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| READY TO TEACH A BIBLE STUDY ON THE PLAN OF SALVATION? |
PRAYER - "Ask For The Old Paths"
While you are praying, ask God to show you the old paths. The world hates the path of righteousness. It hates the ancient truth of God's word. It hates the people of God. But their way is NOT better. Walk in the old paths. It is the good way. You will find rest for your soul.
Jeremiah 6:16 - "Thus saith the LORD, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls. But they said, We will not walk therein."
PRINCIPALS - "Shiloh - Go, See What I Did To It"
God advised sinful Judah to go to Shiloh and learn a lesson about how He judges wickedness. Shiloh is where Eli the High Priest allowed his sons to misuse holy offerings and commit whoredoms in the tabernacle. Their evils were demoralizing Israel. God suddenly killed Hophni, Phinehas and Eli in one day, and the Ark of the Covenant was stolen. Learn from their mistakes.
Jeremiah 7:12 - "Go ye now unto my place which was in Shiloh, where I set my name at the first, and see what I did to it for the wickedness of my people Israel."
PRINCIPLES - "Cut Off Thine Hair; The LORD Hath Rejected Thee"
Jeremiah said, "Cut off thine hair, ...cast it away." Cutting off a woman's hair, or plucking a man's beard, symbolized humiliation, shame, disgrace and reproach. God condemned them all in disgrace for their abominations.
Jeremiah 7:29-30 - "Cut off thine hair, O Jerusalem, and cast it away, and take up a lamentation on high places; for the LORD hath rejected and forsaken the generation of his wrath. For the children of Judah have done evil in my sight, saith the LORD: they have set their abominations in the house which is called by my name, to pollute it."
PROPHECIES - "Tophet Shall Be Called The House Of Slaughter"
Judah made cakes to "the queen of heaven" and poured drink offerings to other false gods. Outrageously, they set idols in the house of the LORD, built evil altars in Tophet (valley of Hinnom), and burned their children in the fire. God's response was to prophesy the utter slaughter of those who were guilty.
Jeremiah 7:32 - "The days come, ...that it shall no more be called Tophet, ...but the valley of slaughter: for they shall bury in Tophet, till there be no place. And the carcases of this people shall be meat for the fowls of the heaven."
Plus an extra study
Robbing Bees And Milking Cows
The land given to Ephraim and Manasseh was the choicest of all the lands, but they complained of the Canaanites with their chariots of iron and of the mountains with their heavy woods. Joshua simply told them, "You're a great people. Go and take it!" In this land which flowed with milk and honey, they were about to learn that you have to rob the bees and milk the cows.
Joshua 17:17-18 - "And Joshua spake, ...saying, Thou art a great people, and hast great power... thou shalt cut it down, ...and thou shalt drive out the Canaanites."
Casting Lots
To find the will of God, several Bible characters resorted to the equivalent of a "coin toss." Joshua cast lots to decide which tribes inherited which lands. Aaron cast lots between the scapegoat and the goat for atonement. Priests, teachers, musicians and porters cast lots in King David's courts to establish chains of authority. Nehemiah did a similar thing while rebuilding Jerusalem. Jonah's sin was revealed by casting lots. Fulfilling a prophecy of Psalm 22:18, soldiers cast lots for Jesus' garments.
Joshua 18:10 - "Joshua cast lots for them in Shiloh before the LORD: and there Joshua divided the land."
How Each Tribe Received The Land
Three tribes, Reuben, Gad and half of Manasseh, settled east of the Jordan River. Inside the Promised
Land, God defined borders for every division. Joshua cast lots to give each tribe (except Levi) one
division. God guided the lottery. The first lot went to Judah (15:1). Ephraim and Manasseh each received one lot (17:17). Each tribe gave individual cities by lot to Levi.
Joshua 19:1-40 - "...the second lot came forth to Simeon, ...the third lot..., ...Zebulun, ...the fourth lot..., ...Issachar, ...the fifth lot..., ...Asher, ...The sixth lot.. Naphtali, ...the seventh lot..., ...Dan." "...the lot of ... Benjamin," Joshua 18:11.
A Fair Trial
In Numbers 35, Moses introduced the plan for cities of refuge, where accused murderers could flee until they could receive a fair trial. When Joshua apportioned the land to each tribe, he also appointed the cities of refuge. This is one of many evidences of God's justice and mercy.
Joshua 20:9 - "These were the cities appointed for all the children of Israel, and for the stranger that sojourneth among them, that whosoever killeth any person at unawares might flee thither, and not die by the hand of the avenger of blood, until he stood before the congregation."
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