FAITH LESSONS IN BIBLE STUDIES

[islandboy]

Question:

1. a. In the Bible, the Jordan River represents a barrier to be crossed, both literally and figuratively. What barriers are preventing you from working toward God's purpose in your life?
   
         The barriers in my life are:
   
     Where I live (very isolated)
     Being disabled
     Unable to drive
     Neighbors who do not want to hear about God.

   
    b. What barriers has God helped you overcome?
     
God has show me how I can be affective on-line in telling and teaching others about Him.
     
Opened  the door to a new Church family and a place that I feel welcome and needed.
     
Most of all He has shown me how being humble and poor, is better than being rich and unaware,  of the needs of others.

[carlotta]

Hi Islandboy!  I have been without a computer for nearly a week - ours crashed when my son installed some new software -so I haven't been able to thank you for answering my questions, about Jacob wrestling with the angel, until now.  The explanations you gave were very helpful, Thanks!
I'm still puzzled about the identity of the angel.  Genesis 32: 24 says 'a man', but Hosea 12:4 says   'the angel'.   And in Genesis, Jacob says that he has 'seen God face-to-face'. Where is the evidence that the angel was the second person of the Trinity?  This is a very difficult passage, isn't it?

[Soldier4Christ]

Hi Carlotta,

If you look at Gen 32:30 you see that Jacob called the place Peniel which means "face of God". He did so because he was face to face with God not an Angel.

You mention Hos 12:4, read on to verse 5 and it tells you "Even the LORD God of hosts; the LORD is his memorial."

Mal 3:1  Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the LORD of hosts.

Here we see "the messenger of the covenant" (Jesus) also being called a messenger (angel). This is because He was not yet revealed as Jesus, the son of God.

[islandboy]

QUESTION:


2. The Jordan River parted for God's people only after they made the first move and stepped out in faith.

     In what ways has the Christian community today failed to step out in faith on important issues?

  By not saying or doing anything to prevent or defend against the evil and immoral things and actions done in our country. We close our eyes and ears to it half hoping it will not last or will soon be forgotten. However, each step of immorality, is a step in the wrong direction and by not protesting against it we are condoning that type of behavior. And in a way we are accepting it as the norm which is far from following the laws of our Lord and Savior. We must speak out against evil, stay away from evil, and tell others of the danger of such evils.

[islandboy]

Read  Joshua 2: 1-21     Joshua  6: 22-25              Matthew 1: 1-7

Faith Lesson 3 :  Firstfruits

[Soldier4Christ]

Jos 2:1  And Joshua the son of Nun sent out of gotcha2tim two men to spy secretly, saying, Go view the land, even Jericho. And they went, and came into an harlot's house, named Rahab, and lodged there.
Jos 2:2  And it was told the king of Jericho, saying, Behold, there came men in hither to night of the children of Israel to search out the country.
Jos 2:3  And the king of Jericho sent unto Rahab, saying, Bring forth the men that are come to thee, which are entered into thine house: for they be come to search out all the country.
Jos 2:4  And the woman took the two men, and hid them, and said thus, There came men unto me, but I wist not whence they were:
Jos 2:5  And it came to pass about the time of shutting of the gate, when it was dark, that the men went out: whither the men went I wot not: pursue after them quickly; for ye shall overtake them.
Jos 2:6  But she had brought them up to the roof of the house, and hid them with the stalks of flax, which she had laid in order upon the roof.
Jos 2:7  And the men pursued after them the way to Jordan unto the fords: and as soon as they which pursued after them were gone out, they shut the gate.
Jos 2:8  And before they were laid down, she came up unto them upon the roof;
Jos 2:9  And she said unto the men, I know that the LORD hath given you the land, and that your terror is fallen upon us, and that all the inhabitants of the land faint because of you.
Jos 2:10  For we have heard how the LORD dried up the water of the Red sea for you, when ye came out of Egypt; and what ye did unto the two kings of the Amorites, that were on the other side Jordan, Sihon and Og, whom ye utterly destroyed.
Jos 2:11  And as soon as we had heard these things, our hearts did melt, neither did there remain any more courage in any man, because of you: for the LORD your God, he is God in heaven above, and in earth beneath.
Jos 2:12  Now therefore, I pray you, swear unto me by the LORD, since I have shewed you kindness, that ye will also shew kindness unto my father's house, and give me a true token:
Jos 2:13  And that ye will save alive my father, and my mother, and my brethren, and my sisters, and all that they have, and deliver our lives from death.
Jos 2:14  And the men answered her, Our life for yours, if ye utter not this our business. And it shall be, when the LORD hath given us the land, that we will deal kindly and truly with thee.
Jos 2:15  Then she let them down by a cord through the window: for her house was upon the town wall, and she dwelt upon the wall.
Jos 2:16  And she said unto them, Get you to the mountain, lest the pursuers meet you; and hide yourselves there three days, until the pursuers be returned: and afterward may ye go your way.
Jos 2:17  And the men said unto her, We will be blameless of this thine oath which thou hast made us swear.
Jos 2:18  Behold, when we come into the land, thou shalt bind this line of scarlet thread in the window which thou didst let us down by: and thou shalt bring thy father, and thy mother, and thy brethren, and all thy father's household, home unto thee.
Jos 2:19  And it shall be, that whosoever shall go out of the doors of thy house into the street, his blood shall be upon his head, and we will be guiltless: and whosoever shall be with thee in the house, his blood shall be on our head, if any hand be upon him.
Jos 2:20  And if thou utter this our business, then we will be quit of thine oath which thou hast made us to swear.
Jos 2:21  And she said, According unto your words, so be it. And she sent them away, and they departed: and she bound the scarlet line in the window.



Jos 6:22  But Joshua had said unto the two men that had spied out the country, Go into the harlot's house, and bring out thence the woman, and all that she hath, as ye sware unto her.
Jos 6:23  And the young men that were spies went in, and brought out Rahab, and her father, and her mother, and her brethren, and all that she had; and they brought out all her kindred, and left them without the camp of Israel.
Jos 6:24  And they burnt the city with fire, and all that was therein: only the silver, and the gold, and the vessels of brass and of iron, they put into the treasury of the house of the LORD.
Jos 6:25  And Joshua saved Rahab the harlot alive, and her father's household, and all that she had; and she dwelleth in Israel even unto this day; because she hid the messengers, which Joshua sent to spy out Jericho.


Mat 1:1  The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.
Mat 1:2  Abraham begat Isaac; and Isaac begat Jacob; and Jacob begat Judas and his brethren;
Mat 1:3  And Judas begat Phares and Zara of Thamar; and Phares begat Esrom; and Esrom begat Aram;
Mat 1:4  And Aram begat Aminadab; and Aminadab begat Naasson; and Naasson begat Salmon;
Mat 1:5  And Salmon begat Booz of Rachab; and Booz begat Obed of Ruth; and Obed begat Jesse;
Mat 1:6  And Jesse begat David the king; and David the king begat Solomon of her that had been the wife of Urias;
Mat 1:7  And Solomon begat Roboam; and Roboam begat Abia; and Abia begat Asa;

[Soldier4Christ]

In what ways has the Christian community today failed to step out in faith on important issues?

In every way that can be imagined. The majority of my posts on here are on this very subject.

It has become politically correct for Christians to fall back into the walls of their homes and churches so that we do not "offend" anyone.

[islandboy]

FAITH LESSONS FIRSTFRUITS  QUESTIONS:

1. a. Who and what was Rehab?

     Rehab was a person that God knew had faith and belief in Him.
     Rehab was also a prostitute, a pagan, and a Canaanite, but she didn't allow her past sin to keep her from the task God laid before her.

   

    b. Why do you think the spies went to her house?
     
     1. It was a good place to gather information and have no questions asked in return.
     2. Rahab's house was in a ideal location for a quick escape because it was built into the city wall.
     3. God directed the spies to Rahab's house because he knew her heart was open to him and she would be an instrumental in the Israelite
         victory over Jericho.

   

    c. Why did Rehab risk so much to protect these spies?

      Because of fear and respect of the all-powerful God. And she made them promise that her family would be kept safe in the fall of Jericho.



2. a. What does it mean to you that God used Rehab to save His people and even included her----a prostitute---in the ancestral line of the Messiah?

      It shows me that God will use people of simple faith to accomplish his purposes, no matter what their past was like or how insignificant they
      may seem to be.

   

      b. What does it show about God's view of your past sin?
       
       That it is forgiven when I repented of my sins and turned my life over to God.



3. a. What other people in the Bible did God use despite their pasts?

   

    b. Have you ever felt inadequate because of a sinful past?
     
       Yes, many times.




4. a. Why did God order Jericho not to be rebuilt?

As with many things in the Old Testament they are a "shadow of things to come". There are many lessons to be learned from the Old Testament. Here we see the might and power of God, the condemnation of those who reject Him and His word. We also see His wonderful mercy towards those, even sinners as Rahab, that accept Him and His word as Lord and Saviour. Rahab had faith that she would be saved and it is through faith that we receive salvation through Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour.

The walls of Jericho was to be a testament to all this. Those that wish to build any other foundation will be condemned as well. The curse placed on the rebuilder is also a testament to God's promises to do as He says He will. We see this through Hiel the Bethelite in 1Ki 16:34 and the demise of his sons.

       

   

     b. What did the ruins of Jericho symbolize?

The power and promises of God against those that reject Him (see #3 above)

[islandboy]

FACTS  ON  ISRAEL: Quoted from the book " The Last Two Million Years", by Readers Digest

With the proclamation of the State of Israel in 1948, an ancient Jewish dream became a reality. For almost 2000 years after they were displaced by the Romans from their homeland, the dream of a return to the "Promised Land" of Palestine  never ceased to burn in the minds of the Jewish people. The dream was sustained by their religion, which spoke of a Messiah who would lead them back from exile, and intensified by cruel  persecution.
Not all Jews suffered during the long centuries of the Diaspora (dispersion). Some groups merged successfully into the life of their adoptive countries, becoming leaders of commerce and industry, and making contributions to thought, science and the arts which were out of all proportion to their numbers. But for most Jews of the Diaspora, living precariously in ghettos, persecution was a more usual fate.
Since independence, Israel has been in constant conflict with its encircling Arab neighbors, who deny that the Israelis have any right to the soil of Palestine; four times the dispute has erupted into war. By the end of the six-day war of 1967 the Israelis had gained over 25,000 square miles of territory, stretching across the Sinai Peninsula to the banks of the Suez Canal, and including the West Bank of the River Jordan and Syria's Golan Heights. War broke out again in 1973, when Egypt and Syria attacked the Israelis in a bid to win back their lost territory.

[islandboy]

CHILDREN OF ISRAEL:

The first Jews to reach Canaan ( present-day Israel) were wandering migrants who, under the leadership of Abraham, moved there from northern Mesopotamia. They later settled in Egypt, where they were victims of persecution until 1200 BC when another leader, Moses, led them out of bondage.
Their long arduous journey back to Canaan took the Hebrews 40 years. But, thoughout their trials, they were fortified by their religious faith. They were unique in their belief in one God, Jehovah, who would lead his people to their " Promised Land". The basic principles of their faith were laid down in the Ten Commandments which, according to the Bible, were given to Moses by God on Mount Sinai.
After their return to Canaan, the Hebrews preserved their ancient tribal structure until they were united in 1025 BC by a warrior-king, Saul, to meet the challenge of the Philistines, a seafaring race who were pressing in from the north. Saul defeated the Philistines in several battles, and his successor, David, went on to complete his work, establishing a Hebrew kingdom with its capital at Jerusalem in 1005 BC.
The rule of David's son, Solomon, saw Jewish power reach its height. But after Soloman's death in 928 BC, his kingdom divided into two states, Israel and Judah, the latter ruled by the House of David, with its capital at Jerusalem. The two kingdoms quarrelled and their disputes opened the way to foreign invasion.

[islandboy]

CONQUEST  AND  DISPERSION:

Israel was the first of the two Jewish states to fall to an outside power, when it was conquered by Assyria in 722 BC. After Assyria's fall, Judah was conquered by Babylon. This Babylonian captivity lasted for 50 years. When the Persians under Cyrus the Great destroyed Babylon in 539 BC, the Jews were allowed to return to their homeland and rebuild Solomon's Temple in Jerusalem; but they did not regain full Independence.
Persia was conquered by Alexander the Great in 332 BC, and after his death two Greek dynasties battled for the division of his conquests. The Ptolemies controlled Israel until 200 BC, when they were driven out by the Seleucid ruler, Antiochus III. A Jewish revolt in 141 BC, led by Judas Maccabeus, ousted the Greeks. The Maccabee dynasty held power for 70 years before it was overthrown by the Romans.
Rome ruled Israel through a series of puppet kings. under one of these kings, Herod Antipas, Jesus Christ embarked on his mission. The Jews could never reconcile themselves to Roman rule and in AD 66 revolt broke out, fomented by a group called the Zealots.
Rome's reaction was harsh and brutal. Jerusalem fell to the Roman legions in AD 70 and the city's temple was again destroyed. The remnants of the rebel forces held out at Masada until AD 73, when they took their own lives rather than fall into Roman hands.
The Jewish spirit was not yet crushed. The Jews rose again in AD 132-5. Roman reaction was even more severe. Many Jews were forcibly deported and their lands laid to waste. Thus began the great Diaspora of the Jews. Millions of them settled in what were to become Christian countries of Europe--in lands such as Russia, Poland, Germany, Spain and England.
In many places the Jews were resented, for most Christians held them responsible for the death of Christ. They were confined to ghettos and forbidden to own land or practise a trade. Many of them could only earn a living by lending money, a practice which further alienated them from Christians who, in medieval times, were forbidden to do so. Pogroms (persecutions) were commonplace.
In nearly 1900 years Palestine, as the Romans had renamed Israel, was ruled and fought over by foreigners. Romans, Byzantines, Sasanid Persians, Arabs, Crusaders and Turks all controlled it at various times. The few Jews who remained there were a subject people.

[islandboy]

BIRTH  OF  ZIONISM:

In the 19th century, the Zionist movement was founded by the Hungarian Jew Theodor  Herzl to press for the restoration of Palestine to the Jews. This movement grew rapidly, and increasing numbers of European Jews began to emigrate to Palestine.
Financial aid came from American Zionists, as well as, from Jewish philanthropists in Britain, such as Sir Moses Montefiore and Baron Edmond de Rothschild.
Toward the end of the First World War, Palestine, which since 1516 had been ruled by Turkey, was conquered by Britain. Anxious for Jewish support, the British foreign secretary, Arthur Balfour, pledged British support for the Zionists in making Palestine a national home for the Jewish people.
But this pledge contradicted one given to the Arabs, who thought that Palestine was to become an independent Arab state after the war. When the war ended, the British, in fact, continued to rule Palestine under a League of Nations mandate.
Increasing Jewish immigration under the pressure of Nazi persecution in the 1930's alarmed the Arabs, who began to attack Jewish areas.
The British then proposed to divide the country between the two groups. The Jews were prepared to discuss this plan, but the Arabs demanded full independence.

[islandboy]

FOUNDATION  OF  MODERN  ISRAEL:

After the Second World War, Britain decided to admit only 2000 Jewish immigrants a month. This decision alienated world opinion, which remembered the 6 million Jews that the Nazis had slaughtered in concentration camps. In Palestine itself, groups of Palestinian Jews - notably the Irgun Zvai Leumi and the "Stern Gang' - began a terrorist campaign against British troops.
In 1947 the UN proposed that Palestine should be divided into Jewish and Arab states, with Jerusalem as a neutral zone. This plan was rejected by the Arabs but accepted by the Jews who, on May 14, 1948, proclaimed the independent state of Israel. Chaim Weizmann was its first president, and David Ben-Gurion its first prime minister. On the same day, the new state was attacked by Egypt, Jordan, Iraq and Lebanon. Israel emerged victorious from months of bitter fighting.

[islandboy]

YEARS  OF  CONFLICT  AND  CRISIS:

In spite of their defeat in 1948, the Arabs declared that they would never recognise Israel's right to exist. In 1956, Israel was again confronted by a hostile Arab military alliance, whose professed aim was the destruction of Israel. Israeli troops struck at Egypt. At the same time an Anglo-French invasion force was sent to safeguard the Suez Canal, which Egypt had just nationalised. United Nation's pressure forced Israel to give up most of its conquests. But the Israelis secured access to the Red Sea through the port of Eilat on the Gulf of Aqaba.
It was the Egyptian blockade of Eilat which again led to war in 1967. Israel struck at Egypt, Syria and Jordan on June 5; six days later, its forces, under General Moshe Dayan, had captured the Gaza Strip, the Sinai Peninsula, the west bank of Jordan and the Golan Heights. The battle-torn Egyptian army now faced the victorious Israelis along the bank of the Suez Canal.
On October 6, 1973 the fourth Arab-Israeli war began. Massive Egyptian and Syrian armies attacked Israel along the defence lines it had established after the 1967 war; within days the Israelis counter-attacked, and when an inconclusive ceasefire was agreed later in October their forces were on the whole in an even stronger position. But the war proved the costliest and potentially the most dangerous of the four that Israel had fought in the generation since it was founded.

[islandboy]

FAITH  LESSON  4: CONFRONTING  EVIL

Read  JUDGES 13--14      Numbers 6: 1--21

1. What is the significance, both cultural and spiritual, of the region known as the Shephelah?
 Shephelah is a Hebrew word meaning low and is usually translated as lowlands or the foothills. The word refers to a 12 to 15 mile wide
 region in Judea, comprised of foothills that are located between the mountains, where the Israelities lived, and the coastal plain
 dominated by the Philistines. In each of the Shephelah valleys, cities developed. The Aijalon, in the northern most valley, guarded  by  Tel Gezer. The Sorek and Elah valleys were guarded by Beth Shemesh and Azekah. And to the south, the city of Lachish, in the
 Lachish valley. these valleys, and the cities that overlooked them, were the location of many of the Old Testament battles. In the
 Shephelah, a godly culture and a pagan culture met, and those who won control over the area were able to shape the culture of the
 region.

2. What is the Shephelah of our culture?
 The Shephelah in our culture symbolizes the areas where God's values meet and mingle with the pagan practices of the world. Like the
 Israelites, we have that same choice, as to withdraw or be on the front line, defending our faith. So should we confront the secular
 values of the world, and gain control of the places in our neighbors and cities, towns and country, and the world, or just sit back and do
 nothing as evil continues to steal and rob our Lord's values and commandments from us ??