Bible Study Notes 2/27/2024

Word Alive! Bible Study ©2024

Winter Series: God Never Gives Up On You!

Concord Baptist Church of Boston in Milton

Conley Hughes, Jr., Senior Pastor

Tues., 20 & 27 Feb. Lesson 10, Parts 1 & 2

Max Lucado, God Never Gives Up On You © 2024

Quiet Time: Max Lucado, God Never Gives Up, Pages 113-125

Avoiding Costly Diversions – It’s possible for our attention to be diverted from God’s plan. Such a distraction could be from a lack of focus on the path God has set before us; inattentiveness; or, personal desires. These do not always defeat God’s ultimate plan for our lives, but they can exact a very costly price. The wisdom of Scripture, warns us to keep our focus on the things of God, and do everything we can to remain in the right path. (Read, Proverbs 4:26-27, NLT). Evil is described in many ways in the Bible; however, inherent in the term is the idea of “destruction.” The wisdom writer in Proverbs says we are to “keep our feet from following evil.” We should not be “enticed” into directions that can harm us.  There is instinctive in human nature the desire to explore; which could be good or bad. When our ego or emotions lead us in a direction that’s contrary to a path God would approve; our pursuits could lead us into danger. There are many incidents and narratives in Scripture, where making the choice to go in a direction contrary to what God commanded, ends up in some temporary; or even fatal disaster. Jonah, the reluctant prophet, is such an example. God commissioned Jonah to prophesy in Nineveh, a city for whose inhabitants Jonah held a strong racial bias. Jonah decided to take a diversion west, instead of east; intending to travel to Tarshish (modern-Spain). The rough seas swallowed Jonah as he was thrown overboard in a storm. He was captive in a great fish for 3 days and 3 nights, until God released him and he appeared safe on dry land. Jonah’s detainment was the price he paid for his diversion from God’s commission. The harrowing confinement forced Jonah to turn his thoughts to God in prayerful devotion. Jacob experienced the pain of diverting his attention from God’s directive, when upon entering Canaan, he did not go as told, directly to the place of his birth. (Read, Genesis 31:13, NLT). Instead, Jacob took a diversion to Shechem, and engaged in dealings with the King there. (Read, Genesis 33:18-19, NLT). In his book, God Never Gives Up On You, Max Lucado describes Jacob’s diversion: “Shechem was only twenty miles from Bethel. Jacob had covered five hundred miles since fleeing Laban. He was within eyeshot of his goal. But he stopped short.”  Jacob’s failure to do as God commanded him exacted a heavy toll on his family, especially his daughter Dinah. (Read, Genesis 34:1-5, NLT).  The resulting violence and bloodshed that occurred as a result of Jacob’s diversion, had consequences which create divisions among Semitic people groups today. (Read, Genesis 34:25c-26; 30b, NLT). After Jacob’s sons massacred the Hittites, the Scripture records, “Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, “You have ruined me. You have made me [odious] among the people of this land…[all] the Canaanites and Perizzites. (Gen. 35:30b, NLT).

Avoiding Costly Diversions, Part 2 – Sometimes in our reasoning, we could make uninformed decisions. These choices often will cause us to become distracted from the purpose or path God intends for us to pursue. Many times, this is not deliberate; but it happens as a lack of spiritual focus. When we become distracted from our godly purpose or goal, we often have been lured by false and misleading images. Everything that seems good or right, is not always beneficial for us. (Read, Proverbs 14:12, NIV). The Apostle Paul told the Christians in Corinth, which well applies to us, “The things of God can only be spiritually discerned.” When we adopt a life of meaningful focus on God through the Word, prayer; reflection; and reverent quiet; we are bound to arrive at decisions which are beneficial to us. These decisions will lead us down the right road, even if we encounter challenges along our journey. There are no challenges we could ever face as Christians, that God will not use to direct us forward in life. Jesus spoke of the two roads people are faced with. These paths are spoken of in relation to  becoming followers of Christ; and, a citizen of the Kingdom of God. The “Kingdom” is the spiritual realm that provides us with daily sustenance; and, secures both our earthly and eternal destiny, (Read, Matthew 7:13-14, NIV). Granted, there are times when God will permit us to experience detours along our journey, but this is always a part of His plan for our ultimate safety and success. For example, when the Israelites left Egypt headed to the Promised Land (Canaan), God led them on a detour, which mitigated their fears and provide them with more safety, The Scripture records, “When Pharaoh finally let the people go, God did not lead them among the main road… even though that was the shortest route to the Promised Land. [God] sent them through a roundabout way through the wilderness to the Red Sea..”  (Exodus 13:17-18, NLT). Wherever God leads us, he is present. God does not give up on us. Sometimes it seems, we make it difficult for others to tolerate our shortcomings. However, God always makes Himself available to us, even when we have displeased Him. One such narrative, is the disobedience of the people in ancient times when Moses as their leader, had left them to spend forty days in the mountains of Sinai to receive the Commandments of God. The brother of Moses, whom God had appointed as his assistant, was left in charge. The people became weary and restless because of the absence of the leader, Moses. They soon distanced themselves from his leadership, and prevailed upon Aaron to fashion them an idol, that they would see as their god. This was a dangerous proposition; but the emotional hysteria of the people pervaded the camp, and Aaron conceded to their proposal. This sinful act was a major digression from a people wo had earlier witnessed the power of Yahweh, their God, dividing the Sea and causing the Egyptians to be destroyed. Moses, led by God, had become their liberator, but they all but made him anonymous in preference to the idol they wanted. (Read, Exodus 32:1; 3-5, NLT). When God saw this terrible confusion, he held Moses accountable for the sins of the people, as their leader. (Read, Exodus 32:7-8, NLT). Despite the aftermath, which resulted in some loss of life; God did not forget His people. (Read, Isaiah 30:15 a,b;18-19, NLT)

Key Idea:

What We Believe!

1. “God’s grace never quits.” – Max Lucado

Key Verses:

Proverbs 4:26-27, NLT

“Mark out a straight path for your feet; stay on the safe path. Don’t get sidetracked; keep your feet from following evil.”

Genesis 31:13, NLT

“I am the God who appeared to you at Bethel, the place where you anointed the pillar of stone and made your vow to me. Now get ready and leave this country and return to the land of your birth.”

Genesis 33:18-19, NLT

“Later having traveled all the way from [Mesopotamia] , Jacob arrived safely at the town of Shechem, in the land of Canaan. There he set up camp outside the town. Jacob bought the plot of land where he camped from the family of Hamor, the father of Shechem for 100 pieces of silver, and there he built an altar and named it El-Elohe-Israel.”  

Genesis 34:1-5, NLT

“One day Dinah, the daughter of Jacob and Leah, went to visit some of the young women who lived in the area. But when the local prince, Shechem son of Hamor the Hittite, saw Dinah, he seized her and raped her. But then he fell in love with her, and tried to win her affection with tender words. he said to his father Hamor, “Get me that young girl. I want to marry her.” Soon Jacob heard that Shechem had defiled his daughter, Dinah.  But since his sons were out in the fields herding his livestock, he said nothing until they returned.”

Genesis 34:25c-26; 30b, NLT

“…Then they slaughtered every male there, including Hamor and his son Shechem. They killed them with their swords, and took Dinah from Shechem’s house and returned to their camp…Jacob said…” I will be ruined and my household wiped out.”

Proverbs 14:12, NIV

“There is a way that appears to be right, but in the end it leads to death.”

Matthew 7:13-14, NIV

“Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.”

Exodus 32:1;3-5, NLT

“When the people saw how long it was taking Moses to come back down the mountain, they gathered around Aaron. “Come on,” they said, “Make us some gods who can lead us. We don’t know what happened to this fellow Moses, who brought us here from the land of Egypt…” All the people took the gold rings from their ears and brought them to Aaron Then Aaron took the gold, melted it down, and molded it into the shape of a calf. When the people saw it, they exclaimed, “O Israel, these are the gods who brought you out of the land of Egypt!” Aaron saw how excited the people were, so he built an altar in front of the calf. Then he announced, “Tomorrow will be a festival to the Lord.”

Exodus 32:7-8, NLT

“The Lord told Moses, “Quick! Go down the mountain! Your people whom you brought from the land of Egypt, have corrupted themselves. How quickly they have turned away from the way I commanded them to live! They have melted down gold and made a calf, and they have bowed down and sacrificed to it.  They are saying, “These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you out of the land of Egypt.”

Isaiah 30:15a, b;18-19, NLT

“This is what the Sovereign Lord, the Holy one of Israel says, “Only in returning to me and resting in me  will you be saved. In quiet and confidence is your strength… So the Lord must wait for you to come to Him so He can show you His love and compassion. For the Lord is a faithful God. Blessed are those who wait for His help. O people of Zion who live in Jerusalem you will weep no more... He will be gracious if you ask for help. He will…  respond…”