ummer uarter 2020 jun. 7 jun. 14 · by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the...

Unit 1 A New Thing

June 7 Keeping God’s Commandments 2

Deuteronomy 8:1-10

June 14 Fire on the Mountain 8

1 Kings 18:20-39

June 21 Lost and Found 15

2 Kings 22:8-20

June 28 Forever Love 22

Hosea 1:2-11

Unit 2 A New People

July 5 Promised Restoration 28

Jeremiah 23:1-8

July 12 Wisdom to Navigate Life’s Challenges 34

Daniel 1:8-17

July 19 Our Always Faithful God 41

Daniel 3:19-30

July 26 Forgiving, Merciful, Compassionate 48

Nehemiah 9:9-17, 32-33

Unit 3 A New Way of Life

August 2 A Life-changing Encounter 54

Luke 19:1-10

August 9 Come and See 60

John 4:7-30, 39-42

August 16 Who Is My Neighbor? 67

Luke 10:25-37

August 23 Great Faith 73

Matthew 15:21-28

August 30 Great Mercy 79

Mark 5:1-20

Jun. 7

Jun. 14

Jun. 21

Jun. 28

Jul. 5

Jul. 12

Jul. 19

Jul. 26

Aug. 2

Aug. 16

Aug. 23

Aug. 30

Aug. 9

SUMMER QUARTER 2020NEW

Comprehensive.Summer.20.qxp_Comp.Win.09 3/30/20 11:38 PM Page 1

Lesson 1 2 June 7

PurposeTo remember how God created us as God’s people

Hearing the Word The background text for this lesson is Deuteronomy 8:1-20.

Keeping God’s Commandments

Deuteronomy 8:1-10 (NIV) 1 Be careful to follow every command I amgiving you today, so that you may live andincrease and may enter and possess the landthe Lord promised on oath to your ancestors. 2 Remember how the Lord your God ledyou all the way in the wilderness these fortyyears, to humble and test you in order to knowwhat was in your heart, whether or not youwould keep his commands. 3 He humbled you, causing you to hungerand then feeding you with manna, which neitheryou nor your ancestors had known, to teach youthat man does not live on bread alone but onevery word that comes from the mouth of theLord. 4 Your clothes did not wear out and yourfeet did not swell during these forty years. 5 Know then in your heart that as a mandisciplines his son, so the Lord your God disci-plines you. 6 Observe the commands of the Lord yourGod, walking in obedience to him and reveringhim. 7 For the Lord your God is bringing you intoa good land—a land with brooks, streams, anddeep springs gushing out into the valleys andhills; 8 a land with wheat and barley, vines andfig trees, pomegranates, olive oil and honey; 9 a land where bread will not be scarceand you will lack nothing; a land where the rocksare iron and you can dig copper out of the hills. 10 When you have eaten and are satisfied,praise the Lord your God for the good land hehas given you.

Deuteronomy 8:1-10 (KJV) 1 All the commandments which I com-mand thee this day shall ye observe to do, thatye may live, and multiply, and go in and possessthe land which the Lord sware unto your fathers. 2 And thou shalt remember all the waywhich the Lord thy God led thee these fortyyears in the wilderness, to humble thee, and toprove thee, to know what was in thine heart,whether thou wouldest keep his command-ments, or no. 3 And he humbled thee, and suffered theeto hunger, and fed thee with manna, which thouknewest not, neither did thy fathers know; thathe might make thee know that man doth not liveby bread only, but by every word that proceedethout of the mouth of the Lord doth man live. 4 Thy raiment waxed not old upon thee,neither did thy foot swell, these forty years. 5 Thou shalt also consider in thine heart,that, as a man chasteneth his son, so the Lordthy God chasteneth thee. 6 Therefore thou shalt keep the command-ments of the Lord thy God, to walk in his ways,and to fear him. 7 For the Lord thy God bringeth thee into agood land, a land of brooks of water, of foun-tains and depths that spring out of valleys andhills; 8 A land of wheat, and barley, and vines,and fig trees, and pomegranates; a land of oilolive, and honey; 9 A land wherein thou shalt eat bread with-out scarceness, thou shalt not lack any thing init; a land whose stones are iron, and out ofwhose hills thou mayest dig brass. 10 When thou hast eaten and art full, thenthou shalt bless the Lord thy God for the goodland which he hath given thee.


Seeing the Need

Forty-one years in pastoral ministryhave taught me that there will always betimes of trial and depression. Everythingwill not always go our way. One of themore depressing times during my careerwas when I was moved from a full-timeappointment to a part time appointment(technically, it was one fourth of thetime). I didn’t feel that the district bishopand cabinet had it in for me; my superin-tendent simply said that there simplywere no other appointments available inthe conference for me. It was a drasticfinancial decrease on the home front anda blow to my ego.

My choice at that time was either to goon the attack, call the bishop, andexplain that “I can’t accept this,” or to

take what was offered, pray, and hope forthe best. It was definitely a trying time. Afriend sympathized with my plight, sayingthat if this had happened to him, he mayhave seriously considered leaving thechurch. In short, it really came down tome getting an appointment that I thoughtI didn’t deserve, or feeling that I deservedsomething better. The conclusion was, Istayed!

Thankfully, this crisis situation was notonly a time of prayer, but also a time areflection and remembering God’s pastacts of provision to me during my min-istry. Self-talk encourages the woundedspirit (1 Samuel 30:6, KJV). “Bob,” I saidto myself, “this is not your first setback.God has always been with you and I don’tthink God will abandon you now.” Ibelieve the Lord honored this attitude, asthis one fourth of the time appointmentbecame one of the bright lights of myministry. I would not have wanted to con-clude my ministry without having experi-enced the extravagant and over-the-toplove that this small congregation showedtoward me.

The Bible passage for this lesson is forus a call from the Lord to remember whowe are as God’s people so that we mightreceive the wonderful promises of God.

Keep Your Eyes Open

My youngest son recently graduatedfrom high school. As with my other fivechildren, my wife and I wanted him to goto college. Furthermore, he wanted to go.My college of choice for him was 30 miles

Lesson 1 3 June 7

DAILY BIBLE STUDYJune 1 Deuteronomy 26:16-19

June 2 Deuteronomy 8:1-10

June 3 Deuteronomy 8:11-20

June 4 Joshua 1:1-9

June 5 Malachi 4:1-4

June 6 Romans 16:25-27

June 7 1 Corinthians 7:17-19


Lesson 1 4 June 7

down the road with a student populationof 7,000; his college of choice was 130miles down the road with a student pop-ulation of 25,000. No argument, andquite frankly, my wife and I understood,as his last three siblings had gone to hiscollege of choice.

My parting words to him after we hadmoved him into his dormitory were,“Keep your eyes open.” That message offatherly advice was for him to simply beaware of his surroundings. His universityis huge, and a lot is always going on. Iwanted him to do the right thing andremember why he had gone to college. Ilike to think that these heartfelt words ofmine might better prepare him for hisnew journey in life.

God’s parental words to the wanderingIsraelites were, “You must carefully per-form all the commandments . . . so youcan live and multiply and enter and takepossession of the land” (Deuteronomy8:1). This was simply preparation for thejourney into their Promised Land. It wouldbe a new day in the life of God’s people.They had never traveled this way before.Expectations (and fears) would havebeen understandably present duringsuch a time. The LORD’s command thuswas directed and motivated by love forthe people of God so that they might beprosperous and successful.

God’s greatest desire seems to havebeen a holy yearning for the people toknow the LORD. How would they come toknow God? One way was to, “Rememberthe long road on which the LORD your God

led you during these forty years” (verse2). Don’t forget your past, Israel! If theylooked back over their years in the wilder-ness, they would see the many miraclesthat God had wrought on their behalf.First and foremost, they would see theirdeliverance from Egyptian bondage; theywould remember the gift of manna, quail,and water from a rock. They would seedivine deliverance from hostile armiesthat came against them. Do you not see,O Israel?

The LORD’s 40 years of blessing uponIsrael showed not only divine favor andlove for the people, but also served as atest “to find out what was in your heart”(verse 2). Do you really love me, Israel?Hard and difficult times have a way ofshowing what people really believe.Steadfast faith only becomes steadfastafter it is tested in the realities of life.Action (and in Israel’s case, obedience)always speaks louder than words. Jesusaffirmed this when he spoke to the disci-ples, saying, “If you love me, you will keepmy commandments” (John 14:15).

Some people have a deep and sincereyearning to be used by God. The idea ofteaching, preaching, or being a mission-ary is particularly appealing to them.They melodiously sing, “Here I am, Lord,Is it I, Lord? I have heard you calling in thenight. I will go, Lord, if you lead me. I willhold your people in my heart.” My experi-ence has been that while many peoplewill go and commit to ministry tasks, oth-ers will wane and even quit when theydiscover the cost and responsibilities


Lesson 1 5 June 7

that come with doing a particular min-istry. Israel’s wilderness experiencewould show their true commitment anddependence upon God.What specific acts or circumstances in

your life show God’s love toward you?

Divine Health

God next wanted the people to knoweternal and enduring love. This new landwas land that the “LORD swore to yourancestors” (verse 1). God had set thewheels in motion long before the presentgeneration that Israel would be blessedand remain the apple of God’s eye.However, the wilderness became a test-ing ground to measure the people’s faith.God allowed hunger and some level ofdeprivation to come upon these Israelitesas a prompting tool to show and teachthem their need for God. Even though thepeople had moments of complaining andfrustration, the LORD never withdrew lovefrom them.

Verse 4 gives us a closer and morevivid look at God’s abiding and longsuf-fering love toward Israel. Their 40 years inthe wilderness had been marked by notonly provision and protection but bydivine health. “During these forty years,your clothes didn’t wear out and your feetdidn’t swell.” Wow! Understandingly,some people today might have troublewith this verse. Forty years of walking inthe desert, and no one’s clothes so muchas got tattered, and no one ever experi-enced swollen feet? Exodus 12:37 tellsus that originally about 600,000 men

plus children left Egypt. That text doesnot mention women, though we knowthat surely women were part of the grouptoo. Seamstress and physician may nothave been the best career choices duringthis time!

Needless to say, scholars differ on howto understand this verse. Because thetext does not explain the how of this phe-nomena, we will likely never rise aboveconjecture and speculation. Some schol-ars speculate that this verse was lateradded to the text to create effect; otherssuggest that the Israelites made good ofthe spoils they received from defeatedarmies along the way. Finally, some con-tend that this simply was a miracle per-formed by the God of miracles. Whereverour theological anchor may fall, the con-text of this verse makes it clear thatGod’s protection, power, provision, andpresence never left this wandering peo-ple. It is an eternal truth that we canembrace today.

Regarding the phrase, “Your feet didn’tswell up,” again we are at a theologicalimpasse. However, for me the simplemention of this occurrence suggests thatGod was not only concerned about thepeople’s material needs but also abouttheir physical needs. The LORD was mind-ful of the rough and rugged conditions ofthe desert, yet God’s watchful eye andconcern was on something as simple asaching feet. The fact that God knows andis concerned about things as simple asthe number of hairs on our heads (Luke12:7) causes me to love God even more.


Several months ago, my wife and Iattended a relatively large church in ametropolitan area for their morning serv-ice. One of the main announcements thatday was an upcoming health fair spon-sored by the church. The theme of theevent was, “Health Is Wealth.” The under-standing as I perceived it was that weshould not minimize or take lightly thegift and blessing of good physical health.Nothing is as draining on the mind, body,and spirit as an illness or constant sick-ness that simply will not go away. God isactively concerned about our health andwelfare. We owe it to ourselves as goodstewards of the temple that God hasgiven us to be concerned about our phys-ical bodies.

How do you personally see God work-ing on behalf of your prosperity andhealth?

A Wonderful Land

Living in a new land would be the high-light and end result of faith and obedi-ence to God. Keeping God’s command-ments was not meaningless ritual.Neither was obeying God the demand ofa harsh and dictatorial God. TheseIsraelites had free choice as to whetherthey wanted to serve God. Whether theyloved God or not, God’s abiding loveremained the same. The decision of theone making the choice does not diminishthe love of the person offering the choice.In other words, the LORD loves us at ourbest and at our worst. However, and inthe final analysis, choices do have conse-quences!

In Deuteronomy 30:19 the LORD callsheaven and earth as a witness that thepeople have been offered life or deathand a blessing or a curse. The LORD’sdesire was that they choose life so thatthey and their descendants might live.Joshua followed up years later with a sim-ilar invitation to “choose today whom youwill serve” (Joshua 24:15). God’s loveand desire for these Israelites to comeinto this “wonderful land” (Deuteronomy8:7) shows the nature of this stern com-mandment to them. God wanted the bestfor Israel, and the best in terms of bless-ings would only come by obedience to thedivine will. Later in this wilderness story,the LORD told the people to “watch your-self! Don’t forget the LORD your God by notkeeping his commands” (Deuteronomy8:11). God’s insistent command comesfrom God’s persistent and abiding love.

What would this wonderful land looklike? First, it would be a land unlike Egyptwith its harsh realities; and second, itwould be land that would belong to thepeople. Even though these Israeliteswould war for the land, nevertheless theLord gave them clear title to “take pos-session” of it (verse 1). There would be“wheat and barley, vines, fig trees, andpomegranates; . . . olive oil and honey”(verse 8). No wonder this was called thePromised Land, and the LORD called it“wonderful.”

And it gets even better! Verse 9 saysthat there the people would “eat foodwithout any shortage.” This would be rad-ically different from the rationed and con-

Lesson 1 6 June 7


trolled food distribution system given toslaves in Egypt. We can understand howthis new and radically different lifestylemight be a cultural shock to some ofthese Israelites, thus causing them to for-get God. Not only would this new land beplenteous in food (“you won’t lack a thingthere,” verse 8), but there would beopportunity to create prosperity andwealth through the mining of iron andcopper (verse 9). God’s holy promise tothese weary travelers was that theywould be fully satisfied. Hence, theassumption is that these Israelites wouldout of gratitude and love “bless the LORDyour God in the wonderful land that he’sgiven you” (verse 10). Unfortunately (andas history reveals), assuming is notalways the best thing to do.

My hope and prayer is that we can seethis wilderness story as more than justanother episode in Israel’s history. This isour story! It is a picture wrapped in theartifacts of ancient Israel that symbolizesour modern-day journey through life. It isa picture of what the Lord has for thefaithful. Our final destination is good andis available to all who will stay on the jour-

ney (tired feet and all). Where are you inthe picture? How did you do on the test?

Finally, our promise is wonderful! Ourhope is sure! I encourage you during thisupcoming week to “put feet to the jour-ney.” Set aside a specific time during theday in which you will reread this story(include background text) and listen tothe sounds of God’s love over against thefrailty and often rebelliousness of thehuman will. Don’t just learn the story, butseek to capture the spirit that comesthrough the story. It is love worth finding!May we as disciples of Christ fix our eyeson Jesus and “run the race that is laid outin front of us, since we have such a greatcloud of witnesses surrounding us”(Hebrews 11:1-2).

Are the promises of God wonderful toyou? If so, how might you share thesepromises with others?

Lord, may we always remember that weare your people and the sheep of yourpasture. Help us to humbly embrace thewonderful plan you have for us; in Jesus’name we pray. Amen.

Lesson 1 7 June 7


Lesson 2 8 June 14

PurposeTo demonstrate the contrast between false gods and the true God

Hearing the Word The background text this lesson is 1 Kings 18:1-46.

Fire on the Mountain

1 Kings 18:20-39 (NIV) 20 So Ahab sent word throughout all Israeland assembled the prophets on Mount Carmel. 21 Elijah went before the people and said,“How long will you waver between two opinions? Ifthe Lord is God, follow him; but if Baal is God, fol-low him.” But the people said nothing. 22 Then Elijah said to them, “I am the only oneof the Lord’s prophets left, but Baal has four hun-dred and fifty prophets. 23 Get two bulls for us. Let Baal’s prophetschoose one for themselves, and let them cut it intopieces and put it on the wood but not set fire to it.I will prepare the other bull and put it on the woodbut not set fire to it. 24 Then you call on the name of your god, andI will call on the name of the Lord. The god whoanswers by fire—he is God.” Then all the peoplesaid, “What you say is good.” 25 Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, “Chooseone of the bulls and prepare it first, since there areso many of you. Call on the name of your god, butdo not light the fire.” 26 So they took the bull given them and pre-pared it. Then they called on the name of Baal frommorning till noon. “Baal, answer us!” they shouted.But there was no response; no one answered. Andthey danced around the altar they had made. 27 At noon Elijah began to taunt them. “Shoutlouder!” he said. “Surely he is a god! Perhaps he isdeep in thought, or busy, or traveling. Maybe he issleeping and must be awakened.” 28 So they shouted louder and slashed them-selves with swords and spears, as was their cus-tom, until their blood flowed. 29 Midday passed, and they continued theirfrantic prophesying until the time for the eveningsacrifice. But there was no response, no oneanswered, no one paid attention. 30 Then Elijah said to all the people, “Comehere to me.” They came to him, and he repaired

the altar of the Lord, which had been torn down. 31 Elijah took twelve stones, one for each ofthe tribes descended from Jacob, to whom theword of the Lord had come, saying, “Your nameshall be Israel.” 32 With the stones he built an altar in thename of the Lord, and he dug a trench around itlarge enough to hold two seahs of seed. 33 He arranged the wood, cut the bull intopieces and laid it on the wood. Then he said tothem, “Fill four large jars with water and pour it onthe offering and on the wood.” 34 “Do it again,” he said, and they did it again.“Do it a third time,” he ordered, and they did it thethird time. 35 The water ran down around the altar andeven filled the trench. 36 At the time of sacrifice, the prophet Elijahstepped forward and prayed: “Lord, the God ofAbraham, Isaac and Israel, let it be known todaythat you are God in Israel and that I am your ser-vant and have done all these things at your com-mand. 37 Answer me, Lord, answer me, so these peo-ple will know that you, Lord, are God, and that youare turning their hearts back again.” 38 Then the fire of the Lord fell and burned upthe sacrifice, the wood, the stones and the soil,and also licked up the water in the trench. 39 When all the people saw this, they fell pros-trate and cried, “The Lord—he is God! The Lord—heis God!”

1 Kings 18:20-39 (KJV) 20 So Ahab sent unto all the children of Israel,and gathered the prophets together unto mountCarmel. 21 And Elijah came unto all the people, andsaid, How long halt ye between two opinions? if theLord be God, follow him: but if Baal, then followhim. And the people answered him not a word. 22 Then said Elijah unto the people, I, even I


Lesson 2 9 June 14

Seeing the NeedNothing was more humiliating and

intimidating for me as a young personthan to sit in a committee meeting orother gathering with an idea that wentagainst the grain of traditional and statusquo thought. This was especially true ifthe other participants in the meetingwere older, and I was the new kid on theblock. Should I speak my enthusiasm, orshould I quietly hold my peace and let theexperts and more seasoned guys havetheir say? Nobody wants to be viewed bytheir peers as naïve and awkwardlyoverzealous. Looking back, I somehow donot think that I was the only one, young orold, who ever experienced this silent

only, remain a prophet of the Lord; but Baal'sprophets are four hundred and fifty men. 23 Let them therefore give us two bullocks;and let them choose one bullock for themselves,and cut it in pieces, and lay it on wood, and put nofire under: and I will dress the other bullock, andlay it on wood, and put no fire under: 24 And call ye on the name of your gods, and Iwill call on the name of the Lord: and the God thatanswereth by fire, let him be God. And all the peo-ple answered and said, It is well spoken. 25 And Elijah said unto the prophets of Baal,Choose you one bullock for yourselves, and dressit first; for ye are many; and call on the name ofyour gods, but put no fire under. 26 And they took the bullock which was giventhem, and they dressed it, and called on the nameof Baal from morning even until noon, saying, OBaal, hear us. But there was no voice, nor any thatanswered. And they leaped upon the altar whichwas made. 27 And it came to pass at noon, that Elijahmocked them, and said, Cry aloud: for he is a god;either he is talking, or he is pursuing, or he is in ajourney, or peradventure he sleepeth, and must beawaked. 28 And they cried aloud, and cut themselvesafter their manner with knives and lancets, till theblood gushed out upon them.

29 And it came to pass, when midday waspast, and they prophesied until the time of theoffering of the evening sacrifice, that there wasneither voice, nor any to answer, nor any thatregarded. 30 And Elijah said unto all the people, Comenear unto me. And all the people came near untohim. And he repaired the altar of the Lord that wasbroken down. 31 And Elijah took twelve stones, according tothe number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, untowhom the word of the Lord came, saying, Israelshall be thy name: 32 And with the stones he built an altar in thename of the Lord: and he made a trench about thealtar, as great as would contain two measures ofseed. 33 And he put the wood in order, and cut thebullock in pieces, and laid him on the wood, andsaid, Fill four barrels with water, and pour it on theburnt sacrifice, and on the wood. 34 And he said, Do it the second time. Andthey did it the second time. And he said, Do it thethird time. And they did it the third time. 35 And the water ran round about the altar;and he filled the trench also with water. 36 And it came to pass at the time of the offer-ing of the evening sacrifice, that Elijah the prophetcame near, and said, Lord God of Abraham, Isaac,

DAILY BIBLE STUDY

June 8 Judges 10:6-16

June 9 James 5:15-20

June 10 1 Kings 18:1-16

June 11 1 Kings 18:17-21

June 12 1 Kings 18:22-29

June 13 1 Kings 18:30-39

June 14 1 Kings 18:40-46


Lesson 2 10 June 14

emotional crisis.Church business meetings were a

great place for me to watch this scenarioplay out. I especially observed this duringtimes when the congregation was makingimportant decisions. A first step was torally as many members as possible so asto get everyone’s opinion about the mat-ter. Enthusiasm and excitement ran highover these new ventures. Everyone want-ed to be a part of the process and maketheir contribution. However, when ideasclashed, the story often changed. Shallwe tear down or shall we remodel? Shallwe do it now or shall we wait? You meanyou want to get rid of this furniture piecethat her grandfather made for thechurch?What began as a calm and exciting

time to put our heads together had all ofa sudden become a potential battle-ground. People handled the situation indifferent ways. Some folks would outrightconfront with strong and argumentativeprotest. Others quietly sat back with littleto say in what appeared to be a “go alongto get along” attitude. Real feelings, how-ever, were likely to be shared on tele-phone lines after the meeting had ended.Hidden resentments over decisionsmade were often harbored in the mindsof some that occasionally popped upover the years. The only thing peopletotally agreed on was that we need toagree on something.Elijah’s Mount Carmel experience

helps us see the tensions that mightarise when we seek to affirm our faith ina world of diverse ideas.

Two Opinions Our background Scripture sets the

tone and circumstances for this moun-tain-top duel between a prophet and aking. During this time, Israel was in diresocial and economic need. First Kings17:1 tells us that God sent the prophetElijah to announce to the NorthernKingdom that a drought would comeupon the land. The land would see “nei-ther dew nor rain for three years.” Thisdrought or famine would ultimately bringdevastation and hardship upon the entirenation. It was during the third year of thisdrought that Elijah received a messagefrom God (1 Kings 18:1). The prophetwas to go and tell King Ahab that the Lordwould now send rain once again.Certainly this would have been goodnews to the inhabitants of this thirstyland. Furthermore, Ahab would seeming-ly have been happy to see Elijah and hearthis message. However, this meetingbetween king and prophet was anythingbut cordial.Elijah’s message and mission was

clear. He had not only come to bring goodnews (rain), but also to denounce evilthat had plagued the land. This evil wasidolatry and especially idolatrous worshipas endorsed by King Ahab. “You desertedthe LORD’s commands and followed theBaals” was the prophet’s message (verse18). This public indictment would forcethe hand of King Ahab to gather all thepeople of Israel along with the 450prophets of Baal to settle this matteronce and for all.Elijah’s first order of business was not

to correct King Ahab or even theprophets. Instead, his first concern wasdirected toward the people of Israel.“How long will you hobble back and forth


between two opinions?” (verse 21)Probably no one had expected to beaddressed in this way, as, “The peoplegave no answer” (verse 21). Yet thisquestion seemingly cut to the hearts ofmany who were present. Elijah was chal-lenging their faith as true believers in theGod of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Thestatement, “If the LORD is God, followGod. If Baal is God, follow Baal” (verse21) suggests a level of frustration andmaybe even anger toward theseIsraelites by the prophet. The undertonewas that many of them were “straddlingthe fence” in terms of their loyalty towardJehovah God. Like confused children,they were hobbling back and forth fromone deity to the next. Elijah clearly sawthis behavior as hypocritical and a mock-ery of the living God.The question “how long will you hobble

back and forth” was not only a questionfor these Israelites, but it is a question forChristians today. Often our timidity andhesitancy to share our faith (especiallywith nonbelievers) suggests that deepdown we are perhaps unsure about ourwitness. We may think the safe thing todo in such situations is to say nothingrather than risk offending and being mis-understood by the other person. Theirony of this attitude is that we are mem-bers of a denomination that challengesand encourages us to go and make disci-ples of Jesus Christ in the world.So, how do we modern-day Christians

share our faith in a living God amongwhat Elijah might call Baals? First, this isnot a new question nor is it a new chal-lenge to our faith. Our witness is not acall to be dogmatic and condescending

toward those who do not share ourbeliefs. However, our faith begins with aclear acknowledgement and understand-ing of who we are in Christ. The aware-ness of God’s redemptive love and pres-ence working in my life gives me a biblicalright to, “Always be prepared to give ananswer to everyone who asks you to givethe reason for the hope that you have.But do this with gentleness and respect”(1 Peter 3:15, NIV). The Common EnglishBible and other translations of the Bibleuse the word “defend” or “defense” as anexpression of our loyalty to the faith.Therefore, as a fellow citizen of the world,I can share my faith and spiritual journeywith others without apprehension andsimply allow the Holy Spirit to workthrough me to usher forth the kingdom ofGod into the world. Respect for others ofdifferent persuasions does not call us todenounce or reject our faith. I am gratefuland blessed to be part of a denominationthat does not put its “go ye” under abushel basket.How does Elijah’s bold and confronta-

tional faith posture personally speak toyou?

Tensions MountWhen Elijah started to detail the plans

for the encounter with the prophets ofBaal, it no doubt made an impression oneveryone present. This prophet was seri-ous! It did not matter to Elijah that he wasoutnumbered. In fact, he told the peoplethat “I am the last of the LORD’s prophets”(verse 22). So what? At first glance thisprophet was either crazy or he knewsomething that King Ahab and hiscohorts did not know. He confidentlyordered the attendants to “Give us two

Lesson 2 11 June 14


Lesson 2 12 June 14

bulls” (verse 23). The next instructionswere that Baal’s prophets would chooseone of the bulls, and he and the people ofGod would take the other one. In tradi-tional and ceremonial fashion, each sidewould prepare their sacrifice. We canonly imagine the tension and excitementthat was slowly building up in the mindsand hearts of those present.Everything was set, ready, and about to

go. However, a key part of Elijah’s instruc-tions before this holy event began wasthat no fire would be placed on the altarby either side. The seriousness of follow-ing this last step is highlighted by the factthat the prophet on three occasions toldthis congregation not to add fire to thesacrifice (verses 23, 25). How then wouldthe test of divine superiority be deter-mined? Elijah’s message was, “The godwho answers with fire—that’s the realGod!” (verse 24). We can only imaginewhat was behind the people’s reply of,“That’s an excellent idea” (verse 24).Were they as confident as Elijah that theGod of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob woulddeclare sovereignty as Supreme God? Orwere they simply in the crowd to see whatwould happen? The absence of fire alongwith the need for fire to make the sacri-fice complete would call for divine andsupernatural intervention.What are we to make of Elijah when he

started “making fun” of the prophets ofBaal (verse 27)? In childlike fashion, hestarted taunting and teasing theseprophets as if to say, “Ha, ha! I told youso!” The fact that these prophets hadwailed and screamed and even did a hop-ping dance from morning to middaywould have only heightened Elijah’s

taunting insults in their minds. Theseprophets were very likely a little embar-rassed, frustrated, and even annoyedwith the response of their god. Their cry,“Great Baal, answer us!” had seeminglyfallen on deaf ears (verse 26). This openand public criticism no doubt played akey role in dampening the hopes of theseprophets to prevail in this situation.In the name of human respect, I do not

condone offensive language even forpeople I think might deserve it. On thesurface, Elijah likely appears to somepeople as a little arrogant and what oth-ers might call “cocky.” However, (and notcondoning arrogance), the flip side of thiscoin is that Elijah’s confidence in Godcomes through loud and clear. He had nodoubt that God was the real God.We like to think that unconsciously his

purpose was to educate these paganprophets into the faith of the real God.Perhaps his overzealous attitude andcomments were a bit much, but no onecan overlook his faith and commitment tothe God of Israel. He was sure of God andnot afraid to declare his allegiance.However we understand the tone of thisprophet, the Lord’s sovereignty asSupreme God was under attack and truthhad to emerge.How do you feel when people criticize

your faith? What are some ways that youmight restore fellowship with them?

Fire From Heaven After the taunting and teasing match

had ended, Elijah set the stage for God’ssovereignty and power to come forth. Itwould be a hands-on lesson for the peo-ple that they would never forget. He


called the people (“Come here!”; verse30) and reminded them that a first orderof business was to repair the Lord’s altar.God’s dignity and sovereignty as the Godof Israel must be restored for all to see.The text does not mention how this altarwas destroyed or why it was even onMount Carmel. However, the fact that analtar was present representing Israel’sGod demanded that it be restored as aplace of honor and respect.The prophet next called on the people

to remember their history as the peopleof God. They were the covenant people.Elijah took twelve stones representingthe twelve tribes of Israel and rebuilt thedamaged altar. These twelve stones rep-resented the twelve sons of Jacob. Theywere not just stones set in place as cere-monial pieces, but they were a clear andvivid reminder of Israel’s spiritual jour-ney. These stones would forever remindthese Israelites of who they were as apeople and whom they were to serve andgive their allegiance. Therefore, it wasimperative and absolutely necessary inthe mind of Elijah that this holy place berestored. Furthermore, the Lord hadgiven this prophet specific instructions toset these matters of God in order (verse36).After the altar had been restored, the

next step was to prepare the sacrifice.The storyline shows that Elijah was care-ful and methodical in what can be seenas the handling of holy things. The detailsof verses 33-34 show the prophet’sunshakeable faith and trust in God to dothe miraculous. He instructed the peopleto fill four jars with water and pour it onthe sacrifice. Not once, not twice, but

three times! This public act may haveappeared a little boastful to some on thepart of Elijah; however, doing this wouldhave erased any idea of trickery on thepart of this prophet when heaven’s firecame. It also showed Elijah’s utmost con-fidence in God to be God in a difficult anddivisive situation.Elijah’s short but powerful prayer cap-

tures the essence of the why of thisMount Carmel extravaganza. His con-frontation with Ahab and the prophets ofBaal was not to satisfy a personal agen-da. Yes, Ahab and Elijah were not thebest of friends and saw each other asmenaces to the land. However, Elijahcame as a servant of God to restore a sin-ful and rebellious nation. He came toshow God’s sovereignty to all humankindand to make it public knowledge that Godis the real God. His attempt to bringabout spiritual restoration to a rebelliousnation had to be candidly proclaimed andopenly demonstrated. The joy and bless-ings of new life always override theappearance of how we bring about thischange. When people come into theknowledge of God, hearts change andthe foundation for true restorationbegins.After Elijah had finished his prayer, the

text says that fire came down from heav-en (verse 38). This is the crowning act ofthis event and the ultimate proof thatGod is Sovereign King of the universe.When the people witnessed this greatdisplay of power, they fell on their facesand declared that, “The LORD is the realGod!” (verse 39). They no longer had asuperficial and shallow idealism aboutGod, but a life-changing experience that

Lesson 2 13 June 14


Lesson 2 14 June 14

removed all doubt about the God of theirancestors. The high note of this “answerby fire” verse for me is not in trying to the-ologically unravel the how of this miracle,but simply to acknowledge and embracethe reality of a true and living God wholives in the now of life. Let this story chal-lenge you this week to embrace the truthand power of divine love extended towardhumankind. Believe that God is real andgraciously rewards those who diligently

seek and try to find God (see Hebrews11:6). “All hail the power of Jesus’ name!Let angels prostrate fall.”What religious or other symbols

remind you of your allegiance to God?Why?

O Lord our God, we bow in humble adora-tion and there proclaim, “My God, howgreat Thou art!” In Jesus’ name we pray.Amen.


ummer uarter 2020 jun. 7 jun. 14 · by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the...

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