God Picked You!

November 6, 2022 Background Scripture: Acts 19; Ephesians 1:1 - 14; Revelation 2:1 - 7 Lesson Passage: Ephesians 1:1 - 14 The Background Scripture for today's lesson contains three passages that reference the Christian congregation located at Ephesus. God led Paul to establish that congregation beginning with twelve people who were disciples, or followers, of John the Baptist's teaching. After Paul led the initial twelve converts to receive salvation through faith in Jesus Christ, he remained in Ephesus for two years teaching concerning the things of the kingdom. God worked many miracles through Paul during that time. Those miracles validated Paul's ministry. This caused the word of God to be spread throughout that region. Paul's ministry was met with much opposition by some of the locals because of the entrenched worship of the goddess Diana in that area. Ephesus was the location of the great temple built and dedicated to Diana. Many Ephesian merchants earned a living creating and selling wares dedicated to Diana. The Christian congregation at Ephesus was seen as a threat by those merchants. The church at Ephesus is also addressed by John in the first of the seven letters God directed him to write to different congregations in the Book of Revelation. The Ephesian congregation was reminded to return to their original faith that was first delivered to them. Christian congregations are not shielded from the influence and temptations of the world, Each must struggle in its physical location to remain faithful to their calling in Christ Jesus. Demonic activities and the lust of the flesh intensify the struggle. Individual members of the congregation and those sent by God to serve the congregation are at the frontline of this spiritual warfare. Oftentimes, there is need for encouragement to persevere through it all. Words of encouragement for the Ephesian Christians can be found in the opening salutation of the letter Paul wrote to them. Paul reminded them that their salvation had been orchestrated by God. Everything needed for salvation had been accomplished by Jesus Christ through the giving of His life as the payment for sin. God, in His infinite wisdom and divine foreknowledge, had determined beforehand the salvation He had planned for them. God accomplished all this before He created the world. This was not fate, but a carefully developed and executed plan of salvation that includes the willful acceptance by mankind. Because of His foreknowledge, God knows who will accept His plan and who will not. All who will accept God's plan of salvation are preserved in life by God and brought to the point where a personal decision can be made. At no point does God remove the free will of the individual. Accepting salvation in Jesus Christ is always a personal decision. God predestines those who will make that choice to be adopted into His family. Predestination and the Christian Doctrine of Election can be difficult concepts to grasp in an age where people are taught to rely on themselves only. "Education is the key to your future." "Work hard and keep your nose clean and life will work out just fine for you." "The key to life is to treat people the way you want to be treated." All those statements are great advice to anyone. However, anyone who attempts to go through life without a relationship with God will be disappointed in the future. We can set goals and have great aspirations in life. Goals and aspirations do not create purpose in a person's life. The greatest joy is to realize that one's purpose in life is to come into the right relationship with God and grow in that relationship. The joy comes from the knowledge that God picked you! Robert C. Hudson October 26, 2022

David Anointed as King

October 30, 2022 Background Scripture: I Samuel 16:1 -13 Lesson Passage: I Samuel 16:1 - 13 In last week's lesson, Saul was anointed as Israel's first king. Given his physical attributes, Saul was a man the nation was eager to have as king. When Saul was presented to them, they shouted, "Long live the king!" Saul could have made his reign successful by following the Lord. Instead, he did even as God had Samuel to warn the elders that he would do. Saul did what pleased the people despite clear instructions from God through Samuel. Saul even made excuses for his decisions that he knew went contrary to God's instructions. God sent Saul and Israel's army to utterly destroy the Amalekites. Saul kept the king alive to parade in front of the people like a victory trophy. Further, they were supposed to destroy all the possessions of the Amalekites. Instead, they kept the best- looking livestock allegedly to offer to God as a burnt offering. As a result of his continuous disobedience, God rejected Saul as king over His people, Samuel was disappointed with Saul's behavior and rebuked him to no avail. Saul readily admitted to doing the wrong thing, but he didn't change his behavior. Samuel was grieved because of Saul. God told Samuel to stop grieving for Saul and go to Bethlehem with the anointing oil to anoint the next king of Israel. God had chosen one of Jesse's sons to be king over the Lord's people. Samuel feared that Saul would learn about his actions and kill him. God sent Samuel to Bethlehem to make a sacrifice to Him and invite Jesse to the sacrifice. God would give Samuel the details of what to do after he arrives in Bethlehem. Samuel's behavior is a good example of faith. He went to where God sent him without having the details as to what he was going to do while there. Samuel went with God's assurance that God would show him what to do. Samuel thought he would be able to see what God was doing ahead of time. God informed him that people judge by what they see on the outside of a person whereas God judges based on what He sees on the inside. Jesse presented seven of his sons before Samuel one at a time. God assured Samuel that He had not chosen any of them to be king over His people. Samuel questioned Jesse as to whether all his sons were present. Jesse indicated that the youngest son was not there because he was watching the sheep. Samuel requested the presence of the youngest son before they proceeded further. When David entered, God instructed Samuel to rise and anoint him for he was the chosen one. Samuel poured the anointing oil on David in the presence of everyone there. The Spirit of God came on David from that day. The Spirit's presence was made obvious by the power of God working through David. And with that, a young shepherd boy, David, was anointed to be Israel's second king. God later made a covenant with David that extended the reign of his descendant throughout eternity. This was an honor incomparable to anything God had bestowed on anyone else. David was too young to serve as a warrior in Israel's army. But, when no one else was around, he had proven himself in God's eyes when he defended the sheep against a lion and a bear, David risked his life to protect the defenseless sheep of his father. Such behavior is not motivated by the person' s ability or appearance. That must be inside the person before the incident occurs. Samuel thought he could judge Jesse's sons by looking at the outside. What God desired in a leader for His people was based on what was inside the person. Inside the person's heart is where God does His inventory of the person's worth. Watching someone's sheep and risking your life for the protection of those sheep is the stuff God saw in David. Samuel poured the oil on David, and God poured out His Spirit on him. And David was anointed king. Robert C. Hudson October 1, 2022

Who is King?

October 23, 2022 Background Scripture: 1 Samuel 8:1 - 9; 10:17 - 26 Lesson Passage: 1 Samuel 8:4 - 7; 10:17 - 24 God established Israel as a sovereign nation in the world. That is quite different from other nations established by men. The people who established nations decided the form of governance they would have since they were established to be independent of others. Israel was independent of other nations as well, but dependent on God. Israel was established as a theocracy, a God-governed nation. Israel was surrounded by nations that were autocratic, ruled, or governed, by monarchs (kings or queens). God placed human servants over Israel who were directly accountable to Him, and He instructed those servants on how to lead Israel. Moses and afterwards Joshua, were the first leaders of Israel. After Moses and Joshua, those servants became known as judges, The last judge, Samuel, placed his sons as judges over Israel because of his advanced age. (This was the only case where a judge attempted to name his own successor rather than depend on God to do so.) Samuel's sons were very different than him. They did not have the appropriate relationship with God to lead Israel as judges. The elders of Israel confronted Samuel and requested they be allowed to have the same type of governance as the surrounding nations. They wanted a king. Samuel and the elders of Israel were ignoring the main aspect of a theocracy. They were more focused on those who were to be servants of God rather than on God. God understood the elders' request for a king as not a rejection of the judge but as a rejection of His leadership. So, God told Samuel to listen to the elders' request and follow it. However, God stipulated that Samuel had to warn them about the consequences of having a king. Israel had not had a king, so they were not aware of the behavior of an autocrat. The kings of the surrounding nations had no allegiance to God. As kings, or autocrats, they were the absolute rulers with no accountability to anyone. The king' s decisions would effectively enslave the people of Israel and make them all servants of the king. The king would take the best of everything in Israel for himself. This included their material goods and their families. But given the prospect of a king who might do well and the corruption of Samuel' s sons that was known to them, the elders opted for the unknown of the king as their ruler. God sent Samuel to anoint Saul to be Israel's first king. Samuel called the leaders of Israel together and presented Saul to them as their king. Because of Saul's height, head and shoulders above the others in Israel, they were well pleased with him. They shouted, "Long live the king!" They had what they wanted, and they had who they wanted. Unfortunately, they did not have who God preferred for them. Their shout of celebration only mentioned the king. Israel for the first time would look like the other nations around them. They were given Canaan to subdue it and displace all the nations who inhabited Canaan. They had destroyed kingdom after kingdom in their conquest of Canaan under Joshua's leadership. Israel's godly leaders had followed God's instructions and they were successful as a result of obeying God. Israel did not look like any other nation around them because they did not have a king as those nations. They had destroyed many of those nations and their kings. Israel failed to understand that God was her King. No, they did not have a human king but rather than that, they had the King of kings. They did not have to proclaim "Long live the King" because God is eternal. This is what they rejected in favor of a human king. Robert C. Hudson October 1, 2022

The Call of Gideon

October 16, 2022 Background Scripture: Judges 6:1 - 27 Lesson Passage: Judges 6: 1, 2, 7 - 16a For some situations, we need much more assurance than for others. Sometimes it takes more than simply believing something or even hearing it. It gets more complicated when we are challenged to change our lives due to additional responsibilities. Gideon is the subject of our lesson today. Gideon was from one of the smallest tribes of Israel and his family was one of the smallest families in the tribe, Yet, Gideon was approached by the Lord and told that he would deliver Israel from the oppression of the Midianites. Israel had been suffering at the hands of the Midianites for seven years. Many had left their homes and were living in caves in the mountains. They were food insecure because of the raiding parties of the Midianites. When they ventured to plant crops, the Midianites would come in droves and destroy their fields and seize their livestock. When Israel cried out to God about their situation, God reminded them that their situation was the result of their disobedience to Him. God allowed the Midianites to oppress Israel as punishment for their disobedience. As in times past, God was prepared to extend His mercy towards Israel again. Previously, God had raised up deliverers to rescue His people from dire situations. We are always delighted when God sends us a hero or heroine. We are rarely prepared for God to use us in such a situation. If I believe I need rescuing, I don't tend to see myself as the rescuer! I know this was the case for Gideon because of his location when the Lord approached him. Gideon was hiding in a winepress to thresh wheat. Throwing wheat in the air to separate the kernel from the husk would have created a cloud of dust that would likely have attracted attention had he been in the opening such as in a field where this was normally done. The constricted space of a winepress was also uncomf01table for Gideon. Nevertheless, fear and hunger will drive us to take extreme actions. The Lord's address to Gideon was not befitting of his present situation. The Lord called Gideon a "mighty man of valor". This title did not fit a man who was cowardly hiding in a winepress to provide food for his family. However, this title did fit the man Gideon would become as a result of his following the Lord's instructions. The Lord called Gideon to become Israel's hero to deliver them from the oppression of the Midianites. The Background Scripture records the dialog between the Lord and Gideon as Gideon sought more assurance from the Lord. This was no small task God required of Gideon and Gideon did not feel he was up to the task. God gave Gideon several tasks to do with each becoming more difficult than the previous. This helped Gideon gain confidence in the Lord's presence with him. The Lord reduced Gideon's resources to make him more dependent on the Lord and not on his own strength. Then, Gideon was sent to deliver Israel from the Midianites. Heroes and heroines are not necessarily born as such. It has been said that God doesn't call the qualified, but rather, God qualifies those He calls. God knows each of us and what is required to give us the assurance we need to have faith in Him, God doesn't call us to serve Him because we have the strength or skills to do so. God calls us when we have the faith to trust Him and depend on His strength. In his weakness, Gideon was called to depend on God's strength. In his cowardice, Gideon was called by God to become Israel's deliverer. Robert C. Hudson October 1, 2022

Song of Moses

October 9, 2022 Background Scripture: Deuteronomy 31 :30 - 32:47 Lesson Passage: Deuteronomy 32:3 - 6, 10 - 14, 18 I rarely think of Moses as a Psalmist. However, Psalm 90, one of the most memorable of the Psalms, is attributed to his authorship. In addition to Psalm 90, the Background Scripture of this lesson records the words of a song Moses spoke into the hearing of the Congregation of Israel when his death was imminent. The words of this song were more than the expressions of Moses' emotions. Moses was about to leave them, ascend Mount Nebo, and die. He gave the words of this song as a reminder of their history and a warning about things to come if they fail to obey and follow God. Moses knew very well the temperament of the people based on the forty years of leading them from Egypt to the plains of Moab. This song contained instructions for Israel for generations to come. They were God's chosen people, and He would punish them for disobedience and defend them from their enemies. In the end, they would survive because God ordained it to be so. Moses began this song by calling heaven and earth to bear witness of his proclamation. He talked about the attributes of God as a loving and nurturing Father. Then he contrasted God's character and faithfulness with that of His people, Israel. Israel had been perverse and unstable. God had given them blessing after blessing, and they responded by making idol gods for themselves. This was not hidden from even the youngest among them. Moses said they could inquire of their parents and receive the details of their crooked ways before God. God had delivered them from slavery in Egypt and given them a law to establish them as a sovereign nation in the world. Rather than submit to the will of God, they used their blessings to grow fat as they moved further from following God. God did not delight in punishing them, but divine justice demanded that His children be disciplined for their disobedience. God gave them more than they could have asked for, but they did not reciprocate with love for their Father. They provoked God to jealousy by worshiping idol gods they created. For forty years, Moses stood between Israel and God. Moses pleaded with God for mercy on behalf of Israel, while he rebuked Israel because of their faithlessness. As the servant of God, Moses had seen the highest and the lowest extremes in the relationship between God and Israel. He witnessed God's forgiveness and kindness towards Israel. Moses prayed for them when they didn't know to pray for themselves. Now, Moses was preparing to leave them, and Joshua had been chosen by God to replace him. So, Moses came before the people with Joshua and shared the words of this song. Songs have long been used as a tool for teaching. And they are still used today for that purpose. As children, we learned the "Alphabet Song" before we learned to recognize the letters of the alphabets. The song taught us the sound and order of the alphabets. We used to speak of it as singing our A, B, C's. As we grew older, we learned more complex songs of patriotism to learn about the history of our nation. The leaders in the local church taught us spiritual songs to help us learn about God and His love for us. The "Call and Response", or "Old 100' s" as we would call them, taught us various forms of prayer. When we later found ourselves in difficult situations, the words of those prayer hymns became our sincere prayers: "Father I stretch my hands to Thee ..." or "Guide me O Thou great Jehovah . Songs can teach us the fundamentals, history or they can strengthen our faith in God. When Moses was no longer able to lead Israel, he spoke to them the words of a song. Robert C. Hudson September 29, 2022