Why should we study the
Bible? It is the most valuable book in the world and
of all time. It's God's gift to us. He has protected it down through the
ages. It is truth and its author is
God. "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." - 2 Tim. 3:16. In other words it is the speaking of
God. God uses the Bible to reveal
Himself to us. The thread of how to be
saved is in every single book. God spoke
through several men as they wrote different books of the Bible. "For prophecy
never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were
carried along by the Holy Spirit." - 2 Peter 1:21.
Its purpose is to lead us to belief in
Jesus Christ. Jesus is all through the
Bible not just in the New Testament. As
we read and study the Bible, we need to apply it to our lives. The Holy Spirit helps us to understand
it. We can't do it by ourselves. Stop and ask God to give you the Holy Spirit
to help you understand and hear God speak to you.
Are you willing to let
the Bible influence your life?
Do you base decisions on
what others tell you or do you seek God for answers?
Principles:
God's Word reveals His character, His
purposes, and His plans.God's Word reveals His promises and His path to our redemption.
God's Word reveals His power in those who put their faith in Him alone.
Moses is a very important person in the
OT. His name is used 804 times in both
the OT and the NT. He was a humble,
courageous, and a great leader. God used
Moses to lead Israel, establish the Hebrew people into a nation, and to lead
them to the Promise Land. Moses wrote
the first 5 books. The books of Exodus -
Deuteronomy show the life of Moses.
Exodus means "to go out" or "exit". God helped the Israelites to go out from
Egypt.
Moses was raised in the court of Egypt.
He had the best of privileges and prestige and was exposed to the best
educations and to the arts. This was all on the outside, but God knew his
heart. God put compassion in his heart for
his people and used him to fulfill His plan in Egypt. He had a heart full of faith. Moses obeyed God though he did not know it
all. True faith recognizes its
helplessness and has complete assurance of God's power. God has something to teach you in the life of
Moses.
Do you have a past you
are ashamed of? Moses had murder in his past. God used Moses and He can use you, too.
Outline of
Exodus - Deuteronomy
I. Exodus - the first part of Moses' life; the Israelites
trouble in Egypt; the events and the
plagues that led to the Israelites to leave Egypt; how God gave the Law to Moses (the Ten Commandments); how the
Israelites built the special holy tabernacle;
rules of worship.II. Leviticus - laws and instructions for offerings, rules for holy living, the Sabbath, feast and seasons; conditions for God's blessings.
III. Numbers - Israel's year while camped at the foot of Mount Sinai; the journey from Israel from Mount Sinai to the east side of the Dead Sea; the preparations for entering and conquering Canaan (the Promise Land).
IV. Deuteronomy - Israel about to enter the Promise Land, Moses reminded them of their history of being God's chosen people; Moses reminded them of God's laws including the Ten Commandments; Moses reminded them of the covenant with God.
Principles:
Exodus - God is redeemer of His
people. He dwells in our mists.Leviticus - God is the Holy One and sets the standards for worship and how to live.
Numbers - God organizes and guides His people.
Deuteronomy - God is the Faithful Keeper. He is Lord and is to be obeyed.
We will begin with the study of Exodus.
The book of Exodus emphasizes
that God is holy and that He looks after His people. God is Lord.
His Hebrew name is Yahweh. His
name means "the Person who lives for all time". He called Himself "I Am" in Exodus 3:1-4. We cannot understand
His nature completely, but He shows Himself by His acts and commandments. He loves and He forgives and He also punishes
sin. We gain more knowledge of Him through
the His Word and through His Son, Jesus.
Follow my weekly posts for insights on the
study of the Life of Moses. We will
begin with the book Exodus next
week.
Note:
Most of my posts will be a result of my studies through Bible Study
Fellowship (BSF).
