Week 5
January 29 – February 4, 20111
This is the “One Year Bible Challenge:” to read the entire Bible in one year. Assuming a normal reading level, this can be done by spending about 10-15 minutes per day, each and every day. See ReadTheWholeBible.COM for more information. If you would like details so you can join us, or if you have any other questions, please call Tom Truex. Or send an email by using the CONTACT form on K-Line.ORG.
Themes and stories:
Pharaoh won’t let the Israelites leave Egypt, so God sent a series of plagues upon Egypt. In each case, Moses warned Pharaoh of the impending plague and asked for Pharaoh to let the Israelites leave. These were the Plagues:
I. Blood: The Nile River, sole water supply for Egypt, turned to blood. The fish died. The river stank.
II. Hordes of frogs: Frogs invaded the Egyptians homes, beds, and food. They were everywhere.
III. Gnats: The “dust of the earth turned into gnats.”
IV. Swarms of flies: Flies invaded the homes of Pharaoh and his officials. In all of Egypt the land was ruined because of the flies.
V. Livestock destroyed: All the livestock of the Egyptians died, but of the livestock of the Israelites, not one died.
VI. Boils: “Moses threw [ashes] in the air, and it caused festering boils on humans and animals,” which afflicted all the Egyptians.
VII. Thunder and Hail: Hail with fire flashing continually in the midst of it. The hail struck down everything that was in the open field throughout all Egypt, both human and animal. It also struck down every plant and shattered every tree. Only in the land of Goshen, where the Israelites resided, there was no hail.
VIII.Locusts: “Such a dense swarm of locusts as had never been before, nor ever shall be again.. They covered the surface of the whole land, so that the land was black. Nothing green on any plant or tree was left.
IX. Darkness: There was a dense darkness in Egypt for three days. The Israelites had light where they lived.
X. Death of the firstborn: The firstborn every family (including Pharaoh’s) and every animal died. The Israelites put the blood of a lamb on the door frames of their homes. The blood was a sign, so that when the Lord came to Egypt to strike down the firstborn of the Egyptians and their animals, He would passover the homes of the Israelites.
After the tenth plague, Pharaoh arose in the night and told Moses to leave. The Israelites left at once, not even waiting for the yeast in their bread to rise. The Israelites numbered about 6,000 men, not including their women and children, and a “mixed crowd.” An exact number of people in the group of people leaving Egypt with Moses is unknown, but is estimated by some to have been about two million. The “mixed crowd” may have included Egyptians who where impressed by God’s power.
God led the people by an indirect route through the wilderness so that it would be too hard for the Israelites to change their minds and decide to go back to Egypt. God lead them by a pillar of cloud by day, and a pillar of fire at night. Pharaoh changed his mind, and decided to bring the Israelites back to him as his slaves. As Pharaoh approached, the Israelites were trapped between Pharaoh’s army and the sea. The people were mad at Moses, and told him they wished they’d never left Egypt in the first place.
At God’s command, Moses lifted his staff, and the Red Sea parted. The Israelites walked over the sea bed on dry ground. The Egyptians purused, but after the Israelites had crossed, the sea fell into place again. The Egyptian army drowned. Moses and the Israelites sang a song to God, celebrating their deliverance from bondage.
The Israelites complained to Moses because they had no food or water. God showed them to water. God provided quails for meat. He also gave them “manna” to eat: “it was like coriander seed, white, and the taste of it was like wafers, made with honey.” God provided the manna to the Israelites for forty years, until they left the dessert and entered the land of Canaan.
The Israelites moved, but had no water at their new camp. They complained to Moses. God provided water.
The Amalekites attacked the Israelites. Moses stood on top of a hill with his staff in his hand, while Joshua led the Israelites in battle. As long as Moses held up his hand, Israel prevailed. His hand grew weary, so they propped up his hand with a stone. The Israelites won the battle. Jethro visited Moses. Jethro advised Moses to appoint officials to help him rule the Israelites.
God gave Moses 10 Commandments for his people:
I. Thou shalt have no other gods before me.
II. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me; And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.
III. Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.
IV. Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.
V. Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.
VI. Thou shalt not kill.
VII. Thou shalt not commit adultery.
VIII. Thou shalt not steal.
IX. Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour.
X. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s wife; nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour’s.
Discussion points: What is a “hardened heart?” And why did Pharaoh have one? Exodus 14:1-4
Psalms: Psalm 24:1-28:9
Proverbs: Proverbs 6:1-7:5
Themes and stories:
Jesus blessed little children. “[13] Then children were brought to him that he might lay his hands on them and pray. The disciples rebuked the people; [14] but Jesus said, ‘Let the children come to me, and do not hinder them; for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven.’” Matthew 19: 14-15 (RSV).
Jesus spoke to the rich young ruler. The young man was sad when Jesus told him to sell his possessions, and give the money to the poor, because the man was wealthy. Some things never change. Jesus told his disciples that it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven.
Jesus tells another parable which he compares to the kingdom of heaven: Workers are hired throughout the day, yet even those hired at the end of the day still receive a full day’s wages. The parable concludes with the observation: [16] “So the last shall be first, and the first last.” Matthew 20:16 (NASV). Jesus continues to teach. Jesus rides into Jerusalem on a donkey. Palm Sunday. “[8] Most of the crowd spread their garments on the road, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. [9] And the crowds that went before him and that followed him shouted, “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!” Matthew 21:8-9 (RSV).
Jesus throws the people out of the Temple who were dishonestly buying and selling for Temple business. Jesus continues to teach. “[22] And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith.” Matthew 21:22 (RSV). The religious leaders challenge Jesus authority again. Jesus continues to teach in parables: the Two Sons; the wicked farmers; and the wedding feast. The religious leaders try to trap Jesus about whether the Jews should pay taxes. He tells them, “Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar’s; and unto God the things that are God’s.” Matthew 21:22 (KJV).
Jesus answers a question from other religious leaders about the greatest commandment: [37] “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. [38] This is the great and first commandment. [39] And a second is like it, You shall love your neighbor as yourself. [40] On these two commandments depend all the law and the prophets.” Matthew 22:37-40 (RSV).
Jesus condemns the religious leaders. He says, “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which on the outside look beautiful, but inside they are full of the bones of the dead and of all kinds of filth.” Matthew 23:27 (NRSV).
Discussion points: Is it “fair” for the man who worked a full day to receive only a day’s wage, when that’s the same pay received by the worker who worked only a short time at the very end of the day? Matthew 20:1-16. How does this story relate to the kingdom of heaven?
- What were the 10 Plagues that God used against Pharaoh and the Egyptians?
- What does “Passover” mean?
- What are the Ten Commandments?
- Jesus tells the Rich young man to sell all of his possessions (Matthew 19:21). Does this mean that having possessions is bad?
- Why did Jesus drive out all who were buying and selling in the Temple? (Matthew 21:12-13)
- What did Jesus say are the first and second most important Commandments? (Matthew 22:34-40)
The discussion notes ( PDF / TEXT ) for breakfast on Saturday, February 5, 2011 are now online — ”Life’s Not Fair”. This week we’ll take a quick look at the Exodus. We’ll also look at the “Parable of the Laborers in the Vineyard.” It turns out that children aren’t the only ones who complain when life (or God) isn’t treating them fairly. In fact, as we see, this behavior has been going on for thousands of years. Discussion verses: Exodus 14:1-4 and Matthew 20:1-16
- The notes, summaries and points on this page are intended as bookmarks of important matters which are covered in this week’s readings. They are not intended as complete summaries of readings. Please forgive me if some of my summaries are not 100% on point. Read the manual–i.e. Bible–so that you will get a more clear understanding of the material. Thank you.
–Tom Truex ↩ - Subject to change. ↩