[MEST]

1 Samuel 31

2011-06-28T01:50:00.001-07:00

[MEST] 1 Samuel
1 Samuel 31
"The king is dead..."

This final chapter can be divided into two sections...

1# A day of disgrace and defeat [1 Sam.31:1-10]
What does 1 Samuel 14:47-48 tell us and what's happened from then until now?

This first section can be split into three mini sectors...
Saul lost his army [Read 1 Sam.31:1]
What's happening in this verse?

What was missing in this battle?

Saul lost his life [Read 1 Sam.31:2-7]
What do we see happening here?

Why does Saul want his armour bearer to kill him?

What do we see going on here?

Saul lost his honour [Read 1 Sam.31:8-10]
How do we see the Philistines benefiting from this victory?

How do we see the Philistines humiliating Saul and Israel?

As Jews, how was this bad?

2# An hour of daring and devotion [Read 1 Sam.31:11-13]
What do we see in 1 Samuel 11:1-11 and how is this relevant for this story?

What do these men from Jabesh Gilead do?

They didn't respect the man but they did respect the office. How?

1 Samuel 30

2011-06-21T08:58:00.000-07:00

[MEST] 1 Samuel
1 Samuel 30
David and the Amalekites
This chapter can be split into two sections...
1# Delivering the captives [1 Sam.30:1-20]
And this can be divided into three mini sectors...
Distress [Read 1 Sam.30:1-6a]
Why did God “allow” Ziklag to be raided?

What information did the Amalekites have and how did this affect their decision?

How would David and the 600 feel when they returned to Ziklag?

We’re told that the men wore themselves out weeping and that David was “greatly distressed”... the Hebrew word literally means that he was pressed into a tight corner, the way a potter presses clay into a mould. What do you get from this?

Encouragement [Read 1 Sam.30:6b-15]
Different people react in different ways to the same circumstances. How do we see this in this passage?

What does David do next and why?

[Activity]> Read Psalm 103:3-10. What do you get from this?

What happens next?

How could that have affected David and the rest of the men?

Next we meet a dying Egyptian slave. What do we learn from him?
Victory [Read 1 Sam.30:16-20]
How do we see the Amalekites acting and why?

What does David and the 400 do?

[Activity]> Look back at all that God has done for David during this dark time of his life...
How have you experienced this?

2# Dividing the spoils [Read 1 Sam.30: 21-31]
What do we see happening in the first few verses and why?

How does David respond? How Does he deal with this situation?

Why does David do this?

In verse 26 what does David do and why?

Even though Ziklag had been burned down by the Amalekites, David and his men go back there. Why?

1 Samuel 27-29

2011-06-15T01:59:00.001-07:00

[MEST] 1 Samuel
1 Samuel 27-29
Living with the enemy...
In his later years, David heard God say, “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will guide you with my eye. Do not be like the horse or the mule.” (Psalm 32:8-9) What do you get from these lines?

Departing from the land [Read 1 Sam.27:1-3]
David had been a fugitive for seven years by now. What is his decision?

Why was the choice difficult for him?

Read Psalm 13:1-2. This was written about this season of David’s life. What do you get from this?

How does this play out in your life and experiences?

Deceiving the enemy [1 Sam.27:4-29:11]
Here we’ll see David telling lies, deceiving and making stuff up. Can you think of other examples of when he’s done this sort of thing before?

His request for a city [Read 1 Sam.27:4-7]
Why does king Achish welcome David?

Why doesn’t David want to stay in Gath?

His reports of the raids [Read 1 Sam.27:8-12]
What did king Achish think was happening and what was actually happening?

Why does Achish believe David?

What do you think happened when word of what David was doing got back to Israel?

His responsibility in the battle [Read 1 Sam.28:1-2 / 29:1-11]
The Philistines are now ready to attack Israel. So what do they do?

If you were the Philistine kings, what are the reasons for and against having David and his men fight with you?

What could David mean when he says in verse 2, “Then you will see for yourself what your servant can do”?

What are the concerns put forward by the commanders of the Philistine army about David fighting with them?

Read 1 Samuel 14:21. How is this relevant?

So, what do they suggest doing with David instead?

The king, the witch and the wardrobe [Read 1 Sam.28: 3-25]
In the first few verses what does Saul do? Why?

So, what’s Saul’s next move?

Next, what does Saul do?

How does this woman respond?

Next we see that this woman “contacts” Samuel. What do you think about this?

What do you make of verse 19?

1 Samuel 26

2011-06-07T08:23:00.001-07:00

[MEST] 1 Samuel
1 Samuel 26
A wise woman and a foolish king... [part two]
David spares the king [1 Sam. 26:1-25]
Some scholars have tried to say that this event is just a re-telling of the story back in chapter 24... but what are the differences?

Again, this chapter can be divided into four mini sectors...
Treachery [Read 1 Sam. 26:1-4]
Read 1 Chron. 2:42. What do you learn about the Ziphites? What should this mean?

What do we see the Ziphites do instead?

What does 1 Samuel 23:19 and Psalm 54 tell us?

What does Saul do and why?

But what do we see David has done?

Audacity [Read 1 Sam. 26: 5-12]
Why did David go down to Saul’s camp?

What do David and Abishai find when they enter the camp?

What does Abishai say and how is this similar to chapter 24?

What does David do?

What do they do instead?
David saw this as another opportunity to prove he didn’t want to kill Saul. On the flipside, how could Abishai and David’s men have seen this situation?

Why didn’t David see it this way?

Mockery [Read 1 Sam. 26:13-16]
Why did David and Abishai go across to another hill?

What does David do?

Why doesn’t David identify himself?

Again, what is the spear and water jug [or lack of] proof of?

Dishonesty [Read 1 Sam. 26:17-25]
What does Saul do?

What is David’s question and argument?

What does Saul do? How does he respond to David?

But how does David reply?

[Activity] > Artist impressions...

1 Samuel 25

2011-06-02T04:32:00.000-07:00

[MEST] 1 Samuel
1 Samuel 25
A wise woman and a foolish king...[part one]
These next two chapters record four events that reveal David’s involvement with four different kinds of people...
David loses a friend [Read 1 Sam.25:1]
What are we told in this first verse and what do we get from it?

The people didn’t always obey Samuel when he was alive, but they were careful to honour him once he had died. Why?

We see that David didn’t go to Samuel’s funeral. Why not?

What things in their relationship, while Samuel was alive, meant that David didn’t need to go to his funeral?

So, David moved to Paran desert, which was over 100 miles south of the “stronghold” where he had been camped. Why move that far?

David discovers an enemy [Read 1 Sam.25:2-13]
Here we see a second meeting. The first was in 1 Sam 23:24. What happened then and what should this mean for now in chapter 25?

But what does Nabal do?

We’re told that Nabal is from the family line of Caleb. What should this mean?

But the name “Caleb” also means “a dog.” What meaning could we get from this?

How does Nabal react to David’s message?

How does David react to this message back from Nabal?

David takes a wife [1 Sam.25:14-44]
When God saw that David was about to act rashly and stupidly... He steps in and changes things. He arranges for a wise and brave woman to stop him...
Abigail’s plan [Read 1 Sam.25:14-19]
This messenger doesn’t go to Nabal... he goes to Abigail. Why?

In that day and culture, the parents arranged marriages. What was the pros and cons for each side of this marriage between Nabal & Abigail?

What would have been the outcome if David had been successful in his revenge mission?

Abigail sorts out all the provisions & food & gifts for David and his men without Nabal’s knowledge or permission. What does this tell us?

Abigail’s humble apology [Read 1 Sam.25: 20-35]
Abigail just “happened” to meet David and his 600 men before they got to Nabal. What does this tell us?

What does Abigail do when she meets David?

By focusing on David & God, instead of David & Nabal, what did Abigail accomplish?

Abigail only had one request. What was it?

What could she have meant by this?

How we receive criticism, reproof, counsel and advice is a test of our relationship to God and our willingness to live by His word. How do you see this in this story? How have you experienced this in your life?

Abigail’s unexpected marriage [Read 1 Sam.25: 36-44]
When Abigail got back to Nabal and found him drunk and partying. What could she have done?What did she do and what happened?

What did David do next and why?

What results came from marrying Abigail?

So, David is married to Michal, Ahinoam and now Abigail! What’s happened? What are his other wives doing?

1 Samuel 24

2011-05-25T03:24:00.001-07:00

[MEST] 1 Samuel
1 Samuel 24
David delivers Saul from death...
This week’s story can be split into four mini sections...
David had prayed in Psalm 54 that the Lord would vindicate him and give him opportunity to prove to Saul that he wasn’t an outlaw or trying to kill him and take his throne.
God answered David’s prayer when Saul and his troops came to find him at EnGedi...
David’s temptation [Read 1 Sam. 24:1-4]
There were hundreds of caves around this area, but Saul “just happened” to chose this one to have a pee. What do you get from this?

What does Deut. 23:12-14 tell us?

So, if Saul is relieving himself, what does this mean?

How might David and his men be feeling at this point?

How are they feeling?

[Activity]> The men are sure that this is God’s way of fulfilling His promise to “give your enemy into your hands for you to deal with as you wish”... but when in 1 Samuel did God promise this?
The main question asked of David and the 600 was, “How does the Lord want us to use this occasion?” What was the possible “answers” to this question?

What did David do and why?

David’s conviction [Read 1 Sam. 24:5-7]
What does David remind his men?

David’s actions bothered him. They sent out three messages, what were they?
David’s vindication [1 Sam. 24: 8-15]
What does David call Saul and what does he do?

Why does he say/do this?

How does David use the piece of cut-off robe?

What is David talking about in verse 12?

What does the proverb that David quotes mean and how have you experienced this?

David’s affirmation [Read 1 Sam. 24: 16-22]
How does Saul respond to David?

In Saul’s speech, he acknowledges 3 levels of life... Divine / Human / Demonic. What do these “levels” look like and how do our characters fit into them?

Even though Saul had been chasing David, trying to kill him, spreading rumours about him and executing anyone who helps him... what do we see Saul admitting in this passage?

In this “humble” speech, what do we see is Saul’s main concern?

What does he finish by asking David to do?

Who does this remind you of?

Why is this such a concern?

1 Samuel 23

2011-05-17T15:26:00.000-07:00

[MEST] 1 Samuel
1 Samuel 23
“David the deliverer...”
David delivers Keilah from the Philistines [Read 1 Sam 23:1-6]
Keliah was a border town in Judah, about 12 miles away from the Philistine city of Gath and 10 miles from the forest of Hereth (where David was camping)...
What did being this close to the enemy mean for Keilah?

What does this vulnerability of attack for Keilah tell us about king Saul?

So, apparently David has got spies too... and they tell him about this trouble in Keilah. What could David have done? What does he do?

How do you make decisions and take actions in your life?

Once David found out what God wanted them to do, he took it to his men. How did they respond?

So, who or what was creating the problem here?

What has been your experience of “impossible” situations? How have you dealt with them?

David delivers himself and his men from Saul [1 Sam 23:7-29]
This second half of our story can be split into two mini sections...
Now that David was an outlaw, on the run with a price on his head, he needed to be careful. What dangers were about for David?

From Keilah to the wilderness of Ziph [Read 1 Sam 23: 7-18]
Here we see that David has spies too. What do they tell him?

Again, how could David have reacted to this news? How does he react?

What was David’s main worry?

Why might they do this?

Where does David go next? Who does he meet?

Why does Jonathan want to renew their covenant and go over their promises to each other again?

From Ziph to the wilderness of Maon [Read 1 Sam 23:19-29]
What do we see the Ziphites doing?

What does Saul do next?

What do we see David doing?

But, Saul followed David and these two armies met at “the rock” a mountain... one on one side and one on the other... chasing and running from each other on opposite sides...
They were getting closer to catching David, gaining ground. How? What happened next?

What happens next?

What does this show us?

To commemorate this event, the Jews called this place “Sela Hammahlekoth” = “the rock of parting” or closer to the original Hebrew = “a smooth rock” or “a slippery rock” = “the rock of slipping away.” What do you get from this?

[Activity]> These events in David’s life were what inspired him to write Psalm 54. Read and think about this story and how in light of what you know now... what stands out to you?

1 Samuel 22:6-23

2011-05-11T04:04:00.000-07:00

[MEST] 1 Samuel
1 Samuel 22:6-23
Now, three weeks in we meet our fourth main character. We briefly bumped into him last week...
4# Doeg _ a deceitful servant [1 Sam 22:6-23]
Why does Doeg get a “bit part” in the last chapter before he’s properly introduced in this chapter?

This chapter can be broken into four mini sections...
The kings anger [Read 1 Sam 22:6-10]
King Saul seems to be a creature of habit. Why?

What is Saul’s tactic to keep his soldiers on his side?

What is Saul’s state of mind here?

What does Doeg tell Saul? Is it all true?

So, if this was a lie, why would Doeg say it?

The illegal trial [Read 1 Sam 22:11-15]
How does Saul respond to this information?

What does Saul call Ahimelek? Why? What does this arc back to?

The name “Ahimelek” means “brother of the king.” How do Saul’s actions marry up to that?

What should Saul have done with this audience with the High Priest?

What are the charges in this “trial”?
How does Ahimelek respond to these accusations?

The unjust sentence [Read 1 Sam 22:16-19]
There was no evidence that Ahimelek was guilty, but what does Saul do?

His soldiers wont obey this command. Why not?

Even if Ahimelek was guilty, what does Deut 24:16 tell us?

Back near the beginning of this book we saw that Israel asked for a king “like the other nations” and that’s exactly what they got! What does this mean?

What does Doeg do?

Doeg goes above and beyond Saul’s orders. How?

Although this unjust trial and illegal sentence is shocking, what do we see by reading 1 Sam 2:27-36 / 4:10-18?

The protected priest [Read 1 Sam 22:20-23]
What happens next?

Why does he go to David?

Now, what do we see going on in this cave of 400?

Next, we see David taking blame and responsibility. How?

1 Samuel 21:1 - 22:5

2011-05-04T11:06:00.000-07:00

[MEST] 1 Samuel
1 Samuel 21:1 – 22:5
After looking at the first two characters last time, we will observe our third...
3# David _ A hopeful exile [1 Sam 21:1-22:5]
When David ran away it marked the beginning of an exile that would last 10 years. What did this mean to David?

Psalms 7, 11-13, 16-18, 22, 25, 31, 34-35, 52-54, 56-59, 63-64, 142-143, are all reflections of these fugitive years. What does this tell us?

David goes to Nob [Read 1 Sam 21:1-9]
This town was where the Tabernacle was located. What do you get from this?

Why did David’s “aloneness” frighten Ahimelek?

How are the different ways we could read into David’s reply in verse 2?

David took the “sacred loaves” from the Tabernacle; this food was reserved for the priests. If the correct offerings would have been made, the Tabernacle would have been full of food for David. What does this tell us?

What does Ahimelek’s response in verse 4 tell us?

Why is Goliath’s sword here?!

Now David has bread and a sword. What does this tell us?

This is the first time we meet our fourth main character, Doeg. Who is he and why is he here?

David knew Doeg, what did this mean?

From Nob to Gath [Read 1 Sam 21:10-15]
So, David runs the 23 miles to the Philistine city of Gath. What is the significance of this?

Why does David go there?

Now David is with this king, Achish of Gath. What does he do?

[Activity]> Read Psalms 56 and 34, as these are the two Psalms David wrote about this situation. What stuff stands out to you more now you know the history and context behind why they were written?

From Gath to the cave of Adullum [Read 1 Sam 22:1-2]
This cave of Adullum was about 15 miles from Bethlehem. What could this mean to David?

Here, David was in “friendly” territory. How do we know this?

If all David’s family was with him, that meant his brothers were there too. What did this ultimately mean?

[Activity]> Psalms 57 and 142 are both written about David’s time in the cave of Adullum. Again, what stuff stands out to you more now you understand the history and context of these two Psalms?

From Adullum to Moab [Read 1 Sam 22:3-4a]
What’s happening here?

Read Gen. 19:30-38 / Deut. 23:3-6 / Ruth 4:18-22. What do these passages teach you?

From Adullum to the “stronghold” [Read 1 Sam 22:4b]
The “stronghold” or “fortress” was another natural hiding place. Why did David move again?

From the “stronghold” to Hereth [Read 1 Sam 22:5]
What does Gad do?

How do we see prophet, priest and king in this story? And why is that important?

1 Samuel 20

2011-04-28T05:25:00.000-07:00

[MEST] 1 Samuel
1 Samuel 20
David in exile...
The next three chapters are a drama that involves four people: Jonathan, Saul, David and Doeg...

1# Jonathan_a faithful friend [1 Sam. 20: 1-23]
What is the tensions that Jonathan lives in?

This half of the chapter can be split into two sections...
Conferring [Read 1 Sam. 20: 1-10/18-23]
David meets up with Jonathan and wastes no time in questioning him. What does he ask and why?

How does Jonathan reply to this? What do you think about it?

How much evidence did Jonathan need?! Why might he not be seeing this?

What is David’s plan?

Why might Saul be mad about David’s absence?

How would Jonathan get the message to David? What was Jonathan’s strange plan?

Covenanting [Read 1 Sam. 20: 11-17]
Jonathan goes out of his way to help David, including risking his life. Why?

Why does Jonathan feel the need to reaffirm their covenant?

2# Saul_a spiteful king [1 Sam. 20: 24-42]

This second half of the chapter can be broken up into three mini sections...
David’s absence [Read 1 Sam. 20: 24-29]
What’s this “unclean” business about? Read Lev. 7:20-21.

What happened the next day?

What do you make of this “son of Jesse” comment?

Saul’s anger [Read 1 Sam. 20: 30-34]

Why does Saul blow up like this? Why does Saul take it out on Jonathan?

What’s going on with Saul’s “perverse and rebellious woman” speech?

Jonathan’s alarm [Read 1 Sam. 20: 35-42]

What does Jonathan do and what does he shout?

Who are these words for?

Even though this isn’t their last meeting, what do we see happening?

1 Samuel 19

2011-04-09T12:51:00.000-07:00

[MEST] 1 Samuel
1 Samuel 19
A jealous king...(part two)
Following on from last time, we continue to see the ramblings of a mental jealous king...
Saul looks for an opportunity to have David killed [1 Samuel 19:1-17]
Saul has become so angry and obsessed that he’s not even trying to be sneaky anymore...
Jonathan’s intervention [Read 19:1-10]
How has Saul’s plan changed from the last chapter to this one?

Surely Saul knew that Jonathan would pass the message on to David?

What could Jonathan have done? What does he do?

Jonathan presented Saul with two arguments. What were they?

What was the one thing Jonathan didn’t mention and why?

What did David do next and what happened to Saul?

After another failed attempt at pinning David to the wall with his spear, what did David do?

Michal’s deception [Read 19:11-17]
Saul knew that he’d go home first, so what did Saul do?

Put yourself in Michal’s sandals... what’s the tension here?

How do we see that Michal is like her dad?

What was the plan?

Why was there an idol in David’s house?

[Activity] > Read Psalm 59. This Psalm came out of this experience. Can you see any evidences of this?

What was Michal’s excuse when she was found out in the morning?

Saul himself goes to kill David [1 Samuel 19:18-24]
Where did David run?

How did Saul find out where David was?

What happened when Saul sent soldiers there?

God turned warriors into worshipers. Can you think of any other examples where this happened?

After three groups of soldiers failed... What happens next?

And what happens to Saul?

What was significant about Saul taking off his robes?

What does this tell us as a warning?

Can you think of other examples?

1 Samuel 18

2011-04-06T10:48:00.000-07:00

[MEST] 1 Samuel
1 Samuel 18
A Jealous king... [Part one]
David didn’t create problems with Saul... he just revealed them. How?

This chapter can be split into two main sections...
Saul wants David killed [1 Samuel 18:1-12]
At one time, Saul loved David, but what’s going on now?

While Saul was guarding his throne, God was preparing David for that throne...
Love [Read 18:1-4]
We’ve had this false idea of Jonathan and David being these two cheeky teenagers... but Jonathan would have to have been 20 years old to even fight in the army and he’s had 2 huge victories and he was in charge of 1/3 of the entire army. In fact, David was about 18 and Jonathan could have been anywhere between 25-28 years older than David. How does this change your views of their relationship?

Jonathan was Saul’s oldest son. What did this mean?

What was the significance of Jonathan giving David his robe, tunic, sword, bow and belt?

Popularity [Read 18:5-7]
How is Proverbs 27:21 relevant here in this part of the story?

Envy & Anger [Read 18:8-11]
How do David and Saul react to this song about them?

Envy is a dangerous enemy to us. What does Proverbs 14:30 say? How does this link to this story?

Envy easily leads to anger. How is this shown in this section of the story?

Fear [Read 18:12]
How does Saul’s fear play out? What’s happening?

Saul plots to have David killed [1 Samuel 18:13-30]
As we look at the second half of this chapter, we see that Saul’s plot is broken up into 3 mini sections...
Saul sends David into battle [Read 18:13-16]
So, what was Saul’s plan?

But what actually happened?

Saul demands an impossible feat [Read 18:17-27]
What do we see Saul doing with his daughters?

When Saul learned that David and Michal were in love, he was very happy. Why?

What was Saul’s plan?

So, what was the price for Michal’s hand in marriage?

What do we see happens?

Saul is even more afraid [Read 18:28-30]
David never considered Saul his enemy. How did Saul feel about David?

Not only did David do well, but what else are we told here?

Read Romans 8:31. How is this relevant?

1 Samuel 17 part 2

2011-03-30T13:36:00.000-07:00

[MEST] 1 Samuel
1 Samuel 17
David and Goliath...Part two
God enabled David [17:40-58]
This victory can be split into four sections. The Lord’s victory. David’s victory. Israel’s victory. Not Saul’s victory.
First, it was The Lord’s victory [Read 17:40-47]
What are some of the ways that you’ve heard this story used and what is the main principle application for this story?

How did David really view this battle?

What was the weapon David used?

Second, it was David’s victory [Read 17: 48-51a]
This was one of many examples that God used to prepare David. Where had he come from and where was he headed?

What did David do once Goliath was down and why?

Third, this became Israel’s victory [Read 17: 51b-54]
After Goliath was killed, what did the Israelite army do?

What would this do to morale?

Fourth, it was Not Saul’s victory [Read 17: 55-58]
What has Saul done in the past in previous battles?

What was the main results of this story

1 Samuel 17 part one

2011-03-24T10:23:00.000-07:00

[MEST] 1 Samuel
1 Samuel 17: 1-39
David and Goliath...Part one.
God guided David > [Read 17: 1-27]
David didn’t stay in Saul’s camp permanently, but he went back and forth between the camp and home. Why?

Other people came and went as they pleased, but David was lead by God. Why is this important?

How is Goliath described? Why do you think we need this much description about Goliath?

Jesse just happened to send David with food for his brothers on that day. Why did he do this?

What was the challenge offered by Goliath? What are the pros and cons for the Israelites?

How does David respond to Goliath’s speech?

How might the Israelite soldiers respond to hearing David’s words?

God encouraged David > [Read 17: 28-39]
Whenever you step out in faith to fight, there is always someone around to discourage you. How was this evident in David’s story? How have you seen this in your experiences?

David’s brothers had seen David get anointed by Samuel. So why are they acting like this towards him?

So, David’s brothers weren’t very encouraging... How did King Saul react?

Saul and David’s brothers were walking by sight. What does this mean?

David had already experienced the power of God in his life. How?

By Saul suggesting that David wear his armour and take his weapons, what is Saul showing us?

In spite of criticism and despite of discouragement and bad advice, David trusted God and God rewarded his faith. How can we apply this to our lives in 2011?

1 Samuel 16

2011-03-17T09:51:00.001-07:00

[MEST] 1 Samuel
1 Samuel 16
There’s time to mourn and there’s time for action...
Why did Samuel mourn over Saul for so long?

God chose David > [Read 16:1-13]
In verses 1-3 what are Samuel’s concerns with God’s order and how does he react?

If the people of Israel had a vote, it’s probably safe to say that they wouldn’t have picked David... but he was God’s first choice. What does this tell us?

So, let’s look at some of the facts about this unusual choice of king...
Where is David from? What is the significance of this place?

Why did the people of Bethlehem react in this way to the arrival of Samuel in their town?

Jesse and his family were especially invited to join in the sacrifice. How might they be feeling?

What were Jesse’s sons like?

[Activity] > Draw Jesse’s sons...
David’s job was shepherd. What does this tell us?

Jesse lined up his sons for this very special sacrifice ceremony with the high priest... but he left David in the fields with the sheep. Why?

How does David’s current job help with his future job?

Jesus is called “the Good Shepherd” and leaders in the church are referred to as “shepherds.” Can you think of characteristics from shepherding that relate across to these?

What are we told about David’s appearance?

David was the 8th son and in the bible the number 8 often represented new beginnings. How was this significant in this story?

Then we see that Samuel anoints David. What does this mean/represent?

What might Jesse and the other brothers be thinking/feeling?

It’s thought that Samuel told David the real meaning behind his anointing in secret. Why?

God prepared David > [Read 16: 14-23]
What do we learn about Saul’s attendants?

Even though David is probably Israel’s best known and loved king, famous for his epic battles and his team of “mighty men”... what is it that first brings him into contact with this kingly way of living?

1 Samuel 15

2011-03-03T07:08:00.001-08:00

[MEST] 1 Samuel
1 Samuel 15
This chapter is pivotal to the story of Saul. God gives him another opportunity to prove himself... but he failed again!
Saul had a habit of substituting saying for doing, and of making excuses instead of confessing sins. Can you think of other examples of this from the bible or from your own experiences?

Saul was more concerned with looking good in front of people than being good in front of God. Let’s look at his story...
Disobeying God [Read 15:1-11]
Up until this point, Israel was dealing with the Philistines. But now we see that it’s the Amalekites. Who were the Amalekites? [Read Gen. 36:12,15-16 / Ex. 17:8-16 / Num. 24:20 / Heb. 12:14-17 / Deut. 25:17-19]

Saul and Samuel’s conversation. How would Saul feel? How would Samuel feel?

What do we think about God’s command to wipe out an entire nation?

Saul’s wish to protect the Kenites was admirable... But what did Saul fail to do?

Even though God told Saul to destroy everyone and everything, what do we see actually happened?

Read Isaiah 5:20. How can we link this to our story?

How does Samuel find out about what Saul has been up to?

Verse 8 tells us that Saul spared the life of Agag, the Amalekite king. Why?

Saul was supposed to serve God... What does that look like? How did Saul fail to do this?
In verse 11 we see that it says that God “regret” the fact that He’d made Saul king... but taken literally from the Hebrew, that word isn’t “regret”... it’s “repent.” What do we think about this?

Saul lies to Samuel [Read 15:12-15]
What monuments have you set up in your own honour?

Why was Saul staying away from Samuel?

Saul then blatantly lied, to 3 people. How?

Verse 15 gives us some insight into what’s going on inside Saul’s head. What is it?

Saul argues with Samuel [Read 15:16-23]
Again, we see lies, blaming & excuses from Saul. How?

“To obey is better than sacrifice.” Explain what this means in the story and in our context too.

Was Samuel making a statement about the Jewish sacrificial system?

Saul is rejected by God [Read 15:24-29]
Next we see Saul changing his approach. This “I have sinned” could look like a confession & repentance... but it’s not. Why?

Why does Saul grab at Samuel’s robe?

Saul is rejected by Samuel [Read 15: 30-35]
Again, verse 30 lets us in on what motivates king Saul. What is it?

Even though we see that Samuel has severed ties with Saul, next he goes to worship with him. Why?

After this mysterious final worship gathering, Samuel made it quite clear how he felt. What are his actions and how do they tell us this?

1 Samuel 14:24-52

2011-02-24T02:19:00.000-08:00

[MEST] 1 Samuel
1 Samuel 14: 24-52
In the past, we’ve seen how stupid actions brought trouble... now we’ll see how stupid words bring trouble...
Read Matt. 12:34. What do you get from this?

A Foolish Vow > [Read 1 Samuel 14:24-35]
In verse 24, what do Saul’s words reveal about his heart?

Why did Saul impose this vow on the Israelites?

With this mass fasting and the presence of the ark, what did Saul think would happen?

But Jonathan and his armour-bearer already had victories over the Philistines twice, without all that. What does this show?

No sensible commander would deprive his army of food and energy whilst fighting... if this command was from God, how would we know?

What do verses 24, 28 and 31 tell us about the state of the Israelite soldiers?

When dealing with the Lord, we can have confidence or presumption. How?

Next we see Jonathan and his armour-bearer join the troops and Jon eats some honey. Why didn’t one of the soldiers warn him earlier?

Not only did Saul’s foolish vow cause his soldiers to be weak and unable to pursue the Philistines, but it also gave them an abnormal craving for food. How does this play out?

A Foolish Judgement > [Read 1 Samuel 14: 36-52]
So, by now we would assume that Saul had realised the mistakes he’d made by delaying at Gibeah and imposing the foolish vow. So what does he do now?

What does the priest, Ahijah, think?

So, Saul knew that Jonathan was missing when he made his vow. What could this tell us?

What do we see happening in verse 39 and why?

Why all this whittling down with the ephod?

Why do we get this weird family tree thing at the end of the chapter?

1 Sam 14: 1-23

2011-02-17T02:58:00.000-08:00

[MEST] 1 Samuel
1 Samuel 14: 1-23
It’s not fun or enjoyable seeing the character of King Saul drop lower and lower. He started with such promise; young, strong, handsome and loyal... but it seems all that fame, money and power has gone to his head. Already we’ve seen him demonstrate his unbelief and impatience (ch13) and now it just gets worse!
Thank goodness for Jonathan...
Most of this chapter tells us about Jonathan, Saul’s oldest son. What do we already know about him from last week?

First we see that Jonathan initiates the attack...
[Read 1 Sam 14:1-15]
Jonathan decided to go and “see” the Philistine outpost. Why?

Then we see that Jonathan didn’t tell his dad where he was going. Why?

Saul was chilling under a pomegranate tree with his 600 men while Jonathan was crossing the enemy lines with one man. What does this tell us?

Again we see Saul with a priest and an ephod, but what’s going on? What does this tell us about Saul?

Read Lev. 26:7-8 and Deut. 28:7. How do these verses relate to this story as Jonathan and his armour-bearer are coming up to the Philistine outpost?

What is Jonathan’s plan once they’re inside the Philistine’s territory?

How do the Philistines respond to them?

[Activity] > Can you think of other examples where people chosen and called by God are treated this way?
By not taking Jonathan and his armour-bearer seriously what happened?

Saul watches the battle...
[Read 1 Sam 14: 16-19]
What could the Israelite lookouts and King Saul be thinking as they saw the Philistines retreating?

This was the second time that Jonathan had gone off and acted on his own. How might Saul be feeling?

Saul had a priest with an ephod and called for the ark. What could Saul have been doing? What did he actually do?

What were the motives behind Saul’s actions?

Israel enters the battle...
[Read 1 Sam 14: 20-23]
As Israel begins to pursue the “confused” Philistines, what do we see happen?

What does this tell us about these types of soldiers?

How could Saul have dealt with these soldiers? What does he do instead and why?

Saul is confusing. One day he will rush in like a horse... and then the next day he will hold back like a mule. Why?

Who won this battle?

Saul and his army chased the Philistines all the way to Beth Aven (15 miles) and by the time they caught up with them, they did win, but not the sort of victory they would have wanted...

1 Samuel 13

2011-02-09T07:01:00.000-08:00

[MEST] 1 Samuel
1 Samuel 13
“Why Saul?...Why?”
Here we see the start of the decline of king Saul... in just one chapter we’ll see; pride, unbelief & impatience, deception & lies, and foolishness...

PRIDE > [Read 13: 1-4]
Saul had reigned for 2 years when he set up his army. Over 300,000 men had “volunteered.” But here we see that Saul only chose 3,000 men and then divided them between him and Jonathan. Why?

What did this “gathering of an Israel army” do to the surrounding nations?

Here is the first time we’re introduced to Jonathan. What sort of stuff are we told about him?

What does attacking a Philistine outpost show us?

Even though Jonathan seems to have accomplished quite a big task... it gets hardly mentioned. Why?

In verse 3, King Saul calls the Israelite army “Hebrews” instead of “Men of Israel.” Why? What’s the significance of this?

UNBELIEF & IMPATIENCE > [Read 13: 5-9]
The Philistines camped at Micmash (less than 20 miles away from the Israelite army) and the obviously outnumbered the Israelites. What did the Israelites do?

Samuel told Saul that he had to wait for him for 7 days. How might Saul have been feeling?

Why did Samuel take so long to meet him?

Read James 1: 1-18. How does this passage relate to this story?

So, in the last chapter, we saw King Saul lead his 300,000 strong army to victory... but now his army is just 600 men. What did Saul need to learn from this?

Saul didn’t want to go into battle without first making an offering to God. What could this tell us?

Later we’ll see that Samuel reminds Saul that God is looking for obedience, not sacrifice. What does this mean in this story? What does this mean in our lives?

If Saul had just waited a few more minutes, everything would have been ok, but his impatience cost him dearly. How can this individual impatience be connected to Israel as a nation? And how can we relate to this?

DECEPTION & LIES > [Read 13: 10-12]
Saul’s first lie was in his way of greeting Samuel. How? How are we guilty of this?

Saul’s second lie was with his blame and excuse making. How? How are we guilty of this?

Saul’s third lie was this “compelled to offer the burnt offering.” How? How are we guilty of this?

Saul is very good at making excuses... but not too good at anything else! He’s quick to blame others... but doesn’t like being blamed himself. This is our human condition and it spans right back to Adam & Eve. How?

FOOLISHNESS > [ Read 13: 13-14]
How is Saul showing his foolishness?

After this sin of Saul, Samuel announces God’s judgement. What was it?

Now that their ruler had failed, we see how this mighty army of Israel was actually very insecure...
A Dwindling Army > [Read 13: 15-16]
Saul’s army had gone from over 300,000 to 3,000, and was now just 600. The Philistine army was “like sand on the seashore.” This scenario is similar to Gideon’s... but what are the differences?

[Read 13: 17-18, 23] < A Threatened Army
The Philistines sent “raiding parties” to the north, south, east and west... the Israelites were completely surrounded. What lesson was God trying to teach them? What can we learn from this?

A Deprived Army > [Read 13: 19-22]
It was bad enough that Saul didn’t have much of an army... but now we see they lacked equipment too! How can we see comparisons between this and the church today? But, read Eph. 6: 10-17. What does this tell us?

1 Samuel 11

2011-01-27T07:05:00.001-08:00

[MEST] 1 Samuel
1 Samuel 11
“Serving the Lord”
[Read 1 Samuel 11]
Looking back, what was the main reasons for Israel wanting a king?

Who were the Ammonites? [Read Gen. 19: 30-38] And what could this mean in this story?

Nahash means “Snake”. What can we get from this?

Nahish did offer them a negotiation option... what was it and what does this tell us?

How would you feel if you lived in Jabesh Gilead?

What did the elders of Jabesh Gilead do?

Verse 4 tells us in a round-about way that the messengers of Jabesh Gilead didn’t go straight to king Saul and Samuel. Why?

When Saul heard the news, what did he do and why?

[Activity] > Draw scene(s) or storyboards of your favourite bits from this chapter...

How did God help Saul when he was recruiting men for this battle?

What could they have been fearful of?

In verse 10, why did the elders of Jabesh Gilead tell the Ammonites that they would surrender tomorrow?

[Read Judges 7: 16 & 19] What stands out to you between this passage and the passage we’re looking at today? What does this tell us?

Samuel was new at this king business and completely inexperienced at being a leader... let alone a leader of 330,000 men at war! But God gave them the victory. What does this tell us about the will of God?

This story shows us how Saul gained authority and stature. How? And why is this important?

After the victory, what did Saul and the Israelites do next?

What is the significance of this place?

At Mizpah they accepted God’s king... but at Gilgal they confirmed Saul as king. What’s the differences?

1 Samuel 10

2011-01-19T12:32:00.000-08:00

[ MEST ] 1 Samuel
1 Samuel 10
“Israel gets their king”
[Read 1 Samuel 10]
Once Saul was anointed with oil by the priest Samuel, Saul was officially the first king of Israel...
How could Saul be sure that God had chosen him?

Why were these aspects of the prophecy so specific?

So, let’s deal with each of these three signs in more detail...
First, the donkeys. Later we’ll see that Saul is a control freak... what was God saying to him through this element of the story?

Secondly, the three men going to Bethel. What does this encounter tell us?

What was the significance of these guys giving stuff to Saul?

Thirdly, spiritual power. What is the importance of this scene?

In verse 9 we’re told that God changed Saul’s heart. What could this mean?

We could read into this that God gave Saul the Holy Spirit at this time. How is this gift of the Holy Spirit in the OT different to the gift of the Holy Spirit to anyone since Jesus?

What does the reaction of Saul’s friends tell us in verse 11?

Next we see Saul go back home and not tell anyone what happened. Why?

What should Saul have learned from the last few days?

So, Saul had been already chosen by God and informed and anointed as king by Samuel. So why does God get Samuel to call everyone to Mizpah and go through all that whittling down, if they already knew it was Saul?

Even when they got down through the tribe of Benjamin, then down through the clan of Matri, then down through the family of Kish, until we get to Saul... but Saul’s not there. Why?

1 Samuel 10

2011-01-12T06:45:00.000-08:00

[MEST] 1 Samuel
1 Samuel 10

Why is it important that we're told how handsome Saul is and how he's tall?

Verses 3 - 5 tell us about Saul looking for his dad's donkeys. What does this tell us?

Saul lived in Gibeah, only about 5 miles away from Ramah, where Samuel lived. How had Saul not heard about this "seer", this prophet Samuel?

An insignificant event brought Samuel and Saul together. What was it? Can you think of other examples? What does this tell us?

Even though Samuel wasn't happy with the people's request and God's reply, what do we see in verses 15 & 16?

As he's approached by Samuel, what might Saul be thinking?

Next we see Saul using a protest that we've seen before. What was it?

[Activity] > Find other examples of this kind of excuse-making and back-pedalling by other characters "chosen" in the bible. And find other examples of where God uses "nobodies."

In verse 27, how might Saul have been feeling?

1 Samuel 8

2011-01-06T03:46:00.000-08:00

[MEST] 1 Samuel
1 Samuel 8

"Asking for a king... Praying for a king"

[Read 1 Samuel 8]

About 20 - 25 years have passed between the end of chapter 7 and the beginning of chapter 8. Yet nothing is recorded. What could this mean?

Samuel has grown old... the people and leaders around him have changed. Many of the people from his youth (last few chapters) have died. What do we get from this?

What was Samuel's reaction? How did he feel?

[Activity]> Israel wants a king. Why? List the pros and cons...

By the Israelites asking for a king, what were they really saying?

Verses 11 - 17 gives a description of what a king will do. How can this be related to other false gods? And how does this contrast with the heavenly King?

In Genesis 17:6 / 17:16 / 35:11 / 49:10 / Deut 17:14-20 you can see that God had every intention of giving Israel a king. So what was the problem?

God had planned for David to be king, but it wasn't time. So instead they get Saul. What does this tell us?

"The greatest judgment that God can give us is to let us have our own way." What does this statement mean? Do you agree with it?

By the time we get to king Solomon, the people are complaining about how much tax and stuff they were having to pay to keep Solomon in all his riches. What does this tell us?

1 Samuel 7:3-8

2010-12-09T01:42:00.000-08:00

[MEST] 1 Samuel
1 Samuel ch7v3-ch8
Here we see Samuel with discernment. How?

Why did Samuel call a meeting at Mizpah?

[Activity] > So, the first hurdle the Israelites had to deal with was idolatry... how had this been their downfall in the past? And how do we, as a society, still struggle with this today?

What is an idol?

“Idols in the heart are far more dangerous than idols in the temple.” Do you agree with this statement? What does it mean?

Samuel was called to be the intercessor between the people and God. What does this mean? What does this foreshadow?

It wasn’t enough just for the Israelites to destroy their idols... they had to confess their sins. Why?

Next we see that the Philistines hear about this big gathering of Jews at Mizpah. What could they be thinking?

Read Psalm 20:7. How does it apply to our story?

God uses thunder to confuse the Philistines. Why is this significant?

God gave the Israelites the victory over the Philistines and kept them from attacking again. He’d allowed Israel to regain cities they’d lost in battle and gain the Amorites as allies. What does this tell us?

Again we see that stones are put in place as a monument or witness. Can you think of other examples of this?

1 Samuel 6

2010-11-17T04:36:00.000-08:00

[MEST] 1 Samuel
1 Samuel 6 - 7:2

"The providence, wrath and mercy of God"

"The ark of the Lord had been in Philistine territory for seven months." What does this tell us?

Next, we see that the Philistines called for their priests and diviners. What does this tell us?

Why make gold rats and tumours?

Why do the Philistines send the ark back this way?

All the odds were stacked against the cows going to Beth Shamesh. Why?

But the cows did go to Beth Shamesh. What does this tell us?

What might those Israelites working in the field have thought as they saw the ark coming down the road?

What does Leviticus 1:3 tell us and how does this relate to our story today?

What does the Israelites treatment of the ark tell us about them and about God? What should they have done?

After this disobedience from the Israelites, what could God have done and what does He do?

Why did they take the ark to Kiriath Jearim and go to the house of Abinadab? And why did they consecrate Eleazar?

[Activity] > The ark has been compared to Jesus Christ.
Think of all the stories about the ark of the covenant and how the Jews were to tread the ark and how we are to treat Jesus. List any comparisons you can think of...

1 Samuel 5

2010-11-09T02:22:00.000-08:00

[MEST] 1 Samuel
1 Samuel 5
"The Lord's hand is heavy"

[Read 1 Sam. 5]

Why put the ark of God inside the temple of the pagan god Dagon?

Dagon was the main god of the Philistines. He was the father of Baal.
But here we see that the statue, the idol of Dagon is flat on it's face before the ark. What doe this mean?

How / What would the Philistines be thinking?

After this happened a few times, the Dagon statue had it's head and it's hands broken off. What could this mean?

So, we've seen what happens to this Philistine false god, and now we see what happens to the Philistine people.
What is God doing in both these instances?

Next, God sent plagues of rats and infected the Philistines with tumours. Read Deut. 28:58-60. What does this tell us?

[Activity] > Draw comic book / storyboards of this story or draw out your favourite scene(s).

Why did they move the ark from Ashdod to Gath, and on and on and on?

After a while, no one wanted the ark anywhere near them!
But the 5 kings had to be careful what they did with it. Why?

1 Samuel 4

2010-11-02T03:59:00.000-07:00

[MEST] 1 Samuel 4

Israel's defeat...God's victory

[Read 1 Samuel 4]

No sooner does God begin to reveal His word to His people, in this story, then the enemy shows up to attack them. How can we relate to this?

In the initial battle with the Philistines, Israel was defeated and 4000 men were killed.
What questions would the Israelites be asking God and each other?

Even though God clearly told them how to fight their wars (Deut. 20), Israel did it their way. Why?

[Activity] > Lets give them the benefit of the doubt... maybe they were following in the examples of Moses and Joshua, by taking the ark with them into battle.
Check out Num. 10:33-36 / Josh. 3, 4 & 6 for how the "good old boys" did, and then compare/contrast that with what's going on here in 1 Sam. 4. (Focus more on why they are doing it, not what they are doing!)

In verse 4, look at who is taking the ark into battle.What do we think about this?

Between verses 11 - 22 the phrase "the ark of God was (or "is") taken" is used five times. Why was this a big deal?

By allowing the ark to fall into the Philistine's hands, what was God saying to Israel?

What do we see happen in verse 11b, and what does it tell us about God?

In verses 12 - 18, what is Eli's main concern and what does this tell us about him?

The death of Eli and his two sons was important. Why?

In verses 19 - 22 we see a sad, but insightful part of the story. What do we learn from Phinehas' wife?

God's glory didn't return to His people until 1 Kings 8:10, when Solomon dedicated the temple. But then Ezekiel saw God's glory leave as the temple was destroyed. The glory of God didn't return to this earth until Jesus was born, the Saviour of the world. Where is God's glory today?

Ruth 4

2010-09-14T02:57:00.001-07:00

[MEST] Ruth 4

We can see that the book of Ruth is a lovely story... a love story. But this can't just be an interlude between the history of Judges and 1 Samuel. So now we must ask ourselves what God's doing behind all this...

[Read Ruth 4]

Boaz was a direct descendant of Judah, one of the 12 sons of Jacob. Jacob gave a prophecy to Judah on his deathbed _ "The sceptre will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler's staff from between his feet, until he comes to who it belongs." What does this mean?

Boaz's mom wasn't a Jew, she was Rahab, the first Gentile to love the God of Israel. So, we have a mixed family tree: jamar was raped, Rahab was a Gentile prostitute, Ruth was a Moabite widow. And yet these are the ancestors of Jesus. What could this tell us?

This chapter focuses on 3 people; a bridegroom, a bride, and a baby...
First, the bridegroom...

In Lev. 25:23-34, and Deut. 25:5-10 we see two laws. What are the purposes of these laws? And how do they apply to this story in Ruth?

What is a "redeemer"?

How is Boaz Ruth's redeemer?

And how is Jesus our redeemer?

Now, not just anyone could perform the kinsman-redeemer's duties. It had to be a near kinsman. This was a big problem for Boaz, because someone else in Bethlehem who was closer related to Ruth. How does this parallel to Jesus?

Also, in order for Boaz to become the kinsman-redeemer, he had to be able to pay the redemption price. Ruth and Naomi were too poor to redeem themselves, but Boaz had all the resources needed to set them free. How does this parallel to Jesus?

The kinsman-redeemer had to be willing to redeem. This nearer kinsman wasn't. Why?

From our point of view, salvation is free. But from God's perspective it's a very costly thing. How?

Why take off a shoe? [Gen. 13:17 / Deut. 11:24 / Josh. 1:3]

[Activity]> In the past, we've compared Boaz to Jesus. How else, in this chapter, is Boaz like Jesus?

Ruth 3

2010-09-08T03:08:00.000-07:00

[MEST] Ruth 3
“Serving others brings us the greatest joy and satisfaction”
Up until now, Naomi was solely concerned with herself and her grief, but now we see that her focus has shifted onto Ruth and her future.
[Read Ruth 3]
Naomi and Ruth’s plan has drastically changed from first entering Bethlehem. What were the two plans?

As we’ve looked at before, this story isn’t just a nice warm love story. It’s an illustration of Christ’s relationship to those who trust Him and love Him...How?

[Activity] > The steps that Ruth takes in this chapter reflect on important milestones of our journey in order to have a deeper relationship with God...
Ruth... a] Washed herself

b] Anointed herself

c] Prepared by changing her clothes

d] Prepared by learning how to present herself to him

e] Promised to obey

A W Tozer said, “If God were to take the Holy Spirit out of this world, much of what the church is doing would go right on; and nobody would know the difference.” What do you think about this?

So, we have looked at how Ruth prepared to meet Boaz. Now we turn to how she would react to him...
Why didn’t Ruth wait for Boaz to propose to her?
When Boaz asked who she was, Ruth didn’t say she was a “Moabitess”, she said she was the “hand maid” of Boaz. Why?

Read Ezekiel 16:8 and 1 Kings 19:19. What do these verses tell us and how do we link them to this story?

Next we see that, not only did Ruth prepare herself correctly and present herself correctly, she now listens to what Boaz has to say (v10-14). What does this tell us?

In verse 16, Naomi’s question is a bit weird. Our version (TNIV) says, “How did it go, my daughter?” and the Living translates as, “Well...what happened, dear?”. But the Authorised version translates the Hebrew the most literally into, “Who art thou, my daughter?” Why would Naomi, her own mother-in-law, ask Ruth who she was?

In verse 18, Naomi tells Ruth to “wait” or another version says, “sit still”. It could’ve been so easy for Ruth to try and get involved in Boaz’s arrangements and try to hurry the process along, but she doesn’t. What does she do instead and how can we apply this to our relationship with God?

Read Psalm 46:10. What does this mean to you?

“It’s when we serve others that we ourselves receive the greatest joy and satisfaction.” Do you agree with this statement? Share personal experiences...

Do you have trouble waiting on God? How do you control your impatience?

Ruth 2

2010-09-02T03:18:00.000-07:00

[MEST] Ruth 2

Loyalty

"Loyalty" and "Love" are almost the same word in Hebrew. Love that isn't loyal...isn't love. Likewise, God's covenant love for his people means He sticks with us through thick and thin.

[Read Ruth 2]

"Before God changes our circumstances, He wants to change our hearts". Is this true? How can we connect this to the story in Ruth 2? How can we connect this to our individual stories?

What is grace? How do we apply it to Ruth's story? How do we apply it to our own story?

I get the impression that when Boaz saw Ruth, it was love at first sight. Do you agree? Why?

So, if we think that God led Ruth to this particular field, how do we see God working in this scene?

People have compared Boaz and Ruth in this story to Jesus Christ and His bride, the church. Can you think how?

Now, staying on this theme of grace, lets look at the evidence of that grace through the way Boaz related to Ruth...
* Boaz took the initative (v8) >

* Boaz spoke to Ruth (v8) >

* Boaz promised to protect Ruth & provide for her needs (v9, 14-16) >

* Boaz encouraged Ruth (v10-13) >

* Boaz saw to it that she was satisfied (v18 & 18) >

[Activity]>
If we want God to work in our lives and circumstances, and accomplish His purposes, then there are sertain conditions we need to meet. Three of these conditions are illustrated in this 2nd chapter of Ruth. We must live by....

1] FAITH in the Lord >

2] The GRACE of God >

3] In HOPE >

Think about and explain how these three conditions appear in Ruth 2, AND how they apply to us.

The last time we saw Naomi, she was sharing her "bitterness"... now we hear a new word from her lips, "blessed". We have moved from bitterness to blessedness. What's happened? Why the change?

Naomi had hope because of who Boaz was, what Boaz did, and what Boaz had said. How does this show through in this story? How does this relate to Jesus' story?

"When we commit our lives to the Lord, what happens to us happens by way of appointment and not by accident". Do you agree? Give examples from your life.

"One person trusting the Lord and obeying His will can change a situation from defeat to victory". Can you think of examples of this? (Biblical or contemporary)

Ruth 1

2010-08-19T08:35:00.000-07:00

[MEST] Ruth
Ruth 1
Intro > Whether you’ve read Ruth a thousand times or never even looked at it, this small book has some big themes. Ruth was written at the same time in Israel’s history as Judges. But that’s where the connection ends, the two books couldn’t be more different...
Judges includes lots of people’s stories _ Ruth has just a few
Judges is a big book _ Ruth is one of the smallest OT books
Judges covers the whole of the Israelite nation _ Ruth covers just one small town
Judges spans 200 years of history _ Ruth spans just one generation
[Read Ruth 1]
[Activity] > In this chapter we see 3 mistakes that were made by the characters, that we must try to avoid as we deal with life’s problems and trials. They are...
1] UNBELIEF : Trying to run from our problems
2] DECEPTION : Trying to hide our mistakes
3] BITTERNESS : Blaming God for our trials
Look at this chapter and try to give evidence for these and explain them. Also, think of other biblical examples to compare...

What reasons or circumstances might cause us to try to run from our problems as Naomi & Elimelek did?

When troubles come in our lives, we can do one of three things; endure it, escape it, or enlist it. What could these mean?

Elimelek means “my God is king”. How is this a bad name to give this man?

Why would Naomi, a God-fearing Jew, encourage two pagan women to worship false gods?

It was the barley harvest when the 2 widows arrived in Bethlehem, a time when everyone expressed joy and thanked God for His goodness. It was also spring, a time of new life and new beginning. How is this significant?

Do you think Naomi was exaggerating her situation? Did she have any reasons to be thankful?

How does Elimelek and Naomi’s choices relate to their situation and what does this tell us about their relationship with God?

Naomi means “pleasure”, but on returning to Bethlehem she asked to be called Mara, meaning “bitter”. Explain this change.

Despite the fact that Ruth is both a woman and a gentile, her name appears in the genealogy of Jesus in Matthew 1:5-6. What does this tell us?

After some persuading by Naomi, Orpah goes back home. But Ruth stays with her mother-in-law. What does this tell us about their 2 personalities?

Judges 21

2010-07-06T08:30:00.000-07:00

[MEST] Judges
Judges 21
“Finding the loopholes”
[Read Judges 21]
Why did the men of Israel make an oath not to give their daughters to the Benjaminites?

Verses 2 and 3 show us a change in the Israelites. How and why?

In verse 5, again we see that the Israelites had acted in the heat of the moment and made another oath. This continued to complicate things. How?

Why the change of mind in verses 6 -9?

And how do they remedy this?... By killing everyone in the town of Jabesh Gilead except any young virgin girls, who they would then give to the Benjaminites! What do we think of this?

Next we discover that there is only 400 virgins, but 600 men of Benjamin. That means 200 men are still without wives. Surely more must be found?! ... Why do we see this weird idea of justice for the Benjaminites and reconciliation between the tribes?

Verses 20 – 23 shows us this strange ‘loophole-finding’ and ‘responsibility-dodging’ by the Israelites. What do we think about this?

The last sentence sums up the craziness that’s been going on in the last few chapters. What can we gather from this?

Judges 20

2010-06-30T06:16:00.000-07:00

[MEST] Judges
Judges 20
Chapter 19 deals with hospitality and how it had gone a bit wrong...
In this chapter we see the topic of justice being addressed. What issues (right or wrong) about justice do we see here?

Even though this chapter is dealing with the tragic events of the last chapter, what good do we see come from it? How could this be related to our lives?

Not every tribe turned up at Mizpah. Who was missing and why?

Verses 4 – 6 shows the Levite re-telling the tragic story. But it looks a bit different from the version in chapter 19. How does it differ and why?

Even though most at the Israelite council want to act quickly and punish these men from Gibeah, it’s suggested that the absent Benjaminites are given the opportunity to “sort out” their own mess. Why could this have been a good idea? But what actually happened?

And this point in history there was no king, no judge and no heathen oppressors. What does this tell us?

[Activity]> As we near the end of Judges, similarities and differences can be drawn between this chapter and chapter 1. What are they?

The 3 conversations between Israel and God are interesting. What things do they tell us?

600 Benjaminite men escaped. Why was this important?

Judges 19

2010-06-16T13:35:00.000-07:00

[MEST] Judges
Judges 19
[Read Judges 19]

From the 1st three verses, what do we find out about the Levite and his concubine?

Verses 4 – 9 speaks to us about hospitality and it’s place in ancient Hebrew culture. There are positives and negatives to this, what are they?

In verse 12, why would the Levite not want to stay at Jebus?

So they decide to stay at Gibeah. What were their assumptions about that place?

When entering Gibeah, certain things would have caused them to be suspicious. What are they?

What’s ironic about their choice of place to stay the night?

The Ephramite visiting Gibeah offers a warning, “whatever you do, don’t spend the night in the square!”. What could the Levite be thinking at this point?

What happens next is hard to read, let alone think about. We can only compare it to the story of Sodom and Gomorrah (Gen. 19). But there are differences, what are they?

Next we see the Ephramite home owner saying something weird and shocking. Why would he even suggest this?

Just when you thought this story couldn’t get any worse, the Levite threw his concubine out to the gang. Why might the Levite have done this?

Next morning the Levite finds the woman dead on the doorstep. So he takes her body with him back home and when he gets home, he chops her up and sends bits of her to each of the 12 tribes of Israel... Why?

Judges 18

2010-06-10T03:01:00.000-07:00

[MEST] Judges
Judges 18
In verse 1 what issues do we see the Danites dealing with and how might their current situation effect them?

Read verses 2a and 7 – 9. What does this part of the story remind us of? What comparisons can be drawn?

In verse 3 we see that the Danites “recognized the voice of the young Levite”. What could this mean?

The Gadites then ask Jonathan, the priest, to “inquire of God”. How? What might this include?

Verse 7 tells us that the people of Laish were like the Sidonians ( a peaceful Phoenician people who had no army and no need for one, they were involved in trade, business and commerce throughout the med.) and they had no relationship with anyone else. What does this mean for the Gadites?

Following this link between the 5 spies of Gad and the 12 spies of Isreal, how does verse 11 compare to what happened to Isreal in Numbers?

Picture the scene, 600 armed men arrive at Micah’s house. What could Jonathan be thinking?
[Activity] >
If you are tempted to feel sorry for Micah at this point, stop and think things through... up until this point, what do we know about the characters involved in this story?

What does verse 24 tell us about Micah?

From the outside, the Gadites seem to have done everything right and proper. They spied out the land, used the information correctly, looked for God’s will from a Levite priest, acted on God’s word, “obtained” a priest (and a bunch of liturgical junk!) and God gave them the land to inhabit. So, what do we think?

Judges 17

2010-06-03T09:01:00.001-07:00

[MEST] Judges
Judges 17 >
“Bookends for one book”
Right back at the beginning of Judges (1:1) we read, “After the death of Joshua...” and right at the end of Judges we read, “In those days Isreal had no king”.
This book is all about mess.
The mess we get in without leadership or direction.
The last 5 chapters find us in a place in Isreal where they’ve lost their obvious leader, Joshua... and are yet to find their king, David.
How will God’s chosen people fair?
Throughout the lives of the 12 judges, God has been playing a major role, but now he seems to have left, only showing an obvious appearance once in all 5 chapters.
Lets see how they get on “going it alone”...

Verses 1 and 2 are 2 brilliant sentences that tell us loads, but at the same time leave us with questions. What?

Micah heard his mom’s curse and then gave the silver back. Why?

After the silver was returned why did Micah’s mom speak a blessing on him?

Verse 3 conflicts with the end of verse 2. How and why?

If this returned silver was to be “consecrated to the Lord”, why did Micah’s mom only actually use 200 shekels of silver?

Next we see that this “idol” is put in an already existing shrine in Micah’s house. What does this tell us?

Micah then makes an ephod. Does this remind us of anyone else? What parallels can we draw between them?

Then Micah installs one of his own sons as his priest! What issues could we have with this?

“Everyone did as they saw fit” kinda sounds like our situation in 2010. How do the two compare?

Next we see a Levite from Bethlehem, who we later find out is called Jonathan, who is looking for a new home and a new job. So, he’s a man looking for a job and Micah has a job and is looking for a man...coincidence?

Even though this priest-position was already filled, when a Levite comes along looking for a job, the position is made available to him. What could this tell us?

This “chance meeting” was seen by Micah as a sign from God. Is this the right assumption?

Judges 16

2010-05-20T04:12:00.000-07:00

[MEST] Judges
Judges 16 >
“Why Why Why... Delilah?”
[Read Judges 16]
After all that’s gone on, why would Samson go back to Gaza?

When Samson isn’t busy saving Isreal , he’s busy being Isreal. What could this mean?

When we looked at Jephthah’s story, we saw that his mouth was both his strength and weakness. How can we apply this idea to Samson?

What’s all this business with Gaza’s gates in verse 3? What’s all that about?

Verses 6 – 17 might seems a bit like déjà-vu. We’ve been in this same situation before, what can this tell us?

“He did not know that the Lord had left him” is one of the saddest sentances in the whole book. What does this tell us about Samson, and how does this act as a caution for us?

[Activity] > Again, there was a “seizing”, this time of Samson; again a seductive woman had betrayed him; again he “went down to Gaza”, but this time as a prisoner. Samson’s story is full of repetition. Find as many example of this, and what does this tell you?

The Philistines were at a disadvantage. They didn’t know what we know. That the God of Isreal, who does the unexpected (Ehud), whose strength is made perfect in weakness (Gideon), and who never breaks His word (Jephthah). Made a promise back in 13:7. What does this mean for Samson?

Parallels can be drawn between Samson, the last judge in Judges, and Jesus Christ, the last Judge. What are they?

Verse 24 shows the Philistines making a bold statement. This was in a way, both right and wrong...How?

As we’ve already seen, certain parallels can be drawn between Samson and Jesus. How does Samson’s end point towards Jesus?

[Conclusion]
Along with what Samson teaches us and points us towards (Jesus). He also gives us an opposite example too... the Isrealites (and ultimately, us). We, like the Isrealites, are repeatedly called, empowered and gifted. And yet we mess up, we are selfish.
The big idea we need to take away from Samson’s story is that God is here and God is the Judge. Before Samson’s birth the Lord prepared everything, throughout his life the Lord is masterminding everything, at his death the pagan god is defeated and the God of Isreal triumphs.
On a personal level, Samson is a harsh warning to us all. We are all given grace and mercy and gifts and talents and it is up to us what we do with them.

Judges 15

2010-05-13T04:47:00.001-07:00

[MEST] Judges

Judges 15

“Revenge is a dish best served with a donkey’s jawbone and 300 burning foxes”

[Read Judges 15]

Why might Samson still think (or want to) that all was well with his “wife” after activities at the end of chapter 14?

300 foxes?! What’s up with that?!

What’s the significance of loosing them in the fields and vineyards?

How is verse 6 ironic?

When the Philistines went up to Judah, why didn’t they just go to war with Isreal? They obviously had greater numbers, better weapons and battle knowledge. Not to mention that at this point in history, Isreal lay trampled beneath Philistine boots. So why not finish them off and be done with it?

Taking the metaphor that Isreal = Church and the Philistines = the world. What do the questions posed by the Isrealites in verses 10 and 11 tell us?

So again, we find Isreal back at the bottom of the spiral, in a similar place to Judges 1:1-20. They are more concerned with just getting along then doing what’s right. They are anxious to live and let live and would rather bind and betray their saviour then have him upset the balance. What does this point us towards?

Here we have the 3rd time that “the Spirit of the Lord came upon Samson” and again it’s for questionable effect. The “unusual” choice of weapon tells us stuff. What?

At the end of this chapter we see some very interesting things. What are they?

What does this story tell us about revenge?

Judges 14

2010-05-05T06:31:00.000-07:00

[MEST] Judges
Judges 14 >
As we begin our journey with Samson, the 12th and last judge, we continue to be confused and second guessed by the God of the unexpected. Just as we draw parallels between Samson and the other judges, as well as comparisons to other biblical characters whose births were proclaimed, we yet again find something completely new. This “judge” that emerges as Samson, hardly looks like a judge at all...
[Read > Judges 14]
Earlier in Judges, we’ve seen Jephthah’s mouth get him into trouble. What parallels can we draw Jephthah’s and Samson’s stories?

What does verse 4 tell us about God?

From the get go, we see Samson with his eyes on a lady. But 3 times in as many verses, the woman’s “Philistineness” is mentioned (she was a Philistine / “she’s a Philistine”, says Samson / “She’s a Philistine?” asks his parents). What does this tell us?

Samson says, “I’ve seen a Philistine woman in Timnah; now get her for me as my wife”. What does this tell us about Samson and his parents?

Next we see Samson and his mom and dad going down to Timnah and a crazy episode with a lion! Why didn’t his mom and dad see this going on? Why was Samson so far in front or behind that they didn’t see? And what was Samson (a Nazarite) doing in a vineyard?

What’s the deal with the lion carcass and the honey?

[Activity] > Samson is a man of action. This can have good and bad connotations... (split into groups and discuss what these good and bad things are)
Why does Samson “riddle-me-this” with the Philistines at the party?

Again we see that “the Spirit of the Lord came upon him” and Samson murders 30 innocent men at Ashkelon. This is paired with the killing of the lion, which incidentally there’s no mention of the lion attacking/threatening Samson. What do we think about the killing of these “innocents” in the power of the Spirit?

Judges 13

2010-04-22T09:01:00.000-07:00

[MEST] Judges
Judges 13 >
[Read > Judges 13]

Even though the story of Samson can be viewed as a separate story, we are reminded that it is just another part of a bigger story in Judges. The oh too familiar words set the scene...
“Again the Isrealites did evil in the eyes of the Lord”.
But the link to the rest of the book doesn’t stop there... Isreal has been sold into the hands of the Philistines and the hands of the Ammonites. Jephthah had dealt with the Ammonites and now it’s time for Samson to step up and deal with the Philistines.
Like Gideon’s story, here we have an angel and a burning sacrifice AND a troop of 300 pyromaniacs to harass the enemy (granted, this time they aren’t human!). Like Deborah’s story, there’s a dangerous woman “thrusting a peg” with evil intent and bees AND torches. Like Shamgar’s story, this one has a judge who is known for killing Philistines personally (AND with weird weapon choices!). And like Othniel’s story, this one sees the judge’s wife playing an important role.
The tribe of Dan were boarder neighbours with the Philistines. What could this have meant for this tribe?

Dan’s rightful land is occupied by Philistines and no matter what they did, they couldn’t get rid of them. How would this affect the people from that tribe?

Here we see Isreal up to it’s same old trick, but there’s no mention of repentance or “crying out”, and God is sorting it out. What’s going on?

[Activity] > Here we see an angel proclaiming a future birth. What other examples of this can you find in the bible? And how might they relate to each other?

Why does God chose to use Manoah and his wife?

Check out Numbers 6:1-21. So, that’s a Nazarite. Why did God want Samson brought up in this way?

Why is Manoah such a dumbass? He seems to not totally believe his wife, but then when he does believe her, he questions the angel, but asks all the SAME questions. What’s going on?

Verse 12 tells us some interesting things about Manoah. What are they?

Why might Manoah ask the angel’s name?

The angel’s name is “beyond understanding” and the original Hebrew translates to “wonderful”. This is linked with Isaiah 9:6. What could this tell us about the angel?

Verse 24 shows us that Samson “grew and the Lord blessed him”, this is echoed in 1 Samuel 2:26 AND in Luke 2:52. What comparisons can we make? What does this tell us?

Judges 12

2010-03-31T10:22:00.001-07:00

[MEST] Judges
Judges 12 >
“Go on!...say Shibboleth!”
[Read Judges 12:1-7]
Here we see the Ephraimites doing what they do best. From this (and other) example(s), what does this tell us about their character?

How did Gideon deal with this same situation?

Given what we’ve seen of Jephthah so far, how would we expect him to deal with this situation?

Here we see Isreal fighting against Isreal. What could this tell us?

What’s the deal with this “magic word” Shibboleth?

One phrase is missing from the Isrealite’s battle. What is it? What could this mean?

Verse 7, along with Hebrews 11:32-34, tells us our final information about Jephthah. What is it? And
what could it mean?

[Read Judges 12:8-15]
Following straight on from Jephthah, we see Ibzan. What does Ibzan do to secure peace between tribes? How?

Remembering our previous study on the Significance of Insignificance. What final thoughts can we grasp from the end of this chapter?

[Activity] > It’s interesting to see just how and why God uses these different Judges in different ways... Othniel, after rebuking was given purpose. Ehud gives us God’s method and through his left-handedness shows us God’s unexpected/unorthodox deliverance. God shows us through Deborah and Barak, His requirement is for straightforward obedience. Through Gideon He shows His principle is to use weakness as strength. These Judge’s methods/skills/abilities speak to us about who God is. So what about Jephthah? What/How does his story reflect things about God?

Judges 11

2010-03-31T09:50:00.000-07:00

[MEST] Judges
Judges 11 >
“A brother from another mother”
[Read > Judges 11]
Jephthah is illegitimate. What does this mean for him? What are the consequences?

Is it right that someone with this type of background should be a Judge of Isreal? Not to mention appearing in the famous “Faith” passage in Hebrews 11!

In verse 1-3, do we see Jephthah sinning or being sinned against?

What is Isaiah 53:3 talking about?

The Lord “raised up” Othniel and Ehud (3:9 & 15), “The Lord...commands you” said Deborah to Barak (4:6), “I send you” said the Lord to Gideon (6:14). Is Jephthah’s call really from God?

God agrees to play Isreal’s spiral game, by following rebellion with retribution and then repentance with rescue. How is this evident here?

Throughout the book of Judges, God is continually changing the characteristics for a saviour/judge of Isreal. How? And why?

How could Jephthah to the Gileadites call to “be our leader in fighting the Ammonites”?

They then change their “call to be their leader” into a request for him to “fight and rule”. What does this tell us about the Gileadites approach?
So what started as a contrived, manipulated, and preconstructed offer on the part of the elders of Gilead, quickly gets flipped over to Jephthah getting them to give him what he wanted AND on his terms. What does this tell us about Jephthah?

Why did Jephthah “repeat all his words before the lord”?

[Activity > 4 elements] Here in verses 12-28, we see Jephthah (the mighty warrior) dealing with an enemy, not with swords but with words. His argument has 4 elements... History / Theology / Precedent / Silence. How are these 4 elements revealed in this argument?

I don’t think the Ammonite king had any intention of changing his mind about waging war with the Isrealites. So why does Jephthah engage in this diplomatic discussion?

In verse 29, why did they pass through Gilead, Manasseh, and Mizpah?

What was Jephthah thinking making a vow like that?! What does this horrific part of the story tell us about Jephthah and Isreal?

How is the conclusion to this part of Jephthah’s story ironic?

What Jepthah did is a thing that all scripture condemns. Why Jephthah did it is a thing that all scripture commends. Have you ever made a vow to God?

Judges 10:6-18

2010-03-10T02:44:00.000-08:00

[MEST] Judges
Judges 10:6-18 >
Not only is this the start of Jephthah’s story, but it’s also the middle of the book of Judges. Right from the off we see the Isrealites stumbling at the same old hurdles....
[Read > Judges 10:6-18]
Verse 6 tells us that “again the Isrealites did evil in the eyes of the Lord”, this echoes way back to chapter 2 verse 11, “then the Isrealites did evil in the eyes of the Lord”. What does this tell us?

What could be the reasons for his rebellion?

[Activity > Foreign gods/False idols]
Why do the Isrealites keep slipping further and further down this downward spiral of disobedience? And what does this tell us about us?

To show how severe Isreal’s rebellion has got we see here that they have not only turned away from the Lord and began worshiping false gods, but they do it seven times worse! > baal, ashteroth, and gods of Sidon, Syria, Moab, Amon, and Philistine. ALL THIS despite that the Lord had delivered them seven times > Egyptians, Amorites, Ammonites, Philistines, Sidonians, Amalekites, and Maonites.
With such a merciful God, who keeps rescuing them, what wrong mindsets could the Isrealites have?

How can we in 2010 relate to this?

What could this mean, if a people could continue to turn their backs on a God who has helped them so often?

In the exchange between the Isrealites and God in verses 10-16, we see something we’ve seen many times before...”the Isrealites cried out to the Lord”. This is usually followed by, “when the people cried out, the Lord raised up a deliverer”, as in 3:9, and again in 3:15, and again in 4:3-7, and again in 6:7-14. But for the first time now, it looks as though the Lord isn’t going to help them. Why might God react this way?

“We have sinned against you , forsaking our God and serving the baals” shows us that the Isrealites recognized their sin against the Lord. But recognition isn’t the same as repentance. How?

What does God’s reply [10:14] tell us?

God wants the Isrealites to turn away from the baals and back towards Him. Do the Isrealites ‘get’ this?

In verse 18, we find the Isrealites crying out for a leader. Is this a good idea?

Judges 10: 1-5

2010-02-16T00:40:00.000-08:00

[MEST] Judges
Judges 10: 1-5
Significance in insignificance
Last week we kinda laughed at these two seemingly trivial leaders/judges in Isreal. We joked at how there’s people like Deborah [2 chapters], Gideon [3 chapters], Samson [4 chapters] and even Ehud [19 verses] but so much packed into his crazy story. And now these two dudes have to share 5 verses! I took it as a personal challenge to base a study around these two insignificants to try to find some significance...Bring it on!...

[Read > Judges 10: 1-5]

Do you think the amount of words written about someone in the bible can equate to how important they are?

[Activity] > Along with Tola and Jair, the other “minor” Judges include Shamgar [Chapter 3], Ibzan, Elon & Abdon [chapter 12]. Can you find anyone in the bible who has seemingly small insignificant parts to play...but actually they were significant?

What could be the reason(s) for the lack of detail about Tola & Jair?

Tola & Jair’s stories follow Abimelek’s without any kind of break. What could this tell us?

These short, seemingly insignificant few verses may not tell us much about these 2 characters, but they do tell us something about the character of God. In particular, about this God of Isreal in her low fortunes at this time...

This man, Tola “rose to save Isreal” (or “was sent to deliver Isreal”). Can you find any other Judges who were “called”, “rose” or were “sent” in the same way?

Regardless of if Tola had been called as a military leader or as an administrator or both, what does this tell us about Tola, God & us?

How is the link/comparison to Deborah significant?

Next we see Jair. What is the importance of his 30 sons with 30 donkeys in 30 cities?

Following last weeks story where the Isrealites chose a tyrant king, slip back into idolatry AND ignore the warnings of Jotham, they deserve to be wiped off the face of the earth. Instead, they get 45 years of peace under Tola & Jair. Why?

What does this tell us about God?

How is this applicable to us in 2010?

Judges 9

2010-02-11T13:48:00.000-08:00

[MEST] Judges 9

Again we see the Isrealites messing up, but this time their usual pattern doesn't follow... We don't see the "Sin > Punishment > Cry for help > Rescue." Abimelek, the leading figure in this chapter hasn't been raised up by God to rescue...quite the opposite.

[Read Judges 9]

Abimelek stands as quite a contrast to Gideon. How?

Verse 5 mentions the place Abimelek killed his brothers as "one stone", what could this mean?

Judges 9:1-6 stands in stark contrast to Joshua 24:1 & 16. How?

Verse 8-15 tells a strange story. What does this remind you of?

[Activity] > Take some time to discect this strange story in verses 8-15 and write down what you think it means.

What does verse 26 tell us about the people of Schechem?

In verse 45 we see that Abimelek, after capturing the city, scattered salt over it. Why?

Verse 49 was a fulfilment of something that had been promised earlier in this chapter. What is it?

While men used weapons like spears, bows and arrows to defend towers, women helped by dropping stones. Why?

What does this part of the story remind you of?

Grinding grain was seen as women's work. Too lowley for men to perform. But, defending your city, fighting and killing pagan tyrants and enemies was definately a man's job. How is this story significant?

In verse 54 what's going on with the armour-bearer and this whole "a woman killed him" business?

From chapter 8:34 - 9:55 God isn't mentioned at all. What could this twll us about Abimelek's story?

The last 2 verses in chapter 9 wrap up this story and give a good "God conclusion". How and why?

Judges 8: 22 -35

2010-02-03T01:55:00.000-08:00

[MEST] Judges
Judges 8: 22 - 35

So, in the words of John Lennon, "war is over". And even though we see that there is peace for 40 years, Gideon's choices are about to put an end to all that! ...

[Read] > Judges 8: 22 - 35

In v22, the Isrealites say, "rule over us...be our king!" What does this show us?

Next, Gideon seems to get it. He refuses their offer of royal praise and points them back towards God, but then in his next breath Gideon does something weird. What is it and what does it show us about Gideon?

What does this episode in Gideon's life tell us about us?

By refusing kingship but then taking an "offering" for himself, what essentially has Gideon done?

What's an ephod?

So, if it was ok to make an ephod in the past, what's wrong about making this ephod?

What does the way the Isrealites treat / react to the new shiney ephod, tell us about us as humans?

Our strengths can easily become our weaknesses. Gideon's strength was that he was able to hear from God. Gideon's weakness was that he had to hear from God. What could this mean?

[Activity] >

Can you think of other examples in the bible, where someones strength was also their weakness?

What is the result of Gideon's actions? How is this ironic?

We read that Gideon had 70 sons! But it also mentions that Gideon took a concubine who bore him a son, Abimelek. This was to mark trouble for Gideon's family. Can you think of other examples in the bible of when doing similar to this bore similar results?

Gideon is weak in ch6, because of his inexperience. Gideon is weak in ch8, because of his pride. What can an overview of Gideon's story tell us about him? And ultimately, about us too?

Biblestudy...denied!

2010-01-28T05:36:00.000-08:00

This week sees the first of our 2010 Prayer Gatherings taking place on thursday.
So there will be no notes this week.
Please feel free to attend our prayer meeting where we will be focusing on individuals for prayer / the churches future in 2010 / Haiti.

If, for whatever reason, you can't attend this meeting then please pray for these issues in your own time.

Sorry again for no post this week!

ste

Judges 7:24 - 8:21

2010-01-20T02:29:00.000-08:00

[MEST] Judges
Study Guide > Judges 7:24 – 8:21
[Read Judges 7:24 – 8:21]
It should’ve been a moment of celebration. High-fives and back-slaps and end-zone dances. Both tribes had much glory to share in. Manasseh’s 300 had put an end to the Midianite hoards. And Ephraim had sealed off the enemies escape route and finished them off...

What is the significance of Gideon’s 300 and Ephraim’s army working together?

Why were the Ephraimites happy and angry at the same time?

Why wasn’t Ephraim asked for help?

What might Gideon have thought about being presented with Oreb and Zeeb’s severed heads?

In response to Ephraim how could have Gideon reacted?

Gideon’s actual response could’ve been seen as kissing ass, but it was quite wise [Pr. 15:1]. How?

Succoth was a town right on the border between the Midianites and the Isrealites. What would this mean for the people of Succoth?

What kind of welcome was Gideon expecting in Succoth?

Why didn’t Succoth make Gideon and his 300 welcome?

Gideon is pretty cross! Why?

In verse 7, is Gideon right or wrong to threaten and judge the people of Succoth?
[Activity > Gideon’s actions = For & Against]

4 miles to the next town... Peniel [where Jacob wrestled with God]. Surely they would receive a better welcome party here?...But no. How might Gideon be feeling by this point?

Why did the Midianites think they were safe in Karkor?

What might the officials in Succoth be thinking as they see Gideon and the 300 returning with Zebah and Zalmunna in their possession?

Why give the men in Succoth a “spanking” and then go and kill all the men in Peniel and pull down it’s tower?

How would you feel / react in Gideon’s position? He now knows that Zebah and Zalmunna were responsible for killing his brothers. What would you do?

Why did Gideon want his son, Jether, to kill the them?

In the 2nd half of vs21, we see something that could be quite innocent OR it could mark the beginning of the end for Gideon. What is it and why?

Judges 7:1-23

2010-01-12T02:12:00.000-08:00

[MEST] Judges
Study Guide > Judges 7:1-23
As Gideon viewed the task ahead of him, the sheer size of the enemy would have been discouraging. Before any reducing was done, the Midianites outnumbered the Isrealites 4 to 1.
[Read Judges 7:1-23]
Gideon needed comfort and assurance when his army was 32’000 men, imagine how his heart would’ve sank when 22’000 of those went home! What might Gideon have been thinking?

They were now outnumbered 13 to 1. Then another 9’700 were sent home! That’s 300 against 135’000. NOW they were outnumbered 400 to 1. Impossible odds?

In v1-8, we see God reducing down Isreal’s army. Why?

In Deut 20:8 and in v3 here, we see that any afraid soldiers are sent home. What could be the reasons for this?

How would the remaining 10’000 have felt as 22’000 went back home?

Was this 2nd test just another means of reducing numbers or was there more to it?

Why did God tell Gideon to take Purah along?

V13-14 shows dreams and interpretations. This is quite common in the OT. Can you think of other examples?

The use of barley bread was because it was considered an inferior grain and only half the value of wheat. Why might this be significant?

Why was the “beginning of the middle watch” a good strategic time to attack?

The 300’s “weapons” were jars, torches, and trumpets. What would they think of these weapons?

What would the 300 think of the “battle plan”? How would you feel in this situation?

Why did the 300 go along with the plan?

Judges 6:19-40

2010-01-05T04:20:00.000-08:00

[MEST] Judges
Study Guide > Judges 6:19-40
So, the angel of the Lord has just dropped the bombshell that Gideon is a “mighty warrior” and that “the Lord is with you”. How does Gideon respond? > “Who, me?!”...”Wait!”...” I need a sign that it’s you really talking to me... I’ll get an offering. Please don’t leave! Will you wait?”
How could the angel have responded?
[Read Judges 6:19-40]
Even though food is scarce, in v19 Gideon uses a load of flour (22 pounds!) to make the bread to offer to the angel. What could this tell us about Gideon?
“Pour the broth out on the ground. Put the bread and the meat on that rock over there!” How might Gideon feel about this reaction to his offering?
In v21 the angel completely cremates the offering. How might this make Gideon feel?
In v22 Gideon exclaims “I have seen God face to face!” Why is this a big deal?

In v25 the Lord tells Gideon to take an axe to his father’s alter. Does this section of the story remind you of another event in the Isrealite’s history? And how is that important?

This was Gideon’s dad’s livelihood, his life. How could Gideon have reacted to such a command?

Here we see Gideon being invited to become a partner with God. How might Gideon feel about this?

This invitation, this “calling” comes with 2 heads. FRIENDSHIP and FUNCTION. How does this show itself in Gideon’s calling? And can you think of other examples in the bible?

In our Christian lives we need to have these 2 elements in equal balance. If you become too friendship-centred, then you LOVE to sing worship songs and read your bible, but you have no intention or desire to “dirty” your hands with evangelism or mission, and ultimately become irrelevant. On the other hand, if you become too functional-centred, then you throw yourselves at everything 100 miles an hour working for God, but you’ll soon burn out because you’re not being sustained from the word, prayer, and worship.

God can speak in different ways. Sometimes he commands [ie > the voice from the burning bush or Paul being ordered to go to Macedonia]. At other times God allows His servants to offer “suggestions”. Like in Gideon’s story. Can you think of any other examples of when God takes suggestions from people?
This winepress episode also included negotiation. God wants Gideon to destroy the baal alter, but Gideon wants to wait until it gets dark. This isn’t a monologue > God speaking and commanding and Gideon rushing to obey. Instead, it’s an ongoing conversation.
In v27 we see Gideon go to this baal temple with 10 men. Why take others along? Why not go alone?
In v29, how did the mob come to the conclusion that Gideon was guilty?

[Activity > Mob/Joash/Gideon = points of view]

Why might Joash have had a change of heart?

In v31 Joash asks the mob, “are you going to plead baal’s cause? Are you trying to save him?” What is Joash’s question actually asking? And what is meant by, “If baal really is a god, then he can defend himself when someone breaks down his alter”?
“Jerub baal” was given to Gideon as a curse, but seemed to have a different effect. Explain...

What is the progression of Gideon’s calling? How is this progression meaningful to us?

So, the fleece thing... why did Gideon need more signs?

So, fear was keeping Gideon in the winepress and now despite the numerous conversations with God, visitations from an angel, signs and wonders, a heart-changed father AND 32’000 men ready to follow him into battle! > Gideon is STILL afraid.
Take some time to think about what you’re afraid of.
What’s holding you back?

Judges 5

2009-11-18T02:10:00.000-08:00

[MEST] Judges
Study Guide > Judges 5
“The Canaan hills are alive with the sound of music ”
After the events of last chapter, Deborah did what we would all do...sing a song!
[Read Judges 5]
[Worship songs >Biblical reference]

Along with Judges 5, Exodus 15:1-18 / Num. 21:27-30 / Deut. 32:1-43 / 1 Sam. 18:7, all tell us what?

Why sing?

[Write own songs based on Psalms or personal experience]

Deborah’s song doesn’t just re-tell the story from chapter 4. What are verses 4 & 5 talking about?

Verse 5 talks of another event [Ex. 19:16-18] and is also talked about in Psalm 68:8. What is it?

Why might “not a shield or spear” be seen in Isreal in verse 8?

Why might there be “singers at the watering places”?

In verse 20, what could “from the heavens, the stars fought” mean?

In verse 28, we see a contrast between 2 characters. What do you think it is?

Judges 4

2009-11-18T02:08:00.000-08:00

[MEST] Judges
Study Guide > Judges 4
“ Carry on camping”
FINALLY! A woman to take charge of things.We’ve not seen a woman make any kind of dent in the story since Rahab (Josh6) and not a major role since Miriam (Ex15)
[Read Judges 4]
[draw character/scenes]
Deborah was the only woman who was both prophet, judge and military leader. What problems might she come up against?
The name Deborah means “bee”. Can you think of any significance of this?

In vs 7 we see the Isrealite army camped on Mount Tabor. Why is this a good strategic place?

Sisera wanted to fight in the valley of Jezreel and next to the Kishon river. Why?

In vs 9 Deborah tells Barak that “the honour won’t be his and the LORD will give Sisera into the hands of a woman”, why? What are the implications of this?

In vs 11, Heber the Kenite (Moses’ brother-in-law!) has switched sides and is now helping the Canaanites. He is a metal-worker by trade. Why would this be of use to these Cananites?

In vs 18 we see Sisera hiding in Jael’s tent. [Jael means “mountain goat”] Why would this be a good hiding place?

Genesis 19:8 clearly states that laws of hospitality meant you protected your guest from harm. Apparently Jael skipped that class in her elocution lessons! What motives may have driven her to this violent action?
Why a tent peg?
Thinking about the 2 women’s names[thier meanings] in this story, what kind of poetic outcome can we find?

Judges 3

2009-11-05T07:42:00.001-08:00

[MEST] Judges
Study Guide > Judges 3
You wait 2 weeks...then 3 Judges come along at once!
Tonight we will see the continuation of this cycle that the Isrealites get themselves into.
[Cycle of habits] > more like a downward spiral.
[Enemies of Isreal] >
Philistines / Canaanites / Sidonians / Hivites / Hittites / Amorites / Perizzites / Jebusites
[Read Judges 3]
Act out Ehud’s story

[Activities] > Character sketch / Storyboard for Ehud / Write your own Judges story, using the cycle pattern (beginning statement, cycle of apostasy, oppression, distress, deliverance, conclusion)

This issue of cross-race marriage and idol worship go hand in hand. Why?

Can we think of modern day stuff that compares?

The Isrealites were slaves for 8 years before they cried out to God. What?!

After waiting 8 years to ask for help and God sending Othniel, you’d think they’d have learned their lesson. But the Moabites held them in slavery for 14 years before they asked God to help! What? Why?!

Ehud isn’t mentioned with a lot of the other judges in Hebrews 11, chapter about faith. Why?

Judges 2

2009-10-29T06:56:00.000-07:00

[MEST] Judges
Study Guide > Judges 2
Who/What are judges?
This English word “judge” doesn’t really do justice to what the original Hebrew was talking about. These “judges” were seen as more as prophets and troubleshooters. They saved Isreal from themselves as well as others. The only time the actual Hebrew word for “judge”[] is used is talking about God. He is THE Judge.
This book doesn’t just use the judges as examples of perfect people. Quite the opposite! The book, like the rest of the bible, talks about the failings and weaknesses of humans.
Barak isn’t too manly / Gideon is a scaredy-cat / Jephath is the son of a prostitute / Samson disrespected his parents and his wife, slept with a prostitute AND dated Philistine women.
If we add up all the time the judges spent “judging” it comes to 400 years. But the time-line of the book of Judges is only 200 years. Huh?
[Read Judges 2]
“Being brought up out of Egypt” is mentioned time and time again throughout the Old Testament. Why?

Why did the angel of the Lord think it was important for the Isrealites NOT to make a covenant with the people in that land?

BAAL simply means Lord. And takes the form of many false gods in the bible. The worship of baal included sacred prostitution and child sacrifices. (molek the detestable = who ate babies!)
ASHTORETH is a godess / wife of baal. She is the godess of war and fertility. Worship of ashteroth included sacred male prostitutes and worst of all...tapestry weaving!
[gods & idols today]
Why do you think the Isrealites DIDN’T tear down the alters to false gods?

Why do you think it was the next generation that became unfaithful to God?

Judges 1 > study guide

2009-10-20T06:44:00.000-07:00

[MEST] Judges
Study Guide > Judges 1
Judges was written about 1380BC. The books of Judges and Ruth go together (both supposedly written by Samuel). They aren’t law books (like the Pentateuch), they are part of the historical books.
When looking at history, there are 4 approaches ....
1] STUDY OF PERSONALITIES / 2] STUDY OF PEOPLES
3] STUDY OF PATTERNS / 4] STUDY OF PURPOSE
Which one did the book of Joshua fit in to?
When looking at the study of purpose, which is what Judges and Ruth does, there are 2 directions.
First is CYCLICAL, where time passes, but cycles and patterns appear (this happens 7 times in Judges) and secondly is LINEAR, where there is obvious progression from start, middle, and end (this happens in Ruth).
[Read Judges 1]
In chapter 1 we see this book picking up where Joshua left off. The Isrealites incomplete conquest and failure to completely take the land and Apostasy.
Now Joshua was dead and gone, what would the feelings amongst the Isrealites be?

By not fully taking the land and by sharing it with the Canaanites, Isreal bring bad stuff on themselves in several ways. What and Why?

Verse 7 speaks of 70 kings with thumbs and big toes cut off and eating scraps from under a table. What’s that all about?

There are 5 reasons why Isreal failed to completely take the land. What do you think they are?

The Isrealites were unable to take the 5 Philistine cities of Gaza, Ashkelon, Ashdod, Ekron, and Gath. They are close to Judah’s promised land, close to the coastline with a main route from Mesopotamia (north) to Egypt (south). Why was this area important?

Joshua 24 study guide

2009-10-07T07:57:00.000-07:00

[MEST] Joshua 24
Study guide
“Woop woop! Joshua’s finished” > not the person, that would be a harsh thing to say. No, we have come to the end of our study of the book of Joshua!
Joshua knew this was his last speech. He was obviously concerned about the welfare of the people after he had gone (slipping back into their old ways!). He begins by summarizing Isreal’s history. A common approach when dealing with the nation (Acts 7 / Hebrews 11)
[READ] > Joshua 24
Where did Joshua meet the people?

Who was he speaking on the behalf of? What does this prove about Joshua?

How did Joshua describe the conquest of the land?

In verses 14 – 15 what choice did Joshua put before the people?

What choice had Joshua made? > (Prov. 22:6 / Eph. 6:4 / Titus 2:4 / Gen. 18:19)

In verses 19 – 24 what did Joshua say to the Isrealites to underline the importance and seriousness of their commitment?

Where did Joshua write this down? What’s the significance?

What else acted as a reminder to their commitment? Where else have similar reminders occurred in this story?

Read Genesis 50:24-25 > Why is this relevant?

[Discuss worksheet]

Joshua 24 > Worksheet

2009-09-30T02:44:00.000-07:00

[MEST] Joshua 24
Worksheet

The grand finale!

[Read] > Joshua 24
[Additional] > Num 23 -24 / Ne 13:22 / Gen 20:11 / 1 Ki 12:28-29

The end is here! Joshua calls the assembly together to follow Moses’ example and renew the covenant.
Read through verses 1 – 28 and think about what this renewal might mean and why it is needed.

Verses 29 – 33 talks of three burials. Why was this important?

Joshua 23 > Study guide

2009-09-30T02:32:00.000-07:00

[MEST] Joshua 23
Study guide
“so long...farewell...”
This chapter sees Joshua talking about the Isrealite’s victories that the LORD had given them, but he also reminds them that there is still land to be possessed.

[Read] > Joshua 23
[Activity] > Farewell speeches
[Play] > Mafia?

In verse 10, Joshua says “one of you routs a thousand”. Look at Judges 15:15-16. What is important about this?

Joshua warns the Isrealites to stay faithful to God. How might this be achieved?

How does their faithfulness and honouring God differ to ours? Why?

[Discuss worksheet]

Joshua 23 worksheet

2009-09-24T01:49:00.000-07:00

[MEST] Joshua 23
Worksheet >
[Additional reading > Ex. 34:15-16 / Deut. 7:2-4 / 2 Cor.6]
“Final farewells”
With such a group of influential characters around, Joshua could have easily taken credit for Isreal’s success, but he gave all the credit to God.
[Read Joshua 23]

Joshua is now about 110 years old and knows he’s not got long left. How would you feel if you were in Joshua’s place, knowing you were about to die? What would be your worries or concerns?

In verses 4 – 8, Joshua talks about being careful not to be “unequally yoked”. Not joining with non-believers. Throughout the bible there are loads of examples of how bad things happen when we ignore this. Can you think of any?

Joshua 22 > study guide

2009-09-24T01:47:00.000-07:00

[MEST] Joshua 22
Study guide
“The fellowship divides...”
There is no more fighting in the land. It’s time for the Reubenites, Gadites and half tribe Manasseh to go back to the land promised to them over the Jordan.

Watch >[Jumping to conclusions...not always good > youtube]
Play >[Mafia]

[Read Joshua 22]

In verses 1 – 5 we see the 2 ½ tribes from the “eastside” getting a shout out from the main man Joshua. This could be a time for mixed emotions. Why?

Verse 5 talks of’ loving and serving the LORD with all your heart...’ Why was this important / relevant?

The transJordan tribes called this alter a “witness”. What is it a witness to?

In this chapter we see the Isrealites getting the wrong end of the stick and jumping to conclusions. Have you ever been judged wrongly or wrongly judged someone? How did it feel?

Teething Problems

2009-09-24T01:45:00.000-07:00

Hey! Sorry [MEST] has been dormant for a while. I have had some 'issues' with my computer. T'is all sorted now! Next post to follow shortly...

Joshua 8 Worksheet

2009-07-02T06:55:00.000-07:00

[MEST] _ Joshua
Worksheet #8

“Stealthy ninja ambush style!”

[READ] > Joshua 8

[ADDITIONAL] > Deut 11:26-30 / Deut 21:22-23 / Deut 27:1-8

In Jericho God commanded that EVERYTHING must be destroyed, but here in Ai God allows them to take stuff. Why?

Again, we see a stone monument being built at the scene of the battle of Ai. Why?

Why take the time to copy and read out the contents of the Ark?

Joshua 7

2009-07-02T06:54:00.000-07:00

[MEST] Joshua 7
Study Guide

[Group Activity]

At the end of chapter 6, we see God working through Joshua to pronounce a curse to be put on anyone who tries to rebuild Jericho. (1 Kings 16:34) Think of any other curses talked about in the bible (split into groups and use bibles to try to find examples) >

[READ] Joshua 7 >

Even after all the Isrealites have been through and all God has done for them, here we see that the Isrealites are again unfaithful to God. Why?

Strong contrasts can be made between Rahab’s story and Achan’s .... Discuss.

One man’s sin effected the whole nation, as 3000 Isrealites are defeated at Ai. Is that fair?

Just like in chapter 3, when the Isrealites crossed the Jordan and set up a stone monument. Here we see them doing the same at the site of Achan’s execution. Why?

[Discuss Worksheet]

Joshua 7 Worksheet

2009-07-02T06:53:00.000-07:00

[MEST] _ Joshua
Worksheet #7

“Achan is a VERY naughty boy!”

[READ] > Joshua 7
[ADDITIONAL] > 1 Samuel 13:5 / Job 2:12 / Judges 19:23-24
After quite a good run of doing what they are supposed to, the Isrealites now start to slip back into their stupid ways.

How would Joshua be feeling after his men were defeated at Ai?

How would Achan have been feeling as Joshua becomes closer and closer to finding him guilty?

How do you feel about Achan’s punishment? Do you think it is harsh, fair or unfair?

Joshua 6

2009-07-02T06:48:00.000-07:00

[MEST] Joshua 6
Study Guide

This is one of THE big events in Old Testament history.
It even gets a mention in one of my favourite chapters in the New Testament, Hebrews 11 [30-31].

[READ] Joshua 6 >

This was such a MASSIVE ask and with a seemingly ridiculous method. How could walking, shouting and playing brass destroy a city?

Verses 3-6 offer very direct instructions, ending with the command for everyone to “go straight in”. What does this tell us of the nature of the siege? Psychologically, what effects would this have on the Isrealites? And the people of Jericho?

What is at the centre of verse 8-14 and why?

Verse 23 shows the 2 spies going to fetch out Rahab and all her family. What might Rahab have thaught when she heard the siege on Jericho, felt the walls collapse, and saw these 2 soldiers in full-armour bursting into her home?

[Group Discussion]

This curse on Jericho wasn’t just a threat or empty words, when God cursed something (or someone cursed something in God’s name) it was SERIOUS [1 Kings 16:34]. Can you think of any other examples of curses from God?

[Discuss Worksheet]

Joshua 4 Worksheet

2009-06-11T03:55:00.000-07:00

[MEST] Joshua
Worksheet#4
“What do these stones mean?”
Once all the men, women, children, animals, baggage, camping stuff and tabernacle equipment were across, it was time for the ark of the covenant and some VERY relieved priests to get to the other side.

[Read] > Joshua 4
[Additional] > Exodus 12:13 / Numbers 26 / 1 Samuel 7:12

After the WHOLE of the Isrealite nation had crossed the Jordan, Joshua sent 12 men back into the river. How would you have felt if you were one of the chosen 12?

In verse 19 it talks of the 10th day of the 1st month. What is the significance of this?

The setting of the stones was to act as a reminder of this event. Why was this important/necessary? What effect would this memorial have on the Isrealites? Canaanites?

Joshua 3

2009-06-11T03:54:00.000-07:00

[MEST] Joshua 3
Study Guide

Parallels > Obvious parallels can be drawn between crossing the River Jordan and crossing the Red Sea _ The parting of the Red Sea is one of THE most famous experiences of Moses’ leadership. Now God STARTS Joshua’s story with the SAME miracle. This sign was God’s way of showing the people that Joshua was the new leader.

[Read Joshua 3]
Why do you think it was important for the ark to go into the river first and remain there until everyone had crossed?

Parting and crossing the Jordan was very visual, how do you think this would affect the Isrealites? And the Canaanites?

The River Jordan marks the beginning of something new for the Isrealites. Can you think of another example of when the Jordan did this?

Joshua 3 Worksheet

2009-06-11T03:53:00.000-07:00

[MEST] _ Joshua

Worksheet #3

Parallels >

Joshua had to lead by example. He had to go first. [John 10:4]
Also, people had to follow...if no one followed then Joshua wouldn’t be leading.

[READ] > Joshua 3

[ADDITIONAL] > Acts 7:44-45

There are 2 reasons for the 40 years in the desert, what do you think they are?

In verse 1 we see Joshua getting up early. Why?

After waiting 2 days camped on the edge of the Jordan, how do you think Joshua and the Isrealites have been feeling?

The people entering Canaan, weren’t an army, it was the whole of the Isrealites. That’s ALL men, women, children, animals and baggage. Think about the difficulties/stresses of this.

Joshua 2 Worksheet

2009-06-11T03:49:00.000-07:00

[MEST] _ Joshua
Worksheet #2

“Rahab....you don’t have to put on your red light”

[READ] > Joshua 2
[ADDITIONAL] > Judges 7: 10-11 / 1 Samuel 26: 6-12 / Hebrews 11: 31
Joshua sends 2 spies to check out the city of Jericho in Canaan (promise land)
Why choose the house of a prostitute? How might this tactically work?

What effect would the reputation of the Isrealites’ story have on the Canaanites (verses 9-11)and on the Isrealites themselves (verses 9-11 / 24)?

Are there any other passages in the bible that are similar the ‘scarlet cord’ used as a sign? What comparisons can be drawn from this?

[MEST] Joshua1 Worksheet

2009-05-21T11:18:00.000-07:00

[MEST] _ Joshua

Worksheet #1

Intro to Joshua_

The book of Joshua is ALL about fulfilment for the children of God. After many years as slaves in Egypt and 40 years in the wilderness, the Isrealites FINALLY get into the promise land. Not with Moses, but with Joshua. Joshua was destined to turn that promise into a reality. After all those years of waiting, their purpose shifts_ they must now physically STEP OUT and take the land. The main theme of the book is the establishment of God’s people in the promise land. The 3 main “characters” in this book are 1# God, 2# Joshua and 3# People of Isreal. We meet all 3 in the 1st chapter of this book.

Who is Joshua?_

As a boy, Joshua would have experienced first-hand the effects of living as a slave in Egypt and then wondering in the wilderness. Only Joshua was allowed with Moses, up the Holy mountain to receive the 10 commandments. Joshua was chosen to represent his tribe of Ephraim when they went to spy in Canaan > “10 were bad, 2 were good!” Only Joshua and Caleb were willing to see things God’s way. As Moses died and passed leadership onto Joshua, God promised to guide and strengthen him. Joshua was God’s chosen servant to complete the work that Moses had started.

[READ] > Joshua 1

[ADDITIONAL] > Gen 15: 13,16 & 18 / Gen 17: 8 / Deut 3: 20 & 12: 9-10

Do you notice any repetition in God’s instruction to Joshua?

Why do you think this is important?

How do you think Joshua would have felt having to step into Moses’ shoes?

How do you think the tribes of Reuben, Gad and Manasseh felt about having to fight for land that is not for them?

[MEST] Joshua1 StudyGuide

2009-05-21T11:15:00.000-07:00

[MEST] Joshua 1
Study Guide

Promises > Joshua chapter 1 is all about fullfiling God's promises.
Joshua had the tough job of filling Moses' shoes.
It was all well and good relying on God's word, but Joshua and the Irealites had to ACT. It was a physical thing, they had to step out and put that FAITH into ACTION.

Is there anything in your life that you need to ACT on?

Anything you need to stop thinking about and actually DO something about?

[COMMITMENT]

Take this time to think of area(s) in your life that you need to change or improve.
Leave them at the cross.

[READ] Joshua 1 >

The ONLY request God has in order to keep His promise to the Isrealites, is to think about the book of law day and night. Why do you think this was important?

Joshua had spent 56 years as a slave in Egypt and then 40 years roaming around the desert. He was FINALLY coming to a place he could call home. How do you think he felt about this? What places feel like home to you?

[GROUP DISCUSSION]

Can you think of any other promises made by God?

What do these mean to you in 2009?

[MEST] introduction

2009-05-20T06:51:00.000-07:00

Hey peeps!

This blog is in addition to our thursday bible class @ Oakham Evangelical Church.

The idea is that our weekly topics and trains of thought are posted on here for people to read (if not available to attend) or re-read (if you were'nt listening!)

Also questions and additional thoughts can be posted on here.

love X