Babylonian Timeline

Thanks to Irene Leyda for sending an excellent link to the history of Babylon. We discussed Babylon at our meeting last Thursday. If you are interesting in reading up on this, click here.

Christ in the Psalms

Many quotations from this book are found in the New Testament. At least twenty of these directly refer to Christ and His life and death.

Here are a couple of examples:
His prophetic office is found in Psalm 22:22
His sufferings in Psalms 22 and 69
His resurrection in Psalm 16

Jesus himself said "Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets, and the Psalms" (Luke 24:44)

What other references to Christ do you find as you read the Psalms?

Press on friends!

Keynote Speaker

We speak of the Psalms as the Psalms of David. He has been considered the principal writer. He gives the keynote and his voice rises highest in the sacred choir.

But there were other authors besides him. Seventy-three of the 150 Psalms are assigned to him; fifty are anonymous. Psalm 90 is written by Moses. Two are written by Solomon-Psalms 72 and 127. Besides these, Asaph, David's choir leader, the sons of Korah, a family of official musicians, and Jeduthun wrote some. [H.C. Mears]

Are you prepared for an emergency?

Queen Esther had an emergency: to answer the challenge of Mordecai. She who had been placed in the palace on flowery beds of ease had not succumbed to the luxury of her surroundings. She chose a course at terrible danger to herself for the sake of her opposed people, the Jews.

There is one thing to do always. Do what is right and leave the rest to God. God prepares people for emergencies. Failure is not sin; faithlessness is. (H.C.Mears)

"And who knows but that you have come to royal position for such a time as this?" (Esther 4:14)

A little history lesson!

We have just finished reading the books of Ezra and Nehemiah and we are beginning the book of Esther.
Did you know this?

Between chapters 6 and 7 of Ezra, three great world battles (Salamis, Thermopylae and Marathon were fought: and two great world leaders (Confucius and Buddha) died! Time elapsed: fifty eight years!
(516-458 B.C.)

In the Old Testament, Esther (which takes place in previously named period) follows Nehemiah; in history, the events of Esther occur thirty years BEFORE Nehemiah!

The purposes of God are sometimes delayed; but never abandoned!

Pockets of Resistance

In the reading from this past week, can you see the overriding theme? Military conquest! And the effects- both good and bad. The commentary from April 26th talks about "pockets of resistance",if left unchallenged, can lead to rebellion- both in the military and the SPIRITUAL realm.

Are there any areas of your life that have become "pockets of resistance" such as finances, pride, time with God, gossip, your thought life, time with family?

I am personally challenged. This week, I made a conscience effort to act on one of these "areas of rebellion". (whew, those are strong words!)

Praying that God would give you VICTORY to overcome!

Press on friends!

Trivia Question: Solomon's Stuff!

Where were Solomon's horses imported from?

What did Solomon make as plentiful as stone?

OK, so if you get the answers, what spiritual implication can you draw from this?
Why do you think these facts are mentioned in 2 Chronicles?

Time to share what you are learning

There is so much to take in these past few books! Wow! I am working hard to stay on track, but I really want to divert and read whole commentaries on prophets like Elijah and Elisha!

One thing that really jumped out at me was in II Kings 5:13 when Naaman's officers tried to reason with him when he was not content with the prophet Elisha's simple instructions for him to be healed. Sometimes, I think God gives us easy, simple directions and we doubt His sovereignty and wisdom. In our mind, we think a situation or remedy should be so much harder or difficult. When, in reality, He has blessed us with a simple solution!

What are the rest of you learning?

Trivia question: II Kings

Who uttered the words "Go away, baldy!" and what happened to the person or persons after they said it?

Your Talented Self

Wow! As we finish up our reading in I and II Samuel, I continue to be amazed at the versatility of David. He is the shepherd boy, the court musician, the soldier, the true friend, the outcast captain, the king, the great general, the loving father, the poet, and the sinner. But, always the lover of God.

He used every talent God gave him for the glory of his creator!

I read a great article this past week on "Tending your Talents" by Hilary Kimes.
I have included an excerpt below:

"One of the things I like best about shopping is finding the perfect gift for someone special. I'm thrilled when that person delights in my gift. If someone obviously does not appreciate the gift, I'm crushed.

How similar God must feel when we neglect the perfect gifts He gives us. As a loving Father, He created us with natural abilities and strengths and then, on top of that, bestowed spiritual gifts as well. Why has He done this? God granted us gifts and abilities so we can serve others, as well as give part of ourselves back to Him. "And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ" (Ephesians 4:11,12).

In receiving these gifts and abilities, we have several choices: We can set them aside in disappointment and pursue something that looks better in our own eyes; we can develop them for personal gain; or we can cultivate and practice them as our own gifts back to God. When it comes to long-term fulfillment, however, we find greatest satisfaction when our gifts and abilities are used as intended, with grateful glances toward the Giver.

Some people claim they don't have any special talents or gifts, or they don't pursue discovering them. But God desires every member of the body of Christ to use the abilities He divinely gave; therefore each believer has the responsibility to seek out and discover God-given talents. Doing this can launch a lifetime of enjoyable stewardship and service to God.

One way to recognize our talents is to notice things we excel at and enjoy doing. Another is to ask close friends or family members which areas they see as our strengths. Yet a third is to take one of the various tests that measure our strengths and weaknesses, as well as reveal spiritual gifts.

After recognizing our talents, however, we may compare ourselves to others and react in disappointment. Instead of trusting that our "Father knows best," we compare God's gifts for us to unrealistic personal or social expectations. Society may favor certain talents, but they might not suit us as individuals. By failing to look at a gift's true value, we not only cheat ourselves, but we cheat God as well. "Isn't He, the Potter, greater than you, the jars He makes?" asks Isaiah 29:16 (Living Bible). "Will you say to Him, 'He did not make us'? Does a machine call its inventor dumb?" God has created us for a purpose¬we should follow the direction He lays out.

Others develop their talents for personal gain. In today's "me" society, some overlook the fact that God holds all responsibility for our talents. They take the credit for themselves, either because certain things have come easily or because they worked hard for their accomplishments. Yet when we selfishly take credit for what God deserves, we fail as faithful stewards to God. Many fall into this trap because of pride and the attractions of success. When this happens, God probably feels as I would if I were to give a child an art kit and the child painted for others but never for me.Consider how pleased God must be when His children use the gifts He's given to honor Him.

The apostle Paul is a good example of someone who used his talents for himself first and then for God. When we first read in the Book of Acts about Paul (then called Saul), he was using his zeal, passion and gift of teaching to persuade people not to follow God. In fact, he persecuted and imprisoned those who believed in Christ. But after he met Christ in a personal way and was filled with the Holy Spirit, Paul used those same gifts to help lead many people to Christ. It was the apostle Paul who wrote so much in the New Testament about our gifts and talents and the use of them. Paul's life wasn't easy once he began using his gifts for God's purposes, but he experienced the joy, peace and contentment that come when we serve God in the way He's gifted us to do. We should also consider our relationships as we look at stewardship of our talents. Think of your relationships with friends and family members¬are you using your talents to help them follow Jesus? God has given us the talents we have so that we can help strengthen others.

When people use their abilities for God, an exciting thing occurs¬a diverse yet unified body functions more efficiently and serves as a better witness to the value and joy of following Christ. Since every person possesses different abilities and spiritual gifts, the body of Christ can fully function only when everyone takes advantage of what God has given them. Romans 12:6 tells us, "And since we have different gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us exercise them accordingly."

Each of us should be content with what God has given and exult in our own uniqueness. "Now there are varieties of gifts," Paul said to the Corinthians, "but the same Spirit. And there are varieties of ministries, and the same Lord. And there are varieties of effects, but the same God who works all things in all persons" (1 Corinthians 12:4-6).
When everyone does what he or she has been created to do, God's will is also accomplished more readily. In fulfilling the Great Commission, for example, if all believers were to apply their specific talents to the task of making disciples, the gospel would spread more quickly and have a greater impact.

Luke was a man who understood stewardship. As a physician, he was most likely exact, and he used this precision to write detailed accounts of Jesus and the beginning of the church. Luke wrote his gospel "so that you might know the exact truth about the things you have been taught" (Luke 1:4). By willingly using his ability to clearly present facts, an accurate account has been preserved throughout time.

And we today, by opening our hearts to the gifts God has given us, can not only further God's kingdom and find greater fulfillment in life, but can also give a heartfelt "thank you" to the one who so graciously bestowed upon us so many gifts in the first place."

Holy Week

For redeemed sinners, every good thing – indeed every bad thing that God turns for good – was obtained for us by the cross of Christ. Apart from the death of Christ, sinners get nothing but judgment. Apart from the cross of Christ, there is only condemnation. Therefore everything that you enjoy in Christ – as a Christian, as a person who trusts Christ – is owing to the death of Christ. And all your rejoicing in all things should therefore be a rejoicing in the cross where all your blessings were purchased for you at the cost of the death of the Son of God, Jesus Christ. [John Piper]

As we head into Holy Week, I would encourage you to really think about what we have been reading in the Old Testament and how that relates to the birth, life, death and resurrection of Christ. Please share what you are learning....

Press on friends! He is alive!

Recap of Thursday's meeting

Wow- so much to talk about in Ruth and 1 Samuel!
We had a great meeting today. We spent time reflecting on the story of Ruth- her faithfulness and her great faith. We looked at her family tree and noted that she was the great-grandmother of David.
We also talked about other family "connections" such as Saul being David's father-in-law and the many wives that those men had! We are wondering if anyone knows when the practice of having "multiple wives" ended?
We spent a lot of time talking about prayer-specifically that it is how we stay in communion with God and that it is a live and active discipline. (John 15:5)
I brought a photo timeline that compared other world events happening during the time of the judges and the kings. (i.e., King Tut, Pharoah Ramesses II, the Trojan wars, ) It helped to get a visual picture of the dwellings, temples and statues of those times.

If you have fallen behind in your reading, jump back in ! Catch up by simply reading the overview of each day and then start up again with II Samuel.
Press on friends!

Laura's recap of Tuesday's meeting

Laura is going to post a recap under "comments" of today's great meeting!
Thanks Laura!

Share what you are learning..

The story of Eli and his sons in 1 Samuel 2 and 3 is really profound to me. Eli the priest was a godly man, yet he failed to discipline his sons. Ultimately, this led to judgement on his entire family and the death of his two sons. (2:25) While at times it's really painful to discipline our children, it is imperative that we instruct our kids in holiness and reverence of the Lord and the consequences of disobedience to His laws.

Please share what YOU are learning....

Why annihilation?

A friend and I were discussing the bloodshed and annihilation that we find in Joshua. This is a great commentary from her Compassion Bible that might shed some light on it for us.

"Many Christians are deeply troubled by the role warfare and genocide play in the book of Joshua. some ascribe the author's perspective to a pre-Christian (and now sub-Christian) stage of moral development that we, in light of Jesus' teaching, are to renounce. But this is the story of how God, to whom the whole world belongs, at one stage in redemption history re-conquered a portion of the earth that the powers of this world had, in reliance on false gods, claimed for themselves. War is a terrible curse that the human race brings on itself as it seeks to possess the earth by its own unrighteous ways. But it pales before the curse that awaits those who don't heed God's testimony to himself, those who oppose his rule and reject his offer of grace. The God of the second Joshua - Jesus (the Greek form of the Hebrew Joshua) - also is the God of the first. Though now for a time he reaches out to the whole world with the gospel, his sword of judgement waits in the wings - his second Joshua will wield it (Rev: 1911-16)"

Answer to Trivia Question: Achan's sin

Several of you guessed correctly! Here's a little more detail for review:

Fresh on the heels of an astounding victory at Jericho, the young Israelite nation, under Joshua's leadership, focused on the next objective in their campaign to capture Canaan - the land promised by Jehovah. Ai, a small town, was next on the list. Upon their return, the men sent to spy out Ai advised Joshua to send only two or three thousand men against Ai "for the people of Ai are few" (Josh. 7:3). The men of Ai turned the battle into a rout, chasing the Israelites back to where they came from, striking down thirty-six men in the process, almost completely demoralizing Joshua and Israel.

Joshua could not understand why God would bring them over the Jordan only to be destroyed by the Amorites. He poured out his heart to the Lord about the matter. Then the Lord revealed the reason for this defeat. Achan had taken spoils from Jericho, which were forbidden of the Lord, and had hidden them among his stuff. This sin had to be corrected before God would permit Israel to continue her conquest of the promised land. Achan, his family, and his livestock were stoned and burned along with the rest his goods.

What a price to pay for one sin. After the matter was corrected, Israel, with the guidance and help of God, defeated Ai. (Read Joshua 7 and 8.) Achan's case illustrates the power of sin. His sin caused a whole nation to suffer.

Trivia question: Joshua

Out of a total of thirty-one battles, Joshua would lose only one. Can you name it?

What was the significance of this loss?

Grab your equipment!

I love the reminder in 2 Timothy 3:16 that "All scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work."

The words "all scripture" and "equipped" really jump out at me this week. I realize that the words in Joshua (even though they seem like a lot of time spent on just "setting up camp" are words that God spoke for our benefit. There is nothing added in there that God deemed not useful.

God has given us his Word to equip us for a purposeful and God-glorifying life!

Grab your equipment and let's go!

Korah's "connections"

We just recently read in Numbers 16 about a man named Korah. I find it interesting that his story doesn't stop here. Even though he died from his rebellion against Moses, many of his descendants proved to be godly men such as Temple gatekeepers (1Chron 9:19), singers and musicians in the Temple choir (1 Chron. 6:31-47) and authors of several psalms.
See below:

Korah was the leader of a rebellion against Moses. He was the son of Izhar, grandson of Levi, and a first cousin to Moses. Korah headed a group of 250 prominent men, who challenged the leadership of Moses and Aaron while the Israelites were in the desert (Num 16:1-2).

Moses challenged Korah and his fellow rebels to a trial by ordeal. They all were to bring pans with incense and the Lord would choose who were to be his rightful leaders. A fire from the Lord then destroyed the conspirators, thus vindicating Moses and Aaron. When the earth opened to swallow the rebels (Num 16:31-35; 26:9-10), Korah's three sons -– Assir, Elkanah and Abiasaph (Ex 6:24) – were spared, intimating that they may not have participated in the revolt. Later rabbinic tradition explained that this earned them their place of prominence in the Book of Psalms where the authorship of several psalms (Ps 42; 44; 45; 47; 48; 49; 84; 85; 87; 88) is attributed to "the sons of Korah", a guild of Temple singers. Some of these psalms refer to events falling centuries later than the Mosaic era, such as the Davidic dynasty (Ps 45) and the destruction of the Temple (Ps 84; 85; 87). The Korahites are also named alongside of the Kohathites as singers in II Chronicles 20:19. In Jude verse 11 Korah is named as the rebel par excellence.

Share what you are learning!

We had a great meeting today at Starbucks! A couple things we touched on:

1) "Wilderness wanderings" (Deut 8:15-18) Often God allows us to wander in the "wilderness places" in our lives for our own good-to teach us great godly lessons and for us to ultimately rely on God's strength, not our own.

2) A great summary of the history of the Israelites is found in Deuteronomy 6:21-25. Keep reminding yourself of the great journey and provision of God for His people!

3) Balaam and his talking donkey: Balaam ultimately realized the awesomeness of God, and did not resort to cursing Israel. Instead, he blessed them. "Blessed is everyone who blesses you, O Israel, and cursed is everyone who curses you."

4) Share what you are learning on the blog! It doesn't have to be that week's readings in particular, just whatever God is teaching you :)

Press on friends!