Announcement for October 30th

We will not be having Bible Study tomorrow due to the storm.  Our next meeting will be on November 6th. We are going to be sticking to the original schedule that was distributed in September. Jehovah Rophe will be the lesson taught on 11/6 and the homework that will be discussed in the groups. This coming Sunday, November 4th, paper copies of the homework will be available on the kiosk.  If you would like a copy of the homework emailed to you please let us know.

Hold on to your homework for Jehovah Jireh. We plan on covering this at the end of our study, in April or May.

"You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you." Isaiah 26:3

Yahweh ~ LORD

This week we have been learning about Yahweh, the most common name of God found in the Bible. You’ll remember last week we studied Adonai, which is translated from ‘Lord’ and means Master.  God’s name Yahweh is also translated from ‘LORD’ (with all capitals) but has an entirely different meaning that will surely bless you!

What I Learned in Class

Today in class the lesson focused on the passage in Exodus 3 when God appeared to Moses in the burning bush. Let’s look at Exodus 3:13-14, “Moses said to God, “Suppose I go to the Israelites and say to them ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is His name?’ Then what shall I tell them?” God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: “I AM has sent me to you.”  

‘I AM WHO I AM’ is derived from the Hebrew word havah which means to be or to exist. From this word we get YHWH. Vowels were later added to get the name YAHWEH. (This is also translated as JEHOVAH.)  So what does this tells us about who God is? 

Here are just a few renderings: I AM Who I AM, I will be Who I will be,  I cause to be what is, I AM the One Who is, I AM being.

Does this make your head spin like it did mine? At first glance it may seem that what God is telling us about himself is very vague but this is not so. Some attributes of God are shared by people, i.e. kindness, faithfulness, mercy. The attributes the LORD has revealed by His name I AM belong to Him alone. Let’s look at five of these attributes:

1) God is self-existent. This means He was not created. Everything else has come into existence by God’s hand. He alone exists outside of creation. “For as the Father has life in Himself” (John 6:26).

2) God is self-sufficient. God does not depend on anyone or anything. “And He is not served by human hands, as if He needed anything. Rather, He himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else” (Acts 17:25).

3) God is self-directed. He is free to do as He pleases. “Who has prescribed His ways for Him” (Job 36:23).

4) God is eternal. He has lived and will life forever. “He Who was and is, and is to come” (Rev. 4:8).

5) God is consistent.  He is who He is. He is true and unchanging. “But you remain the same” (Psalm 102:27).

What I Learned from the Homework

One of the focuses of the homework this week was that Yahweh is a Covenant God.  In the Old Testament when God referred to himself it was almost always as LORD (Yahweh).   Although God does not reveal Himself as ‘I AM’ until Moses, it was Yahweh who made a covenant with Abram.  “The LORD said to Abram “Leave your country, your people and your father’s household and go to the land I will show you. I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing” (Genesis 12:1-2). God choose Abram and his descendants to be His people and to have a relationship with them. 

In Genesis 28 Yahweh also appeared to Jacob (Abraham’s grandson); “There above it stood the LORD, and He said, “I am the LORD, the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac. I will give you and your descendants the land on which you are lying. Your descendants will be like the dust of the earth” (Gen. 28:13-14a).  God reminded Jacob of the covenant He had made with his forefathers and reassured him that He would be faithful to His promise.

We also looked at Exodus 3. When God appeared to Moses and revealed himself as Yahweh, He came with specific intent. “The LORD said , “I have indeed seen the misery of my people in Egypt. I have heard them crying out because of their slave drivers, and I am concerned about their suffering. So I have come down to rescue them from the hands of the Egyptians and to bring them out of that land, into a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey” (Ex. 3:7-8a). God was (and is) personal. He saw their suffering, He heard their cries, He was concerned!! He appeared to Moses to let him know that He was faithful and that He would be the one to rescue them!

Wrapping it All Up

I was so moved by the indescribable nature of God!  Yahweh is so much bigger than our minds can grasp.  It is easy to take for granted what we know about Him. There are things that I am sure He will never reveal to us but what an awesome thing to think that He does choose to reveal Himself to us. In all His might, power, and holiness He choose to have a relationship with the Hebrew people. He made them His own.  He desires to have a very personal relationship with us as well. If you are looking to have a closer relationship with God and want to know what this means please email us and lets us know. Yahweh, the Covenant LORD of the Israelites, loves you and wants you to know Him!!

“We dare not think that God is absent or day dreaming. The do-nothing God. He’s not tucked away in some far corner of the universe, uncaring, unfeeling unthinking…uninvolved.  Count on it-God intrudes in glorious and myriad ways.”  Joni Eareckson Tada

Adonai ~ Master

The focus this week in Bible study was God’s name Adonai, Master.  You may not remember reading this name in Scripture but it is found over 300 times in the Old Testament.  Whenever you see ‘Lord’, it has been translated from the Hebrew Adonai and means lord, master or Sovereign. (Take note, this is different from ‘LORD’.  When you see lord in all capitals, this is translated from Yahweh or Jehovah. We will be studying this name of God next week.)

What I Learned from the Homework

The homework this week focused on giving us a Biblical view of the master/slave relationship. History and our own live experiences many have a caused a skewed view of this relationship which we will find is not what God intended at all.  We studied God’s perspective on the subject by looking at Psalm 86. This Psalm gives us further insight into the master/slave relationship. Before continuing, please read Psalm 86.  As you read, keep in mind that the Lord is our Sovereign Master and we are His servants. Within the context of this Psalm we learned who the Master is, what He does, and what our response to the Master should look like.

Master  

Who He Is: In verse five, we are given a list of God’s qualities, “You are forgiving and good, O Lord, abounding in love to all who call on You”.  We learn more about the Master in verse 15: “But You, O Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness”.

What He Does: “For You are great and do marvelous deeds; You alone are God” (Psalm 86:10). In verse 16 we see how God acts towards His servant:  “Turn to me and have mercy on me; grant Your strength to Your servant and save the son of your maid servant”.  We then see at the end of verse 17, “for You, O Lord, have helped me and comforted me”.

Servant

The homework approached the servant’s role in the relationship a bit differently.  We studied his response to the Master.  We see the servant’s response to the Master in the following verses: “Among the gods there is none like You, O Lord; no deeds can compare with yours. All the nations you have made will come and worship before you, O Lord; they will bring glory to your name. For You are great and do marvelous deeds: You alone are God” (Psalm 86:8-10).  How readily the servant praised the Master!!

What I Learned in Class

Today when Janet taught she stressed that God is our Sovereign Lord. As our Lord, we must show Him reverence. This means that we do not go to Him just when we are in need. We go to Him with our worship. Janet pointed to some beautiful words of worship found in Psalm 8:1 “O LORD (Yahweh), our Lord (Adonai) how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set Your glory above the heavens” (emphasis added).

God is our highest authority.  All of us submit to one authority or another but no one’s authority supersedes that of Adonai, our Lord. Over the course of our lives we may have had a person in authority over us that misused their position but Janet cautioned us that we cannot use our experiences with human authority as a frame of reference for the way we view God as our Master.  God is not human authority. She reiterated the point made in the homework that our God is gracious, loving, forgiving and merciful. Janet pointed us to David, a man who knew the Lord this way through his own experiences. She stressed that we may learn a lot about the Lord through reading and studying His Word but to truly know Him we must acknowledge Him as Lord of our lives.

Wrapping it All Up

What we learned in the homework and in class gave me a wonderful and freeing picture of God as my Master. God is the same yesterday, today and forever. God is our Adonai. Who He is and what He does has not changed.  He is kind, compassionate, loving, merciful and gracious.  He delivers us and gives us strength.  He will not abuse His authority over us. Choose to believe the Word of Truth!  Our God is worthy of our trust!

“How great You are, O Sovereign Lord! There is no one like you, and there is no God like You, as we have heard with our own ears.“ (2 Samuel 7:22)

When we study the scriptures, the Word of Truth, how can our heart not be filled with joy!!

El Shaddai ~ God Almighty

This week in Bible study we have been studying El Shaddai – God Almighty. Before delving in to the specific passages of Scripture we studied let’s get an overall understanding of His Name from the Hebrew. We have already learned that ‘El’ is God. This is what ‘Shaddai’ tells us about who God is – He is almighty, able to do anything and everything at any time. The word ‘shad’ has been translated as breast. This conveys nourishment. Putting the meaning together with ‘almighty’, God is mighty to nourish or supply. In other words, in full abundance He is able to pour out His blessings. Now let’s look at what we can learn about El Shaddai from the Scriptures.

What I Learned in the Homework
God introduced us to himself as El Shaddai in Genesis 17:1; “When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the LORD appeared to him and said, "I am God Almighty; walk before me and be blameless”. In verse 3 we see how Abram reacted to this encounter, “Abram fell facedown”. In our homework this week we studied three ways we can apply being “face down” before El Shaddai to our own lives. (Please read Genesis 17:1-8 before continuing.)

Face Down to His Power – We learned that God is the keeper of His promises. His power is without limits to fulfill what He has promised. “The One who calls you is faithful and He will do it” (1 Thess. 5:24).

Face Down to the Appointed Time – We learned that it was 24 years before God’s promise of an heir to Abram was fulfilled. Not only is power in God’s hands, but God acts on His schedule not ours.

Face Down to His Process – What we learned about God’s process was powerful. We were reminded of the command found in Genesis 17:1: “walk before me and be blameless”. In our small group we spent some time discussing what it means to be blameless before the Lord. What it doesn’t mean is being perfect and without sin. What is does mean is walking in harmony or agreement with God. It means when God points to sin in our lives we agree with Him, we repent and we move on putting that thing in our past.

We also learned about discipline. It says in Hebrews 12:5-6, “My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, because the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and he chastens everyone he accepts as his son”. God’s disciple is about teaching us a better way, His way, not leaving us condemned.

Sometimes in our lives we will go through the process of preparation before a promise of God can be fulfilled. In the homework we were asked if there was a promise that we were waiting on God to fulfill. We were challenged on what we might need to do in order to cooperate with God’s promise. I will ask you to consider this in your own life.

What I Learned in Class
Sandee taught us about a man who intimately knew God as El Shaddai. She pointed out that God is called El Shaddai 48 times in the Old Testament; 31 of these occur in the book of Job.

Scripture tells us that Job was righteous and blameless before God. He was also very wealthy. Not only was he financially prosperous but he was blessed with a large family and the respect of his community. This all changed in a whirlwind of tragedy. Job’s livestock were killed or stolen, his servants were murdered and his children died. Job’s response is evidence of how he saw God: “At this, Job got up and tore his robe and shaved his head. Then he fell to the ground in worship and said: "Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked I will depart. The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away; may the name of the LORD be praised” (Job 1:20-21).

Job lost everything that was dear to him. (We later learn that he also lost his health, his friends, and the respect of all.) He goes on to say in Job 2:10b, “Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?". Job had no control over his circumstances but he did have control over his response. Instead of giving way to bitterness he fell before God in worship. Sandee pointed out that Job desperately sought an answer from God about why he was suffering yet God never answered this question. But God did not leave Job in despair. He revealed himself to Job and gave him a different perspective. “I know that you can do all things; no purpose of yours can be thwarted. You asked, ‘Who is this that obscures my plans without knowledge?’ Surely I spoke of things I did not understand, things too wonderful for me to know. “You said, ‘Listen now, and I will speak; I will question you, and you shall answer me.’ My ears had heard of you but now my eyes have seen you. Therefore I despise myself and repent in dust and ashes” (Job 42:2-6).

Job’s suffering is a difficult thing for us to wrap our minds around. Most of us will never experience the magnitude of his loss yet we still will experience circumstances that rock our worlds. Sandee made an important point. When things happen that leave us burdened and broken what choice do we have but to trust God? It is a choice between victory and defeat. Proverbs 4:23 says, “Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life”. Like Job, let us fall before God in reverence, run to Him as our refuge, and trust Him as our rewarder.

Wrapping It All Up
This week we looked at the lives of two men. Their circumstances were vastly different. The specific way God worked in their lives was also very different. But the God they worshiped and how He made Himself know to them was the same - El Shaddai, God Almighty. They were not perfect and they did not fully understand His ways but this did not change who He was in their lives. When they encountered God they fell face down before Him in reverence, worship and submission. Let’s end today by worshiping Him as El Shaddai in our own lives.

EL ELYON ~ God Most High

What I Learned in Class

Today Pastor Grace taught about God’s Hebrew name, El Elyon. Before delving into the Scriptures, she built a foundation for her lesson on the actual meaning of this Name.  El Elyon is translated to mean ‘God Most High’.  What does this mean to us?

The Hebrew word ‘El’ is a general term that means majesty and power. ‘Elyon’ means the highest or the most.  When these two Hebrew words come together, the Lord is telling us very specifically who He is. He is supreme in power and might. He is above everything and everyone. He is sovereign. This means that He is the independent, supreme ruler of the universe.  (You will remember from last week that God is also Elohim, Mighty Creator.)  El Elyon governs with power and authority over the past, present, and future. Nothing can destroy His ultimate plan and purpose.

Pastor Grace brought us to familiar story of Daniel and King Nebuchadnezzar found in Daniel 4. We know that Daniel was a devout follower of the Lord living in a land of pagan culture with a pagan king. This was a land where many gods, ‘Els’, were worshipped. (Sound familiar?)

King Nebuchadnezzar witnessed the hand of God at work in Daniel’s life. He knew God had given Daniel the ability to interpret dreams and he had seen God’s power in rescuing Daniel from the fiery furnace yet his heart was still hard with pride. Through a dream interpreted by Daniel. God warned the King: “You will be driven away from people and will live with the wild animals; you will eat grass like cattle. Seven times will pass by for you until you acknowledge that the Most High is sovereign over the kingdoms of men and gives them to anyone he wishes” (Daniel 4:32).   

The dream came to pass just as God said. (Keep in mind that this was the king who demanded his subjects to bow before him and worship him as god.) After seven years the king proclaimed: “At the end of that time, I, Nebuchadnezzar, raised my eyes toward heaven, and my sanity was restored. Then I praised the Most High; I honored and glorified him who lives forever. His dominion is an eternal dominion; his kingdom endures from generation to generation” (Daniel 4:34).  God indeed is Who He says He is!!

What I Learned From the Homework

In the homework this week we focused on the passage of Scripture where the name El Elyon is first mentioned – Genesis 14. Abram, along with his wife Sarai and his nephew Lot, had already left their homeland as the Lord had commanded. Subsequently, he and Lot had parted ways and Lot had gone to live in Sodom. Genesis 14 recounts a time of war in the land. Lot is taken captive by the enemies of Sodom. When Abram learned of Lot’s plight he gathered the trained men of his household to rescue him. Abram’s mission was successful. Lot was rescued and his captors were defeated.

As we studied God’s Word we learned that Abram came from a family that worshiped other gods, yet in Genesis 14 the evidence of Abram’s faith in El Elyon, God Most High is clear.  In a study of the Scriptures we saw that Abram’s faith could be found through his obedience to God and how he battled his enemies. A third evidence of his faith in El Elyon that we learned about was his dependence on God. After the battle had been won the King of Sodom offered the plunder to Abram. “But Abram said to the king of Sodom, “with raised hand I have sworn an oath to the Lord, God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth, that I will accept nothing belonging to you, not even a thread or the strap of a sandal, so that you will never be able to say, ‘I made Abram rich’” (Genesis 14:22-23). 

There are two facets of dependence on God that we can take from Abram and apply to our own lives. First, if something did not come from the hand of God, Abram did not want it.  The homework made the point that in our modern lives we do not lack enough. Dependence can be easily misplaced on what we have rather than on El Elyon.  Second, Abram knew that God was Elohim, Creator God as well as El Elyon, God Most High.  Abram did not need to acquire what he wanted through his own means, he trusted that God would provide.  Something to think about...is there something you may be trying to obtain in your own life rather than trusting God for?  The point made in our homework was that we want to examine our own dependence on God, not as an opportunity for condemnation, but to help us live in the freedom of knowing that our God is bigger than anything we face.

Wrapping It All Up

I could not help but compare Abram’s faith in El Elyon, Most High God, to King Nebuchadnezzar’s declaration of faith found in Daniel 4. Nebuchadnezzar verbally acknowledged God as the Most High. Before he could declare this he had to suffer through a period of intense humbling. There is nothing in Scripture that shows the king actually lived out his profession.  Abram also declared God to be El Elyon but his actions attest to the depth of his faith, not just in Genesis 14, but throughout God’s Word.

We learned who El Elyon is this past week. We studied the Word for ourselves. We listened to a great message. We discussed Who He is in our small groups. My question: ‘What are we to do with all we have learned?’ I encourage you… live out your life in the reality that God is Most High over every challenge you face, over every troubling circumstance, over every impossible situation!!

“Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress,  my God, in whom I trust.” (Psalm 91:1-2).