EMMAUS SCHOOL OF BIBLICAL STUDIES

Matthew was amazing…
Some timeless truths I got out of it were:
1. Jesus is the fulfillment of History.
2. Jesus is the Messiah King of all creation.
3. Jesus is alive.

I want to change my life by being fit for fellowship with God. I want to know and live the Call and Cost of discipleship in my life. I desire freedom in Christ and long obedience in the same direction by the power of the Holy Spirit. I want my heart to be changed where I live the life worthy of the calling of Christ. I desire to stay close to the Lord and walk in the light of the Holy Spirit. I am thrilled with the transformation the Lord has begun and wants to continue in my heart and life in response to knowing Him more and more each day. In thirty years I want to be like Ron and Judy Smith and Dawn and Mark Masucci where Christ is new and glorious and fresh everyday. where each day i have deeper and deeper revelation of who God is, in light of His character, His Son, and His Spirit. I am thankful for SBS and all my teachers and classmates.

These two books show the beginning of the story of the people rebuilding the temple, wall of Jerusalem, and themselves in their faith. Its clear to see this was no easy task for the people. I saw Ezra and Nehemiah raise up as leaders for the people. They chose to put themselves out there, to instruct the people and help establish order for the temple. The people were also faced with opposition, people did not want the reconstruction of the city to take place…why? my thought is they feared how strong the people of God could/would be. The Lord comes against the questions of the people, He proves to them that he is with them and that they are in fact still his people. Here is there second chance, all of history and the things promised to their ancestors have come to pass. Now for the next part of his promise, He continues to be faithful to the faithless people.  An application point that i got out of these books was living as a changed person. I saw the people attempting to live in a chaotic world, no it wasn’t easy. Knowing truth and believing the gospel we are called to live as changed…transformed people in this chaotic world where we are surrounded by things that are far more comfortable. As people of God we are set apart, we can’t be who we were. so for me leaving school will be application. How do live then? well, i can’t fall back to the way i was before school. truth has pierced my heart and i must live out of that truth…a new creation, a second chance. This is a lifetime process, we should constantly be changing, “building” our lives to display the love and truth of the gospel…no matter the cost. Our cost will never measure to the cost actually paid…the cross.

This is a very interesting book about the deliverance of God’s people through way of a Jewish orphan named Esther. One thing that is particularly interesting about the book is that it never once references God, only God’s chosen people, the Jews. Seeing God’s character in other books makes it obvious that God is sovereign in the story the whole time. It wouldn’t make sense otherwise. Esther was living in the Persian empire and chosen to be queen after a decree set out for the king to choose a new queen. It is her beauty that captivates the king and she is seen later being bold enough to approach him concerning her people when she could be in huge trouble for such a thing. A man named Haman is trying to destroy all the Jews in the Persian empire. It is interesting that Haman is a direct descendant of King Agag and Esther’s cousin/guardian Mordecai is a Benjaminite, a relative of King Saul. This is interesting because in 1 Samuel 15:3 Saul is told to utterly destroy everything, not sparing Amalekites but in 1 Sam 15:8 King Saul doesn’t do this and almost destroys everything but sparing King Agag. King Agag is the ancestor of the high king’s official Haman that wants all the Jews dead. Interesting how history follows itself. Haman in all his power tries to get his plan accomplished but because Esther has become queen, she is able to have the king destroy Haman instead and so she saves her people. One of the main reasons the book was written was to show where the festival Purim comes from, which is celebrated because of the deliverance Esther and Mordecai did for their people in the Persian empire at this time. It is definitely God’s sovereign hand seen on the lives of his people through this story.

Esther shows a series of events that all fit perfectly together to bring about deliverance for the Jews such that there is no way they could be a series of coincidences or happy accidents.  Rather, there is no question that the providential hand of God orchestrated the tapestry of events that led to the deliverance of the Jews from the hands of their attackers.  This speaks to the original readers about the reality of God’s presence in their midst even for those Jews who chose to remain in Persia.

Esther is like a breath of fresh air amidst of time of uncertainty in the lives of the people of Judah. A fraction of the people have returned to the promised land and they are struggling to see how God’s purposes are carried out in this new nation. The building of the temple has been difficult, and they are wondering why they should remain Jewish. The author uses the story of Esther, which reads like a short story, to remind the readers that God is active in their lives. The narrative never mentions the name of God, but the reader cannot help but trace his fingerprints throughout, seeing his sovereign hand orchestrating the events of the Persian Jews.

The application that struck me through all this was the example of how Esther engaged life where she was in the moment. Her story of rags to riches leaves the reader feeling that if God can use her he can use any one of us, but we our end is to be engaged in today. To see the value in where we are planted at this very moment, not waiting for our life to begin somewhere else, and in some other time.

Esther is chalked full of living as a christian today. There is no mention of God throughout the book. Esther and Mordecai very much bring hope and the presence of the Lord in thier actions. They become the voice for the Jews in Susa, Persia. After studying the prophets its neat to see this contrast between them and Esther and Mordecai. The prophets way of conveying the message of hope and to trust only the True God was loud and filled with words. Whereas Esther and Mordecai didn’t use so many words as they sought living out the message. To me it brings up which is more powerful? I think there will be some middle ground. There will be times to speak as the prophets but also remembering out actions, lives are on trial. Our words mean nothing unless they have action to them. I think about the message of James, put feet to your faith. Esther and Mordecai show that.

Esther was cool because for a book that does not mention the name of God once, it is full of truth about the Lord. It was an interesting story to engage with because of the sin of a non-monogamous marriage today but that in those times it was culturally acceptable. To accept that for the story and then watch God uses an ugly situation to deliver His people. And that God sovereignly works behinds the scenes just proves His wonderful character that much more. That he would use a Jew in a Persian kingdom is miraculous and I see that feat as possible by the Lord in my life. Also to see the beginning of Jews to rehearse God’s faithfulness was refreshing. I guess I learned again how much I love the Lord. I cherish His involvement in my life and love rehearsing His faithfulness.
Really sobering is thinking that the Lord would sovereignly use the unlikely to do the impossible. I would be honored to be used by the Lord. I think that is a cool concept and something I can no longer doubt about who the Lord has made me to be, a child of His to be used by Him, even if I don’t trust, believe, or understand how it could be possible. Even if I don’t feel worthy of being used God sees Jesus’ righteousness and necessity of His work in the body of Christ. I want to challenge myself to acknowledge the work of the Lord in my life. That He cares I seek Him, seek righteousness, and seek humility. He wants me to seek Him and seek love. To love Him and love others. I want my life to project Him and by getting near Him in loving response people can see him working behind the scenes or in the actions shots of my life and come to lasting relationship with Him.

Over and over in Daniel we see God asserting his authority and showing his people that he is in control over everything and that their allegiance belongs solely with him.  He is sovereign over the fate of nations and the lives of individuals. Earthly kingdoms rise and fall, but God’s kingdom is everlasting. One other interesting point that came up was that when there is a conflict between serving government and serving God, we should choose God. Daniel and his friends make use of civil disobedience when it comes to issues of worshiping the one true God. I found this to be an important point. Too often we are swept away with nationalistic ideas or simply caught up in the flow of our culture. Instead, our understanding and ideas must come first and foremost from the principles and truths held within the biblical text. God has given us his word and we must live accordingly, even when this seems to be opposed to the prevailing notions of our country.

Daniel is a crazy and amazing book. The overall message of the book is that God’s kingdom is sovereign over all earthly kingdoms because they will rise and fall but God’s kingdom is forever. Daniel interprets King Nebuchadnezzar’s dream in chapter 2 having to do with a giant statue that represents earthly kingdoms and a stone comes (representing God’s kingdom) and breaks the statue into pieces and it is blown away in the wind. 6:26 says, “…His kingdom shall never be destroyed, and his dominion has no end.” It is amazing how prophetic the book is and how accurate it is to history. Daniel gives reference to Babylon’s power ending and being taken by Persia/Mede. He explains other kingdoms rising and falling, that fit right in with the Greek and Roman empires. He gives details that are so amazingly accurate that some scholars believe the book had to have been written after these historic events took place. To say that though would be saying God is not as sovereign as the book is proclaiming him to be. Another thing to notice about the book is Daniel’s character through the whole thing. It gives periods of his life as a young boy and as an old man and he is always seen standing up for God’s kingdom and giving credit to God for things he so easily could feel like he has accomplished. God gave him insight on interpretting dreams and he is seen in 2:26-28 responding to the kings question of whether he can interpret the dream by saying, “No wise men, enchanters, magicians, or dviners can show the king the mystery that the king is asking, but there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries…” He doesn’t take credit for the ability to interpret the king’s dream. Daniel was a young boy when he did this. Then later in his life, when he was in his 70s or 80s, his character is the same. Daniel 5:16-17 a king wants to give Daniel gold chains, 3rd rank in the kingdom etc if he can interpret a mysterious writing on the wall and Daniel’s response is, “Let your gifts be for yourself, or give your rewards to someone else! Nevertheless I will read the writing to the king and let him know the interpretation.” This is Daniel’s character throughout his whole life and it is definitely one to learn from.

The main idea of Daniel is that God is sovereign above all the earthly kings and kingdoms and that His kingdom will be the only one that is everlasting and will never perish. What are some points I learned from Daniel. Well Daniel was a very disciplined man who sought after the Lord daily and consistently and did so in humility. I need to do the same, my weakness is seeking the Lord on a consistent basis and also trusting him with my difficult situations. The book of Daniel shows me beyond a shadow of a doubt that God can be trusted and that he is the only one that can be!

Daniel was so good. I learned so much. That the Lord’s sovereignty is so sweet and so good. That He is in total control. And that is it okay I do not understand everything. I am grateful the Lord allows things to happen. And makes other things happen. I am proud to serve a God big enough to foretell the future. That He can do that because He is not in a box or limited by anything and that it is better I don’t understand everything because my brain is finite. I am thankful, as He knew exactly what Daniel needed to get through; He knows the same for me. That as He uses evil for His perfect plan He is in control. I am thankful His kingdom outlasts all others. That I can hope in Him because He is not going anywhere. I can rest that the earth will perish but His kingdom will still be in existence because He is God. I am glad He is sovereign over mortals because no one could do as good of a job as Him. I know that eternity is secure because His kingdom and sovereignty are eternal.
I also learned about seeking God. Putting myself in His way, not because He can’t see me or I am not already but that I would be intentional with my life unto Him. I want to apply this to my life by understanding and realizing His kingdom deserves my loyal allegiance. That the world, clothes, family, friends, society, food, image, and the flesh are not worthy of my allegiance. He is the only one and His kingdom is worth it. I want to seek him to plant deep roots of His kingdom in my heart. I desire to apply this to my life my seeking Him in journaling, prayer, and spiritual disciplines. His kingdom has come and is penetrating the world and my heart and I am thrilled. I believe He is sovereign and am thankful for the book of Daniel to reveal the character of the Lord so beautifully in my life. I want to be different. I am rejoicing I am included in His everlasting kingdom.

What shocked me about this book was the call that God placed on Ezekiel’s life, I saw that he really had no choice in the matter of what happened to him. As he sat by the river and thought in bitterness of soul, God called him and told him the responsibility he had as an ambassador of the truth. It didn’t take me long to realize that I am in the same exact boat as Ezekiel, and I definitely have sat by the river stunned for seven days wondering if I could handle the call of God on my life. So much hit me in this book, but the thing that struck the loudest chord was the understanding of God’s call on a mans life.

I have a call on my life, and actually you have a call on your life. We are all called for his purposes, we simply choose at times to allow this kingdom to be advanced rather than our own. Do we dignify that call or do we push it to the back page of the newspaper to be read at a later date? I would wagger a guess that we tend to do both.

The truth of the matter is that when we walk in God’s calling we do what we are created to do, whether natural or completly unnatural. It is here in the inbetween that we realize that he is enough, and his call will satisfy.

Ezekiel seemed to be rough for me. Packed full of so many things to unpack~! didn’t seem like enough time. through the process of charting and studying inductivly i saw God’s heart for his people. Ezekiel’s message of the Lord is with them was huge. the people in exile needed to know that God is with them. They forgot that. Ezekiel very clearly shows them that God is big and goes with them wherever they go, even in exile. Another big issue that Ezekiel hits on is responsiblity for your own actions and as a whole. the people in exile didn’t see they were at fault which led them to exile. They blamed their ancestors. The issue was they knew truth and were responsible for that knowledge and how they lived in response to that truth.  This very much applies to us today. Knowing truth, how are you living? What are you doing with your life? Knowing that God goes with you he never leaves you and you have the truth, the gospel to live by…how are you doing with that?  For me personally i really saw a call to not be a product of my enviroment. Being raised out of church and never really grasping the gospel until recently, i saw the call and urge to not fall into what i saw was ok or acceptable. Now knowing truth, i know what is acceptable and what is not acceptable according the Lord. He sets the bar high for the call of our lives, having truth we can live out of it. Great knowledge comes great responsiblity. God has basically called us to minister the truth/gospel with our lives. So how do you live with the knowledge of truth and knowing that God is good.?

I got a lot out of Ezekiel. I saw the Lord’s pursuing and persistent heart for His people and His need for justice and wrath. I saw the hearts of disobedient people that remind me of mine. I learned that God desired to be known. He wants His people to know that He is the Lord their God. And for their lasting good, desire to know Him, love him, and obey His commands. I love that He is jealous and desires my attention. I desire to know Him more and more as long as I live. I learned the obedience of a prophet and how the Lord wants me to warn, inform, and proclaim His truth in obedience with diligence and perseverance even if it is not what I thought it was going to be. And that the Lord requires me to trust Him.
I also learned about individual and corporate responsibility of sin. That no one can blame anyone else for their sin. That the Lord will hold me accountable to the way I respond to things. It is no one else’s fault for my sin. I also learned that no one has done anything so bad to me that what the Lord has done for me does not trump. I am thankful He has forgiveness and mercy. I am thankful He is powerful and in control. In my life I want to acknowledge that He is with me always, He is Lord, and I am nothing without Him. He punishes sin and holds me responsible. I will trust Him in the good and bad and choose life through righteousness.

Ezekiel is a priest that God called to be a prophet to Israel while they were at the beginning of a 70 year exile out of there land under the Babylonian empire. This exile was judgment on them for being so rebellious and hideous in their worship of other gods in the temple of God etc. God meets Ezekiel while he is among these exiles and reveals to him in a vision how their sins have been abominations. The book has a lot of very graphic but necessary imagery because the whole point of showing Ezekiel this and having him do the things he did for Israel was to get their attention. God’s purpose in doing all he did was for them to know that he is the Lord, which is a phrase repeated about 70 times throughout the book. Israel had a very hard and stubborn heart and didn’t want to listen to Ezekiel but God wants to warn of judgement because he wants people to turn back to him. Ezekiel 33:11 says, “I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from their ways and live.” God’s delight is in giving people life, not forcing people to hell in his anger because it is people that choose death for themselves over life found ultimately in Christ. My favorite passage is 37:1-14 where God take Ezekiel in a vision to a valley of dry bones to represent that is how Israel is, dead. He wants Ezekiel to speak to the dry bones and through him, God will bring them together and breath life into them. It is a very beautiful passage I recomend you reading. I see the New Testament writers using this passage to represent who we were and who we are now in Christ. Ephesians 2:1, 4-6 says, “You were dead through the trespasses and sins… But God, who is rich in mercy, out of the great love with which he loved us even when we were dead through our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ- by grace you have been saved- and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus.”