Adult Teaching Resources March 31, 2019

Transcription

1 Adult Teching Resources Mrch 31, 2019 Epiphny (Jnury 6-Mrch 3) Not Your Typicl Techer Luke 9:28-43 Climbing Higher Lenten Seson (Mrch 10-April 14) Deliberte Devotion Deuteronomy 26:1-11 A Joyous Confession Genesis 15:1-21 (RCL 1-12, 17-18) A Hir-Rising Prediction Isih 55:1-9 A Stunning Invittion Joshu 5:1-12 (RCL 9-12) A Cutting Reffirmtion Subscribe to Nurturing Fith to ccess the core Bible content for this lesson. Find links nd videos relted to this lesson. 1 Nurturing Fith Mrch 31, 2019

2 FIT Teching Guide by Dvid Woody Bible Bckground The LORD sid to Joshu, Tody I hve rolled wy from you the disgrce of Egypt. And so tht plce is clled Gilgl to this dy. Joshu 5:9 It is common for group of believers to cll themselves fmily of fith. Within tht fmily structure, we hve different symbolic cts tht help us delinete the pssge of time nd the observnce of fith prctices. Tody we explore ritul nd renewl for God s fmily s they enter the Promised Lnd. Opening Welcome everyone nd remin gthered in the lrge group. Ask everyone to think of the rites of pssge or rituls from their fmilies. Wht re those things your fmily did to mrk specil life events nd trnsitions? For exmple, when you got your driver s license, did your fmily hve specil ceremony, pryer, or gift to mrk tht event? Ask everyone to think bout their rituls nd sk them to shre so list cn be written on the bord. Wht ws the life event? Wht ws the ritul? Wht ws the significnce of the moment? How did tht moment shpe you or your fmily member? Wht rituls hve you continued from your fmily history? Wht rituls hve you introduced to your fmily? Wht rituls would you like to include or begin? A Cutting Reffirmtion Joshu 5:1-12 (RCL 9-12) This dult teching outline is designed to support The Bible Lesson by Tony Crtlege, printed in Nurturing Fith Journl. You cn subscribe to either the digitl or print edition of Nurturing Fith Journl to ccess the lessons. Plese lso ensure tht ech person in your clss hs copy of Nurturing Fith Journl so they cn prepre before the lesson. Spend some time tlking bout the rituls nd rites of pssge. Discuss the similrities nd notice the differences. 2 Nurturing Fith Mrch 31, 2019

3 Reding the Bible Wht did God do to the wters of Jordn? (dried them up) How did the kings of the Amorites nd Cnnites rect to this? (their herts melted nd there ws no longer ny spirit in them) Wht did God tell Joshu to do? (Mke flint knives nd circumcise the Isrelites second time) Who ws circumcised nd who ws not circumcised mong God s people? (ll the people who cme out hd been circumcised, ll the people born on the journey in the wilderness hd not been circumcised) Wht did the Lord swer would hppen to those who cme out of Egypt nd wndered 40 yers nd listened to God s voice? (he would not let them see the lnd he hd sworn to their ncestors) Who did Joshu circumcise? (their children) Wht did God sy to Joshu fter everyone heled from their circumcisions? (Tody I hve rolled wy from you the disgrce of Egypt.) Wht did the Isrelites do while they cmped t Gilgl? (kept the Pssover) When did the mnn cese? (on the dy they te the produce of the lnd) Mking Connections Wht plces, other thn church, do you consider to be scred? Hve you ever creted scred spce? How did you do it? Wht is your understnding of circumcision? Wht other physicl mrks could you choose for God s people? Our Lesson Writer pints n ccurte picture of the circumcision Circumcision, especilly for children nd dults big enough to know wht is hppening, could be hrrowing experience, nd more pinful fterwrd thn before. In n ge when snittion ws difficult, bths were rre, ntibiotics nd nti-inflmmtory medictions were nonexistent, infections were common. The people would hve certinly suffered gretly, with wine probbly in short supply bout the only vilble nlgesic. If it ws such risky medicl procedure, why do you think God chose it? Wht is the purpose of the Pssover mel? When you think of the story of eting mnn for forty yers, wht do you think lnd flowing with milk nd honey would look like? Our Lesson Writer reminds us, The story of Isrel t Gilgl reminds us tht we worship God of second chnces, nd tht sometimes ritul is n importnt spect of renewl. Wht do you need for renewl to hppen in your life? Wht re you willing to mke it hppen? 3 Nurturing Fith Mrch 31, 2019

4 So Wht? Our text gives two significnt exmples of renewl rituls for God s people circumcision nd Pssover. As lrge group, think of nd list, other renewl rituls you cn nme tht hold religious significnce for you, for your fmily, nd for your fmily of fith. Wht rituls do you currently observe? Wht do they signify? Wht rituls cn you think of, tht would be new? Wht could they signify? Wht is the ultimte importnce of these rituls in our religious life? Wht do they sy bout us s followers of God? Spend time tlking bout our rituls nd compring them to the rituls from tody s pssge. Wht do our rituls sy bout our commitment to God? The Chllenge This week go to your fvorite locl scred spce nd spend time in pryer, sking God to renew your spirit, your life, nd your commitment. Pryer Loving God, we re doing our best to follow you. When we go to our specil plces nd when we observe specil rituls we re reminded tht you re God nd we re yours. Help us to be fithful to you every dy. Amen. 4 Nurturing Fith Mrch 31, 2019

5 Digging Deeper by Tony Crtlege Digging Deeper is designed to support The Bible Lesson by Tony Crtlege, printed in Nurturing Fith Journl. Wtch for the shovel icon in the The Bible Lesson, nd then reference tht item in this Digging Deeper resource. You cn subscribe to either the digitl or print edition of Nurturing Fith Journl to ccess the lessons. Plese lso ensure tht ech person in your clss hs copy of Nurturing Fith Journl so they cn prepre before the lesson. The text As is often the cse, the Revised Common Lectionry text is snippet of longer text. To pprecite the smller portion, we need to exmine the lrger context. Hence, though the RCL reding for the dy is vv. 9-12, we will consider vv The book of Joshu The Book of Joshu begins long nrrtive discourse tht continues through Judges, 1-2 Smuel, nd 1-2 Kings (Ruth ws inserted lter, from different trdition). The lnguge, theme, nd theology of this lengthy section is so similr to wht we find in Deuteronomy tht scholrs commonly refer to Joshu-2 Kings s the Deuteronomistic History. The theologicl underpinning of the Deuteronomistic History is reflected in covennt ceremony conducted on the slopes of Mount Ebl nd Mount Gerizim, recorded in Deut. 27:1-29:1. The covennt, intended to be compendium of instructions to the tribes before they entered Cnn, includes list of both promises nd curses: if the people obeyed God nd followed the commndments, God promised to bless them. If the people disobeyed nd followed their own wys, God would curse them. Both blessings nd potentil punishments re described in detil, with the spce llotted to curses being more extensive thn tht given to promises. The Deuteronomistic History ws written to explin Isrel s history in the light of the Deuteronomic covennt: how it ws tht Isrel hd known God s blessings t times, but ended up in exile. Everything depended on whether the people were fithful to their own promise to keep the commndments nd follow God s wy. Chronologiclly, the Book of Joshu follows the deth of Moses t the end of Deuteronomy, nd begins with the commissioning of Joshu s the new leder (1:1-9) of the Isrelites, n morphous group of tribl units who trced their ncestry to Jcob, long with considerble number of other displced people who hd joined them fter their mirculous delivernce from Egypt nd during 40-yer sojourn in the wilderness. The setting As the book of Joshu begins, the people were still in the lnd of Mob, yet to begin their long-wited invsion of the Promised Lnd. Three tribl groups (Reuben, Gd, nd prt of Mnnseh) hd lredy been llotted territory est of the Jordn, but their fighters were required to continue the cmpign on the west side of the Jordn (1:12-18). Joshu commnded the people to prepre to cross the Jordn River (1:10-11), nd sent spies to lern wht they could bout Jericho, the closest city on the western side (2:1-24). 5 Nurturing Fith Mrch 31, 2019

6 Digging Deeper continued Tody, so much wter is tken for irrigtion tht the Jordn River is little more thn wide nd muddy creek, but three thousnd yers go, the river ws much lrger, especilly following sesonl rins, when it could become mighty torrent. Fords were few nd sesonl. Speking commnds tht he climed to be from Yhweh, Joshu instructed the priests to crry the Ark of the Covennt into the river, promising tht the wters would stnd up in hep nd llow the people to cross on dry ground (3:1-17) n event tht clerly reclls the mirculous crossing of the Ym Suph (Reed Se) s n erlier genertion hd escped from Egypt. In compny with the crossing, Joshu commnded the people to set up memoril to remember wht God hd done nd to pledge their fithfulness to God. Two of the ceremonies involved stones, suggesting tht multiple trditions re t ply. One story sys tht twelve stones lrge enough to be crried on the shoulder were tken from the bed of the Jordn nd crried to the first cmping plce, where they were to be piled together s lsting memoril to the sfe crossing (4:1-8). The other trdition is tht Joshu himself set twelve stones in the midst of the Jordn to memorilize where the priests stood with the rk during the crossing. The nrrtor climed tht the stones were still visible during his lifetime, probbly severl hundred yers lter (4:9). In both cses, the 12 stones symbolize the trditionl 12-tribe confedercy tht constituted the mjority of the people. Flint bldes Most trnsltions sy tht Joshu ws to mke flint knives. Bldes knpped from flint cores could be inserted into hndle of wood or bone, but could lso be used lone. The double-sided flint blde below ws excvted in Jezreel. Pssover According to the Hebrew clendr, Pssover begins t sunset on the fourteenth dy of the month of Nisn, nd ends t sundown on the fifteenth. Nisn occurs in the spring. Pssover seson lsts either seven dys (for Reform Jews) or eight dys (for Orthodox, Hsidic, nd most other Conservtive Jewish groups). In lter yers, Pssover cme to be ssocited with the brley hrvest nd the offering of first fruits t the temple. 6 Nurturing Fith Mrch 31, 2019

7 The Hrdest Question by Tony Crtlege Wht s with ll the kings? The Hrdest Question is designed to support The Bible Lesson by Tony Crtlege, printed in Nurturing Fith Journl. You cn subscribe to either the digitl or print edition of Nurturing Fith Journl to ccess the lessons. Plese lso ensure tht ech person in your clss hs copy of Nurturing Fith Journl so they cn prepre before the lesson. The text begins with clim tht ll the kings of the Amorites beyond the Jordn to the west, nd ll the kings of the Cnnites by the se herd of the Isrelites crossing of the Jordn, nd were so frid tht their herts melted, nd there ws no longer ny spirit in them, becuse of the Isrelites (v. 1). The nrrtor of Joshu considered the residents of the hill country to be Amorites nd those living in the costl plin to be Cnnites. The Hebrews hd mnged to conquer two smll Amorite kingdoms on the Est side of the Jordn, so their reputtion s significnt fighting force preceded them. Joshu 5 is not the first plce we see the terminology of melting herts. In Joshu 2:11, Rhb told Joshu s spies tht when the residents of Jericho herd of how God hd delivered Isrel from Egypt, nd how they hd defeted Sihon nd Og on the est side of the Jordn, our herts melted, nd there ws no courge left in ny of us becuse of you. We noted in the text bove tht the sttement is more rhetoricl thn ctul: though the book of Joshu clims the Isrelites conquered number of kings nd their territories, none of them rolled over without fight. The Hebrews fced spirited resistnce from locl residents nd were unble to dislodge mny of them from their lnd. But how could such smll lnd hve so mny kings? The lnd re of Cnn would hve been smller thn tht of New Hmpshire or Vermont nd yet it bosted numerous kings. How could tht be? The nswer is tht king cn be reltive term. During the Lte Bronze nd Erly Iron Ages, when Isrel reportedly cme into the lnd, Cnn ws politiclly orgnized into number of smll city-sttes, in which cities or towns of some size controlled the re round them often no more thn 20 miles cross. The leders of these city-sttes referred to themselves s kings, though they my hve ruled no more people thn the myor of smll town. As n exmple, consider the story of how Joshu reportedly conquered five kings t once: fter the Gibeonites mnged to escpe bttle forge pece trety with Isrel, other kings in the re felt thretened. 7 Nurturing Fith Mrch 31, 2019

8 The Hrdest Question continued So King Adoni-zedek of Jeruslem sent messge to King Hohm of Hebron, to King Pirm of Jrmuth, to King Jphi of Lchish, nd to King Debir of Eglon, sying, Come up nd help me, nd let us ttck Gibeon; for it hs mde pece with Joshu nd with the Isrelites. Then the five kings of the Amorites the king of Jeruslem, the king of Hebron, the king of Jrmuth, the king of Lchish, nd the king of Eglon gthered their forces, nd went up with ll their rmies nd cmped ginst Gibeon, nd mde wr ginst it. (Josh. 10:3-5) The nrrtive goes on to ssert tht the leders of Gibeon ppeled to Joshu, who mrched his rmy through the night from Gilgl nd succeeding in inflicting very gret slughter on them, until they were wiped out (Josh. 10:20). One is reminded of the old story bout the tilor who climed to hve killed seven t one blow, when wht he hd killed were flies. The kings of the Amorites nd Cnnites tht Joshu fced were fr more thn flies, but s leders of rmies typiclly numbering in the hundreds rther thn thousnds, they were kings of lesser sort thn we normlly imgine. 8 Nurturing Fith Mrch 31, 2019