Archive for month: June, 2020

Featured Passage: 1 Kings 11-12

As Solomon grew older, he began to turn from God and His laws and statutes. Before Solomon’s death, God warned him that his actions would result in the loss of half of his kingdom to Jeroboam, an energetic leader who oversaw many of Solomon’s building projects. God promised that this break-up of the kingdom of Israel would not occur until after Solomon died, but that his son Rehoboam would inherit the consequences of his sins. Despite Solomon’s best efforts to kill Jeroboam, his plans failed. More importantly, Solomon failed his kingdom when he turned his back on God, creating the ingredients for strife between Israel and Judah. Would Solomon’s son, King Rehoboam, learn the lesson that Solomon did not? And would Jeroboam obey God and establish a dynasty that would rule Israel down through history? Read 1 Kings 11-12 and find out!

Discuss:

• Why did God take the majority of the tribes from Rehoboam, Solomon’s son?
• When Solomon learned that God was going to give part of the kingdom to Jeroboam, he tried to thwart God’s plan by having him killed. Can anyone stop God from carrying out His plans? How did Jeroboam escape? What made him return to Israel? 
• What special opportunity and blessing did God offer to Jeroboam and his descendants? 
• Jeroboam set up idols for the people to worship, made priests of anyone, and established different holy days than those that God had ordained. What was his excuse for doing this?
• How did God respond to Jeroboam’s actions taking Israel into idolatry?
• When we disobey God, what do expect will happen? What would we expect God to do?

Memory Challenge:

1 Kings 11:31

And he said to Jeroboam, “Take for yourself ten pieces, for thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: ‘Behold, I will tear the kingdom out of the hand of Solomon and will give ten tribes to you…’”

Featured Passage: Joshua 24 & Judges 1-3

Israel served God all the days of Joshua, and they continued to serve God under the elders who had been trained by Joshua. However, after Joshua and the elders he trained died, things quickly changed. They soon forgot all about God, and began to do their own thing. When they began to stop obeying God, one of the nearby nations would attack and oppress them. The Israelites would call out to God for help, and in His mercy He would soon send them a leader to save them. This happened again…and again…and again…and again…

Discuss:

• Joshua was a good and righteous leader. What is a leader? What does it mean to be a good leader?
• During this time, Israel did not have a human king. Who was their king? 
• In the book of Judges, we see that Israel was led by people called (of course!) judges!  What is a judge? 
• God corrected the Israelites when they disobeyed him. Why did God correct them and why does He correct us? (Hebrews 12:6). 
• Israel continued to make the same mistakes over and over – they didn’t learn from their mistakes. How can we avoid following their bad example…how can we learn from our mistakes?
• How did God show his love and mercy for Israel during the period of the Judges?

Memory Challenge: 

Judges 2:18 “And when the Lord raised up judges for them, the Lord was with the judge and delivered them out of the hand of their enemies all the days of the judge…”

Featured Passage: Exodus 16

About a month after leaving Egypt, the Israelites arrived at a place called the Wilderness of Sin. They were running  out of food and getting hungry. Again, instead of asking God for help, they complained to Moses. The people were forgetting the promises that God had given them. They still did not trust God to take care of them. Even though they did not have the right attitude, God still loved His people, and He was about to give them something to eat that no one had ever heard of before!

Discuss:

• The people blamed Moses and Aaron, saying they brought them out of Egypt to die of hunger. What should they have done?
• God does not like complaining. One way we can learn not to complain is by being thankful.  What could the Israelites have been thankful for? 
• God gave the Israelites food which they called “manna,” which means “what is it?” What do you think it would be like to be given food straight from God every day? Do you think it tasted good? 
• Gathering manna would have been hard work. God showed the Israelites which day is the Sabbath by not giving them manna on the seventh day. Why didn’t God want them gathering their food on the Sabbath? How did God make sure they had enough to eat on the Sabbath day? 

Memory Challenge: 

Exodus 16:4

Then the Lord said to Moses, “Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you. And the people shall go out and gather a certain quota every day, that I may test them, whether they will walk in My law or not.”

Featured Passage: Judges 4:6-12

Israel had no king and the people were being treated harshly by their enemies the Canaanites. God told Deborah the judge that the time had come for deliverance and He had some special instructions for the Israelites. Deborah sent for a man named Barak who she knew would be able to prepare an army as God had instructed. The problem was, Barak did not want to go—unless Deborah came with him. So, together, Deborah and Barak went to gather an army for Israel in preparation for a battle that God Himself was planning. 

Discuss:

• Deborah was both a judge and a prophetess. There are several women besides Deborah mentioned as prophetesses in the Bible, including Miriam (Exodus 15:20), Isaiah’s wife (Isaiah 8:3), Huldah (2 Chronicles 34:22), and Anna (Luke 2:36). 
• God reveals to a prophet or prophetess what He wants the people to know, and they have the responsibility to tell it to the people.  What instructions from God did Deborah pass on to Barak? 
• God told Deborah He was planning to deliver Israel from their enemies the Canaanites if they followed His directions. What are some promises God gives us if we follow His directions? 
• Why do you think Barak wanted Deborah to go with him to gather the army for battle? What did Deborah tell Barak would happen if she went with him? 

Memory Challenge: 

Judges 4:9

“So she said, ‘I will surely go with you; nevertheless there will be no glory for you in the journey you are taking, for the Lord will sell Sisera into the hand of a woman.’ Then Deborah arose and went with Barak to Kedesh.”

Featured Passage: Exodus 17:1-7

As the Israelites traveled across the wilderness toward the promised land, they came to a place called Rephidim. They discovered that there was no water there, and the people and their animals were very thirsty. They complained again, and blamed  Moses for bringing them into the wilderness to die of thirst. Time and again they had tested God with their complaining and lack of faith. The people didn’t seem to be thankful for what God had already done for them. Would He help them out again, even with their bad attitudes? 

Discuss:

• Testing God is not a small matter. What does it mean to “test God”? 
• The people contended with Moses. To contend means to struggle against, to oppose, or to debate—to fight. In what way did the Israelites contend with Moses? Do we sometimes contend with others? What can we do to make sure we don’t?
• God demonstrated great patience and mercy in dealing with Israel. What are some other character traits that God showed when working with Israel?
• Imagine what it would be like in a desert wilderness with no food or water. If you were in their shoes, what would you have done? 
• God instructed Moses to strike the rock to bring forth water. No matter what rock, no matter what type of device you use, you can strike a rock all day, and no water will come out. Do you think this miracle would help the Israelites remember Who was taking care of them? 

Memory Challenge:

Exodus 17:6

Behold, I will stand before you there on the rock in Horeb; and you shall strike the rock, and water will come out of it, that the people may drink.