¹ Be careful to follow every command I am giving you today, so that you may live and increase and may enter and possess the land the Lord promised on oath to your ancestors. ² Remember how the Lord your God led you all the way in the wilderness these forty years, to humble and test you in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep his commands. ³ He humbled you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna, which neither you nor your ancestors had known, to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord. ⁴ Your clothes did not wear out and your feet did not swell during these forty years. ⁵ Know then in your heart that as a man disciplines his son, so the Lord your God disciplines you.  (Deuteronomy 8:1 – 5, New International Version)

Theme:  Discipleship

Context:

Today is dedicated to reviewing what we have learned over the past five days.  Our lessons came from selected discipleship experiences of the Children of Israel.  We observed the pervasive nature of idolatry and obstinacy and the destructive impact they can have.  We saw the blessings God has made available to us when we operate in community, and the importance God places on our memory of Him.  Finally, we were reminded of the importance of our testimony as we seek to make disciples. 

As you reflect on the lesson, please consider catching up on any comments you may have missed. 

Question:

What lesson(s) resonated the most with you?  Please leave a comment.  We would love to hear from you.

⁵ Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession. Although the whole earth is mine, ⁶ you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words you are to speak to the Israelites.” (Exodus 19:5 – 6, New International Version)

¹ May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face shine on us—² so that your ways may be known on earth, your salvation among all nations. (Psalm 67:1 – 2, New International Version)

¹⁸ Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. ¹⁹ Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰ and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matthew 28:18-20, New International Version)

Theme:  Discipleship

Context:

As reflected in your comments yesterday, we are prone to forget the things God has done for us. So, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit we should use tools God has provided to counter forgetfulness.  Living as disciples of Jesus in community is one of the powerful tools we have.  Thanks again to all who provided comments!

From our observation of the discipleship journey of the Children of Israel, we have contemplated how idolatry, obstinacy, community, and memory relate to our discipleship journey.  Our final topic for the week is testimony.  Making a connection between the discipleship journey of the Children of Israel and the responsibility they had to represent God to other nations is more challenging than the other topics we have discussed because Bible scholars have debated how active Israel was as a witness for God to other nations.  Despite the debates, it is clear that God cared deeply about how Israel represented Him to the nations.  This observation should sharpen our focus on the fact that Jesus cares deeply about how His disciples represent Him.    Our role as disciple-makers is an awesome privilege and an awesome responsibility.  Our testimony matters!

Bible Passages:

Our Scripture passages today highlight the importance of the testimony of the Children of Israel, and the importance of the Great Commission for disciples of Jesus.  Please prayerfully read the passages and consider the questions below.          

Questions:

• How would you describe the amount of focus you put on how you are representing Jesus (e.g., do you naturally think of yourself as an ambassador of Christ)?
• Why are Bible study and prayer essential to being a good representative?

Sharing your thoughts could be a big help to someone else.  Please leave a comment on the blog.

⁴ Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. ⁵ Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. ⁶ These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. ⁷ Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. ⁸ Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. ⁹ Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates. ¹⁰ When the Lord your God brings you into the land he swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, to give you—a land with large, flourishing cities you did not build, ¹¹ houses filled with all kinds of good things you did not provide, wells you did not dig, and vineyards and olive groves you did not plant—then when you eat and are satisfied, ¹² be careful that you do not forget the Lord, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. (Deuteronomy 6:4 – 12, New International Version, emphasis added)

¹⁰ When you have eaten and are satisfied, praise the Lord your God for the good land he has given you. ¹¹ Be careful that you do not forget the Lord your God, failing to observe his commands, his laws and his decrees that I am giving you this day. ¹² Otherwise, when you eat and are satisfied, when you build fine houses and settle down, ¹³ and when your herds and flocks grow large and your silver and gold increase and all you have is multiplied, ¹⁴ then your heart will become proud and you will forget the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. ¹⁵ He led you through the vast and dreadful wilderness, that thirsty and waterless land, with its venomous snakes and scorpions. He brought you water out of hard rock. ¹⁶ He gave you manna to eat in the wilderness, something your ancestors had never known, to humble and test you so that in the end it might go well with you. ¹⁷ You may say to yourself, “My power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me.” ¹⁸ But remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms his covenant, which he swore to your ancestors, as it is today.  ¹⁹ If you ever forget the Lord your God and follow other gods and worship and bow down to them, I testify against you today that you will surely be destroyed. ²⁰ Like the nations the Lord destroyed before you, so you will be destroyed for not obeying the Lord your God. (Deuteronomy 8:10 – 20, New International Version, emphasis added)

Theme:  Discipleship

Context:

Your comments yesterday emphasized that we are not meant to be lone-wolf disciples of Jesus. Our discipleship occurs in community.  Thanks to all who provided comments!

In our review of the discipleship journey of the Children of Israel, we have discussed idolatry, obstinacy, and community so far this week.  Today, we turn to memory.  On many occasions, God warns the Children of Israel not to forget Him.  In tandem with his warning, God also instituted practices to guard against the Children of Israel succumbing to forgetfulness.  For example, God encouraged storytelling and suggested written reminders, which could be attached to arms and heads and placed on doorframes and gates.

As disciples of Jesus we also need to pay careful attention to our memory of Him.  “Remembering” Jesus applies to many facets of our lives, including corporate worship (e.g., observance of the Lord’s Supper and liturgical worship), personal devotional time (e.g., meditation and journaling), Bible study (e.g., study notes and memorization), and communication in general (e.g., telling relevant stories about Jesus).   

Bible Passages:

The Scripture passages today provide just a few examples of the many times the Children of Israel are admonished not to forget God.  Please prayerfully read the passages and consider the questions below.       

Questions:

The Psalmist David said, “Praise the Lord, my soul, and forget not all his benefits.” (Psalm 103:2). 

• Why is it important for disciples of Jesus to participate in activities that enhance their memory of Him?
• Recall our discussion yesterday about community.  Why is being in a community a vital contributor to preserving our memory of Jesus?

Sharing your thoughts could be a big help to someone else.  Please leave a comment on the blog.

¹ all the people came together as one in the square before the Water Gate. They told Ezra the teacher of the Law to bring out the Book of the Law of Moses, which the Lord had commanded for Israel.  ² So on the first day of the seventh month Ezra the priest brought the Law before the assembly, which was made up of men and women and all who were able to understand. ³ He read it aloud from daybreak till noon as he faced the square before the Water Gate in the presence of the men, women and others who could understand. And all the people listened attentively to the Book of the Law.  (Nehemiah 8:1 – 3, New International Version)

¹ On the twenty-fourth day of the same month, the Israelites gathered together, fasting and wearing sackcloth and putting dust on their heads. ² Those of Israelite descent had separated themselves from all foreigners. They stood in their places and confessed their sins and the sins of their ancestors. ³ They stood where they were and read from the Book of the Law of the Lord their God for a quarter of the day, and spent another quarter in confession and in worshiping the Lord their God.  (Nehemiah 9:1 – 3, New International Version)

Theme:  Discipleship

Context:

Your introspective responses to yesterday’s question were insightful.  Thanks for the transparency displayed by all who commented.

So far, in our examination of the discipleship journey of the Children of Israel, we have extracted lessons from their idolatry and obstinacy.  Today, we will discuss a more positive aspect of the discipleship journey of the Children of Israel – community.  In the book of Nehemiah we learn that as the Children of Israel were coming out of exile and coming to grips with their waywardness, they asked that the Law of Moses be read to their community for hours at a time. They also prayed as a community, including public confessions.  The public reading of Scripture in Nehemiah was consistent with a commandment issued by Moses that the Law be read before all of Israel every seven years (Deuteronomy 31:10 – 11).  For our discussion, the significant point is this, discipleship for the Children of Israel was enacted in the context of community. 

How do we think about discipleship today where community is concerned? For example, how do we interact with Scripture and pray as a community?  Small group Bible studies and prayer meetings are a great example of discipleship in community, but do we overlook many other opportunities for discipleship in community? For example, how does public prayer and the public reading of Scripture by the Children of Israel compare with the treatment of prayer and Scripture reading in many of our worship services. Do we see sufficient focus on discipleship? 

We must be mindful of the fact that our Western culture promotes individualism, and unfortunately, we often take an individualistic mentality into the sphere of discipleship.  While being a disciple of Jesus clearly has personal elements (e.g., certain aspects of decision making and accountability), the New Testament often portrays discipleship in community (e.g., Jesus and His disciples and the early Church in the Acts of the Apostles).

Bible Passages:

In our Scripture passages today, Nehemiah provides a window into how the Children of Israel responded as a community to their time in exile.  Please prayerfully read the passages and consider the questions below.          

Questions:

• What are some warning signs of an unhealthy focus on individualism where discipleship is concerned?
• Can you think of New Testament Bible passages that encourage discipleship in community?  Please share at least one.

Sharing your thoughts could be a big help to someone else.  Please leave a comment on the blog.

¹³ “You came down on Mount Sinai; you spoke to them from heaven. You gave them regulations and laws that are just and right, and decrees and commands that are good. ¹⁴ You made known to them your holy Sabbath and gave them commands, decrees and laws through your servant Moses. ¹⁵ In their hunger you gave them bread from heaven and in their thirst you brought them water from the rock; you told them to go in and take possession of the land you had sworn with uplifted hand to give them.  ¹⁶ “But they, our ancestors, became arrogant and stiff-necked, and they did not obey your commands. ¹⁷ They refused to listen and failed to remember the miracles you performed among them. They became stiff-necked and in their rebellion appointed a leader in order to return to their slavery.  But you are a forgiving God, gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love. Therefore you did not desert them, ¹⁸ even when they cast for themselves an image of a calf and said, ‘This is your god, who brought you up out of Egypt,’ or when they committed awful blasphemies. (Nehemiah 9:13 – 18, New International Version)

Theme:  Discipleship

Context:

Thank you for your comments yesterday that highlighted the incompatibility of idolatry with being a disciple of Jesus.  In the discipleship journey of the Children of Israel, there is another trait that they exhibited that is incompatible with discipleship.  In several places in the Bible, God expresses his displeasure with the Children of Israel being “stiff-necked.”    

The activity that some scholars associate with the word “stiff-necked” is the plowing of a field.  Visualize, if you will, two oxen pulling a plow.  A plowman follows the oxen and uses an iron spike at the end of a pole to prick the oxen in the neck to keep them on course.  Now visualize an ox that continues to go off course even after being pricked by the iron spike.  That rebellious ox would be considered stiff-necked.  How compliant are we to the guidance provided by Jesus?  Where do we get our direction, and how do we rely on God to correct our rebellious nature?  The Bible tells us when we are going off the course God has prescribed, and prayer is our means of communicating with a God who cares, corrects, and strengthens us.

Bible Passage:

In our Scripture passage, Nehemiah provides a summary of a subset of the discipleship journey of the Children of Israel.  Please prayerfully read the passage and consider the question below.          

Question:

Admitting that we sometimes rebel against God is not always easy.  If you had to pick a primary motivating force for being a stiff-necked disciple at times, what would you chose?  (Note: Be sure to talk to God about existing or potential areas of rebellion. He is forgiving and He is the source of our strength)

Sharing your thoughts could be a big help to someone else.  Please leave a comment on the blog.

¹And God spoke all these words: ² “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. ³ “You shall have no other gods before me.  (Exodus 20:1 – 3, New international Version)

¹⁰I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, ¹¹ and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead. (Philippians 3:10 – 11, New International Version)

Theme:  Discipleship

Context:

We have spent the last 4 weeks absorbing the importance of discipleship and discussing how Bible study and prayer enable our discipleship walk with Jesus.  This week, we will dig deeper into the theme of discipleship by extracting some lessons from God’s shepherding of the Children of Israel.  Some of the key challenges we currently face as disciples of Jesus are like discipleship challenges the Children of Israel faced.  As we seek to put what we are learning about discipleship into practice, we can benefit from observing the experiences of the Children of Israel.

A good place to start is where God started when He issued the Ten Commandments, which would serve as a discipleship guide to the Children of Israel.  God’s declaration begins with an “I am” statement that spoke of identity and warned against idolatry.  As was the case for the Children of Israel, the pervasiveness of idolatry is a major problem for disciples of Jesus today.  God knows that we are prone to conveniently construct gods of our own making.

Everyone follows something/someone.  Our idol may not be a golden calf but it could be money, country, religious leaders, family members, politicians, celebrities, and more.  As we consider the application of discipleship, clarity about who we are following is foundational, and the disciplined application of Bible study and prayer is fundamental.  Our discipleship journey will go nowhere if we are not prayerfully following the Jesus of Scripture.

Bible Passages:

Our Old Testament Scripture passage reflects the opening verses of the Ten Commandments, and the New Testament passage captures the Apostle Paul’s desire to know Jesus.  Please prayerfully read the passages and reflect on how important it is for disciples of Jesus to be confident they are really following Him and not an idol.          

Questions:

• Why is idolatry totally inconsistent with being a disciple of Jesus?
• How are Bible study and prayer important safeguards against idolatry?    

Sharing your thoughts could be a big help to someone else.  Please leave a comment on the blog.