Friday, July 29, 2011

WEEKLY SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON
An international Sunday school lesson commentary
For Sunday July 31, 2011

RETURN TO OBEDIENCE
(GOD forgives and delivers repentant sinners)
(Judges 10)
In the biblical Greek, the word used for “world” is “kosmos”. It is from that word that we derive our English word “cosmos”. In the spiritual sense, it is “That complex intertwining of sinful desires that shape our world of lost humanity”.
When we choose “the Christian Walk”, we automatically should become strangers to worldly behavior. We are then no longer permanent residents of this earth, but rather, we become citizens of Heaven, and therefore, the Laws of GOD should become paramount to us. It is not until a person falls in love with “goodness” that “wrong things” no longer fascinate, or have power over them. An experiential relationship with GOD is a Christian’s greatest asset. And so, the person that loses his or her heart to the things of this world becomes the person most vulnerable to satan.
The end of all things is near, for each of us, personally. For, that is the warning in the messages that the ancient prophets, and, New Testament writers and thinkers all leave us with. And those warnings remain as valid today as they ever were. The fact that, when we become Christians we cast everything over to GOD, does not give us a right to sit back and do nothing. We still must reflect GOD’s image to others through our behavior at all times. In other words, we are to teach the world to be GOD-like, through the way we behave, and not let the world influence us to return back to our former ways.
In Judges, chapter 10, after the deaths of Tola and Jair, who judged over Israel for a total of forty-five years (23 and 22 respectively), the Israelites once again did what was evil in the sight of the LORD by worshipping the gods of the nations who lived around them. Not only did they place the images of the Baals and the Ashtoreths at the top of their worship list, they also stopped worshipping their GOD, WHO is the Creator of Heaven and earth, completely.
As, the book of Judges records, the people of Israel struggled very badly at being faithful to GOD, and they failed over and over again, to extricate themselves from their desires to be like the people of the world around them. To this point, GOD had already given Israel victory over seven of the surrounding nations that had oppressed them, yet, they continued to seek after, and serve, the gods of some of those same nations.
Here in Judges, chapter 10, when the Israelites cry out to GOD for help, they exhibit a totally different attitude than on any of the other previous occasions in this book. This time, they seem to finally realize that the root cause of their problems is their own sin against the Almighty GOD, WHO had been their faithful SAVIOR over the years.
This time, they confess their sins to GOD, which is a mighty important first step if a sinner is truly interested in earnest repent, and really expects to gain the ear and mercy of GOD. In fact, here they are taking all the right steps, as they turn from their worship of the false gods around them, and re-establish their loyalty to the Only Wise GOD, the CREATOR and SAVIOR of all mankind.
Because GOD understands the nature of mankind, HE has always instructed us through HIS Word, to “remember” (i.e., “This do in remembrance of ME”). GOD knows how quickly the human mind forgets. HE knows how we become so pre-occupied with our own “worldly affairs”, that, eventually, we always fail to recall how HE has brought us through the self-imposed miseries and circumstances, that, we always find ourselves in, whenever we choose to go our own way.
Over time, Israel went from loathing their enemies to sleeping with their enemies. They lived comfortably among them, and ultimately, became just like them. They failed to fulfill their roles as GOD’s chosen people, and, as they lost sight of the LORD, and began to focus on the people and things of the world around them, they, inevitably, embraced their sinful ways, and in fact, made sin a habit.
“True repentance” is a thing of the heart, not just words, or even actions. The heart is where repent begins, and ends. It is having a compunction that motivates us to “change our minds” before we sin, not after. The fact that “we feel bad afterwards”, does not excuse the fact that “we did it anyway”. The truth is that, we didn’t change our mind, but rather, we chose to serve ourselves rather than GOD, by doing what we wanted, and ignoring what GOD wanted us to do.
Only when we make a conscience decision to love the LORD with all of our heart, soul, and mind, will we ever be able to fall in love with goodness, and cause even our sinful thoughts, to begin to break our hearts. Then, and only then, will be able we make a serious, earnest effort to “return to obedience to GOD”, and allow HIM, to take control of the throne of our lives.

A Sunday school lesson by,
Larry D. Alexander


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Friday, July 22, 2011

WEEKLY SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON
An international Sunday school lesson commentary
For Sunday July 24, 2011

TRUST GOD AND LET HIM RULE
(Only the LORD is qualified to rule over you)
(Judges 6-8)

In Judges 6:13, as it was recorded in the original Hebrew text, the word the author uses for “forsaken” is “nastash” (naw-tash), and it means “to withdraw from, reject, or, leave alone. This is the only time in Scripture that this particular word is used for “forsaken”, and it describes exactly how Gideon felt about the plight of Israel, around the time when he was first approached by the “Angel of GOD”. It was a time when the LORD had removed HIS favor from the Israelites because of their recurring sinful lifestyle and idolatry.
Gideon had been working hard threshing wheat at the bottom of a winepress, which he used to hide his grain from being detected by the pilfering Midianite army. Gideon also feared that the Midianites would kill him, just as they had slain his brothers (Judges 8:19), if he had been caught with the grain. One day, when he came up from the winepress, “the Angel of the LORD” appeared to him and told him that “the LORD is with him”. However, Gideon replies to the Angel that, “If GOD is with us, why has all this happened to us? And where are all the miracles our ancestors told us about?”…the LORD has abandoned us and turned us over to the Midianites”. Then the LORD said to Gideon, “Go with the strength you have and rescue Israel from the Midianites”. It was a statement that Gideon found very difficult to grasp at that time.
In Judges, chapters 6-8, the author of GOD uses 100 verses to relate the story of Gideon’s HOLY SPIRIT-possessed exploits, and his 40-year reign as judge over Israel. Chapter 6 opens with Israel’s, now familiar, continuing 5-cycle pattern which consisted of “sin”, “servitude”, “supplication”, “salvation”, and “silence”. First, they would “Sin” against GOD. And then, as punishment, GOD would place them into “Servitude” to the various enemy nations that lived around them. This stage would later be followed by a stage of repentance with “Supplication” to GOD for forgiveness. GOD would then, through HIS ever-present grace and mercy, bless the Israelites, with a taste of “Salvation”, in the form a mighty Judge, who would rescue them from their oppression. And then finally, they would be able to experience “Silence”, or peace, throughout the lifetime of that presiding Judge. It is a pattern that would continue to repeat itself, throughout the 340 years of Israel’s history that is chronicled in the Book of Judges (1390 B.C. to 1050 B.C.).
In verse (1a), we see that, once again, the Israelites had fallen into sin. In verses (1b-6a), GOD, as a result, allows them to keep right on falling, right into the hands of their enemies, the Midianites. The Midianites were a nomadic group of people from south of the land of Edom, and GOD would allow these pagan invaders to oppress the Israelites for seven years, as a form of retribution for their disobedience to HIM.
The Midianite’s power and strength was credited to their unique incorporation of the “Camel” into their military strategy. In fact, this documentation, here in the book of Judges, of the use of Camels in warfare, is the earliest known documented case of such, in world history. A Camel could carry 400 pounds, plus a rider, for one week without drinking, and, could travel up to 100 miles per day. This made their military, a very formidable and superior force.
The author of Judges tells us that the Midianites would attack the Israelites at harvest time every year, destroying their crops and eventually driving them to the brink of starvation. In verse (6b), we see the Israelites repent and cry out to GOD for help, and GOD, as HE always does, answers their call, first, by sending in a Prophet, and then, by calling up Gideon, whom HE would use, in this case, to rescue HIS fallen people from their sorrows.
The angel, who appears as a “theophany” (a manifestation of GOD’s own presence), tells Gideon to “go with the strength you have and rescue Israel from the Midianites. I am sending you”. Gideon replies, “But LORD, how can I rescue Israel? My tribe is the weakest of all the tribes of Manasseh, and I am the youngest of my family. The LORD said to him “I AM with you. You will destroy the Midianites as if you were fighting against one man”.
We may sometimes feel as weak as Gideon obviously felt, but if the LORD is with us, we always have strength enough to conquer our problems, and we don’t have to put our faith in “the protection of man”, we only need to put our faith in “the protection and security of GOD”.
And so, when Gideon and his army of 32,000 men got up early one morning and went down to the Spring of Harod, just south of where the Midianites were camping in the valley near the hill of Moreh, GOD tells Gideon he has too many men in his army, and eventually, HE narrows Gideon’s army down to 300 warriors. HE tells Gideon that, with these 300 men, “I”, not “you guys”, will rescue you and give you victory over the Midianites. Sometimes, we may not be successful in life, because we have too many unnecessary people in our lives dragging us down and holding up our blessings that GOD wants to give us.
This lesson serves to show us that, when GOD is with us, there should be no such thing, as “us” being outnumbered, overwhelmed, or depressed. When we have access to GOD’s mighty power, we don’t have to hesitate to rise to any of the challenges that this life may send our way. With GOD’s help, Gideon went on to defeat the mighty Midianites, and he judged over Israel, and kept them faithful to GOD, for 40 years.
The presence of GOD’s SPIRIT, and HIS possession of Gideon, was the key to the victory that followed. We as Christians have the same powerful advantage today, with the same powerful wonderful GOD, working in, and through us, enabling us to overcome our own ever-present weaknesses. We too can succeed in GOD’s strength when we have faith enough to call on GOD, and let HIM rule. HE can apply HIS great power to help us to overcome our seemingly overwhelming circumstances, and HE wants to be our “first choice”, not our “last resort”.

A Sunday school lesson by,
Larry D. Alexander


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Friday, July 15, 2011

WEEKLY SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON
An international Sunday school lesson commentary
For Sunday July 17, 2011

IN GOD’S STRENGTH
(GOD uses unlikely, ordinary people to do HIS work)
(Judges 3)

After the death of Joshua, GOD allowed certain Israelite enemy nations to continue to exist. In addition to the Canaanites, the LORD left alive and prospering, the nations of the five Philistine rulers (Ashdod, Ashkelon, Ekron, Gath, and Gaza), the Sidonians (the Phoenicians), and the Hivites (the Horites of Mittanni), who lived in the hill country of Lebanon. HE would later use those “unlikely” nations to do HIS bidding, and to test those of HIS “chosen people”, who had not yet participated in the wars to conquer the “Promised Land”.
GOD wanted to ensure that the next generation of Israelites would be able to keep HIS commands to drive out the Canaanites, and, HE wanted them to be just as experienced and battle-ready, as the generation that preceded them. HE also wanted them to be militarily able and ready to hold and keep the territories that had been gained through the blood and sweat of their predecessors. But, above all, HE wanted them to continue to be faithful and obedient to HIS word (Judges 3:1-4).
Sadly however, the Israelites failed GOD’s test miserably, as they, instead, began to live and intermingle with the sinful Canaanites and the other nations around them, marrying, and giving in marriage to their sons and daughters, and also, worshipping their gods, namely, the Baals and the Asherahs.
Angered by the Israelites behavior, the LORD handed them over to the evil king, Cushan-rishathaim (koo-shan-rish-ah-THAY-im), the king of Aram (Mesopotamia), who’s very name means “double wickedness”. They remained in servitude to him for eight years before they repented and the LORD sent HIS judge, Othniel, one of only four judges in scripture, of whom it is said that, “The SPIRIT of the LORD was upon”, and he rescued them from their oppression. Afterwards, there was peace in the land of the Israelites for forty years (Judges 3:5-11).
In Judges 3:12-30, after the death of Othniel, the Israelites returned to doing what was evil in the sight of the LORD, and this time, HE gave them over to the control of King Eglon, the obese dictator who ruled over Moab. Eglon joined forces with the Ammonites and the Amalekites and they attacked Israel and took control of Jericho. After that, the Israelites would remain in servitude to Eglon, for another eighteen years.
After hearing the Israelites familiar cry for help, the LORD once again sends them salvation in the person of a judge, this time, a man named Ehud, an “unlikely hero” who was a southpaw (lefthander), from the tribe of Benjamin. His being “left-handed” would later provide an opportunity for him to “single-handedly” pull off a highly unlikely and daring deed inside the very palace of King Eglon.
We pick up the story in verse 15, as the Israelites send young Ehud and a small entourage of men to deliver Israel’s tax money to Moab, which Eglon had imposed upon them when he took over ruler-ship of the Israel. Ehud made for himself, a double-edged dagger eighteen inches in length. He then strapped it to his right thigh, keeping it hidden under his clothing. After delivering the money, and while heading back to Jericho, Ehud stopped near Gilgal, and sent the rest of the men on home. He then turned around and went back to see King Eglon under the pretense that he had a secret message for him. When Ehud arrived back at the palace and informed Eglon as to why he returned so soon. The king then sent all of his servants away, not wanting any of them to hear what the secret was. Ehud then approached the king and told him that his message was from the LORD. When the king stood up Ehud drew his dagger and plunged it so deep into the king’s belly that the whole handle was concealed by fat of his body. Ehud then locked all the doors, climbed down the latrine, and escaped through the sewer access. It was quite a long while before King Eglon’s servants discovered that the king was dead.
Meanwhile Ehud ran all the way back to the hill country of Ephraim and sounded a call to arms. He then led a band of men back to the shallow part of the Jordan River across from Moab. There they killed over 10,000 Moabite soldiers as they tried to cross the river and they conquered Moab that day, and were able to abide in peace all the days of Ehud’s life, which was about eighty more years, because they were faithful and obedient to the LORD all the while.
There have been many people, who were thought of by man, to be awkward, incapable, or even inadequate to do GOD’s work. But for those of us who study the history of GOD’s word, we know that that is exactly the kind of people whom GOD most often uses, because it is “in GOD,s strength” that one who is called by GOD, will have to work anyway. Being left-handed in the days of the judges was considered to be a handicap, and Ehud certainly wouldn’t have been the one most men would have chosen to perform the lofty and courageous mission that he did. And although we as a people may often see the work of ordinary people as unimportant, GOD does not, and, JESUS doesn’t either. In fact, JESUS showed us throughout HIS three-year earthly mission, how GOD always seems to want the man, woman, or child, that, nobody else seems to want.

A Sunday school lesson by,
Larry D. Alexander


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Friday, July 8, 2011

WEEKLY SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON
An international Sunday school lesson commentary
For Sunday July 10, 2011

SERVING A JUST GOD
(Repeated sin puts our lives into a downward spiral)
(Judges 2)

In Judges, chapter 2, the Angel of the LORD, or, a “Theophany of CHRIST”, came down from Gilgal to Bokim with a message for the Israelites from GOD. The message clearly reminded them of how they had disobeyed the LORD in the short time that they had been in the “Promised Land” of Canaan. GOD wanted to let the Israelites know of HIS plan to abandon them in their efforts to finish driving out the Canaanites that still lived in the land among them. This would serve as punishment for their disobedience to the LORD’s commands. However, the LORD would wait until after the death of Joshua and the rest of Israel’s faithful leaders, before HE would began HIS punishment phase.
When the angel finished speaking, the Israelites began to weep with sorrow, and they offered up sacrifices to the LORD in an effort to atone for their sins. The Israelites then continued to serve the LORD faithfully until after Joshua, and all the leaders who served with him, had passed away. After Joshua died at the age of 110, he was buried in the land that he inherited at Timnath-serah, in the hill country of Ephraim, north of Mount Gaash. And after Joshua’s generation had died, a new generation came up who did not acknowledge the LORD, or, remember HIS mighty works that HE had done for Israel when HE brought them out of Egypt. They abandoned all of the ways of the LORD, and they worshipped the Baals, and all the other gods of the Canaanite people around them. As a result of their disobedience, the LORD fought against them in every battle, bringing them defeat after defeat, just as HE had promised through HIS Angel.
The book of Judges chronicles the relaxing of the Israelites commitment to GOD, and the spiritual and political deterioration that always follows. Most of the book tracks five patterned cycles that seem to characterize every single era and generation in the history of mankind. First, there is “sin”, as the Israelites turn to idolatry and abandon GOD’s laws. Then, GOD places them into “servitude”, as HE allows their enemies to overtake and oppress them as punishment for their sins. After feeling the sting of servitude, GOD’s people humble themselves with “supplication”, confessing their sins, repenting, and asking GOD for forgiveness. GOD then sends HIS “salvation” in the person of a charismatic “Judge” who would defeat Israel’s oppressors and deliver them out of bondage. Then, there would be a period of “silence”, or, peace, that would last all the days of that Judge, as their leadership helped Israel to remain faithful and obedient to GOD. However, this tragic pattern of sin, servitude, supplication, salvation, and silence, repeated itself over and over again, with each downswing and oppression, becoming more and more severe.
The grim lesson of the Book of Judges is that it re-enforces the biblical truth that “the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23). It also teaches us that sin takes on many forms, and that, it always goes from bad to worse, whenever we allow it to persist in our lives. The more we sin, the easier it becomes, and if we don’t rid ourselves of sins attraction, by filling ourselves with the word of GOD, it will, ultimately destroy us.
Here in Judges, chapter 2, the author, whom the Jewish Talmud accredits to be the prophet Samuel, pretty much lays out the theme for the entire book. He shows us quite clearly how the Israelites, just as many of us today, were and are, hell-bent on self-destruction by way of our lifestyles, which reflect continued disregard for the laws of GOD.
This recurring chaos seems to hammer home the fact that, if a man or woman goes their own way, or the way of the world, they automatically move away from the ways of GOD, and the choice to do evil always merits consequences from GOD. GOD is the ONE WHO sees most clearly, the long-term effects of our choices. That is why it is so imperative for us to trust GOD through HIS Word, and, to have confidence in the guidance of HIS HOLY SPIRIT. And we, who call ourselves by HIS name (Christians), must still voluntarily turn to HIM before HE can help us get out of our downward spiral towards an unstructured existence, and, out of a pattern of self-destruction.

A Sunday school lesson by,
Larry D. Alexander


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Friday, July 1, 2011

WEEKLY SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON
An international Sunday school lesson commentary
For Sunday July 3, 2011

GOD ALWAYS RESPONDS TO DISOBEDIENCE
(Your personal sin always affects others)
(Joshua 7)

After the Israelite’s resounding victory at Jericho, Joshua sent spies to scout out the tiny city of Ai. Ai is actually the name of two cities in the Old Testament, and its name means “the ruins”, or “heap of ruins”. One “Ai” is the Canaanite city of Palestine that is the subject of this passage of Joshua 7. It is located east of Bethel next to Beth Aven, and north of Michmash.
The other “Ai” is the Ammonite city of Moab, located near Heshbon that is mentioned in Jeremiah 49:3. “Ai”, in the King James Version of the Holy Bible, is also called “Aiath” (a-EYE-ath), which is the Hebrew feminine form of the name, which is used in Isaiah 10:28. In Nehemiah 11:31 it is called “Aija” (a-EYE-juh), and in Genesis 12:8, and 13:3 it is called “Hai” (HAY-eye).
Here in Joshua 7, after getting a favorable report from his spies, Joshua dispatches a small regimen of about 3000 soldiers to attack this seemingly vulnerable city of Ai, and is met with a stunning defeat that left 36 Israeli warriors dead. The defeat left Joshua and the rest of Israel’s leaders with a grim feeling, wondering why the GOD of Israel had forsaken them so quickly. He is subsequently told by GOD that someone in his camp had fallen into disobedience by violating HIS command not to take certain treasures unto themselves, but rather, to set them apart for HIM. And so the task falls to Joshua to find out just who in his camp had violated the covenant with GOD, by taking certain objects that had been dedicated as tabernacle treasures.
GOD instructed Joshua to get up quickly, and go and command the people to purify themselves. Hidden among the people of Israel, were things that were set apart for the LORD, and GOD told Joshua that they would never defeat their enemies until these things were found and removed from among them, and discarded.
The following morning the Israelites presented themselves, by tribe, before the LORD, just as HE had instructed Joshua, and the LORD identified which tribe (Judah) the guilty party belonged to. After the tribe came forward, the LORD identified the guilty clan (Zerah) who lived among the tribe. Then, when that clan came forward, the guilty family (Zimri) was identified. And finally, when the guilty family came forward, the guilty person (Achan) was singled out.
After being confronted by Joshua to confess his sin, Achan complied and uttered this statement; “I have sinned against the LORD, the GOD of Israel. For I saw a beautiful robe imported from Babylon, two hundred silver coins, and a bar of gold weighing more than a pound. I wanted them so much that I took them. They are hidden in the ground beneath my tent, with the silver buried deeper than the rest” (Joshua 7:20-21 – NLT).
In the Hebrew, the phrase used in verse 15 for “disgraceful thing” is “nabalah beyisrael”. It comes from the same root as “nabal”, which means “fool”. It indicates the gross immorality of one who denies and defies GOD, and then, remains closed to HIM. To the Israelites, to commit a “disgraceful thing” was to defy the standards of GOD, by selfishly gratifying one’s own perverted desires. To not repent of that “disgraceful thing”, was to remain closed to GOD, or, shut off from GOD.
And even though Achan confessed his sin, it was a confession that came not only while under duress, but if we examine his statement closely, we see no sign of repentance in his words. Only when we come to the end of ourselves, and repent, can we find the LORD and HIS forgiveness. I am often asked by people, “Where, or how, can I find the LORD?” and the answer is a simple one, “By coming to the end of you”.
When we come to the end of ourselves, we can “surrender” into the “victory” that is, CHRIST JESUS. GOD will never allow HIS “wonderful grace” to trump the truth of HIS even more “wonderful Word”. And HE will always respond to disobedience with discipline. Achan’s sin had far-reaching consequences, as it caused not only his death, but also the deaths of his entire immediate family, who, because they lived in such close quarters with him, had to be aware of the stolen treasures buried in their own tent. And because they were all silent about his indiscretion, they too, had to bear the pain of the punishment.
If we can take one thing from this lesson of Achan, it should be that we understand that our sin doesn’t just affect us, but it can affect our entire family. Sins of a sexual nature, murder, lying, stealing, cheating, etc., can destroy the fabric of an entire family, sometimes, for more than one generation.
The spiritual laws of “sowing” and “reaping” apply to everyone, for all time. And with that thought in mind, I close out this lesson with the words of the Apostle Paul, which he wrote in his letter to the Galatians, all those years ago. There he writes; “Don’t be misled. Remember that you can’t ignore GOD and get away with it. You will always reap what you sow!” Those who live only to satisfy their own sinful desires, will harvest the consequences of decay and death. But those who live to please the SPIRIT will harvest everlasting life from the SPIRIT. So don’t get tired of doing what is good. Don’t get discouraged and give up, for we will reap a harvest of blessings at the appropriate time”. (Galatians 6:7-9 - NLT)

A Sunday school lesson by,
Larry D. Alexander


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