intro to the sermon on the mount (matt. 5:1-2)

today we start the sermon on the mount found in Matthew 5-7

some people have disagreed about whether this is just one sermon of a "best of Jesus collection"  I think it is just one sermon but i can't say for sure.

you will noticed Jesus sat on the mountainside. this wasn't because he was tired this was because sitting was the normal posture for a Jewish rabbi to teach, for example in the Jewish synagogue they would stand to read the scripture to show reverence much like we do at Judson, then would sit in what they called the seat of moses to teach.

as we go through this study you will notice that Jesus is teaching about everyday of his disciple.

i will be referencing my pastor Zach Bartels a lot because he did a sermon series on the sermon on the mount if you would like more from go www.judsonmemorial.org.

four books in one

Since Christmas is coming up i will finish my study on the minor prophets today then take a Christmas break.

today we will study Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah.  To sum up these books in 2 words, A CROSS.

You see during this time in bible history only Judah is left because Israel had been sent into exile by God through the Assyrians for there idolatry and social injustice,  and you would think Judah would learn from their sister nation's mistakes but no such luck

When learning about these prophets i like to think of a cross.  the vertical beam relates to our relationship with God.  Horizontal beam relates to our relationship to others made in God's image.  unfortunately i think most Christians focus on one beam but you can't do that because then its no longer a cross its just a stick.

For the final 3 minor prophets (Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi) my pastor Zachary Bartels is in a middle of a sermon series through them just go to Judson memorial baptist church sermon archive.

our study will probably be through the sermon of the mount

HAVE A VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS

Jonah gets swallowed

You know people say that when you come to these familiar stories it gets easier to teach on them but that's not true its actually harder.

Today we study the familiar story of Jonah (which means a dove)

Many people including Christians say the story of Jonah is an allegory and never happened but what they miss is in 2 kings 14:25

 He restored the coast of Israel from the entering of Hamath unto the sea of the plain, according to the word of the LORD God of Israel, which he spake by the hand of his servant Jonah, the son of Amittai, the prophet, which was of Gathhepher.

So from this verse i gather Jonah was a real person.  A very many people know story but they don't know why Jonah didn't got to Ninevehh.  Jonah didn't want Nineveh to be saved as he reveals in Jonah 4:1-4

¹But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was angry. ²And he prayed to the LORD and said, "O LORD, is not this what I said when I was yet in my country? That is why I made haste to flee to Tarshish; for I knew that you are a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and relenting from disaster. ³ Therefore now, O LORD, please take my life from me, for it is better for me to die than to live." ⁴And the LORD said, "Do you do well to be angry?"

You see he knew God was gracious and would spare Nineveh

One other thing people forget is how bad Nineveh was.  Nineveh was the capital of the Assyrian empire which would later conquer the northern kingdom of Israel.  the Assyrian empire was brutal to their captives.
So you can see they was saved from a whole slop of sins just like we are

what we learn from this book is that God loves everyone not just us and he wants to extend grace to everyone which is proved by him delaying his return to judge as 2 peter 3:9

The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.

obadiah



Map of holy land Edom is in red

 Today we study Obadiah whose name means "servant of the Lord".

He gives a prophecy against the kingdom of Edom who have treated Israel or Judah badly, which is strange because Jacob who fathered the Jews and Esau who fathered the Edomites were brothers.  there first offense was in the book of Numbers when they wouldn't let the Israelites pass but the worst offense was gloating over her brother nation's defeat at the hands of the Babylonians but Obadiah says they will be uprooted and the people of God will triumph which was news to them because their defense was the mountainous region where they settled

I would say don't gloat over people's downfall especially the of God which is anyone who put there faith in Jesus Christ.  But i think there greatest offense was pride.  Now i should reiterate i believe there is a difference between pride a self-esteem.  Self-esteem is seeing the value of you in light of what Christ has done.  Pride is seeing your apart from or not needing Christ or God.  So value yourself as a person made in God's image but not above God which was Satan's downfall

Amos (the shephard turned prophet)

Now we finally move to Amos (whose name means borne; a burden.)

Amos i have noticed focuses on the social injustice across the land.  This provides a look that God doesn't just care about our relationship with him but our relationship with other humans as well. Take a cross their is a vertical and horizontal you have to have both or its not a cross its just a stick.

In the Gospel of Matthew a scribe asked Jesus what the greatest commandment was Jesus answered in chapter 22

³⁴ But when the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together. ³⁵ And one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question to test him. ³⁶"Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?" ³⁷And he said to him,  "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. ³⁸This is the great and first commandment. ³⁹And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. ⁴⁰ On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets."

Look at the ten commandments in Exodus 20  the first 4 is about the vertical,  the remaining 6 are about horizontal.  So what do we take from this,  I think we should remember we should show justice and mercy to others especially if we profess Jesus Christ as savior we should act like him showing mercy and justice to others

locusts good eating

Today we look at the second book of the minor prophets Joel (whose name means Jehovah is his God.)

Joel witnesses locust fall on the kingdom of Judah. now this is bad news for the middle east even for today locusts eat plains and they travel in swarms in fact in Proverbs 30:27

The locusts have no king, yet go they forth all of them by bands

I think this is something we can learn they work together

Joel says the locusts pale in comparison to the judgment in the great and terrible day of the lord note that he was talking about the first coming but the second coming of the lord.

but as always this prophets ends in hope for Israel

When we teach the word, I think we too often go to extremes from talking about all judgment to no judgment.  I say if there is no judgment what are we saved from. but on the other side, I also find hard to convert someone if you talk about hell in every sentence.  sure hell I something to be afraid of but we should not give it our full attention

a prophet marries a prostitute

Today we start the study on prophets namely the minor prophets. The minor prophets are the last twelve books in the old testament although in the Jewish bible the minor prophets is one book called the book of the twelve. 

I apologize to Pastor Zachary Bartels if I steal his thunder when i get to Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi

First up is Hosea (whose name means salvation which is the same meaning as Jesus).  We read in 1:1 that Hosea prophesied during the reign of Jeroboam (increase of the people) son of Jehoash.  Jeroboam was a good king from the world's perspective but he practiced idolatry and oppressed the poor

Now Hosea was commanded by God to marry a prostitute named Gomer (which means complete; vanishing).  Hosea is told by God to name his children Jezreel (God scatters), Lo-Ruhamah (not pitied), and Lo-Ammi (not my people).  These names have meaning especially since God named them, They refer to the destruction of Samaria.  Although,  This is not the end of this book,  This books ends in hope. 

In Hosea 11:1 it says

When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called my son.

This is a reference to how God brought Israel out of Egypt in the exodus, but Matthew sees a parallel in Jesus going to Egypt to escape the crazy fruitcake, Herod the Great.

So what is the application?  I hope its not marry a prostitute.  I think the application is God for us to be faithful, just as Hosea longed for Gomer to be faithful.  I think the important thing is after Gomer is unfaithful God commands him to take her back to show God wants to take Israel and us back

matthew 7:15-20 (prophets and prophecies of the old testament)

Today we start a bible study on prophets and prophecies, so today i will giving you an overview of prophets.

First, what is a prophet?  Think of prophets as the opposite of priests, a priest talks to God for man whereas a prophet speaks to man on Gods behalf.  In the old testament, prophets gave a variety of messages including telling the future but not always telling the future.  a prophet also expounded upon God's holy word, pointed out the sins of kings (ex. Nathan and David),  and pronounced judgment on nations,  but also spoke hope (which is good because judgment should not be the end of the story)

I chose this passage to introduce this study because in this passage Jesus points out there are false prophets pretending to be true prophets.  There are 3 main tests to tell a false prophets from a true prophet

First, Does the prophecy come true? It says in Deuteronomy 18:21-22

when a prophet speaks in the name of the LORD, if the word does not come to pass or come true, that is a word that the LORD has not spoken; the prophet has spoken it presumptuously. You need not be afraid of him.

According this prophecy if what he says about the future does not come true we need not listen to him anymore.

Second does it correspond with God's law.  It says in 1st John 4:1-3

Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you heard was coming and now is in the world already.

This is what Paul calls the sword of the spirit.  It is the weapon Jesus uses against Satan in the wilderness especially when Satan quotes psalms.

Third does the prophet live a God-fearing life.  My pastor, Zachary Bartels, just finished a sermon series on Jude where he talks about people who say because we are saved by grace we can live like we want but that is not the case it says in Romans 6

What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it?

"By not means" I think we can better translate as H-E-DOUBLE HOCKEY STICKS NO

also the prophets pointed to the messiah and all the prophecies were fulfilled in JESUS CHRIST.

and this study will also show that God is in control of history even the pagan world powers

Esther 8,9,10 (DICE PARTY)

In the beginning of this passage Xerxes issues a decree that says the Jews can defend themselves, because you remember even he cannot repeal his first law.  I admire Esther here because she isn't satisfied until all of God's people are safe not just her and Mordecai.

In Esther 9 the Jews attend to unfinished business with the Amelakites.  The author take greats to emphasis the Jew don't take plunder even though they are allowed, which stands in contrast to Saul taking the plunder in 1 Samuel 15 which cost him the kingship.  Here we also see the festival of Purim estabished to celebrate God's providence even though he is not mentioned.  It is name Purim because Pur means dice and that Haman used to determine the day of destruction for the Jews but God used the pur to determine their salvation.  If Haman's plan succeeded the plan of salvation through Jesus would have been kaput.

In Esther 10 Mordecai is raised to Haman's old position so Esther and Mordecai were as Joseph put in genesis 49 where God put them.  Haman intended evil but God, as always, intended good

Now where to go next in my bible study, either matthew or luke or just the sermon on the mount

esther 7 (who says the bible is boring)

           In this passage we read about haman's downfall.  at the second dinner Esther reveals that she and her people are in danger, but king Xerxes can't believe who would threaten the queen and her people.  So she points the finger rightly at haman. 

          King Xerxes leaves the room to absorb the news i would guess.  In a twist of irony the man who was mad because a jew refused to bow to him bows before queen Esther.  The king comes back at the worst possible time for Haman and thinks Haman is seducing his queen.

        Harbona, the king's eunuch, tells Xerxes about the gallows built to kill Mordecai, which means haman also threatened the king's benefactor and in another twist of irony he is hanged on the gallows he built.  remember

Luke 6:37  "Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven

one sleepless night. Esther 6

Now we come upon the turning point of the book.  Just when things look hopeless the situation changes because of a king's inability to sleep.  since he can't he has his secretary read him my pastor's sermon notes, I'm just kidding, but he has him read something just as boring his records of everyday life.

By God's providence he opens to the part in Esther 2 where Mordecai saved life and found he received no reward.  Now Haman was there to ask the king for Mordecai's death but it turns out the king asked him what should be done for a man who the king seeks to reward.

Haman has a really big head because he thinks it is himself so he gives the best description only to find out he is to honor the man he was seeking to kill.  Let that be a lesson do not always you are the one being rewarded and sometimes we must honor our enemies.

When he gets even Haman's wife has a change of hearts based on the day she says Haman will fall but Mordecai will rise

for such a time as this (esther 4-5)

Today we look at a very famous passage in Esther.

The first thing you will notice Mordecai and Esther have to communicate through a messenger because Mordecai is mourning the edict of Haman and you are not allowed in the palace if you are sad.  Isn't it great that God doesn't have this rule.  Plus,  Mordecai is fasting which is the closest reference to something religious in the book of Esther.

At first,  Esther is afraid to go to the king because anyone who approaches the king unannounced would be killed even the queen.  Mordecai shows great faith in saying

¹³Then Mordecai told them to reply to Esther, "Do not imagine that you in the king's palace can escape any more than all the Jews.    ¹⁴"For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place and you and your father's house will perish. And who knows whether you have not attained royalty for such a time as this?"

He shows great faith by saying deliverence will come.  Some of us should think maybe we have attained wealth or knowledge for such a time as this.

In Esther 5, After the Jews fast for three days, Esther goes before Xerxes, who accept her and does not kill her, and asks him and Haman to dinner.  Haman is super happy until Mordecai refuses to rise in his presence and Haman's wife advises him to build gallows to hang Mordecai.

prejudice to an extreme (Esther 3)

After reading this text, I am reminded of something my pastor says about the way Satan attacks believers. He describes it as a lion strategy and a serpent strategy and I think we see both of those strategies in this text, so lets jump in.

You notice Haman is mad because Mordecai refused to bow to him, but he takes his anger out on the Jews. He hates the Jews because of what one person did or didn't do.  I admit i have done this,  right after 9/11 i hated all of the Muslims were terrorists because of what a rogue group of extremist Muslims did until i spoke to a Muslim at a bus station and she was nicer than most Christians i meet, sadly.

so Haman wants to destroy all of the Jews , now we see the lion strategy.
1 Peter 5:8

"the enemy is a roaring lion seeking whom he should devour."

This is the frontal assault the persecution. 

Haman then casts the pur which means "lot" to determine when the Jews would be annihilated.  He tells the king there are a people to have different costumes and are rebelling the king and he even flatters the king. I think this is a good example of the serpent strategy that Satan has used from the beginning (Gen 3), spinning truth with lies.  It's true that the Jews had different traditions but they were not rebelling. And it works, Haman is given the signet to seal the decree to destroy the Jews, meaning it could not be revoked (refer to intro to get explanation).

tune in next time for Esther's reaction

unmerited reward and unrewarded merit (Esther 2:19-Esther 3:1)

I apologise in advance there will some dry facts but please stay with me.

In the last study you will notice I forgot to include Mordecai warning king Xerxes of a assassination plot.  I will admit I felt guilty but then I realised God might have other plans for that passage.  First thing i noticed is that Mordecai is sitting by the gate, which is a good place to hear gossip and conduct business.  You will recall the two angels encountered lot at the city gate when they came into Sodom,  Then the king records the event in his annals but does not reward Mordecai yet.  You know sometimes i need reminding that good deeds does not always come with immediate reward. 

You will also notice that Mordecai this foreign king to point of saving his life.  Sometimes I think that some Christians have the false notion that we should throw of the shackles of civil law but that is not the case (read Romans 13:1-7, which also says we should pay our taxes, and 1 Samuel 24 and 26).  After the bible doesn't say wear a seat belt but does that mean you shouldn't wear one, of course not!
Now in Esther 3 we are introduced to Haman the Agagite, who is elevated seemingly without reason,  but what is an Agagite?  Agagite probably refers to king Agag of the Amalekites. The Amalekites were the 1st to attack the Israelites as they came out of Egypt in Exodus 17:8-13.  This started a war of sorts wear God says one day the Jews will blot out the Amalekites.  Now king Agag appears in 1 Samuel 15 when God tell king Saul to blot out the Amalekites but Saul spares some and as a result loses his kingship to David.  So the author points out the continuing war between the Jews and Amalekites.

esther 2

Here we are introduced to Mordecai and Esther, the primary protaginist. King Xerxes' anger subsided and he decided to find a new queen because you will remember the decree about vashti cannot be repealed even by the king. You will also notice that Esther has a hebrew name (hadassah which means myrtle) and a gentile name (esther which means star), which appears a lot of times in the bible when hebrews work for gentiles, such as Joseph, Daniel, and his 3 friends.

We learn that Esther is an orphan who was raised by her cousin Mordecai. thus the king proclaims that young virgins and among them a queen would replaced Vashti. and God caused Xerxes to find favor with Esther, and so Esther became queen in preperation for chapter 3.

esther 1

Today we officially start Esther. In Esther 1:1-3 you will notice the author of Esther puts the book in history by telling us this happen during the time of Xerxes(by the way, some translations use his Hebrew name, Ahusuerus) who ruled of 127 provinces stretching from India to Cush, which shows that if someone wanted to check these stats just check a history book? In verse 3, you will notice the holds a banquet in his third year of his reign for the nobles and the military are present.  history records Xerxes ruled for 486-465 B.C. and some of the Greek- Persian war battles took place from 482-479 B.C. so maybe this is a another tie to history.

It says in verse 4 that for 180 days he displayed his kingdom. This was not unheard of (after all if you had much wealth how many of you would keep quiet about it?), righteous king Hezekiah showed of his wealth to the Babylonian envoys which unfortunately for Judah on Babylon's hit list (seen in 2 Kings 20:12-19)

during this king Xerxes drinks a lot of wine(which would make a very bad baptist, even though he attends a lot of feasts in this book). and his wife, Queen Vashti also gave a banquet for the women. while he was in high spirits from the wine he commanded Vashti be brought to him so he can show her off, but she refused. So he deposed her. Sometimes with this text I see people , bible commentaries either side with Xerxes, saying Vashti is a worldly women for not submitting to her husband, or siding with Vashti, saying it was a command from a drunk king saying this is proof that wine is evil (i would say to that if wine is evil then why in 1 Timothy 5:23 does Paul tell timothy to stop drink only water and have a little wine to settle his stomach). I think they miss the point of this text when you get caught up with taking sides especially in scripture. To me, this is the first of many proofs of God's sovereignty in this people he uses a rash king to accomplish his purposes.

Now king Xerxes makes a decree written in the laws of Persians and the Medes which cannot be repealed. Now the Persian emperor like many emperors thought they were gods so they didn't want to be wrong, but this irrevocable causes problems not only in the book of Esther but also in another famous bible persons life one which every christian child knows the name of ,Daniel.  Some jealous administrators  trick king Darius into signing a decree that no one for 30 days can pray to a god other than the king, and this distresses the king when he learns it was a trap for his favorite administrator Daniel who is then thrown into a lions den and we all know what happens then.  I think these decrees also teach us not to make rash vows which is what Jesus taught in the sermon on the mount and what Jesus brother James taught

introduction to the book of esther

Today we will start the journey through the book of Esther. If you need help locating Esther, it is before Job but after Nehemiah and it is the last historical of the old testament. Someone once asked me why start in the old testament and not in the gospels, but to me the whole bible is about Jesus Christ our risen savior so why not study the old testament?

Mainly i think the main purpose for the book of Esther was to explain the origin of a Jewish feast called Purim from the word pur.

As we go through this study, You will notice two outstanding features about this book. First the book of Esther the one of only 2 books named after women in the whole bible (the other being Ruth). One feature of this book that has lead to controversy on whether it should be considered canon or not is the fact God is not mentioned in the book of Esther.  I think as we go through this you will see God's sovereignty even in what we consider coincidences.

my first blog

Hi everyone this will be my first blog. I hope you enjoy this trip through the bible. I can't promise that each entry wont' turn into a sermon, after all i learned from the best right reverend Zach. So I hope you will be patient as this is my first blog, and that you enjoy this trip through the bible.

my first book i will probably go through is either Matthew or Esther i would like your opinion on what book i should go through first