The book
Recite the memory verse from weeks 1 and 2
'Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. Psalm 1:1-2 ESV
Why does God speak?
Romans 15:8 (ESV) For I tell you that Christ became a servant to the circumcised to show God’s truthfulness, in order to confirm the promises given to the patriarchs,
- God speaks to confirm that He is true.
Explain what enables a believer to be steadfast in the pursuit of understanding of the Word of God?
Hebrews 12:1 (ESV) Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,
- Seeing God’s faithfulness throughout the scriptures.
- Real life testimonies
Matthew 5:6 (ESV) “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.
Proverbs 16:26 (ESV) A worker’s appetite works for him; his mouth urges him on.
- Hunger and thirst is what enables one to be steadfast in the pursuit of understanding the Word.
Explain the relationship between humility and the fear of God. Bring scripture.
Humility comes from the fear of God.
Luke 1:47-48 (ESV) 47 and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, 48 for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant. For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed;
What does it mean to fear God?
Psalm 128:1 (ESV) A Song of Ascents. Blessed is everyone who fears the LORD, who walks in his ways!
- To walk in His commandments.
👦👑 | 🍯🧈 | 🚫🌑 ➡️ ✅☀️
“He shall eat curds and honey when he knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good.”Isaiah 7:15ESV
👦👑 = The promised Child (the Messiah, Jesus)
🍯🧈 = Curds and honey, symbolizing provision, nourishment, and growth
🚫🌑 = Rejecting evil, darkness, and sin
➡️ = A deliberate choice and progression in wisdom
✅☀️ = Choosing good, righteousness, truth, and light
According to the writer of Hebrews, how did God speak to "our fathers"? How does God now speak?
Hebrews 1:1–2 (ESV): 1 Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets,
2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world.
What point was made from these two references?
1. Malachi 4:2
2. Revelation 21:22-23
'But to you who fear My name The Sun of Righteousness shall arise With healing in His wings; And you shall go out And grow fat like stall-fed calves.' Malachi 4:2
'But I saw no temple in it, for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. The city had no need of the sun or of the moon to shine in it, for the glory of God illuminated it. The Lamb is its light. ' Revelation 21:22-23
* The Sun = Righteousness IN them!
*God our righteousness!
* In them (the righteous) is the TESTIMONY of Christ!
*Through the righteous, the world can see the light/righteousness of Christ!
How does Luke 1:28 relate to Hearing God's voice?
The favor of the Lord is with the humble!
The lord speaks and answer the prayer of the humble
E.g. Daniel (greatly loved)
What are the 2 key elements we define from Psalm 29 to interpret the Main verse?
1. The waters and seas are nations
“The Lord is king forever and ever; the nations perish from his land. O Lord, you hear the desire of the afflicted; you will strengthen their heart; you will incline your ear”Psalm 10:16-17 ESV
2. The flood of pride
“The voice of the Lord makes the deer give birth and strips the forests bare, and in his temple all cry, “Glory!””Psalm 29:9 ESV
“You rule the raging of the sea; when its waves rise, you still them.” Psalm 89:9 ESV
👀⛰️⛰️ | ❓🆘 | 🆘➡️👑✝️ | 🌎☁️⭐🙌
“I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.”Psalm 121:1-2 ESV
👀⛰️⛰️ = I lift my eyes to the hills
❓🆘 = Where does my help come from?
🆘➡️👑✝️ = My help comes from the Lord
🌎☁️⭐🙌 = The Creator of heaven and earth
What are the 3 ways the book mentions how God speaks (from week 2)?
1. God speaks through the Bible
2 Timothy 3:16 (ESV) All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness,
2. God speaks through the inner witness of the Holy Spirit
John 14:16-17 (ESV) 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, 17 even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.
3. God speaks through external means
Most commonly being through the wise counsel of other believers. He speaks through the body of Christ.
Mention a point that includes these 3 keywords:
1. Hungry
2. Thirsty
3. Blessed
Matthew 5:6 (ESV) “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.
Why was Mary called blessed?
Because she had faith!
“And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord.””
Luke 1:45 ESV
According to Luke 1:47-48, why did Mary declare that the Lord saw “her humble state”?
Mary is speaking the fulfillment of the Word of God, of what Hannah spoke.
1 Samuel 2:1-10
1 Samuel 2:5 (ESV) Those who were full have hired themselves out for bread, but those who were hungry have ceased to hunger. The barren has borne seven, but she who has many children is forlorn.
Luke 1:53 (ESV) he has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent away empty.
- Mary was not speaking about herself or her circumstances!
🌌🙌 | 🤫🗣️❌ | 🌍🔊✨ | ☀️🏕️
“There is no speech, nor are there words, whose voice is not heard. Their voice goes out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. In them he has set a tent for the sun,”
Psalm 19:3-4 ESV
☀️🏕️ = God placed the sun in its heavenly dwelling
How is Jesus different from how God spoke in the Old Testament?
Hebrews 1:2-3 (ESV) 2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, ... 3 He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature,…
God now speaks to us through His Son who is the radiance of the glory of God.
Matthew 11:27 (ESV) All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.
Through Jesus the Father was revealed, whereas in the OT God the Father was concealed.
What has been the purpose of God for his people since the beginning?
God's purpose has always been to SET a tabernacle IN them!
'And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. 'Revelation 21:3
- 1 Corinthians 6:19-20: Our body is the temple of the Holy Spirit
-Hebrews 11:9 (KJV): Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob lived in tabernacles in the promised land
What is the pattern we can see in the lives of Sarah and Hannah and Elizabeth? What principles can we learn as we observe their lives?
Pattern: They were not barren because the cursed but because of the purpose of God so show his glory.
* The good and the bad work for the good of the righteous!Romans 8:28
*The Lord visits the righteous and sustain them in hard times (meanwhile the wicked are destroyed)Psalm 37:28
What can hinder one from understanding the voice of God? Bring scripture.
Lack of maturity
1 Corinthians 2:13 (ESV) And we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual.
- One needs to be transformed in character, not just in growing in the “knowledge“ of the Word. This comes from walking in the fear of God.
☁️👥👥👥 | 🎒⬇️ ❌⛓️ | 🏃♂️💨🏁 | 👀➡️👑✝️ | 😊➡️✝️ | 💺👉👑
“Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.” Hebrews 12:1-2 ESV
☁️👥👥👥 = A great cloud of witnesses surrounds and encourages us
🎒⬇️ = Lay aside every weight or burden that slows you down
❌⛓️ = Put away sin that entangles and hinders you
🏃♂️💨🏁 = Run the race of faith with endurance and perseverance
👀➡️👑✝️ = Keep your eyes fixed on Jesus, the King and author of our faith
😊➡️✝️ = For the joy set before Him, Jesus endured the cross
💺👉👑 = Jesus is now seated at the right hand of God’s throne
Create two spiritual-growth grids based on Weeks 1 and 2
Chapter 1:The God Who Speaks
Chapter 2: How does God speak
- The categories:
Who God Is --> What God Did --> Who We Are --> What We Do
Eg. The Creator --> Spoke All Things Into Existence --> His creation --> Draw Near to Find Him.
Acts 17:26-27
26 And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place, 27 that they should seek God, and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him. Yet he is actually not far from each one of us,
Explain why should a believer come to know God as the Creator. Bring verses.
Give 2 practical results of knowing God as the Creator.
Isaiah 40:28 (ESV) Have you not known? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable.
- Only then will they come to know His great strength and understanding.
Practically:
- Closes the door to fear/the enemy (Psalm 121)
- Strengthens one in faith (Romans 4:18-22)
Explain Psalm 29 in light of understanding how does God speaks. Bring verses.
Psalm 29:3 (ESV) The voice of the LORD is over the waters; the God of glory thunders, the LORD, over many waters.
Psalm 10:16-17 (ESV) 16 The LORD is king forever and ever; the nations perish from his land. 17 O LORD, you hear the desire of the afflicted; you will strengthen their heart; you will incline your ear
- The Lord speaks over the seas which are the nations.
Psalm 89:9 (ESV) You rule the raging of the sea; when its waves rise, you still them.
- The Lord rules over the pride That stands against the oppressed! He has authority over the seas.
Significance: God ruled over the prideful and made way for his people.
E.g. Hannah, River Jordan (Joshua), Red Sea(Moses)
Mark 4: Jesus rebukes the sea!
How does Psalm 19 relate to the understanding that our God speaks?
' The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork. Day to day pours out speech, and night to night reveals knowledge. ' Psalm 19:1-2
* Everything has been established since the beginning!
'But I ask, have they not heard? Indeed, they have, for “Their voice has gone out to all the earth, and their words to the ends of the world.” But I ask, did Israel not understand? First, Moses says, “I will make you jealous of those who are not a nation; with a foolish nation I will make you angry.” 'Romans 10:18-19
* The Lord has been speaking since the beginning.
'There is no speech, nor are there words, whose voice is not heard. ' Psalm 19:3
* A testimony of God's goodness and faithfulness!
“Give ear, O heavens, and I will speak, and let the earth hear the words of my mouth. ' Deuteronomy 32:1
* Moses speaks to remind Israel of the faithfulness of God (Song in Revelation). The Mission of Moses was to build the tabernacle of testimony
Conclusion: Israel heard the testimony of God: Christ!
God has always been speaking, and through his son, he is bringing everything to an end (Revelation 21:22-23)
The Gospel is not a new testimony; it has been declared since the beginning!
👑✝️♾️ | 🌍❌ | 😔🙏➡️👂 | 💪❤️
“The Lord is king forever and ever; the nations perish from his land. O Lord, you hear the desire of the afflicted; you will strengthen their heart; you will incline your ear” Psalm 10:16-17 ESV
👑✝️♾️ = The Lord reigns as King forever and ever
🌍❌ = The nations that oppose God perish and their power comes to an end
😔🙏➡️👂 = The afflicted, humble, and needy cry out to God, and He hears their prayers
💪❤️ = God strengthens, establishes, and encourages their hearts