“Sir, my concern is not whether God is on our side: my greatest concern is to be on God’s side, for God is always right.”
Abraham Lincoln

Passage
1Then the Lord said to me, “Even though Moses and Samuel were to stand before Me, My heart would not be with this people; send them away from My presence and let them go!
2“And it shall be that when they say to you, ‘Where should we go?’ then you are to tell them, ‘Thus says the Lord: “Those destined for death, to death; And those destined for the sword, to the sword; And those destined for famine, to famine; And those destined for captivity, to captivity.”’
3 “And I shall appoint over them four kinds of doom,” declares the Lord: “the sword to slay, the dogs to drag off, and the birds of the sky and the beasts of the earth to devour and destroy.
4“And I shall make them an object of horror among all the kingdoms of the earth because of Manasseh, the son of Hezekiah, the king of Judah, for what he did in Jerusalem.
(Jeremiah 15:1–4, NASB)

"Birds eating seeds from tall grass" by Vince Millett is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.

Background

Quote-FirstAbraham Lincoln (February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) was an American lawyer and statesman who served as the 16th president of the United States from 1861 until his assassination in 1865. Lincoln led the nation through the American Civil War and succeeded in preserving the Union, abolishing slavery, bolstering the federal government, and modernizing the U.S. economy.

Lincoln was born into poverty in a log cabin in Kentucky and was raised on the frontier, primarily in Indiana. He was self-educated and became a lawyer, Whig Party leader, Illinois state legislator, and U.S. Congressman from Illinois.

Passage-FirstThe book of Jeremiah is Prophetic Oracle and Narrative History, although not completely in chronological order. The prophet Jeremiah wrote it sometime during his ministry about 626-586 B.C. Key personalities are the many kings Judah, Baruch, Ebdemelech, King Nebuchadnezzar, and the Rechabites.

Its purpose was to warn of the destruction that they were about to face and to urge Judah to return and submit to God. Jeremiah was a priest who God calls to be His prophet. Jeremiah identifies their sins and treachery, as he wants them to realize the serious condition of their sinful ways. He then gives prophecies of the coming king and the New Covenant that would be made.

Lesson Notes

Opening Statement

In Old Testament times God spoke to people audibly, appeared in the temple once a year, and sent His prophets regularly to guide His people. He did these things in God’s time, not Man’s time. The Holy Spirit is God’s voice to His people now. The question is, are they listening?

Ask: Who’s side is God on?
Point: God is on God’s side. Because He is God He cannot be wrong thus whatever God says is good, is good and whatever God says is evil, is evil. It doesn’t matter if we agree with Him or not. It doesn’t matter if we believe it or not. It is so.

Ask: What did king Manasseh do that caused God to drive out His people?
Point: In short, King Manasseh moved away from God, God’s Word, and God’s ways (for more read 2 Kings 21.)

First Reading (2 Kings 21:1–6, NASB)

Ask: Is there any of what Manasseh did in our lives personally, today?
Point: Perhaps not actual actions we’ve performed, but what do we support? What are we building up?

Ask: Does God consider what Manasseh did to be evil?
Point: Yes. He does.

Ask: How do we know that?
Point: Re-read verse two of the First Reading

Ask: “But I don’t do any of that stuff so I’m okay, right?”
Point: Our, tolerance, blind eye, or support of “that stuff” is our agreement with “that stuff.”

Second Reading (Proverbs 18:21, NASB)

Ask: How do we avoid being “driven out” to doom as today’s passage suggests is in store for those who do or support what Manasseh did?
Point: Change.

Ask: Change what?
Point: I don’t know. What is God moving you to change?

Ask: How do I know that God wants me to change or even what He wants me to change?
Point: Ask Him.

Third Reading (Luke 4:1–4, NASB)

Ask: How do the Holy Spirit and the Word of God combine to guide us?
Point: We pray and ask God to send us His Holy Spirit so that when we read we are given the message God wants us to receive out of His Word.

Fourth Reading (2 Timothy 2:11–15, NASB)

Closing Statement

The seeds of God’s Word are sown in our lives regularly. Sometimes out loud like in church or Sunday school. Other times silently as we go about our day but see something that makes a connection to a verse or passage of scripture we read. All are road signs along our path. The problem with road signs and a journey is that they not only have to be seen and read but understood and acted on in order to successfully guide that journey. Ignoring road signs on a trip leads to strange routes, getting lost, or ending up at the absolutely wrong destination. The trick to not getting lost on a trip is to first know the route before hand and second, to have a good navigator giving directions as we travel. Who is your navigator?

Questions for the Week

Question 1 How often do you study scripture? Not simply read the Bible, but study the words read?

Question 2 What do you do with what is read?

Question 3 Why do you read?

Question 4 How often should you study and read?

Question 5 What are you going to do about your answer to Question 4?

Scripture

First Reading

1Manasseh was twelve years old when he became king, and he reigned fifty-five years in Jerusalem; and his mother’s name was Hephzibah.
2And he did evil in the sight of the Lord, according to the abominations of the nations whom the Lord dispossessed before the sons of Israel.
3For he rebuilt the high places which Hezekiah his father had destroyed; and he erected altars for Baal and made an Asherah, as Ahab king of Israel had done, and worshiped all the host of heaven and served them.
4And he built altars in the house of the Lord, of which the Lord had said, “In Jerusalem I will put My name.”
5For he built altars for all the host of heaven in the two courts of the house of the Lord.
6And he made his son pass through the fire, practiced witchcraft and used divination, and dealt with mediums and spiritists. He did much evil in the sight of the Lord provoking Him to anger.
(2 Kings 21:1–6, NASB)

Second Reading

21Death and life are in the power of the tongue, And those who love it will eat its fruit.
(Proverbs 18:21, NASB)

Third Reading

1And Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led about by the Spirit in the wilderness
2for forty days, being tempted by the devil. And He ate nothing during those days; and when they had ended, He became hungry.
3And the devil said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread.”
4And Jesus answered him, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live on bread alone.’”
(Luke 4:1–4, NASB)

Fourth Reading

11It is a trustworthy statement: For if we died with Him, we shall also live with Him;
12 If we endure, we shall also reign with Him; If we deny Him, He also will deny us;
13 If we are faithless, He remains faithful; for He cannot deny Himself.
14Remind them of these things, and solemnly charge them in the presence of God not to wrangle about words, which is useless, and leads to the ruin of the hearers.
15Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, handling accurately the word of truth.
(2 Timothy 2:11–15, NASB)

Definitions

Greek Strong’s Number: 4704

Greek Word: σπουδάζω
Transliteration: spoudazō
Phonetic Pronunciation: spoo-dad’-zo
Root: from <G4710>
Cross Reference: TDNT - 7:559,1069
Part of Speech: v
Vine’s Words: Diligence, Diligent, Diligently, Endeavor
English Words used in KJV:
endeavour 3
do diligence 2
be diligent 2
give diligence 1
be forward 1
labour 1
study 1
[Total Count: 11]

from <G4710> (spoude); to use speed, i.e. to make effort, be prompt or earnest:- do (give) diligence, be diligent (forward), endeavour, labour, study.

James Strong, “Σπουδάζω,” Strong’s Talking Greek and Hebrew Dictionary (WORDsearch, 2020).

Greek Strong’s Number: 4710

Greek Word: σπουδή
Transliteration: spoudē
Phonetic Pronunciation: spoo-day’
Root: from <G4692>
Cross Reference: TDNT - 7:559,1069
Part of Speech: n f
Vine’s Words: Care, Careful, Carefully, Carefulness, Diligence, Diligent, Diligently, Earnest, Earnestness, Earnestly, Haste, With Haste, Hastily
English Words used in KJV:
diligence 5
haste 2
business 1
care 1
forwardness 1
earnest care 1
carefulness 1
[Total Count: 12]

from <G4692> (speudo); “speed”, i.e. (by implication) despatch, eagerness, earnestness:- business, (earnest) care (-fulness), diligence, forwardness, haste.

James Strong, “Σπουδή,” Strong’s Talking Greek and Hebrew Dictionary (WORDsearch, 2020).

Greek Strong’s Number: 4692

Greek Word: σπεύδω
Transliteration: speudō
Phonetic Pronunciation: spyoo’-do
Root: probably strengthened from <G4228>
Cross Reference:
Part of Speech: v
Vine’s Words: Desire, Desirous, Haste, With Haste, Hastily
English Words used in KJV:
make haste 3
haste 1
haste unto 1
with haste 1
[Total Count: 6]

probably strengthened from <G4228> (pous); to “speed” (“study”), i.e. urge on (diligently or earnestly); by implication to await eagerly:- (make, with) haste unto.

James Strong, “Σπεύδω,” Strong’s Talking Greek and Hebrew Dictionary (WORDsearch, 2020).

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