Author: Shannon Vicker

Sketched X Day 12 What Are You Waiting For?: Digging Deeper

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Digging Deeper Days

Finding the original intent of Scripture and making good application to our everyday lives as we become equipped to correctly handle the Word of Truth!

Yesterday’s Journey Study connects with today’s!
Check out What Are You Waiting For?

The Questions

1) Why did Jacob need to send his sons to Egypt to buy grain? (Genesis 42:1-7)

2) Why did Joseph not reveal who he was to his brothers? (Genesis 42:8-26)

3) Why did Jacob keep Benjamin home? (Genesis 42:29-38)

Genesis 42:1-43:14

42 When Jacob learned that there was grain in Egypt, he said to his sons, “Why do you keep looking at each other? 2 Listen,” he went on, “I have heard there is grain in Egypt. Go down there and buy some for us so that we will live and not die.” 3 So ten of Joseph’s brothers went down to buy grain from Egypt. 4 But Jacob did not send Joseph’s brother Benjamin with his brothers, for he thought, “Something might happen to him.”

5 The sons of Israel were among those who came to buy grain, for the famine was in the land of Canaan. 6 Joseph was in charge of the country; he sold grain to all its people. His brothers came and bowed down before him with their faces to the ground. 7 When Joseph saw his brothers, he recognized them, but he treated them like strangers and spoke harshly to them.

“Where do you come from?” he asked.

“From the land of Canaan to buy food,” they replied.

8 Although Joseph recognized his brothers, they did not recognize him. 9 Joseph remembered his dreams about them and said to them, “You are spies. You have come to see the weakness of the land.”

10 “No, my lord. Your servants have come to buy food,” they said. 11 “We are all sons of one man. We are honest; your servants are not spies.”

12 “No,” he said to them. “You have come to see the weakness of the land.”

13 But they replied, “We, your servants, were twelve brothers, the sons of one man in the land of Canaan. The youngest is now with our father, and one is no longer living.”

14 Then Joseph said to them, “I have spoken: ‘You are spies!’ 15 This is how you will be tested: As surely as Pharaoh lives, you will not leave this place unless your youngest brother comes here. 16 Send one from among you to get your brother. The rest of you will be imprisoned so that your words can be tested to see if they are true. If they are not, then as surely as Pharaoh lives, you are spies!” 17 So Joseph imprisoned them together for three days.

18 On the third day Joseph said to them, “I fear God—do this and you will live. 19 If you are honest, let one of you be confined to the guardhouse, while the rest of you go and take grain to relieve the hunger of your households. 20 Bring your youngest brother to me so that your words can be confirmed; then you won’t die.” And they consented to this.

21 Then they said to each other, “Obviously, we are being punished for what we did to our brother. We saw his deep distress when he pleaded with us, but we would not listen. That is why this trouble has come to us.”

22 But Reuben replied, “Didn’t I tell you not to harm the boy? But you wouldn’t listen. Now we must account for his blood!”

23 They did not realize that Joseph understood them, since there was an interpreter between them. 24 He turned away from them and wept. When he turned back and spoke to them, he took Simeon from them and had him bound before their eyes. 25 Joseph then gave orders to fill their containers with grain, return each man’s silver to his sack, and give them provisions for their journey. This order was carried out. 26 They loaded the grain on their donkeys and left there.

The Brothers Return Home

27 At the place where they lodged for the night, one of them opened his sack to get feed for his donkey, and he saw his silver there at the top of his bag. 28 He said to his brothers, “My silver has been returned! It’s here in my bag.” Their hearts sank. Trembling, they turned to one another and said, “What has God done to us?”

29 When they reached their father Jacob in the land of Canaan, they told him all that had happened to them: 30 “The man who is the lord of the country spoke harshly to us and accused us of spying on the country. 31 But we told him, ‘We are honest and not spies. 32 We were twelve brothers, sons of the same father. One is no longer living, and the youngest is now with our father in the land of Canaan.’ 33 The man who is the lord of the country said to us, ‘This is how I will know if you are honest: Leave one brother with me, take food to relieve the hunger of your households, and go. 34 Bring back your youngest brother to me, and I will know that you are not spies but honest men. I will then give your brother back to you, and you can trade in the country.’”

35 As they began emptying their sacks, there in each man’s sack was his bag of silver! When they and their father saw their bags of silver, they were afraid.

36 Their father Jacob said to them, “It’s me that you make childless. Joseph is gone, and Simeon is gone. Now you want to take Benjamin. Everything happens to me!”

37 Then Reuben said to his father, “You can kill my two sons if I don’t bring him back to you. Put him in my care, and I will return him to you.”

38 But Jacob answered, “My son will not go down with you, for his brother is dead and he alone is left. If anything happens to him on your journey, you will bring my gray hairs down to Sheol in sorrow.”

Decision to Return to Egypt

43 Now the famine in the land was severe. 2 When they had used up the grain they had brought back from Egypt, their father said to them, “Go back and buy us a little food.”

3 But Judah said to him, “The man specifically warned us, ‘You will not see me again unless your brother is with you.’ 4 If you will send our brother with us, we will go down and buy food for you. 5 But if you will not send him, we will not go, for the man said to us, ‘You will not see me again unless your brother is with you.’”

6 “Why have you caused me so much trouble?” Israel asked. “Why did you tell the man that you had another brother?”

7 They answered, “The man kept asking about us and our family: ‘Is your father still alive? Do you have another brother?’ And we answered him accordingly. How could we know that he would say, ‘Bring your brother here’?”

8 Then Judah said to his father Israel, “Send the boy with me. We will be on our way so that we may live and not die—neither we, nor you, nor our dependents. 9 I will be responsible for him. You can hold me personally accountable! If I do not bring him back to you and set him before you, I will be guilty before you forever. 10 If we had not delayed, we could have come back twice by now.”

11 Then their father Israel said to them, “If it must be so, then do this: Put some of the best products of the land in your packs and take them down to the man as a gift—a little balsam and a little honey, aromatic gum and resin, pistachios and almonds. 12 Take twice as much silver with you. Return the silver that was returned to you in the top of your bags. Perhaps it was a mistake. 13 Take your brother also, and go back at once to the man. 14 May God Almighty cause the man to be merciful to you so that he will release your other brother and Benjamin to you. As for me, if I am deprived of my sons, then I am deprived.”

Original Intent

1) Why did Jacob need to send his sons to Egypt to buy grain? (Genesis 42:1-7)
It’s a big section of Scripture to dive into in a short study, but it covers a lot of important details! If you haven’t yet, please go back and Read His Words Before Mine! It won’t take you long and will be invaluable as we study these two chapters together! In Genesis 41 Joseph is called before Pharaoh to interpret his dreams. This dream interpreting ability wasn’t new to Joseph (Go Read: Genesis 37:5-10; Genesis 40:8-19). God used Joseph to inform Pharaoh of an upcoming 7 years of plenty followed by 7 years of famine. This famine wasn’t confined to Egypt but would spread throughout the land. (Genesis 41:56-57) People traveled to purchase grain from Egypt due to the surplus that had been stored there under Joseph’s wise direction. Grain was absolutely essential for livelihood in those days. It was easily stored and therefore used in almost everything people ate. Without grain, life would become difficult, if not impossible. When Jacob and his family needed grain, the famine’s severity left Jacob with no choice but to send his sons to purchase it from the only location grain could be found…Egypt. Without it, their family and their entire livelihood would likely die of starvation.

2) Why did Joseph not reveal who he was to his brothers? (Genesis 42:8-26)
Joseph’s brothers appeared before him asking for grain (Genesis 42:6) along with countless other people making the same request, having traveled many miles on little sustenance. Interestingly, instead of revealing his identity to his brothers and reuniting the family, he accused them of being spies. (Genesis 42:9) He went so far as to keep one of his brothers in prison while the rest returned home with strict instructions to bring Benjamin to Egypt. (Genesis 42:19) The last time Joseph had seen his brothers they were selling him into slavery, which left many open doubts about their integrity in Joseph’s mind. What kind of men were his brothers now? Joseph was attempting to discover if their character had changed by setting up a series of tests intended to draw out their true selves. Were they still the same as when they vengefully sold him or had they truly repented of their actions and changed their lives? Joseph needed to find out. Through his series of tests Joseph discovered they had truly changed in their hearts. He would eventually reveal himself as their long-lost brother. Read tomorrow’s Journey Study for more!

3) Why did Jacob keep Benjamin home? (Genesis 42:29-38)
Jacob had many sons, however, only two were born to Rachel, Joseph’s favorite wife. Joseph and Benjamin were full brothers while Joseph’s other brothers were half-brothers born to Leah. Genesis 37:3-4 tells us that of all twelve sons born to Jacob, Joseph was his favorite. Joseph was born in Jacob’s old age to the wife he had worked 14 years to win and marry from his uncle Laban. (Genesis 29:16-28) When Jacob was deceived by his other sons into believing Joseph had been killed, it devastated Jacob. However, it appears he continued playing favorites and chose Benjamin as his new favorite. Unwilling to part with his last remaining connection to favorited Joseph and favorited Rachel, Jacob simply couldn’t bear to send Benjamin to Egypt for fear of never seeing him again. Though motivated by selfishness and sinful favoritism, Jacob was also protecting the youngest male in the family to preserve the family line.

Everyday Application

1) Why did Jacob need to send his sons to Egypt to buy grain? (Genesis 42:1-7)
Life in the days of Genesis was nearly impossible without grain and the famine caused Jacob and his family to deplete their supply. The only reason Egypt had grain was because God used Jacob to interpret Pharaoh’s dreams allowing them to prepare ahead of time for the coming famine. The Lord is a preserving, generous, providing God! Until the moment Joseph was called before Pharaoh, his life had been anything but easy. His brothers sold him (Genesis 37:18-28), they made Father Jacob believe him to be dead (Genesis 37:31-33), he was unjustly thrown into prison for a crime he didn’t commit (Genesis 39:6-23), and he was forgotten by the cupbearer whose dreams he interpreted (Genesis 40:23). However, God never forgot Joseph. Just as God preserved Egypt and other nations with grain, He preserved His plan for Joseph’s life through every hardship. God intended to save many through Joseph’s life and his faith. As believers today, this should remind and encourage us as we face our own struggles and dark seasons. No matter what life brings our way, the Lord God is always sovereign. He will preserve us and finish His work in us. We can trust His plan, even when we cannot see it.

2) Why did Joseph not reveal who he was to his brothers? (Genesis 42:8-26)
Life events, especially suffering, either makes us better, stronger, and kinder if we lean into the Lord to shape us, or they make us bitter, angry, miserable, and even prideful. Perhaps you’ve experienced these two different outcomes in your own life or watched them play out in someone else’s. Joseph allowed the Lord to grow his faith through suffering, but without any interaction with the brothers who had sold him as a slave, he had no way to know if they had changed or remained the same. The important part of this story isn’t that Joseph tested his brothers’ character, but that Joseph’s character shone through. Joseph wasn’t out to demolish his brothers with vengeance, power, or self-righteous arrogance as proven by his later statement to them of God’s goodness. (Genesis 50:20) True repentance always results in genuine life change, which was what Joseph intended to discover of his brothers. Just like these men, we are all sinners needing true repentance. In our free will, we make decisions that go against God’s will and harm our relationship with Him and others; this is sin. Even a single lie or a single word of gossip is counted as sin; none of us are righteous. (Romans 3:10-11) However, God is graciously ready to forgive us and restore our broken relationship if we will come to Him in true repentance. (1 John 1:9) There is no sin too big for God to forgive, for all sins equally separate us from Him. When we seek His forgiveness and repent, it must include life change. If we simply go through the motions of feeling remorseful, but never going to the Lord in true confession and desire to live differently, we will continuously fall back into the cycle of sin. We must invite God to transform our broken places by His Spirit. As He works through our repentance, we begin to look less like our sinful selves and more like Jesus. (Romans 8:29)

3) Why did Jacob keep Benjamin home? (Genesis 42:29-38)
Favoritism colored much of Jacob’s life and its sinful consequences played a role in the hatred of Joseph’s brothers against him. Perhaps it started out innocently enough, as sin often does, but sin is never a plaything. Sin’s trajectory always gives birth to death. (James 1:15) Perhaps your pet sin isn’t favoritism, but we all have a sin nature that leads us to speak and act in ways contrary to God’s plan for our lives. Though we may doubt it, following His commands will always bring us the fullness of life. (Psalm 119:127-130) How much heartache could Joseph have avoided for himself and his family had he chosen to reject favoritism?! Jacob wanted to keep Benjamin safe and couldn’t bear the thought of anything happening to him; his hope was fixed on preserving his favorite instead of depending on the Lord. It’s as if he did not learn from Joseph’s supposed death how favoritism would leave him feeling hollow, empty, and alone in its wake. However, Jacob’s missed lesson is one you and I can learn from. We will make choices in our life and God will use those moments to teach us something, but only if we surrender to His ways. We can either choose to continue on our current path of sin, or we can turn our ways over to God, allowing Him to make us look more like Jesus!

What do YOU think?! Share Here!
Missing the connection to our other Journey Study?
Catch up with What Are You Waiting For?

Digging Deeper is for Everyone!

1) Take this passage (or any other passage).
2) Read it, and the verses around it,
several times
3) Write down your questions
as you think of them.
4) Ask specific culture related questions and be ready to dig around for your answers. Google them, use www.studylight.org, or look them up in a study Bible and read the footnotes (click on the little letters next to a word and it will show you
other related verses!). (www.esvbible.org)
5) Check your applications with other trusted Christians that you are in community with and embrace the fullness of God
in your everyday!

Digging Deeper Community

Share What You’ve Learned!
Pray Together!
Join us in the GT Facebook Community!

Our Current Study Theme!

This is Sketched X Week Three!
Don’t miss out on the discussion!
Sign up to receive every GT Journey Study!

Why Dig Deeper?

Finding the original meaning is a huge deal when we study Scripture and can make all the difference in our understanding as we apply God’s truths to our everyday lives.

In our modern-day relationships, we want people to understand our original intention as we communicate; how much more so between God and humanity?!

Here’s a little bit more on why we take Digging Deeper so seriously.

Study Tools

We love getting help while we study and www.studylight.org is one of many excellent resources, providing the original Hebrew (Old Testament) or Greek (New Testament) with an English translation.

Want to know more about a specific word in a verse? Click on “Strong’s Interlinear Bible” then click the word you’d like to study. Discover “origin”, “definition” and hear the original pronunciation – That Is Awesome!

Want more background? Click “Study Tools”, then pick a few commentaries to read their scholarly approach, keeping in mind that just because a commentary says it, doesn’t mean it’s true. (just like the internet :-))

Memorize It!

Download this week’s verse and make it your phone’s lockscreen!
Tap and hold on your mobile device to save.

Whole Day 9 Identifying The Oppression: Digging Deeper

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Digging Deeper Days

Finding the original intent of Scripture and making good application to our everyday lives as we become equipped to correctly handle the Word of Truth!

Yesterday’s Journey Study connects with today’s!
Check out Identifying The Oppression!

The Questions

1) Who is Jeremiah addressing in these verses as he relays the Lord’s message?

2) What does verse 3 mean?

3) What house will come to ruin in verse 5?

Jeremiah 22:3-5

3 This is what the Lord says: Administer justice and righteousness. Rescue the victim of robbery from his oppressor. Don’t exploit or brutalize the resident alien, the fatherless, or the widow. Don’t shed innocent blood in this place. 4 For if you conscientiously carry out this word, then kings sitting on David’s throne will enter through the gates of this palace riding on chariots and horses—they, their officers, and their people. 5 But if you do not obey these words, then I swear by myself—this is the Lord’s declaration—that this house will become a ruin.’”

Original Intent

1) Who is Jeremiah addressing in these verses as he relays the Lord’s message?
Context matters significantly when studying Scripture and it keeps us “in bounds” for making follow-in right application to our lives. Studying a whole passage by considering its surroundings keeps us tied tightly to Scripture, allowing truth to shape our understanding instead of our own biases. Asking questions like who, what, why, and when helps broaden and deepen our understanding of any passage. In order to know who Jeremiah is addressing in this passage, we must look backwards just a couple of sentences to Jeremiah 22:1-2 where we read of God sending Jeremiah to speak to the king of Judah. This king would have been a descendant of King David and sat on David’s same throne. Jeremiah was a prophet, speaking as God’s mouthpiece to God’s people; in this instance his message was directed to the reigning king of Judah. The message also extended beyond the king of Judah to the Israelites under his rule as they were directives on what it looked like to “be” God’s people. These words were spoken to the king so he would model God’s justice and all of Judah would also walk in the Lord’s ways.

2) What does verse 3 mean?
Jeremiah began by telling the king he must administer justice and righteousness; the burden of wisely leading and shepherding God’s people fell to Judah’s king. This administration aligned not only with God’s heart, but also mirrored how King David had led God’s people. (2 Samuel 8:15) Judah’s kings had drifted far from the pattern of righteous justice modeled by King David, and Jeremiah’s message was a clarion call to return to the ways of the Lord which He had manifested in David’s kingship. Jeremiah then instructs all Israelites to actively come to the aid of the vulnerable. In specifically calling out resident aliens, fatherless, and widows, the Lord was shining a spotlight on the weakest, neediest group of people of Judah. Israelites knew exactly how they were to treat resident aliens as God had addressed this issue centuries prior during the time of Moses in Exodus 22:21-22. By including this group of people in His message, the Lord emphasized how far Judah had strayed from His instructions and was calling them back to what they already knew. He reminded them to carry out righteous justice with the essential component of humility as Israel herself had once lived as resident aliens in Egypt. Next, the Lord reminds Israel to protect the fatherless and widows, another group of often overlooked and neglected people which God had also addressed in Deuteronomy 14:29 during Moses’ leadership. God had commanded Israelites to diligently care for and give special attention to the widow and orphan. These weren’t new commands, but they were instructions Israel had long ago disregarded and set aside. God’s deep compassion is revealed by his firm call to the king and his subjects of their duty to care for the vulnerable, ensuring that all were protected and given care.

3) What house will come to ruin in verse 5?
Jeremiah’s message was a warning of God’s coming judgment against Judah’s king and the Israelites if they chose, again, to disobey God’s command and reject His ways of justice. They would be found in ruin. Sin’s rule would continue oppressing them while they continued oppressing the weak and vulnerable, even if it was simply by ignoring that a problem existed. Sin’s gravitational pull would continue increasing until eventually they would lose everything. This was not a quiet, casual command that was really more of an optional activity, this was a matter of life and death. Jeremiah continued to describe their ruin in verses 6-9. If they chose to ignore the Lord’s command, Judah (and Jerusalem) would soon lie in ruins. A direct result of their choice to place something else, anything else, before the Lord would be their fall. Judah, and therefore Jerusalem, would cease to be an amazing nation and city and would be turned over to an enemy. Graciously, God, through Jeremiah, not only provided the Israelites a choice, but He also provided a clear call to return. Life and death were in their hands, and their choice carried significant, wide-sweeping consequences.

Everyday Application

1) Who is Jeremiah addressing in these verses as he relays the Lord’s message?
Jeremiah’s message to Judah’s king on how to live in a way that reflected God’s righteousness and justice is ancient to us in the 21st century. Still, its meaning and significant implications are just as relevant to God’s people today as they were in ages past. The Word of the Lord is always relevant, enduring for eternity! (1 Peter 1:25) God’s message through Jeremiah carries meaning for believers today where they live out being Christ’s Body in every culture in every nation and city around the world. Everywhere oppression and injustice exist, Jeremiah’s words still carry the authority of the Lord God. We are not exempt simply because we live in 2022. How will we live out the rest of today differently because of Jeremiah’s relevant message? How will we shift the direction of our lives tomorrow? Not sure? Commit to reading just these brief verses every morning and praying for the Lord to convict and shape you as you take in His living and active words. (Hebrews 4:12)

2) What does verse 3 mean?
Just as Jeremiah’s message to administer righteous justice is relevant to us today as Christ-followers, so also are the carefully selected recipients of this protective care. Jeremiah specifically called out the weak and vulnerable in Judah, and we must consider who these groups of people are within our own cultures and cities. Here is where we are to begin our work of administering righteous justice. It should not come as a surprise to us that these same groups are among the most vulnerable in our modern time as well. Single moms, orphans, and immigrants are among the neediest and vulnerable of our world and should be the first ones the church humbly runs toward to protect and love. Regardless of our location on the globe, I’m confident we each know someone who fits one of these categories. Our call is to refuse to exploit them or ignore reality when they are exploited or overlooked. We must not puff ourselves up and think less of them because of society’s label. Christ calls us, just as He did to Judah’s king, to love and care for those who cannot care for themselves, for in so doing we are loving and caring for Christ. (Matthew 25:35-40) All over the world, people are displaced from their homes, children grow up without parents, and widows struggle in many cultures to provide for themselves. Our call toward each of these is to extend justice, act righteously, and love them with the humility of Christ. (Micah 6:8, James 1:27) When we actively live out this kind of love, we are reflecting Christ’s humble, generous sacrifice when He gave His life for us. Living with justice for the oppressed is one way we live out of the overflow of Christ’s love for us.

3) What house will come to ruin in verse 5?
Just as Judah was unable to prosper if they did not heed the Lord’s call we will never prosper as the Church if we do not heed His same call to leave our sinful patterns and embrace His ways of living righteously. The Global Church is the hands and feet of God, intended to actively show love to those often seen as the least lovable, most-likely outcast, and exceptionally vulnerable. When we do not choose to take on His mission in our everyday lives as believers, our lives end up in ruin, wasted and ineffective for the Kingdom. We allow sin and conflict to gradually take the place of love in our lives and it poisons everything. (James 1:14-15) We can never live up to our calling in Christ if we allow sin and disobedience to fester instead of humbly pouring out the love Christ has demonstrated to us. (Romans 5:8) If I am honest with myself, I can think of people I interact with daily who fall into these categories of unlovable, outcast, and vulnerable. I must ask myself if I am heeding the call of the Lord toward each of these individuals. I challenge each of us to think carefully about those we interact with regularly, and those around us who need to be seen and loved by us; are we pouring out the same love Christ has lavished on us? (1 John 3:1)

What do YOU think?! Share Here!
Missing the connection to our other Journey Study?
Catch up with Identifying The Oppression!

Digging Deeper is for Everyone!

1) Take this passage (or any other passage).
2) Read it, and the verses around it,
several times
3) Write down your questions
as you think of them.
4) Ask specific culture related questions and be ready to dig around for your answers. Google them, use www.studylight.org, or look them up in a study Bible and read the footnotes (click on the little letters next to a word and it will show you
other related verses!). (www.esvbible.org)
5) Check your applications with other trusted Christians that you are in community with and embrace the fullness of God
in your everyday!

Digging Deeper Community

Share What You’ve Learned!
Pray Together!
Join us in the GT Facebook Community!

Our Current Study Theme!

This is Whole Week Two!
Don’t miss out on the discussion!
Sign up to receive every GT Journey Study!

Why Dig Deeper?

Finding the original meaning is a huge deal when we study Scripture and can make all the difference in our understanding as we apply God’s truths to our everyday lives.

In our modern-day relationships, we want people to understand our original intention as we communicate; how much more so between God and humanity?!

Here’s a little bit more on why we take Digging Deeper so seriously.

Study Tools

We love getting help while we study and www.studylight.org is one of many excellent resources, providing the original Hebrew (Old Testament) or Greek (New Testament) with an English translation.

Want to know more about a specific word in a verse? Click on “Strong’s Interlinear Bible” then click the word you’d like to study. Discover “origin”, “definition” and hear the original pronunciation – That Is Awesome!

Want more background? Click “Study Tools”, then pick a few commentaries to read their scholarly approach, keeping in mind that just because a commentary says it, doesn’t mean it’s true. (just like the internet :-))

Memorize It!

Download this week’s verse and make it your phone’s lockscreen!
Tap and hold on your mobile device to save.

Eden Day 12 The Blame Game: Digging Deeper

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Digging Deeper Days

Finding the original intent of Scripture and making good application to our everyday lives as we become equipped to correctly handle the Word of Truth!

Yesterday’s Journey Study connects with today’s!
Check out The Blame Game!

The Questions

1) Why are Adam and Eve hiding? Do they actually believe they can hide from God? (verse 8)
2) What did God ask, “Where are you?” if He already knew the answer? (verse 9)
3) Once God “found” Adam and Eve, were there consequences for their sin and hiding?

Genesis 3:8-10

8 Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden at the time of the evening breeze, and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden. 9 So the Lord God called out to the man and said to him, “Where are you?”
10 And he said, “I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked, so I hid.”

Original Intent

1) Why are Adam and Eve hiding? Do they actually believe they can hide from God? (verse 8)
When God created Adam, He placed him in the Garden of Eden to “work it and watch over it.” (Genesis 2:15) God gave him the entire garden but told him, “You are free to eat of any tree of the garden, but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for on the day you eat from it, you will certainly die.” (Genesis 2:16-17) The Lord knew Adam needed a “suitable partner” for himself, someone like him, so God created Eve. (Genesis 2:18) They were both designed to live in the perfect place God had created, but they needed to obey the one command God had given. However, Adam and Eve were tempted by the serpent and disobeyed God’s command. (Genesis 3:1-6) Immediately, they had knowledge of good and evil and became aware they were naked; in flustered panic and shame, they covered themselves in fig leaves. (Genesis 3:7) Adam and Eve were fully aware of their guilt and disobedience and when they heard God and their natural response was to hide in their shame. They thought they could cover up with leaves and hide from the all-knowing God, but as we read further, we discover they couldn’t really hide.

2) What did God ask, “Where are you?” if He already knew the answer? (verse 9)
God knew exactly where Adam and Eve were in the Garden. His question isn’t about looking for them but rather the relationship between them. God’s intention was to have a relationship with those He had created in His image. (Genesis 1:26-27) This moment is the moment where mankind’s relationship with God was broken. God, in all His perfection, desired a relationship, but their choice damaged that perfect intimacy. God calls out to them, and in that moment, Adam and Eve must admit their sin and face the God who lovingly created them. After answering and coming out of hiding, God asks them to admit their wrong. (Genesis 3:11) This is the beginning of their consequences, but before those were enacted, they needed to admit to their sin.

3) Once God “found” Adam and Eve, were there consequences for their sin and hiding?
God did not seek Adam and Eve with the intention of letting them off the hook. God is a holy God and, because of His justice, was obligated to respond as such. In order for their relationship to have any chance of restoration, they must first admit their sin (Genesis 3:11-13) followed by facing the fall out of their rebellion. As the narrative of Genesis continues, God lays out the consequences of sin for each sinner. (Genesis 3:14-24) God began with the instigator, Satan, for his role in the deception of Adam and Eve. Then Adam and Eve are both given individual consequences. Ultimately, Adam and Eve were forced out of the Garden of Eden and access to the Tree of Life was revoked. This meant they would eventually face physical death, along with spiritual death, as consequences for their sin. God used the skin of an animal to clothe Adam and Eve, this was the first sacrifice of an animal and is a direct result of sin. Blood must be shed to cover sin. While this was the first instance of bloodshed, it wasn’t the last. The Old Testament provides several references to bloodshed to pay for sin like Genesis 8:20-21, Exodus 29:10-14, Leviticus 1, Leviticus 17:11, and Numbers 6:14 to name a few. All of these point forward in God’s redemption plan to the final bloodshed of Jesus, who paid the ultimate price for sin on the cross, where He would bear the punishment for us all. God promised this redemption would come, even as He gave the first consequence to Satan in Genesis 3:15. One (Jesus) would come who would crush Satan’s head, defeating death and sin forever. The rest of the story begins unfolding from this moment in the Garden to be fulfilled in Matthew 26-28 (also found in Mark 14-15, Luke 22-23, and John 18-19).

Everyday Application

1) Why are Adam and Eve hiding? Do they actually believe they can hide from God? (verse 8)
Adam and Eve attempted to hide their sin and cover their shame from God when they heard Him coming. We read this and may think them foolish for even considering they could even try this tactic. We know God is all-knowing and, from our perspective, we also know they would never be successful in their clandestine escape. However, how often do you and I make the same attempt? God is still the same all-knowing God from the Garden of Eden, but when we make sinful choices and are ashamed of our thoughts or actions, we make the same attempt to hide our sin and our thoughts from God just like Adam and Eve. In reality, we will never be any more successful than they were. God still knows all, and we are incapable of hiding.

2) What did God ask, “Where are you?” if He already knew the answer? (verse 9)
God knows the sins we commit before we ever admit them. Much like He did with Adam and Eve, He invites us to come to Him (where are you?) and confess what we have done. Forgiveness cannot be received without admittance of the sin committed. Unless we face our God, we can never enjoy the sweetness of restoration. You and I are blessed to live on the other side of the cross, a process God began in the Garden of Eden as He intentionally set in motion His plan to redeem His creation and offer forgiveness and restoration to every sinner. If we live in hiding and denial we will never experience the freedom found only in Christ who gave His life to pay the price for our sin and bring us back to Himself.

3) Once God “found” Adam and Eve, were there consequences for their sin and hiding?
Adam and Eve chose sin and could not escape the consequences for their rejection of God, but we are also affected today as we continue reaping the fallout of their sin which infected us all. We are each born sinful and continue sinning, bringing separation between us and God. (Romans 3:23) Remembering that God is just, all sin carries a price tag of offense against a Holy God and the debt must be paid. (Romans 6:23) This price is death and the payment requires bloodshed. (Hebrews 9:22) Expositor’s Bible Commentary says, “To us life is cheap and death familiar, but Adam recognised death as the punishment of sin. Death was to early man a sign of God’s anger. And he had to learn that sin could be covered not by a bunch of leaves snatched from a bush as he passed by and that would grow again next year, but only by pain and blood. From the first sin to the last, the track of the sinner is marked with blood.” The good news is God began His plan of redemption for us from the deadly clutches of sin in the very beginning of Genesis and came to fulfillment in Jesus. Christ shed His perfect blood as payment for our sin and when we personally choose to accept His sacrifice, His blood covers us our own personal sin. When we accept Him in total surrender of ourselves, we receive forgiveness for every sin, past, present, and future, and our relationship with the Holy God is restored forever. This is such good news!

What do YOU think?! Share Here!
Missing the connection to our other Journey Study?
Catch up with The Blame Game!

Digging Deeper is for Everyone!

1) Take this passage (or any other passage).
2) Read it, and the verses around it,
several times
3) Write down your questions
as you think of them.
4) Ask specific culture related questions and be ready to dig around for your answers. Google them, use www.studylight.org, or look them up in a study Bible and read the footnotes (click on the little letters next to a word and it will show you
other related verses!). (www.esvbible.org)
5) Check your applications with other trusted Christians that you are in community with and embrace the fullness of God
in your everyday!

Digging Deeper Community

Share What You’ve Learned!
Pray Together!
Join us in the GT Facebook Community!

Our Current Study Theme!

This is Eden Week Three!
Don’t miss out on the discussion!
Sign up to receive every GT Journey Study!

Why Dig Deeper?

Finding the original meaning is a huge deal when we study Scripture and can make all the difference in our understanding as we apply God’s truths to our everyday lives.

In our modern-day relationships, we want people to understand our original intention as we communicate; how much more so between God and humanity?!

Here’s a little bit more on why we take Digging Deeper so seriously.

Study Tools

We love getting help while we study and www.studylight.org is one of many excellent resources, providing the original Hebrew (Old Testament) or Greek (New Testament) with an English translation.

Want to know more about a specific word in a verse? Click on “Strong’s Interlinear Bible” then click the word you’d like to study. Discover “origin”, “definition” and hear the original pronunciation – That Is Awesome!

Want more background? Click “Study Tools”, then pick a few commentaries to read their scholarly approach, keeping in mind that just because a commentary says it, doesn’t mean it’s true. (just like the internet :-))

Memorize It!

Download this week’s verse and make it your phone’s lockscreen!
Tap and hold on your mobile device to save.

Eden Day 9 Temptation Tactics: Digging Deeper

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Digging Deeper Days

Finding the original intent of Scripture and making good application to our everyday lives as we become equipped to correctly handle the Word of Truth!

Yesterday’s Journey Study connects with today’s!
Check out Temptation Tactics!

The Questions

1) What does Paul mean by his questions in verse 1 and what is his motivation in asking?

2) What does “buried with Christ by baptism into death” and “raised from the dead” mean in verse 4?

3) Does Paul mean that once a person is in Christ they will never sin again? (verses 6-11)

Romans 6:1-15

What should we say then? Should we continue in sin so that grace may multiply? 2 Absolutely not! How can we who died to sin still live in it? 3 Or are you unaware that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 Therefore we were buried with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we too may walk in newness of life. 5 For if we have been united with him in the likeness of his death, we will certainly also be in the likeness of his resurrection. 6 For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be rendered powerless so that we may no longer be enslaved to sin, 7 since a person who has died is freed from sin. 8 Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him, 9 because we know that Christ, having been raised from the dead, will not die again. Death no longer rules over him. 10 For the death he died, he died to sin once for all time; but the life he lives, he lives to God. 11 So, you too consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.

12 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, so that you obey its desires. 13 And do not offer any parts of it to sin as weapons for unrighteousness. But as those who are alive from the dead, offer yourselves to God, and all the parts of yourselves to God as weapons for righteousness. 14 For sin will not rule over you, because you are not under the law but under grace.

15 What then? Should we sin because we are not under the law but under grace? Absolutely not!

Original Intent

1) What does Paul mean by his questions in verse 1 and what is his motivation in asking?
In the preceding chapter, Paul reminded his audience of the consequences of sin through Adam’s rebellion and the gift of redemption in Jesus’ sacrifice. (Romans 5:12-21) He then shifted to asking his readers if they should continue to sin in order that grace may multiply to them in forgiveness through Christ. Paul wants his readers to reflect carefully on their everyday choices. Does Christ’s sacrifice allow them a free pass to continue sinning? Paul quickly answers his own question with a definitive, “Absolutely Not!”. (verse 2) He continued by reminding them that once they have accepted Jesus as their Lord and Savior, the believer is “dead to sin” and alive to Christ. Jesus died an excruciatingly painful death to pay the penalty of death and separation from God, which all of us deserve; this radical sacrifice speaks to the seriousness of sin. His resurrection does not minimize the gravity of sin and its deadly consequences. Paul’s intention is to remind them of this.

2) What does “buried with Christ by baptism into death” and “raised from the dead” mean in verse 4?
In Paul’s day, baptism meant immersion in water as was instituted by John the Baptizer. This meant they were completely covered, or buried, in water resembling Christ’s death and burial. Just as Jesus died for the consequence of sin, those who are baptized are symbolically buried along with Christ. Rather than burial in the ground, it’s a burial using water. The Roman believers to whom Paul was writing knew this meant their old, sinful ways were dead and buried with Christ and a new creation was now born through the resurrection of Jesus from the grave. When they were raised out of the water, it symbolized freedom from the penalty of death for their sin. They were now rebirthed (John 3:3-6), having moved from death to life, raised with Christ to walk in the newness of His resurrected life by the power of His Spirit alive inside every believer. While baptism doesn’t save us, it’s generally the first act of obedience for a new Christ-follower who has given themselves to Him. Baptism is the outward symbol of an internal reality; it publicly declares Jesus’ blood now covers all sin and the new believer no longer looks like their former selves. (Galatians 3:27)

3) Does Paul mean that once a person is in Christ they will never sin again? (verses 6-11)
Paul speaks a great deal about believers being dead to sin, especially in the first several chapters of Romans. However, he is not saying that once a person is in Christ they will never sin again. Verse 14 provides clarity when he writes, “sin will not rule” meaning it doesn’t have the final say and we aren’t owned by it as believers in Jesus, but learning to submit our new selves to the rule of Christ is practiced and learned over an entire lifetime. Paul alludes to this “training to be like Christ” in verses 12-13 when using language like “do not let sin” and “do not offer any part [of your mortal body] to sin”. (emphasis mine) Our flesh will still desire to sin when we are lured away from Christ by temptation, and at times, we will decide to choose sin and offer ourselves to sin instead of to Christ. Paul passionately reminded his readers they are not controlled by their sinful selves and former pattern of living. Christ lives in them through His Holy Spirit who helps them discern what is sinful and what is not and leads them to make choices that honor the new life we have been given in Jesus!

Everyday Application

1) What does Paul mean by his questions in verse 1 and what is his motivation in asking?
Paul’s question regarding sin and grace should cause us to stop and contemplate our own approach to sin. The obvious answer is no, we should not sin more so Christ’s grace can be poured out on us. Justifying our sin proves a callous understanding of the offensiveness of sin and the immense sacrifice of Christ on our behalf. Charles Spurgeon speaks of this when he said, “If Christ has died for my sin, I cannot rifle with the evil that killed my best friend.” We deserved death for our sin, but Jesus paid the price with His life. The reward of redemption back to God is a gift we could never earn on our own for God, in all His holiness, cannot be in the presence of sin. The NLT Study Bible says, “The availability of God’s mercy must not become an excuse for careless living and moral laxness.” We do not earn the right to sin more in order to gain more grace. There is no excuse for sin for the believer. On the contrary, when we accept Jesus as our Savior from sin, we become a new creation and our old self is dead along with our old desires to keep on sinning. (Colossians 3:3-4). As we grow in our relationship with Christ, His Spirit shapes us to look more like Him and less like our sinful selves. We will never be free from the pull of sin’s alluring temptation until the day we are finally with Jesus in eternity, but our desire to give into sin lessens as we grow closer to God.

2) What does “buried with Christ by baptism into death” and “raised from the dead” mean in verse 4?
Just as the early believers’ sin nature became spiritually dead and was buried and then were raised from the dead with a new Christ-nature, so are we! The moment we accept Jesus, we become a new creation, one that belongs to Him. Our sin is paid for and our lives are covered by the blood of Jesus. He has paid the price for our sin and we no longer live bound by a sin nature that desires to follow cravings that oppose God and His character. Jesus broke the chains of bondage and freed all who believe in Him. Early believers practiced full immersion baptism which follows the example of Jesus’ baptism by John. (Matthew 3:13-17) Many believers today still practice full immersion baptism as a symbol of their faith in Jesus. When we choose to do so, we are following the model of Christ, and putting on display that we have surrendered to Jesus. Our lives are no longer ruled by Sin for we have been buried with Christ in the grave, and been raised with Him from the dead to live the rest of our days as a new creation. As Paul wrote in Galatians 2:20, “I have been crucified with Christ, and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me! The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.” When we know our old sinful self has been put to death, we are motivated to resist sin and allow our lives to be transformed through the Holy Spirit.

3) Does Paul mean that once a person is in Christ they will never sin again? (verses 6-11)
By no means do these verses mean we will never sin again, even as devoted Christ-followers! But when we do choose sin, the Spirit blessedly convicts us, and we are grieved for how we’ve rebelled against God who sacrificially saved us. John’s letters remind us, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9) As Paul adamantly penned, “you are not under law but under grace.” (verse 14) As we wait for the return of Christ, we’re surrounded by a sinful, fallen world; temptation to sin abounds and sometimes we sin. However, we can be encouraged that with the Holy Spirit living in us, He will grow us to look less like our old sinful selves and more like Christ. Consider keeping a prayer journal as a way of marking where you are now spiritually; as you grow over time with Jesus, you will be able to look back and see how He has continued to shape you to be like Him! As believers we will sin less the closer to walk with Christ, but the battle against sin remains. Paul addresses this in Romans 7:14-25 where he writes of the inner struggle against sin, “For I do not do the good that I want to do, but I practice the evil that I do not want to do.” Sisters, we will sin after accepting Jesus until the day we die or He returns, but resist the urge to use His forgiveness as an excuse to sin! Instead, let’s allow Jesus to change our heart desires to long for Him more than our sin. When we do sin, let’s be quick to accept the conviction of the Spirit, ask forgiveness, and be restored in our relationship with God!

What do YOU think?! Share Here!
Missing the connection to our other Journey Study?
Catch up with Temptation Tactics!

Digging Deeper is for Everyone!

1) Take this passage (or any other passage).
2) Read it, and the verses around it,
several times
3) Write down your questions
as you think of them.
4) Ask specific culture related questions and be ready to dig around for your answers. Google them, use www.studylight.org, or look them up in a study Bible and read the footnotes (click on the little letters next to a word and it will show you
other related verses!). (www.esvbible.org)
5) Check your applications with other trusted Christians that you are in community with and embrace the fullness of God
in your everyday!

Digging Deeper Community

Share What You’ve Learned!
Pray Together!
Join us in the GT Facebook Community!

Our Current Study Theme!

This is Eden Week Two!
Don’t miss out on the discussion!
Sign up to receive every GT Journey Study!

Why Dig Deeper?

Finding the original meaning is a huge deal when we study Scripture and can make all the difference in our understanding as we apply God’s truths to our everyday lives.

In our modern-day relationships, we want people to understand our original intention as we communicate; how much more so between God and humanity?!

Here’s a little bit more on why we take Digging Deeper so seriously.

Study Tools

We love getting help while we study and www.studylight.org is one of many excellent resources, providing the original Hebrew (Old Testament) or Greek (New Testament) with an English translation.

Want to know more about a specific word in a verse? Click on “Strong’s Interlinear Bible” then click the word you’d like to study. Discover “origin”, “definition” and hear the original pronunciation – That Is Awesome!

Want more background? Click “Study Tools”, then pick a few commentaries to read their scholarly approach, keeping in mind that just because a commentary says it, doesn’t mean it’s true. (just like the internet :-))

Memorize It!

Download this week’s verse and make it your phone’s lockscreen!
Tap and hold on your mobile device to save.

Sacrifice Day 9 Singular Love: Digging Deeper

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Digging Deeper Days

Finding the original intent of Scripture and making good application to our everyday lives as we become equipped to correctly handle the Word of Truth!

Yesterday’s Journey Study connects with today’s!
Check out Singular Love!

The Questions

1) What does “after these things” refer to in verse 1?

2) Why did God ask Abraham to sacrifice his only son? (verse 2)

3) Why did God stop Abraham from sacrificing Isaac and instead provide a ram? (verses 12-13)

Genesis 22:1-13

22 After these things God tested Abraham and said to him, “Abraham!”

“Here I am,” he answered.

2 “Take your son,” he said, “your only son Isaac, whom you love, go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains I will tell you about.”

3 So Abraham got up early in the morning, saddled his donkey, and took with him two of his young men and his son Isaac. He split wood for a burnt offering and set out to go to the place God had told him about. 4 On the third day Abraham looked up and saw the place in the distance. 5 Then Abraham said to his young men, “Stay here with the donkey. The boy and I will go over there to worship; then we’ll come back to you.” 6 Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and laid it on his son Isaac. In his hand he took the fire and the knife, and the two of them walked on together.

7 Then Isaac spoke to his father Abraham and said, “My father.”

And he replied, “Here I am, my son.”

Isaac said, “The fire and the wood are here, but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?”

8 Abraham answered, “God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.” Then the two of them walked on together.

9 When they arrived at the place that God had told him about, Abraham built the altar there and arranged the wood. He bound his son Isaac and placed him on the altar on top of the wood. 10 Then Abraham reached out and took the knife to slaughter his son.

11 But the angel of the Lord called to him from heaven and said, “Abraham, Abraham!”

He replied, “Here I am.”

12 Then he said, “Do not lay a hand on the boy or do anything to him. For now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your only son from me.” 13 Abraham looked up and saw a ram caught in the thicket by its horns. So Abraham went and took the ram and offered it as a burnt offering in place of his son.

Original Intent

1) What does “after these things” refer to in verse 1?
In order to understand this narrative in full we must first understand the events leading up to this moment. In Genesis 12, God called 75-year-old Abraham (called Abram until Genesis 17) out of his homeland and into a relationship with Him and Abraham obeys. He marries Sarah (called Sarai until Genesis 17) and, as they travel, God promises to provide land to Abraham. (Genesis 12:7) Time continued and Abraham and Sarah remained barren. God promised to give Abraham a son and promised his descendants would outnumber the stars. (Genesis 15:5) Abraham and Sarah grow impatient and Abraham had a son with his wife’s servant, Hagar. Eventually, when they were both quite old and long past childbearing ages, God visited again and promised Sarah a son within the year. True to His word, the long-awaited son, Isaac, was born. These events are important because they provide context to the relationship between Abraham and Isaac as well as Abraham’s long-standing relationship of growing faith with God. When we study the backstory, we can better understand the depth of this particular narrative between God and Abraham.

2) Why did God ask Abraham to sacrifice his only son? (verse 2)
God chose Abraham for a reason (Genesis 12:2-3), with plans to use his surrendered life for eternal purposes. God had invited Abraham into an inheritance that would reach far beyond his imaginings but joining with God always requires active faith. Often, until we face a testing of our faith, we don’t even know our own heart position before the Lord. Do we really trust Him? God tested the quality of Abraham’s faith to see if he would choose God as his sole love or if his affections were divided. Through the testing, God was at work to continue molding Abraham into the man of mature faith He desired. Abraham’s faith failings in the past had proven he would place his desires above God’s, but this test was about obedience. Abraham had waited so long for a son, would Abraham love God or Isaac most? Had he made an idol out of his son? Only a test of obedience would prove the depth of his faith and love for God.

3) Why did God stop Abraham from sacrificing Isaac and instead provide a ram? (verses 12-13)
God’s intent was never for Abraham to shed Isaac’s blood; He is absolutely set against child sacrifice as He repeats often in Scripture. (Jeremiah 19:5) The Lord who knows all things, tested Abraham’s free-will decision to choose Him or choose his selfish desires. Heart passions are laid bare in the place of hardship and testing. The Lord brought Abraham to the point of no return in his obedience. With knife held high, Abraham proved with his actions that his first (and only) love was focused on the Lord God. Here, the Lord stopped the sacrifice and set Isaac free. However, there was still need for bloodshed in order to come before the Lord, which was a practice that began in the Garden of Eden when God spilled the blood of an innocent animal to provide covering for Adam and Eve’s bodies in the wake of their sin. (Genesis 3:21) Therefore, God provided His own sacrifice, a ram for Abraham and Isaac to offer together on the altar built for Isaac. This practice of bloodshed for sins remained in place until Jesus’ death on the cross hundreds of years later. God stopped Abraham from sacrificing Isaac because this moment wasn’t about the death of a son, but the heart of a man. Later, when it was Jesus’ body on the altar of the cross for the sins of the world, it would be about the death of the Son redeeming the hearts of man. And God would do the slaying of His only Son that we might forever be free when we, like Abraham, surrender our hearts to love Him first.

Everyday Application

1) What does “after these things” refer to in verse 1?
In studying Abraham’s life, we begin to understand how his relationship with God had grown and deepened over time into mature, solid faith willing to obey God even in what seemed an impossible command. We also glimpse a sneak peek into his sin. Though Abraham grew in his faith, it wasn’t a straight line “up and to the right”. Abraham tried to take matters into his own hands instead of waiting on God on more than one occasion. Likewise, there are times in our lives when we are tempted to take control, forging our own path according to our vantage point, instead of patiently waiting on God to move, act, and fulfill His promises in His timing. We also gain a much better perspective on why Abraham would have loved Isaac so much and we are able to put ourselves in Abraham’s shoes. Any parent can see how easy it would have been to disobey God’s command instead of follow through in obedience, but we appreciate Abraham’s faith all the more when we understand how many decades he had waited for this only son.

2) Why did God ask Abraham to sacrifice his only son? (verse 2)
God’s request would have been extremely difficult for Abraham to obey. He was asked to sacrifice his one and only son whom he loved. It’s never easy to be asked to give up what we dearly love. However, our understanding of God’s call to follow Him isn’t necessary, our obedience is the required component. God simply desires for us to put Him first in our lives just as Abraham did, for He knows that any lesser focus of our lives will lead us into sin and suffering. God will ask us to surrender what we hold dear in order to ensure He is our only love. This is painful! His purposes are not to wound us, but to refine our hearts, clear out our idols, and teach our hearts to settle for no lesser love than the best, Himself. He calls us to trust Him and obediently follow Him where He leads even when it increases our suffering. It’s in these moments our relationship with God deepens and matures into a steadfast faith that supports real, everyday life.

3) Why did God stop Abraham from sacrificing Isaac and instead provide a ram? (verses 12-13)
God saw Abraham’s heart and stopped his sacrifice, providing a ram in Isaac’s place instead. This event foreshadowed an event to come hundreds of years later when God would send His One and Only Son, Jesus, to earth to live a perfect life for us. Every human being has failed to live perfectly, which is the requirement to be in relationship with God. Jesus would end His life as a sacrifice on a cross, paying the debt we each owe. However, when Jesus hung on the Cross there was no “replacement sacrifice” for the Son. Jesus was the intended sacrifice. Jesus came to accomplish what only He could because He, as God, was perfectly righteous. Only the blameless One could pay the penalty for sin, which is death, and purchase the price of righteousness for everyone who would put their faith in Him. This time, God would not call it off at the last second to spare His Son. Instead, He would look on, knowing His Son was finishing the work we never could. (Isaiah 53:10-11) Because of Jesus’ sacrifice, God’s relationship with mankind, which was ruined in the Garden as a result of sin, was forever restored. The debt owed became the debt paid. The Lord offers the credit of bill, which is righteousness, to each of us if we will acknowledge our sinfulness and His willingness to take our sin on Himself. In His death, we find life, for He rose from His own grave, defeating sin and death forever! If that isn’t enough reason for us to have the same heart of worship as Abraham that solely belongs to God, nothing will ever be enough. God stopped Abraham from sacrificing Isaac because he wasn’t the son who needed to be sacrificed for the redemption of mankind, Jesus was.

What do YOU think?! Share Here!
Missing the connection to our other Journey Study?
Catch up with Singular Love!

Digging Deeper is for Everyone!

1) Take this passage (or any other passage).
2) Read it, and the verses around it,
several times
3) Write down your questions
as you think of them.
4) Ask specific culture related questions and be ready to dig around for your answers. Google them, use www.studylight.org, or look them up in a study Bible and read the footnotes (click on the little letters next to a word and it will show you
other related verses!). (www.esvbible.org)
5) Check your applications with other trusted Christians that you are in community with and embrace the fullness of God
in your everyday!

Digging Deeper Community

Share What You’ve Learned!
Pray Together!
Join us in the GT Facebook Community!

Our Current Study Theme!

This is Sacrifice Week Two!
Don’t miss out on the discussion!
Sign up to receive every GT Journey Study!

Why Dig Deeper?

Finding the original meaning is a huge deal when we study Scripture and can make all the difference in our understanding as we apply God’s truths to our everyday lives.

In our modern-day relationships, we want people to understand our original intention as we communicate; how much more so between God and humanity?!

Here’s a little bit more on why we take Digging Deeper so seriously.

Study Tools

We love getting help while we study and www.studylight.org is one of many excellent resources, providing the original Hebrew (Old Testament) or Greek (New Testament) with an English translation.

Want to know more about a specific word in a verse? Click on “Strong’s Interlinear Bible” then click the word you’d like to study. Discover “origin”, “definition” and hear the original pronunciation – That Is Awesome!

Want more background? Click “Study Tools”, then pick a few commentaries to read their scholarly approach, keeping in mind that just because a commentary says it, doesn’t mean it’s true. (just like the internet :-))

Memorize It!

Download this week’s verse and make it your phone’s lockscreen!
Tap and hold on your mobile device to save.

Wilderness Day 14 Bitter Places: Digging Deeper

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Digging Deeper Days

Finding the original intent of Scripture and making good application to our everyday lives as we become equipped to correctly handle the Word of Truth!

Yesterday’s Journey Study connects with today’s!
Check out Bitter Places!

The Questions

1) What is the new heaven and the new earth? (verse 1)

2) How is God dwelling with humanity? (verse 3)

3) Why is God making everything new? (verse 5)

Revelation 21:1-5

1 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. 2 I also saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared like a bride adorned for her husband.

3 Then I heard a loud voice from the throne: Look, God’s dwelling is with humanity, and he will live with them. They will be his peoples, and God himself will be with them and will be their God. 4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more; grief, crying, and pain will be no more, because the previous things have passed away.

5 Then the one seated on the throne said, “Look, I am making everything new.” He also said, “Write, because these words are faithful and true.”

Original Intent

1) What is the new heaven and the new earth? (verse 1)
The idea of a “new heaven and a new earth” sounds like a foreign concept to our ears. However, John’s readers would have had context for these words from Jesus. In 2 Peter 3:7-13, Peter presents a very clear description that the currently known world will someday come to an end. The Lord Jesus ascended to Heaven, returning to His place at the right hand of Father God, but He promised to return (Matthew 16:27, Acts 1:11) and Peter likens His return to a “thief in the night” telling his readers the return will be when least expected. John points to good news; when the earth as we know it ends, there is the promise of a new one! God has promised to deliver this perfection of things to come to His bride, the Church. (1 Corinthians 15:52-55) The letter of John’s Revelation provides details about this new heaven and new earth using the best words and imagery John could possibly use to convey what the Lord Jesus revealed to him in a vision of what would one day become reality.

2) How is God dwelling with humanity? (verse 3)
God created Adam and Eve in His image (Genesis 1:27), and ultimately, the rest of mankind are created as image bearers of the Almighty God. While we do not know the extent of Adam and Eve’s dwelling together in the Garden of Eden, we do know God came to them and they hid from Him in shame of their sin. (Genesis 3:8) Genesis also makes it clear that Adam and God spent time together in some fashion as Adam named all the animals and God told Adam He would make a “helper suitable for him” while on earth. (Genesis 2:15-23) The Bible is also clear that Jesus, the Son of God, came and dwelt on earth as God in the flesh. (John 1:14) The Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) detail Jesus’ time dwelling with humanity as a human. John’s audience would have been familiar with Jesus’ dwelling on earth, some had likely even been a first-hand eyewitness of Jesus’ ministry. However, John now tells of a new kind of dwelling. John sees God physically dwelling with humanity for eternity. Up until this point, this has always been impossible due to sin. There are times in the Bible where God talks to His creation but doesn’t dwell with them. God is now able to live among His creation still as God, but now in a perfected relationship.

3) Why is God making everything new? (verse 5)
John is writing his Revelation letter to churches who were being persecuted for their faith. It wasn’t an easy time to be alive and follow Jesus; believers faced harsh penalties for believing in Jesus. However, these believers knew the promises of God and knew that someday all things would be made new. Jesus would return and establish a new heaven and a new earth and what they knew as reality would cease, even if they never saw the fruition of the promise while they lived earthly lives. Because of Jesus, their coming Hope of all things being made new, was incorruptible. God provided John with the exact words of hope and promise that Christ’s followers needed to hear in the midst of deadly persecution. Someday, all would be made new and the present sufferings wouldn’t even compare to the coming glory! (Romans 8:18) Just as when a person is in Christ, leaving their old way of sinful living behind, they become a new creation for the old has passed away (2 Corinthians 5:17), so God will do the same with all of creation when Jesus returns. God is providing a hope for these believers, and all believers, to hold on to in the midst of trial.

Everyday Application

1) What is the new heaven and the new earth? (verse 1)
This world can be difficult to live in with its brokenness and grief. If I have learned anything over the last two years of facing the pandemic of Covid, it’s that life isn’t perfect or easy and challenges will come. Sin runs rampant and we are faced with the consequences of it everywhere we turn. However, as believers in Jesus, we hold a promise that this is not how things will be forever. You and I live in a world that will someday end. One day, Jesus will return and we will all face judgment. (Matthew 25:31-46) For those who have trusted their lives and souls to Jesus, we are assured we will forever be safe with the Lord, welcomed home to be with Him. (1 Peter 1:3-4) We cling to the hope that God will fulfill His promise of newness, and when He does, He will establish a new heaven and a new earth. This newness will be more than we can imagine; its perfection guarantees God will dwell with us and nothing will remain in the former brokenness. God has proven Himself trustworthy over and over again throughout the Bible. (2 Timothy 2:13) We can rest assured that God will fulfill this promise right along with every other one. (2 Corinthians 1:20) Jesus will return, defeating sin and Satan once and for all and establishing a new earth without even a hint of sin’s destruction or our enemy, Satan. (1 Corinthians 15:54-56)

2) How is God dwelling with humanity? (verse 3)
Though we have a “down payment”, a mere inkling of what is to come, through the Holy Spirit living within us (Ephesians 1:14), God dwelling with His people is something we have only read about. We know Jesus walked on earth as a man with humanity and was God’s Son in the flesh. However, we have no concept of what the coming glory will be like to experience the full glory of the triune God dwelling with us. (1 Corinthians 2:9) We were born thousands of years after Christ’s crucifixion and resurrection. However, Jesus came to rescue you and I from the consequences of our sin, which is death (Romans 6:23), just as He came to rescue those who physically walked beside him while He was on earth. Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross was as much for my sins and yours as they were for those who watched Him suffer. The best news is His resurrection and defeat of death is also mine to share when I accept His sacrifice. The good news doesn’t end! Jesus promised to return and defeat Satan once and for all, and when that happens, sin will be no more. Jesus’ blood has paid the penalty for sin and we will be able to dwell in the holy presence of God. What a joyful day that will be!

3) Why is God making everything new? (verse 5)
The earth is full of sin, death, pain, grief, and so much more. There are days when all hope seems lost and the pains of this world seem more than we can bear. We have all experienced some of this by living through a global pandemic, some of us bearing the toll in deeper ways than others. All true believers experience persecution for their faith in varying degrees, for many around the world this means their very lives and families are constantly threatened for their faith. This persecution we experience, like our brothers and sisters to whom John’s letter was written, is not unexpected, but this is not the experience God originally intended. The Garden of Eden was perfect before Adam and Eve chose sin and, just as the Bible starts with a perfect creation in Genesis, it ends with a perfect creation in Revelation. God absolutely will make all things new in ways that are beyond our wildest imaginings. (Isaiah 64:4) He will establish His perfect creation where we can dwell with Him and all the pains of this world will cease. (2 Corinthians 6:16) John closes these verses with a promise from God that His words are “faithful and true”. (verse 5) We don’t need to doubt or wonder in insecurity because we can KNOW God will do what He has promised and we have the promise of perfection in eternity with our perfect Creator. I don’t know about you, but that brings joy that can’t be stolen even in the midst of sorrow!

What do YOU think?! Share Here!
Missing the connection to our other Journey Study?
Catch up with Bitter Places!

Digging Deeper is for Everyone!

1) Take this passage (or any other passage).
2) Read it, and the verses around it,
several times
3) Write down your questions
as you think of them.
4) Ask specific culture related questions and be ready to dig around for your answers. Google them, use www.studylight.org, or look them up in a study Bible and read the footnotes (click on the little letters next to a word and it will show you
other related verses!). (www.esvbible.org)
5) Check your applications with other trusted Christians that you are in community with and embrace the fullness of God
in your everyday!

Digging Deeper Community

Share What You’ve Learned!
Pray Together!
Join us in the GT Facebook Community!

Our Current Study Theme!

This is Wilderness Week Three!
Don’t miss out on the discussion!
Sign up to receive every GT Journey Study!

Why Dig Deeper?

Finding the original meaning is a huge deal when we study Scripture and can make all the difference in our understanding as we apply God’s truths to our everyday lives.

In our modern-day relationships, we want people to understand our original intention as we communicate; how much more so between God and humanity?!

Here’s a little bit more on why we take Digging Deeper so seriously.

Study Tools

We love getting help while we study and www.studylight.org is one of many excellent resources, providing the original Hebrew (Old Testament) or Greek (New Testament) with an English translation.

Want to know more about a specific word in a verse? Click on “Strong’s Interlinear Bible” then click the word you’d like to study. Discover “origin”, “definition” and hear the original pronunciation – That Is Awesome!

Want more background? Click “Study Tools”, then pick a few commentaries to read their scholarly approach, keeping in mind that just because a commentary says it, doesn’t mean it’s true. (just like the internet :-))

Memorize It!

Download this week’s verse and make it your phone’s lockscreen!
Tap and hold on your mobile device to save.

Build Day 4 Building Plans: Digging Deeper

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Digging Deeper Days

Finding the original intent of Scripture and making good application to our everyday lives as we become equipped to correctly handle the Word of Truth!

Yesterday’s Journey Study connects with today’s!
Check out Building Plans!

The Questions

1) What is Nehemiah’s goal?

2) Who are Sanballat, Tobiah, and Geshem?

3) Why are they accusing Nehemiah of rebelling against the king and how does Nehemiah respond?

Nehemiah 2:19

19 When Sanballat the Horonite, Tobiah the Ammonite official, and Geshem the Arab heard about this, they mocked and despised us, and said, “What is this you’re doing? Are you rebelling against the king?”

Original Intent

1) What is Nehemiah’s goal?
God fulfilled His promise of land to Abraham and the Israelite descendants (Genesis 12:1-3)during the time of Joshua. (Joshua 3-4) However, the Israelites lived in a constant cycle of obeying God, being led astray by an event, disobeying God, and finally God calling them back to Himself. This cycle went on for generations. In 597 B.C., God allowed the Israelites to be captured and taken into Babylonian captivity and the city was utterly destroyed. (Jeremiah 52) Nehemiah hears of the devastation of the remnant left in Judah (Nehemiah 1) and it breaks his heart. He has a desire to return to his people in Judah and rebuild Jerusalem’s wall so he makes a request of the king. (Nehemiah 2:4-5) The king allows for Nehemiah’s return and once arriving in Jerusalem, sets upon on a mission to accomplish the incredible feat of rebuilding the city walls.

2) Who are Sanballat, Tobiah, and Geshem?
These three men were not Israelites. They were from the people groups God had driven out of the Promised Land when He first gave it to the Israelites. While the Israelites had been in captivity their city had been left in ruins for over 100 years. These three men represented nations around Jerusalem who wanted the city to remain in ruins, for it was rendered impotent and without threat. They did not want the work Nehemiah and the Israelites were trying to accomplish to be completed. Their end goal was to prevent the Israelites and, as shown throughout the rest of Nehemiah’s story, they would stop at nothing to accomplish their goal.

3) Why are they accusing Nehemiah of rebelling against the king and how does Nehemiah respond?
Sanballat, Tobiah, and Geshem, along with others of the surrounding nations, accused Nehemiah of rebelling against the king in order to prevent him from his work. They acted in self-protection for, if Babylon’s king came on the scene, their own nations could also be at risk for being overthrown. The city wall Nehemiah was working to rebuild was extremely important in Nehemiah’s day. Cities were fortified for safety, and a city without a wall was open to the attacks of the enemy. These men knew if they could deter Nehemiah from his work, the city would never return to the glory it once had before being conquered. At the same time, their own cities would not experience threat from Jerusalem or Babylon. Nehemiah had been sent with letters of permission from Babylon’s king, yet these men still attempted to attack the Israelite workers as if they were rebels. Instead of collapsing under pressure, Nehemiah responded by informing his attackers that God Himself would see them to success. (Nehemiah 2:20) Nehemiah knew Who was truly in control; God’s power was supreme over the naysayers, Babylon, and even Israel itself. Only with this foundational mindset, could the building project reach its successful completion.

Everyday Application

1) What is Nehemiah’s goal?
Once Nehemiah arrived in Jerusalem from Babylon he discovered firsthand the devastating ruins of the city and its wall. He immediately set out on a task to rebuild the city wall, thus restoring the city. God called Nehemiah to this work (Nehemiah 2:12), a work which seemed a major undertaking. However, Nehemiah knew God was with him. He had been praying since he first heard the news of the destruction in Judah. (Nehemiah 1:4) Just like God placed a burden on Nehemiah’s heart to restore the wall, there will be times where God burdens our heart with a task which seems larger than our abilities. It may even seem impossible. However, just as Nehemiah knew God was with him from the beginning, we must cling to the truth that God is with us. If God is calling us to something we can rest knowing He is going to work through us to complete it. We simply need to trust Him and step out in obedience just as Nehemiah did; what is impossible with man, is possible with God. (Matthew 19:26)

2) Who are Sanballat, Tobiah, and Geshem?
Sanballat, Tobiah, and Geshem were enemies of Israel. They attempted to prevent Nehemiah and the Israelites utilizing several different tactics in their plot to sideline the work. One strategy was verbal attacks. Had the Israelites listened to these men, they likely would have been unsuccessful in what God was calling them to finish. In our lives there will always be naysayers, those the enemy is attempting to use to prevent us from being successful for God’s Kingdom work. If we listen to the wrong voices, or give in to enemy tactics from Satan, we will begin to see the world through their eyes of deception. Our focus will no longer be on God and our actions will no longer be building the mission God has called us to finish. As believers, we are called to love others; when we listen to the wrong voices and the taunts of deception we stop loving others as we are loved by God. We are rendered ineffective for kingdom work. (Titus 1:16)

3) Why are they accusing Nehemiah of rebelling against the king and how does Nehemiah respond?
This accusation is thrown at Nehemiah in hopes of preventing him from rebuilding the wall. If his building project could be proven illegal, it wouldn’t be accomplished. However, Nehemiah had the authoritative and financial support of Babylon, so he could move forward against these accusations with confidence. More so, Nehemiah knew he was doing the work of the One True King. Success was guaranteed, and Nehemiah refused to be deterred so easily. Instead, he responded by pointing to the One who would bring success, not Babylon’s king, but God, the King of All. When we face the false accusations of the world as we strive to follow the calling of our Heavenly King, we too must remember Who will bring about success and Who is truly in control, the Lord God. No matter what He calls us to, the work belongs to Him and He will see it through to a successful finish. (Philippians 1:6) What a blessing and a joy we are invited into when He calls us to follow Him and build His kingdom! Paul writes that all believers in Jesus are “co-laborers” with God (1 Corinthians 3:9); what incredible work we are given as we journey with the King of Glory!

What do YOU think?! Share Here!
Missing the connection to our other Journey Study?
Catch up with Building Plans!

Digging Deeper is for Everyone!

1) Take this passage (or any other passage).
2) Read it, and the verses around it,
several times
3) Write down your questions
as you think of them.
4) Ask specific culture related questions and be ready to dig around for your answers. Google them, use www.studylight.org, or look them up in a study Bible and read the footnotes (click on the little letters next to a word and it will show you
other related verses!). (www.esvbible.org)
5) Check your applications with other trusted Christians that you are in community with and embrace the fullness of God
in your everyday!

Digging Deeper Community

Share What You’ve Learned!
Pray Together!
Join us in the GT Facebook Community!

Our Current Study Theme!

This is Build Week One!
Don’t miss out on the discussion!
Sign up to receive every GT Journey Study!

Why Dig Deeper?

Finding the original meaning is a huge deal when we study Scripture and can make all the difference in our understanding as we apply God’s truths to our everyday lives.

In our modern-day relationships, we want people to understand our original intention as we communicate; how much more so between God and humanity?!

Here’s a little bit more on why we take Digging Deeper so seriously.

Study Tools

We love getting help while we study and www.studylight.org is one of many excellent resources, providing the original Hebrew (Old Testament) or Greek (New Testament) with an English translation.

Want to know more about a specific word in a verse? Click on “Strong’s Interlinear Bible” then click the word you’d like to study. Discover “origin”, “definition” and hear the original pronunciation – That Is Awesome!

Want more background? Click “Study Tools”, then pick a few commentaries to read their scholarly approach, keeping in mind that just because a commentary says it, doesn’t mean it’s true. (just like the internet :-))

Memorize It!

Download this week’s verse and make it your phone’s lockscreen!
Tap and hold on your mobile device to save.

Training Day 7 Filled With Him: Digging Deeper

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Digging Deeper Days

Finding the original intent of Scripture and making good application to our everyday lives as we become equipped to correctly handle the Word of Truth!

Yesterday’s Journey Study connects with today’s!
Check out Filled With Him!

The Questions

1) Who is writing this psalm and what type of psalm is this?

2) What does it mean to “meditate on Your precepts”?

3) What does it mean to “not forget Your word”?

Psalm 119:15-16

15 I will meditate on Your precepts
and think about Your ways.
16 I will delight in Your statutes;
I will not forget Your word.

Original Intent

1) Who is writing this psalm and what type of psalm is this?
Unlike other books in the Bible, Psalms doesn’t have a single author. Instead, it is composed by different authors and compiled together as a type of hymn book the Israelites used for worship, meditative reflection, and a guidebook for confessing sin. This psalm is not attributed to a particular author, however, it is believed by many to be written by David due to its similar linguistic style and flow to his other psalms. It is written in an acrostic type fashion, utilizing every letter of the Hebrew alphabet to begin the line of each stanza. This psalm is also repetitive in mentioning the Word of God. This repetition, mixed with the acrostic style, would have made for easy memorization which was important since physical copies would have been limited and the psalms were shared orally.

2) What does it mean to “meditate on your precepts”?
Meditation by definition is “to engage in contemplation or reflection” and precepts are “a command or principle intended especially as a general rule of action” (Merriam-Webster). The Israelites would not only have read or recited these words, but also would have spent time thinking about them and storing them in their hearts. There was a diligence placed upon the word of God which was commanded of the Israelites in Deuteronomy 6:5-7 and Deuteronomy 11:18. They were familiar with the concept of not simply saying the words but meditating on them and storing them within their hearts, allowing the words to impact the way they lived. The author understands the greatness of the word of God and is reminding the Israelites of this truth through his words.

3) What does it mean to “not forget your word”?
Matthew Henry writes, “When the law is written in the heart, duty becomes a delight. He will never forget what he has learned of the things of God: ‘I will not forget Thy word, not only I will not quite forget it, but I will be mindful of it when I have occasion to use it.’’ Those who meditate in God’s word, and delight in it, are in no great danger of forgetting it.” The psalmist knows this to be true and understands the importance of God’s word. He is making sure the Israelites know the importance of remembering God’s words and storing them in their hearts. He understands that it is only when God’s word is not forgotten that it is useful when it is needed. It is good to remember that the psalmist did not see this as a burden, but as something to be delighted in which is seen in the line immediately before the reminder to not forget.

 

Everyday Application

1) Who is writing this psalm and what type of psalm is this?
While we do not know for certain who wrote this psalm we can clearly see a focus on the word of God throughout it. The writer’s words place a heavy importance on the instructional true words of God; we shouldn’t miss this! It would also make sense that in a chapter so focused on God’s Word, it would be written in a way the Israelites could easily memorize and recall. The lesson for us can be seen in the importance placed on God’s Word and the reminder we should not take for granted access to Scripture or the value of it in our lives. Practical tips for memorization aren’t limited to ancient oral cultures. Pick a passage to memorize this week and make it a habit to practice it each day. Try putting the verses to a simple melody, writing it multiple times in your journal, placing sticky notes throughout your house, or taking a picture of the passage on your phone and using it as your lock screen. The methods for memorizing are many, but the emphasis of meditating on God’s Word is singular in focus. When we give ourselves to this, the rewards are limitless!

2) What does it mean to “meditate on your precepts”?
Just as the Israelites stored the word of God in their hearts so should you and I. When we take time to go beyond merely reading the words in our Bibles to actively, prayerfully think about the words, we discover God’s rich calling on our lives. When we meditate on God’s words, we are taught by His Spirit as He shapes our hearts and lives to look more like Jesus and less like our sinful selves. Remaking our lives from the inside out is something only God’s Spirit can do, and if we rush through Scripture meditation or lack consistency in reading His Word, we are denying ourselves the opportunity to grow up in Christ. (Colossians 1:28-29) When we choose to prayerfully sit under the instruction of God’s Words, checking off a to-do list item isn’t our goal, rather, we want to surrender to the Spirit at work in us through God’s living and active word. (Hebrews 4:12)

3)What does it mean to “not forget your word”?
It’s easy to sit down with our Bibles and simply read the words before us, and then walk away unchanged, forgetting the words we just read. (James 1:23-24) We can then say we spent our time with the Lord for the day. However, we must ask ourselves what fruit is evidenced in our lives as a result of this cursory “reading” of God’s Word. Have we truly allowed the Spirit of God to transform us, allowing His glory to be reflected in us because of His living Word cutting through our sin and defenses? Do the words we read change the way we live? If we are simply reading to read, the likely answer is no. We must store God’s word in our hearts, ponder its truth, and speak with the Author of those words that we might be changed. Practically, this means taking time to memorize Scripture so we remember truth. When we train ourselves in memorization and meditation, the Lord is able to bring to the forefront of our minds the exact words we need in our daily lives. In our regular, everyday need, His words impact our lives by His Spirit and He sustains us through His word. When I memorize His words, I do not forget them, and my life is forever changed by the living word of God. I challenge you, sisters, to store God’s word in your heart.

What do YOU think?! Share Here!
Missing the connection to our other Journey Study?
Catch up with Filled With Him!

Digging Deeper is for Everyone!

1) Take this passage (or any other passage).
2) Read it, and the verses around it,
several times
3) Write down your questions
as you think of them.
4) Ask specific culture related questions and be ready to dig around for your answers. Google them, use www.studylight.org, or look them up in a study Bible and read the footnotes (click on the little letters next to a word and it will show you
other related verses!). (www.esvbible.org)
5) Check your applications with other trusted Christians that you are in community with and embrace the fullness of God
in your everyday!

Digging Deeper Community

Share What You’ve Learned!
Pray Together!
Join us in the GT Facebook Community!

Our Current Study Theme!

This is Training Week Two!
Don’t miss out on the discussion!
Sign up to receive every GT Journey Study!

Why Dig Deeper?

Finding the original meaning is a huge deal when we study Scripture and can make all the difference in our understanding as we apply God’s truths to our everyday lives.

In our modern-day relationships, we want people to understand our original intention as we communicate; how much more so between God and humanity?!

Here’s a little bit more on why we take Digging Deeper so seriously.

Study Tools

We love getting help while we study and www.studylight.org is one of many excellent resources, providing the original Hebrew (Old Testament) or Greek (New Testament) with an English translation.

Want to know more about a specific word in a verse? Click on “Strong’s Interlinear Bible” then click the word you’d like to study. Discover “origin”, “definition” and hear the original pronunciation – That Is Awesome!

Want more background? Click “Study Tools”, then pick a few commentaries to read their scholarly approach, keeping in mind that just because a commentary says it, doesn’t mean it’s true. (just like the internet :-))

Memorize It!

Download this week’s verse and make it your phone’s lockscreen!
Tap and hold on your mobile device to save.

Kneel Day 14 Surprising Answers: Digging Deeper

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Digging Deeper Days

Finding the original intent of Scripture and making good application to our everyday lives as we become equipped to correctly handle the Word of Truth!

Yesterday’s Journey Study connects with today’s!
Check out Surprising Answers!

The Questions

1) Why does James list so many different reasons to pray? (verses 13-14)

2) Why does James refer to the prayer of faith in verse 15?

3) Why does James provide the example of Elijah in verses 17-18?

James 5:13-18

13 Is anyone among you suffering? He should pray. Is anyone cheerful? He should sing praises. 14 Is anyone among you sick? He should call for the elders of the church, and they are to pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. 15 The prayer of faith will save the sick person, and the Lord will raise him up; if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. 16 Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is very powerful in its effect.17 Elijah was a human being as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the land. 18 Then he prayed again, and the sky gave rain and the land produced its fruit.

Original Intent

1) Why does James list so many different reasons to pray? (verses 13-14)
Prayer is not something to be picked up, dropped again, and made to fit our schedules and whims. Rather, prayer is a communication tool between God and His people and He wants His people to pray to him regarding everything. He cares about all things (1 Peter 5:7), and He most desires a deep relationship with us. (Jeremiah 32:38) The best way to cultivate depth is by authentically sharing about all things and learning to trust Him as Sovereign over all things. Prayer is for happy times, hard times, sad times, sickness, confession, forgiveness, praise, and everything else. Nothing is meant to be excluded as Paul writes, “Pray constantly.” (1 Thessalonians 5:17) James is reminding his audience of all the purposes for prayer and encouraging them to utilize prayer and all of its power.

2) Why does James refer to the prayer of faith in verse 15?
This doesn’t refer to the faith of the person being prayed for but rather the faith of the person praying. To those who pray, says James, it’s the one who believes the God of the Bible and trusts Him at His Word whose prayers prove effective. Believers should have faith in the mighty hand of God who brings about miracles (Mark 9:28-29), ordains the ordinary (Jonah 4:7), and uses all things for our good and His glory (Romans 8:28). James was writing to Christians who were persecuted for their faith and dispersed from their homes and people. (James 1:1) James turns their attention to “the prayer of faith” to remind them to keep on practicing genuine faith despite persecution, and to put that faith into action through effective, authentic-faith praying. James urges them to keep trusting the same God for whom they were willing to be persecuted, believing Him to be faithful to His own Word and move as a result of their faith-filled prayers. However, James is not asking them to pray with this faith-filled tenacity alone in isolation. Instead, he reminds them that prayer is also a job for the collective Body of Believers; praying together in clear trust of God at His Word is something they should do together. (Matthew 18:19-20)

3) Why does James provide the example of Elijah in verses 17-18?
The Jewish Christians James was writing to would have been very familiar with the prophet Elijah, his powerful ministry of effective prayer, and how God worked through him as a result of his bold prayers. They would have also known Elijah was simply a human like them. While he was a prophet who accomplished much, he was not God, just a man. James is providing his audience with a real-life reminder they can relate with; a modern-to-them example of what faith-filled prayer looks like as evidence for the effectiveness of prayer. Elijah prayed and trusted God to do what seemed utterly impossible and God worked. Check out 1 Kings 18 for an amazing account of Elijah’s faith-filled prayer! James uses Elijah’s model of faith to deeply encourage the Jewish Christians to follow his example in all circumstances and put their faith into real action.

Everyday Application

1) Why does James list so many different reasons to pray? (verses 13-14)
Prayer is a powerful tool. One that can be used in all circumstances. We are to bring our joy, worry, fear, sadness, gratitude, and so much more to Him. Prayer is the means through which we communicate with the God of the universe and James wants us to be fully aware of all its power. It is through prayer we spend time with our Creator both sharing with Him and listening for Him. We should never take prayer for granted or dismiss prayer as a simple, meaningless task. James shows us its complexity and power by including different reasons for praying. Take a few minutes to reflect on your recent prayers. What do they include and exclude? Do you ever find yourself deciding “not” to pray about something as it seems “too small”, or perhaps “too big”?  Challenge yourself to practice an on-going, flowing conversation with God about “all things”. If you get stuck, focus on thankfulness. Air, water, a smile, a ribbon of light, a touch, nothing is too small to praise the Lord for!

2) Why does James refer to the prayer of faith in verse 15?
Effective prayer requires faith. When we pray we shouldn’t simply throw out our wants expecting God to answer in the way we desire. Instead, we are to pray about all situations in all circumstances, yes even the ones that seem like big, difficult requests or mundanely common. The key is to pray expecting God to answer; this is faith, believing God at His Word that He will answer even though we cannot see Him with our physical eyes. We pray in faith knowing God can do anything according to His will. A pastor of mine frequently says “prayer is the work then God works”. Through faith-filled prayer, God accomplishes greater acts than we could ever dream or imagine. (Ephesians 3:20) We are invited into God’s activity through the prayer of faith. God is greater and more powerful than our human ability, and He desires us to fully rely on and trust in Him to work in the best way possible, even if that “best” doesn’t fit within our short-sighted human definition. Because God is both infinitely wise and good, His answers will not always match our “most-desired” outcome, however, we can confidently know He will always move in our best interest. We don’t need to worry about the outcome, we are simply called to have faith, pray, and trust God to work His will in us and our circumstances.

3) Why does James provide the example of Elijah in verses 17-18?
Bible student, Matthew Henry, says, “Prayer itself must be a fervent, in-wrought, well-wrought prayer. It must be a pouring out of the heart to God; and it must proceed from a faith unfeigned. Such prayer avails much.” This is precisely the description of Elijah’s prayer. God desires for us to pour our hearts out to Him (Psalm 62:8) and trust God will mightily work on our behalf. Even His answer doesn’t look as we expect, our confidence in His movement for us can remain. James provides us with the example of Elijah as a visual of our calling in prayer. Who do you know in your everyday life who models this kind of fervency in prayer? Matthew Henry goes on to write, “Only in this we should copy after Elijah, that he prayed earnestly, or, as it is in the original, in prayer he prayed. It is not enough to say a prayer, but we must pray in prayer. Our thoughts must be fixed, our desires firm and ardent, and our graces in exercise.” I ask you, sisters, when was the last time you prayed like this? What an incredible example and challenge which will revolutionize our prayer life!

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Digging Deeper is for Everyone!

1) Take this passage (or any other passage).
2) Read it, and the verses around it,
several times
3) Write down your questions
as you think of them.
4) Ask specific culture related questions and be ready to dig around for your answers. Google them, use www.studylight.org, or look them up in a study Bible and read the footnotes (click on the little letters next to a word and it will show you
other related verses!). (www.esvbible.org)
5) Check your applications with other trusted Christians that you are in community with and embrace the fullness of God
in your everyday!

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Why Dig Deeper?

Finding the original meaning is a huge deal when we study Scripture and can make all the difference in our understanding as we apply God’s truths to our everyday lives.

In our modern-day relationships, we want people to understand our original intention as we communicate; how much more so between God and humanity?!

Here’s a little bit more on why we take Digging Deeper so seriously.

Study Tools

We love getting help while we study and www.studylight.org is one of many excellent resources, providing the original Hebrew (Old Testament) or Greek (New Testament) with an English translation.

Want to know more about a specific word in a verse? Click on “Strong’s Interlinear Bible” then click the word you’d like to study. Discover “origin”, “definition” and hear the original pronunciation – That Is Awesome!

Want more background? Click “Study Tools”, then pick a few commentaries to read their scholarly approach, keeping in mind that just because a commentary says it, doesn’t mean it’s true. (just like the internet :-))

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