BSF Study Questions People of the Promise: Kingdom Divided Lesson 30, Day 6: Maturing His People
13) Faithful
14) It’s hard to know specifics, but I believe I am to walk my path where God has put me, one day at a time.
15) Having control over my thoughts. It’s something I need to work on.
16) Dear Lord. Thank you for pursuing me even when I run the other way. Thank you for growing me closer to you and for the opportunity to get to know you better. Thank you for the peace this brings me. Thank you for the Holy Spirit. Thank you for others in my life. Amen.
BSF Study Questions People of the Promise: Kingdom Divided Lesson 25, Day 5: Select Passages From Jeremiah
12) God only desires his people and other peoples to repent and turn to Him. He wants to forgive us and bless us. He tells His people how to survive invaders. He wants them to live and prosper.
13a) God cares so much about His people that he offers them hope at every turn. He tells them to live their lives and to prosper. He is also gracious enough to tell them exactly how long they will be in exile and that they will return back to their homes and the Promised Land. He listens to the people and allows his people to find him.
b) Many people live in bitterness and despair. They have given up and have no hope. They don’t have God in their lives. Jeremiah says our hope is in God since He gives us everything. The world is chaotic. Holding on to God makes His world your world instead.
Conclusions BSF Study Questions People of the Promise: Kingdom Divided Lesson 25, Day 5: Select Passages From Jeremiah
I love how God always has a message of hope along with His message of consequences for evil. Good stuff.
End Notes BSF Study Questions People of the Promise: Kingdom Divided Lesson 25, Day 5: Select Passages From Jeremiah
When God is against you, the only hope is in surrender. You should accept God’s judgment and actions. You gain life when you surrender.
Jeremiah 29
Jeremiah sends a message to the exiles. They will be there for 70 years, so they might as well lead their best lives ever. God wanted them to grow in number. He did not want them to die out. He wanted them to bless the land and people where they were at.
The call to pray for your captives is unique in ancient cultures and literature.
The false prophets were telling the people that exile would be short-lived.
God thinks about us. How amazing!
His thoughts are good, not bad.
God has a purpose for everything. He had a purpose beyond punishment of having His people in Babylon. He wanted to spread the Old Testament.
God would listen even though they weren’t at the temple. When you seek God, you find him.
Those still in Judah and Jerusalem were not favored; they would face judgment, too.
Ahab and Zedekiah, two prophets, would be put to death for false prophecy to the people.
In the last days, the mountain of the Lord’s temple will be established. Many nations will come and be judged. Disputes will be settled. There will be no more war.
The Lord will gather the remnant and rule over them in Mount Zion. They will go to Babylon, but will be redeemed.
Micah 5
A ruler will arise from Bethlehem. He will shepherd the people. The people will live securely. The remnant will be at peace. Yet, God will destroy and take vengeance on the nations that have not obeyed Him.
BSF Study Questions People of the Promise: Kingdom Divided Lesson 23, Day 4: Micah 4-5
9) That we will walk in the name of the Lord our God forever.
10a) Jesus
b) Jesus will come from the clans of Judah. Jesus will shepherd his flock, and they will live securely.
11) Good question. It gives me hope on the days I feel little hope. It gets me through.
Conclusions BSF Study Questions People of the Promise: Kingdom Divided Lesson 23, Day 4: Micah 4-5
Simple message, but powerful. Jesus will come and save.
End Notes BSF Study Questions People of the Promise: Kingdom Divided Lesson 23, Day 4: Micah 4-5
Micah 4
God will reign over Israel once she is restored during the Second Coming. The people will learn His ways. There will be no more war or fear.
Everyone will be blessed. The people will be gathered. But they will be punished in Babylon first and then delivered. Nothing and no one will be able to stand against the Lord.
Micah 5
The ruler or king will come from Bethlehem. He will care for his flock tenderly. He will bring peace.
God will deliver His people from their enemies (personified as Assyria here).
The remnant will win, and they will exalt the Lord.
Obadiah prophecies against Edom here. Edom will be brought down by God, and they will be despised. God will destroy the Edomites because of their violence against Jacob. As Edom has done, so it will be done to them. There will be no survivors from Esau, and their land will be taken over by others.
BSF Study Questions People of the Promise: Kingdom Divided Lesson 14, Day 5: Obadiah
12) God will destroy the Edomites because of their violence against Jacob. They were like the other dations who rejoiced over Judah’s defeats.
13a) They gloated over Judah, boasted in their trouble, cut down the Israelites when they fled, and handed over the survivors. They did nothing while strangers carried off their wealth and foreigners entered their gates. Genesis tells of Esau selling his birthright and of Edom denying help to Israel when they were coming out of Egypt.
b) People rejoice all the time when others fail and don’t offer help when they are in trouble. It’s really quite sad.
14) Jacob (Israel) will possess his inheritance. They will be delivered, and all of their enemies, including Edom, will be destroyed.
15) It’s always helpful to remember God is in control when things go wrong in this world. And, that life does get better when God rules over all.
Conclusions BSF Study Questions People of the Promise: Kingdom Divided Lesson 14, Day 5: Obadiah
This is encouraging how God defends His people against oppressors and those who harm them. With all the evil in the world, God will win out.
End Notes BSF Study Questions People of the Promise: Kingdom Divided Lesson 14, Day 5: Obadiah
Fun Fact: Obadiah is the shortest book in the Old Testament.
There are 13 different Obadiah’s in the Bible, and one may be the one who wrote this book. Edom means “red,” which references the color of Esau’s hair.
Obadiah’s prophecy is solely focued on Edom, unique in the Bible.
Who Were the Edomites?
The Edomites were the group of people descended from Esau, the son of Isaac and Rebekah and the brother of Jacob (Genesis 25:19-34). For most of their recorded history, they were against Israel. They disappeared as a people group in the rebellion against Rome in A.D. 66-70.
Obadiah’s prophecy most likely took place during the time of Jehoram (848-841 B.C.). Thus, he would have been alive when Elisha was, and this puts him before Joel. The prophet Obadiah may be the same in 2 Chronicles 17:7.
A well-to-do woman made a place for Elisha to stay with her whenever he came to Shunem. One day, he asked his servant to find out if the woman wanted anything because she has been so kind to him. The woman had no son, so Elisha told her about this time next year, she would have one.
Indeed, she did have a son who grew, but one day he got a headache. The boy died in her arms. She sent for Elisha who sent his servant ahead to heal the boy. The servant could not. When Elisha arrived, he lay upon the boy, and the boy’s body grew warm. He once again lived.
BSF Study Questions People of the Promise: Kingdom Divided Lesson 9, Day 3: 2 Kings 4:8-37
5) She prepared a permanent place for Elisha to stay whenever he visited Shunem. She fed him a meal every time he came, too. She knew he was a holy man of God. When Elisha asks her what does she want as a reward for this hospitality, she asks for nothing, saying she is content.
6a) The unexpected joy was God rewarding her with a son when she was old. But the boy got sick and died.
b) When he saw the woman coming, he knew immediately something was wrong. He sent his servant out to find out and then he worked to make it right.
7) He doesn’t answer our prayers when the answer is not in our best interest or not in His will. We do not know the future, but God does. He orchastrates events, and we are to trust Him.
Conclusions BSF Study Questions People of the Promise: Kingdom Divided Lesson 9, Day 3: 2 Kings 4:8-37
I love reading about miracles. There is something inherently comforting in knowing God is omnipotent.
End Notes BSF Study Questions People of the Promise: Kingdom Divided Lesson 9, Day 3: 2 Kings 4:8-37
The woman went out of her way for Elisha who then did the same for her.
Being barren in the ancient world was a stigma, and people were looked down upon because of it.
Many Bible Scholars suggest the boy got heat stroke since he was out working in the fields.
The woman believed Elisha could raise her son from the dead since she laid him on Elisha’s bed and left immediately to get him.
Note Elisha thought God would reveal the woman’s problems to him.
The child may have been healed by the staff if the woman had full faith to leave Elisha.
The boy was raised due to Elisha’s faith and God’s willingness to have the boy live.
Note how Jesus commanded Lazarus to come from the tomb. Here, Elisha and Elijah asked God to raise the dead.
Jehoshaphat reigned in Jerusalem 25 years. He did what was right in the eyes of the Lord. The high places were not removed, and the people still has not set their hearts on God. Later, Jehoshaphat made an alliance with the evil king Ahaziah, king of Israel, to build trading ships. The Lord destroyed the ships as punishment for this alliance.
Jehoshaphat died and Jehoram his son succeeded him.
BSF Study Questions People of the Promise: Kingdom Divided Lesson 7, Day 5: 2 Chronicles 20:31-21:3
13a) Both. It was corrective as a consequence of aligning with a wicked king and protected Judah and Jehoshaphat from having to deal with Israel and risk more pagan ways introduced to their country.
b) He has many times moved me away from those who would cause me to sin. God is good.
14) For the most part, Jehoshaphat did right in the eyes of the Lord with only a few stumbles. As humans, we all do this. That is our goal. To walk most of the time with the Lord, and when we fall, to get right back on the path of the Lord.
Conclusions BSF Study Questions People of the Promise: Kingdom Divided Lesson 7, Day 5: 2 Chronicles 20:31-21:3
I loved learning about Jehoshaphat. Didn’t know/remember much about him. Great king with some faults like we all have. Great examples of God being with His people. Good stuff.
End Notes BSF Study Questions People of the Promise: Kingdom Divided Lesson 7, Day 5: 2 Chronicles 20:31-21:3
The writer of Chronicles does not set the fault of the people still not walking in the ways of the Lord as Jehoshaphat’s fault, which is true. There’s only so much control you have over your people as a king.
1 Kings 22:48-49 is the parallel passage of the wrecked ships. Another offer of alliance with Ahaziah after this failed one was refused by Jehoshaphat. He learned his lesson (which is a great lesson for us, too!).
God’s mercy shown through when he wrecked the ships. This prevented Jehoshaphat from an ungodly alliance — something none of us want.
It is presumed that the gift of fortified cities to Jehoshaphat’s other sons got them away from the influence of Jehoram, so they would not be seen as a threat.
Ahab and Jehoshaphat defied Micaiah’s prophecy and went to battle for Ramoth Gilead. Ahab went disguised, while Jehosphaphat wore royal robes. The king of Aram only wanted to fight against the king of Israel, so they left Jehoshaphat alone. The king of Israel, Ahab, was hit by a random arrow. He died that night and his blood was licked by dogs as the Lord had prophesied. His son, Ahaziah, succeeded him as king.
BSF Study Questions People of the Promise: Kingdom Divided Lesson 6, Day 3: 1 Kings 22:29-40
6) Ahab entered the battle disguised. It did him no good. He died anyway.
7) God protected Jehosphahat. God drew away the army of the Arameans from him when he cried out to the Lord and they stopped pursuing him.
8a) Whatever God says will pass, will pass. Despite what humans try to do, God’s will prevails.
b) It’s truly comforting. I truly have no regrets because I know everything happens for a reason and God is in control, not me (thank God!). If I were in control, my life would be out of control!
Conclusions BSF Study Questions People of the Promise: Kingdom Divided Lesson 6, Day 3: 1 Kings 22:29-40
Great lesson about even though Ahab tries to circumvent God’s plan, His plan always prevails.
End Notes BSF Study Questions People of the Promise: Kingdom Divided Lesson 6, Day 3: 1 Kings 22:29-40
Many Bible scholars are unsure why Jehoshaphat agrees to go to battle against God’s word. Maybe he wanted to save grace or perhaps he wanted to die. It was not a smart decision on either’s part.
Jehoshaphat cried out to the Lord, and he was saved.
The arrow that pierced King Ahab was not by chance; nothing is by chance with God. God orchastrated it.
The war ended with Ahab’s death.
Elijah prophesied about the dogs licking the blood of Ahab. 1 Kings 21:19 This just took place in a different location that prophesied.
We also see a prophecy come to fruition with 1 Kings 20:42, where Ahab spared Ben-Hadad’s life.
Despite the wealth of Israel, the people were spiritually poor.
Jeroboam made Shechem his capital. Then, he made two golden calves for the people to worship, fearing that if the Israelites went to Jerusalem (in King Rehoboam’s territory to worship God they would rebel against him). He built more shrines to foreign gods and appointed priests not from the tribe of Levi. He made sacrifices to foreign gods.
1 Kings 13
A man of God came to Bethel and prophesied that a son names Josiah would be born to the house of David. He would sacrifice the bad priests who sacrificed to false gods. The altar would be split apart, too. King Jeroboam went to seize the man, but his hand shriveled up and the altar was broken. He begged the man to pray to restore his hand, and it was done by God. He rejected the king’s offer to eat with him.
The man of God was tricked into disobeying the Lord and was killed because of it. Through it all, King Jeroboam did not change his ways, but still appointed priests for high places to worship false gods. This sin led to the downfall of the house of Jeroboam.
1 Kings 14:1-20
Jeroboam’s son became ill, so he sent his wife disguised to the house of Ahijah the prophet for advice. He tells the wife that King Jeroboam has disobeyed all of God’s commands and done evil in God’s eyes. The consequences include: the son will die, as will all the males in the house. Dogs will eat people, as will the birds.
God will raise for himself a king of Israel. He will scatter Israel. Jeroboam’s son, Nadab, succeeded him.
BSF Study Questions People of the Promise: Kingdom Divided Lesson 2, Day 2: 1 Kings 12:25-14-20
8a) King Jeroboam feared that if the Israelites went to Jerusalem in King Rehoboam’s territory to worship God, they would rebel against him.
b) I don’t have a lot of fears to be honest. My biggest one is my job. I cling to it even though I’d like to pursue something else out of fear of losing money.
c) God gives us power according to 2 Timothy 1:7 and there is no fear in God’s love according to 1 John 4:18. This encourages me that I can do all things through God who strengthens me and provides me with courage and power.
9) King Jeroboam built more shrines to foreign gods and appointed priests not from the tribe of Levi. He made sacrifices to foreign gods. He tried to kill those who spoke against him.
10a) A man of God came to Bethel and prophesied that a son names Josiah would be born to the house of David. He would sacrifice the bad priests who sacrificed to false gods. The altar would be split apart, too. King Jeroboam went to seize the man, but his hand shriveled up and the altar was broken. He begged the man to pray to restore his hand, and it was done by God. He rejected the king’s offer to eat with him. In 1 Kings 14, it was Jeroboam’s wife who received the prophecy of having his son and all the males in his home die, as well as having the dogs and birds eat people.
b) He continues to do what he wants to do to save his own skin, not relying on God to defend him. Yet, God allows him to still reign. God, in His mercy, gave Jeroboam signs to confirm the prophet’s words. And, God healed Jeroboam’s hand when Jeroboam was not really repentent.
11) He never gives up even when I don’t really want to hear from Him. His calls are never easy.
Conclusions BSF Study Questions People of the Promise: Kingdom Divided Lesson 2, Day 2: 1 Kings 12:25-14-20
I love history, so this is super interesting to me. It’s easy to judge Jeroboam for turning from God on a consistent basis, but how many of us do that? We can see that he’s a dumbo, but when are we dumbos, too?
End Notes BSF Study Questions People of the Promise: Kingdom Divided Lesson 2, Day 2: 1 Kings 12:25-14-20
Jeroboam made “worshipping God” convenient for his people, so they went along to these fake altars.
Fun Fact: Jeroboam repeated the same words of Aaron from 500 years ago (Exodus 32:4) when he presented them with the golden calves. He may have intended the golden calves to represent God. Either way, God was angry.
We’ll see the prophecy of Josiah fulfilled in 2 Kings 23:15.
God, in His mercy, gave Jeroboam signs to confirm the prophet’s words.
The second prophet who lied to the first may have been prompted by Satan. Satan and his messengers can appear as angels of light (2 Corinthians 11:14-15).
The first prophet should have said no; instead, he paid the ultimate consequence with his life.
Note how God tends to judge his own people more harshly than unbelievers since He expects more from us. (1 Peter 4:17).
Jeroboam never repents in his lifetime. Instead, he would go down in history as completely disobedient to God. His sins caused a curse upon the people of the Northern Kingdom, and they would remember this (2 Kings 17:21-23).
You would think Jeroboam would pray for his son, rather than play tricks.
God’s judgement is harsh. Note there is an immediate judgement (death of his son), and a judgement in the future (the people of Isreal would be scattered).
This is about God’s treatment of Judah. Israel is the vineyard, and God had done everything possible to care for them, but they only yielded bad grapes. So he lets it grow wild and uncultivated, which yields only bloodshed and cries of distress.
SUMMARY OF ACTS 7:1-53
Stephen tells us the back story: God appeared the Abram/Abraham while he was still in Ur in Mesopotamia before he left for Haran and told Abram to leave Ur and to go to Canaan. So he went to Haran. Then after Terah, his father, died God sent Abram to Canaan.
God gave him no inheritance in Canaan but He promised him his descendants would possess the land. God told Abram his children would be strangers in the land and would be enslaved for 400 years. But God would punish that nation and afterward they will come back to Canaan to worship Him. Here, God instituted the covenant of circumcision as a sign of this covenant.
Then Abraham had Isaac whom he circumcised. Isaac had Jacob who became the father of the twelve patriarchs.
Joseph was sold as a slave, but God was with him and he was made ruler over Egypt and the palace. When famine struck Canaan, Jacob brought his entire family to Egypt, so Joseph could feed them.
Moses was born and saw God in the burning bush. God sent him to Egypt to lead his people out of slavery. The people rebelled while heading to the Promise Land, making a golden calf. Joshua drove the nations out of the Promised Land so Israel could occupy it. Solomon then built God a temple, a permanent place to be worshipped.
Stephen calls the Sanhedrin stiff-necked and just like their fathers. They resist the Holy Spirit, and they killed Jesus.
SUMMARY OF 1 CORINTHIANS 10:1-13
Paul warns against being idolaters, as some of their forefathers were in Moses’s day. They should not commit sexual immorality, not test the Lord, and not grumble. Past events were recorded as warnings for us, but we need to be ever vigilant against temptation. But God is faithful. He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear, and He’ll provide a way out to stand up against the temptation.
BSF Study Questions People of the Promise: Kingdom Divided Lesson 1, Day 4: Isaiah 5:1-7; Acts 7:1-53; and 1 Corinthians 10:1-13
10) God took care of Israel since the time before they were born and through their lives. He treated them tenderly and watched over them. Yet, they rebelled, so He took away his protection.
11) That God has chosen me out of all the peoples of the earth. What power lies in this fact.
12a)
Stephen tells us the back story: God appeared the Abram/Abraham while he was still in Ur in Mesopotamia before he left for Haran and told Abram to leave Ur and to go to Canaan. So he went to Haran. Then after Terah, his father, died God sent Abram to Canaan.
God gave him no inheritance in Canaan but He promised him his descendants would possess the land. God told Abram his children would be strangers in the land and would be enslaved for 400 years. But God would punish that nation and afterward they will come back to Canaan to worship Him. Here, God instituted the covenant of circumcision as a sign of this covenant.
Then Abraham had Isaac whom he circumcised. Isaac had Jacob who became the father of the twelve patriarchs.
Joseph was sold as a slave, but God was with him and he was made ruler over Egypt and the palace. When famine struck Canaan, Jacob brought his entire family to Egypt, so Joseph could feed them.
Moses was born and saw God in the burning bush. God sent him to Egypt to lead his people out of slavery. The people rebelled while heading to the Promise Land, making a golden calf. Joshua drove the nations out of the Promised Land so Israel could occupy it. Solomon then built God a temple, a permanent place to be worshipped.
The main points of Acts 7 are:
Abraham’s calling (7:2-8);
the Patriarchs in Egypt (7:9-16);
life of Moses (7:17-36);
Moses and Israel in the wilderness (7:37-43);
and the Tabernacle of Testimony (7:44-50).
He emphasizes God’s calling and care of His people and His provision of a leader when they needed it the most. He also emphasized how God was with them without a physical temple for thousands of years.
b) I think all of our lives are like this: we have spiritual successes and failures, but the ultimate goal is to have progressively fewer failures as we move towards God and Jesus. We should learn from the past so we can be better in the future.
Conclusions BSF Study Questions People of the Promise: Kingdom Divided Lesson 1, Day 4: Isaiah 5:1-7; Acts 7:1-53; and 1 Corinthians 10:1-13
A lot of reading in this lesson. I love Stephen’s summary of the Old Testament. It’s concise and covers the big picture. Great stuff!
End Notes BSF Study Questions People of the Promise: Kingdom Divided Lesson 1, Day 4: Isaiah 5:1-7; Acts 7:1-53; and 1 Corinthians 10:1-13
Isaiah 5:1-7: Israel had everything it needed to grow and follow the Lord and they chose not to. God did all He could do; the fault is solely Israel’s. So, as punishment, God stopped protecting His people and stopped giving them blessings.
Acts 7:1-53: Stephen emphasizes Israel’s perpetual rejection of God and the Law. Then he points out how they rejected Jesus, the Son of God. He is showing how Israel treated Moses and how the Jews treated Jesus the same way. Moses was divinely appointed by God, as was Jesus. Yet, Moses was repeatedly rejected by the people, as was Jesus. The people turned to idols and God let them go.
Worship does not have to be in a temple, as Israel’s history showed.
Fun Fact: This is the longest speech in Acts.
1 Corinthians 10:1-13: Paul lists all the blessings the Israelites in the wilderness had:
They had God as a cloud, a constant reminder of His presence
All were baptized via the Red Sea
God provided them with food and drink
Yet, they did not please God, and they died in the wilderness, never entering the Promise Land.
The point is just becuaes you are a believer, you may not be pleasing God. This is why you should not be an idolater, commit sexual immorality, not test the Lord, and not grumble.
We need to learn from Israel’s mistakes and God gives us the ability to resist our temptations.
After Jesus’s death, two were walking to Emmaus. Jesus appeared alongside them, but they did not recognize him. They were downcast that Christ has been crucified, hoping he was the redeemer. Christ told them about how Christ was meant to die for them, and he explained all of the foretellings about this in the Old Testament. He stayed with them, and when Christ broke bread for dinner, he was revealed to them and then he disappeared.
The men went to tell the Eleven what had happened. As they were talking, Jesus appeared. They believed him a ghost at first till Jesus began to eat. He opened their minds to the Scriptures. They are witnesses to all that has happened and would be sent the Holy Spirit as promised.
SUMMARY OF ROMANS 15:4
“For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.”
BSF Study Questions People of the Promise: Kingdom Divided Lesson 1, Day 3: Luke 24:13-49 and Romans 15:4
7a) Matthew 23:39: “For I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.'” From Psalm 118:26
b) If Jesus quotes the Old Testament, then it’s important. Since the Old Testament foretells Jesus’s coming, it’s all intertwined, and nothing God records is wasted.
8 ) Jesus is resurrected here, fulfilling prophecy that Jesus would come and sacrifice his life so that all may live. Prophecy also says how Jesus will be resurrected as God conquers death. Jesus fulfills the law.
9) I love studying the Old Testament because I’m a history buff. It’s fascinating to read about the mistakes people made with regards to following God and his laws and how we continue to do the same thing today, even though it’s easier for us since we have God’s law to obey and we have Jesus. I’m hoping to learn more, so I can grow with God and make fewer mistakes and sins in my life because of it.
Conclusions BSF Study Questions People of the Promise: Kingdom Divided Lesson 1, Day 3: Luke 24:13-49 and Romans 15:4
Great example of God’s Will and fulfilling of prophecy from the Old Testament come to fruition with Jesus’s resurrection.
End Notes BSF Study Questions People of the Promise: Kingdom Divided Lesson 1, Day 3: Luke 24:13-49 and Romans 15:4
The two disciples are anonymous and the are lamenting Jesus’s death. Jesus listens to them and then teaches them that Christ had to suffer as the prophets said. They needed to believe with their hearts.
Jesus told them all about Moses, the Prophets, and the Old Testament, using the Old Testmant. What I wouldn’t give to hear that explained!
Jesus broke bread and revealed himself. Remember, these men were not at the Last Supper. Then, he vanished. Yet, their hearts burned because of God’s word!
They then walked 7 miles to report what had happened to the disciples.
Jesus appears to them in the flesh and eats. He teaches them and opens their understanding, so they may teach others.
All of what was written in the past (Old and New Testament) is for our learning so we can be close to God. How cool is that!
