Author: Scott Chafee

Scott serves on staff at King’s Grant Baptist Church in Virginia Beach.

Deuteronomy

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  1. Moses’ First Discourse: Looking Back (Deuteronomy 1:1-4:43)
    1. Instruction (Deuteronomy 1:1-5)
    2. Israel at Sinai (Deuteronomy 1:6-18)
    3. Israel at Kadesh-Barnea (Deuteronomy 1:19-46)
    4. Israel from Kadesh to Moab (Deuteronomy 2:1-3:29)
      1. The Journey to the Transjordan (Deuteronomy 2:1-23)
      2. The Conquest of the Transjordan (Deuteronomy 2:24-3:11)
      3. The Allotment of the Transjordan (Deuteronomy 3:12-29)
    5. Israel on the Plains of Moab (Deuteronomy 4:1-43)
      1. The Call to Obedience (Deuteronomy 4:1-40)
      2. The Cities of Refuge (Deuteronomy 4:41-43)
  2. Moses’ Second Discourse: Exposition of the Law (Deuteronomy 4:44-28:68)
    1. Proclamation of the Ten Commandments (Deuteronomy 4:44-5:33)
    2. God is One: Worship No Other Gods (Deuteronomy 6:1-7:26)
      1. The Command to Love the Lord (Deuteronomy 6:1-25) the Shema
      2. The Command to Destroy the Canaanites (Deuteronomy 7:1-26)
    3. Remember God’s Past Dealings (Deuteronomy 8:1-9:29)
    4. Exhortations and Warnings (Deuteronomy 10:1-26:19)
      1. Commands Regarding Worship (Deuteronomy 10:1-16:20)
        1. Regarding New Tablets (Deuteronomy 10:1-11)
        2. Regarding Commitment (Deuteronomy 10:12-11:32)
        3. Regarding the Centrality of Worship (Deuteronomy 12:1-32)
        4. Regarding False Prophets (Deuteronomy 13:1-18)
        5. Regarding Food (Deuteronomy 14:1-21)
        6. Regarding Tithes (Deuteronomy 14:22-29)
        7. Regarding the Sabbatical Year (Deuteronomy 15:1-23)
        8. Regarding Festivals (Deuteronomy 16:1-17)
      2. Commands for National Government (Deuteronomy 16:18-17:20)
        1. Judges (Deuteronomy 16:18-17:13)
        2. Kings (Deuteronomy 17:14-20)
      3. Justice in Human Relationships (Deuteronomy 18:1-22:30)
        1. Levites (Deuteronomy 18:1-8)
        2. Diviners (Deuteronomy 18:9-14)
        3. Messiah (Deuteronomy 18:15-19)
        4. Prophets (Deuteronomy 18:20-22)
        5. Cities of Refuge (Deuteronomy 19:1-13)
        6. Boundary Marks (Deuteronomy 19:14)
        7. Witnesses (Deuteronomy 19:15-21)
        8. Warfare (Deuteronomy 20:1-20)
        9. Manslaughter (Deuteronomy 21:1-9)
        10. Marriage and Family Life (Deuteronomy 21:10-22:30)
      4. Maintaining the Holiness of God’s People (Deuteronomy 23:1-14)
      5. How to Treat One Another (Deuteronomy 23:15-25:19)
        1. Community Life (Deuteronomy 23:15-18)
        2. Protection for the Weak (Deuteronomy 23:19-25:19)
      6. Offering the Firstfruits (Deuteronomy 26:1-19)
    5. A Blessing and a Curse (Deuteronomy 27:1-28:68)
      1. Prerequisite Ceremonies (Deuteronomy 27:1-26)
      2. Promise of Blessings (Deuteronomy 28:1-14)
      3. Promise of Curses (Deuteronomy 28:15-68)
  3. Moses’ Third Discourse: The Covenant Renewed (Deuteronomy 29:1-30:20)
  4. Moses’ Final Words and a Vision for the Future (Deuteronomy 31:1-34:12)
    1. Joshua is Commissioned to Succeed Moses (Deuteronomy 31:1-29)
    2. The Song of Moses (Deuteronomy 31:30-32:52)
    3. Moses Blesses the People (Deuteronomy 33:1-29)
    4. The Death of Moses (Deuteronomy 34:1-12)

* LESSONmaker Outlines + the Ryrie Study Bible

Numbers

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  1. The Israelites Prepare to Enter the Promised Land (Numbers 1:1-10:10)
    1. The First Census of Israel (Numbers 1:1-4:49)
      1. The Population of the Tribes (Numbers 1:54)
      2. The Position of the Tribes (Numbers 2:1-34)
      3. The Place of the Levites (Numbers 3:1-4:49)
    2. Provisions for Ritual Purity (Numbers 5:1-9:14)
      1. Separation from Defiled Things (Numbers 5:1-31)
      2. The Nazarite Vow (Numbers 6:1-27)
      3. Offerings to Princes (Numbers 7:1-89)
      4. Setting Apart of the Levites (Numbers 8:1-26)
      5. The First Annual Passover (Numbers 9:1-14)
    3. God Prepares to Guide His People (Numbers 9:15-10:10)
  2. The Israelites Leave Sinai Toward Kadesh-Barnea (Numbers 10:11-14:45)
    1. Departure and First Complaints (Numbers 10:11-12:16)
      1. March Begun (Numbers 10:11-36)
      2. Murmuring Begun (Numbers 11:1-12:16)
        1. The People (Numbers 11:1-35)
        2. The Prophets (Numbers 12:1-16) Miriam and Aaron
    2. Exploration of Canaan (Numbers 13:1-33) the Spies
    3. Rebellion in the Desert (Numbers 14:1-45) the Minority Report
  3. The Desert Wanderings (Numbers 15:1-21:35)
    1. Offerings and Commands (Numbers 15:1-41)
    2. The Rebellion of the Levites is Punished (Numbers 16:1-17:13)
      1. The Rebellion of Korah (Numbers 16:1-50)
      2. The Validation of Aaron (Numbers 17:13) the Budding Rod
    3. Rituals of the Priesthood (Numbers 18:1-19:22)
      1. The Duties and Support of Levites (Numbers 18:1-32)
      2. The Red Heifer Sacrifice (Numbers 19:1-22)
    4. Enemies Within and Without (Numbers 20:1-21:35)
      1. The Sin of Moses (Numbers 20:1-13)
      2. The Defiance of Edom (Numbers 20:14-22)
      3. The Death of Aaron (Numbers 20:23-29)
      4. The Defeat of Arad (Numbers 21:1-3)
      5. The Discipline of Israel (Numbers 21:4-9) Bronze Serpent
      6. The Defeat of Sihon and Og (Numbers 21:10-35)
  4. A New Generation Prepares to Enter the Land (Numbers 22:1-36:13)
    1. Balaam’s Oracles (Numbers 22:1-24:25)
      1. Balak’s Proposition (Numbers 22:1-41)
      2. Balaam’s Blessing (Numbers 23:1-24:25)
    2. Foreign Wives and Their Gods (Numbers 25:1-18) Baal at Peor
    3. The Second Census of Israel (Numbers 26:1-27:23)
      1. Numbering a New Generation (Numbered 26:1-65)
      2. Instructing the People (Numbers 27:1-30:16)
        1. Laws of Inheritance (Numbers 27:1-11)
        2. Appointment of Joshua (Numbers 27:12-23)
        3. The Order of Offerings and Festivals (Numbers 28:1-29:40)
        4. Law for Vows (Numbers 30:1-16)
    4. Vengeance on the Midianites (Numbers 31:1-54)
    5. Gad and Reuben Claim Their Land (Numbers 32:1-42)
    6. Final Instructions Regarding Canaan (Numbers 33:1-36:13)
      1. The Journey from Egypt to Moab Reviewed (Numbers 33:1-49)
      2. The Instructions for Possessing the Land (Numbers 33:50-56)
      3. The Boundaries (Numbers 34:1-12)
      4. The Allotment (Numbers 34:13-29)
      5. The Cities of the Levites (Numbers 35:1-8)
      6. The Cities of Refuge (Numbers 35:9-34)
      7. The Inheritance of Women (Numbers 36:1-13)

* LESSONmaker Outlines + the Ryrie Study Bible

Leviticus

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  1. Israel’s Relationship to a Holy God (Leviticus 1:1-17:16)
    1. Proper Offerings to God (Leviticus 1:1-7:38)
      1. Laws for the Worshipers (Leviticus 1:1-6:7)
        1. Burnt Offering (Leviticus 1:1-17)
        2. Grain Offering (Leviticus 2:1-16)
        3. Peace Offering (Leviticus 3:1-17)
        4. Sin Offering (Leviticus 4:1-5:13)
        5. Trespass Offering (Leviticus 5:14-6:7)
      2. Laws for the Priests: Instructions (Leviticus 6:8-7:38)
        1. Burnt Offering (Leviticus 6:8-13)
        2. Grain Offering (Leviticus 6:14-23)
        3. Sin Offering (Leviticus 6:24-30)
        4. Trespass Offering (Leviticus 7:1-10)
        5. Peace Offering (Leviticus 7:11-38)
    2. The Priestly Line of Aaron (Leviticus 8:1-10:20)
      1. Consecration: Ordination of Priestly Ministry (Leviticus 8:1-36)
      2. Inauguration: Beginning of the Priestly Ministry (Leviticus 9:1-24)
      3. Admonition: Abuse of Priestly Service (Leviticus 10:1-20)
    3. Clean and Unclean Defined (Leviticus 11:1-15:33)
      1. Clean and Unclean Food (Leviticus 11:1-47)
      2. Childbirth (Leviticus 12:1-8)
      3. Concerning Leprosy (Leviticus 13:1-14:57)
        1. Classifications (Leviticus 13:1-59)
        2. Cleansing (Leviticus 14:1-57)
      4. Concerning the Body (Leviticus 15:1-33)
    4. The Day of Atonement (Leviticus 16:1-17:16)
      1. Preparations (Leviticus 16:1-4)
      2. Offerings (Leviticus 16:5-28)
      3. Instructions (Leviticus 16:29-34)
      4. Sacrifices (Leviticus 17:1-16)
  2. Laws for Holy Living (Leviticus 18:1-27:34)
    1. Laws and Punishments (Leviticus 18:1-22:33)
      1. Sexual Relationships (Leviticus 18:1-30)
      2. Daily Life (Leviticus 19:1-17)
      3. Heinous Offenses (Leviticus 20:1-27)
      4. Priestly Behavior (Leviticus 21:1-22:16)
      5. Concerning Sacrifices (Leviticus 22:17-33)
    2. Sabbath and Festivals (Leviticus 23:1-25:55)
      1. Sabbath (Leviticus 23:1-3
      2. Passover (Leviticus 23:4-8)
      3. First Fruits (Leviticus 23:9-14)
      4. Pentecost (Leviticus 23:15-22)
      5. Trumpets (Leviticus 23:23-25)
      6. Day of Atonement (Leviticus 23:26-32
      7. Tabernacles / Booths (Leviticus 23:33-44)
      8. Oil, Bread, and Blasphemy (Leviticus 24:1-23)
      9. Sabbatical Year (Leviticus 25:1-7)
      10. Year of Jubilee (Leviticus 25:8-55)
    3. God’s Favor, God’s Anger: Obedience (Leviticus 26:1-46)
    4. Redeeming What is the Lord’s: Vow and Tithes (Leviticus 27:1-34)

* LESSONmaker Outlines + the Ryrie Study Bible

Why Does God Wrestle With Men?

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The Men of Steel looked into this topic; how often do we wrestle with God?

  1. The Enemy within Me
  2. God Sparing Your Life
  3. Refuse to be a Target
  4. God Wrestles with You… Alone
  5. Why Does God Wrestle with Men?
  6. The Reality of the Spirit Realm

Last time I wrote about Jacob wrestling with God (Genesis 32:24) because wrestling is a man thing, lots of testosterone. I regularly listen to a syndicated Christian radio station called K-Love, and they play a song called By Your Side by a group named Tenth Avenue North. Here are the lyrics:

Why are you striving these days
Why are you trying to earn grace
Why are you crying, let me lift up your face
Just don’t turn away

Why are you looking for love
Why are you still searching as if I’m not enough
To where will you go child, tell me where will you run
To where will you run

‘Cause I’ll be by your side, wherever you fall
In the dead of night, whenever you call
And please don’t fight, these hands that are holding you
My hands are holding you

Look at these hands and my side
They swallowed the grave on that night
When I drank the world’s sin, so I could carry you in
And give you life, I want to give you life

What does this have to do with wrestling? I sense this song pictures us wrestling against God, while He wrestles with us to help us realize that we need Him more than we could ever imagine. As men we are often striving, trying, and fighting the hands holding us.

I suppose that God also wrestles with us so that we will discover what we are made of. He already knows what He created us to be and He knows what we’ve done with His creation. He’s waiting for us to discover who we are, so He wrestles with us so we will know His power and our weakness, His wisdom and our error, His strength and our frailty.

God wrestles with us to make us realize that we are wasting our lives; that we are mistreating our wives; that we really aren’t the “greatest” or the center of the universe.

God wrestles with us to make us see that we need to persevere and not quit in life, our jobs, our marriages, our spiritual lives, or our church.

God wrestles with us until we face the facts. He doesn’t sugarcoat what He has to say. He wrestles with us until we admit, “Yes, I’m unstable. Yes, I’m making excuses. Yes, I was wrong.”

God wrestles with us so that we will start searching for Him and hunting for what He wants us to find. Man is a hunter by nature. God’s commands to the first man were to “be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion … over every living thing that moves upon the earth” (Genesis 1:28).

To subdue means to control or conquer, to have dominion means to maintain one’s conquest. Deep inside of men is the need to subdue, the need to conquer, the need to track down and bring something into dominion. There’s a hunter inside every man.

  • We may be hunting for a contract or business deal.
  • We may be on the hunt for a woman.
  • We may be hunting for the perfect new house or car.

Sometimes we don’t even really want what we’re after; we’re just hunting because it is our nature to hunt. Fishermen often catch fish, unhook them, and throw them right back. They say, “Look what I caught,” and then they toss that fish back into the lake. That doesn’t make the man any less a fisherman. It means that he is merely fishing for the sport of it, not for dinner. He is just “hunting.”

Unless we allow God to step in and give us the right goals and guide our “hunting” instinct, we can spend our entire life hunting for the wrong things. Jesus said, “Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness” (Matthew 6:33). He promised that if you seek for it, you’ll find it. (Matthew 7:7). I hope that the Men of Steel can help each of us navigate through this thing called life.

Exodus

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  1. Israel in Bondage (Exodus 1:1-12:30)
    1. The Suffering of Israel (Exodus 1:1-22)
    2. The Birth of Moses (Exodus 2:1-10) Moses’ First 40 Years
    3. The Call of Moses, the Instrument of God (Exodus 2:11-4:31)
      1. Flight from Egypt (Exodus 2:11-25) Moses’ Second 40 Years
      2. Moses and the Burning Bush (Exodus 3:1-22)
      3. Objections: Signs for Moses (Exodus 4:1-17)
      4. Return to Egypt (Exodus 4:18-31)
    4. The Hardening of Pharaoh, the Promise of God (Exodus 5:1-7:13)
      1. Bricks Without Straw (Exodus 5:1-21)
      2. God Promises Deliverance (Exodus 5:22-6:27)
      3. Aaron, Moses’ Mouthpiece (Exodus 6:28-7:5)
      4. Sign of the Staff and Snake (Exodus 7:6-13)
    5. The Ten Plagues (Exodus 7:14-12:30)
      1. Blood (Exodus 7:14-25)
      2. Frogs (Exodus 8:1-15)
      3. Lice (Exodus 8:16-19)
      4. Flies (Exodus 8:20-32)
      5. Disease on Beasts (Exodus 9:1-7)
      6. Boils on Man and Beasts (Exodus 9:8-12)
      7. Hail (Exodus 9:13-35)
      8. Locusts (Exodus 10:1-20)
      9. Darkness (Exodus 10:21-29)
      10. Death (Exodus 11:1-12:30)
        1. Plague Announced (Exodus 11:1-10)
        2. Passover Instituted (Exodus 12:1-30)
  2. The Desert Wanderings (Exodus 12:31-18:27)
    1. Deliverance through the Red Sea (Exodus 12:31-15:21)
      1. Passover Instructions for Israel (Exodus 12:31-13:16)
        1. Departure from Egypt (Exodus 12:31-51)
        2. Dedication of the First Born (Exodus 13:1-16)
      2. Crossing the Sea (Exodus 13:17-14:31)
        1. Direction: by Cloud and Fire (Exodus 13:17-22)
        2. Drying: the Red Sea Path (Exodus 14:1-22)
        3. Destruction: Pursuit of Pharaoh’s Army (Exodus 14:23-31)
      3. Songs of Deliverance (Exodus 15:1-21)
        1. By Moses and the People (Exodus 15:1-19)
        2. By Miriam (Exodus 15:2-21)
    2. Israel’s Complaints, God’s Provision (Exodus 15:22-18:27)
      1. Bitter Water: Marah and Elim (Exodus 15:22-27)
      2. Manna and Quail (Exodus 16:1-36)
      3. Water from the Rock (Exodus 17:1-7)
      4. Challenge of the Amalekites (Exodus 17:8-16)
      5. Jethro Instructs Moses, the Judge (Exodus 18:1-27)
  3. The Giving of the Law at Sinai (Exodus 19:1-40:38)
    1. God Speaks to His People (Exodus 19:1-23:33)
      1. Covenant Proposed and Accepted (Exodus 19:1-25)
      2. The Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:1-26)
      3. Laws for Society (Exodus 21:1-23:33)
        1. Slaves (Exodus 21:1-11)
        2. Personal Injury (Exodus 21:12-36)
        3. Theft (Exodus 22:1-4)
        4. Property Damage (Exodus 22:5-6)
        5. Dishonesty (Exodus 22:7-15)
        6. Immorality (Exodus 22:16-17)
        7. Civil and Religious Obligations (Exodus 22:18-23:9)
        8. Sabbaths and Feasts (Exodus 23:10-19)
        9. Conquests (Exodus 23:20-33)
    2. The Covenant Confirmed (Exodus 24:1-18)
      1. Covenant Ratified (Exodus 24:1-8)
      2. God Revealed (Exodus 24:9-18)
    3. Appointing the Tabernacle (Exodus 25:1-27:21)
      1. The Materials (Exodus 25:1-9)
      2. The Ark and Mercy Seat (Exodus 25:10-22)
      3. The Table and Bread (Exodus 25:23-30)
      4. The Lampstand (Exodus 25:31-40)
      5. The Curtains (Exodus 26:1-14)
      6. The Boards (Exodus 26:15-30)
      7. The Veils (Exodus 26:31-37)
      8. The Brass Altar (Exodus 27:1-8)
      9. The Court (Exodus 27:9-19)
      10. The Oil (Exodus 27:20-21)
    4. The Priestly Order (Exodus 28:1-29:46)
      1. Garments (Exodus 28:1-43)
      2. Consecration (Exodus 29:1-46)
    5. God’s Final Instructions for Worship (Exodus 30:1-31:18)
      1. The Altar of Incense (Exodus 30:1-10)
      2. The Atonement Money (Exodus 30:11-16)
      3. The Laver (Exodus 30:17-21)
      4. The Anointing Oil (Exodus 30:22-33)
      5. The Incense (Exodus 30:34-38)
      6. The Builders (Exodus 31:1-11)
      7. The Sign of the Sabbath (Exodus 31:12-18)
    6. Israel’s Rebellion and Punishment (Exodus 32:1-33:6)
      1. The Golden Calf (Exodus 32:1-10)
      2. The Intercession of Moses (Exodus 33:1-6)
    7. Moses’ Leadership is Confirmed (Exodus 33:7-34:35)
      1. The Prayer of Moses (Exodus 33:7-23)
      2. The Covenant Renewed (Exodus 34:1-35)
    8. The Artisans Complete the Tabernacle (Exodus 35:1-40:33)
      1. The Instructions to the People (Exodus 35:1-36:7)
      2. The Curtains Made (Exodus 36:8-19)
      3. The Boards Made (Exodus 36:20-34)
      4. The Veil Made (Exodus 36:35-38)
      5. The Ark Made (Exodus 37:1-9)
      6. The Table Made (Exodus 37:10-16)
      7. The Lampstand Made (Exodus 37:17-24)
      8. The Altar of Incense Made (Exodus 37:25-29)
      9. The Brass Altar Made (Exodus 38:1-7)
      10. The Laver Made (Exodus 38:8)
      11. The Court Made (Exodus 38:9-20)
      12. The Materials Used (Exodus 38:21-31
      13. The Garments for Aaron Made (Exodus 39:1-31)
      14. The Work Inspected by Moses (Exodus 39:32-43)
      15. The Tabernacle Erected (Exodus 40:1-33)
    9. God’s Presence with Israel (Exodus 40:34-38)

* LESSONmaker Outlines + the Ryrie Study Bible

Genesis

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  1. The Creation of the World (Genesis 1:1-2:3)
    1. The Beginning of Creation (Genesis 1:1-2)
    2. The Days of Creation (Genesis 1:3-2:3)
  2. Humankind Before and After the Fall (Genesis 2:4-5:32)
    1. Life in the Garden (Genesis 2:4-25)
    2. The Fall (Genesis 3:1-24)
      1. The Temptation (Genesis 3:1-7)
      2. The Judgments (Genesis 3:8-24)
    3. The Sons of Adam (Genesis 4:1-26)
      1. Cain (Genesis 4:1-24) also Regarding Able
      2. Seth (Genesis 4:25-26)
    4. Adam and His Descendants Through Seth (Genesis 5:1-32)
  3. Noah and His Descendants (Genesis 6:1-11:32)
    1. The Great Flood (Genesis 6:1-8:22)
      1. Increasing Corruption on the Earth (Genesis 6:1-8)
      2. Obedience and Rebellion (Genesis 6:9-22)
      3. God’s Judgment by Water (Genesis 7:1-24)
      4. Destruction and Preservation (Genesis 8:1-22)
    2. Regeneration of the Earth (Genesis 9:1-10:32)
      1. Covenant (Genesis 9:1-29)
      2. Generations of the Sons of Noah (Genesis 10:1-32)
        1. Sons of Jepheth (Genesis 10:1-5)
        2. Sons of Ham (Genesis 10:6-20)
        3. Sons of Shem (Genesis 10:21-32)
    3. Scattering of the Nations (Genesis 11:1-32)
      1. The Tower of Babel (Genesis 11:1-9)
      2. Generations from Shem to Abram (Genesis 11:10-26)
  4. Abram, Chosen by God (Genesis 11:27-25:18)
    1. Abram Receives the Promise of a Nation (Genesis 11:27-20)
      1. The Family of Abram (Genesis 11:27-32)
      2. The Call of Abram and the Promise (Genesis 12:1-9)
      3. Sojourn in Egypt (Genesis 12:10-20)
    2. Abram and Lot (Genesis 13:1-14:24)
      1. Separation from Lot (Genesis 13:1-18)
      2. Rescue of Lot and Melchizedek’s Blessing (Genesis 14:1-24)
    3. Abram Receives the Promise of a Son (Genesis 15:1-17:27)
      1. The Covenant and the Vision (Genesis 15:1-21)
      2. The Birth of Ishmael (Genesis 16:1-16)
      3. The Seal of Circumcision (Genesis 17:1-27)
    4. Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis 18:1-20:18)
      1. Heavenly Visitors Repeat the Promise (Genesis 18:1-15)
      2. Abraham Intercedes for Sodom (Genesis 18:16-33)
      3. The Destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis 19:1-29)
      4. Lot’s End (Genesis 19:30-38)
      5. Abraham and Abimelech (Genesis 20:1-18)
    5. Promise Fulfilled and Faith Tested (Genesis 21:1-23:20)
      1. Isaac’s Birth (Genesis 21:1-7)
      2. Banishment and Preservation of Ishmael (Genesis 21:8-21)
      3. Treaty with the Philistines (Genesis 21:22-34)
      4. Abraham Tested (Genesis 22:1-24)
      5. The Death of Sarah (Genesis 23:1-20)
    6. Abraham’s Heritage (Genesis 24:1-25:18)
      1. A Bride for Isaac (Genesis 24:1-67)
      2. Abraham Buried by His Sons (Genesis 25:1-11)
      3. Descendants of Ishmael (Genesis 25:12-18)
  5. Isaac and his Descendants (Genesis 25:19-28:9)
    1. Isaac’s Sons, Jacob and Esau (Genesis 25:19-34) the Birthright
    2. Isaac and Abimelech in Gerar (Genesis 26:1-35)
    3. Jacob Usurps the Birthright (Genesis 27:1-28:9) the Blessing
      1. Jacob’s Trickery (Genesis 27:1-40)
      2. Jacob’s Flight (Genesis 27:41-28:9)
  6. Jacob and His Descendants (Genesis 28:10-36:43)
    1. A New Family in a Far-away Land (Genesis 28:10-30:43)
      1. A Dream: Jacob’s Ladder (Genesis 28:10-22)
      2. Jacob with Laban (Genesis 29:1-30:43)
        1. Jacob Meets Rachel (Genesis 29:1-14)
        2. Jacob Marries Leah and Rachel (Genesis 29:15-30)
        3. Jacob Has Children (Genesis 29:31-30:24)
        4. Jacob Bargains with Laban (Genesis 30:25-43)
    2. Separation from Laban / Padan Aram (Genesis 31:1-55)
      1. The Reasons for the Departure (Genesis 31:1-3, 13-16)
      2. The Review Prompting the Separation (Genesis 31:4-13)
      3. The Reunion Following the Separation  (Genesis 31:17-55)
        1. Frustration (Genesis 31:17-23)
        2. Revelation (Genesis 31:24-25)
        3. Confrontation (Genesis 31:26-30)
        4. Explanation (Genesis 31:31-42)
        5. Representation (Genesis 31:43-55)
    3. Jacob’s Return (Genesis 32:1-35:29)
      1. Wrestling with God (Genesis 32:1-32)
      2. Confrontation with Esau (Genesis 33:1-20)
      3. Punishment of the Shechemites – Dinah (Genesis 34:1-31)
      4. God’s Promise at Bethel (Genesis 35:1-15)
      5. Deaths of Rachel, Isaac (Genesis 35:16-29)
    4. Generations of Esau (Genesis 36:1-43)
  7. Joseph Preserves the Family (Genesis 37:1-50:26)
    1. Rivalry Among Jacob’s Sons (Genesis 37:1-36)
      1. Joseph, the Dreamer (Genesis 37:1-11)
      2. Joseph Sold Away to Egypt (Genesis 37:12-36)
    2. Judah and His Daughter-in-Law (Genesis 38:1-30)
    3. From Palace to Prison in Egypt (Genesis 39:1-40:23)
      1. Joseph Jailed Unjustly (Genesis 39:1-23)
      2. Interpreter of Dreams (Genesis 40:1-23)
    4. Joseph Elevated to Ruler of Egypt (Genesis 41:1-57)
      1. Interpreting the Dreams of Pharaoh (Genesis 41:1-40)
      2. Preparation for the Coming Famine (Genesis 41:41-57)
    5. Encounter of Joseph and His Brothers (Genesis 42:1-45:28)
      1. Jacob’s Sons Travel to Egypt (Genesis 42:1-38)
      2. A Second Journey (Genesis 43:1-34)
      3. Judah Pleads for Benjamin (Genesis 44:1-34)
      4. Joseph Reveals Himself (Genesis 45:1-28)
    6. Jacob and His Family in Egypt (Genesis 46:1-47:27)
      1. Journey of the Israelites (Genesis 46:1-26)
      2. Jacob Reunited with Joseph (Genesis 46:27-47:11)
      3. Joseph’s Management through the Famine (Genesis 47:12-27)
    7. Jacob’s Preparations for Death (Genesis 47:28-48:22)
      1. Promise to Move Jacob’s Bones (Genesis 47:28-31)
      2. Blessing of Manasseh and Ephraim (Genesis 48:1-22)
    8. Predictions about Jacob’s Sons (Genesis 49:1-33)
      1. Blessing of Twelve Sons (Genesis 49:1-28)
      2. Jacob’s Death (Genesis 49:29-33)
    9. Final Provisions of Joseph (Genesis 50:1-26)
      1. Burial Arrangements for Jacob (Genesis 50:1-14)
      2. Reassurance of the Brothers (Genesis 50:15-21)
      3. Death of Joseph (Genesis 50:22-26)

* LESSONmaker Outlines + the Ryrie Study Bible

Are Miracles Possible?

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Jonah being swallowed by a great fish. Jesus feeding 5000 people with two fish and five loaves. Did these really happen? Are we to take this literally?

The whole concept of God:

The real problem is not with miracles or prophecy but with the whole concept of God. Once we assume that God actually exists, there is no problem with miracles, because by definition God is all-powerful.

God is not bound by natural laws:

The real question becomes, “Does an all-powerful God who created the universe, exist?” If He does then miracles are possible. A miracle transcends natural law which God is the author. Some people define miracle as a violation of natural law, but this definition practically deifies natural law, and God becomes a prisoner to that natural law, and in effect ceases to be God. It’s fine to believe in natural law, because we can see the usual cause and effect process at work year after year. God does not restrict His right to intervene because He is over and beyond natural law, not bound by it. Laws do not cause anything but are a description of what happens or is observed.

What is a miracle?

We generally use the term to describe anything out of the ordinary or something unexpected; however the term is used in the Bible in a different sense. Some events in the bible could have a natural explanation, like the parting of the Red Sea. High winds could have pushed the waters back, but the miraculous part was the timing. They just reached the shore, the Egyptians approaching, and all the Hebrews were able to cross on dry land.

One the other hand, there are some that do not have a natural explanation, like Lazarus being raised from the dead, or many of the physical healings (like leprosy or the man born blind). This is more than a psychosomatic situation.

Some believe that ancient people were gullible, ignorant and superstitious. Perhaps the disease they had could be explained by modern science, like demon possession could have been psychosis or epilepsy. A primitive person might see a modern jet and call it a silver bird god in the sky. But there is a problem with this perception, since many of the miracles do not fit in this category.

There is no natural explanation for the healing of a person born blind, then or today. How could anyone explain the resurrection of Jesus? One cannot get away with the supernatural aspects of the Bible.

Not in conflict with natural law:

Miracles are not in conflict with natural law! One definition of miracle is that they are unusual events caused by God; the laws of nature are generalizations about ordinary events caused by Him. Some people believe that miracles employ a higher natural law which is unknown to us. We must increase our knowledge we actually realize that the things we thought were miracles were actually higher laws of the universe, of which we were not aware at the time.

An act of creation:

On the other hand, we can view them as acts of creation. Biblical miracles are not scattered throughout the Bible randomly, but are associated with purpose. From the Exodus, through the prophets and into the time of Christ, miracles confirmed faith by authenticating the message or the messenger, or to demonstrate God’s love by relieving suffering.

Miracles are never performed for personal prestige, or to gain money or power. Jesus was tempted to do this in Matthew 4, and resisted, but He regularly used miracles to show evidence of His claims (John 14:11, John 10:25).

Why not now?

Many believe that if God would only do it today, then I would believe. But even in Jesus’ day, He dealt with this in Luke 16 in the story of the rich man and Lazarus. The kicker verse is Luke 16:31. If people have ruled out the possibility of miracles, no amount of evidence will convince them otherwise. It’s like the talking animals in the movie, Babe (1996 – the dog spoke slowly and precisely to the sheep because it was a cold fact of nature that all sheep were stupid and no one could convince him otherwise).

We have reliable records:

We don’t need miracles today because we have reliable records that tell us these miracles really happened. If miracles are capable of sensory perception, then they can be matters of recorded testimony. If they are adequately testified to, then the recorded testimony has the same validity for evidence as the same experience of beholding the event. Every court operates on the basic of reliable testimony. If an eyewitness saw and recorded the event (like Lazarus’ raised from the dead), then this witness’ testimony is as good as being at the event.

Miracles were done in public: anyone could have seen and investigated the events. Even the chief opponents of Jesus never denied the fact He could do miracles! They either attributed the event to Satan or tried to suppress the witnesses.

Miracles were performed in front of unbelievers: Jesus was no cult member that deluded his private audience, it was before unbelievers, too.

Miracles were performed over a period of time and involved a great variety of powers: power over nature (John 2:1-11), power over disease (Mark 1:29-34), power over demons (Mark 1:21-27), power with supernatural knowledge (John 1:48), power over creation (Mark 6:30-44), power over death (Mark 5:35-43).

We have testimony of the cured: lie in the case of the man born blind (John 9:25) and Lazarus (John 12:10-11).

We cannot discount biblical miracles because of the extravagant claims of pagan miracles: many pagan believe in these miracles because they already believe in the pagan religion; the Bible uses miracles to help people discover the true religion (John 20:30-31).

Pagan miracles:

These do not display the same order, dignity and motive as those found in the Bible. They do not have solid authentication of the miracle. Same can be said of miracles in our time today, they do not stand to investigation. Just because some miracles are counterfeit, does not mean all miracles are counterfeit (like discovering a few counterfeit bills does not less the authentic bills).

The question is philosophical:

The question as to whether miracles are possible is not scientific but philosophical. Science says they do not occur in the normal course of nature or observation. Science cannot forbid them because natural laws do not cause not forbid miracles. They are merely description of what happened. The only question the scientist must ask is, “Are the records of miracles historically reliable?”

Miracles in the Bible are seen as God communicating with us. The whole matter depends on our belief in the existence of God; settle that question and miracles cease to be a problem.

Stress Relievers?

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A friend sent this list to me (although I edited a few out), and thought I’d pass it along! Beware, totally random and useless information below.

  1. Jam miniature marshmallows up your nose and sneeze them out. See how many you can do at a time.
  2. Pop some popcorn without putting the lid on.
  3. When someone says “Have a nice day,” tell them you have other plans.
  4. Make a list of things to do that you have already done.
  5. Put your toddler’s clothes on backwards and send him to pre-school as if nothing is wrong.
  6. Fill out your tax form using Roman numerals.
  7. Tape pictures of your teachers on watermelons and launch them from high places.
  8. Leaf through “National Geographic” and draw underwear on the natives.
  9. Tattoo “Out to Lunch” on your forehead.
  10. Go shopping. Buy everything. Sweat in it. Return it the next day.
  11. Pay your electric bill with coins.
  12. Find out what a frog in a blender really looks like.
  13. Polish your car with earwax.
  14. Read the dictionary upside down and look for secret messages.
  15. Start a nasty rumor and see if you recognize it when it comes back to you.
  16. Write a short story using alphabet soup.
  17. Stare at people through the tines of a fork and pretend they’re in jail.
  18. Make a language up and ask people for directions in it.
  19. Replace the filling of a Twinkie with ketchup and put it back in the wrapper.

Excuses or Obedience?

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Terry Rae delivered a fantastic message on March 15 on Moses and obedience, After the initial shock of hearing God’s voice in a “burning” bush, I can imagine Moses listening to God (Exodus 3:6-9) and thinking, “right on, you know it’s tough back there, it’s about time You did something about it.” Then God adds one more phrase, “Therefore, come now, and I will send you to Pharaoh” (Exodus 3:10). Now it gets personal. 

Then Moses asked some important questions about his mission, and he brought up some fairly reasonable concerns as to why God would want him to be the deliverer of God’s people. What’s the bottom line? God is calling Moses to obedience. 

One of the problems I have constantly faced as a follower of Jesus is the mistake of believing God owes me some sort of an explanation every time He commands me to do something. This has caused me at times to expect God to explain Himself instead of me simply trusting Him enough to do exactly what He says. 

I am learning that if I am to be the follower God wants me to be, then I need to be obsessed with obedience rather than expecting an explanation from Him! Imagine if there was an explanation every time God wanted you to do something. He could say, “You need to do this…and when you do it, the following will take place…” 

But, I believe one of the reasons He doesn’t waste time with an explanation is because it would lead to negotiation on our part. We would hear His plan and try to “improve” it because, after all, we’re smarter than He is, right? 

God’s plans are so much higher than ours (Isaiah 55:8-9, Ephesians 3:20) and if He were to try to explain Himself to us, our limited human minds could not handle it.  There’s another misconception about God. That His work is all about us! In reality it is all about Him and His Kingdom. That’s why He owes me no explanation. 

When we want an explanation, and try to enter into negotiation, it seems reasonable that it will always lead to frustration. There are lots of frustrated believers out there, and it could be because we refuse to obey His voice for no other reason than it doesn’t make sense. 

God’s commands don’t always make sense, and we may never know why He asks us to do certain things, but, if we believe He is in charge, then we must believe that every single one of His commands are right. We must believe that He is holy, just and good; and whatever comes from my obedience must also be holy, just and good. God doesn’t owe us an explanation. The fact that He commands us at all or even uses us to do anything amazes me.  

So, what is it that you have been putting off?  Anything you’ve been asking God for an explanation about?  What is it that you know He’s commanded you to do, but it absolutely makes no sense? Stop expecting an explanation. Listen to what He says and then do it!  

Saddle up your horses for the great adventure! What a way to live!

God Wrestles with You… Alone

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The Men of Steel looked into this topic; how often do we wrestle with God?

  1. The Enemy within Me
  2. God Sparing Your Life
  3. Refuse to be a Target
  4. God Wrestles with You… Alone
  5. Why Does God Wrestle with Men?
  6. The Reality of the Spirit Realm

I am still fascinated and challenged by the wrestling match between God and Jacob, the father of the twelve sons of Israel (Genesis 32:22-28).

I feel that God encounters men in a lonely place where He can deal with us personally. He wants to be alone with us, rather than in the context of cliques and clubs that can keep us from hearing Him at all. When God gets a man to the point of dealing with the deep issues of life, He does so one-on-one. It’s just you and God.

Ask yourself, “Who are you really?” When nobody’s looking … when you aren’t “prepared,” when all the camouflage has been removed, when you don’t have an ego to defend or anything to prove, when you aren’t concerned about your status? Who are you?

When God is ready to do open-heart surgery, He brings you to an “alone” place. Nobody invites a guest into an operating room, and neither does God. His work on you will be done in private.

When God begins to move in your life, you may feel very uncomfortable. I believe the first response of any man at that time is to surround themselves with more people. We feel restless, frustrated, and lonely in our spirits. We feel a greater need to have somebody with us, to protect us, shield us, walk with us, and encourage us. We will soon discover that the presence of other people doesn’t meet the deep longing we have. The loneliness and restlessness we feel in our spirits is God’s call on our lives. He is reeling us in for our one-on-one encounter with Him.

  • You can be surrounded by people … and still be alone.
  • You can have sex with your wife … and still be alone.
  • You can have dozens of close friends … and still be alone.
  • You can have hundreds of friends on Facebook … and still be alone.

It’s like we finally admit that we are lonely and need something that other people can’t provide, and then we discover we need Someone to fill a part of us that nobody else seems to be able to fill—that’s when God steps in.

I suppose that when we feel alone, it means that somebody we thought we could count on for protection has disappeared. We feel isolated, separated, and alone. When we feel left alone, our hope is usually that someone will come along and comfort us. In fact, we expect that “comfort” is what a loving God would do to a man who is left alone. But God says that He is not coming to comfort us, but to confront us. God came to challenge Jacob, and to wrestle with him (Genesis 32:24). Jacob’s first reaction was, no doubt, “Oh, no, not You too!”

  • Everybody is wrestling me.
  • My wife is wrestling with me.
  • My children are wrestling with me.
  • My boss is wrestling with me.
  • My creditors are wrestling with me.
  • My co-workers are wrestling with me.
  • My church is wrestling with me.
  • My own mind is a wrestling match.
  • And now, You, too, God?

The Bible says that the wounds of a friend are faithful (Proverbs 27:6). A true friend is one who “wounds” you for a good reason. What he says may hurt you, but in the end, it helps you. What he does may seem painful to you, but in the end, you’ll thank him for doing it because it was for your own good.

A good friend doesn’t agree with you all the time. No matter how brutally you object, a good friend will stand right up in your face and say “You’re still wrong.”

You don’t have real help until you have someone who will confront you about what needs to be changed in your life. That’s why I feel strongly about Men of Steel. We each need other men to stand up to us, and to force us to face our sin, to confront us about our lies, to make us uncomfortable about our bad habits, to move us away from mediocrity, to challenge us toward excellence. I value your participation each Saturday! I pray that each of us will find another man in whom we can invest our lives, and that someone else will seek to invest their life in us.