Numbers 21
- The King of Arad who lived in Negeb who was a Canaanite and came out against Israel when they got close and he took captives.
- They prayed to God that He would help them conquer this king and they would destroy the whole area. That's why they named it Hormah which means "destruction"
- They left My. Hor and went by the Red Sea to the King of Edom.
- On the way to Edom the people again complained against God and Moses for not having water or food and called the manna "worthless"
- God sent fiery serpents which bit and killed many people.
- What is a fiery serpent?
- The people responded by repenting and asking Moses to have God take away the serpents.
- God told Moses to make a fiery serpent and stick it on a pole. Everyone who looked at the pole would live.
- The serpent was made of bronze (footnote says copper)
- It's interesting that God didn't remove the serpents but gave the people a way not to die.
- They went to Oboth then to Iye-abarim to the (east of Moab -sunrise)
- Then went to Zered, then to the Arnon River whhich formed a border between Moabites and Amorites.
- What is the Book of the Wars of the Lord?
- This book is quoted as talking about the Arnon Valley.
- Then they went to Beer where they got water from a well
- This time Israel responded and shouted joyously at the well that the princes had dug.
- From Beer they went to Mattanah, and from Mattanah to Nahaliel, and from Nahaliel to Bamoth, and from Bamoth to the valley lying in the region of Moab by the top of Pisgah.
- Israel sent messangers to Sihon, king of Amorites to ask to pass through.
- They again promised not to take anything or turn off the King's Highway, but that they would go straight through his land.
- The king refused to let them pass and went out to fight a Jahaz.
- They beat Sihon and took the land from Arnon to Jabbok but the Ammorite border was too strong.
- How could they beat the King of Ammorites but not break through their border?
- They settled in Heshbon and took all the land that the Ammorites had taken from the Moabites.
- Where do the ballad singers quote from in verses 27 - 30 which talks about the Ammorites conquests of the Moabites?
- Moses sent spies to Jazer and beat the Ammorites there.
- They went to Bashon and defeated King Og there.
- God told Moses he had given that king into the Israelites hands.
- The Israelites left no survivors at Bashon.
Isaiah 13
- Isaiah prophesies concerning Babylon's judgment
- Who is Isaiah talking about during this first part; Israel or Babylon?
- God's mighty ones are executing God's anger.
- There is a lot of noise and an uproar of nations gathering together.
- The Lord is gathering a host for battle.
- They (Babylon?) come from a distant land as weapons of God's indignation (displeasure at injustices)
- The people will cry out because God's destruction WILL come.
- God causes hands to be feeble and hearts to melt.
- The people (Israel?) will be in agony and be aghast at one another.
- God's wrath destroys sinners in the land.
- Even the stars, sun, and moon will not offer light to these sinners.
- God WILL punish the wicked and arrogant and prideful.
- God will make people "rarer than gold at Ophir"
- God makes the heavens tremble and shakes the earth out of its place.
- The result will be people fleeing to their own lands like shepherdless sheep
- The sinners who are caught will be killed, even their infants will die, and possessions plundered.
- God is also stirring up the Medes against them (Israel?)
- The Medes do not want gold or silver, they show no pity to kids either. (Total destruction)
- Babylon will fall because of its arrogance like Sodom and Gomorrah.
- No one will ever again enter the land of Babylon.
- The only thing that will live there are ostriches, wild goats, hyenas, and jackals (living in abandoned palaces).
- Babylons days will not be prolonged.
1 Corinthians 2
- Paul says he didn't come to them with wisdom but only preaching Christ crucified.
- Paul points out he was with them in fear and weakness (not his own power)
- Paul says his words were not plausible but he simply demonstrated the Spirit of power among them.
- Paul related to them in this way to show it wasn't about the wisdom of men but the power of God alone.
- Paul says they do teach wisdom to the mature.
- This preached wisdom is NOT based on worldly wisdom of the age.
- Paul is teaching wisdom of God from long ago.
- Paul says the wise of this age didn't understand or they would not have crucified Jesus.
- Where does Paul quote from when he states, "What no eye has seen, nor ear heard,nor the heart of man imagined,what God has prepared for those who love him"?
- God has revealed the truth about Him to us through His spirit.
- The Spirit alone searches the depths of God.
- Only our spirit knows our thoughts.
- The same is true for the Spirit of God, it alone knows His thoughts.
- Paul teaches in words interpreting spiritual truths through the Spirit.
- To a natural person (unbeliever) God's truth seems like folly because they aren't capable of understanding spiritual things. (We all should fall in this category without the intervention of God's grace)
- The spiritual person judges all things but shouldn't be judged by anyone.
- By the Spirit of God we have the mind of Christ.
1 Peter 1
- Peter writes to believers (elect exiles of the dispersion) in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, so Jews in Gentile territory
- James also wrote to the 12 tribes of the dispersion.
- Peter acknowledges the "elect" (those God chose to save which category ALL believers fall under)
- He says Christ's blood gives us grace and peace (A Paul-like greeting)
- Peter starts his letter by rejoicing in God, Father of Jesus.
- By God's mercy we have been born again into a living hope through Christ's resurrection from the dead.
- We have an imperishable, undefiled, and unfading inheritance (Unchanging like God Himself)
- God's power guards us through faith.
- We can rejoice in this truth even while facing trials.
- Trials test the genuineness of our faith which should result in praise and glory and honor to Jesus.
- Peter knows these believers have never physically seen Jesus, but they still love Him.
- This faith without seeing is expressed by rejoicing and joy at the salvation of their souls.
- Peter tells them that the prophets were looking for the time Christ would suffer and in doing so would bring glory.
- The prophets of the OT knew they were speaking for future generation, not themselves.
- Peter says the prophets announced the Good News (gospel) which even the angels long to see .
- Because of the truth of the salvation through Christ's work, Peter directs them to:
1) Prepare their minds for future actions
2) Be sober-minded (level headed, humble)
3) Set hope on future grace given to them
4) Turn from pre-faith passions.
5) Be holy as Jesus was holy (You shall be holy as I am holy - Leviticus 11:44 & 45)
6) Conduct yourself with fear.
7) Keep in mind we were ransomed from sin of our forefathers by Jesus' blood, not with money
- Christ was foreknow before the world was created, but made man for our sake.
- God raised Christ from the dead and gave Him glory so that our hope can be in God.
8) Purify our souls
9) Show brotherly love from a pure heart
- We were born again by the living Word of God
- Peter paraphrase Isaiah 40:6-8 pointing out all flesh is weak like grass, but God's word remains forever.
- Peter says this word that Isaiah talked about is the gospel being preached to them.
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