LivethruJesus: Recent Episodes
Courtney Gilmore
I love the Bible and I want you to love it too. I have made it my full-time job to study and teach it in a way that is interesting, relatable, relevant, thought-provoking, and applicable. Leave a review and let me know if you enjoy these podcast and if feel you like you are growing through them.
God blessed the nation of Israel, not because of anything they had done but because they belonged to Him. The Bible says that anyone that has the faith of Abraham (the father of the nation of Israel) is also given the right to be called His children. So when we accept the sacrifice that Jesus made on our behalf, we are adopted into the family of God. As His children, we house His Holy Spirit. God says that He freed the Israelites from the slavery of the Egyptians so that He could live with them. He frees us from the slavery of our sin also so that He can come live with us. He put His name on the Israelites, and as His children, we too bear His name and we should desire to bring honor to that name. We want to walk worthy of the price that Jesus paid for us.
The Israelites learn about redemption when God takes the Levites in place of their firstborn sons. He is pointing them to the future redemption that will be offered through Jesus for all mankind. Through the Israelites, we learn what redemption looks like which gives us a fuller appreciation of the price that Jesus paid for our lives. The Israelites also take their first census, & since they are about to begin their journey to the Promised Land, they get their camping and travel arrangements. The Levites are also given their specific duties regarding the Tabernacle. We too have been redeemed for His service. Because of His redemption, we have a desire to live for Him.
Nationality, assimilation, on the job training, retirement, full or part time ministry, and dedicating ourselves to God. A year after the Exodus, the Israelites celebrated the second Passover to remind themselves of how the Lord spared their firstborn sons. God told them to dedicate their firstborn to Him from that moment on. But after the building of the Tabernacle, God took the Levites as His in place of their firstborn. So the Levites were set aside to the Lord for service to in the Tabernacle in a cleansing ceremony. God then gave the guidelines for their service and further instructions for the Passover. Along with the mandatory dedication of the Priests and Levites, God also gave rules for common people if they wanted to set themselves apart for Him. These people were called Nazarites. We too can set ourselves apart for the Lord.
God gave Israel the sacrifices and the priests as a picture of Him and Jesus. The sacrifices had to look perfect because they represented our Perfect Savior. The priests also had to look perfect, honorable, & pure because they represented God to the people. That is why there were strict rules for the sacrifices and the priests. The high priests met with God and continuously served Him, so they had even stricter guidelines than the other priests. The pure couldn't associate or be joined with the impure, the holy with unholy, the honorable with the dishonorable, the perfect with the imperfect. When we accept Jesus as our pure and perfect sacrifice, we become God's representatives to the world so we also have to look pure, perfect, and honorable. As sinful humans we cannot do that by ourselves. But when the Holy Spirit dwells in us, then He produces God's character in us as we spend time with Him and feed ourselves with His Word.
A king has the right to dictate who, when, & how to enter his presence. Before Jesus, only the high priest could approach God once a year & only then with a sacrifice. But our High Priest entered the Presence of God, offering Himself as the perfect sacrifice for all our sins. This torn down the wall of separation allowing us all to follow Jesus into God's Presence. Now we can approach God in prayer & see glimpses of Him on this earth. All of us who approach God with the blood of Jesus as the offering for our sins, can also follow Him into the Throne Room of Heaven for eternity.
God is a Holy God & He expects to be treated as such. Two of the priests disregarded God's instructions, did things their own way, & were killed because of it. Serving God is an important job & should be taken seriously. We are servants today in God's kingdom & like the priests, it is our job to know God's Word and His Character and teach others. Our minds need to be clear and we need to be diligent as workers in God's Kingdom.
Because of the sacrifice of Jesus, we have been reconciled to God. Our sin separated us from God & deserves death. But Jesus suffered that death for us in order to bring peace between us & God. Now we can fellowship with God on earth & even more fully in eternity. The Israelites offered peace & grain offerings along with daily & restitution offerings. The grain offerings could not have yeast or honey because it represented how sin makes things bigger than they should be. Instead all grain offerings were seasoned with salt representing the purification from sin, the healing of the relationship with God, & the preservation of the covenant. Restitution for sin in relationships was made by not only paying a consequence & restoring what was taken but by going above & beyond to make things right in that relationship.
God asked the people to make sacrifices to Him. Sometimes they were offerings out of their abundance other times they were sacrifices for sin. Everything they gave had to be from their best. God wants our best too. He is worthy of the most valuable things in our lives. He is also entitled to all that He has freely given to us so He expected more out of those that had more. He also expected a greater sacrifice for sin from those that were had greater religious responsibility. The sins of a leader required greater sacrifice because their sin cost the nation more. Leaders are held to higher standards. When the people brought a sin offering, they had to kill the animal themselves, taking full responsibility for the price of their sin. The fire on the altar burned continuously to show that God was always ready to accept the people's sacrifices. We too must confess & take full responsibility when we sin. God is always ready to accept the offering made for us, our perfect Sacrifice, Jesus.
Moses anointed Aaron as high priest, the one that would offer sacrifices for the atonement of Israel's sins. God anointed Jesus as the Messiah that offered Himself as the Sacrifice for us, once for all. The Levitical priesthood pointed to Jesus. Because He lives forever, His intercession for His people never ends. Since His Sacrifice was perfect, there was no need for animal sacrifices anymore. On the cross Jesus said "it is finished" because as the Anointed Son of God, He finished what the High Priests started. He accomplished completely what they could only accomplish temporarily. Jesus is the Anointed High Priest, Messiah, & Ultimate Sacrifice.
The building of God's House is complete & He fills it with His Glory! Then with His Glory Cloud He leads His people. This is His visible Presence with His people. At night, there is fire in the cloud, reassuring the Israelites of His Presence. What a comfort to know that God is always with His people. In Jesus, His Presence dwelt with the people. Christians are Christ followers. But how do we follow Jesus when we can't see Him? After Jesus's death, God again sent His Spirit to dwell with His people, not in a house but within each of us. We house His Spirit & He leads us & shows us the Lord's will.
When people look at you, do they know that you are a child of God? Do you look any different than the rest of the world? Can others look at you & say “Holy to the Lord”? When God appointed the priests, He made sure that not only their actions but also their appearance set them apart for Him. When Israel looked at the high priest, they saw an honorable man that carried them on his shoulders & they knew that they were always on his heart when he entered the Presence of the Lord. It was his life’s-work to speak to God & minister on their behalf. What a comfort to know that someone is ministering on your behalf continuously! Thankfully, don't need anyone to minister on our behalf because we have that in Jesus! He is sitting at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens ministering in the sanctuary built by God and not man. We also have the Holy Spirit to give us “perfect revelation” from God so, we don't have to go to any man for that either. The priestly ministry pointed us to Jesus & his clothes remind us that we need to look like His followers.
Because of Jesus, we can be intimately close to God. Unlike the Israelites who could only go into the courtyard, or even the priests that ministered in the Holy Place but could not go behind the veil into the Most Holy Place where God's Spirit dwelt, we can enter His Presence without fear. As a matter of fact, He welcomes us at any time. The High Priest, who was the only one that could go behind the veil, only entered once a year & only then to ask forgiveness for the sins the people committed in the past year. We can ask God to forgive us the moment we realize our sin and we can go to Him to talk about anything else that we want to. We no longer need a priest to speak to God on our behalf. When we ask for forgiveness, God accepts the sacrifice that Jesus made on our behalf and grants us mercy. Through the Holy Spirit, because of the sacrifice of Jesus, we can have a relationship with the Holy God.
The house that God told Moses to build for Him was BEAUTIFUL! It was a portable building, but this was no ordinary tent. Its frame was overlaid in gold. Its entrance had golden pillars with bronze bases & a beautifully embroidered curtain. Inside, the walls were made of linen curtains with angels woven into them & so was the roof. When in the Holy Place, you would feel as if you were surrounded by angels. The room was lit with 22 candles on a golden lampstand. Their light bounced off the other 2 golden pieces of furniture in the room. The golden table held the bread that reminded them of God's provision & the altar of incense burned the sweetest perfume. The lights never went out & the incense burned continuously. In the back was the Most Holy Place, separated by 4 golden pillars, with silver bases, & a veil with angels woven into it. Behind this curtain sat the ark of the covenant, the golden chest which held the 10 commandments. There the Lord met with the High Priest between the 2 cherubim of hammered gold that were attached to its seat. God's house was beautiful & costly because God is beautiful & valuable beyond measure.
God wants His Spirit to dwell in the midst of His people, so He commands Moses to build a tabernacle. While the people are traveling to the Promised Land, God meets with them in this portable tent made specifically for Him. Later, Solomon built the Temple & God's Spirit dwelt with them there. When Jesus came, He was called Immanuel, God with us. Those that worshipped in the Temple rejected Jesus, so now His Spirit dwells within each one of us. We are His Temple! Also in this episode, tithing, the donations are abundant & God equips His people to serve Him. How generous are you with your possessions & gifts? Trust God to equip you to serve Him.
We can learn a lot about the Christian walk by looking at the journey of the Israelites after they escaped Egypt & became their own sovereign nation. So before we move on from Mount Sanai, we summarize their journey and look for similarities in our own Christian walk. We also look at Paul's description of his walk with the Lord and how we can relate. We ultimately will see that the victory is in Jesus and not in our own power. God's desire for us is to grow closer to Him & stronger in our faith.
Moses asked God to show him His glory & God revealed more of who He is to Moses. But still he only sees God in part because here on earth, we can only see Him in part. Thankfully God shows us the part of Him that we need to see at the time. So ask Him to reveal Himself to you. He wants His children to know Him more. When Moses left the Presence of the Lord, His face reflected God's glory. When we spend time with God, we become more like Him, & we exhibit that to the world. So turn to the Lord & allow Him to transform you more and more so that you can reveal Him to the world.
Moses told the Lord that He could not move forward if He was not with him. Moses knew what Jesus told his disciples, that we can do nothing without Him. Sometimes we just need a little reassurance. Sometimes, we just can't get our feeling to line up with the truth we know. That is when we talk to God. Pray according to His Word. Let Him know that you trust Him but you just need encouragement, hope, & direction. Just as it was with the Israelites, the only thing that separates us from the rest of the world, is the Lord's Presence in our lives.
Only a month after agreeing to obey the Lord, the Israelites broke their covenant. Moses had to intercede for mercy but they did not fully escape the consequences. He tried to illustrate what breaking only a few laws really meant and also showed them the usefulness of their visible god. The Levites paid a huge price by publicly proclaiming their allegiance and service to God but were blessed abundantly. Then Moses tried to atone for their sins only to be told he was not worthy or able. From the Israelites we learn that the law can only condemn. We all break God's law and we all need His mercy. We must all choose whether we are willing to serve Him or not. No one but Jesus can bring forgiveness, mercy, and salvation and we are alone are responsible for our faith or lack there of. We all must choose what price we are willing to pay for the One that paid it all for us?
Even though we cannot see and hear God, we can see the evidence of His Power. The people wanted a visible god. Aaron led them in their sin instead of encouraging them to have faith and obey the Lord. He built them a golden calf and as they worshipped it, they thought they were worshipping the Lord. They had been influenced by other religions and began mixing their practices with the worship of God and did not even realize it. Do we do this today? Have we mixed the practices of the world around us into the church & formed a perverted gospel without realizing it? Are we pulling in the things of the world and calling it Christianity?
Upon hearing the Word of God, the people confessed Him as their Lord & accepted the sacrifice made on their behalf. Then they were covered in its blood, reconciling them to God. By entering into this covenant relationship with God, they were brought into fellowship with the Holy, Almighty God. The process is the same for us today. When we hear the Word of God spoken to us & confess Him as our Lord, accepting the sacrifice of Jesus that was made on behalf of all people, then we are reconciled to the Lord & brought into fellowship with Him.
God does not send His people into the unknown future alone. His angel will go with them into the Promised Land. He has prepared it for them and goes with them. What is unknown to us is not unknown to our Father in Heaven. His Holy Spirit is our Helper, Truth Teller, Teacher, Reminder, & Peace-giver. His plan may not come quickly but His will for our lives will be fulfilled. Little by little He destroys the obstacles as we gain possession of what He has prepared for us. Our job is to trust and obey as we wait for His plans to be fulfilled. Do not allow yourself to be compromised or led astray by the ways or things of the world. Do not look to the world for answers or deliverance. Our God is sufficient for us. He is all we need. Wait, keep His way, hope in Him.
Because of Jesus, we can be close to God. The Israelites could only approach His Presence but believers today can go all the way to the Throne of Grace. We will live in His Presence eternally because of our Mediator, Jesus. How should we prepare to meet with God now & for the future. In response to God's salvation, He calls us to obey just as He did the Israelites on Mount Sanai. Do not refuse the Powerful Voice of the Lord. Draw near to Him today.
Have you ever been so overwhelmed that you are just going through the motions of the day with no real plan or purpose? Then you can relate to Moses. Listen to the advise of his father-in-law and learn how to step back, look at the big picture, & delegate. Order your day with purpose & do the job well that the Lord has for you specifically. Also, fighting the battle but relying on God's power for the victory. Then how did God set up the judicial system of his new nation & what is true justice.
Sometimes God brings us to a place of need so that we will learn to depend on Him. After their deliverance from Egypt, the Israelites found themselves in the wilderness, depending on God every single day to feed them and give them water. He was teaching them to depend on him daily. His provision for their physical growth and health points us to His provision for us in Jesus for our spiritual growth and health. He feeds us with His word and we must consume it in order to grow in our faith.
Do you know what it's like to break free only to run straight into another obstacle? You stand there trapped not wanting to go back to the old life but seeing no way forward. Have you ever cried out to God in fear & desperation only to return your focus to your overwhelming circumstances the second you say amen? That is how Israel felt when they left Egypt. With an angry army on one side and the Red Sea on the other, they were trapped and afraid. But God removed their obstacle and defeated their enemy without them having to fight at all. He can do the same for us today. Focus on Him and not your situation.
God leads His people out of Egypt with payment for their labor & at the urging of their oppressors. Only a Mighty God can arrange such a blessed deliverance! But He does not just set them free & leave them to fend for themselves. He continues to lead them with His visible Presence. Although we do not have a cloud or Jesus here physically here to lead us, we have more. His Holy Spirit leads us all individually and His complete Word guides us.
Today, Jesus is our Passover sacrifice. When God killed Egypt's firstborn, He passed over the Israelite's houses because He saw the blood of a lamb on their door posts. Death had already come to that house, the sacrifice had already been made. When we acknowledge our sin and accept Jesus as our sacrifice, then we are covered in His blood. When God looks at us, He sees that Someone has died for our sin and it enables Him to spare our lives eternally.
Why is it so hard to admit we are wrong even if we know we are? Why is it so hard to submit our lives to God even though we know He is more capable with them than we are? Why do we hold things back from Him or have to control certain situations? Pharaoh never would fully submit to God. He had to be forced every time and once the punishment passed, he would go right back to his own ways. Even in submission, he was always trying to keep some semblance of control or hold something back. How do we break free from those tendencies and give over all of ourselves to the Lord?
Exalting oneself, God is not exclusive, and true repentance. Do you acknowledge God as the Lord of your life? Do you recognize His Lordship over the earth? As Christians, do we reveal God to others? When the seventh plague came, God gave all the Egyptians the opportunity to believe in His power and place their faith in Him. Those that believed, were safe from the plague as were the Israelites. Those that didn't, suffered greatly. Pharaoh acted repentant, but when relief came, he again hardened his heart. He knew God's power but was not willing to make Him Lord. God sent His Son as our sacrifice, making Him fully worthy of our submission and following.
We make a mistake when we try to fit God's will into ours instead of trying to fit our will into His. We cannot do what He wants us to do in our own way or we will get the results of our own actions. During the 4th plague, Pharaoh tried to appease God by giving Him what He wanted but by doing it his own way. His stubborn will led him and his people into devastation. At one point he may have been ready to relent just to avoid punishment, but it was too late. By the 6th plague, God hardened Pharaoh's heart Himself. He never had intention of worshipping or submitting himself to the Lord. So God used him to reveal Himself in a mighty way and rescue His people.
When you go through difficult times, do you run to God? What about when relief comes? Do you stay close to Him or forget the commitment you made when everything was bad? What about when God imposes consequences? Do you change your ways or find away around them? God began sending plagues on Egypt, continuously commanding Pharaoh to let the people go. Pharaoh's heart was indifferent and he just found away around the first plague. When they were overrun with frogs, Pharaoh promised if God would get rid of them, he would let the people go. But as soon as the crisis was over, he went back on his word. What does God have to do to get our attention?
Have you ever felt like God was telling you to do something but then began to question it when you hit a road block? How do you respond when your first attempt fails or everything seems to just get worse? Have you ever known God was in it, but still wonder if you have the strength to make it to the other side? Do you want to quit when everything is hard even though you know there is a reward waiting for you if you make it through? Is it worth the bad to get to the good? God sent Moses to Pharaoh with a promise that he would deliver the people from Egypt. But when everything got worse instead of better, Moses questioned God. Why did you send me if it was only going to bring trouble on the people? Everything is worse than before and You have not delivered Your people as you said. God fulfills His promises. His time & ways are different but they are right. He can strengthen and equip us to make it through. There is great reward on the other side of our struggles. Be encouraged to persevere!
Moses & Aaron go to Pharaoh & tell him to let God's people go. He places himself in direct opposition to God as the Lord of their lives. Who would you want to serve? Do we serve God above other masters.
God is for His children & against anyone that opposes Him & His children. If we reject His son then we put ourselves in opposition to Him. In this passage, God tells Moses that He will show Himself Mighty for His Children & against Pharaoh. We will talk about God hardening Pharaoh's heart & how we reconcile that with His Word. Also how important it is to be one of His children & witness to others. We are called to preach the gospel, tell others all God has done for us, growing our faith & theirs.
When God called Moses to deliver the people from Egypt, He made several excuses. He felt inadequate in many ways. God was patient, reassuring, and encouraging and Moses finally followed the call. How do we react when the Lord calls us? God told Moses that He created him, knew all his strengths and weaknesses, and would equip him to do what He called him to. God tells us the same reassuring and encouraging words today. He is detailed and purposeful in creating each one of us. It is not by accident or chance that we are the way we are. He will never ask us to do something that we aren't capable of doing with His help. So answer when the Lord calls! Look at the blessing that Moses received.
Moses is 80 years old when God calls him back to Egypt to finally deliver the people from their oppression. When asked who he should tell the people that God is, the Lord says, "I am who I am. Tell them, I am has sent you." So we discuss who the Israelites would know God to be up to this point in the earth's history & why He is a glorious and holy God. Listen to hear many of God's names & characteristics.
The oppression of the Egyptians has gone too far and it is time for God to begin executing His plan for deliverance, so Moses is born. Moses is a man that cannot stand quietly, idly by and watch injustice being done to others. Three times he stands up for the powerless. Who do we know that is oppressed? How do we stand up for them?
Jacob & his sons have all passed away by this time and the children of Israel had multiplied greatly. The new Pharaoh was afraid of this large group of people and he sought to suppress them. He first submitted them to hard labor but they continued to grow into a large nation just as the Lord promised to Abraham hundreds of years before. When that did not work, he told the midwives to kill all the baby boys at birth. But the midwives feared the Lord and they did not do it. When confronted by Pharaoh they lied to him. The Lord rewarded the midwives for their faith by giving them a family of their own. We then go to the scriptures to find out how the Lord feels about civil disobedience.
Jacob dies and is buried in Hebron. Joseph's brothers begin to worry that he will punish them for selling him into slavery, so they beg for his forgiveness. Are they truly sorry or just afraid? Does it matter? Does God want us to forgive even if the other person isn't repentant? Can we trust God with that person's intentions and move forward?
Joseph continues as governor over Egypt. The people begin paying a 20% tax. Jacob is about to die so he gathers his sons & some of his grandsons, telling each of them what will happen in the coming years. Joseph gets double the inheritance & his younger son will be greater than his older. This a very informative episode about the Israelite nation.
Joseph and Jacob are finally reunited. Joseph settles his family in Goshen. This is how God keeps them one nation under Him while also allowing them to grow. Jacob describes his life as short but evil. We contrast his life with that of his fathers and of Joseph. Then we reflect on our own lives and how we can be thankful for the life that the Lord has given us.
Joseph finally tells his brothers who he is. He then explains that their part in sending him there was wrong but that God had a plan. The Lord worked everything together for the good of their family and the surrounding country. We spend the rest of our time talking about the Providence of God. He is in control. He has a plan & a purpose. He is perfect & powerful. We look at several verses revealing His character, explaining how He works within our difficult times, how He is with us, how He comforts us, gives us hope, and is worthy of our trust because He know the big picture that we do not.
Joseph's brothers continue to prove their loyalty & devotion to Benjamin. They do all they can to keep their promise to their father proving their love & unselfishness towards him. Judah presents himself before Joseph as Benjamin's substitute. This reminds us of Jesus who is our substitutionary sacrifice. We also are asked to give our lives to Him in return and love others with a sacrificial love.
I can't but He can. Simeon has been put in prison until they bring Benjamin back to Egypt. But Jacob is afraid and will not let him go. It isn't until he has no other choice that he finally gives in. When he is helpless and powerless, he gives up control, and trusts God with his family. Sometimes God has to bring us to a place of helplessness so that we will turn to Him for help. Sometimes He has to show us that we do not have the power to fix the situation so that we will turn to the One with all the Power. He is our ever present help in times of trouble! He is Almighty God!
Joseph's brothers go to Egypt to get food & they don't recognize him. So he tests them to see their character 20 years after they sold him. We talk about being decisive & proactive, not allowing ourselves to be too overwhelmed or fearful to make good decisions. Also we talk a little about jealousy but the main focus is on the guilty conscience of his brothers. How do we handle it when we have seemingly gotten away with something wrong? What is God's way for us to truly be set free from our guilt?
Joseph and Pharaoh. This one is a little long because it is a combination of two lessons but it is so good. After 13 years of suffering, 13 years of ups and downs, Joseph gets out of prison and begins to see God's plan for his future. We look back at his life and see that God had his hand in Joseph's life the whole time. He was preparing him for what was to come. How do we deal with times of suffering or difficult times? We look at several scriptures to help us trust Him all the way through and come out stronger and better than when we went in.
When life gets Better. Joseph interprets 2 prisoners dreams. One of them is supposed to help him get out of prison after he is set free himself, but he doesn't. Was he too ashamed to mention his imprisonment? Did he just get busy with his life? Was he trying to put the bad times out of his mind? When you get to the other side of your struggles, do you forget the people that helped you? Do you try to put it all out of your mind & forget everything you learned when times were hard? Do you forget all God did for you? Do you get prideful and think you alone pulled yourself out? Also, how easily do you talk about God in your everyday conversation?
Joseph was sold into slavery by his brothers. He must have felt so betrayed and afraid. But he was bought by an important man and God gave him favor towards Joseph. He was soon put in charge of his master's entire household. But his wife also had favor towards Joseph and since Joseph continued to turn her down, she decided to get rid of him. She made up false rape accusations and Joseph was thrown into prison. But God was with him and he was favored by the prison keeper too and made the second in charge there also. So God was with him, but still allowed him to suffer when he had done no wrong? Why? How do we react in times of suffering? Do we trust Him? Do we question Him?
Judah and Tamar. Judah's two oldest sons were wicked and God killed them both before they were able to have any children. Then Judah puts his daughter in law in a bad position and ends up with a situation he never bargained for. His hypocrisy is quickly revealed but he does take responsibility and God redeems him. How hypocritical are we at times? Do you put things off that you should be doing or make excuses that aren't completely truthful? What do we do when we are confronted with our sin? Is redemption available for us too?
Joseph Sold by Brothers. Jacob didn't hide that Joseph was his favorite son. This made the rest of his sons very jealous. Then Joseph had 2 dreams that insinuated that he would one day rule over them all. That was more than his brothers could take! So when given the opportunity, they conspired to get rid of him. Jacob, Joseph, & the brothers all respond badly to their feelings. When we allow our feelings to rule, then they can grow & cause us to do horrible things.
As Jacob and his family travel from Shechem, God protects them. Even though his sons have done wrong, God keeps His promises and reassures Jacob of that. Rachel dies in childbirth and Jacob has another son. God divinely moves Esau out and Jacob in to the promised land. We wrap up the lives of Isaac, Rebekah, Rachel, Leah, and Esau.
When a man in the new land defiles their sister, the brothers conspire against him. Their reaction is one of deceit, vengeance, & injustice. How do we react when others do us harm? It is hard to do what is right and leave the rest to God but it is the right way. We are called to truth, fairness, & peace.
Meeting Esau. As Jacob prepares to meet his bother Esau he is very afraid. We examine 2 encounters he has with God before his meeting & how they are a model for us in our prayer lives. Just a few things we hit on: Going to God first, reminding ourselves of who He is, what He says, & what He's already done, being authentic, wrestling with God, allowing Him to make us new.
Jacob & Laban. Jacob had served Laban 14 years for his wives & had 11 sons & he was ready to go home. But it was not in God's timing, so he made a deal with Laban to stay with him in exchange for a flock of his own. Jacob trusted God to bless his flock & He made him very prosperous. After 6 years, the Lord told him it was time to leave. But instead of telling Laban, he just left because he assumed Laban would not want him to go. Laban felt blindsided & went after him. Jacob's second assumption could have been worse than his first but the Lord took care of him & they made peace. Do you trust God with your livelihood? Do you trust His timing? Are you confident enough to just be upfront & open with others, trusting God with their response?
For Jacob, it is love at first sight with Rachel. He works for 7 years so that she can be his wife. But deception comes for him this time, and he is given her sister Leah instead Rachel also becomes his wife a week later when he agrees to work 7 more years. So he has two wives one that he wanted and another that he didn't. God evens the playing field for Leah and allows her to have his children, while Rachel is unable. The sisters rival, each one lacking in some way. What do we do when our needs aren't met, when we feel unloved, unwanted, unneeded, unable? Is God enough for us?
Esau was devastated when he found out that Jacob had taken his blessing. But his priorities were not where they should have been from the beginning. When we say something is important to us but we do not place it in a position of importance, we are at risk of losing it. Esau was so angry that he wanted to kill Jacob so his mother sent him away. On his journey, God found him and extended the Abrahamic blessing to him. His dream gave Jacob a visual of just how involved God was in his life. Do you believe that God is involved in your every day life? We owe Him everything!
Jacob steals Esau's Blessing. Jacob and Rebekah go to great lengths to deceive Isaac and cheat Esau out of the blessing. Is Isaac wrong to try to give the blessing to Esau in the first place? Why does Rebekah take it into her own hands to bring about God's plan? Has Esau already forfeited his right? Is Jacob's only concern getting caught? Despite the whole family looking after their own interests, God's plan will prevail. Ends do not justify the means. Two wrongs do not make a right. Negative consequences should not be our only deterrent. Have some integrity. Do what is right.
Isaac lies. God sent Isaac to another city and just like his father, out of fear, he lied saying that Rebekah was his sister. Even after God told him that He would be with him, he was still afraid. Are we ever afraid, even when we know we are in God's will? Do we Trust him enough to obey fully? Do we follow Him or base our actions off of our perceived circumstances? Assumptions and fear can be dangerous. Acting on our feelings or reasoned thoughts instead of trusting God can lead us to do things that we shouldn't. Sometimes God uses opened and closed doors to lead us. Pray and pay attention to His leading.
Esau and Jacob. Waiting for an answer from the Lord can be difficult. What can we conclude from His silence. With the answered prayer comes many struggles. These two brothers couldn't be more different. The parents play favorites putting further dissention between them. Jacob covets what he does not have and Esau is not jealous enough to protect it. Is jealousy wrong? How important is status & position?
The Father of Faith. After Sarah died, Abraham had children with his concubine. He died at the age of 175 and was buried in Hebron with Sarah. Today Hebron is in the West Bank and the area is a large source of contention for the 3 major religions, Jews, Christians, & Muslims, who all claim Abraham as their descendant. We talk about modern day Israel some & then summarize Abraham's life & the lessons we should learn from him.
A Wife for Isaac. Sarah dies when she's 127. Abraham send his servant to get a wife for Isaac from his homeland. Abraham tells him that God will send His angel before him to prepare the way & the servant prays a very specific prayer for guidance. This prayer is a great example to us as to how to pray when we are tying to discern the will of God. God quickly gives him a definitive answer. The response is that of praise and willing obedience. If it is God's will then who are we to fight against that
Jesus as our Sacrifice. God tests His people at times. Abraham has incredible faith in the Lord and it continues to grow. When we exhibit our faith to those around us, as Abraham did for Isaac, it grows their faith too. There are many parallels between Abraham and God, and Isaac and Jesus.
Ishmael and Isaac. After Isaac is born, Sarah no longer wants Ishmael around. God reassures Abraham that He will care for Ishmael, but he does need to be sent away. We look at the symbolism behind Ishmael and Isaac. One son being born of the plans of Abraham and Sarah to a slave woman, forever symbolizing slavery to the law that must be cast away to make way for the promised son born in freedom forever symbolizing the inheritance found through freeing grace. Also, the difference between our feelings and actions when we are in control of our circumstances and when they are forced upon us and how we should react so that we do not become permanent victims. With God's help, we can persevere!
Trust God. Lot's Daughters and Abraham both take matters into their own hands, but God still redeems their situations. Sometimes our emotions cloud our thoughts and actions. Our job is just to do what is right and trust God with the outcome. Do not take matters into our own hands. He is able to protect us and provide for us. Also if we hurt someone purposefully or even accidentally or unintentionally, it is still our responsibility to reconcile the situation.
Leave the Sinful Life. When the angels go to Sodom in search of righteous men, they find extreme wickedness, except for Lot and his family. They tell him to leave the city before they destroy it, and when he takes too long, they take them all by the hand and pull them out. Lot's wife looks back at the city and God turns her into a pillar of salt because of her disobedience. Sometimes, we too need God to pull us away from our sinful lives. When He does, we need to go willingly, not looking back at what we are losing but focusing on Him to lead us to a better place.
Wrath, Patience, Mercy, Justice. Is the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah an example of God's extreme wrath or does His conversation with Abraham before-hand show His patience and mercy? Abraham pleads for the lives of the righteous and God has compassion on them. We too are asked to have compassion for others and speak up for those that have no voice of their own.
Sarah has Isaac. God changes Sarah's name to the plural form because she will be princess to many now that she is having her own child. When Sarah finds out that she will have her own son, she laughs because she is almost 90 years old. But nothing is impossible for God and she does get pregnant and have a son. Meanwhile, Abraham is concerned for Ishmael because he thought the promises would all be fulfilled through him. God eases his concern by telling him that Ishmael also will become a great nation. The promise will just not come through him.
Setting His People Apart. God changes Abram's name to Abraham. God is detailed and always thinking of what's best for us. He gives them the covenant of circumcision. This sets them apart from the rest of the nations but is also an outward profession of an inward openness to God. How open is your heart to God today?
Hagar and Ishmael. When Abram and Sarai still don't have any children of their own, Sarai comes up with a plan that makes matters worse. We also discuss how children are always from the Lord and how He alone is responsible for conception. Also, taking responsibility for our actions and what to do when we grow impatient. How to discern God's call to action & when to wait and trust His plan. Hagar finds out that God sees, hears, and is Living.
Abram's Own Son. God promises Abram that he will have a son of his very own. God says he's righteous just for his faith. We also are righteous because of our faith and not our works. God tells Abram the rest of the story concerning him and his family. We too know the rest of our story, if we have faith like Abraham. God gives us an eternal inheritance with Him.
Jesus and Melchizedek. Abram rescues his nephew Lot from captivity. But more importantly, he meets with Melchizedek, who is the priest and king of Salem/Jerusalem. We will talk about the symbolism of Melchizedek and the foreshadowing of our Priest and King, Jesus Christ. We compare and contrast the Levites, Melchizedek, and Jesus. By studying different passages throughout the Bible, we get the whole picture of the law and grace, offerings and sacrifices.
Think of Others. After leaving Egypt, Abram is proactive and in order to ensure peace between him and his nephew, they separate. Abram gives Lot the choice and he chooses the best looking land, but there is something that he has overlooked. Then God tells Abram a little more about His promises. We discuss topics like: getting back on track, giving preference to others, and how our surroundings can affect us.
Blind Faith. Abram steps out in blind faith at the age of 75 and God makes him many promises. But a while in to his journey, he gets afraid and lies, placing him and his wife in a bad situation. But God stays true to His promise of blessing, intervening in His mercy.
Pride & Glory. The people want to make a name for themselves. Honor and Glory belong only to God. Pride comes before the fall (or the scattering). What can God see from heaven? Languages, races, cultures, people groups, and where did each one settle in our world today.
Noah Gets Drunk. When Noah gets drunk, Ham makes fun of him and tells his brothers. They honor their father and cover him. God values discretion. When Noah finds out, he curses Ham's son. Is this fair? Is God fair?
The Rainbow. The rains have stopped. Noah finds peace on the earth again. We too can find peace from God and with others. Noah praises God. The people can now eat meat. Life is precious to the Lord. The Rainbow of Promise. God always keeps His promises.
Be Ready. How big was the ark? How did all the animals fit? How were all the species preserved? How were they all fed? Were they hibernating? What did they drink? Fossils and the new earth. How is the flood like the second coming of Jesus? Will you be found righteous, when the end comes?
Before the Flood. The men that are born from Adam to Noah are listed along with the age they were when they died. Enoch is so pleasing to God that he doesn't die and Noah pleases Him enough to be saved in the world wide flood. Methuselah is the oldest recorded living man. The sons of God have children with the daughters of men and the thoughts of the people are only evil continually. God tells Noah that He is sad because the people are so bad and He is going to destroy the whole earth and begin again with just Noah and his family. Noah believes God and demonstrates his faith.
Cain and Abel. What is experiential knowing? What can happen when we allow ourselves to dwell on feelings of jealousy, anger, discouragement or victimization. Why it is important to listen to criticism and warnings. Focusing more on ourselves than others & having a conscience. Lastly, who are all the people on the earth during this time? Where did they all come from?
God's Response to Sin. Being Content. Lasting consequences are imposed on the man, woman, & serpent. But, also, a permanent way to reconciliation. God provided a way from the very beginning for His people not to be separated from Him. Jesus is the ultimate sacrifice and the Holy Spirit is given to us all who believe.
The Fall. It is very important to know how Satan works, so that we know how to respond. This passage is a wonderful example & in this lesson we break down his tactics & how we should respond to each. We talk about topics like doubt, temptation, sin, the company we keep & blaming others. What is the difference between deception & a lie? What is the difference between shame & godly sorrow.
The Trinity, Our Purpose, & Marriage. How we are created in the image of God, the Father, the Son, & the Holy Spirit. Then, why did God create us? What is our purpose & what are our roles as men & women. Work was created by God by working together we feel fulfilled, useful, & important. God created the marriage relationship & set its foundation during the creation week.
The creation week. What did God create each day? When was the first rain? So much more was created than what we see. The entire foundation for everything was established in this one week. The laws of earth were set in motion with its seasons, days, & years. Our food & growth system was established along with relationships, work, & rest. Also, what does the Bible say about dinosaurs & how much does the world influence our beliefs?
Just a little bit about myself & the LivethruJesus ministry. My love for the Bible & why the Old Testament still needs to be read. Knowing & having a relationship with God & learning to live through Him. How going back to the Beginning can give us hope & faith in the God that can speak everything into existence with just a word, in an instant.