Read: 1 Sam. 20; John 15:12-15; 2 Cor. 6:14-18; Phil. 2:3-8 Friendship. To what extent is the divine example a model for human friendship, as presented by a Father whom we cannot see and the...
The Last Five Kings of Judah
October 10, 2015
Read: Gen. 2:18-25; John 2:1-11; Eph. 5:21-33; 1 Pet. 3:1-7 Marriage Is Not Out of Date. In Scripture, marriage is the norm, celibacy the rare exception. Jesus never married, but early in his ministry blessed...
Read: Ps. 127:3-5; Prov. 1:8-15; 19:8; Eph. 6:1-4; Phil. 4:9 Parenthood – Joys and Responsibilities. To what extent are parents responsible for their children, both before they reach maturity and after? The ideas suggested by...
Read: Gen. 22:1-14; Exod. 20:12; Luke 2:41-52; Eph. 6:1-3 Honor Your Father and Your Mother. Right at the beginning of Leviticus 19, a chapter which includes a wide variety of laws, both moral and ritual,...
Read: Isaiah 65-66 Background Considerations We don’t read a lot in the Old Testament about life beyond death or heaven or resurrection. These ideas appear in places, but they are limited in number and mostly...
Read: Isaiah 59-62 Background Considerations Salvation and deliverance in the Old Testament typically carry the more everyday ideas of rescue or deliverance from pests, storms, enemies, drought, etc., as well as the more theologically significant...
Read: Isaiah 55 and 58 Background Considerations Many see Isaiah 56-66 as another inspired addition to the book of Isaiah from an even later time than the Babylonian exile. Whereas chapters 1-39 assume primarily an...
Read: Isaiah 50:4-9; 52:13-53:12 Background Considerations Last week’s lesson introduced us to the so-called “Servant Songs” and the debates surrounding their interpretation. It also recommended our attempting to listen to what these words must have...
Read: Isaiah 42:1-4; 49:1-6 Background Considerations Within Isaiah 40-55 many students of the book have seen a major theme develop around the idea of “the servant.” The term “servant” appears in this section with a...
Read: Isaiah 40 Background Considerations It is in Isaiah 40 that all students of the book recognize a dramatic shift. Whether one attributes this to another author or not, the shift is here. For the...
Read: Isaiah 36-39 Background Considerations Whatever position one takes about the authorship of Isaiah, chapters 36-39 provide a historical narrative which bridges the gap between the major points of emphasis and feel of the preceding...
Read: Isaiah 13-23, 24-27 Background Considerations Among the many speech forms which the prophets use in their preaching are Oracles (Speeches) against Foreign Nations (OAN). These appear is all of the prophets except Hosea and...
Read: Isaiah 9 and 11 Background Considerations These chapters introduce us to some of the memorable lines from Isaiah, especially for Christians who have the New Testament in mind as they read both the descriptions...
Read: Isaiah 7 and 8 Background Considerations As noted in last week’s study guide, chapters 7-9 of Isaiah assume some awareness of the events surrounding what came to be known as the “Syro-Ephraimitic War,” a...
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