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We are taking a break for the summer until futher notice.

Week 5, Day 1

1. From Luke 1:1-4, what do we learn about the authenticity of this book of the Bible? List the author and recipient.

2. Fill in the following based on Luke 1:5-25.
* Who was the king?
* Who was Zechariah?
* Who was Elizabeth?
* From whose family line did Elizabeth come?

The priestly line of Aaron was established by God in the wilderness of Sinai when the tribes of Israel were apportioned land blessings. (Ex. 28:1) The line of Aaron became priests unto the LORD and did not hold land rights. Instead they were given tithes from the other tribes. (Num. 18:21) Their role was to offer the sacrifices in the temple to Almighty God. Aaron and Moses were descendants of Levi, whom the Levitical line was named after. The blessings given by Jacob before his death stated that Levi would be scattered among his brothers, and God would be their inheritance.

3. Describe Elizabeth from Luke 1:5-7.

4. Tell what happened to Zechariah in Luke 1:8-17.

5. Describe the child to be born to Zechariah and Elizabeth. (vv.13-17)

6. How did Zechariah respond to the angel? (v.18)

7. What did Zechariah experience because of his lack of faith? (vv.19-20)

Gabriel is mentioned in two books of the Bible, Daniel and Luke. (Michael is the only other angel named specifically in the Bible.) In Daniel, Gabriel was sent with a special message for the man of God. (Dan. 8:16, 9:21) In the book of Luke, Gabriel again served as a messenger for the Lord. In Luke 1:26, Gabriel brought good news to Mary, who would become the mother of the Messiah.

Zechariah was chosen by lot for a special priestly duty. (Luke 1:9) He entered the Holy Place to keep the candle of incense burning at the altar before the Most Holy Place. (Prov. 16:33) This duty was performed every morning and evening. It was a privilege to get to serve in this way because the likelihood of being chosen was extremely rare. There were many priests serving during this time. The duty he performed was so important that many people were outside praying that God would accept the priest and his offering. It was a known fact that sometimes a priest performing this service could be struck dead if his offering was unacceptable. Therefore they tied a rope to the leg of the entering priest in case he perished in the presence of God's Holy of Holies and had to be pulled out. In Luke 1:21 we see the heightened anticipation of the crowd because of how long Zechariah stayed in the Holy Place. This event was significant in the historical narrative, and we can see why Luke placed it here.

LESSONS AND APPLICATIONS

1. God's Word is documented and true. Do you believe God's Word is relative to your life?

2. God sees righteousness in His people, and He requires faith and obedience. What does God see in your life right now of righteousness, obedience, and faith?

3. God disciplines those He loves. How has God disciplined you in the past?

3 comments:

Christina Ketchum said...

That’s what so great about the bible. It can relate and be applied to current day times. However, there are some parts of the bible that have a 'what factor' due to the cultural and time differences. I am trying to find a good book that explains the culture from back then. Anyone know of a good one?

I like the comment 'God disciplines those He loves' because movies/TV want to make love out to be this constant wonderful high experience which isn't true. There is a lot of discipline surrounding love along with the wonderful experiences.
-Christina

Sohl Gal said...

For a long time I thought the Bible was a book written a long, long time ago with no relevance today. The more I learn about it, the more I study, I am realizing how current the topics can be.

I was surprised that God chose to make Zechariah mute. Many other stories we're studied so far have included people who didn't believe immediately.

The love/discipline thing is evident with parenting. Many parents struggle with showing love by allowing children to do whatever they please. True love means establishing necessary boundaries and rules, and holding your loved ones accountable to those rules.

So in this instance, God was just holding Zechariah accountable for his lack of faith?

DA Wagners said...

Gosh, I've been disciplined so much that I've lost count. Most of the time I start something my way instead of God's and then have to apologize to everyone when I change the plan. It's embarrassing and it makes me look flaky. So, I try to not make impulse decisions until I've prayed about it.

On another note,I see why Gabriel got mad at Zech. If I tell someone something (within my authority to say), and he/she doesn't beleive me or distrusts me, I get kind of offended. I don't want to have to force the person to believe me. Here Gabriel is coming in a supernatural way relating the will of God and Zech doesn't believe him. I think being mute is a small price to pay, though I wonder why that never happened it Abraham or Sara. It seems that even angels have personalities, and Gabriel seems like the kind of being that one should not cross!

Also, it's so cool to read about my son's namesake: Levi.