Memory verse: Isa 6:3
In order to be prepared for this week's study read Isaiah chapters 38-39.
Chapter 38 is about Hezekiah's illness and recovery. His prayer of thanksgiving is very moving. But then in chapter 39 a number of strange things happen that I have pondered for many years. (It might help you to get the full picture to read 2 Kings 20:12-21 as well.) Give some thoughts to the following questions and see what you think:
1. Are there some things worse than dying young?
2. Are there some things more important than peace and security at the close of life?
3. What does it mean to leave a "legacy"?
Wednesday, August 27, 2014
Saturday, August 2, 2014
Lesson 18: Preparation for our August 6th Study
Our memory verse: Isa 6:3
We are going to continue in Isaiah chapter 6 this coming week with an emphasis on verses 8-13. This can be a very perplexing passage. To prepare for it, think through the following:
1. Did Isaiah receive a desirable task? Explain your reasoning.
2. What clue do we have that Isaiah was not looking forward to the ministry God had called him to?
3. What kind of application can we make in our day? After all, we live in a nation that appears to no longer be particularly receptive to the Gospel--is there reason for us to persevere against opposition in our day?
We are going to continue in Isaiah chapter 6 this coming week with an emphasis on verses 8-13. This can be a very perplexing passage. To prepare for it, think through the following:
1. Did Isaiah receive a desirable task? Explain your reasoning.
2. What clue do we have that Isaiah was not looking forward to the ministry God had called him to?
3. What kind of application can we make in our day? After all, we live in a nation that appears to no longer be particularly receptive to the Gospel--is there reason for us to persevere against opposition in our day?
Thursday, July 24, 2014
Lesson 17: Preparation for our July 30th Study
Our memory verse: Isa 6:3
This week we want to investigate Isaiah chapter 6, and so to begin, read through the chapter.
1. The first issue I want you to consider is the placing of chapter 6's content at this point in the book of Isaiah. For the most part, the narrative flows from chapter 5 right into chapter 7. So why is the content of chapter 6 inserted at this location?
2. What kind of king was Uzziah? (You can find amplifying information in 2Chron 26 and 2Ki 14-15.)
- What kind of mental/emotional state do you think Isaiah was in at the time of Uzziah's death.
- What message, or lesson, could God be teaching Isaiah regarding ministry?
3. Many have commented on chapter 6 as being Isaiah's call to ministry--or some kind of renewed call. If so, what "stages in ministry" can you extract from the text?
See you on Wednesday
This week we want to investigate Isaiah chapter 6, and so to begin, read through the chapter.
1. The first issue I want you to consider is the placing of chapter 6's content at this point in the book of Isaiah. For the most part, the narrative flows from chapter 5 right into chapter 7. So why is the content of chapter 6 inserted at this location?
2. What kind of king was Uzziah? (You can find amplifying information in 2Chron 26 and 2Ki 14-15.)
- What kind of mental/emotional state do you think Isaiah was in at the time of Uzziah's death.
- What message, or lesson, could God be teaching Isaiah regarding ministry?
3. Many have commented on chapter 6 as being Isaiah's call to ministry--or some kind of renewed call. If so, what "stages in ministry" can you extract from the text?
See you on Wednesday
Thursday, July 10, 2014
Lesson 16: Preparation for our July 23rd Study
Note: the next time we will be in Isaiah will be on the 23rd of July. On the 16th, we will have guest speakers, Hans and Jennifer Anderson, who are missionaries with ECMI in Spain.
Memory verse: Isa 30:15
Read Isaiah chapter 14. At first reading, this is part of a larger section documenting God's judgment on the pagan nations around Israel, and supports our theme that God is sovereign over the nations. However, right in the middle of the chapter, in verses 12-15, is a section that should catch our attention. For although some of it aptly describes the attitude of godless kings, there is also that which does not seem to apply. For example, which of the godless kings "fell from heaven"?
Theologians have long attributed this portion of Scripture to be descriptive of Satan. If true, it gives us insight into His rebellion against God. (You can gain additional insight by reading Ezek 28:11-19.) Considering this to be a real possibility, please ponder the following:
1. If God has seen fit to give us information about Satan in Isa 14, why did he tuck it away in the middle of a chapter about the Babylonians?
2. What do you think this might have taught the Jews of Isaiah's day, and what (if any) application can be made today?
After enjoying our missionary guests, see you on the 23rd.
Kevin
Memory verse: Isa 30:15
Read Isaiah chapter 14. At first reading, this is part of a larger section documenting God's judgment on the pagan nations around Israel, and supports our theme that God is sovereign over the nations. However, right in the middle of the chapter, in verses 12-15, is a section that should catch our attention. For although some of it aptly describes the attitude of godless kings, there is also that which does not seem to apply. For example, which of the godless kings "fell from heaven"?
Theologians have long attributed this portion of Scripture to be descriptive of Satan. If true, it gives us insight into His rebellion against God. (You can gain additional insight by reading Ezek 28:11-19.) Considering this to be a real possibility, please ponder the following:
1. If God has seen fit to give us information about Satan in Isa 14, why did he tuck it away in the middle of a chapter about the Babylonians?
2. What do you think this might have taught the Jews of Isaiah's day, and what (if any) application can be made today?
After enjoying our missionary guests, see you on the 23rd.
Kevin
Thursday, July 3, 2014
Lesson 15: Preparation for our July 9th Study
Our memory verse: Isa 30:15
We have seen how the book of Isaiah teaches both the truth that 1) God is sovereign over all nations; and 2) He desires for us to live lives dependent upon Him and the truths of His Word. We are currently in the middle of investigating what it means when Hab 2:4 says, "My righteous ones will live by faith." We are going to spend one more week trying to deepen our understanding of faith. To do so, consider the following questions.
1. What does it mean when Scripture says, "By grace are we saved, through faith. . ." (Eph 2:8-9)
2. I think it very likely that you know someone who, as best you could tell, placed their faith in Christ as their Savior, and then some time later seemed to lose all interest in Christianity. What do you think happened? See if you can list more than one possibility.
3. The verb "to believe" is used more than 100 times in the Gospel of John. See John 2:23 for an example. Now read Jn 2:24-25. Nearly every commentator you will read on this passage will state that these people were not "true" believers or they had "false" faith. Does that seem consistent with John's use of "believe"? In other words--does John every talk about the concept of false faith? Are there any other possible explanations for Jn 2:24-25 that come to mind?
We have seen how the book of Isaiah teaches both the truth that 1) God is sovereign over all nations; and 2) He desires for us to live lives dependent upon Him and the truths of His Word. We are currently in the middle of investigating what it means when Hab 2:4 says, "My righteous ones will live by faith." We are going to spend one more week trying to deepen our understanding of faith. To do so, consider the following questions.
1. What does it mean when Scripture says, "By grace are we saved, through faith. . ." (Eph 2:8-9)
2. I think it very likely that you know someone who, as best you could tell, placed their faith in Christ as their Savior, and then some time later seemed to lose all interest in Christianity. What do you think happened? See if you can list more than one possibility.
3. The verb "to believe" is used more than 100 times in the Gospel of John. See John 2:23 for an example. Now read Jn 2:24-25. Nearly every commentator you will read on this passage will state that these people were not "true" believers or they had "false" faith. Does that seem consistent with John's use of "believe"? In other words--does John every talk about the concept of false faith? Are there any other possible explanations for Jn 2:24-25 that come to mind?
Thursday, June 26, 2014
Lesson 14: Preparation for our July 2nd Study
Our memory verse: Isa 30:15
We are in the middle of looking at two things, which I want to suggest need to be kept in the proper "tension" in the thinking of a Christian.
The first, is that God judges evil--both evil found among His people and the evil of this world. What sometimes causes us to be perplexed is when we see God using the evil entities of this world as the means to judge His people. Isn't one evil worse than the other? This issue will ultimately be answered by a view of God on His throne in Isaiah chapter 6. In the meantime, we will shortly see how God judges the wicked of this world, after using them to judge His people, in Isaiah chapter 10.
The other item, that must be kept in proper tension with the judgment of the wicked, is how God expects His people to live out their lives--including those cases when judgment is falling all around. We saw this last Wednesday in Hab 2:4, which says, ". . .My righteous ones will live by faith." Amazingly, this verse is quoted three times in the New Testament. What I would like you to do in order to be ready for our study is to look at each quotation, and answer the following questions:
Rm 1:17
- How does the context of Romans one shape our understanding of the "life of the righteous"?
- What would a response to Rom 1:17 "look like"?
Gal 3:11
- How does the context of Galatians three shape our understanding of the "life of the righteous"?
- What would a response to Gal 3:11 "look like"?
Heb 10:38
- How does the context of Hebrews ten shape our understanding of the "life of the righteous"?
- What would a response to Heb 10:38 "look like"?
See you on Wednesday!
We are in the middle of looking at two things, which I want to suggest need to be kept in the proper "tension" in the thinking of a Christian.
The first, is that God judges evil--both evil found among His people and the evil of this world. What sometimes causes us to be perplexed is when we see God using the evil entities of this world as the means to judge His people. Isn't one evil worse than the other? This issue will ultimately be answered by a view of God on His throne in Isaiah chapter 6. In the meantime, we will shortly see how God judges the wicked of this world, after using them to judge His people, in Isaiah chapter 10.
The other item, that must be kept in proper tension with the judgment of the wicked, is how God expects His people to live out their lives--including those cases when judgment is falling all around. We saw this last Wednesday in Hab 2:4, which says, ". . .My righteous ones will live by faith." Amazingly, this verse is quoted three times in the New Testament. What I would like you to do in order to be ready for our study is to look at each quotation, and answer the following questions:
Rm 1:17
- How does the context of Romans one shape our understanding of the "life of the righteous"?
- What would a response to Rom 1:17 "look like"?
Gal 3:11
- How does the context of Galatians three shape our understanding of the "life of the righteous"?
- What would a response to Gal 3:11 "look like"?
Heb 10:38
- How does the context of Hebrews ten shape our understanding of the "life of the righteous"?
- What would a response to Heb 10:38 "look like"?
See you on Wednesday!
Thursday, June 19, 2014
Lesson 13: Preparation for our June 25th Study
Our memory verse: Isa 30:15 (as we continue the theme of developing dependance upon the Lord)
We have looked at the following passages already, but let me remind you of something you may not have yet observed:
- In Isa 7:18-20 and Isa 8:5-8 you can see that God is going to use the Assyrians to discipline the Southern Kingdom of Judah.
- In Isa 9:8 all the way to Isa 10:4 we see God making use of a number of nations, primarily Assyria to discipline the Northern Kingdom (called Ephraim or Samaria).
Now the Israelites were involved in idolatry and great disobedience to the Lord, but have you thought about the fact that the Assyrians were a terrible and very cruel people. What about them? How can God use the wickeder to punish the wicked and still be God? Good questions?
1. Take a look at Isa 10:5-19: what is going to happen to Assyria?
2. Now take a look at Isaiah chapter 13 and make sure to note verse 19. The Babylonians are going to be used to judge the Southern Kingdom--what is going to happen to them?
3. What does this teach us about the Sovereignty of God? Or stated another way, is God just the God of Israel, or is he something more?
See you on Wednesday
We have looked at the following passages already, but let me remind you of something you may not have yet observed:
- In Isa 7:18-20 and Isa 8:5-8 you can see that God is going to use the Assyrians to discipline the Southern Kingdom of Judah.
- In Isa 9:8 all the way to Isa 10:4 we see God making use of a number of nations, primarily Assyria to discipline the Northern Kingdom (called Ephraim or Samaria).
Now the Israelites were involved in idolatry and great disobedience to the Lord, but have you thought about the fact that the Assyrians were a terrible and very cruel people. What about them? How can God use the wickeder to punish the wicked and still be God? Good questions?
1. Take a look at Isa 10:5-19: what is going to happen to Assyria?
2. Now take a look at Isaiah chapter 13 and make sure to note verse 19. The Babylonians are going to be used to judge the Southern Kingdom--what is going to happen to them?
3. What does this teach us about the Sovereignty of God? Or stated another way, is God just the God of Israel, or is he something more?
See you on Wednesday
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)