Week 7: Judges

2:1-5 offers a preview of the whole book.

The Judges Cycle (2:10-19) is repeated a dozen times.

The primary picture shown by the book is what life is like for the People of God APART from God.

The choice is laid out so clearly. Remember Joshua's last words to the people; "Choose this day whom you will serve . . ." Judges offers the picture of choosing wrongly.

Judges also shows the heart of God toward His people in repentance. The amazing thing is not how often they fail, but how often God forgives!

The collection of stories are pretty graphic and there's rarely a clear picture of who is the "good guy". The moral of the stories is this: there is only one Good Guy-- the Lord.

You can choose life your way, or His way. You choose.

The last verse of the book sums it up. "In those days Israel had mo king; everyone did as he saw fit".

Week 6: Joshua

Week 5: Deuteronomy

Pre-understandings

·      Moses’ re-presenting of all that has gone before

o   Deuteronomy is composed mostly of speeches Moses is giving to the people

o   Recounting the journey so far

§  Deliverance from Egypt

§  Judgments in the wilderness

§  Faithfulness of God through it all

o   Restating the Covenant from Sinai (Ex. 19:4-6)

·      God’s got a plan (Jer. 29:11)

·      The Word in a word: “hesed,” “agape’,” Covenant Making/Keeping

Deuteronomy is Moses’ parting words to God’s people

• God’s people are at the borders of the Promised land
• 40 years of wilderness wanderings are coming to an end
• The previous generation (including Miriam, Aaron and even Moses) is closing out
• The new generation of Israelites (plus Joshua and Caleb) are called to Covenant Renewal with Jehovah God

Basic Question:  What is God really looking for out of us?

3 Things: Blessings, Curses, Love

• Deut. 28:1-14 lays out what life should look like under the Blessings of obedience
• Deut. 28:15-68 lays out what life will look like out from under the Blessings—under the Curse (note: it takes 3 times as much ink to describe the curse as it does the blessing.  Get it?  Live in the BLESSING!)
• Deuteronomy describes the heart of God as LOVING His people, and in response the thing He is most looking for is that we LOVE Him back!

Deuteronomy 6:4-5 (NIV)
 Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.
Love the Lord your God with all your heart
and with all your soul and with all your strength.

GRACE NOTE

·      One way to read a verse like Deuteronomy 11:1 ^“Love the Lord your God and keep his requirements, his decrees, his laws and his commands always.”

·      Is to see it like this “Love the Lord your God BY KEEPING his requirements, decrees, laws and commands always.”

Week 4: Numbers

Genesis, God’s presence lost. Exodus, God’s presence restored. Leviticus, God’s presence sustained. Numbers, God’s presence persevering.

The Word in a word: hesed, agape, covenant making/keeping God

Numbers: God’s people remain at Mt. Sinai. Begins and ends with a census of God’s people. God knows His people by name.

Basic questions:

How can people like us live with a God like this?? In Leviticus we asked “what does God expect of me? What if I can’t deliver?” In Numbers we ask “what can I expect of God? What if God can’t (won’t) deliver?”

Our God is the God of order.

Numbers 1-10, 26 the countings - reveals that God knows us. 11-12 the grumblings – reveal that we do not know Him! 14-25 the wanderings – become the classroom where we come to know Him.

GOD NEVER GIVES UP ON US

Numbers 6: 24-26

“The Lord bless you and keep you; The Lord make His face shine upon you and be gracious to you; The Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace.”

God never intended for His people to wander for 40 years, the chose that. They got off His time line, but He never changed His perfect plan. What a comfort it is to know that even when we mess up and interfere with His timeline, the plan He has for us never changes. And He has a plan! (Jer. 29:11)

Grace Note:

Numbers 15:2, 17 Not “if” but “when” you enter the land I am giving you…

Numbers 22-24 Balaam’s cursing can only bless

Numbers 10:35 Let God arise! Let His enemies be scattered…

God loves us so very much! He desires to dwell with us and to fellowship with us. And He will never ever, ever give up on us!!!!