seven woes www.atozmomm.com matthew 23

BSF Study Questions Matthew Lesson 23, Day 5: Matthew 23:13-39

SUMMARY OF MATTHEW 23:13-39

Jesus pronounces 7 woes against the Pharisees and the teachers of the law:

  1. They shut the doors of the kingdom of heaven and keep others out. The Pharisees won’t enter heaven.
  2. They travel far for converts, but once they convert, they become more sinful than themselves.
  3. They swear by the wrong things, such as the gold of the temple and the gift on the altar. Instead, swear by the temple and the one who dwells in it. Swear by heaven, God’s throne, and the one who sits on it.
  4. They have neglected justice, mercy, and faithfulness, but give a tenth of their spices.
  5. Inside, they are spiritually lacking and full of greed and self-indulgence. Instead, they clean the outside.
  6. They are hypocrites and wicked, not righteous.
  7. They stand in judgement of their forefathers, saying they would never have shed the blood of prophets, yet they are their descendants and are sinful, too.

Jesus calls them vipers and snakes. He tells them he is sending them teachers, who they will flog and kill. They will have righteous blood upon them.

BSF Study Questions Matthew Lesson 23, Day 5: Matthew 23:13-39

11a)

  1. They shut the doors of the kingdom of heaven and keep others out. The Pharisees won’t enter heaven.
  2. They travel far for converts, but once they convert, they become more sinful than themselves.
  3. They swear by the wrong things, such as the gold of the temple and the gift on the altar. Instead, swear by the temple and the one who dwells in it. Swear by heaven, God’s throne, and the one who sits on it.
  4. They have neglected justice, mercy, and faithfulness, but give a tenth of their spices.
  5. Inside, they are spiritually lacking and full of greed and self-indulgence. Instead, they clean the outside.
  6. They are hypocrites and wicked, not righteous.
  7. They stand in judgement of their forefathers, saying they would never have shed the blood of prophets, yet they are their descendants and are sinful, too.

Repeated words: “Woe to you” “teachers of the law and Pharisees” “you hypocrites” “blind such as blind guides, blind fools, blind men”

b)

  1. We can hinder others coming to God.
  2. We can cause others to sin.
  3. We can swear by the wrong things.
  4. We can get fixated on the trivial rather than what matters.
  5. We can be polluted on the outside, rather than focus on the inside.
  6. We are all hypocrites.
  7. We judge others.

12a) The religious leaders and the rulers will persecute and kill the disciples and other early Christian leaders.

b) Jesus awaits those to acknowledge he is the Son of God.

13) It’s all very true how we are all sinners and make the same mistakes as the Pharisees in our religious pursuits. Awareness is step one. Next, comes change.

Conclusions BSF Study Questions Matthew Lesson 23, Day 5: Matthew 23:13-39

Good stuff. We all need to be told and have our faults pointed out so we can work to correct them and become closer to God.

Great gift!

End Notes BSF Study Questions Matthew Lesson 23, Day 5: Matthew 23:13-39

Woes would have been familiar to the Jews since they were used by the Old Testament prophets a lot. Isaiah 5:8-23Habakkuk 2:6-19) Many compare these to the eight beatitudes Matthew 5:3-11

8 Woes

  1. Woe to those who shut up God’s kingdom. Jesus is pointing out how the leaders made human conditions more important than God’s.
  2. Woe to the religious leaders who steal from widows (the debated 8th woe) and use long prayers to appear spiritual. They will face a greater condemnation in hell.
  3. Woe to those who lead their convers down the wrong path. Romans 10:2 and gave them a false message.
  4. Woe to those who made false and deceptive oaths. They could not swear by God  Exodus 20:7 but they came up with oaths to swear by not abide by them. The altar is greater than the sacrifice on the altar. Every oath is binding.
  5. Woe to those who put trivial matters above those that matter. He used those who take the time to strain gnats (small things) but readily eat camels (big things) without thought.
  6. Woe to those who are corrupt and impure inside and out.
  7. Woe to those lacking spiritual life inside, or dead inside.  Paul called the High Priest a whitewashed wall in Acts 23:3.
  8. Woe to you who honor the dead prophets and kill the living ones.

The word “hypocrite” refers to an actor.

Our altar is Jesus himself and his work on the cross.

God is never fooled by appearances.

Why So Strong Words to the Pharisees?

Jesus hopes to gain repentance with these religious leaders who were so far away from God. Calling them snakes and brood of vipers is equating them with the devil.

Jesus does not want others to be deceived by them.

He mentions all the martyrs of the Old Testament, including Abel and Zechariah. Abel’s blood cried out (Genesis 4:10), and Zechariah asked that his blood be remembered (2 Chronicles 24:22).

Luke tells us that Jesus is crying as he says these words  Luke 19:41 Jesus’ heart breaks at the sin of these men, as it does for us.

Jesus weeps twice in the Bible. Here, for the men who are lost and will face eternal damnation and at the tomb of Lazarus, weeping over death, a consequence of our sin.

Jesus only wants to protect us like a mother hen.  (Psalm 17:891:4Isaiah 31:5;

Jesus’s words here tells us that he repeatedly visited Jerusalem when he was preaching. However, no one recorded these journeys for us.

They rejected Jesus despite his offering of redemption.

Jesus is referring to his Second Coming with the final words here, saying the Jews will acknowledge him as Messiah.

Contact me today!

*As an Amazon associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

picture of owl in winter www.atozmomm.com

Friday Digest BSF Matthew Lesson 14

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW IN MATTHEW 13 BSF LESSON 14

  • Jesus is king
  • God is our treasure, and we are His treasure
  • Jesus is the greatest prize
  • God’s plan will be accomplished on His schedule
  • Jesus reigns in our hearts
  • God gives us fruitfulness and blessings
  • Following Christ brings us treasures in our lives
  • Use what you do understand of God’s Word to grow personally and spread the Gospel
  • Value what God values
  • Grace saves you
  • Do the work God has prepared for you in advance

TAKE AWAY: Following Christ is the most important thing you will ever do in your life.

Contact me today!

christmas tree www.atozmomm.com

Friday Digest BSF Matthew Lesson 13

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW IN MATTHEW 13 BSF LESSON 13

  • The more truth you hear, the more you must act
  • Our responsibility is to bear fruit in all that we do
  • God judges our service on earth, not our sins
  • Our deeds give us perspective on what really matters
  • We are to plant seeds, not pull weeds (be the Light for others)
  • Be wary of unbelievers amongst you
  • Stay focused on God to resist temptations — use His Word
  • Follow Him

TAKE AWAY: How do you respond to the truth you are given by God?

Contact me today!

parable of the weeds matthew 13 www.atozmomm.com

BSF Study Questions Matthew Lesson 13, Day 5: Matthew 13:24-30; 36-43

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

SUMMARY OF MATTHEW 13:24-30

Jesus tells the people the Parable of the Weeds. The kingdom of heaven is like the man who sowed the good seed. But while everyone was sleeping, the enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat seeds. When both sprouted, the servants wanted to pull the weeds. The man said not to because they may accidentally pull wheat, too. Instead, let them both grow together until harvest. At that time, you can collect the weeds for burning and then store the what in his barn.

SUMMARY OF MATTHEW 13:36-43

The disciples asked Jesus to explain the Parable of the Weeds. Jesus says that the man is the Son of God (him). The field is the world. The good seeds are believers. The weeds are unbelievers. The enemy is the devil. The harvest is at the Second Coming. The harvesters are angels who will weed out sin and evil. Unbelievers will be thrown into the fiery furnace at the end of the age where they will weep and gnash teeth. The righteous will shine in the kingdom.

BSF Study Questions Matthew Lesson 13, Day 5: Matthew 13:24-30; 36-43

13)

The two sowers: the sower who sowed the good seed is Jesus. The sower who sowed the weeds is the devil.

The good seed: believers

The weeds: unbelievers

The harvest: the Second Coming

The harvesters: angels

14a) Satan comes when you least expect it and when you are most vulnerable.

b) The man said not to pull the weeds because they may accidentally pull wheat, too — meaning they could accidentally cause a believer to fall, or pull a believer and put them in the wrong pile and burn at the Second Coming.

c) Because unbelievers act like believers at times, and believers sin, too. Since we are all human and sin, it’s hard to distinguish those who ask for forgiveness from God and those who do not.

d) God decides who will be His and who won’t. When we focus on growing believers in their relationship with Christ, more good is done for his kingdom and perhaps more unbelievers will turn, too.

Conclusions BSF Study Questions Matthew Lesson 13, Day 5: Matthew 13:24-30; 36-43

I liked this parable because it’s pretty clear what Jesus is saying. There will always be weeds/unbelievers amongst the harvest/believers. We can work to make ourselves more distinguishable by trying to be more like Christ every day. Then perhaps the weeds will be more likely to come to Jesus. It’s cool how we get to study the meaning explained by Jesus himself at the same time. I like how BSF does this. Plus, it shows the power we have in our hands of having the privilege of reading God’s word. The early Christians did not have this privilege.

End Notes BSF Study Questions Matthew Lesson 13, Day 5: Matthew 13:24-30; 36-43

The devil hopes to destroy the sower’s work/believers with his weeds, or sin, that is growing amongst them.

This parable comes immediately after the Parable of the Sower because people may be wondering if they should separate themselves from unbelievers.

Note that in the Parable of the Sower, the seeds are the Word of God. Here the seeds sprout to wheat, which represents believers. The Parable of the Sower shows how people respond to God’s Word; the Parable of the Weeds shows how believers will be eternally separated from unbelievers at the End Times and how the enemy tries to deceive believers.

The weeds and the harvest would grow together till it would be obvious which was which at tht End Times.

Fun Fact: Those who disliked others would, in fact, plant weeds in their enemies’ fields to sabotage the harvest. This was common enough that a Roman law existed making it illegal to do this.

Note that God divides the people at the End Times.

Many early priests tried to turn this from the world to the church, meaning there were weeds amongst the church. However, it is clear Jesus means the world (including the Gentiles). God will divide; not us. In sum, there will always be unbelievers in the world.

Note the role angels play; they will help sort the unbelievers and believers at the End Times. Pretty cool!

Jesus does not dice words. Unbelievers will burn (note the wailing and the gnashing of teeth we see in Revelation), and believers will shine in eternity. I don’t know about you, but I like the idea of shining!

What the Parable of the Weeds Means to Us

We are to focus on planting seeds, not pulling weeds, meaning we focus on preaching the Good News and bringing others to Christ, not on judging or condemning weeds or unbelievers who still may turn to Christ.

Our job is to bear fruit. What fruit are you bearing?

Contact me today!

leah has 4 sons by god's grace www.atozmomm.com

BSF Study Questions Genesis: Lesson 19, Day 5: Genesis 29:31-35

Summary of Genesis 29:31-35:

God gave Leah children because she was unloved. Rachel was barren. Reuben was named because Leah was miserable, his name meaning “he has seen my misery.” Simeon was named cause she was unloved, his name meaning “one who hears.” Levi means “attached.” Judah was named for “praise” of the Lord.

BSF Study Questions Genesis: Lesson 19, Day 5: Genesis 29:31-35

14) Jacob to love her.

15) God shows us all kindness in difficult times. God shows kindness by continuing to be present, to guide, to lead, to be merciful, to forgive, and to give us hope through his son, Jesus.

16) She grows in her faith like we all do and realizes God is there for here when Jacob, her husband, is not emotionally.

17) God is faithful.

Conclusions BSF Study Questions Genesis: Lesson 19, Day 5: Genesis 29:31-35

I continue to be baffled as to why Jacob still sleeps with Leah besides the physical/procreation side. He knows Rachel is hurt by this, so why do it? Another sin since sex is meant as bonding as well as procreation. Sadly, sex is physical for all too many men today.

BSF notes takes the position that Jacob is fulfilling his duty by giving Leah an opportunity to bear children for status purposes. I can see this for maybe one or two kids, but to continue to have sex with her for all those years and watch his supposed beloved, Rachel, suffer heartache with each successive birth is nothing but selfishness in my eyes.

BSF Study Questions Genesis: Lesson 19, Day 5: Genesis 29:31-35

Here we see Leah forced into a marriage with a man who will never love her, and she suffers because of it, hated by her sister, Rachel, yet she can’t change it. It’s not like she could leave or get a divorce. God loves her as he blesses her with children, so important in those times.

Isaiah 54:5 “For the Maker is your husband — the Lord Almighty is his name…”

Reuben is the first born son of Jacob, yet he would not inherit the promise.

We see Leah’s hope shift to God instead of Jacob, which she would never have.

Note the priests (the tribe of Levi) and the royal line (the tribe of Judah) comes from Leah, as well as the Messiah (from Judah). Leah was blessed for her circumstances and for her faith, indeed.

jacob agrees to work for rachel for 7 years genesis 29 www.atozmomm.com

BSF Study Questions Genesis: Lesson 19, Day 3: Genesis 29:15-20

Summary of Genesis 29:15-20:

Laban asks Jacob after a month what his wages were be (in sum, what he actually wants and why he is here). Jacob responds that he will work 7 years for Rachel’s hand in marriage. Leah was the older daughter, she is described as having weak eyes, while Rachel is lovely in form and beautiful. The time flew for Jacob so in love was he.

BSF Study Questions Genesis: Lesson 19, Day 3: Genesis 29:15-20

6) Apparently Jacob was working for Laban for free.

7a) It taught him patience to have what he wants, and it’s a fair price for his work.

b) Jacob could have offered to pay Laban; instead, he works for what he wants, which is the opposite today in this world of instant gratification

8a) Proverbs says God disciplines those He loves for His reasons and their good. Romans 8:28 is the famous verse of all things work for your good. James tells us that we are tested to develop perseverance. Peter tells us that grief proves our faith to be genuine and results in praise, glory, and honor when Jesus is revealed. We are filled with joy becaues of our faith.

b) Stay the course. Keep praying. Keep working. Keep following His lead despite the hardships and the setbacks.

Conclusions BSF Study Questions Genesis: Lesson 19, Day 3: Genesis 29:15-20

I think Jacob’s mistake is not leaving as soon as he could, like Abraham’s servant did with Rebekah. It gave Laban time to plot.

man in desert www.atozmomm.com

End Notes BSF Study Questions Genesis: Lesson 19, Day 3: Genesis 29:15-20

While on the surface, Laban seems to be generous, he’s seen the good work Jacob could do and wants to see what Jacob wants in exchange for continued work.

Bible scholars debate what Leah’s eyes being weak or delicate actually mean. Does it mean she has a problem with her vision? Does it mean she has no life to them like her sister? Is it just a nice way to say she wasn’t pretty? Either way, we can guess that if Rachel is more beautiful than Leah that there was a sibling rivalry between the two.

Jacob offers to work for 7 years for Rachel as a dowry. This is over-the-top generous, which was probably his downfall. It showed how much he really wanted Rachel, which Laban would exploit next. Yet it shows his love for her. He was willing to wait. This is a long time in today’s culture and rare is this “I want it now” culture seen today. Time flew for him too.

We can surmise that Jacob and Rachel probably did not see each other much. First, in these times and culture, women did not spend time with men and were often relegated to the home, whereas the men worked the fields. Second, there were no date nights back there. Social propriety was strictly enforced to ensure no one questioned the woman’s purity. However, since both were shepherds, they could have spent some time together and got to know each other more.

Jacob is now 77 years old at this time and he kept sheep for Laban Hos. 12:12 Rachel was very young, maybe even barely marriageable age, which may be another reason Jacob wanted to wait.