Bible Searchers: 1996
Table of Contents
Lamentations of Jeremiah: January 7, 1996
Jeremiah not only wrote the prophecy that is named after him, but he also was inspired by the Spirit of God to write a smaller prophecy which is entitled “The Lamentations of Jeremiah” or “Lamentations.”
Perhaps it is because of the sorrow that Jeremiah expresses in this little book that he is sometimes called “the weeping prophet.” He wept because of the disobedience of the children of Israel and the judgment that God would have to send upon them for their wicked ways.
Jeremiah’s weeping is a little picture of the heart of the Lord Jesus, who so loved His people and came to bless them. But in His rejection, He stands overlooking the city of Jerusalem where He should have reigned as king, and wept over the desolation and destruction which must fall on the hard-hearted people that He loved so much. Weeping in this way, as He did, and as Jeremiah did in an earlier time, shows a heart full of love for those who, though disobedient, are loved by God.
In some ways, the prophecy found in Lamentations has been partially fulfilled, for the beloved city of God, Jerusalem, has suffered terribly over the last two thousand years. It will suffer even more, until the time comes when, in sorrow, the Jews own the awful thing they did to the Lord Jesus, their Messiah. After this, God will bless the Jews and Jerusalem as He has promised to do.
Let’s rest for a while in our journey so that you can look up the following verses.
1. The Lord Jesus promised His disciples that, though they were feeling ____________ , He would see them again. When He did, they would have a joy that no one would be able to take from them. John 16:___
Verily
2. We have been given a “shield of faith” to protect ourselves from the “fiery darts” of the ____________ one, Satan. Ephesians 6:___
Above
3. A time is coming in this world when men who hate God will think that all is well - that there is peace and safety without God. It is at this very time when ____________ will suddenly come upon them. 1 Thessalonians 5:___
For
4. The woman who had been set free from the power of Satan by the Lord Jesus had her heart so full of love for Him that she stood ____________ while she worshipped Him. Luke 7:___
And
5. Paul comforted the beloved Philippian believers, telling them that not only were they brought to faith in Christ, but they also had the privilege of ____________ for Him. Philippians 1:___
For
1 Corinthians 15: January 7, 1996
We continue our study of First and Second Corinthians. In chapter 15 some of the most fundamental Christian truths are unfolded. These have to do with the fundamental truths of the gospel, and more especially with the whole doctrine of resurrection.
Not only did Paul preach that Jesus had died, but that He had risen from the dead the third day and that there were many witnesses to this fact. But there were some among the Corinthians who were saying that there was no resurrection of the dead. This was a most serious error, for it led to believers being encouraged to live this life as though there were nothing after. Those who fell into this error allowed all sorts of excesses and carnality in their lives. But Paul points out to them that if believers only had hope in this life, they were the most miserable of all men, for they lived as pilgrims here, denying themselves, and when they died they had nothing awaiting them.
They were being taught by some of the worldly believers in Corinth to live only for today, for there was nothing to look forward to. But Paul shows how that Christ Himself has risen first from the dead - the firstfruits - and now each believer who dies will, in virtue of this, also rise. To those who questioned and scoffed at this teaching, Paul turns to the elementary principles of nature, showing that when a seed dies, it brings forth life from the dead.
He closes by showing that, while this wonderful change (resurrection) will happen in an instant of time, not all believers will die. There will be some who are alive when the Lord comes and will be changed into their glorified “resurrection” bodies without dying. Death has lost its victory.
The Corinthian believers were to continue laboring for the Lord, knowing that their service was not in vain.
1. How did the unprofitable servant, who did not believe that his master would return, behave towards the other servants? Luke 12:___
2. Some in Corinth were teaching that it is only in this life that there is hope. Paul taught the Roman believers that faith gave them to “rejoice in hope” for that which was coming. What did he assure them that those who had this would not become? Romans 5:___
3. The last enemy to be destroyed will be death. How did the Lord Jesus destroy the one who held the power of death? Hebrews 2:___
4. Paul told the Corinthians that the “evil communications” they were hearing concerning resurrection were causing them to become corrupted in their Christian living. What did he tell the Philippian believers to think about?
Philippians 4:___
5. Paul did not want the false teaching about there being no resurrection to cause the Corinthians to stop laboring for the Lord. What had happened to the Levites in Nehemiah’s day when the people listened to the enemy and stopped bringing their sacrifices to Jerusalem? Nehemiah 13:___
Ezekiel: February 4, 1996
The next prophet we meet on our journey through the Bible is Ezekiel, whose name means “God strengthens.” This prophet opens his divinely inspired prophecy with an awesome vision for living creatures moving in power and glory. This vision reminds us of the power and glory of the Lord Jesus, who in a coming day will rule as king in this world, which has presently cast Him out.
Ezekiel is a very long prophetic book. God sent it to His beloved people, who were being very naughty and rebellious. They had become so hardened in their hearts that they refused to hear the words of Ezekiel. Even though this was so, God told Ezekiel to tell them His message. Later, God tells Ezekiel that the people were so disobedient that they could not hear or understand what He said to them. What terrible consequences of sin!
Ezekiel had to tell these disobedient people that the glory of God’s presence in the temple in Jerusalem would depart because of their wickedness. However, the prophecy ends with a view of a future day when the Lord Jesus will come into the temple and reign there as king, and the nation of Israel, having repented of their sin, will be wonderfully blessed.
Let’s stop now and rest while you look for the following verses.
1. When the Apostle Paul prayed that the Lord would remove the trial that he called a “thorn in the flesh,” the Lord told Paul that His ____________ was perfected in Paul’s weakness. 2 Corinthians 12:___
And
2. It is by God’s ____________ that believers are kept through faith.
1 Peter 1:___
Who
3. Over and over the Lord Jesus pleaded with men to ____________ what He was saying. Matthew 11:___
He
4. Christians have a battle. Our fight is against ____________ in high (heavenly) places. Ephesians 6:___
For
5. In the book of Revelation, the Lord Jesus is referred to as the Lamb and as the ____________ of ____________. Revelation 17:___
These
1 Corinthians 16: February 4, 1996
We continue our study of First and Second Corinthians. In the last chapter of his first letter, Paul gives instructions about the fellowship which the Corinthians were sending with him to minister to the poor saints in Jerusalem. He is careful to avoid any “appearance” of evil concerning these funds by telling the Corinthians to appoint those from Corinth whom Paul would use to carry this fellowship to Jerusalem.
Paul planned to visit Corinth again, but until he was able to come, he would send Timothy. The Lord had opened a wonderful door for preaching in Ephesus, and though there were many adversaries, Paul would stay and preach the gospel. The assembly in Corinth, therefore, is instructed to receive Timothy even as Paul himself; he was serving the Lord. Apollos, who would be helpful too, would come when he had a convenient time.
A special commendation is given to the household of Stephanas, who had fully given themselves to the service of the assembly. Paul ends his first letter with the assurance of his love in Christ to them.
1. Satan is the great adversary of believers and of the assembly of God. What character does Satan take in order, as our adversary, to try to fool us?
2 Corinthians 11:___
2. What character does our adversary take when he tries to destroy us?
1 Peter 5:___
3. While teaching the young men to walk soberly, what does Paul tell the younger women to do, so that the adversary may not speak reproachfully of their conduct? 1 Timothy 5:___
4. The assembly at Jerusalem was very poor and needy. The assembly in Corinth was evidently a very wealthy assembly and thus they had the privilege of sending fellowship to the brethren in Jerusalem. What instructions does Paul give to believers who are rich? 1 Timothy 6:___
5. The household of Stephanas was wholly committed to serving their brethren as a labor of love for the Lord. What does Paul beseech the Roman believers to present to God? Romans 12:___
Daniel 1: March 3, 1996
The next prophet we meet on our journey through the Bible is Daniel, whose name means “God is my judge.” Daniel is perhaps the best known of all the prophets. He and many other young people were carried captive out of the land of Judah into the land of Babylon. They were made slaves of the king of this land. This was the result of the judgment of God upon the disobedient people of God.
Daniel, however, loved Jehovah, and his life of faith provides us with a wonderful example of how a person can, by faith, please the Lord, even in the worst of circumstances. In the very first chapter of Daniel we learn that he and his three friends were very intelligent young men. The king of Babylon wanted them to be raised in the customs of his idolatrous land so that they would, by their service to him, cause his godless kingdom to prosper.
Though faced with this pressure, Daniel trusted in Jehovah, the God of Israel, and he purposed in his heart that he would do nothing to dishonor God. His three friends, Hananiah, Azariah and Mishael, taking courage from his example, also stood firm for Jehovah. These four young friends were, in a very short time, to have their faith severely tested.
Before learning more of these young men of faith, we will stop for a while and rest while you find the following verses.
1. The Lord Jesus warned of a solemn judgment that was to fall on the disobedient Israelites. He said that they would be taken away ____________ into other countries. Luke 21:___
And
2. The Lord Jesus told us that at the day of ____________ every naughty (idle) word that men have spoken will be accounted for. Matthew 12:___
But
3. We are warned in Paul’s first letter to the believers in Corinth to run away from ____________ . 1 Corinthians 10:___
Wherefore
4. The Lord Jesus warned that those who ____________ in riches would have great difficulty entering into the kingdom of God. Mark 10:___
And
5. From a child Timothy had learned the Scriptures and in them learned that ____________ in the Lord Jesus Christ brings salvation. 2 Timothy 3:___
And
2 Corinthians 12: March 3, 1996
We continue our study of First and Second Corinthians. In the first and second chapters of his second letter, Paul speaks to the Corinthians of the comfort that is found in God. There evidently were questions being raised among those in Corinth who were not walking according to the instructions Paul had given them. It seems that some were finding fault with Paul’s absence, questioning why he hadn’t come to Corinth as yet.
Paul tells them of the sufferings and trials through which he passed in Asia and how that God was sufficient for every distress. He did have a desire to come to them again, but had been hindered. He further presses on their conscience that he had not come to them yet in order to spare them the chastisement that their worldly ways deserved.
He longed that there might be true repentance among all those in the assembly at Corinth so that, when he came, there might be rejoicing rather than sorrow among them. He had wept many tears over the assembly because of his great love for them and their worldly condition.
One especially among them had been disciplined and many in the assembly had bowed to this action. There was a danger that the one disciplined would not be shown love upon his repentance. God had forgiven him and Paul desired that they would also, for in doing so he would forgive too.
Satan, ever ready to take advantage of anything in order to seek to destroy God’s people, would seek to keep the Corinthians from showing a spirit of love and forgiveness.
1. Paul told the Corinthians that God had comforted him in his persecutions so that he, in turn, might comfort others who were also suffering persecution and trials. As the early church (in Acts) multiplied, it had a source of comfort too. What was this source? Acts 9:___
2. What does Scripture contain that gives us hope? Romans 15:___
3. What are believers to do with the words of Scripture which tell of the return of the Lord Jesus for His own? 1 Thessalonians 4:___
4. What sad result would take place if the Corinthians failed to show grace and forgiveness toward the repentant man? (This is a very real danger for believers today also.) Hebrews 12:___
5. What direction does Paul give to the Ephesian believers concerning forgiveness? Ephesians 4:___
Daniel 2: April 7, 1996
Daniel and his three friends had refused to eat the food offered by the idolatrous king of Babylon. Instead, they were given a mixture of grains (called “pulse”) and water. When they were compared with the other children who had eaten the king’s food, Daniel and his three companions were found to be “ten times” healthier and wiser.
The reality of their faith was soon to be tested. God sent a dream to king Nebuchadnezzar which he not only was unable to understand, but had forgotten. He called all the wise men of his kingdom to the palace and asked them to tell him what his dream was and what it meant. None of them could do that. Nebuchadnezzar was so angry that he ordered that all the wise men in his kingdom be slain. This order included Daniel and the three friends, for they were also considered wise men. Daniel asked the captain of the guards to give him time to ask God to reveal the meaning and the four young Israelites prayed earnestly together.
God answered their prayer and revealed the dream and its meaning to Daniel. The king was very pleased and confessed that “of a truth it is, that your God is a God of gods, and a Lord of kings, and a revealer of secrets.”
How wonderful to see how God rewards faith in Himself! Before we go any further on our journey, let’s rest while you find these verses:
1. Christians who have clothing to wear and ____________ to eat are to be content with those things. 1 Timothy 6:___
And
2. The Spirit of God assures believers that we are the ____________ of God.
Romans 8:___
The
3. Men seek to understand how the world was created by using their reason. Christians understand how the world was created by ____________ .
Hebrews 11:___
Through
4. Some believers in the Lord Jesus suffer great persecution for their faith. The Bible tells us that some are even ____________ for their faith.
Hebrews 11:___
They
5. When a person believes and ____________ the Lord Jesus with the mouth, that one is saved. Romans 10:___
That
2 Corinthians 3-4: April 7, 1996
We continue our study of First and Second Corinthians. In the third and fourth chapters Paul begins to show how that he and those with him were indeed servants sent by the Lord Jesus to Corinth for the blessing of the believers there. Sad to say, there were those in Corinth who were trying to undermine the doctrines that the Apostle taught them and the authority which he had been given by the risen Christ.
The Spirit of God uses these and succeeding chapters to bring out very lovely truths concerning our Christian walk and our hope. It was Paul’s earnest desire that the Corinthians would not have their eyes and hearts blinded to the truth as the Israelites had in a former day.
Paul had a treasure and he taught the Corinthians that it was hid in an “earthen vessel” (his body) in order that the power needed to overcome the persecutions and trials of this life would be found in God. Paul did not teach that the life of a believer would be easy. There are afflictions connected with the believer’s pathway, but they work for us eternal glory, which faith sees and values.
1. Paul had the Corinthian believers on his heart and that served as his commendatory letter to them. Where has God written His children? Isaiah 49:___
2. Who is it that the Spirit says is written in the book of life? Revelation 3:___
3. What is the end of those who are not written in the book of life?
Revelation 20:___
4. Where will those who are written in the book of life be found?
Revelation 21:___
5. Paul’s “treasure,” the Lord Jesus Christ, was “hid” in his earthly body and was the means of providing the power to overcome in every situation he met in life. Where is it that a man’s heart will be attached? Luke 12:___
Daniel 3: May 1996
When King Nebuchadnezzar promoted Daniel’s three companions, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, to be rulers in Babylon, it was not long before their faith in Jehovah was severely tested.
Nebuchadnezzar made a golden idol, set it up and commanded all those who were his leaders in Babylon to come to worship it. He threatened that anyone who would not worship this wicked idol would be killed by being cast into a fiery furnace.
Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, knowing that the only true God was Jehovah, the God of Israel, and that it was sin against Him to bow down to any idol, refused to worship Nebuchadnezzar’s golden image. The king was so angry that he commanded his strongest soldiers to cast the three Hebrews into the burning furnace. The furnace was so hot that those who had bound and cast the three into it were themselves slain by its terrible heat.
The king received a surprise, for, as he looked into the furnace, he saw not three but four men walking in the midst of the fire. He said that the fourth looked “like the Son of God.”
After releasing the three friends from the furnace, Nebuchadnezzar blessed Jehovah their God and promoted the three to higher honors in Babylon.
Before we go any further on our journey, let’s rest while you find these verses:
1. The Apostle John warns us to stay away from ____________ .
1 John 5:___
Little
2. The wise men who came to find where the Lord Jesus was did so because they wanted to ____________ Him. Matthew 2:___
Saying,
3. The writer of the book of Hebrews reminds us that Moses chose to suffer with God’s people than to enjoy the pleasures of ____________ for a little time.
Hebrews 11:___
Choosing
4. The wicked and unbelieving Jews became ____________ at the Lord Jesus because He healed a man on the Sabbath. John 7:___
If
5. The Jews so hated the name of Jesus that after Paul had begun to preach the gospel, some of them promised not to eat until they had ____________ Paul. Acts 23:___
And
2 Corinthians 5: May 1996
In chapter 5 of 2 Corinthians Paul continues to lay before believers the value of eternal things. He shows that the “house” (our body) which we are presently living in will be “dissolved” (if the Lord Jesus does not come first). The Apostle’s desire lay in looking forward to receiving his glorious body in heaven. When this takes place, the mortal condition of believers’ bodies, presently subject to death, will be forever done away. His assurance rested, not in his own thoughts, but in that which God had done.
Knowing that while in this body believers are absent from the Lord, we should, like the Apostle, desire to be absent from this mortal condition and present with the Lord. But each person will appear before the judgment seat of Christ to receive His evaluation of what was done while in this mortal body. Realization of this coming time of judgment when all is perfectly evaluated by God ought to so affect our hearts that we, as believers enjoying His love and forgiveness, seek to “persuade” others of this coming, solemn time.
Outward appearances, in which some would glory, are meaningless, for, Christ having died, those who live by faith in Him are part of a new creation in Christ. Paul was given, as an ambassador for Christ, a message entreating man to be reconciled to God, for those who believe are become God’s righteousness in Christ.
1. Paul told the Philippians that our present “vile body” (or “body of humiliation”) is going to be changed into something infinitely better. What will our body be like when this takes place? Philippians 3:___
2. The Apostle John reminds us that, though believers are “sons [children] of God,” we do not appear presently in this glorious form. When will this wonderful change take place? 1 John 3:___
3. Believers desire that this present mortal body might be “swallowed up” of eternal life because what enemy has already been “swallowed up” in victory?
1 Corinthians 15:___
4. What is the basis by which the Lord Jesus has overcome the devil, who has the power of death? Hebrews 2:___
5. God has told us that all are dead in sin. Where is the life, which believers receive as the gift of God, presently hidden? Colossians 3:___
Daniel 4: June 1996
In this chapter we see how God humbled the proud and haughty Babylonian king, Nebuchadnezzar. As He often does, He spoke to the king by a dream. But the king could not understand what the dream meant and he became afraid. He called for all the wise men of his kingdom, including the astrologers, to tell him the meaning of his dream, but they were unable to help him, for they could not understand it either.
At last, Daniel came in before the king and was told the dream. After Daniel had heard the king’s dream, he too was troubled. But it was because he understood what it meant and Daniel realized that God was warning King Nebuchadnezzar to turn from his proud and wicked ways.
Nebuchadnezzar’s dream, which warned that the king would lose his mind and his kingdom and would exist as an animal in the wilderness, came to pass. This solemn judgment happened just after the king had claimed that he himself was responsible for all the greatness of his kingdom. God passed him through a severe trial to humble his proud heart.
At the end of the time that God appointed, the king’s reason returned and he began again to rule in Babylon. This time, however, he gave God the honor and glory rather than seeking it for himself.
Let’s stop and rest in our journey while you find these verses:
1. The Apostle Peter writes to believers telling us that we are to be humble, for God resists (or “sets Himself against”) those who are ____________ .
1 Peter 5:___
Likewise,
2. Peter also encourages believers not to be ____________ when they suffer for the Lord, but rather they are to be happy. 1 Peter 3:___
But
3. When the Lord Jesus came walking on the stormy sea to the disciples’ boat, they saw Him and were ____________ . Matthew 14:___
And
4. God must bring man into ____________ because he is so wicked that he can even enjoy the wicked things that others do. Romans 1:___
Who
5. The ____________ person receives from God the grace needed for each day, while He resists the proud person. 1 Peter 5:___
Likewise,
2 Corinthians 6: June 1996
In chapter 6 of 2 Corinthians the Apostle Paul reminds the Corinthians that the ministry he had among them was given to him of God, and thus he was careful that his actions not bring any reproach or blame on this service. Every circumstance of life through which he passed was used as another proof that he and his service were of God. His heart overflows with love to the Corinthians and with the desire that their heart might overflow in love to him.
A much needed warning is given about living in separation from all moral darkness. Fellowship with those who are “dead” before God, or fellowship with any kind of wickedness, will hinder enjoyment of the relationship that we as believers have with God our Father. Paul teaches that there must be separation from evil before there can be the enjoyment of our relationship as children of God.
1. Paul was careful that the way he lived did not cause an offense to the ministry which God had given to him. What was he willing to give up in order not to cause a weaker brother to stumble? 1 Corinthians 8:___
2. What effect did the actions of the sons of the high priest Eli have on the men of Israel when they brought their offerings to the Lord? 1 Samuel 2:___
3. Jacob feared that the violence of Simeon and Levi, visited upon Hamor and his people, would have what effect on the people among whom Israel dwelt? Genesis 34:___
4. What is the reason that the Apostle Peter gives for requiring holiness in believers? 1 Peter 1:___
5. At the end of 2 Corinthians 6, the Apostle quotes scriptures showing that we are to separate from that which is unclean in order that we might enjoy our relationship as children of God our Father. When the Thessalonians turned to God, from what did they separate? 1 Thessalonians 1:___
Daniel 5: July 1996
In chapter 5 of Daniel the solemn story of Belshazzar is recorded as a warning to all who do not think about God. This wicked king and his friends were having a feast at which they used the dishes and cups that had been in God’s temple in Jerusalem. While they were enjoying this idolatrous feast, they worshipped their wicked idols and false gods.
During this time a very remarkable thing happened. A man’s hand appeared and wrote words on the wall of the room in which Belshazzar was holding his feast. The king was terrified by this miraculous event. He could not understand what the words which had been written meant, so he called for all of the wise men in his kingdom. King Belshazzar promised great riches to anyone who could interpret the words which had been written on the wall. But none of the astrologers and wise men were able to tell him what they meant.
Finally the queen (who was Belshazzar’s mother) told him about Daniel, who had interpreted the dreams of his father Nebuchadnezzar. Daniel was called into Belshazzar’s presence and was promised great honor and riches if he could interpret the writing. Daniel told Belshazzar to keep his riches, yet he told him that the words meant that God was going to judge Belshazzar for his wicked ways that very night. All this came to pass when Darius the Mede overthrew Belshazzar’s kingdom and slew him.
Let’s stop for a while and rest in our journey while you find these verses:
1. The Apostle Paul was so concerned for the spiritual welfare of the believers at Ephesus that for three years he wept day and night as he ____________ them about how they were to act as believers. Acts 20:___
Therefore
2. The ruler of the wedding ____________ , to which Jesus was called, did not realize that Jesus had turned water into the excellent wine he was drinking.
John 2:___
When
3. Though the snake which bit the Apostle Paul’s ____________ was poisonous, its venom did not harm him. Acts 28:___
And
4. In His parable of the sower and the seed, the Lord Jesus said that one of the things which choked the seed so that it could not grow was ____________ .
Luke 8:___
And
5. The Lord Jesus has promised that those who follow Him in this world will receive ____________ from God, His Father. John 12:___
If
2 Corinthians 7-9: July 1996
In chapters 79 of 2 Corinthians the Apostle Paul first tells the Corinthians of the comfort which he had received by the coming of Titus to him. And he had even more comfort in that which Titus reported, that the Corinthians had been deeply affected by Paul’s first letter to them. His letter had caused them godly sorrow to repentance.
Paul testifies to the wealthy Corinthian believers of the liberality of the poor believers in Macedonia. Though in a great trial of affliction, their joy and poverty abounded in giving even beyond their ability to give. It was Paul’s desire, now that he was confident of the repentance of the Corinthian assembly, that they too might share in the joy of giving. The Lord Jesus is the standard by which all is measured in giving, for He gave up more than any other and became poorer than any other in order that we might enjoy infinite riches in Him.
Paul encourages the Corinthians to give of their substance, not as something required but cheerfully, for such God loves. Someone giving in this way sows bountifully and will reap in that same measure. The Corinthians would have the exceeding joy of knowing that their bounty was being used to supply the want of other saints, who in turn would thank and glorify God for the grace of God which caused them to give thus.
1. Paul considered that the tribulation through which he passed was worth the suffering, since it had resulted in the repentance of the Corinthian assembly, which was so dearly beloved to him. What passage in Isaiah suggests how the Lord Jesus will feel concerning His suffering, when He views His bride in glory with Himself? Isaiah 53:___
2. Paul was not sorry to have caused grief to the Corinthians, for it worked great blessing for them through the exercises of soul that it caused. What is the result to those who are exercised by the chastening hand of God in their lives?
Hebrews 12:___
3. Why did the psalmist say that it was “good for me that I have been afflicted”? (Hint: Begin your search of Psalm 119 between verses 50 and 80.)
Psalm 119:___
4. Paul teaches us that the “spirit” in which we give is more important than the amount given. What spirit was required in the hearts of those who desired to give to Jehovah for the work of building the tabernacle in the wilderness?
Exodus 35:___
5. What value did the Lord place on the “two mites” which the faithful widow put into the collection at the temple in Jerusalem? (Use two verses for the answer.) Luke 21:___
Daniel 6: August 1996
In chapter 6 of Daniel we find the well-known story of the den of lions in which Daniel spent a night. King Darius had promoted Daniel to be the first ruler over all of his princes, and it was because of his godly spirit that all of the other princes were put under his responsibility.
The position that the king placed Daniel in made all of the others very jealous of him. They hated Daniel because he loved and honored God. Their hatred of Daniel was so great that they planned to kill him. These wicked rulers knew that Daniel prayed faithfully to the God he loved, and it was in this way they planned to destroy Daniel.
The wicked princes tricked King Darius into signing a decree which forbad anyone to ask anything of the God in whom they trusted for thirty days. A person could ask King Darius to give them something, but if they asked anyone or even God, that person would be cast into a den of lions.
Of course, Daniel continued to pray to his God, and so he was cast into the den of lions. But Jehovah, in whom he trusted, shut the lions’ mouths and he was not hurt. In the morning, King Darius was very happy that Daniel was alive, for he loved Daniel. The king had all of the wicked rulers and their families thrown into the lions’ den where they were destroyed.
Daniel continued to rule in Darius’ kingdom and in the kingdom of Cyrus who lived afterwards.
Before we continue our journey through the Bible, let’s rest while you look for the following verses:
1. When the Lord Jesus rose from the dead, the unbelieving Jews told others that His body was gone because His disciples took it away by ____________ . Matthew 28:___
Saying,
2. The Lord Jesus said that the unbelieving Jews not only ____________ Him, but His Father also. John 15:___
If
3. After Saul of Tarsus (the Apostle Paul) was saved and began to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Jews looked for an opportunity to ____________ him. Acts 9:___
But
4. The Apostle Paul wanted the Thessalonian believers to pray for him so that he would be protected from ____________ men who wanted to stop the gospel from being preached. 2 Thessalonians 3:___
And
5. “Knowing” what the Lord wants a believer to do is not enough to make that one ____________ . John 13:___
If
2 Corinthians 10-11: August 1996
In chapters 1011 of 2 Corinthians, the Apostle Paul takes issue with those in Corinth who were questioning his authority as an apostle of Jesus Christ because of the way he appeared. His outward appearance was one of weakness and his speech was not eloquent. Those in the assembly who looked at outward appearances were seeking to question his authority and draw away the believers from following him. He was jealous of the Corinthian assembly that he might present it in holiness and purity to Christ and because he feared that they were listening to the deceit of Satan and were being drawn away from Christ.
This guile was coming through human channels who were placing themselves forward as though they too were apostles and had authority. But their actions were not motivated by love for the saints in Corinth and love for the assembly as the possession of Christ. They were proud of their abilities and possessions, but had not gone through any suffering for the assembly or for Christ. They were being used of Satan, the angel of light, to draw away the hearts of the Corinthian believers.
This causes Paul to rehearse the sufferings through which he passed in his love and service to his Lord. The Corinthians were to judge, not by outward appearances, but by this kind of service and devotion.
1. Some in Corinth, despising the Apostle Paul because of his weak bodily appearance, tried to set aside his authority as an apostle. They gloried in powerful appearances and eloquent speech. What kind of physical appearance did Saul, the first king of Israel, have? 1 Samuel 10:___
2. What does Isaiah prophetically say concerning the way in which the Jews viewed the Lord Jesus when He came to them to be received as Messiah?
Isaiah 53:___
3. While men will look on outward appearances when they make their judgments, where does the Lord look? 1 Samuel 16:___
4. Satan has transformed himself into an angel of light, presenting that which is beautiful and glorious to the eyes of man. What is the sad result in the minds of men when they hear the gospel of Jesus Christ, the lowly and despised Man? 2 Corinthians 4:___
5. Paul commands that those who would glory should glory in the Lord. What does Paul tell the Galatian believers that he glories in? Galatians 6:___
Daniel 7-12: September 1996
The last six chapters of Daniel contain prophecies that God gave to him concerning events that have yet to happen. Some of the visions that Daniel had greatly troubled him, for he realized that there was a time of great trouble coming on his people, the Jews.
Daniel confessed his sins and confessed the sins of his people to God. God heard and sent His angel Gabriel with a message to comfort Daniel’s heart. God assured His dear servant Daniel that he was greatly beloved.
Daniel was given to understand that his people would be finally delivered and blessed in a coming day and that he too would have a place of blessing.
Before we continue our journey through the Bible, let’s rest while you look for the following verses:
1. The Apostle Peter tells us that the ____________ of scripture were not written according to men’s thoughts but according to the leading of the Spirit of God. 2 Peter 1:___
For
2. The wicked King Herod was very ____________ when he heard that another king had been born in the land over which he ruled. Matthew 2:___
When
3. In order to deliver us from the evil world in which we live, the Lord Jesus had to give Himself for our ____________ . Galatians 1:___
Who
4. Timothy was sent to the Thessalonian believers by the Apostle Paul in order to ____________ them concerning their Christian faith and the persecutions through which they were passing. 1 Thessalonians 3:___
And
5. King Herod planned to execute the Apostle Peter in order to please the Jews. But God miraculously ____________ him out of the wicked king’s hand. Acts 12:___
And
2 Corinthians 12: September 1996
Paul has to speak very sternly to his beloved Corinthians, for they began to question whether Paul was an apostle because of his weak appearance and all of the sufferings through which he passed. The worldly Corinthians thought that an apostle of Jesus Christ should be powerful and glorious. There were such men in their presence who were drawing them away from obedience to Christ through the things that Paul had taught them.
Paul shows that all of the sufferings and humbling circumstances through which he passed were but a proof that he was the Lord’s apostle. The proof of his apostleship was the very sufferings and weakness that was his, which they despised.
He warns them that this third time he was coming to them, and he feared that when he came there he would not find them in a truly repentant condition, thus causing him to display the power, which they so coveted, to their sorrow and destruction. He loved them dearly and did not wish to use his power as an apostle for their judgment and loss.
1. Though Paul could have boasted of the revelation he received when caught up into the third heaven, he rather boasts in his weakness. How is a believer able to do anything? Philippians 4:___
2. What did faith accomplish for the weakness of those mentioned in Hebrews 11? Hebrews 11:___
3. Though the spirit in a believer is willing to follow the Lord, what did He say about the ability of our flesh to fight spiritual battles? Mark 14:___
4. Abraham was too weak in his body, because of his old age, to conceive a child; yet Isaac was born to him because he was not weak in what thing?
Romans 4:___
5. In Nehemiah’s day, when the remnant was rebuilding the wall around Jerusalem, they met with fierce opposition from the enemies of God and His people. To whom did Nehemiah turn for strength that the work might go on in spite of the threats of their enemies and the fear of the people? Nehemiah 6:___
Hosea: October 1996
Hosea was a prophet of God who lived and prophesied during the reigns of some of the kings of Israel and Judah that we have already visited in our journey. God gave Hosea a special message to those rebellious ten tribes of Israel who had gone away and refused to follow the kings of the house of David in Jerusalem.
Hosea prophesied to God’s beloved people concerning the very sad way in which they lived. They did not act like those who belonged to Jehovah. Thus, the Lord caused Hosea to live in a relationship with a wife that was a picture of the rebellious ways of Israel against God.
Two children were born to Hosea, and their names reflected the very solemn way in which God was going to have to deal with His beloved people. The name of one child means “not having obtained mercy” while the name of the other means “not My people.” But God in grace would bring His people back so that the names would instead mean “My people” and “received in mercy.”
We will rest while you find the following verses:
1. The Lord Jesus told a parable about some ungrateful people who sent a ____________ to their king saying that they hated him and would not obey him. This was a picture of the way the Jews felt about the Lord Jesus.
Luke 19:___
But
2. The religious leaders of the Jews hated the beloved disciple of the Lord Jesus named Stephen. In order to kill him, they stirred up the ____________ by telling lies about him. Acts 6:___
And
3. Ananias, with his ____________’s help, lied to the Holy Spirit and kept back part of the price of some land they sold. They died as God’s judgment for what they had done. Acts 5:___
And
4. Those who labored in the gospel with the Apostle Paul have their ____________ written in the book of life. Philippians 4:___
And
5. One of the things that God is rich in is ____________ shown towards man.
Ephesians 2:___
But
2 Corinthians 13: October 1996
The last chapter of the epistle to the Corinthians, though it has but 14 verses, contains a most solemn warning to the believers at Corinth. The beloved Apostle had to give a final warning to those in the assembly at Corinth who had sinned.
Rather than repenting for their sin and submitting themselves to the divinely inspired words of the Apostle, they had continued to question his authority. They excused and covered their sins by acting as though the natural and evident weakness of the Apostle proved that he need not be listened to. Other believers in Corinth were being turned away by this sad example.
The condition of the assembly was such that Paul warned that, if he came again the third time, he would not show grace to those who were going on in their sin; he would not spare them. Since some were foolishly questioning whether Paul was indeed speaking to them with the power and authority of an apostle of Jesus Christ, he tells them to examine themselves to see if, in fact, they belonged to the Lord Jesus. If they were in Christ, it was because he, whom they were now rejecting and questioning, had preached the gospel which they had believed!
Paul closes the letter by expressing the longing that he would not have to be severe with the Corinthians, for he desired that they would rejoice in the Lord, grow into full Christian maturity and go on in peace, enjoying His love and grace and fellowship in the Spirit.
1. What do we learn the solemn end is of one who, though often warned by God, refuses to listen? Proverbs 29:___
2. What happened to the children who mocked Elisha, God’s prophet?
2 Kings 2:___
3. What was the terribly solemn result of Israel’s mockery and misuse of God’s prophets? 2 Chronicles 36:___
4. Why did so many of those Israelites who were delivered from the bondage of Egypt die in the wilderness before they entered the rest of the promised land? Hebrews 3:___
5. What is the benefit that believers today are to receive from hearing about the solemn judgments that befell many of the children of Israel?
1 Corinthians 10:___
Joel: November 1996
The prophecy of Joel, though very short, is very solemn. It tells of coming destruction because of the disobedience of the children of Israel against Jehovah. During the time that Joel prophesied, a great plague of insects had devastated the land of Israel. These insects were a picture of those coming judgments when a nation would fight against Israel, seeking to destroy them.
All of this sadness was allowed by God because His beloved people had become so rebellious and wicked. God calls all of the people to repent for what they had done and because of the coming judgment.
There is hope in Joel too, for he prophesied of a time of coming blessing after the judgments had turned the hearts of the people back to Jehovah. The end of Joel is a warning to the Gentile nations who would seek to destroy Jerusalem. God would fight for His people, overthrow the Gentiles, and save and bless Israel in that coming day.
Let’s rest in our journey now, while you find the following verses:
1. The Apostle Paul warned Timothy that one of the signs of the days just before the Lord judges this world would be that unbelievers would be ____________ to parents. 2 Timothy 3:___
For
2. The Lord Jesus told His disciples that He was not come to ____________ men’s lives but to save them. Luke 9:___
For
3. During the time when God’s people came back from their captivity in Babylon to rebuild the city of Jerusalem, their enemies tried to stop them by telling the king that the city of Jerusalem was a ____________ and bad place.
Ezra 4:___
Be
4. When the Lord Jesus began to preach the gospel to the children of Israel, He told them that they should ____________ because the kingdom of heaven was near. Matthew 4:___
From
5. Believers are to seek to be a ____________ even to those who treat us badly or say wicked things about us. 1 Peter 3:___
Not
Galatians 1: November 1996
The letter (epistle) that the Apostle Paul wrote to the Galatians is similar, in one way, to the two letters he wrote to the believers at Corinth. The Galatian believers were in trouble, and Paul writes to them seeking to correct and help them. The difference between the two epistles is that the trouble in Corinth was bad practice, while the trouble with the assemblies in Galatia was that they were being led astray by bad doctrine.
Paul was amazed that the believers in the assemblies there so quickly turned away from the truth of the gospel that the Apostle had preached to them and were listening to those who were teaching “perverted” truth. So serious was the false gospel that the Galatians were listening to that Paul desired that any who taught such error would be accursed.
Paul reminds them that the gospel he had preached was what he had received by revelation from the Lord Jesus Christ. The Apostle who had been at the very top of Jewish learning and religion had been separated to the gospel by the grace of God. He had left, by God’s sovereign grace, the very thing to which the Galatians were being turned back.
The false doctrine that the Galatians were being drawn into and that Paul was combatting centered on the vital question of how man was to be blessed by God: Was it to be through the sovereign grace of God, or by man’s efforts at keeping the law? The Galatians were listening to false teaching which put them back under the requirements of the law in order to gain favor with God.
1. Who puts an end to man trying to find righteousness through the law?
Romans 10:___
2. Will anyone ever be justified by keeping the law? Romans 3:___
3. What is one thing that would result if it were possible for a man to be saved by his works? Ephesians 2:___
4. How does the writer of Hebrews refer to man’s works? Hebrews 9:___
5. It is by faith in the Lord Jesus that a sinner is made righteous before God. However, what does James have to say about a person’s faith, if he does not give any evidence of it by the way he lives? James 2:___
Amos: December 1996
The prophecy of Amos is another very solemn one. But his prophecy not only includes judgments against the children of Israel, but also against some of the Gentile nations who lived around Israel and oppressed the people of God.
Amos was a herdsman, but God called him to prophesy to the people. One of the very solemn things that he prophesied against Israel concerned the young men that God had given to preserve the nation. He wanted these boys to become prophets and Nazarites. A prophet brought the Word of God to His people, and the Nazarite dedicated himself to serving Jehovah.
But the disobedient nation of Israel told the prophets not to prophesy and caused the Nazarites to break their vow of service to God. How very sad! God told them that He would not walk with them in such disobedience, for He could have no fellowship or agreement with such wickedness.
There were many sad things that befell the nation of Israel, and God told them through Amos’s prophecy that it was because of their ways that these things had happened. Amaziah, a wicked man who heard what Amos said, told Amos to go away. But Amos remained and faithfully delivered God’s message.
We’ll rest now while you look for the following verses:
1. Peter told the Gentile centurion, Cornelius, and his followers that the Lord Jesus had healed those who were ____________ of the devil. Acts 10:___
How
2. The wicked men that held the Lord Jesus covered His face and struck Him. Then they taunted Him to ____________ and tell them who had hit Him.
Matthew 26:___
Saying
3. The Apostle Paul told some believers at Ephesus that he had been ____________ the Lord with a humble mind and with many tears for those whom he loved. Acts 20:___
Serving
4. The Apostle tells believers that it is impossible for righteousness to have ____________ with unrighteousness. 2 Corinthians 6:___
Be
5. After Lydia was saved and baptized, her desire was to be ____________ to the Lord and have the company of Paul and his helpers stay in her home.
Acts 16:___
And
Galatians 2: December 1996
In this chapter, Paul continues to show how he acted according to the divine revelation and commission of God to him. After Paul had been preaching the gospel to the Gentiles for some time, he went to Jerusalem and communicated to the leaders of the assembly there what he had been preaching through divine revelation.
It was in Jerusalem that he met the false brethren who were trying to bring the Jewish believers back under bondage to the law and Judaism. Paul refused to submit to such a false gospel. Those apostles who were leaders in the assembly in Jerusalem recognized the work of God through Paul and publicly expressed fellowship with him.
But even then, so strong was the pressure of the Jews to bring believers back into the bondage of the law that even the beloved Apostle Peter was drawn away. Paul had to publicly rebuke him for setting this example. But in the grace of God, the circumstance was the means of the truth of justification by faith in the Lord Jesus being clearly presented to all at Jerusalem. The chapter closes with Paul telling the Galatian believers that if man could obtain righteousness before God through the works of the law, then God’s beloved Son would not have had to die on the cross.
1. The beloved Apostle Paul suffered much in order that the gospel of the grace of God should be proclaimed throughout the world. In recounting to the Corinthians how he had suffered for the Lord, he mentions that he suffered from “brethren” too. What kind of brethren caused his suffering?
2 Corinthians 11:___
2. How does Jude say that the ungodly men who tried to corrupt the truth of God were able to gain entrance into the assembly of believers? Jude ___
3. In order for believers to withstand such a sad condition as Jude describes, what are several things that he tells us to do? Jude ___
4. The law was unable, because of man’s weakness in keeping it, to bring blessing. What is God’s remedy for this? Romans 8:___
5. Though weak in the flesh, which was unable to bring God’s promised blessing to him, Abraham was not weak in what thing? Romans 4:___
BS9612_December
Journey Through the Bible