Archive for year: 2020

Featured Passage: Deuteronomy 31-34, Joshua 1

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The Children of Israel had been wandering in the wilderness for forty years and it was finally time to go into the land God promised them. Moses was now one hundred and twenty years old! He had lived a long and very exciting life, but God would not allow him to enter the Promised Land. It was time for Moses to sleep and await the resurrection. God gave Joshua the charge to lead Israel, but before Joshua could take on his new role, God had a few things to say to him.

Discuss:

• God is not the author of confusion (1 Corinthians 14:33). What did God tell Moses to do to ensure an orderly transition of leadership? (Numbers 27 gives some more details about this as well)
• What jobs did Joshua have over the forty-year period which trained him for leading Israel? 
• What was one of the last things Moses told Joshua before he died?
• What is courage? Does being courageous mean we are never afraid? What does it mean to be strong and courageous? From where do we ultimately get our strength?

Memory Challenge: 

Deuteronomy 31:7 

Then Moses called Joshua and said to him in the sight of all Israel, “Be strong and of good courage, for you must go with this people to the land which the Lord has sworn to their fathers to give them, and you shall cause them to inherit it.”

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Featured Passage: Jeremiah 1, 34-38

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King Josiah had worked hard to get Judah back on track to serve and worship the Eternal, but God knew that soon the people would be right back into their old ways of worshiping idols and practicing evil. He needed to send another messenger to warn the people that if they didn’t fully turn to Him they would soon go into captivity like the Kingdom of Israel did. God had picked out a particular young lad named Jeremiah. One day, God came to tell Jeremiah of the plans He had for his life. At first, Jeremiah was nervous and felt like he was too young for the job, but God assured him that He would help him – and He certainly did! 

Discuss: 

1. What was Jeremiah’s biggest concern about being a prophet? What was God’s answer to Jeremiah’s concerns?
2. Josiah and Jeremiah were both very young men when they began to serve God. What kinds of lessons can we learn from their examples? 
3. Which of God’s commands did King Zedekiah disobey when he made a covenant with the people in Jerusalem? Why was God angry with Zedekiah? 
4. What did the princes do to Jeremiah for warning the people that Jerusalem would be captured (Jeremiah 38)? Who rescued him?
5. What compassionate act did Ebed-Melech do when he went to pull Jeremiah out of the pit? What can we learn from the story of Ebed-Melech?
6. Where was Jeremiah when the city of Jerusalem was captured? 

Memory Challenge:

Jeremiah 1:7-8 

But the Lord said to me: “Do not say, ‘I am a youth,’ for you shall go to all to whom I send you, and whatever I command you, you will speak. Do not be afraid of their faces, For I am with you to deliver you,” says the Lord.

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Featured Passage: Jeremiah 39-44, 52

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After the death of Josiah, the people returned to their pagan ways. Therefore, God had allowed Egypt to subdue them. Soon, Egypt was conquered by the great empire of Babylon which meant that soon all of Judah would be under Babylon’s control. Jerusalem had not yet been captured and Jeremiah and other prophets continually warned Judah of impending doom if they did not repent. The people refused to listen. Since God’s temple was in Jerusalem they felt God would not allow the beloved city to be destroyed. Just as Jeremiah warned, God had enough of Judah’s evil practices. He knew that it was time to teach His rebellious people a hard lesson. 

Discuss:

• Who was King of Judah when the city of Jerusalem was captured by the Babylonians? What did the Babylonians do to him? 
• What did King Nebuchadnezzar do with Jeremiah when Jerusalem was captured? What did God say He would do for Ebed-Melech? Why do you think God protected Jeremiah and Ebed-Melech from being killed by the Babylonians?
• Judah was taken in stages. Who was taken In the first wave of captives? Who was left behind to stay in the land? What did Nebuchadnezzar do to the temple? 
• What scheme did the remaining people in Judah present to Jeremiah in order to ask his advice? Did they listen to Jeremiah’s advice? What did the group of people end up doing? 
• What happened to the remnant of Israelites who went to Egypt? Does the Bible indicate what happened to Jeremiah? In what other places in the Bible can you read about the fall of Jerusalem and the captivity of Judah?

Memory Challenge:

Jeremiah 40:3 

Now the Lord has brought it, and has done just as He said. Because you people have sinned against the Lord, and not obeyed His voice, therefore this thing has come upon you.

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Featured Passage: 1 Samuel 17

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David had been anointed king of Israel, but he was still just a young shepherd.  Though King Saul invited David to his court to be his armorbearer and to play the harp,  to his family, he was still just the youngest brother who cared for the sheep. Now, around this time, the Philistines came to fight against the Israelites in a battle. The Philistines brought out their champion warrior and wanted to make a deal. When the Israelites saw that the Philistine warrior was a giant, they were very scared and ran to hide! Even King Saul hid in his tent. When David saw the situation, he knew someone had to do something about it – and that something could only be done with God’s help.

 Discuss:

• What was the deal the Philistines wanted to make with the Israelites in the battle? Why did no one want to take up the challenge?
• How tall was Goliath?
• Why didn’t David take Saul’s armor? What things had David done to protect his sheep that let him know God would be with him? 
• What was Goliath doing every day? Why do you think David was so upset by the things he heard Goliath saying? 
• What do you think David was thinking about when he went out to fight Goliath? Do you think he was afraid? What should we do when we are feeling afraid? 
• What did David take with him to defeat Goliath?  After Goliath was dead, what did the armies of Israel do?

Memory Challenge: 

1 Samuel 17:47

“Then all this assembly shall know that the Lord does not save with sword and spear; for the battle is the Lord’s, and He will give you into our hands.”

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Featured Passage: Ezekiel 1-11, 33, 40-48

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After the Kingdom of Israel was taken into captivity, you’d think it would have been too late for a prophet to warn the people. After all, what is the point of warning someone of something that has already happened? Well, God had a very special message of warning for Israel through His prophet Ezekiel. Ezekiel was told to be a “watchman” for the house of Israel.  At the time, Ezekiel was living among the captives of the Babylonians. God gave him some very unique instructions, signs that he should perform to reinforce the warning message he proclaimed. So who was the message for? It was for the house of Israel in the future, at the Time of the End—today. 

Discuss: 

• What is the role of a watchman? Why did God give him this job? 
• Why did God tell Ezekiel to build a clay model of Jerusalem? What do you think the people thought of Ezekiel for setting up the model? 
• Even though God was warning of punishment for Israel, what did God tell Ezekiel He would do in the end? What does it mean when God says He will give the people a “Heart of flesh”? 
• The final chapters of Ezekiel describe the temple complex in the Millennium. What parts of what he describes stand out to you the most? What are you most looking forward to seeing? 
• According to Ezekiel 47, what will happen to the Dead Sea in Israel during the Millennium? 
• What will be the name of the city during the Millennium period?  Why do you think God will choose that name for it? 

Memory Challenge: 

Ezekiel 11:19-20

Then I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within them, and take the stony heart out of their flesh, and give them a heart of flesh, that they may walk in My statutes and keep My judgments and do them; and they shall be My people, and I will be their God.

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