Tag: bsf lesson 4 day 5

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BSF Study Questions Exile & Return: A Time to Build Lesson 4, Day 5: Daniel 4:28-37

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

Summary of Daniel 4:28-37

The dream King Nebuchadnezzar had came true. He lost power and was driven away. When he acknowledged God, his sanity and kingdom were restored. He became even greater than before, and he praised and exalted the King of Heaven because everything he does is right and all his ways are just.

BSF Study Questions Exile & Return: A Time to Build Lesson 4, Day 5: Daniel 4:28-37

12a) King Nebuchadnezzar’s pride and boasting. He took credit for the kingdom he had, when in reality, it was only possible because of God. He was only restored when he acknowledged God and honored and glorified him.

b) Good question. I’m sure in many ways, especially when I was younger. Now, I catch myself and try to praise God instead.

13) God was teaching King Nebuchadnezzar humility, and God was teaching him about Himself and His power. Everything is by God and for God. God taught the king that He has the absolute sovereignty over all earthly power, wisdom, and history. King Nebuchadnezzar’s attitude has moved from observing God’s power in others’ lives to submitting to that power in his own.

14a) Mercy, forgiveness, omnipotence. In his dealings with King Nebuchadnezzar, God reveals Himself as the sovereign King of heaven with supreme power and wisdom. God demonstrates His character as both just and patient, humbling the proud king only after offering a year to repent. He proves faithful to those who trust Him, like Daniel and his friends, and shows abundant grace by fully restoring the king once he humbles himself. God is displayed as the all-powerful, just, and merciful ruler of all history.

b) I see all of God’s attributes in my relationship, and I need all of Him! I see his sovereignty and his power, his providence, his grace and mercy, his faithfulness, wisdom and guidance, and his love and compassion. God has his hand in all areas of my life!

Conclusions BSF Study Questions Exile & Return: A Time to Build Lesson 4, Day 5: Daniel 4:28-37

I love how God does what He says He will do, but also that he offers grace upon repentance. We see how people can change when they encounter God. We see the power of humility.

End Notes BSF Study Questions Exile & Return: A Time to Build Lesson 4, Day 5: Daniel 4:28-37

Note how King Nebuchadnezzar did not humble himself, so God had to.

King Nebuchadnezzar repented, and he was restored to power. God can change the heart of any man.

King Nebuchadnezzar was a great witness for God. He shared his experience with his people and gave God all the glory.

God always gives us ample opportunity to repent from sin.

END NOTES SUMMARIZED

Daniel 4:28-37 details the dramatic fulfillment of God’s judgment on King Nebuchadnezzar’s pride and his ultimate restoration through humility.

The interpretation of its key elements is as follows:

  • The Catalyst of Pride: The judgment occurs a full year after Daniel’s warning, but only at the precise moment Nebuchadnezzar verbally claims total credit for his own glory and power. This demonstrates God’s patience in giving the king time to repent, and it shows that the king’s downfall was triggered by his own arrogant heart.
  • The Swift and Fitting Judgment: The prophecy is fulfilled instantly. The king is dehumanized and driven to live like an animal, a punishment that perfectly mirrors his prideful, beast-like arrogance. It reveals that God’s word of judgment is certain and His methods for humbling the proud are absolute.
  • The Turning Point of Humility: The entire ordeal ends when Nebuchadnezzar simply “raised [his] eyes toward heaven.” This single act of looking up signifies his repentance and acknowledgment of a higher power. It is the crucial turning point from which his restoration begins.
  • The Testimony of a Restored King: Once humbled, the king’s sanity and kingdom are graciously restored, and he becomes even greater than before. His final response is not bitterness, but a heartfelt, public proclamation of praise, confessing that God is the true, sovereign King whose ways are just, and who “is able to humble” the proud.

In essence, this passage reveals that while God’s judgment against pride is severe and certain, His ultimate goal is restorative. He brings the most powerful man on earth to the lowest point in order to lift him back up as a true worshipper.

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BSF Study Questions John’s Gospel: The Truth Lesson 4, Day 5: John 3:22-36

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

Summary of John 3:22-36

Both John and Jesus are baptizing in the river. John defers to Jesus, saying he is greater. Jesus is above all and speaks the words of God. The Father loves the Son and has placed everything in his hands. Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life.

BSF Study Questions John’s Gospel: The Truth Lesson 4, Day 5: John 3:22-36

13a) That everyone was going to Jesus to be baptized rather than to John.

b) John acknowledged Jesus as the Messiah and that he is less than Jesus.

c) I don’t want to be jealous of others or take away their glory. Instead, I want to support God’s mission like John did.

14)  John replied, “A person can receive only what is given them from heaven. You yourselves can testify that I said, ‘I am not the Messiah but am sent ahead of him.’ The bride belongs to the bridegroom. The friend who attends the bridegroom waits and listens for him, and is full of joy when he hears the bridegroom’s voice. That joy is mine, and it is now complete. He must become greater; I must become less.”

Jesus is Lord and Savior of the World.

Conclusions BSF Study Questions John’s Gospel: The Truth Lesson 4, Day 5: John 3:22-36

Love John’s example of deference here. So very hard to do with human emotions. We must all defer to Jesus and His ways over ours in all circumstances. I also love how our roles can change throughout life and our calling can change, too.

End Notes BSF Study Questions John’s Gospel: The Truth Lesson 4, Day 5: John 3:22-36

Note Jesus in in Judea here. The other Gospels are mostly about Jesus in Galilee. map of judea www.atozmomm.com bsf study of john's gospel

John was unflustered or bothered by Jesus’ popularity in the same vicinity as he.

John’s gifts were from God. He knew his God-given purpose, and he knew who Jesus was. John is like a bridegroom, a friend of Jesus, at the wedding, but he is not the groom. The bridegroom is Jesus, a familiar reference in the Bible.

John’s mission was fulfilled, and he was full of joy. He knew he would shrink into the background, and he was okay with this.

John has fame and humility. He also continued in his role, albeit changed and diminished from before. He was still doing God’s work.

Jesus came from heaven and is therefore greater than everyone else. No one would receive him.

Note “The Father loved the Son” here (John 3:35) and in John 5:20.

Reject Jesus, and you reject eternal life and receive wrath. The wrath of God lingers until you accept Christ and He comes again.

There are 4 “Must’s” in John 3:

We would do well to abide by all: be born again, lift Christ up, and defer to Christ. So good!

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BSF Study Questions People of the Promise: Kingdom Divided Lesson 4, Day 5: 1 Kings 18:40-46

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

SUMMARY OF 1 KINGS 18:40-46

Elijah then ordered the prophets of Baal killed. He told Ahab to eat and drink as the sound of rain was approaching. He goes to Mt. Carmel and prayed. His servant looked towards the sea seven times before he saw a cloud rising from the sea. He told his servant to tell Ahab to go down before the rain starts. Ahab journeys to Jezreel while clouds form. Elijah ran ahead of Ahab by the power of the Lord.

BSF Study Questions People of the Promise: Kingdom Divided Lesson 4, Day 5: 1 Kings 18:40-46

13) Because they opposed God and had led His people astray.

14a) He goes to Mt. Carmel and prayed. His servant looked towards the sea seven times before he saw a cloud rising from the sea.

b) His persistent faith.

15) Where to move. I just keep on chugging along where I’m at until He moves me.

Conclusions BSF Study Questions People of the Promise: Kingdom Divided Lesson 4, Day 5: 1 Kings 18:40-46

The most interesting thing here is the judgment of the prophets. It’s no laughing matter to outright oppose God.

End Notes BSF Study Questions People of the Promise: Kingdom Divided Lesson 4, Day 5: 1 Kings 18:40-46

Rain could now fall since the purpose of the drought was to prove the false gods of Baal false was now defeated.

Elijah waited on God to answer him. So must we all. We must have stubborn faith, too.

Elijah ran 14 miles to Jezreel with God’s help. He wanted to beat Ahab, but we are unsure why.

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BSF Study Questions Matthew Lesson 4, Day 5: Matthew 4:12-25

by atozmom, posted in BSF Matthew 2021/2022

SUMMARY OF MATTHEW 4:12-25:

John the Baptist was thrown in prison, so Jesus returned to Galilee from Nazareth. He went to Capernaum in the area of Zebulun and Naphtali to fulfill Isaiah’s words. Jesus preaches how the kingdom of heaven is near. Jesus began to call his disciples. He first called Simon Peter and his brother, Andrew, who were fishermen on the Sea of Galilee. He next called james and John who were in a boat with their gather, Zebedee.

Jesus began to travel through Galilee, preaching the Good News and healing people of diseases and sicknesses. Large crowds began to follow him and bring their sick to him to be healed.

BSF Study Questions Matthew Lesson 4, Day 5: Matthew 4:12-25

12 ) Capernaum in Galilee, fulfilling Isaiah’s words that the future king would come from there.

13 ) John the Baptist baptized people in the Jordan River who came from all over Judea.

14a ) Jesus called and they immediately followed him without question. They dropped everything they were doing in the moment.

b ) It’s best to answer God’s call immediately. Life is too short to delay.

Conclusions BSF Study Questions Matthew Lesson 4, Day 5: Matthew 4:12-25

We’re about to embark on an exciting journey with Jesus as he begins his work. What I would give to have walked with him.

End Notes BSF Study Questions Matthew Lesson 4, Day 5: Matthew 4:12-25

Matthew begins his telling Jesus’s ministry in Galilee. John tells the story of an earlier ministry of Jesus where he himself baptized people and where we get the story of the Samarian woman at the well John 3:22 and 4:1-2.

Galilee was a very populuous area for Biblical times, which is probably why Jesus began there. He could make the biggest impact there. It was very fertile and had many wealthy citizens. Both Jews and Gentiles lived here side by side. In ancient times, there were nine cities that had 15,000 or more people who lived on the shore of the Sea of Galilee.

Remember that the people of Nazareth, his hometown, rejected him because they had seen him grow up ordinary  (Luke 4:16-30), which is why he chose Capernaum. Plus, the disciples were there too, as we see. Jesus was the light in this region as Isaiah predicted.

Jesus waits until John the Baptist is put into prison to begin his ministry.

Do note that the kingdom of heaven and the kingdom of God seem to be the same thing. Bible scholars believe Matthew used the phrase “kingdom of heaven” because the Jewish people never wrote out the word “God.”

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 A Purpose

Jesus didn’t just randomly call his disciples. The Bible records other places where he encounters them  (John 1:35-42 and Luke 5:3). Undoubtedly, Jesus knew who he would call ahead of time. Jesus calls most of the disciples when they were doing something. Jesus needed doers and action-takers.

Most rabbi had disciples so this was not unusual behavior on the part of Jesus. This is how rabbis taught other rabbis.

Just like we have guest speakers at church, they did so in ancient times, too.

Healing shows that Jesus could overcome the consequences of sin (which was death to the body).

FUN FACT: This is the first time the Bible mentions demon-possessed. It shows Jesus’s ultimate authority over the evil in the world. While Old Testament people were troubled by spirits 1 Samuel 18:10, 19:9), this is the first time it is mentioned of removing an evil one from the body.

Large crowds followed Jesus. He is successful.

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BSF Study Questions Genesis Lesson 4, Day 5: Genesis 3:14-24

by atozmom, posted in BSF Genesis 2012/2013

Summary of passage:  God curses the serpent for his beguilement of Adam and Eve to crawl on his belly and eat dust and God put enmity between the serpent and man for all time. Literally, this is humans not liking snakes (especially women).  Figuratively, this is humans not trusting Satan and having an inborn wariness of him.

God punished woman by greatly increasing her pains in childbirth; woman will desire her husband who will rule over her.

God punished Adam by cursing the ground so painful toil is now required to eat of it.  The ground will produce thorns and thistles.  And now death is introduced since “for dust you are and to dust you will return.”

Adam names Eve and God makes them clothes and banishes them from the Garden of Eden so that he won’t be able to eat from the tree of life.  He places cherubim and a flaming sword to guard the way to the tree of life.

Questions:

13a)  “Cursed are you above all the livestock and all the wild animals!  You will crawl on your belly and you will eat dust all the days of your life.  And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.”

b)  “I will greatly increase your pains in childbearing; with pain you will give birth to children.  Your desire will be for your husband, and he will rule over you.”

c)  “Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat of it all the days of your life.  It will produce thorns and thistles for you, and you will eat the plants of the field.  By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you will return.”

14a)  The serpent is Satan and her offspring will be Jesus.  Jesus will ultimately defeat Satan (crush his head) even though Satan will wound Jesus (strike his heel).  “The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet”  (Romans 16:20)

b)  With garments of skin

15a)  Everyone dies.  We are all sinners through Adam.  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.

b)  Jesus.

Conclusions:  We see here that God never abandoned us, even when we sinned.  He always had Jesus planned to save us.  It’s hard to comprehend:  why would God create us if He knew we would Fall?  Only God can answer that.  He must think we are worthy in some way.  Sometimes I wish I believed but a piece of that worthiness.

I had never thought of us being born with a wariness to Satan before.  So we’re born with a natural rebelliousness towards God but a natural distrust of Satan.  Again, we must choose.  Naturally, we gravitate towards serving ourselves (like children).  But we learn to choose and no choice in life is more important.  The outcome of our life depends upon this choice.