Weekly Bible Study Review
October 7, 2012

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Cafe Class
Culture Cafe
1359 N Altadena Drive
Pasadena CA 91107
Tuesdays 11:00 am

classroom
Read-to-Believe Class
Lake Avenue Church
Hutchins Hall Room 402
309 N Lake Avenue
Pasadena CA 91101
Thursdays 7:00 pm

.Romans Challenge March 2012
Romans Challenge

Albert Baroody invites you

to read the book of Romans in two translations with three other people

in four weeks. 

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Arbo Class
LA County Arboretum
301 N Baldwin Ave
Arcadia CA 91007
Saturday 12:00 noon
Once per month

  

November 3, 2012
December 8, 2012
 
January 12, 2013
February 9, 2013
March 9, 2013
April 6, 2013
May 4, 2013
June 1, 2013
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August 24, 2013
September 21, 2013
October 19, 2013
November 16, 2013
December 14, 2013 
topofpageGreetings! 

This newsletter is sent to people who attend one of Sandy's weekly Bible studies. The left column has the current class schedule. Be sure to watch for the links in each article. Clicking on them will lead you to charts, diagrams and additional articles related to your class. 

Anyone can subscribe to this free newsletter by using the link in the upper left corner. If you would like to forward this issue to a friend all you have to do is click on the link below.



 

 TuesdayTuesday Cafe Class
Genesis

 

Genesis 43:1-47:31 

43:1-14 The famine in Canaan continues and Jacob wants his sons to go back to Egypt to buy more food. Judah refuses to go unless Benjamin goes with them and reminds Jacob what the governor said. Jacob blamed them for telling the man that they had another brother but the brothers defended themselves saying they had no way of knowing that he would insist on seeing him. Judah offered to take full responsibility for Benjamin. Finally Jacob agreed to let him go. The brothers brought a gift for the governor; honey, balm, spices, myrrh and nuts. They took twice as much silver so they could make up for the silver that had been returned to them.    

 

v. 15-25 They hurried to Egypt and presented themselves to Joseph. When he saw Benjamin he told his servant to slaughter an animal and make a meal for all of them to eat at his house at noon. The brothers were frightened when they were taken to Joseph's house because they thought he was going to attack them, take their donkeys and keep them as slaves. They went to Joseph's servant and tried to explain about the silver but he told them it was alright. The God of their father had given them the silver. Then the servant brought Simeon to them. They washed their feet and fed their donkeys. Then they prepared their gifts for Joseph.    

 

 

v. 26-34 When Joseph arrived they presented their gifts and bowed before him. He asked about their father. When he saw Benjamin, his own mother's son, he was moved to tears. Joseph quickly went into his private room and wept. After washing his face he came out and said, "Serve the meal." He was served by himself, his brothers by themselves, and the Egyptians who were with him by themselves. Egyptians did not eat with Hebrews because that was detestable to them. The brothers were seated before Joseph in the order of their ages; firstborn to youngest. When they were given their food Benjamin received five times as much as the others. So they feasted and drank freely with Joseph, still not knowing that he was the brother they had sold to the traders many years ago.   

 

 

44:1-10 The next morning Joseph's brothers began their journey back to Canaan not realizing that his steward put their money back in their sacks and placed Joseph's silver cup in Benjamin's sack. The steward caught up with them and accused them of stealing the silver cup. But the brothers declared their innocence and said that if one of them stole it he would be put to death and the rest of them would become Joseph's slaves. The servant said that whoever is found to have the cup would become a slave and the rest would be free from blame. 

 

 

v. 11-15 The steward found the silver cup in Benjamin's sack. The brother's tore their clothes in distress. They all returned to Egypt with the Joseph's steward. When they got to Joseph's house he said, "Don't you know that a man like me can find things out by divination?" Divination is a type of sorcery, like reading tea leaves, to read the future or disclose hidden knowledge. Joseph did not necessarily engage in divination but he wanted his brothers to think he had ways of knowing everything they did.  

Click to read more... 

 

 

rtbclassThursday Read-to-Believe Class  
Hebrews

Hebrews 3:1-5:14

3:1-6 The author is writing to believers of Jewish descent and calls them, "holy brothers who share in the heavenly calling." They must fix their thoughts on Jesus who is their "apostle and high priest." Notice the surprising way the author merges terms from the old and new covenants. Jesus is both an apostle (sent by God with a message) and high priest (one who is appointed to offer sacrifices to God). Yet He cannot be high priest of the Levitical priesthood because He was born of the tribe of Judah, not the tribe of Levi. We will read about another priesthood in the coming chapters. Jesus "was faithful" to God "just as Moses was faithful" but He is worthy of greater honor. Why? Because Moses was a faithful servant "in all God's house" and served as a prophet who testified to what would happen in the future. But Jesus is the faithful Son "over God's house." He has authority over the whole house. And what is this house? The believers are God's house and that's why the author encourages them to hold on to their courage and hope.

 

v. 7-19 SECOND WARNING: The author quotes Psalm 95 in which the Holy Spirit says, "Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts." He's referring to the generation of Israelites who died in the wilderness and failed to enter the Promised Land. Because of their unbelief God declared that "they shall never enter My rest." The readers are warned against following their example by having "a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God" and being "hardened by sin's deceitfulness." Notice his concern for the attitude of their hearts and not only their outward behavior. Sin is more than breaking the Law. Sin is unbelief. The ancient Israelites who died in the wilderness were not able to enter the rest of Canaan "because of their unbelief" not because they broke the Sabbath or didn't tithe enough.

 Click to read more...

 

 
Since ancient times the Bible has been read aloud to groups of people who were eager to hear the words of Life. We're really no different today. Believers still look to the Bible for wisdom and instruction. We belong in the Word together. Thank you for your participation in these classes. I hope you will pass this email on to others and invite them to attend a Bible study.

Grace and peace,
Sandy Blank


  Tuesday2Tuesday Cafe Class (continued)
Genesis 43:1-47:31

44:16-17 Judah speaks for his brothers and declares that they are now Joseph's slaves. "God has uncovered your servants' guilt." The brothers had talked earlier about how their present troubles were because of what they had done to Joseph. God knew what they'd done. Joseph would not accept their offer to become his slaves. He said he only wanted the one who had the silver cup (Benjamin) and the rest could go back home to their father.

     

v. 18-34 Judah begged to speak to him and recounted all that had happened in their first journey to buy food in Egypt. They had answered Joseph's questions about their father and younger brother. Joseph had told them not to return for more grain unless they brought Benjamin. Judah went into detail about how his aged father would die if anything happened to Benjamin and how reluctant he was to let Benjamin go to Egypt with them. He spoke of Jacob's grief that his other son Joseph was dead, torn to pieces by wild animals. Judah had personally guaranteed that Benjamin would return safely. He begged Joseph to let him take Benjamin's place so Benjamin could return home to his father. Judah said he couldn't bear to see his father's grief if Benjamin was not returned.

  

45:1-8 Joseph was emotionally overwhelmed and ordered everyone except the brothers to leave the room. He made himself known to them and wept so loudly that the Egyptians heard him. The brothers were terrified when they found out he was their long-lost brother. But Joseph drew them near and reassured them, telling them not to be distressed or angry with themselves because it was God who sent him to Egypt to save many lives. He explained that the famine was going to go on five more years and God sent him ahead of them to save their lives "by a great deliverance." Joseph was not angry with them because it was not his brothers who sent him there, but God.

  

v. 9-20 He told his brothers to hurry back to Canaan and tell his father that he is alive and God has made him "lord of all Egypt." Joseph wanted Jacob and the whole family to move to Egypt and live in the land of Goshen. He would provide for them there throughout the rest of the years of famine. Then he hugged Benjamin and they both wept. He hugged the rest of his brothers and wept some more, then they talked with one another. Pharaoh and his officials were very happy for Joseph and ordered that the brothers be given carts to bring the whole family to live in Egypt.

  

v. 21-28 Joseph gave his brothers provisions for their journey-- ten donkeys loaded with gifts for Jacob, 10 donkeys loaded with grain, new clothes for each of the brothers, and for Benjamin five sets of clothes and 300 shekels of silver. As they were leaving he told them, "Don't quarrel on the way!" When they arrived home they told their father that Joseph was still alive and that he was the ruler of Egypt. Jacob didn't believe them at first. They told him everything that happened and when Jacob saw the carts he was convinced that Joseph was still alive. He was eager to go see him before he died.

 

46:1-7 Jacob and his family set out with all they had and went to Egypt. They stopped at Beersheba and offered a sacrifice to God there. Jacob had a vision that night in which God called him by name and told him not to be afraid to go down to Egypt because God would go with him and make him a great nation there. God would surely bring him back to Canaan (the Promised Land) and Joseph would be with him when he died. Then Jacob and his family left Beersheba in the carts provided by Pharaoh. They brought all their flocks and herds with them. Remember, Jacob left the Promised Land once before when he went to live with his uncle Laban. He may have wondered if it was alright to leave again.

 

v. 8-27 Moses lists all the sons of Jacob and the names of all their sons. There were 33 from Leah's offspring, 16 from her maidservant Zilpah, 14 from Rachel's offspring, and 7 from her maidservant Bilhah. Including the two sons born to Joseph in Egypt there were 70 men who went down to Egypt.

 

v. 28-34 Jacob sent Judah ahead to get directions to Goshen. Joseph rode out in his chariot to meet his father. They hugged each other and wept for a long time. Jacob told Joseph that he was now ready to die because he had finally seen for himself that Joseph was alive and well. Joseph told his family that he would speak to Pharaoh on their behalf and tell him that they are shepherds so that they would be allowed to settle in Goshen. Shepherds are detestable to the Egyptians so they would be left to themselves there.

 

47:1-12 Joseph chose five of his brothers and presented them before Pharaoh. When asked about their occupation, the brothers replied that they have always been shepherds and asked permission to live in Goshen. Pharaoh generously offered them the best part of the land and told Joseph that if any of them had special ability he should be put in charge of Pharaoh's livestock. Then Joseph brought his father in to meet Pharaoh. When asked how old he was he said 130 and "my years have been few and difficult." Jacob blessed Pharaoh and went out. So the family settled in the district of Rameses and Joseph provided food for his father's household according to the number of their children.

 

v. 13-22 Both Egypt and Canaan wasted away because of the famine. Joseph sold grain and collected all the money for Pharaoh. When the money was gone he traded grain for livestock. After one year Pharaoh owned all the livestock. The next year there was still no food so the people asked Joseph to buy them and their land in exchange for seed. Joseph bought all the land in Egypt for Pharaoh and the people were reduced to servitude. But the land of the priests he did not buy because the priests received a regular allotment of food from Pharaoh. These priests were not Levitical priests because that order of priests had not yet been established. These were priests who served in the idols' temples.

 

v. 23-25 Joseph gave seed to the people and told them they must give 20% of the harvest to Pharaoh. The other 80% they could keep for seed and food for themselves. The people were very grateful and said, "You have saved our lives. May we find favor in the eyes of our lord; we will be in bondage to Pharaoh." In class we talked about how this was an important historical record for the Israelites who would read it centuries later. This explains how the Israelites came to live in Egypt and why all the people were indebted to Pharaoh.

 

v. 26-31 Joseph established a law that a fifth (20%) of the produce belongs to Pharaoh except from the land of the priests. Jacob's family settled happily in Goshen, acquired property there and increased greatly in number. Jacob lived there 17 years. Near the end of his life he called Joseph and asked him to promise that he would carry his body out of Egypt when he died and bury him where Abraham and Isaac were buried in Canaan. Joseph swore an oath that he would bury him in Canaan. "And Israel worshiped as he leaned on the top of his staff." (Hebrews 11:21)

 

 Much more next time.

--Sandy Blank

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readtobelieveThursday Read-to-Believe Class (continued)  

Hebrews 3:1-5:14

4:1-6 Nevertheless, for the readers of this letter, "the promise of entering His rest still stands." The readers "also have had the gospel preached" to them just as the generation in the wilderness did, but those people "did not combine it with faith." The author tells them, "Now we who have believed enter that rest." What rest is he talking about? God rested on the seventh day after completing all His work. And God said that those who died in the wilderness would never enter His rest. Yet "it still remains that some will enter" God's rest. This rest is not referring to the Promised Land, nor is the author reminding them to keep the weekly Sabbath. That would be encouraging them to go back to Judaism-- the very thing he's warning them not to do throughout the letter.

  

v. 7-11 Apparently there is another rest. God spoke through David in Psalm 95 about another day and called it "Today." If God's rest meant entering the Promised Land then Joshua and the Israelites already entered it a long time ago. If that was the case then God would not have spoken later about another day of rest. The author wants them to rest from their own works just as God rested from His works. In class we discussed the fact that the Greek and the NASB both say "works" instead of "work." Click to see handout. A Jew would have associated the term "works" with the works of the Law. But a believer is to cease from the works of the Law and trust in the work done by Christ to make him righteous in God's sight. Therefore, the rest these readers are told to enter is the eternal rest of salvation, not the physical rest of entering the Promised Land.

 

Two Kinds of Rest in Hebrews 4

 Two Kinds of Rest

v. 12-16 The readers are told that the word of God is alive. Like a sword it can go deep inside a person to judge their thoughts and attitudes. Nothing can be hidden from God. The believers are accountable to God not only for their actions but also for their thoughts. Jesus is their great high priest who is able to sympathize with their weaknesses and temptations. He also was tempted but did not sin. Through Him serving as their high priest they can approach God with the confidence that they will receive mercy and grace. This is in sharp contrast to the Levitical high priest who fearfully approached God only once per year on the Day of Atonement.

 

5:1-10 In the Levitical priesthood the high priest was appointed to represent the people and offer gifts and sacrifices. He was a man just like everyone else and subject to the same weaknesses, therefore he was able to deal gently with the people. He offered sacrifices for his own sins as well as for the sins of the people. Furthermore, this man had to be called by God and did not take this honor upon himself. In the same way Christ did not take this honor upon Himself but God claimed Him as His Son and said, "You are a priest forever in the order of Melchizedek." In this role Jesus "offered up prayers and petitions with loud cries and tears" to God and He was heard "because of His reverent submission." Although He was God's Son He "learned obedience from what He suffered" and became the source of eternal salvation for everyone who obeys Him.

 

v. 11-14 The author wants to go much deeper into these profound truths about Christ but he is limited by the spiritual immaturity of his readers. They are "slow to learn" and although they should be teachers by now they still need someone to teach them the basics. He uses the metaphor of milk and solid food. They are like infants who can only be given milk. But mature believers can be given solid food because they, "by constant use," have trained themselves to distinguish between good and evil.

Much more next time.

--Sandy Blank

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This newsletter is maintained by Sandy Blank (Ph.D. Educational Studies, Biola; MA Biblical Studies, Grace University). If you would like further information about any of her classes or would like to know how to start a Bible study in your area please contact her at [email protected]. This newsletter is sponsored by Theocentrix, Inc., a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting God-centered Bible literacy. Visit www.theocentrix.org for more information.