Christ the Rock Community Church, Saturday Morning Men’s Bible Study

This week’s reading September 17 to 23[1. If you are participating in the Saturday morning class, “The One Year Bible Challenge,” you should read the daily materials as set out in “The One Year Bible.” The verses listed on this page will include a couple of extra days each week.]

Isaiah 25:1 to Isaiah 43:13
Galatians 3:10 to Ephesians 2:22
Psalm 61:1 to Psalm 67:7
Proverbs 23:17 to Proverbs 23:35

Next Week’s Reading September 24 to 30
Isaiah 43:14 to Isaiah 62:5
Ephesians 3:1 to Philippians 2:18
Psalm 68:1 to Psalm 72:20
Proverbs 24:1 to Proverbs 24:12

Discussion Questions:
Old Testament

• The prophet, Isaiah, said God’s kindness to the wicked did not make them do good. Have you found this observation to be true in modern society? Isaiah 26:10
• Is talking like a righteous person—using words and phrases that good church people say–better than nothing, even if your heart isn’t really in what you say? Isaiah 29:13
• Why, in Isaiah 36:11, did the representatives of the King of Judah request the Assyrians speak in Aramaic? Was this a reasonable request? How did the Assyrians respond? Read Isaiah 36:1-20

New Testament

• Was Jesus Christ cursed, since he was “hanged on a tree?” Galatians 3:10-14.
• Discuss the analogy of the child under a guardian in Galatians 4:1-7. What does it tell you about the Law and Jesus Christ?
• Can the Holy Spirit help you resist desires of the flesh? Galatians 5:16. Even the desires enumerated in Galatians 5:19-21? How does this work?

FOOTNOTE:

• GENRE: Action / Adventure
• ACTORS: Jack Huston, Toby Kebbell, Rodrigo Santoro, Nazanin Boniadi, Ayelet Zurer, Morgan Freeman
• RATING: PG-13
• LENGTH: 2 hours, 5 minutes
• PARENTAL NOTE: Not intended for children. No bad language or questionable situations. But there is the violence. This film does not have extreme or gratuitous violence.[1. In my opinion, the violence is neither extreme or gratuitous. Of course, this is a subjective standard, with which others may disagree. There is no gore–disembowelments; lingering shots on dismemberments, or the like. This is an action / adventure film, not a horror film.] The violence will be too much for very young children or the squeamish of any age. What you might call “XTV” (Extreme Trampling Violence). That is, men and their horses get run over by horses in the chariot race. There is a sea battle scene in which men are killed–some set afire. Also, Rome’s armies are shown battling the barbarians. Again, all disturbing images for the very young or squeamish.
• INTENDED AUDIENCE: This movie is intended for older children and adults, because of the violence.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=df2VrzS1HCs

• GENERAL PLOT: (No spoilers) A wealthy Jew, Ben-Hur, from a prominant family grows up with an adopted brother–a Roman named Messala Severus. Messala goes away, fights in Rome’s wars, gets promoted, and returns to Rome. Ben-Hur won’t name the rebels who oppose Rome, and ends up being sentenced to serve as a slave in the galley of a Roman battle ship. He lives, returns, and rides a chariot in the new Jerusalem circus against Messala Severus, and several others. The time frame coincides with the latter days of Jesus Christ’s life as a man on earth, leading to his crucifixion.
• REVIEW: First and most importantly, this is NOT the classic 1959 version of Ben Hur, staring Charlton Heston.[1. Both films are based on the 1880 novel by Lew Wallace, Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ. The 1959 film was at the time of its release the second-highest-grossing film in history at the time after Gone with the Wind. It won a record 11 Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Director (Wyler), Best Actor in a Leading Role (Heston), Best Actor in a Supporting Role (Griffith), and Best Cinematography – Color (Surtees). It was the first of three films to have won 11 Academy Awards, including the Best Picture Oscar. The second was Titanic (1997) and the third was The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003). Several of the categories won by “Titanic” and “The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King” didn’t exist in Ben-Hur’s day, making its 11 wins that much more impressive. The chariot race required 15,000 extras on a set constructed on 18 acres of backlot at Cinecitta Studios outside Rome. Eighteen chariots were built, with half being used for practice. Shot over a period of nine months at Rome’s Cinecitta studios. The outdoor set of the chariot race circus was the largest built for a film at the time. The chariot scene alone cost about four million dollars, or about a fourth of the entire budget, and took 10 weeks to shoot.] Any remake of a great film will necessarily face comparisons to the “original.”[2. The famous 1959 academy award winning version, staring Charlton Heston, was not the first film or only other film based on this story. Others include, Ben Hur (1907 film), a one-reel silent film adaptation; Ben-Hur (1925 film), an MGM silent film adaptation starring Ramon Novarro; Ben Hur (2003 film), an animated direct-to-video film adaptation featuring the voice of Charlton Heston; and Ben Hur (miniseries), a television miniseries that aired in 2010.] So although many will conclude the 2016 remake of Ben-Hur falls short of the 1959 classic, the more recent film is a great movie in its own right. It has plenty of action, adventure, and excitment.[3. I had assumed–aparently incorrectly–the action scenes were more computer-generated images (CGI) than real horses pulling chariots. The movie’s cast and crew, including director Timur Bekmambetov, explained the steps they took to make the race look as realistic as possible. The actors were dragged by real horses at high speeds around the arena while a truck with a camera attached tracks their movements from the side. (SOURCE: CinemaBlend. http://www.cinemablend.com/news/1524049/the-new-ben-hur-doesnt-use-cgi-in-its-chariot-race-and-this-awesome-video-proves-it)] which intersect with a generally accurate historical and Biblical account of the days leading to the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. The movie character of Jesus Christ plays a limited, but important, role in the plot. His message of love and forgiveness are primary themes in the film. Although not really a “church movie,” my church appropriately selected Ben-Hur (2016) for viewing by our youth group. Being almost an hour and a half shorter and 57 years younger than the academy award winning version, made the 2016 adaptation an easy choice.
• RECOMMENDATION: No one expected this rendition of Ben-Hur to win an academy award for Best Picture. But it is definately a good movie, and well worth watching.
• RATING (out of 5 stars): ★★★★★

MOVIE RATING SYSTEM:

Start with zero (0) out of five (5) possible STARS

• Add one STAR if it looks like the movie was made by professional film makers–not 4 or 5 guys with a camcorder.
• Add one STAR if the film has a story, theme or plot (optional for horror and/or zombie movies); or if the movie makes any sense.
• Add additional STARS for special effects, acting, good moral message(s), realistic zombies, scariness,
  interesting theme or plot and the like.
• Subtract STARS for extreme bad acting, COMPLETELY awful themes/messages, overall INCREDIBLE trashiness, graphic and persistent lewdness, and the like.

This Week’s Reading (January 8-14)
WEEK 2
Genesis 18:16-31:16
Matthew 6:25-10:23
Psalm 8:1-12:8
Proverbs 2:6-13:15

Next Week’s Reading (January 15-21)
WEEK 3
Genesis 31:17-43:34
Matthew 10:24-14:12
Psalm 13:1-18:36
Proverbs 3:16-4:10

Discussion Questions:
Old Testament

1. Whose idea was it for Abram to take his wife’s maid as another wife?[1. This was Sarah’s (Abram’s wife) idea. Genesis 16:1] What was the purpose of this plan?[2. Sarai said she wanted her husband to have children. The handmaid, Hagar was to bear Abram’s children instead of his own wife. Actually, Hagar became an additional wife for Abram. Genesis 16:2-3. God had previously promised to Abram that his offspring would form a great nation. Genesis 15:4-5. However God had not yet promised his wife Sarai would be the biological mother of that nation.

   Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary says this:

   Abram’s compliance with Sarai’s proposal, we have reason to think, was from an earnest desire of the promised seed, on whom the covenant should be entailed. God had told him that his heir should be a son of his body, but had not yet told him that it should be a son by Sarai; therefore he thought, “Why not by Hagar, since Sarai herself proposed it?” Note, (1.) Foul temptations may have very fair pretences, and be coloured with that which is very plausible. (2.) Fleshly wisdom, as it anticipates God’s time of mercy, so it puts us out of God’s way. (3.) This would be happily prevented if we would ask counsel of God by the word and by prayer, before we attempt that which is important and suspicious. Herein Abram was wanting; he married without God’s consent. This persuasion came not of him that called him.

   ] How did the arrangement work out?[3. The plan did not take long to go bad. Sarah got mad and blamed her husband. Genesis 16:5. Abram told Sarai to do with Hagar as she pleased. Sarai treated Hagar so badly that Hagar fled into the desert. Genesis 16:5-6.] Genesis 16:1-6

2. Why doesn’t the Bible seem to condemn or punish the great sin of Lot’s daughters. Did Lot share any part in this sin? [5. God told Lot to escape to the hills in the first place. Genesis 19:17. Lot, preferring his own wisdom to the instructions of God, asked permission to go to the city of Zoar instead. Genesis 19:20,22. When God gave permission to go to the city, Genesis 19:21, Lot soon fled to the hills, in fear. Genesis 19:30.
   Kretzmann Popular Commentary (1922): Lot was guilty as well as his daughters, first, because he gave way to dull despair instead of trusting in the Lord, and then also, because he did not watch and pray, but permitted his daughters to make him drunk.

   ]

3. How old was Isaac when Abramham took him to sacrifice him as a burnt offering?[6. Popular images occasionally show Isaac as an infant or toddler. Other images depict him as an older youth. The latter must be true, since Isaac was given the task of carrying the wood for the burnt offering. Genesis 22:5-6. MATTHEW HENRY’S COMMENTARY points out Isaac foreshadows Christ, who also carried wood (a cross) to his sacrifice.]
4. Why did Jacob have to work 7 years in order to marry Rachel (Genesis 29:16-18)? His father did not have to work for his bride, Rebekah. [5. Abraham’s servant paid a dowry for Isaac’s wife. Genesis 24:10; Genesis 24:51-53. Jacob was also obliged to pay a dowry for Rachel. Since he did not have the money, Jacob’s payment was working for seven years. The uncle, Laban, cheated by providing the sister, Leah, first. Jacob was permitted to marry Rachel, but had to work an additional seven years to pay her dowry as well.]
5. Read the story of Esau selling his birthright to Jacob in Genesis 25:27-34. What does this story tell us about the character of each man?

New Testament

1. In Chapter 6 of Matthew, Jesus cautions: [v.1] “Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven.” (ESV) He also cautions against making a show of [v.2] giving to the needy; [v.5] praying in public; and [v.17-18] fasting. But don’t we do all of these things conspicuously in many of our churches?[6. People’s New Testament notes: The Savior condemns ostentatious piety, and then he singles out three illustrations of his meaning. The Christian is not forbidden to practice righteousness before men, but to make it his object to be seen.” Helping the needing, praying, and fasting in public aren’t condemned if the motive is not glorifying self. Some of the behavior in churches no doubt does violate this admonition.]
2. According to Matthew 6:19-21; and 6:25-34 is it a sin to plan for your future? Can you take your planning too far?
3. What does  Matthew 7:6 mean? If the references to dogs and swine mean types of people, is this language too harsh?
4. A disciple of Jesus wanted to bury his dead father before he followed Jesus. Jesus told him to follow Him (Jesus) and “Leave the dead to bury their own dead.” Does this response seem harsh? Could you imagine someone today addressing a fellow believer in this manner?[8. Robertson’s Word Pictures (1932): “Leave the dead to bury their own dead. The spiritually dead are always on hand to bury the physically dead, if one’s real duty is with Jesus. While it is a good deed to bury the dead, it is a better one to preach Christ.”

   Family Bible Notes from the Nazrene Users Group: meaning “Let those who are impenitent sinners without spiritual life bury your father, and do you now what I command you. The omniscient Saviour saw that such a command was necessary to impress upon that disciple the supreme importance of his service, and the necessity of making every earthly feeling and interest subordinate to it. “]

FOOTNOTES: