Exodus 17 - Job 35 - Luke 20 - 2 Corinthians 5

Exodus 17
- Why is the place called the wilderness of Sin?
- The people again grumble to Moses about not having water and are ready to stone him.
- Moses asks them why they test God, but then Moses calls out to God.
- Moses was to strike the rock at Horeb with his staff, which made water come out.
- The place was called Massah and Meribah because they tested and quarreled with God.
- Amalek came to fight them.
- Moses sent Joshua to fight and Moses went with Aaron and Hur to a hill and whenever Moses raised his staff the Israelites were winning, but when he lowered his staff Amalek's army was winning.
- Aaron and Hur held up Moses' arms until the battle was over.
- Why did God want Moses to repeat this story to Joshua?
- Moses built an alter and called it The Lord is my Banner.

Job 35
- Elihu condemn Job for saying it is his right to speak before God.
- Elihu points out that whether a man is in sin or righteous he cannot do anything for God.
- We can't give God anything more than He already has.
- God alone makes us smarter than animals and birds.
- God doesn't answer proud people.
- God doesn't hear an empty cry or the cry of Job who says he cannot see God.
- Job is not seen as wise because he just keeps talking.

Luke 20
- The scribes and elders ask Jesus where He gets His authority and Jesus asks them where John the Baptist got his authority.
- They couldn't say heaven or He will ask why they didn't believe him and they can't say man or the people will stone them because John was a prophet.
- When they didn't answer Jesus, He didn't answer them.
- A man owned a vineyard and went away leaving it in charge of some men. The owner sent servants to collect some of its fruit, and the men beat the servants.
- This happened 3 times, so the man sent his son, but the men killed his son wanting to become heirs.
- The owner came a killed the men.
- The Pharisees knew this parable was directed at them and sought ways to lay hands on Jesus.
- Why did the scribes and elders yell Surely not!?
- They again tried to trick Jesus by asking if they should pay taxes to Caesar.
- Jesus had them show Him a coin with Caesar's picture on it and Jesus told them to pay to Caesar what was Caesar's and to God what was God's. They marveled at His answer and were silenced.
- The Sadducees are men who do not believe in the resurrection. They ask Jesus about a woman who marries 7 brothers. Whose wife will she be at the resurrection?
- Jesus says that people are given in marriage in this age, but not in that age to come.
- In heaven we are equal to angels and sons of God.
- And the Sadducees didn't ask any more questions either.
- Jesus says that the Christ can't be David's son, but his Lord as it says in one of the Psalms.
- Jesus told His disciples to beware the scribes who always seek the place of honor.

2 Corinthians 5
- Paul compares this life to a tent, and says we have a permanent house with God.
- This life we are burdened and groan, but there is life in heaven.
- God gives us the Holy Spirit as our guarantee of eternal life.
- We should have courage for we know that after this life we'll be with God.
- We all will appear before the judgement seat of God for all of our actions; good and evil.
- Paul wants the Corinthians to boast about Him as a witness to others.
- Paul says the love of Christ controls us.
- He also profoundly states the gospel this way "that one has died for all, therefore all have died; 15 and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised."
- Anyone in Christ is a new creation.
- Christ has reconciled us to Himself, not counting our trespasses against us.
- He has entrusted us with the gospel message as His ambassadors.
- We who have sinned now have no sin, so that we might become the righteousness of God.