist, now hugely popular with the people, recognize Jesus as the Savior. John 1:32-33
Note Noah sent a dove that returned with an olive branch from the ark. Doves in the Bible represent peace, love, gentleness, and hope for a better future.
God set his stamp of approval upon Jesus. Here, we see the Holy Trinity together in the Bible: God in heaven, Jesus on earth, the Holy Spirit coming down between the two. Beautiful picture, isn’t it?
John the Baptist baptizes with water, but after him will come one more powerful who will baptize with the Holy Spirit and with fire. He will gather his wheat (his people) and burn up the chaff with fire (their sins).
9) The Holy Spirit is part of the Trinity sent to be with us always and guide us in our ways. According to Zondervan’s Illustrated Bible Dictionary, the Holy Spirit is the third person in the Trinity. He is God’s agent in creation, in the providential work of God in the moral sphere, history, and relationships, and a personal endowment. The Spirit is wise, has power and influence, and inspired the prophets. The Holy Spirit works in the lives of believers. If you are filled with the Holy spirit, you experience Christ living within.
John 15:26: The Holy Spirit is sent out from God to testify truth about Jesus.
John 16:13-14: The Spirit of Truth will guide you into all truth. He speaks to you and will tell you what is to come. He will bring glory to God by taking what is God’s and making it known to you.
Romans 8:9: Those who belong to Christ have the Holy Spirit within them. The Holy Spirit controls you.
2 Corinthians 13:14: The Holy Spirit is with you in fellowship.
Galatians 4:6: The Holy Spirit lives in your heart.
10) Ezekiel 36:25-27: You will have a new heart and a new spirit within.
John 7:37-39: Those who believe in Jesus will have the Holy Spirit flow within them as it will come upon them.
John 16:13: The Spirit of Truth will guide you into all truth. He speaks to you and will tell you what is to come.
Acts 1:5, 7-8: Jesus baptizes with the Spirit. The Holy Spirit gives them power.
11 ) The Holy Spirit helps me when I am tempted to sin and thereby draws me closer to God. He comforts me when no one else is there or can. He gives me strength in my weak moments.
I never really thought of the Holy Spirit as a person before. I think of the Holy Spirit as a being that comes down upon us. Thinking of the Holy Spirit as a person to me lessens the power of the Holy Spirit because the Holy Spirit is way above humans. (Romans 6:3-4). Lots of references today so leave extra time to look everything up. Great look at the Holy Spirit in the Bible. Here’s a link to Zondervan’s Illustrated Bible Dictionary, if you are interested in this great resource today.
John baptized with repentance; whereas Jesus baptizes with himself by granting the Holy Spirit within.
John is humble, making it clear Christ is above himself.
Fire has always been a symbol of judgement in the Bible. Thus, Jesus is coming with blessings and with judgement for those who do not accept him. Fire also purifies in the Bible. Chaff is the part of the wheat that we not consume, and workers used a winnowing fork to separate the grain from the chaff. (Isaiah 4:4; Zechariah 13:9; Malachi 3:2; cf. Isaiah 1:25).
Too many Christians today forget that Jesus will judge at the Second Coming. He comes to save and to judge. Contact me with questions!
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The people heeded John’s words from Jerusalem to Judea and the Jordan. They confessed their sins and were baptized by John in the Jordan River. He called out the Pharisees and the Sadducees, telling them to repent, too.
6) Acts 3:19: Repentance is turning to God to be forgiven for your sins.
Acts 20:21: Repentance is turning to God with faith in Jesus Christ.
Acts 26:20: Repent is turning to God and showing this in their deeds.
James 5:16: Confession is admitting your sins and praying for healing.
1 John 1:9: Confessing your sins allows you to be forgiven and purified.
Confession is admitting your guilt. According to Zondervan’s Illustrated Bible Dictionary, confession is “to openly acknowledge the truth in anything, as in the existence and authority of God or the sins of which one has been guilty. Confession of sin before God is recognized as a conditon of forgiveness.”
Repentance is sincerely regretting it. According to Zondervan’s Illustrated Bible Dictionary, repentance is “a profound change of mind involving changing of the direction of life from that of self-centeredness or sin-centeredness to God or Christ centeredness. God’s forgiveness is only available to those who are repentant, for only they can receive it.”
7) Joel 2:13: Return to God with your heart and with actions.
Matthew 3:8: Produce fruit when you repent.
Acts 26:20: Repent is turning to God and showing this in their deeds.
Romans 2:4: God’s kindness to you leads you to repentance.
2 Corinthians 7:10-11: Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldy sorrow brings death.
8a ) I think I’m kinder to others, more helpful, more giving as I realize my shortcomings.
b ) This is a tough one. I’m sure there is, but all I can think of right now is just how I need to be kinder to my family and others. Lord, help me to be kinder to my family and others and forgive me for my sins and hard heart.
This was a lot of looking up, but worth it. It’s important to turn your heart and not just your words to God. Out of this, actions follow, too, as does His forgiveness. Pick up this great Bible resource, Zondervan’s Illustrated Bible Dictionary, today.
John the Baptist played a huge role in preparing the Jewish people to accept Jesus as their Savior. In fact, the famous historian Josephus talked a great deal about John the Baptist, even more so than Jesus. His influence was widespread. It was also the first time Jews were baptized in large numbers because they thought all they needed was the blood of animals to cleanse them.
Baptism illustrates perfectly the confession of sin and the action that follows it. You are doing something by being baptized; you are repenting. Today, when Christians are baptized, not only are we confessing our sins and our need for a Savior, but we are also being baptized into Christ (Romans 6:3).
John the Baptist gets his name from these actions, partly because Jewish baptisms were rare up until this point. Baptism has previously only been used for those adopting the Jewish faith, not for those born into it.
Confessing of sins was new, too. Confession was rare.
The Pharisees and the Sadducees were the leadership and the law of the Jewish people. They believed if you kept the law, you would be righteous and get to heaven. They thought they were righteous for this. In reality, they were flawed humans like the rest of us, power hungry and hypocrits.
John yelled at the Pharisees and the Sadducees because they were there for appearances only; their hearts were not changed.
The wrath is God’s wrath, which is what all of humanity deserves. You must flee from it.
The Pharisees and the Sadducees believed they were saved because they upheld the law. John says this is false. They must repent with their hearts, not just follow the law. Everyone can go to hell without Jesus. The Jews believed at that time they could not go to hell because they had God.
The ax laid at the root of the trees is marking the trees for cutting, and without fruit, the trees will be cut down.
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John the Baptist came preaching in the Desert of Judea, saying repent for the kingdom of heaven is near. He quoted Isaiah, saying to prepare the way for the Lord. He wore clothes of camel’s hair, had a leather belt around his waist and ate locusts and wild honey.
3a) Jesus identifies John the Baptist as the one predicted by Malachi in Matthew 11:14; 17:9-13.
Luke 1:17 repeats almost exactly that verse, saying he will go before the Lord in the spirit of Elijah to turn the hearts of the father to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.
2 Kings 1:8 says that he was a man with a garment of hair and a leather belt around his waist.
Mark 1:6 repeats Matthew, saying John wore clothing made of camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey.
Matthew 17:9-13: Jesus says that Elijah has already come but no one recognized him as such.
b) John identified himself as the voice calling in the desert for God’s glorious arrival, preparing the way for repentance from sin and turning to Jesus.
4) Nothing happens without God’s will and way. God uses people and others to carry out His will. It’s all perfection.
5a) God has been extremely good. He has given me this forum and the knowledge to share with you all. He has always provided for me and my family, and I try to do His will and help others, too. It all comes together in God’s perfect plan for your life and mine.
b) Tell others that Jesus is coming. Pray for others. Prepare myself and my family.
Matthew skips over all of Jesus’s youth. We go from the baby Jesus to Jesus’s baptism. It jarred me a bit, but then I love a good story. I also love how Jesus is not alone in his task to save humanity. God has given him help, guidance, and companions. Great stuff!
John the Baptist is son to Zacharias and Elizabeth, whom we met in Luke and how the couple had John by God’s miracle, too. John’s purpose is to prepare the hearts of God’s people for Jesus by telling them to turn to God.
John wanted everyone to know that the Messiah was coming so be ready!
Note that kingdom of heaven and kingdom of God is used interchangeably in the Bible. Both refer to God’s kingdome. Scholars believe that kingdom of heaven was used by Matthew since he was writing to Jews who did not like direct references to God. You’ll see kingdom of God used more in Mark and Luke.
It is super important to prepare for Jesus, which is why you all are here in Bible Study Fellowship’s study of Matthew! We must learn about Jesus, draw closer to him, and prepare for his Second Coming. Thus, John’s work is huge for believers.
A straight path to Jesus makes sense. Truthfully, is there any other way?
It doesn’t matter what John the Baptist wears; the point of this is that it was predicted that someone looking like John the Baptist would arise and point the way to the Messiah. Secondary is the fact that John the Baptist led a very simple life, and he made a powerful impact. We can do the same, too. We don’t need a lot to shine God’s light to the world. Contact me with questions!
Adam named Eve, and God made them garments of skin to wear. Because of Adam’s disobedience, knowledge, and sin, Adam would not be allowed to live forever. God banished Adam and Eve from the Garden of Eden, stationing cherubim and a flaming sword to guard the way to the tree of life.
13) Because of Adam’s disobedience, knowledge, and sin, Adam would not be allowed to live forever. God banished Adam and Eve from the Garden of Eden, stationing cherubim and a flaming sword to guard the way to the tree of life.
14) Personal Question. My answer: Even in our downfall, God loves us. He personally made Adam and Eve clothes to wear before they were banished from the Garden. What other creator would do such a thing? As we know, He never abandons His creation. How amazing is that?!
Great overall lesson where we see God’s great love for us all.
Eve was called a female (Genesis 1:27), a helper comparable (Genesis 2:18), a woman (Genesis 2:22, 23), and a wife (Genesis 2:24, 25; 3:8) before Adam named her. This does not mean God did not have a name for Eve, but we are told what the name is in Genesis 5:2: He called them Mankind.
The idea that the woman takes her name from the husband, and the idea that both genders are encompassed in terms like mankind, humanity, and chairman is Biblical.
Adam named Eve in faith, trusting God would bring forth a deliverer from the woman because God said He would defeat Satan through the Seed of the woman (Genesis 3:15).
In order for Adam and Eve to be clothed, a sacrifice had to be made. An animal had to die. Without shedding of blood there is no remission (Hebrews 9:22). This, together with the expression of faith in God’s promise indicated in the naming of Eve (Genesis 3:20), indicates that Adam and Eve were rescued from their sinful condition.
In mercy, God protected Adam and Eve from the horrible fate of having to live forever as sinners by preventing them from eating from the tree of life.
Cherubim are always associated with the presence and glory of God (Ezekiel 10, Isaiah 6, Revelation 4). When cherubim are represented on earth (such as in the tabernacle, Exodus 25:10-22), they mark a meeting place with God. Though Adam and Eve and their descendants were prevented from eating the fruit of the tree of life (by God’s mercy), they could still come there to meet God. This was their “holy of holies.” Therefore, it was important to send cherubim and a flaming sword to guard the way to the tree of life.
This is the last historical mention of the Garden of Eden in the Bible. We can speculate that God did not destroy it, but left it to the effects of the curse so it probably deteriorated from its original condition, blending into the surrounding geography.
Credit to enduring word for commentary
God punishes everyone involved in the Fall. The serpent is cursed above all and made to crawl on its belly. Enmity is put between Satan and mankind. Jesus will crush Satan. The woman will have pain during childbirth, and Adam will rule over her. Adam will toil for food all the days of his life and God cursed the ground. He will return to the earth as dust (or eventually die).
10) Life got hard. The woman will have pain during childbirth, and Adam will rule over her. Adam will toil for food all the days of his life and God cursed the ground. He will return to the earth as dust (or eventually die).
11) Jesus will crush Satan. We are healed by Jesus’ wounds, and will be save when all have come to repentance. “The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet” (Romans 16:20)
12) We all die; those who accept Jesus as their Savior will live again.
Jesus was sent to redeem his people, bring grace, and offer justification through his death so that we may have eternal life.
We were born sinners. But Jesus can redeem us. The results and consequences for us today are we have a choice: to choose or reject Jesus. Choose Jesus=life. Reject Jesus=death.
I find it interesting that God could have killed Adam and Eve right then and there and ended humanity and given up on us. But He doesn’t because He loves us. It’s interesting how God created man knowing we would sin and He created us as weak humans without the power to resist sin. Such a dichotomy to chew on.
First the creature used in the temptation is cursed. From beauty to ugly in an instant. Adam and Eve were probably terrified. There is a dislike between snakes and humans and between Satan and humans.
Satan will forever be defeated (Isaiah 65:25, Micah 7:17)
In Jesus, we share in the victory over Satan: And the God of peace will crush Satan under your feet shortly (Romans 16:20).
Enmity has the idea of ill will, hatred, and a mutual antagonism.
God announces Jesus’ final defeat of Satan.
The heel is the part within the serpent’s reach. Jesus, in taking on humanity, brought Himself near to Satan’s domain so Satan could strike Him.
This prophecy also gives the first hint of the virgin birth, declaring the Messiah – the Deliverer – would be the Seed of the Woman, but not of the man.
Genesis 3:15 has been called the proto-evangelium, the first gospel. Martin Luther said of this verse: “This text embraces and comprehends within itself everything noble and glorious that is to be found anywhere in the Scriptures” (Leupold).
“This is the first gospel sermon that was ever delivered upon the surface of this earth. It was a memorable discourse indeed, with Jehovah himself for the preacher, and the whole human race and the prince of darkness for the audience.” (Spurgeon)
Food for Thought: God’s plan wasn’t defeated when Adam and Eve sinned because God’s plan was to bring forth something greater than man in the innocence of Eden. God wanted more than innocent man; His plan is to bring forth redeemed man.
Redeemed man – this being who is greater than innocent man – is only possible because man had something to be redeemed from.
Food for Thought: Women bring forth children with more pain than just about any other creature.
Your desire shall be for your husband: This is true of women in a way that it is not true for men. Barnhouse explained: “The desire of man toward his wife alone is solely by God’s grace and not by nature.”
The word for desire is used in Genesis 4:7 of the desire of sin to master over Cain. Because of the curse, Eve would have to fight a desire to master her husband, a desire that works against God’s ordained order for the home.
Adam’s headship as a husband was established before the fall (see Genesis 2:18 and 2:22).
Because of Adam, there is a curse upon all creation.
The curse promised thorns and thistles, and we remember that Jesus was crowned with thorns (Matthew 27:29). In this way, Jesus bore the curse for us.
Adam’s work was now cursed. End of labor would be death.
Eve saw the fruit as pleasing and she wanted wisdom so she ate. She gave the fruit to Adam, who was with her, and he ate too. Their eyes were opened and they realized they were naked, so they covered themselves with fig leaves. The next time God was walking in the garden, both Adam and Eve hid from Him. God called to them, wishing to see them. Adam responded that he was naked and afraid. God knew they had eaten from the tree of knowledge, and Adam blamed Eve. Eve admits she did eat the fruit.
7) Adam tried to blame Eve, and he blames God. Eve blames the serpent. Both knew inside they had done something terrible, so they tried to hide from God. No one hides from God.
8 ) Innocence died. Fear entered the world. They realized they were naked, and they were ashamed of their bodies. They lost the personal relationship with God, a separation called sin that is still here today.
9) Personal Question. My answer: God asks them what they have done, even though He knows, just like we do with our children. He probably wanted to see how they responded. Adam blames Eve; Eve blames the serpent. Both admit they ate of the fruit. God is probably heartbroken, but He wants to see how they will respond. Confession is all we can do after our sin and to ask for forgiveness.
It’s a human reaction to not take responsibility for their actions by blaming others. This is what Adam and Eve do. They both knew they were in deep trouble. Their response overall did not matter. The sin was done; the consequences would come. Both knew this and were afraid.
Eve surrendered to this temptation in exactly the way John describes in 1 John 2:16. First, she gave in to the lust of the flesh, then the lust of the eyes, then she gave in to pride.
Jesus was tempted in the same three-fold way: an appeal to the physical appetites, an appeal to covetous and emotional desires, and an appeal to pride (Matthew 4:1-11).
Paul’s statement in 1 Timothy 2:14, that Eve was deceived when she sinned. In her mind, she thought she was doing something good for herself.
God had made for Eve a way of escape (1 Corinthians 10:13). She could have simply run from Satan and the tree, but Eve didn’t take God’s way of escape.
Adam sinned with his eyes wide open, in open rebellion against God.
Therefore, it is Adam, and not Eve, who bears the responsibility for the fall of the human race and for the introduction of death into the created order (Romans 5:12, 1 Corinthians 15:22). Eve was tricked into sinning; Adam knew exactly what he was doing (1 Timothy 2:14).
They knew they were naked, in the sense of having their shame exposed to all creation.
Both Psalm 104:2 and Matthew 17:2 suggest that light can be a garment for the righteous. Maybe Adam and Eve were previously clothed in God’s glorious light, so when they sinned, the light left them.
“It is more than probable that they were clothed in light before the fall, and when they sinned the light went out.” (Barnhouse)
Jesus covers us (Revelation 3:5, 18), and put on Jesus Himself as our covering garment (Galatians 3:27)
We can assume this is God, in the Person of Jesus Christ, appearing to Adam and Eve before His incarnation and birth at Bethlehem, because of God the Father it is said, “No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him” (John 1:18); and no man has ever seen God in the Person of the Father (1 Timothy 6:16).
Ever since Adam, men run from God’s presence and don’t want to listen to His Word.
We are still made in God’s image, so we want to be in the presence of God and hear His voice, while at the same time, we are afraid of Him.
God knew the answer to His question. He is giving Adam a chance to confess and repent.
We all sin, but when we sin, we can still give glory to God by confessing without blaming others (Joshua 7:19-20).
Notice God has not addressed Eve at all. Adam, being the head, is responsible.
Not only does Adam unjustly accuse Eve, but he refuses to accept proper responsibility for his part in her sin.
By saying the woman whom You gave to be with me, Adam essentially blamed God.
When confronted by God, Eve blames the serpent. Being deceived is a sin as well.
It is sin to exchange the truth of God for the lie (Romans 1:25).
Credit to enduring word for commentary
The serpent questions Eve about what God said about the Tree of Knowledge. He tells Eve she will not die like God said when she eats the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge. Instead, her eyes will be opened and she will be like God, knowing good and evil.
3) The serpent twists God’s words and makes it seem like God merely mispoke and instead Eve won’t die, but she’ll have knowledge instead. Satan turns the positive phrase into a negative, confusing Eve.
4) Evil, cunning, wiley, untrustworthy, one who should not be listened to.
5) Temptations make is seem like they aren’t so bad as they truly are. For example, an affair. Having sex outside of marriage can’t be all that bad. After all, many people do it. When we are tempted, we look for ways to justify it, and we often use other people and their behaviors to justify our actions when, in reality, we need to use Jesus and God as our example who were perfect, and not look to sinners.
Our desires play a big role. We twist God’s truth in our mind to the point that we justify our sins so that we can have what we desire. We put our wants over God’s.
6a) Personal Question. My answer: Temptation is often cloaked and can seem harmless. It speaks in tongues to confuse you until you give in.
b) Currently, I face the temptation to put myself above others. Selfishness if you will. I get very protective of my time and find it hard to give to others.
It’s so easy to give into temptation. This is when having the full armor of God is a must in order to stay above the fray and come on on God’s side. This is why bible studies, such as BSF, are important, as well as attending church, reading God’s word, etc is so very important in our lives.
Ezekiel 28:13-19 tells us that Satan was in Eden. Many other passages associate a serpent or a snake-like creature with Satan (such as Job 26:13 and Isaiah 51:9). Revelation 12:9 and 20:2 speak of the dragon, that serpent of old, who is the Devil and Satan.
Satan as a serpent makes the idea of Moses saving Israel by lifting up a bronze serpent all the more ironic (Numbers 21:8-9), especially when Jesus identifies Himself with that very serpent (John 3:14). The serpent (a personification of sin and rebellion) is made of bronze (a metal associated with judgment, since it is made with fire). The lifting of a bronze serpent is the lifting up of sin judged, in the form of a cross.
Ezekiel 28 tells us Satan, before his fall, was an angel of the highest rank and prominence. Isaiah 14 tells us Satan’s fall had to do with his desire to be equal to or greater than God, to set his will against God’s will.
One of man’s greatest mistakes is believing he is smarter than Satan. We can’t outsmart Satan, but with the power of Jesus, we can overcome him.
Most likely the serpent in the Garden did not look like our modern day snakes. It may have had wings and probably did not crawl on its belly.
Satan brought his temptation against the woman because he perceived she was more vulnerable to attack. She did not receive the command to not eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil directly from God but through Adam (Genesis 2:15-17).
Adam didn’t do an effective job of communicating to Eve what the LORD told him. This failure on Adam’s part made Eve more vulnerable to temptation.
MIND BLOWING: It was also in God’s plan to allow Satan to tempt Eve this way. If Adam would have sinned first, and if he had then given the fruit to Eve, she might have a partial excuse before God: “I was simply obeying the head of our home. When he gave me the fruit, I ate it.”
Adam is responsible for Eve’s ignorance on not knowing about the tree and the consequences.
Satan’s reasoning had truth in it (their eyes would be opened). Every good lie (if you can call it good) has truth in it.
Satan tempts Eve with what made him fall: You will be like God.
We are servants, not gods.
Credit to enduring word for commentary
Summary of passage: The crafty serpent asked Eve, “Did God really say not to eat from any tree in the garden?” Eve tells him they can eat from any tree except from the tree in the middle of the garden or they will die. The serpent plants doubt, saying surely you won’t die; you will just be like God, knowing good and evil.
So, Eve took some and ate it and gave some to Adam (who was with her the whole time) and ate it as well.
Questions:
7) Matthew 13:19: He snatches away the message (Word) that was sown in man’s heart
Matthew 13:25, 39: He sows weeds amongst the crop while you are sleeping (unaware)
John 8:44: He is a liar, murderer, and father of lies. He has nor speaks no truth
John 12:31; 14:30; 16:11: He is called the prince of this world
2 Corinthians 4:4: He is called the god of this age
Ephesians 2:2: He is called the ruler of the kingdom of air
8a) Personal Question. My answer: Ephesians tells us he’s a schemer, so much so we need the full armor of God to resist him. 2 Corinthians tells us he masquerades as an angel of light. Luke shows us that Satan knows scripture and he will use it to tempt us to sin and he will twist it’s meaning like he did to Eve when she ate the fruit.
Satan’s life purpose is to make us fall. He spends his entire time scheming and using our weaknesses against us. He will use all the tricks in the book and then some. He has no morals or values as we know them. He is pure evil.
b) With Job the devil could not touch the man himself but only those people and things around him. The devil had 40 days to tempt Jesus but when he was done tempting he left Jesus alone. In Revelation we see the devil is limited in time. He has only a certain amount of time before God says enough and defeats him.
1 Corinthians 10:13: “He (God) will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear…he will also provide a way out so tht you can stand up under it.”
God sets limits to what the devil can do to us. God is there, protecting us. God allows the devil to exist and to tempt us (to test our faith). He is in control. We are choosing either the devil or God. Always.
9) 1 Thessalonians 5:17, James 5:16: pray continually, confess your sins and pray for each other
Matthew 4:1-2; Luke 4:1-2: Be full of the Holy Spirit
Ephesians 6:17; Hebrews 4:12: The Word of God–the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit
James 4:7: Submit to God, resist the devil and he will flee from you
Conclusions: This was a study on the devil. To be honest, I didn’t even read the passage (since we read it yesterday). Every question had us looking elsewhere so leave some time for today’s lesson. Even though a lot of the books are small that’s what makes them tricky to find.
If you did Acts last year, a lot of this will be familiar. We discussed in detail our weapons against the devil (the Word, prayer, the Holy Spirit, and obeying God’s commands). I hold to 1 Corinthians 10:13: there is nothing God gives us we can’t bear, including the devil’s temptations. If we believe we can overcome and God is on our side and He’s in control, then we will!