juanieg63
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Posts posted by juanieg63
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Q4. In what sense was God the Husband of Israel? What is the New Testament extension of this metaphor? What causes God to be jealous?
He paid the bride price for her with the death of the firstborn of Egypt, He loved her with an everlasting love, He was her Lord, He was her sustainer in the wilderness and her provider of a good home, he was her protector and defender, her rescuer, and He was jealous when she strayed to other ba
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Q3. In what sense are Jesus and the Father one? In what way was Jesus distinct from the Father? Is Jesus God in the sense that the Father is God?
They are one in their work, in their purpose, in their love for mankind, in their character and being (if you know me you know the Father), in their thought, and in their roles in creation.
They are distinct in their form, if their jobs to be completed, in their roles in the plan of salvation of man, and in their relationship with us.
Yes Jesus is God in the sense that the Father is God as He said,
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Q2. How was the intimate way that Jesus taught his disciples about God as "Abba" and "Father" different from the Jews' understanding of God as Father? How does God as Abba influence your relationship with him?
The Jews saw God as a judge, as distant, as the rule giver, as the one behind the veil that they could not personally approach. When Jesus described Him as
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Q1. What does the concept of "father" teach us about God, especially the formal way which the word is used in the Old Testament? According to the quote from Otfried Hofius above, which two aspects of a father underlie our understanding of Father in the Old Testament? How should they affect our behavior?
It is the father
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Q4. Meditate on the concept of God as a Spring of Living Water or a Fountain of Living Water for you. What does this say about God? About your thirst? About your future?
A spring is always there, it is always flowing, it cannot be diverted from it
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Q3. Why do we sometimes resist calling on God to be our Helper? Why do we try to do it ourself first? What is required of us if God is to be a Helper and Shepherd to us?
We resist calling on God for help because we are taught as Gospel
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Q2. (Psalm 23) Can you remember any times when God has cared for you as a Shepherd -- in times of blessing and in times of trouble? What are you facing right now where you realize your need to rely on God as your Shepherd?
I
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Q1. (Genesis 22:1-14) Do you think Abraham was really expecting God to provide a sacrifice, or that was just what he told Isaac? What support do you have for your position? Did you ever receive a last-minute provision from God? In what circumstances can we expect God to supply our needs? Any conditions?
Yes, I do believe that Abraham believed God would provide the sacrifice, even if it were Isaac. Abraham acknowledged that God had given Isaac as a gift and that even if he had to offer that gift God had kept every promise He had made to this point and if God promised that Isaac would have children then God would keep that promise even if it meant bringing Isaac back from the dead. We have many times received money or other needs just at the last minute, from the hand of God. As long as we are faithful to trust God to provide for us and remain in His will, He will supply our needs, not necessarily our wants, but when we
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Q4. (Psalm 121). What does it mean that God is our Keeper. In what ways does he "keep" or "guard" us?
God
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Q3. In what ways is God a Rock in the above verses. What functions does a rock perform in Palestine?
God is a rock in that He is strong, He is immovable, He is unshakeable, He can protect those who hide behind Him, He is the material from which our defenses are built, He is the high place from which we can defend ourselves from the enemy, He is eternal, He stands when everything man has built crumbles and falls.
Rock is the basic building material, it is the entire landscape in many places (i.e. Ein Gedi where David hid), The top of a large rock formation could be used as a fortress from which to hide or defend oneself or a group (i.e. Masada), Rock is a place to hide someone or something (i.e. Qumran and the Dead Sea Scrolls). It is basically something that is seen constantly in everyday life in Israel.
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Q2. (Psalm 3:3) In what ways is God a shield? In what ways is he our glory? In what ways is he "the lifter up of my head"? What does this teach us about God? About ourselves?
Shield - He protects us from the attacks of Satan and limits Satan
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Q1. (Psalm 91) What is the protected one required to do in times of danger (verses 1-2, 9). What metaphors are used of God's protection in this psalm?
To be protected by God one must
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Q4. What is the significance of the confession "Jesus is Lord"? Why is this necessary for salvation, according to Romans 10:9?
To admit or confess
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Q3. What are the implications for governments that Yahweh is the King of kings and Lord of lords? What are the implications of removing God" from a nation's currency and pledges, and ardently secularizing national life? Where does that put a nation with regard to God the King?
The implications for governments are that each government needs to acknowledge that God is and that He is in control. They need to treat those they rule as God would, with justice, and righteousness. I see so many rulers that are power and money hungry and they step on their constituents as if they were just bugs that irritate not charges given to them by God to protect and serve. If anyone could have stepped on people getting to the top it was Jesus yet He said,
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Q2. What are the personal implications of Yahweh being your King and of Jesus being the Messiah sent from God? What are the advantages of being the subject of Yahweh as King? What does it mean for you to submit to the King on an everyday basis? How does a person reject Yahweh from being King over him or her?
The first, and I think hardest, implication is that I have no control over my own life. My life is His, the throne of my heart is His and I am His; His to do as He wills and send where He wills.
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Q1. Read 1 Samuel 8:15 and Malachi 3:8-10. How did tithing relate to a person's acceptance of God being their King in the Old Testament? How about for those of us who live under the New Covenant? What place does tithing have for us?
In 1 Samuel 8:15 the Lord, through Samuel, tells the people that the king they are requesting will take a tenth of all their grain and wine and give it to his advisors. In Malachi 3:8-10 God curses the people because they have been robbing Him of the tithe, and then promises if they bring in the tithe He will open heavens floodgates and pour down blessings on them. The people rejected God as their King and wanted a human king in 1 Samuel so He told them that the human king would take his just due of 10% of everything they had, this was what was due the king. The people were constantly turning their backs on God so in Malachi He challenges them to test Him and see how greatly He would bless them if they would just bring in the tithe. If the people would willingly bring in the tithe the king would deal with them justly and bless them.
In the New Testament we are given several examples by Christ of what we are to do. The one that stands out is when Jesus and His disciples were in the temple and the wealthy man came in and dropped a bag of money into the offering and then a widow proceeded to drop in a penny. Jesus commended the woman for giving all she had. We need to acknowledge that all we have is from God and give accordingly. 2 Corinthians 9:6-7 give the precedent by which we are to give
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Q4. Define "justice," "vengeance," and "mercy." Can a Holy and Righteous God justly forgive sins without punishing them? What is the significance of the cross in God's righteousness?
Justice
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Q3. (Psalm 68:5) Since our God is the Helper of the Fatherless and the Protector of Widows -- that is, the poorest and weakest of society -- what does this say about a Christian's commitment to social justice in our communities? How should it affect our actions?
Since, as Christians, we are Christ
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Q2. If we believe that truth and morality are all relative to one's culture, how can we know and understand the Righteous and Upright God? Extra credit for present-day evangelists: How can we declare God and his Son Jesus Christ in a relativistic world? What is an effective approach? (There is no simple answer here. What is an effective communication strategy in your community?)
Romans chapter 1 states that we are without excuse because God has shown us that He exists and who He is through creation itself. As a teacher in a Christian school, I was once challenged by one of my students to defend my stand on creation vs evolution. I told him that God has made it plain that He exists. There are so many perfect examples of His hand in creation that there is no way that this world and all of its beauty could have just happened by accident. I told him that it took less faith for me to believe that God created it than to accept all of the gaps, what ifs and unproven and unproveable theories of evolution. Now if God is there then there must be a set of moral rights and wrongs set down by Him and the only reason to deny God
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Q1. (Isaiah 6:1-8) How does a realization of God's holiness affect Isaiah? Why is Isaiah afraid? How does God make Isaiah holy? What is the symbolism of the coal from the altar? Now made holy -- dedicated to God -- how does Isaiah respond to God?
In realizing that God is holy Isaiah recognizes his own unholiness, just as a small light even in the darkest cave illumines much, thus God
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Q4. (Isaiah 40:21-31). In this passage on the "Creator of the ends of the earth," which words are repeated in verses 28-31? What application are we disciples to derive from this passage so that we might understand God's might as Creator?
Tired and weary are repeated. I think that as humans we have a limited amount of strength and we often grow tired. We get weary with the tediousness and strain of life. It is truly refreshing to know that even when we are at our lowest we have a God who can lift us up on eagle wings and give us the strength and stamina to complete the journey.
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Q3. (Psalm 95:1-7) How many names, titles, and metaphors of God can you find in this passage, both explicit and implicit? What does the Psalmist call on us to do in response to God revealed in his Names? Why are these actions appropriate?
Names: LORD, Rock of our salvation, Great God, King above all gods, our Maker, our God.
Implied/Metaphors: One worthy of praise, Shepherd
We are called to kneel, to praise, to worship, to remember who we are and Who God is. These are appropriate because of Who He is and who we are in Him.
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Q2. What inherent rights does a Potter, Creator, or Maker have over what he has created? How should that effect our lives, our self-image, our sense of purpose?
He has the right to make His creation into whatever He wants it to be, whether chamber pot or flower vase. He has the right to break it down and start over. He has the right to put it through fire to set the shape or leave it on the wheel and keep refining it that way. I think that Jer. 29:11 tells us how we should be affected by all of this.
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Q1. (Isaiah 45:9-12) Why is it ridiculous for a pot to second-guess the Potter? How do we Christians do this? What is a better attitude and behavior before our Creator?
For the created work to question its Creator is ridiculous because it was created for His purpose and would not exist except for Him. I think that as Christians we do this by questioning why God sends certain people or circumstances into our lives. God is using them to form us the way He wants and for the purpose He wants. A better attitude would not be asking Why? But How do you want to change me through this experience?
Q5. The Metaphor of Father and Son
in 9. God our Father
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I think by removing the Father-Son metaphor we lose some of the strength of God we also lose some of the judge/justice aspect. It is the job of a father to mete out discipline still often times and the role of the mother to comfort. The father teaches, directs, guides as the son matures. The mother, on the other hand, prepares the youngest to accept this teaching. Timothy is said to have learned the scriptures from the time he was at his mother