Sunday, September 29, 2013

On 10-6-13, Genesis 15:5-21 or 15:7-21 will be our Adult Sunday School/Uniform Series/International Sunday School Lesson herein is my commentary. This lesson is known by some as The Promise of a Future

The Promise of a Future
Genesis 15:5-21 or 15:7-21
International Sunday School Lesson
October 6, 2013


Commentary
By
Jed Greenough

Would you believe when I read today’s scripture I thought about Facebook of all things?  It’s true.
Of course Abram’s (Abraham’s) age is always considered when you think about him and I got to thinking for some reason about the people who visit this blog.  The blog users are quiet and there isn’t any known information about them personally other than mostly numbers.
Because of this I got to thinking about Facebook because users there submit a profile so when you have a page you can see a bit more about the people who “like” your page.  A few will fudge but overall the results will be within a range of accuracy I think is acceptable.
I have a Facebook page for the sole reason to help people find the blog to help them in their prep work for that coming week’s Sunday school lesson so I looked to the stats.  I think those who visit the blog are fairly similar, I mean, why wouldn’t they be?
Two thirds are women.  What does that tell you either about Facebook users or those who are preparing for Sunday School?
There are 50 countries represented but of course the vast majority is from the United States.
Most importantly I think that half are 45 and older which doesn’t surprise consider the subject matter is for Adult Sunday schools.  But let’s think about that age issue.
The lion share is between 35 and 64 and then there is a sharp drop off with the younger adults and with the senior ones.  Why is that?
I have a theory based on my own experience that says the younger ones; the ones who feel immortal or who have belonged to a weaker church education system don’t see or feel the need.  And the older ones are tired, they feel like they have done their time and sometimes that they don’t have a part in the modern church.
If we can learn anything from today’s scripture that might be new from what we have talked about in the past when we look at Abraham is our own roles as Christians with regard to our age.  Abram was an old, old man but God chose him.
Abram was a special man and God knowing everything about him that this was the man to start with and so He chose him.  He didn’t rule him out because he had been there and done that.  Just because Abram had packed up and moved away from everything he knew, built up his flocks and established himself his ability to contribute even late in life wasn’t over.
God likewise chooses each of us from before we were born.  Like it or not God did.  He knows everything.  So if He chooses us, we are just like Abram regardless of our age or the life we have lived thus far.
If we are young we have much to learn but we also have energy and new ideas.  We can help not just our own but all ages and we should and not just that but study is crucial to wrapping yourself in what you need to know concerning God and His word.
If we are later in life, we are tired but the young and old alike need us.   Are we better than Abraham?

For Discussion:
1.       If you have forgotten more than the younger ones will ever know your role is crucial to share
2.       Discuss how churches may have separated themselves into groups too much
3.       Discuss how Sunday School may be the only place where we can truly share in the fellowship of the spirit
4.       Discuss a plan of recruitment for your class
5.       Read my blog from 12-11-11 where I did another commentary on basically this scripture
6.       Discuss some of the attributes that Abram displayed in today’s scripture
7.       Discuss Abram driving off the birds of prey in verse 11.  What can be read into that?
8.       Discuss being useful at any age to the church and don’t forget to include the homebound.
9.       Readership varies on this blog sometimes by almost a thousand people week to week.  My efforts are for the Kingdom.  Please don’t rely on Google.  Bookmark my blog if it helps you.




Upcoming Lessons

10-6-13     The Promise of a Future Genesis 15:5-21 or 15:7-21
10-13-13    A Promise to Sarah Genesis 17:15-17; 18:9-15; 21:1-7
10-20-13    Blessings for Ishmael and Isaac or A Blessing for Ishmael and Isaac Genesis 21:12-14, 17-21; 26-2-5, 12, 13 or 21:13-14, 17-21; 26:2-5, 12-13
10-27-13    The Blessing Passes to Jacob Genesis 28:1a, 10-22


Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 Biblica. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved

Sunday, September 22, 2013

On 9-29-13, Genesis 11:1-9 will be our Adult Sunday School/Uniform Series/International Sunday School Lesson herein is my commentary. This lesson is known by some as God Scatters the Nations

God Scatters the Nations
Genesis 11:1-9
International Sunday School Lesson
September 29, 2013

Commentary
By
Jed Greenough


I will admit that I had difficulty when it came time to prepare for this week’s lesson.  I had found that Sunday School lessons from my youth were getting in the way!  Really it was the rich imagery that was used then that was the strongest reason for leaving me with certain impressions that I felt were blocking me from seeing a bigger picture.
What I decided to do was of course pray for the best course of action to follow.  This is what I normally do but as I said the past images from classes long ago came rushing back to me.
I began to think about God’s purpose for telling us about this event.  I know of course that there is scripture that is written with precision so that we understand God’s guidance for us.  In other words that type of scripture is literal.
Then there is the stylized figurative language of prophecy.  That language is such that the reader should know by terms such as heaven trembling or the earth shaking what was going on here.
Is the scripture for today literal or figurative?  I believe in order to understand it you have to think about when the event occurred.  This was an early time, coming after the flood.  The population of man was again rising but at this time and no doubt for a long time to come the culture was in its infancy.  The written word wasn’t a factor but oral tradition was.
People would for generation after generation talk at night about what they knew from before and after the flood.  How man once again multiplied.  They would have relayed the accounting of how their community came to be and how the neighbors two valleys over came to be.  They would even have rumors to share of people further away and perhaps some people only whispered about.
If some believe that today’s scripture is a bit of summation of this oral tradition this belief shouldn’t bother those of us who take all parts of the Bible literally and those of us who take it a little less so when it comes to historical retelling.
In any event, God still gave it to the writer in an inspirational manner just as He did the rest of the Bible.  Why is that important?  Well, for me that is what I love about the word of God.  As we know from the scripture God’s word accomplishes what He desires (Isaiah 55:11).  I know that to mean always.  Sometimes for one person it is one thing and something else for another.  Even exposing false teaching can be accomplished when God’s word is misused!
The idea of God’s word being inspired I firmly believe then is never finished with that original author but continues with us today.  I can receive that inspiration all over again just as you can.
For me this scripture and those for the last several weeks have driven home to me that I should stress in my comments how man when in error has turned things to being about themselves and when in the right about God.  In today’s scripture God showed this.
We know from our own past experience how we turn things to being about ourselves more often than not during times of plenty and success but when things are bleakest this is when we are willing to give God glory.
The people in sight in today’s scripture had forgotten the flood or put it in the back of their mind.  Early on they would have been glorifying God to think that theirs had been spared and appreciated they had come from them.
Now they were saying, “let us make us a name.”  Their efforts weren’t to God.
As always we have to examine ourselves and our churches.  Where are we along the path?  Are we dwindling, hurting and in pain or is their joy, success and growth? 
Always we must ask if we are really making a name for ourselves or our churches.
Let’s make sure that we are remembering to give glory to God and not repeating the folly of those on the plain in the land of Shinar.

For Discussion:
1.       Discuss the different types of inspiration that people believe created the Bible
2.       Find maps that show the possible area being discussed
3.       Find images from youth Sunday School to share concerning this scripture
4.       Discuss ways that individuals and churches might be saying as it does in verse 4, “…let us build us a city and a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven; and let us make us a name…”
5.       Discuss solutions
6.       What steps might God take if individuals and churches go forward and build their towers and names?

Upcoming Lessons

9-29-13    God Scatters the Nations Genesis 11:1-9
10-6-13     The Promise of a Future Genesis 15:5-21 or 15:7-21
10-13-13    A Promise to Sarah Genesis 17:15-17; 18:9-15; 21:1-7
10-20-13    Blessings for Ishmael and Isaac or A Blessing for Ishmael and Isaac Genesis 21:12-14, 17-21; 26-2-5, 12, 13 or 21:13-14, 17-21; 26:2-5, 12-13


Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 Biblica. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved

Sunday, September 15, 2013

On 9-22-13, Genesis 9:8-17 or 9:1, 3-6, 8-17 will be our Adult Sunday School/Uniform Series/International Sunday School Lesson herein is my commentary. This lesson is known by some as An Everlasting Covenant

An Everlasting Covenant
Genesis 9:8-17 or 9:1, 3-6, 8-17
International Sunday School Lesson
September 22, 2013

Commentary
By
Jed Greenough




It's the Circle of Life
And it moves us all
Through despair and hope
Through faith and love
Till we find our place
On the path unwinding
In the Circle                                        
The Circle of Life

Above are just a few of the lyrics from a movie’s theme song for a movie that one of my boys had to watch over and over and over again rather like a circle in and of itself.  If you hear something like that repeatedly it’s bound to be ingrained into you.
If you don’t take talking animals too seriously and not be too much of a curmudgeon when you take all the remaining lyrics in, it really is pretty true.  All life is “walking” a path which is something we share even with everything on earth that has life.
In fact “all life on earth”, these are the last words from our scripture for today.  I think that is rather appropriate as we look at the changes that came to all life on earth because of the flood.  It was literally wiped out save for those within the ark.
God had wiped them out, if you will recall, because He regretted having creating them Genesis 6:7 but Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord because of his righteousness.  The rest of humanity and all living creatures had to pay the price for the wickedness that was in the heart of man.
If you consider that God made the covenant that we read about today also with every living creature and not just man you can hopefully see how “we” are all connected.  I find it fascinating but it also makes me shake my head.  I understand God at the same time that I don’t.  Yikes!
For me it comes down to our responsibility as mankind.  We are different from the animals because we alone are made in God’s image.  And like He has dominion over us, we have dominion over everything else, and just as we are accountable to Him so even an animal is literally accountable when it comes to human life.  It really does make sense!
So if we are all, mankind and animal alike, tied together and we as mankind are ultimately responsible it should give us the proper perspective on our place both with dominion over all living creatures but also to our responsibility to all living creatures.  Liberal or conservative it doesn’t matter, as a Christian you have to be a steward for all life.

For Discussion:
1.       Before the flood man was not a meat eater.  Why did God change that?
2.       Discuss verse 5
3.       Discuss verse 6
4.       Genesis 1:6 which in some translations is firmament or dome is important to understanding the newness of a rainbow.
5.       Discuss our role in the earth.
6.       Ask if anyone reconsiders their position in light of this scripture.

Upcoming Lessons

9-22-13    An Everlasting Covenant Genesis 9:1, 3-6, 8-17 or 9:8-17
9-29-13    God Scatters the Nations Genesis 11:1-9
10-6-13     The Promise of a Future Genesis 15:5-21 or 15:7-21
10-13-13    A Promise to Sarah Genesis 17:15-17; 18:9-15; 21:1-7
10-20-13    Blessings for Ishmael and Isaac or A Blessing for Ishmael and Isaac Genesis 21:12-14, 17-21; 26-2-5, 12, 13 or 21:13-14, 17-21; 26:2-5, 12-13

Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 Biblica. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved

Sunday, September 8, 2013

On 9-15-13, Genesis 3:8b-17 or 3:8-17, 21, 23 will be our Adult Sunday School/Uniform Series/International Sunday School Lesson herein is my commentary. This lesson is known by some as Knowledge of Good and Evil

Knowledge of Good and Evil
Genesis 3:8b-17 or 3:8-17, 21, 23
International Sunday School Lesson
September 15, 2013

Commentary
By
Jed Greenough



The investigation begins with interrogation.  The Judge who knows the answers anyway records them for our benefit.  He could have just banished them without explanation but as we know in the end He had a plan to make all right again.
This week rather than comment as much as I usually do and then conclude with questions to hopefully spur your discussions lets concentrate on this theme of God having questions and knowing the answers already.  Maybe some of these questions you’ll know the answers already as well!
For Discussion:
1.       In verse 8 we see the first example in human history of guilt.  Discuss from this verse the  things you see that resulted from their guilt?
2.       Because according to the Bible no one has seen God John 1:18 read multiple translations versions of today’s scripture to get the sense of what is being said about God’s presence in verse 8 and discuss.
3.       Discuss God asking what He already knew in verse 9?
4.       Discuss God asking us as sinners and what we might answer about where we are.
5.       Discuss Adam’s prompt and truthful answer at least as to why he hid.
6.       Why was Adam afraid because he was naked?
7.       Discuss why this nakedness is now an issue for them?  What changed so that it was?
8.       Was Adam shifting the blame to Eve in verse 12 or simply stating what happened?
9.       Discuss the order of God’s questions.
10.   Was Eve shifting the blame to the serpent or simply stating what happened?
11.   God asked Adam what he had done.  God asked Eve what she had done.  He did not ask the serpent but said, “Because you have done this…”  Discuss
12.   Discuss verse 14 if it were read and taken literally.
13.   Find and discuss a prophecy which can be linked to verse 15.
14.   Discuss the latter half of verse 16.
15.   Discuss what would be changing for them after reading 16-19.
16.    Is the curse that resulted from Adam’s sin greater in a sense than Eve’s?  Discuss verses 17-19
17.   Discuss why Adam and Eve must be clothed now and not before.
18.   How do you personally hide from God?
19.   What shames us, what doesn’t and what should?
20.   When our guilt convicts us do we react as Adam did?  Do we answer as honestly as they did?
21.   Discuss that even though this was a first offense we should see the nature of God and keep that in mind.
22.   Discuss a couple’s first and only sin resulted in consequences for not just them but for all that followed.
23.   What are the affects upon others of our sin?
24.   Discuss How God feels as the sin of the world mounts up if this was what resulted after their one sin.

Have a great lesson!


Upcoming Lessons

9-22-13    An Everlasting Covenant Genesis 9:1, 3-6, 8-17 or 9:8-17
9-29-13    God Scatters the Nations Genesis 11:1-9
10-6-13     The Promise of a Future Genesis 15:5-21 or 15:7-21
10-13-13    A Promise to Sarah Genesis 17:15-17; 18:9-15; 21:1-7






Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 Biblica. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved

Sunday, September 1, 2013

On 9-8-13, Genesis 2:18-25 will be our Adult Sunday School/Uniform Series/International Sunday School Lesson herein is my commentary. This lesson is known by some as God’s Image: Male and Female

God’s Image: Male and Female
Genesis 2:18-25
International Sunday School Lesson
September 8, 2013

Commentary
By
Jed Greenough

I like to be alone.  I love peace and quiet I rarely even turn on the radio being content with my thoughts.  I remember even upsetting someone in a Sunday School when I said I was glad when Summer vacation was over so that I could have more peace.  They quickly said that they love their children more than anything.  I didn’t take the opportunity to remind that we are to love the Father even more than these but to explain that my days were often filled with prayer when alone.  Children, as much as I love them, can to use the words of Clark Gable as Rhett Butler, be a sweet distraction.
But when I am happy, concerned, and sick or excited though I may go to God in prayer at those times I need more, I need my wife.  The prayer is helpful and good but I need more to complete my needs and this my wife fulfills.  In doing so she completes me.
I don’t know how many years passed by before I truly understood what a help mate was which was a popular term when I got married.  I’m sure it came from today’s Genesis 2:20 which says man needed a helper.
A man and woman who are truly each others are the only way that two can become one in God’s eyes and in ours if we are totally honest.  God new it when He created Eve from Adam because nothing else existed that would do.  God is never half right about something.  He knew that man for woman, woman for man was the only way to bring it about.

For Discussion:
1.      Discuss the imagery you hopefully experienced and recall from your youth that dealt with today’s scripture
2.      I will never forget the impact that the book The Bible Story had on my life as a child due to its imagery.  Discuss how books such as these can be placed in many locations outside of church as a class project.
3.      Discuss your thoughts about this creation of all living things and how you relate it to non-Christians
4.      Discuss God’s creation as perfection until the first sin and how it was all done right the first time by God and that man is the one who gets it wrong
5.      Discuss relationships that help to demonstrate perfect unions of husband and wife








Upcoming Lessons:
9-8-13     God’s Image: Male and Female Genesis 2:18-25
9-15-13    Knowledge of Good and Evil Genesis 3:8b-17 or 3:8-17, 21, 23
9-22-13    An Everlasting Covenant Genesis 9:8-17 or 9:1, 3-6, 8-17
9-29-13    God Scatters the Nations Genesis 11:1-9


Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 Biblica. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved