Kingdom Divided – Introduction

 

It’s time to begin our next Bible study.  This year is part 2 of People of the Promised Land – Kingdom Divided.  I won’t be the first to say that this study is hard and at times very confusing.  There are so many kings and prophets that it’s hard to keep them all straight.  I will try to do my best, but please don’t be too hard on me if I get some things discombobulated.

Why study the Bible?

The Bible is God-breathed.  When we read it, God is speaking to us.  It is reliable because God is perfect and always speaks the truth.  He is incapable of telling a lie.  Through the Bible God instructs us how to live and helps us know how to walk with Him in this life.

“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” – 2 Timothy 3:16-17.

God is our Sovereign Creator.  He is holy.  He is faithful and true.  He knows everything, understands everything, and works flawlessly to accomplish His perfect plan.  He is the supreme authority with the right to say what is right and wrong, what is truth, and what are lies.  As we study the Scriptures, we see the sovereign hand of God.

The Bible is broken down into 2 sections – the Old Testament and the New Testament.  The OT covers God’s creation and the beginnings of the world.  God set up the nation of Israel to carry His message to the world.  The OT points to the coming of the God’s son, Messiah Jesus our Redeemer.  The NT fulfills the promises found in the OT.  It gives details of Jesus’ birth, life, death, and resurrection.  All through the Bible we see that God provided a way for sinful people to be redeemed and mend their relationship with Him.  The OT helps us understand God and His ways as it offers hope.  

The Bible is a collection of 66 books that is composed by more than 40 authors both Jewish and Gentile.  These authors were inspired by the Holy Spirit.  The Bible is God’s-breathed. 

This year we will study several books in the OT. 

1 Kings

2 Kings

2 Chronicles

Jonah

Amos

Obadiah

Joel

Hosea

Isaiah

Micah

Jeremiah

Lamentations

Nahum

Zephaniah

Habakkuk

We will study about a time of division, hostility, idolatry, and hope.  Israel rejected God, but He longs to restore what sin has destroyed.  There is value in studying the OT.  “For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.” – Romans 15:4.

While studying these lessons, listen for God to speak to you.  Studying all these different kings can be confusing, but hang in there and we will get through it and you may learn something.  While we don’t have all the answers, we can listen as He speaks to us.  He knows you more than you know yourself.  He knows what you think and what you need.

Do you expect God to speak to you through His Word?

Will you trust God as you learn more about Him?

Principle:  The Bible is God-breathed; it instructs us how to live and walk with God in this life.

Next week we will start our first study of Kingdom Divided.  Hope to see you here. -- I encourage you to trust in Jesus.

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As you know I always follow along the BSF (Bible Schedule Fellowship) schedule.  You can find weekly lessons to be printed on mybsf.org.  You can also find a BSF class near you by going to www.bsfinternational.org.  The same lessons are studied around the world, so classes start at different times.  In my area we start mid-September, follow the school calendar, and end in mid-May.

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People of the Promised Land – Kingdom Divided

 

Well it’s almost time to begin my posts of People of the Promised Land – Kingdom Divided.  I will begin around September 12.  As you know I follow Bible Study Fellowship (BSF) lessons as I do my weekly posts.  I won’t be the first to say that this study is hard and at times very confusing.  There are so many kings (mostly bad ones) and prophets that it’s hard to keep them all straight, but I will try to do my best.

Exactly what is BSF?  BSF is an interdenominational, in-depth Bible study.  It is for everyone.  It helps us know God and equips us to serve the Church throughout the world.  Hundreds of thousands of people of all ages across the world come together to study God’s word.  They study chapter by chapter together.  People meet weekly in all kinds of places – in churches or online in homes. 

BSF is unique taking a four-fold approach to studying – weekly printed lessons, small group discussions, listening to a lecture, followed up by reading the lesson notes.  All this is done for each lesson.  There are classes for women, men, young adults, students, and children.  You print your weekly lesson online and then answer the questions during that week.  Then on the designated time of your class, you attend the class of about 15-18 people for a discussion of the questions.  After class discussion, you meet together with all the classes (sometimes about 500 people) for a lecture on that week’s study.  You pick up your lesson for the following week which includes the lesson notes.  You see the four-fold approach?

To find a BSF class near you go to www.bsfinternational.org

Why study the Old Testament?  The OT lays the foundation for the teachings and events found in the New Testament and it prophecies about the coming Messiah Jesus.  The NT is only truly understood when you see its foundation and promises of the OT.  It details numerous prophecies that have come true showing the Bible is God’s Word and it tells of many prophecies yet to come.  It teaches us many lessons as we observe its characters.  In these characters we find guidance for our own lives.                                   

The OT is made up of primarily of the Mosaic Law, the history of the nation of Israel, and prophecy of the Jewish people.  We should study the OT because it’s part of God’s Word.  It answers questions like, ‘Where did we come from?’ and ‘Who is God?’.  It brings credibility to the NT, it’s the beginning of our story, and it shows God’s authority and His love for people.

The study of Israel’s kings and prophets show us our need for a Savior.  It reveals God’s character and humanity’s struggle with sin.  Through these people we learn that sin isn’t new to God and He takes sin seriously.  We can place ourselves in Israel’s shoes.  We have gone after idols, have become captive by sin, but it doesn’t have to end there.  We see that God offers a path to salvation thousands of times in the OT.  Paul declares, “A scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuked, correcting and training in righteousness” – 2 Tim. 3:16.

Join me for the study People of the Promise Land - Kingdom Divided (Sept 12).  Hope to see you here. -- I encourage you to trust in Jesus.

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Who or what are Angels?

 

Angels have been portrayed as beautiful humans with wings and glowing light complete with halos, harps and flowing white gowns.  They have inspired all sorts of imaginative stories.  But what and who are they really?  So I researched angels and this is what I’ve learned.

The Hebrew word for angles is translated ‘hosts’ in the phrase ‘Lord of hosts’ actually means “armies”.  God is “Lord of armies”.  He organized them much the way armies are organized.  God created angels with different degrees of ability and established them in ranks based on these abilities. 

Angels were created by God (Genesis 2:1) and live for eternity (Luke 20:26).  They were present when God created the earth (Job 38:1).  Angels don’t marry (Matthew 22:30).  They are wise and intelligent and can discern between good and evil (2 Samuel 14:17).  They give insight and understanding (Daniel 9:22; Luke 15:10).  They take an interest in human affairs (Daniel 10:14; Revelation 14:6).

Angels are spiritual beings and are not meant to be worshiped (Psalm 104:4; Revelation 19:10).  Angels are messengers, ministers, warriors and worshipers of God.  They are servants of Jesus (1 Peter 3:22) and most remain faithful to God except for some who rebelled (Revelation 5:11-12). 

There are holy angels which are powerful armies that obey God’s commands (Psalm 103:20-21), serve as His chariots (Psalm 68:17), and are divided into legions (Matthew 26:53).  Some are even under the command of other angels.

Michael is the only archangel in the Bible.  Archangel means “chief or ruling messenger” (1 Th. 4:16; Jude 9).  He and the angels under him wage war against Satan and his evil angels (Rev. 12:7).

Some angels are called cherubin and some are called seraphim.  Ezekiel 1:1-28 gives a brilliant description of angels as four-winged creatures.  In Ezekiel 10-20 they’re called cherubim.  Cherubim appear to have the highest rank since they seem to have the closest relationship with God and are referred to more than any other rank of angels (Ezekiel. 1:5-24; 10:1-22).

Seraphim cover the unique presence of God and His throne and continually assert that He is holy (unique), Commander-in-Chief of the angelic armies of heaven, and glorified Sovereign of the earth.  Isaiah 6:1-8 gives a description of seraphim.

The “four living creatures” in the midst of and around God’s throne in heaven continually exalt God by declaring His holiness, omnipotence, and eternality (Rev. 4:6-9).  These are an exalted order of angels whose purpose is to worship God.

Princes are powerful angels assigned by God or Satan to positions of authority over nations to influence their decisions and actions (Dan. 10:13, 20-21; 12:1).  The apostle Paul told believers, “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places” (Ephesians 6:12).  Yet, if the “Lord of armies” is for you, who can be against you? (Romans 8:31).

Most angels in the Bible have the appearance of a man and many have wings, but not all.  Some are larger than life.  Some have multiple faces and appear like a man, a lion, an ox or an eagle.  Some are invisible, yet their presence is felt and their voices can be heard.  Some have six wings (Seraphim) and some have two wings (Cherubim).

More fact about angels:

34 of the 66 books of the Bible refer to angels and are mentioned over 300 times.  They are also referred to by other terms.  There are many, many angels, but only 3 angels are mentioned by name in the Bible – Gabriel, Michael, and the fallen angel Lucifer (Satan).

Angels are angels and always have been. No one becomes an angel when they die.

Jesus spoke of angels (Matt. 18:10), stating that He could have had more than 12 legions of angels to protect Him (Matt. 26:53).  He stated that angels will attend and serve Him at His Second coming (Matt. 13:41; 16:27; 24:30-31; 25:31).

John saw hundreds of millions around God’s throne in heaven (Rev 5:11).

Daniel saw a similar sight (Dan. 7:9-10).

All angels are ministering spirits who serve those who will inherit salvation (Hebrews 1:14).

Angels don’t have physical bodies (Luke 24:39, Eph. 6:12).

Angels can have temp bodies (Gen. 18-19 – 3 men appeared to Abraham).  2 who went to Sodom were angels (Gen. 19:1).

God created angels (Ps. 148:2-5, Col. 1:16).

Angels existed before the earth was created and witnessed the creation (Job 38:4-7).

Angels live forever and cannot die (Luke 20:36).

What about guardian angels? 

One of the most common beliefs about angels is that each of us has a guardian angel looking after us in times of need. The Bible doesn’t say that each of person has a guardian angel, but we do know that God’s angels care about us and can intervene on our behalf when called by God to serve those who are to inherit salvation.  There isn’t just one angle helping us, there are thousands.

Principle: Angels are messengers, ministers, warriors and worshipers of God.

Join me here next time -- I encourage you to trust in Jesus.

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