The Adult Sunday School: God Promised to be with Us

Sunday, August 26, 2012

On 9-2-12, Hebrews 10:19-31 will be our Adult Sunday School/Uniform Series/International Sunday School Lesson, herein is my commentary. This lesson is known by some as Faith Calls for Perseverance.

Faith Calls for Perseverance

Hebrews 10:19-31

International Sunday School Lesson

September 2, 2012

Commentary

Jed Greenough

This passage of scripture is a perfect example that clearly demonstrates that the Bible is the word of God.

For me personally I feel that as I write this lesson that this particular passage has “followed me around” for months. It warned me when I needed warning and it encouraged me when I needed that too. I found that I used it to demonstrate an End Times example and I used it as a reminder of our role as a church towards each other. Now here today I find it the scripture for our lesson.

Have you ever noticed those days of worship when the songs selected, the prayers offered up and the sermon all were in sync and no one had gotten together to make it happen? Don’t ignore those moments for the Holy Spirit is telling everyone in attendance something and it isn’t the same thing for all. Again just as God can do with His word as we see today!

For me this time around it motivates me to ask the question if any of you had a hard week? Maybe you have had a hard month and for some I know it is even longer. Quite often the times are so difficult that we become overwhelmed and withdraw. Some stop attending church and still others though they are there, they have withdrawn.

It is the seemingly growing tough times that always make me think of when things will grow the worst and that is as we near the End. And there are two places that leap to my mind that deal with the End of Times where these types of cares of the world are a sign of this time. The first of course were Christ’s own words found in Matthew, Mark and Luke when the disciples asked Him when the end would happen. Jesus goes to great length in His answer and near the conclusion in Luke 21 He warns at verse 34, “Be careful, or your hearts will be weighed down with dissipation, drunkenness and the anxieties of life, and that day will close on you unexpectedly like a trap.”

Cares, worries, anxieties of life they are certainly out there. Just a few examples could be: the skyrocketing cost of living, diminishing returns on investments, violent changes in our climate, pervasive sicknesses, declining moral fiber in our society right down to within many of our families.

According to 2^nd Corinthians 12, very much was revealed to the Apostle Paul and he was only allowed to share some of it. But he knew that this withdrawing and pessimism would occur when things got rough. He said in today’s Hebrews 10:23, “Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for He who promised is faithful. And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.”

We need each other to spur one another on. You may look at your neighbor or your neighbor might look at you and think that all is right in the world when in fact it is chaos.

Though Paul was talking of Idol Feasts versus the Lord Supper what he said in 1 Corinthians 10 still pertains.

Is not the cup of thanksgiving for which we give thanks a participation in the blood of Christ? And is not the bread that we break a participation in the body of Christ? Because there is one loaf, we, who are many, are one body, for we all partake of the one loaf.

As you participate in sharing in the blood and body of Christ don’t assume that you know all the cares of those that make up the body of which you are a part and for those who are worn down don’t keep it to yourself. Seek and give encouragement to those around you so that these burdens do not hinder you from giving God the glory.

For Discussion:

1. Discuss those that leave the church because of what they have experienced but think that they are still worshiping God.

2. Because our first verse begins with therefore, you must look at what preceded verse 19.

3. Discuss how those who take confidence from verses 19-23 can then be equipped to do the encouraging as written in verses 24 and 25.

4. Discuss the warning within verses 26-31 tactfully.

5. The verses just mentioned cannot be considered without verses 32-39 that conclude the chapter.

6. Who do you know who has stopped attending church?

7. Who do you suspect may still be attending church but have withdrawn?

8. Discuss ways that your church could get those within your midst who are feeling overwhelmed but for one reason or another haven’t brought it to anyone there’s attention.

9. I suggest that one way is to get them into the closer knit environment of your Sunday School.

Upcoming Adult Sunday School Class Commentaries

9-9-12: Faith Gives Assurance aka Faith is Assurance Hebrews 11:1-6; Psalm 46 or Hebrews 11:1-3, 6; Psalm 46:1-3, 8-11

9-16-12: Faith Empowers Endurance aka Faith is Endurance Hebrews 12:1-11

9-23-12: Faith Inspires Gratitude Hebrews 12:18-29

9-30-12: Faith Instills Love aka Faith Requires Mutual Love Hebrews 13:1-3, 6; 1 Corinthians 13 or Hebrews 13:1-3; 1 Corinthians 13:1-13

Sunday, August 19, 2012

On 8-26-12, Ezekiel 34:23-31 will be our Adult Sunday School/Uniform Series/International Sunday School Lesson, herein is my commentary. This lesson is known by some as God Promised to be with Us.

God Promised to be with Us

Ezekiel 34:23-31

International Sunday School Lesson

August 26, 2012

Commentary

Jed Greenough

Despite today’s title the scripture we have for Sunday isn’t about a promise made to us per say but rather to Israel. Yes, you and I can grow in our faith when we read any of Ezekiel but he was speaking for his people, the people of Israel.

Ezekiel had been exiled along with many of his countrymen several years before receiving his call from God to be a prophet. In that calling he is told, “Son of man. I am sending you to the Israelites, to a rebellious nation that has rebelled against Me; they and their fathers have been in revolt against Me to this very day.” Ezekiel 2:3 “Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel; so hear the word I speak and give them warning from Me.” Ezekiel 3:17

Ezekiel told his fellow Israelites in exile what was going to befall their countrymen still in Jerusalem and their beloved temple. Ezekiel known as a priest (1:3) to the people had now become a prophet to the people. A prophet who’s prophecies no doubt were not believed until with their very same ears the people of Israel in exile hear the news that, “The city has fallen!” Ezekiel 33:21a

Now after nearly eight years of chastisement the people of Israel heard in today’s scripture words of hope for a future. In that future they would not have the type of leader that had been characterized as the shepherds who had not tended to them (Ezekiel 34:1-22) but a shepherd like David. This shepherd is the Branch from the root of Jesse, Jesus Christ.

It seems sad that these people in exile who were alive to see the fulfillment of Ezekiel’s prophecies of bad news would not get to see the fulfillment of this “covenant of peace”. But we can know that because of the veracity of Ezekiel this prophecy of his would have given them hope. One cannot help but think of all the generations who longed for it just as Christians who read of Christ’s return have for generations longed for that. And unbeknownst to the Jews they are in essence one and the same thing.

But though Christians have survived persecution and grown in number through the millennia the Jews would have to face so much more persecution even to today from almost all nations. We know from the scriptures that this persecution will continue until it climaxes at the end when Jesus comes and saves the remnant.

In reading today’s scripture if you are anything like me you wonder if the image that is portrayed is anything near literal. That is the problem with this type of scripture one can’t know where the figurative ends and the literal begins.

We know that the people were not literally sheep as described earlier in this 34^th chapter but we get the idea that is being presented. I would like the idea of there still being the deserts and the forests as mentioned in verse 25 and the fields of verse 29.

But what we can see with certainty is satisfying to know that with confidence the people of Israel will one day no longer be persecuted. That their enemies will be destroyed when they come against Jerusalem for the last time and like Paul the scales will finally fall from their eyes as we read, “And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and supplication. They will look on me, the one they have pierced, and they will mourn for him as one mourns for an only child, and grieve bitterly for him as one grieves for a firstborn son.” Zechariah 12:10

“In that day the deaf will hear the words of the scroll, and out of gloom and darkness the eyes of the blind will see.” Isaiah 29:18 “For the Israelites will live many days without king or prince, without sacrifice or sacred stones, without ephod or idol. Afterward the Israelites will return and seek the LORD their God and David their king. They will come trembling to the LORD and to his blessings in the last days.” Hosea 3:4-5

For Discussion:

1. One of my favorite things about God and the scriptures comes from Isaiah 46:10a, “I make known the end from the beginning” Read Deuteronomy 4:30-31 to see what He revealed.

2. Do you pray for Israel? Do you pray for Jerusalem? Discuss why we should.

3. Read Ezekiel 37:24-28.

4. Look up scriptures and have them available that deal with the Messianic and line of David such as those found in Psalm 89.

5. Discuss how literally the entire world is against Israel but how literally despite the figurative language used it is clear that there will be in the future no danger left for Israel.

6. Read John 10:1-18 where Jesus describes Himself as the good shepherd.

7. If you want to explore the figurative possibilities of this genre discuss an alternative to the literal in verse 25.

8. Hosea 2:18 interestingly talks of a covenant with animals concerning Israel.

Upcoming Adult Sunday School Class Commentaries

9-2-12: Faith Calls for Perseverance Hebrews 10:19-31