Archive for the ‘Moses’ tag
June 13, 2010: God Divides the Jordan River
The text for this lesson is Joshua 3:1-4:24
Discussion Points
- What did God point Joshua to that would help him to be a good leader?
- God commands Joshua, who then commands Israel, and they obey the command. God tells Joshua that when the people see the miracle they will know that the Lord is with Joshua just as He was with Moses. Why is that important?
- What is significant about the twelve men chosen to carry the memorial stones and the purpose for building this sign?
- Why did Joshua set up twelve stones in the middle of the Jordan in the place where the priests had stood?
- Why did God miraculously heap the Jordan River? Couldn’t He have told the people to build rafts or boats or engineer a bridge?
- What is the message of the twelve stones?
- How is the crossing of the Jordan similar to the crossing of the Red Sea?
- How does this miraculous passing through the Jordan River point us to the New Testament and into our time?
- On what did God constantly have the children of Israel focus? Why is that important?
- On what does God constantly have us focus for our salvation?
June 6, 2010: God Leads in Cloud and Fire
The text for this lesson is Exodus 13:17-14:31
Discussion Points
- Did the children of Israel have good reason to be terrified?
- How can Moses’ response in Exodus 14:13-14 be helpful for you today?
- What else did God do to rescue the Israelites?
- What were the results of God’s mighty act at the Red Sea?
- Did the people of Israel always trust God’s leadership? Explain your answer.
- Was God a good leader? Why do you think so?
- How did the people know that God was present with them?
- How are we like the children of Israel in the story?
- How does this verse from Moses’ song (Exodus 15:2a) show us God’s love and grace?
- How do we know God is present with us?
February 22, 2009: The Transfiguration
The text for this lesson is Mark 9:2–10.
Key Points
- The transfiguration of God’s Son, Jesus, exemplifies the transformation that God gives us. Through uniting us in Baptism with His death and resurrection, Jesus purified and transformed us from sin-filled children of Adam to Christ-filled children of God.
- Law: Though Adam was created in the image and likeness of God, when sin corrupted him, he “fathered a son in his own likeness, after his image” (Genesis 5:3, emphasis added). Sin-filled Adam sired a sin-filled son. And if we ask, “Mirror, mirror of the Law, who’s affected by this flaw?” it will point its reflective finger at us, to all the sin-filled sons and daughters of Adam. As we sing, “In Adam we have all been one, One huge rebellious man; We all have fled that evening voice That sought us as we ran” (LSB 569:1).
- Gospel: The Son of God became a man to make us sons of God. He restored us to the image and likeness of God. No, yet more! He restores and improves that image and likeness. His transfigured flesh, radiating the brilliance of divinity, links us bodily with God Himself as we are baptized into Him, purified, and transformed from the sin-filled children of Adam to the Christ-filled children of God.
January 18, 2009: Jesus Calls Philip and Nathanael
The text for this lesson is John 1:43–51.
Key Points
- In Jesus, access to heaven is given to all who believe.
- Law: You get the god you believe in. If you believe “God” to be a mean-spirited, unforgiving, damned-if-you-do-damned-if-you-don’t deity, then your belief in that false god attaches you to him. Again, if you believe “God” to be an everybody-gets-to-heaven, anything goes, laid-back Lord, then your belief in that false god attaches you to him. Remember, you get the “God” you believe in. But if the deity in whom you believe is false, then, alas, he is nothing more than one of the devil’s myriad disguises. And what you get is hell.
- Gospel: Jesus is who Jesus is. He is not whomever we twist, wrench, or otherwise manipulate Him into being. He defies our expectations, knowing all, loving all, dying for all. Something good did come down from Nazareth. That good is the Savior, who is the true Jacob’s ladder, for upon Him the angels come down to escort us upward to our heavenly home.
September 21, 2008: The Bronze Serpent
The text for this lesson is Numbers 21:4–9.
Key Points:
- As the bronze serpent was lifted up to heal and save the Israelites from the snakes, so Christ was lifted up on the cross to heal and save us from sin, death, and the devil.
- Law: I have been bitten and poisoned by sin and death and foolishly complain when life is not what I want or expect.
- Gospel: God calls me to repentance and points me to Christ, who heals me by His death and resurrection.
- Catechism: 2nd Article of the Creed
