VICTORIES OF GOD IN THE LIFE OF JOSHUA

Transcription

1 [ VICTORIES OF GOD IN THE LIFE OF JOSHUA LESSON SEVEN Day One Read Joshua 2:1 24 and answer the following questions. 1. What did Joshua do, in verse 1? 2. Where did the men stay, and who got word of it? 3. What did Rahab tell the king? What was the real story? 4. What things did Rahab and her people already know about the Israelites? 5. What did Rahab acknowledge, in verse 11? 6. What was Rahab s request? 7. What were the conditions of the agreement made between the spies and Rahab? 1

2 8. How did the spies evade capture? 9. What report did the spies give to Joshua, upon their return? 10. Do you recall the report that the ten spies had given to Moses in Numbers 13:32? How does this report compare with that one? Scripture Memory: This week s Scripture Memory verse is short and sweet. It is Matthew 5:7. Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy. Matthew 5:7 NKJV Day Two 1. Rahab is mentioned three times in the New Testament. What do these verses tell us about Rahab? Matthew 1:1, 5 6 Hebrews 11:31 James 2: Rahab was the great (x29) grandmother of Jesus. She was a prostitute and a liar; she was also a foreigner. And yet God chose to include her in Jesus genealogy. God has never been afraid to associate with the lowly. That is good news for us! Describe what happened in Matthew 9:

3 3. The word condescend has a negative connotation these days. But the dictionary says to condescend is to put aside one s dignity or superiority voluntarily and assume equality with one regarded as inferior. i Isn t it marvelous that we have such a condescending God? Jesus told a parable which instructs us to humble ourselves in condescension. Summarize this parable found in Luke 14:7 11. Scripture Memory: Fill in the missing words from memory. Blessed are the, for they shall obtain mercy. 5: Day Three Think about this: Rahab aided and abetted foreign spies. She hid them from her governing authority, and then lied bold-facedly about her knowledge of who and where they were. And yet, we do not read that she was ever rebuked or reproached. There was no punishment or retribution exacted upon her. In fact, (as we have already read) instead of being chided, she was praised as a woman of faith in the Book of Hebrews. Why is this? Is this example teaching us that it is sometimes okay to lie? Today, let s delve into a discussion concerning situational ethics. 1. Imagine yourself in occupied Holland during World War 2. You and your family have been hiding Jews from the Gestapo in order to save their lives and help them escape to freedom. One night, a group of Nazis raid your home. One of them raises the point of his gun to your face and says, Where are you hiding your Jews? You have a choice to make. Do you obey God s commandment, which says Thou shalt not bear false witness? ii and hope that God will provide a supernatural way out of this mess? Or do you lie to the Nazi, in order to preserve a life that is precious to God? 3

4 2. Now imagine you have spent the last 12 months going through the rigorous process of paperwork and interviews in order to adopt a child from an impoverished nation. Next week you will be flying to that country in order to collect your child and complete the final court proceedings to legalize the adoption. Your are informed by your adoption agency that part of the expenses you will be paying while in that country are customary bribes to court officials and clerks. In this country, the payment of these small bribes is part of the procedure, and though it is technically against the written laws of the country, practically speaking, it is an everyday occurrence normal to the culture of that country. Refusal to pay the bribes, or to identify them as anything but a gift, would not only insult the officials but jeopardize the completion of the adoption process. You have a choice. Do you refuse to pay the bribes because you know that the acceptance of a bribe perverts the way of justice? (Proverbs 17:23) Or do you pay the bribe in order to save an orphaned child from impoverished conditions and give him a loving and nurturing home? 3. Let s contrast two examples from the Bible. Read Exodus 1: Shiphrah and Puah had a tough choice. Was it worse to disobey the law of the government and also lie about their actions, or to kill innocent baby boys? We read that God dealt well with the midwives despite the fact that they lied and disobeyed their king. Why do you think this is? Now, read Daniel 1:3 20. Daniel had a choice. Was it worse to eat non-kosher foods, against the Lord s commandments, or to possibly endanger the life of his overseer by refusing to eat what was normal and customary to the culture he found himself in? 4. These extreme examples create two schools of thought among Christians: Those who would say, God has given us His law as a guide for our actions and there are occasions when deviations are justified, such as lying to save someone s life. If my heart and motives are pure, God will honor that. These Christians would cling to such verses as listed below. What do they say? 4

5 Galatians 5:22 23 (emphasis on 23b) Luke 6:1 5 Those who would say, God is bigger than my circumstances and can make a way of escape so that I do not have to willingly disobey any of His commandments. By faith I trust that He will allow me, as He allowed Daniel, to follow both the heart and the letter of His laws. If my heart and motives are pure, God will honor that. These Christians would cling to verses such as listed below. What do they say? Matthew 5:17 19 James 2: Regardless of whichever camp you find yourself in (or perhaps you agree with both), the important thing to realize is that God cares most that your heart and motives are pure and blameless. What do these verses say? Jeremiah 17:10 1 Chronicles 28:9 Scripture Memory: Fill in the missing words from memory. Blessed are the, for they shall. 5: 5

6 Day Four Reread Joshua 2: Notice that the Lord s reputation preceded the spies into Jericho. Just as the Lord was preparing Rahab before she met the spies, He is at work in the lives of people long before they come to the place of surrender to Him. Indeed before we even realize Him, He has set His sights on us. What does Psalm 71:6 say? 2. From the beginning God is wooing His people. How do Jeremiah 31:3 and Hosea 11:4 describe this? 3. Coming to Christ is a journey or a process, which culminates in surrender to Him. It is compared, in the Bible, to the process of a seed growing into a plant. What does John 4:35 38 say about this process? 4. God uses different people and events in our lives to plant and water our spiritual journey, but ultimately, the real work is done by Him. How did Paul describe this in 1 Corinthians 3:6 9? 5. What leads people to repentance (Romans 2:4) 6. How does your memory verse apply to this week s text? 6

7 Scripture Memory: Fill in the missing words from memory. are the, for they shall. : Day Five: Personal Application 1. We have a condescending God. Jesus lowered Himself to dwell among man, to associate with the lowly, and to love His inferiors. Meditate on this and read Philippians 2:5 8. What feelings and thoughts are evoked by your contemplation on God s condescension? 2. God s condescension is an example for us to follow. We, who have no right to look down upon anyone, naturally regard ourselves as superior to others, when we are living through our flesh. It is our innate pride which tells us, Anything that thinks, acts, or looks differently than myself must be inferior. Without writing names, can you think of someone whom you have been regarding (whether consciously or not) as inferior? Ask the Lord to forgive you and to give you His love for that person. 3. Think about, and then write down, a practical way that you can associate with what the world would consider lowly people. How can you put into practice the holy condescension that Jesus exemplified? 4. Think back on your spiritual journey. Can you remember people and events that sowed and watered spiritual seeds in your life? Write down a few of those influences and give God thanks for causing the growth. 7

8 5. In what practical ways can you apply this week s Scripture memory passage to your life? Be specific. Scripture Memory: Write the Scripture Memory passage completely from memory.. : Day Six (Optional) To secure her salvation, Rahab hung a scarlet cord outside of her window as a sign. What substance comes to mind when you think of the color scarlet? If you are a Christian, then you have a scarlet cord displayed in the window of your life, and it is a symbol of the saving blood of Jesus Christ. When Christ returns to judge the world, He will know His own by this sign of their allegiance. Like the first Passover, God s wrath will not fall on those who have exhibited their dependence on the saving blood of the Lamb. Read the account of Christ s second coming in Revelation 19:11 20:4. Record your thoughts as you meditate on this passage. Write out a prayer to the Lord a prayer of anticipation for His return and of thanksgiving for His saving power. Scripture Memory: Write this week s Scripture Memory passage from memory.. : 8

9 2008 Brian Joel Jackson. All rights reserved. Express permission granted for use and reproduction by Harvest Christian Fellowship, Riverside, CA. 1 condescend. Dictionary.com. Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1). Random House, Inc. (accessed: October 21, 2008). 1 Exodus 20:16 (KJV) Unless otherwise noted, all Scriptures are quoted from the New King James Version. 9

10 10 PRAYER REQUESTS LECTURE NOTES

11 11 LECTURE NOTES

12 LECTURE NOTES 12