Bob Feather February 10th, 2008

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Is Your Church Dead or Alive?

Revelation 3:1-6

1 And unto the angel of the church in Sardis write; These things saith he that hath the seven Spirits of God, and the seven stars; I know thy works, that thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead.
2 Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die: for I have not found thy works perfect before God.
3 Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee.
4 Thou hast a few names even in Sardis which have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with me in white: for they are worthy.
5 He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels.
6 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.

Tags: church, Revelation

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Bob Feather February 10th, 2008

Judah and Er’s wife; Joseph and Potiphar’s wife

Genesis 38

What would you do after you and your brothers had just sold your little brother into slavery, faked his death, and  lied about it to your father?

I. Judah’s wife and sons (1-5:)

1: Judah left town

2: He married a Canaanite. (Whatever happened to the principle that sent Abraham’s servant on a journey to find a suitable bride for Isaac?)

3-5. He had three sons

II. Judah’s wicked sons (6-10:)

7: Er, Judah’s firstborn, left a childless widow after the Lord slew him for his wickedness

8-10: When the middle son refused to father a child by the widow and to preserve the elder brother’s name, the Lord slew him for wickedness, too.

III. Judah’s wickedness (11-19:)

11: The younger son was too young to marry at the time; but his father promised the widow that when the boy was of age he would wed the widow.

12-19: Some time later, when the boy was of marriageable age, the widow Tamar consented to the sexual proposition of the then widowed Judah who mistook her for a harlot because she had covered her face.

16-18: The price of one kid from the flock was agreed upon; and Judah’s signet, bracelets and staff were accepted in pledge of later payment

IV. Judah’s wait (20-23:)

21-23: When Judah’s friend attempted to find the “harlot” and to pay her and to retrieve the collateral items, she could not be found.

V. Judah’s witness (24-30:)

24-26: Tamar became pregnant with Judah’s child (actually, twins). Judah would have her burned for bearing children out of wedlock; but when she presented him with his own signet, bracelets and staff there was no need for a paternity test.

28-30: Someone at the birth of the twins really wanted to be sure to identify which of the two actually came out first; for a scarlet thread was tied around the first out-stretched hand.

Meditation Points:

1. Oh, no; we can’t let you marry our sister because you haven’t been circumcised. Esau’s Canaanite wives were a grief to his parents. And then Judah marries a Canaanite himself.
2. God justly slays the wicked.
3. What made Onan’s act so heinous?
4. If you don’t intend to remember your promises, you intentionally plan not to keep them.
5. What does a harlot look like?
6. Be sure your sin will find you out.

Genesis 39

I. Joseph brings prosperity to his master (1-6:)

3: The Lord made all that he did to prosper. He can do that. He can overrule all of the decisions that we freely but wrongly make. Aren’t you glad that He can?

5: Sunshine falls on the just and the unjust. If the sun is falling on me and you stand near me, then the sun will fall on you, too. God’s common grace works that way.

II. Joseph brings out passion in his master’s wife (7-12:)

7-8: Joseph refused her advances.

8-9: His master’s trust and His Master’s trust must not be betrayed.

10: Like the sinful women of the book of Proverbs, she was relentless in her attempts to seduce Joseph.

12: To flee fornication, Joseph had to leave his coat.

III. Joseph brought to prison (13-20:)

14-16: Embarrassed by the rejection, she cried for other servants to come and witness Joseph’s garment, and to hear her claim that Joseph had attempted to rape her.

16-18: She repeated this lie to her husband upon his arrival.

19-20: Potiphar believed his wife and placed Joseph in prison.

IV. Joseph brings prosperity to his warden (21-23:)

21: But the Lord was with Joseph–even in prison

21-22: God caused the prison keeper to be favorable towards Joseph.

22: Joseph became a trustee in the prison, with great responsibilities; even as he had been in charge of Potiphar’s house.

23: The Lord was with Joseph in all that he did.

Meditation Points:

1. God is able to make what you do prosper. Is there anything that God cannot do?
2. Improper sexual advances are inappropriate at all times–at home, at work, at play.
3. When the pressure to sin is too great, run away from those who are applying the pressure; even if it means losing some possessions along the way.
4. False cries of rape are as damaging to the innocent today as they were back then.
5. Who wouldn’t believe his wife in the same situation?
6. God is with His people wherever they are.
7. False imprisonment is nothing new.
8. Yes, there may be believers in prison.

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Bob Feather February 9th, 2008

Jacob seeks a wife and gets more than he bargained for.
(Genesis 27-33)

Tags: Jacob, Leah, Rachel, wife

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Bob Feather February 9th, 2008

Trinity International Baptist Church of Athens, Greece

English Language Bible Study Guide for February 9, 2008

The account of the death of Isaac (chapter 35) is followed by the genealogy of Esau; and then the narrative of Jacob’s family continues to the end of the book of Genesis.

Genesis 36

I. Esau, who is Edom (1-19:)

1, 8, 19, 43: The point is this: Esau is Edom. So when we later find the nation of Edom opposing the nation of Israel, we understand the root of the turmoil.

6-7: Both Esau and Jacob were wealthy, and the land could not sustain both households. Hence they amicably parted ways, as did their grandfather Abraham separate from his nephew Lot.

II. Dukes and Kings of Seir/Edom (20-42:)

20-42: Some of these names are found elsewhere in scripture; but many are never mentioned again outside of this list.

24: In the midst of the names there are a couple of additional comments. In this verse one Anah is noted as the one who found the mules in the wilderness.

31: Edom had kings before the nation of Israel did.

Genesis 37

I. Joseph, more beloved of his father than the other sons, relates his dreams (1-11:)

2: If Joseph was 17, and he was son #11, then how old must the others have been? This was not just another teenage prank.

3-4: Favoritism should cautiously be guarded against. You would think that Jacob would have learned that lesson from observing his father’s affection for Esau.

5: Joseph’s dreams portraying his advancement above his brothers didn’t help ingratiate him to them either.

11: But Isaac paid attention.

II. Joseph is thrown into a pit by his jealous brothers (12-24:)

18: The brothers conspire to kill Joseph

21: Reuben intends to help Joseph

22: Joseph is cast into a dry pit, without his colorful coat, to await the brothers’ determination on what to do with him

III. Joseph is sold to Ishmaelites/Midianite merchants (25-30:)

26-27: Judah suggests selling Joseph to a passing caravan headed to Egypt; and the brothers agree.

28: Twenty pieces of silver (split 10 ways?)

29: Reuben returns to help Joseph but finds him missing

IV. Joseph is sold to an Egyptian captain; but his brothers pretend not to know anything about his disappearance (31-36:)

31-32: Joseph’s colorful coat is dipped in animal blood and sent to Jacob for identification

33-35: Jacob mourns Joseph’s all-too-apparent demise by wild animals; and his whole family (including the guilty brothers) join him

36: Meanwhile, the Midianite caravan arrives in Egypt and Joseph, who had announced his dream of being a leader, becomes a slave in the house of Potiphar.

Meditation Points:

1. Were not these the same people who would avenge the honor of their sister? And now they would kill their little brother?
2. Who would expect complete harmony among siblings who share a father but not his affection?
3. And who would expect men with such sin in their hearts to understand, let alone agree with, one whom God Himself favored highly?
4. That Reuben would save Joseph is admirable and unexpected.
5. Humanly speaking, it was the greed of the older brothers which saved Joseph.
6. Twenty pieces of silver.  What is your life worth?
7. As Jacob deceived his father, so now his sons deceive him.
8. God had prevented Joseph’s grandfather from going to Egypt.
9. From sovereign to slave; from a hole in the ground to the great city.

Tags: Esau, Joseph

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