LHIM Weekly Bible Teaching

Essentially, “justice” refers to giving each person what he or she deserves or, in more traditional terms, giving each person what is due to them. While justice and fairness are closely related terms, and we might use them interchangeably at times, they are certainly distinct to a degree in their meanings.

Deut 16:18-20

Justice is not solely all about punishing people who do what is wrong. That is the punitive side of justice. The other side is setting forth and establishing the standard of what is considered “right” behavior.

Deut 19:14-21

Prov 28:5

Micah 6:8

Deuteronomy 21:10-14   A woman of a village captured in war was particularly vulnerable in the ancient Near East. Tragically, rape and enslavement were the norms. However, God restricted Israelite soldiers from acting immediately, instead providing the woman with a month to mourn and adjust to the new reality. Even then, he could not use her as a slave, but had to marry her, inducting her into his household as a person of status and into the wider covenant community of God’s people. (See also Leviticus 19:18, 34.)

Deuteronomy 21:15-17   In a polygamous marriage, a husband sometimes favored one wife above another. This law offers protection for the unloved wife in the case that she bore the firstborn son in the family.

Deuteronomy 22:13-21   This elaborate scenario provides a threat to a cheating wife as well as to a malicious husband. It protects a wife from her husband lying about her virginity and metes out severe and public punishments to such a man.

Deuteronomy 22:22   Both the man and the woman are equally held accountable in an adulterous affair. This equality of punishment reflects an understanding of equality in the act itself.

Deuteronomy 22:23-27   Having an affair with someone who was betrothed was tantamount to adultery. However, if the act wasn’t consensual, then the law favored the woman’s innocence.

Deuteronomy 25:5-10   Levirate marriage was an institution designed to prevent families from losing property as well as provide widows with care, support, and protection. This law promised public humiliation and enduring shame to the man who would not take care of his brother’s widow.

God cares about how women are treated. He doesn’t want to see abuse. Even in the harsh world of the ancient Near East, He provided protections against abuses endemic to their patriarchal system.

Deuteronomy 4:13, 23, 31; 5:2-3; 7:2, 9, 12   Covenant people

4:5-9   As they “keep and do,” they become a witness to the world.

4:32-40   Yahweh’s chosen ones were to keep His commandments.

7:1-14   Stay separate from the heathen; eliminate all idols.

9:4-7   Do not forget.

10:14-20   Stay humble, be godly, and love

12:28, 32   You shall be careful to do; you shall not add to nor take away from it.

14:1-2   Be holy, live like God’s chosen ones, be different.

18:9-14   Hate spiritualism, and stay blameless.

26:17-19   His consecrated people are made for praise, fame, and honor.

33:28-29   God’s special chosen people

Acts 17:16, 23   Paul was provoked by the idols, so he spoke about the unknown God.

Understanding Yahweh

Romans 11:33-36   Everyone has opinions about God. The majority of people come to their conclusions based upon information received from outside the Scriptures, which is why precise and accurate understanding is missing. God makes Himself known through the Scriptures.

Deuteronomy 1:3   This is in the fortieth year, on the first day of the eleventh month. Moses will die soon; the generation that went into the wilderness are all dead except Joshua and Caleb.

Deuteronomy 1:10, 16, 19,20, 21, 25, 26,30, 31, 32, 41; 5:4-6; 6:4-5   “Yahweh” 550 times, “Yahweh your God” 279, and “Yahweh our God” 22. For 301 times in 34 chapters, God reminds them who He is in relationship to them. Their fathers and grandfathers did not get it!

Exodus 3:13-15; 6:2-3, 6   This is my name to all generations

Deuteronomy 28:58; 32:3-4   “…to fear this honored and awesome name, Yahweh.”

Leviticus 22:2, 32; 11:45   The book of Leviticus magnifies the holiness of God.

Deuteronomy 2:1-6:6   Our purpose in life is to LOVE GOD.

I. The joy of God is experienced when we know God as _______________________ .

II. The joy of God is experienced when we know God as _______________________ .

III. The joy of God is experienced when we know God a _______________________ .

IV. The Joyful Life

Verses used:

Psalm 73:24

1 Peter 1:13   Our hope is on the revelation of Jesus Christ rather than success, wealth, or even making a difference in the world.

1 Peter 1:14-16   Instead of blindly and uncritically following our cravings, God says we can be holy like He is!

1 Peter 1:17-19   God is the judge, and He has decided He will judge deeds. We cannot allow ourselves to become swept up in whatever morals and mores our society adopts. Rather, Scripture calls us to live as exiles, knowing that one day Christ will come and retake this fallen world. (Matthew 10:22; 1 John 3:13)

1 Peter 1:20-21   Our faith and hope are in God, not in whatever the world puts before us. The gospel message grounds us in the knowledge that God loved, God acted, and one day God will renew everything.

1 Peter 1:22   Love and truth are not enemies. Truth is powerful because it tells us what we should and should not think and do. Although our society has become post-truth, we who believe in God know that He sets the standards for what is and is not true. This frees us to truly love, even when it’s hard. (John 8:31-32; Ephesians 4:15; 2 Peter 3:9)

1 Peter 1:23-25   We are—all of us—like flowers. We’re here today and gone tomorrow. How can we trust what our society tells us when we know they’ll say something totally different in fifty years? Thankfully, God’s word is imperishable, living and abiding forever.

Hebrews 5:11   Those Christians who are dull, sluggish, lazy of hearing are spiritual infants who need milk rather than solid food.

14   The mature hear and practice and discern good and evil.

Hebrews 6:1-3   Some were still holding onto the law and not faith in God’s grace.

The resurrection of the dead and eternal judgment are part of the elementary teachings of Christians; yet, most wrongly understand them due to ignorance or wrong teaching. Elementary – basic, rudimentary, fundamental, essential, underlying

6   Hebrews 10:26-31; 2 Peter 2:21; 1 John 5:16

8   Jesus often used agricultural illustrations to drive home this point – the sower and the seed, tares and the wheat, the vine and the branches, knowing a tree by its fruit.

10   Matthew 25:34-46

12   Sluggish – same Greek word in 5:11 – dull of hearing

14   Genesis 22:1-18   Offering Isaac   Hebrews 11:17-19

17   The unchangeable character of the Creator is stressed in Hebrews 1:10-12, and now the focus falls on the unchangeable character of His purpose. The unchangeable purpose of God sets Him apart from the capricious, contemporary, pagan deities and all of humanity. God means what He says.

18   The two relate either to God’s nature and His oath or the promise and the oath. Neither can change!

Strong encouragement denotes an urgent turning away from a state of discouragement and apathy.

19   The anchor is to remain fixed in the seabed, whatever the conditions. The rougher the weather, the more important is the anchor for the stability and safety.

20   Our anchor is connected to Jesus, not the seabed.

Following Jesus entails two major aspects:

John 10:24-28   People had various opinions of Jesus. Some believed and others thought he was oppressed by a demon. What do you think? Are you one of his sheep?

Luke 6:46-49   Jesus clearly defines what it means to follow him. If you call him “Lord,” you must also do what he says. Those who hear his words and do not do them are like someone who built a house without a foundation.

Luke 6:27-31   Jesus taught us to love our enemies and treat them the way we want them to treat us.

Luke 6:32-36   Those who love those who love them are no better than sinners who do the same. However, if we demonstrate love towards our enemies, then we are like God who is merciful.

Luke 6:37-42   Don’t judge others. Instead, generously give. Hypocrites always worry about other people’s flaws without considering their own problems first.

Luke 6:43-45   We want to be genuine. Our external fruit indicates our internal state. If you have real faith, you’ll have real fruit in your life.

John 13:1-11   When he washed his students’ feet, he humbled himself and performed a lowly task in their society. Jesus gave us an example to follow.

Romans 6:23   You can’t earn salvation. It is God’s free gift.

1 Corinthians 15:1-2; Romans 1:16   The gospel is the message we believe for salvation.

2 Corinthians 4:3-4; Luke 8:12   The devil works to prevent people from understanding and believing the gospel.

The gospel includes three truths:

This is the good news message we tell people.

Christ Died

1 Corinthians 15:3; Romans 5:8   Christ died for our sins.

Romans 6:1-2; Matthew 7:22-23   Although Christ died for our sins, that does not mean we should continue in sin.

Christ Rose

1 Corinthians 15:3-8; Romans 10:9   God raised Jesus from the dead, proving to all that he is Lord (Messiah).

Christ Is Coming Again

1 Corinthians 15:22-25   Christ is coming again to establish the Kingdom of God on earth—a time when He will make everything wrong with the world right.

Matthew 5:5; 6:10   Although many believe heaven is our “home” and ultimate destination, Jesus is clear that our hope is to inherit the earth and enjoy a new age when God’s will is done.

Acts 3:1-10, 16, 19

Acts 4:7-10, 12, 16-18

Luke 19:10   For the Son of man

Billy Graham story

2 Corinthians 5:17-20   We are ambassadors for Christ.