Isaiah 11--My Heart Will Go On

I’m not going to lie. I loved Titanic. I still get a little shmoopy when I hear My Heart Will Go On. One of my favorite scenes is when Jack is dining in first-class with Rose’s entourage and the unsinkable Molly Brown. He gives this little speech:
I mean, I got everything I need right here with me. I got air in my lungs, a few blank sheets of paper. I mean, I love waking up in the morning not knowing what's gonna happen or, who I'm gonna meet, where I'm gonna wind up. Just the other night I was sleeping under a bridge and now here I am on the grandest ship in the world having champagne with you fine people. I figure life's a gift and I don't intend on wasting it. You don't know what hand you're gonna get dealt next. You learn to take life as it comes at you... to make each day count. Then they all raise a toast "to making it count." *sigh*

Movies, books, music—they inundate us with the idea that we need to make every moment count because this is all we get. You will never be younger, freer, more alive than you are right now, so go ride a bull! And, I admit, I’m easily seduced by this way of thinking. I get caught up in this world and I forget that God promised a new Earth, a better Earth, and that I have citizenship in that kingdom.

Isaiah 11 describes the new order that the Messiah will put in place. First, politics will change. The strong trees of leadership will be sawed down, a tender sprig will sprout up, and this little Branch will rule us all. The weak will rule over the strong. The humble will dethrone the proud.

Nature will change. We have many good mothers in our group who cringe at the thought of their sons sticking their hands in a snake’s nest, but on the new Earth, nature will be back in balance. We won’t fear shark attacks or spider bites or, gulp, birds touching our hair. We’ll live in harmony with nature the way God originally intended.

And that’s what hits me—we aren’t living as God intended. We take for granted that deer will dart in front of our cars and that politicians are not trustworthy. We only know the ways of this world and we don’t have enough of an appetite for the next one.

But God promises us a better world, one with a ruler who is infinitely loving and reliable. One who cared enough about this broken world to come down and do something about it.

I told you all last week that I love finding places in the Old Testament where God shows His plan for the Gentiles (aka, you and me). In Romans 15:12, Paul quotes Isaiah 10,
12 And again, Isaiah says,
“The Root of Jesse will spring up,
one who will arise to rule over the nations;
in him the Gentiles will hope.”

Are we hoping in Him? Are we hoping in the One who, 700 years before Christ came to Earth, prophesied about saving us? Are we hoping in the One who, 2000 years before we came to Earth, was raised on a cross to save us? Are we living for the moment, or are we living for eternity?

Questions:
How does our American ideal of “making it count” contrast with living from an eternal perspective?

How does Jesus exemplify a person who was living for eternity? What do we see Him doing that we can apply to our lives?

What are you most excited to experience in the new Earth?

A writer's heart

In Frederick Buechner’s sermon The Good Book as a Good Book, (from the compilation of his sermons entitled A Life in Sermons), he writes:

God is not to be seen in space because in space he is not seeable any more than in La Comédie Humaine Balzac is seeable. But he can be heard. God’s words can be heard because words move forward not through space through time, and although time cannot be inhabited by eternity, it can be impinged upon by eternity the way the horizontal can be impinged upon by the vertical. God is known in the Bible as he speaks—speaks to an thorough the prophets and patriarchs, the priests and poets, speaks through the mighty acts he works both in the history of Israel and in the small histories of men and women when their ears and lives are in some measure attuned to him, or sometimes even when they are not. The Bible is the Word of God—the word about God and God’s word about himself—and it is also the endless words of God, the unanticipatable and elusive self-disclosures of God to countless numbers of people through the medium of what in Hebrew is called dabhar, which means both word and deed—the word that is also a deed because it makes things happen, and the deed that is also a word because, through it, is revealed meaning.

This is one of many ways in this sermon Buechner brings to light the impressive, (though that is barely expressive enough), artistry of the Bible. It is good literature for it is both intriguing and ambiguous while at the same time accessible and clear. In Isaiah 18 it is possible to get lost in the vagueness—“I will remain quiet… like shimmering heat in the sunshine. (18.4)” Nonetheless, the message is clear enough: The LORD is coming and he will have all peoples at his feet.

Isaiah 18 follows a laundry list of “prophecies against” in which Isaiah makes clear the war path God is preparing to march on. Mighty nations are prophesied to blow away “like chaff” and “tumbleweed”. Cush I found, after substantial digging, is an Ehtiopian nation. They are known by their relationship to this nation of “people tall and smooth-skinned” which is universally feared and apparently unfamiliar, as their speech is “strange”. Cush, it seems, relies on these fearsome warriors and, I would imagine, takes comfort in the fact that these alien allies strike fear in their opponents. The LORD will have none of this arrogant reliance upon fearsome humans. He is, after all, more fearsome than them all. Nonetheless, He waits.

Wesley comments on verse 18.4, in which God’s presence is compared to “shimmering heat” and a “cloud of dew”. Wesley notes that both of these atmospheric qualities incite growth, so God is not inhibiting the growth of these nations, but watching as quietly as dew and as stealthily as sunshine as his creation grows… and then he cuts them down.

What fascinates me is the beauty in this passage. The poetic qualities, the metaphor and rhythm and the glorious denouement of gifts being brought to the glorified LORD, it is all so perfectly scripted to bring you to the edge of your seat with anticipation at what this lion-like God will do.

I, for one, do not appreciate the craftsmanship of the Bible often enough. I read it as a duty and as an obedient saint, but often not to get lost in its story. This passage reminds me of the artist’s heart of our LORD and helps me understand what it is about Him that is irresistible.

Follow up questions:

1. When you read the part, which in the NIV reads, “All you people of the world… (18.3),” are you roped in? Have you fully accepted that this passage is not just for Cush, but for you as well? Do you recognize your part in the unfolding plot? What is it?

2. Why does God wait until “the flower becomes a ripening grape” (18.5) to cut off the shoots, to prune them? What is the significance of His waiting? Do we dare guess what He was waiting for?

3. The people “tall and smooth skinned” are not well defined in commentaries other than having some kind of allied relationship with the Ethiopian Cushites. Why are they the ones who are used as an example of being humbled before the LORD? Why does Isaiah include them in his prophecy as those who will bring gifts to the LORD?

The only sign that maters.

When Isaiah asks is Ahaz wants a sign he acts as if he is too spiritual for that. In reality he felt he didn't need a sign because of his contract with Assyria. Perhaps he was feeling that God helps those who help themselves, but in this attitude he missed out on the hope, and grace, and freedom that comes from the only sign we need from the Lord. His Son.

Because it was obvious that the king was not going to listen, Isaiah address the rest of the next five chapters to the house of Judah. Like most of the prophecies in the Bible there was an immediate fulfillment and an impending one. Isaiah, whose first wife dies after the death of their first child was born married again. His wife had a son they names Immanuel and before he was old enough to become a man the Lord had delivered his people from the hands of Israel, Samaria and Assyria.

We see in chapter 8 that this boys other name means "quick to plunder" this is a sign for Israel that they will be destroyed but also for Judah that in the end Babylon will come and judge them as well.

Isaiah's other sons name was, "Shear-jashub" which means a remnant shall return. (see 10:20-22,11:11-12,16) It was imperative that the remnant return because God's promises still had to be fulfilled. He promised David that he would have a son that would reign on the throne forever. If God's people are completly destroyed this would be impossible. Therefore God's plan was of course to bring back a few, and through that few send one that would save the world.

This is of course the point of Chapter nine. (Note Zebulon and Naphtali= Galilee. Where Jesus focused most of his ministry and also the area most devastated in the downfall of Israel) One of the most beautiful things about 9:1-7 is that we too are waiting for it's completion. It brings us great hope not only because Jesus has come but mostly because HE IS COMING AGAIN! This is the light at the end of every dark place in your life.

Read through 9:1-7. Take it one verse at a time. First consider what the verse meant to the original audience and then think about the church today as a whole and finally yourself personally. If you need to brush up on things like "Midian's defeat" do a little digging.

Make sure when you get to verse 6 that you think about each of the child's names individually. This was not just a poetic list for the sake of literary excellence, each name is significant.

See you Thursday night. :)

Isaiah 7:1-9 Who you going to call?

Chapter seven opens during very difficult days for the kingdom of Judah. Assyria's threat was growing very strong and on top of that Judah had refused to be allies with Israel (The northern Kingdom)and Syria. Judah's king Ahaz was not looking to God for hope in this time of trial, instead he felt that if he befriended Assyria he would be safe. So he made a treaty with Assyria. (2 King 16:5-9) Ahaz was making all his decisions out of fear. He actually took a Gold offering that belonged to god and sent it to pay for security from Assyria.

Chapter seven of Isaiah is a message God gave to Isaiah to reassure Ahaz that even if what he considered was the worst (the fall of his kingdom) happened, the Lord was still in control and was working out His ultimate plan to save a remnant of His people.

In verse two God tells Ahaz to "take heed, and be quiet; fear not, neither be fainthearted." He reminds him that the kings of Israel are but,"two smouldering stubs of fire wood" Ahaz has a choice, to trust in the Lord and find peace and rest, or follow his own path to destruction.

Isiah spoke this message to Ahaz in 734 bc. In 732 Assyria destroyed Syria, and in 722 the destroyed Israel but they NEVER destroyed Judah. In fact by 700 bc Asyria was it'self a thing of the past. They were nothing but smoldering stubs of fire wood.

David understood what it meant to trust in the Lord. How the Lord was always a stronger fortress than anything else on this earth. In psalm 33 he wrote,

"16 The king is not saved by a mighty army;
A warrior is not delivered by great strength.

17 A horse is a false hope for victory;
Nor does it deliver anyone by its great strength.

18 Behold, the eye of the LORD is on those who fear Him,
On those who hope for His loving kindness,

19 To deliver their soul from death
And to keep them alive in famine.

20 Our soul waits for the LORD;
He is our help and our shield.

21 For our heart rejoices in Him,
Because we trust in His holy name.

22 Let Your loving kindness, O LORD, be upon us,
According as we have hoped in You.

What is it that you are counting on to get you through your day? Is it your bank account, or your family, or your new haircut, or that chick-fil-a milkshake? Do you think that plans that you have so carefully laid out will save you from the fray? Unless your hope is in the Lord, all your work will be in vain. Isaiah 7: 9b"If you do not stand firm in your faith, you will not stand at all."

I am not going to go on into verse 10 this week because I feel like this is a really good place to rest. What are we resting in. We are all walking, or crawling through something right now. And I guess I just want us to look carefully at each day and ask ourselves where does our hope come from?

Week 3: Sneaky Sin

Isaiah 5 is a litany of woe oracles aimed at six different sins. Like last week’s oracle against vain women, this chapter is speaking directly to the Israelites, but the sins and consequences are strangely familiar.

Beginning with verses 8 and 9, Isaiah condemns people who exploit others. In his time, this looks like wealthy land owners buying up the houses and fields until there is not much left for anyone else. As a result, God promises a bad return on their crops and desolation of their fine homes. During Uzziah’s reign, Judah experienced great economic prosperity, but it would seem that there are many who are now abusing their wealth. Isaiah warns that the time is coming when God will shut their economy down.

Another side effect of prosperity, it could be argued, is laziness and indulgence. In verses 11 and 12, Isaiah speaks against those who spend their time and money getting drunk. They throw amazing parties, but have no interest in the Lord. As a result, these people who are reveling in their excess will soon have nothing, “…their men of rank will die of hunger and their masses will be parched with thirst.”

The people have become so confident in their strength and in their economic standing that they are no longer ashamed of their sin. In verses 18 and 19, Isaiah describes people who carry their sin around with them like oxen pulling a plow. They sarcastically provoke God to hurry up and send His judgment (essentially telling God to put His money where His mouth is). As we know, God did use Assyria and Babylon to bring about judgment on His people.

The next verses really caught my attention. Verse 20 condemns those who call what is evil good and what is good evil. They, literally, relish sin and disobedience while they mock righteous obedience. The note in my study Bible says, “When people do not carefully observe the distinction between good and evil, destruction soon follows. It is easy for people to say, ‘No one can decide for anyone else what is really right or wrong.’”

Verse 21 calls out the arrogant, while verse 23 focuses on those who deny justice to others.

What I notice about all of these sins is that they are sneaky, insidious sins. While all sin is rooted in the heart, some are more obvious than others. We usually don’t have a problem identifying and opposing obvious sins: murder, adultery, abusing the defenseless. With these six sneaky sins, though, I think what was happening to the Israelites is the same thing that happens to us--the line between wrong and right was getting smudged. Take, for instance, the drunkards mentioned in verses 11 and 12. It could be argued their behavior wasn’t hurting anyone, that they were just having a good time, so why was it wrong? Verse 12 tells us their hearts were wrong, their partying was an extension of them having no respect for God. Another reason is because they were so caught up in having fun that they stopped working, allowing famine and hunger to creep in.

For us today, the list of obvious sins is getting shorter. Like verse 5:20 says, we, too, are guilty of calling evil good and good evil. Our lines are smearing. We see Christians responding to sin in unappealing ways. There are the public embarrassments who bomb clinics, burn Korans and hurl hate speech. Then there are those who are so afraid of being offensive that they offer hugs and donuts, but sidestep the Truth.

We are called to live between the two extremes. To call evil evil, while being living testimonies to God’s mercy. It’s important that we do this, because we know what happened to Isaiah’s audience—God didn’t take their sin lightly, He judged it. God promises to judge our sin too, be it subtle or flagrant. We need to continually return to our Savior in repentance, and if we love our society, we need to be pointing others to Him as well.

Rather than answering questions at the end of this study, let me encourage you to spend some time this week comparing the Israelites of Isaiah's day with the Christians of ours. How do our responses to drunkenness, arrogance, greed, laziness, injustice and relativism stack up to Israel's response? To God's response?

As an interesting side note, I share with you an article I read this summer about why Christians our age don’t care about Proposition 8.

Week 2 Putting the Woe in Wo-man

Early in the school year, I got an e-mail from my boss telling teachers to fix our websites. In an attachment was each teacher’s name and what was wrong with her website. There it was in black and white, “Walters—has link to March lunch menu.” If the e-mail had been generic, I probably would have kept my website on the backburner, but when I was told specifically what to fix, I got right on it. The fact that someone knew exactly what was wrong and put it in my face (or my inbox) lit a fire under me.

In the same way, Isaiah doesn’t do generic with the people of Judah. Return, repent, be renewed. According to my study Bible, these are the three things we hear Isaiah repeating throughout his prophecy. His words challenge the people to turn from specific sins before the judgment that is coming.

As I read through Isaiah this summer, I was always surprised when the sins of Judah were not all that different than my sins, or the sins that permeate this culture I live in and love.

For instance, Isaiah 3:16-4:1 is a specific prophecy directed at the women of Judah. Their sin, be it manifested by flirting with their eyes or by tripping along with mincing steps, was placing too great an emphasis on their outward appearances. In a time of imminent destruction and oppression, they worried about their bangles, headbands and purses. Sound familiar? They placed too much value on these possessions and wound up with nothing.

I can’t help but think of Heidi Montag and her ten plastic surgery procedures in one day. I want to point at her and say, “She’s got issues with her appearance. I’m doing just fine.” But then, there are days when I force myself to the gym because I’m convinced my pants won’t fit if I don’t (and you thought I was just super-committed!).

When Isaiah issues the call to return and to repent, he is not just talking to Judah. He is telling all of us. And when Isaiah predicts their ultimate salvation, we can pin our hopes on the same Savior.

For the women of Judah, just when things are at their most desperate (4:1), he lays out God’s plan for their ultimate renewal.

“’We will eat our own food and provide our own clothes; only let us be called by your name. Take away our disgrace!’ In that day the Branch of the LORD will be beautiful and glorious...”

At the time of Judah’s destruction, God was planning to protect a remnant under the shelter of His glorious Branch. They would be people marked by their righteousness, not by their physical appearance. In the same way, what marks us as godly women is our character, not our finery. Of course, we know this. We’ve heard the message more times than we can count, haven’t we? We need frequent reminders, though. I, especially, need to be reminded that the beautiful and glorious Branch of the LORD transferred His beauty to me.

As we begin studying Isaiah, as we see the specific sins of Judah laid out in black and white, it’s important to remember that we are just as likely to sin in the same ways, and to need a reminder to return and repent. There is a strong temptation to shake our heads at the foolish Israelites who kept missing the point and to distance ourselves from this text that was written so long ago. But if we overlook our sins, we overlook our Savior—the beautiful and glorious One Isaiah promised would come.

1. Draw a picture of the kind of woman Isaiah describes in chapter 3. Draw another woman who represents the appearance-obsession of our present day. How are these women similar? How are they different?

2. In your prayer life, is it your practice to repent of specific sins, or to repent in broad strokes? How can Isaiah’s judgment of Judah’s women inform our prayer lives? How will this affect our view of Jesus?

Isaiah 6

The first five chapters of Isaiah are a picture of a court room where God's people are asked to give an account of their actions. We are going to go back and look at those chapters but this week we are going to skip ahead to chapter six. I think that it would be easy for the people to be a little upset about all that Isaiah has said about them in the introduction to his book but in chapter six he backtracks and shows that before he went digging specks out of their eyes he did some serious demolition on the house in his own. Isaiah's own sin disturbed him so greatly that he wanted to die, but in the year Uzziah died something happened that changed everything.

With the death of the king uncertainty filled the hearts of God's people. Although Uzziah wasn't the best king spiritually the people felt safe under his care in a world where nations were falling to the Assyrians right and left. It was in this time that Isaiah was reminded that whoever held the thrown on earth would come and go but the true ruler of Israel does not come and go like shifting shadows.

Isaiah 6:1-4

1 In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord seated on a throne, high and exalted, and the train of his robe filled the temple. 2 Above him were seraphs, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying. 3 And they were calling to one another:

"Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty;
the whole earth is full of his glory."

4 At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke.

This is an amazing picture. The Lord in all his glory being worshiped as He ought. No one is defaming Him, no one is exercising their will to not believe, no one is calling him a liar or calming he is not powerful for this or that and NO ONE is trying to say he doesn't exist. I love this picture! I can't imagine anything greater than a world where the truth is so bright that nothing else can possibly exist.

Dwelling on the Holiness of God's can affect us in two ways.
1) We can be encouraged and filled with the comfort of knowing that with the perfect unchanging Holy God on the thrown we have nothing to fear and
2) With the perfect unchanging holy God we, as sinful broken powerless people have everything to fear, because we do not deserve to live.

Isaiah saw the holiness of God next to the corruptness of himself and reacted accordingly.

" 5 "Woe to me!" I cried. "I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the LORD Almighty."

And then of course the Holy, LOVING God revealed to Isaiah His perfect plan for removing his sin and taking him as His own.

6 Then one of the seraphs flew to me with a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with tongs from the altar. 7 With it he touched my mouth and said, "See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for."
8 Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, "Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?" And I said, "Here am I. Send me!"


And so Isaiah is free to worship the Lord without fear. It is here that Isaiah is telling the people that he too has sinned but his sin has been taken away by his Lord and that is why he is writing this book. He explains exactly what the Lord called him, or rather saved him to do.

9 He said, "Go and tell this people:
" 'Be ever hearing, but never understanding;
be ever seeing, but never perceiving.'

10 Make the heart of this people calloused;
make their ears dull
and close their eyes.
Otherwise they might see with their eyes,
hear with their ears,
understand with their hearts,
and turn and be healed."

11 Then I said, "For how long, O Lord?"
And he answered:
"Until the cities lie ruined
and without inhabitant,
until the houses are left deserted
and the fields ruined and ravaged,

12 until the LORD has sent everyone far away
and the land is utterly forsaken.

13 And though a tenth remains in the land,
it will again be laid waste.
But as the terebinth and oak
leave stumps when they are cut down,
so the holy seed will be the stump in the land."

So if you were Isaiah would you be like, YES SIGN ME UP! There isn't a lot of encouragement here. Isaiah's ministry will actually cause some people to be even more hard hearted, deft and blind to the truth. Rather than make things better, his ministry is going to end in failure and he knows that from the very beginning. But this isn't chapter one of Isaiah it's chapter six. We already know that ultimate "failure" has not stopped him from following God's call. He did not ask what the task would be and THEN say he would go, he said he would before he even knew what God would ask. Because it wasn't about him. He saw the Lord in all his glory and his sin was taken away. That was all that mattered, that he be like those surrounding the throne continually calling out to the world to take notice that, "Holy, Holy is the Lord God almighty and the whole earth is filled with his glory!"


1) Why would God close the peoples ears and hearts if it meant the destruction of his nation?
Is this sarcasm? (Verse 9-10)

These verse are quoted six times in the new testament, Matt.13:13-15,Mark 4:12, Luke 8:10,John 12:40, Acts 28:25-28, Romans 11:8. Read a few of these and consider the context in which they are quoted.

How does this close minded attitude apply to the church today?


2) How does the symbolism of nation as a tree being cut down bring hope? (read verse 13)


3) How real is the holiness of God to you? Does this make a difference in the way you live your life?

Big Finish

Read James 5:12-20

When I first looked at the final verses of James, I read a commentator who pointed out that James’s final words are, “Don’t swear. Instead, pray. Keep bringing each other back to Truth.” Reading that discouraged me. He might as well have said, “Potato salad. Emeralds. Ford Mustangs”, those three things seem as cohesive as James’s advice.

So, I put my Bible study stuff away, did something else, and came back to the list.

Do not swear.
Pray instead.
Keep bringing each other back to Truth.

And it hit me. He’s talking to people who are suffering, people who are being ostracized and bankrupted because of what they believe. What James is giving them is practical advice for sufferers.

When times get tough, our natural response is to throw up our hands in frustration. We speak out of that frustration, “I swear, if you interrupt me one more time….” “God help me if I have to come down there.” “Oh @#$%!” When we swear, we make ourselves bigger than God by treating His name carelessly, irreverently. Remember, all along, James has been talking to us about humility.

The irony is that, God’s name is what we should be calling when we’re struggling, but not in a potty-mouth tirade. What James tells his readers (and us) is that, when things are bad, pray. When your circumstances are hard, submit yourself to God. And don’t just submit, but expect Him to act and watch for things to change.

There have been times of suffering in my life when I could not stop praying. Maybe no one else would listen to me, or maybe I was just so attuned to my need for deliverance, but I spoke to God throughout my bad season. There have been other tough seasons, however, to which I’ve responded with complete prayerless-ness (my present school year, for instance). Times when I am so overwhelmed and defeated, I can’t articulate a prayer. Thankfully, James tells us we don’t have to pray alone. It is good to share our burdens and to allow others to help carry them.

The other good thing about sharing our sorrows with each other is that it deepens our relationships. As we become closer to other believers, and they see us suffering, they can speak Truth into our lives. We know them, we trust them, and they have “earned the right to be heard.” This is the accountability James steers his readers to as the letter ends.

When a friend is suffering, we can remind them of what is true: You are persecuted, but not abandoned. You are in the hands of a loving God.

When a friend is in bondage to sin, we can help turn them back to what is true: Are you honoring God with this choice? Is this behavior having a positive effect on those around you?

What stands out to me in this conclusion is that our Christian life, though challenging, is not meant to be lived alone. Difficult, frustrating things are going to happen. When they do, we need people to pray with us. When our sin is leading us astray, we need people to call us on it and to steer us back to the Truth.

People just like us.

1. It’s a bit more involved than our usual questions, but I think there’s great value in reading some of Elijah’s account (1 Kings 17-19). In what ways was he just like us? How can that be an encouragement to us?

2. What are some true things you could say to encourage a suffering friend?

Patience James 5:7-12

In this passage James used three different examples for patience in suffering.

The agricultural theme has been cooking throughout the book of James. In 1:18 James referred to believers as the "first fruits". In 1:21 he tells us to "humbly accept the word planted in us" and in 3:18 we learned that Peacemakers who sow in peace raise a harvest of righteousness. Given these references it seems fitting that the first example James should use when talking about patience in suffering is that of a farmer.

5:7 See how the farmer waits for the land to yield it's crop and how patient he is for the autumn and spring rains.

What exactly is James talking about? Is it the suffering the church was going though due to persecution or perhaps it was something else. What if what he was saying was actually the suffering that came from waiting for the harvest of righteousness in their lives. Although they had been implanted with the Word it was still in the process of growing.

So many of our daily struggles come from that "not yet" part of our salvation. We are saved but we are also in the process of being saved. We must trust that the Lord will be faithful to complete it. This takes patience, patience like that of a farmer who plants his seed, cares for his seed and trusts that the rain will come and a great harvest will be the result.

The second example the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord.

The prophets have always astounded me. They preached the word of the Lord, the people ignored them and the people were judged anyway. I am sure that many of them wondered at times what the point even was. But most of the prophets did not just talk about Judgment all the time they also talked about a day of mercy. They talked about the gift of God that would take away the sins of the world. Although none of them got to see Jesus they spoke about him constantly. And they believed that when it was time God would bring the harvest. They had patience through their suffering caused by others sins.


The third example was Job. Job suffered not because of his sin or really others sins but ultimately because of a strange contest between God and the devil for his heart. James references Job and then simply says, " you have seen what the Lord has brought about". In the end the patience of Job to wait for the faithfulness of God paid off. He saw the Lord faithfully grow back all that was taken from him because "the Lord is full of compassion and mercy".


Do the three examples help you understand the suffering in your life better?

Why do we struggle with patience when we know the Gospel?

How can we practice patience in our lives?

Week 11 - Rich or Poor?

(Read James 5:1-6)

At times I am overwhelmed with how much life costs. I want to host students and friends in my home, but it costs money to buy groceries. I know I’m called to share the Gospel with students in the Triad, but it costs money to put gas in my car so I can get to all the different campuses. I really enjoy buying gifts for people, especially when I see something that just really makes me think of someone in particular. But those gifts cost money. And then there are things that I “have” to have – water, shelter, clothing.

Many aspects of the Christian life are all about living in the midst of a dichotomy. That’s the whole essence of living in this world, but not belonging to this world. As an American Christian, our wealth (or perceived lack thereof) is an additional dichotomy in which we must live. I look at what others have – maybe it’s a certain car or house, or the newest tech gadget – and I feel poor. I feel like I’ve given up wealth in answering the Lord’s call to be a missionary (or a teacher in many of your cases). And then I feel a bit prideful – proud that I’m willing to give things up to follow the Lord.

However, the flip side of this dichotomy comes when I’m exposed to the billions of people in the world who live with much less than I do. I’ve been to areas of the third world where people have 2 outfits only. They wash the one they’re not wearing by hand and wear these outfits for many days in a row. I’ve seen people who don’t have a car or a house, and have never thought about any tech gadgets. Yet, often these very people are the most satisfied in their circumstances and life. Do they worry about money? I can’t say that for sure, but there is something about a lack of money that causes one to be more content with the things in life that will last beyond the moment.

James confronts the rich in these verses. And my gut reaction is to think that doesn’t apply to me. I’m not rich. Or am I?

He confronts businessmen and wealthy landowners. Maybe we can’t identify exactly with these roles, but we can identify with the behaviors of each that he calls out for judgment. James confronts the accumulation of materialistic wealth that he sees going on. He talks about how the wages of those who work the land are being withheld. And James calls out the self-indulgent actions of those to whom he’s writing – saving up gold and silver. James even opens this section by talking about the “miseries” that will come upon the wealthy who place their faith in their wealth.

And I think that is what it all boils down to – where are we placing our faith? In the light of the American dream, I am not rich. However, my wealth must come from knowing Christ and recognizing the riches of things that eternal – His Word and people’s souls.

Questions

In v.4, James mentions the “cries of the harvesters” who haven’t received their dues. Who have you cheated in order to fund your lifestyle?

Why do we tend to love money, regardless of how much, or little, we have?

One interpretation of “righteous person” in v.6 is those who are one of God’s forgiven people (i.e. believers). This train of thought led me to the focus on where we are placing our faith. Would you agree with this take on a “righteous person”? If not, what is your understanding of this verse?

Written by Michelle

I was probably seven or eight. I was singing with a children’s choir that met on Sunday evenings. The church’s adult choir met after the kids were done rehearsing. They needed some of the kids to turn pages for the instrumentalists accompanying the grown-up choir. I assured the choir directors that I had my parents’ permission and took my place beside the guitarist, ready to turn pages for him. That’s when my dad showed up. My dad would eventually become a beloved member of this adult choir, but on that night, they only knew him as Joy’s dad. I was there without his permission and he was not a happy man.

You see, turning pages and staying out past bedtime, that was my plan. My father’s plan was not the same. Twenty-some years later, I remember that night pretty clearly: his disappointment, my shame, the realization that I could not do what I wanted without consulting my parents.


Years spent in church and in Bible studies have taught us that we can’t be spiritual eight-year-olds. We cannot make our plans and then inform God. “Lord, I am going to be a missionary”, or “Lord, I am going to be a successful writer.” We get this, so James must be talking to other Christians in chapter 4, verses 13 through 17.

Not so fast.

James has been talking about humility, and these verses continue the discourse. Here, James is confronting the attitude his readers had about time. His readers owned their time. They were deciding where and how to spend it. They chose what important tasks would “make the cut” and which things they were simply too busy to do. Sound familiar yet? When we fill our days from 5:30 AM to 9:30 PM, we are being arrogant. When we squeeze in one more commitment, we make ourselves more important than we are. We believe the committee meeting can’t go on without us. The wedding shower won’t be as much fun if we don’t plan it. No one will tutor this child if we don’t. “Who do you think you are?” James interrupts, “You are a mist.”


The Bible frequently points out that man’s life is nothing without God (see Psalm 90). Instead of treating our days like they are ours to fill and spend, James tells us to humbly submit our time to God. Without Him holding us up, we blow away. He is our support and our substance. He gives us our days. It is pretty common in Christian circles to hear each day spoken of as a gift. “Thank you, Lord, for this day…” But I have to wonder if I would wake up with a groan if I really believed the day was a gift. Would I stand in the shower reciting my to-do list?

James wanted his readers to recognize God’s provision of their days, so that they would move from self-sufficiency to God-dependency. It is not enough for us to recognize our dependence on God’s will. James would also have his readers actively doing God’s will. This is the thrust of verse 17. You know you need God, you know what He wants, now go do it.


1. Can you think of a me where your “to do” list, and “the good you ought to do”
clearlydidn’tline up? Which one won the battle for your time?

2. How can you leave your heart open to God’s will for your life in regards to your time?

3. How does the reality that you are a mist change your way of thinking about your “to do” list?

Week 9--Humbling Ourselves

Read James 4:4-12

Naboth had a vineyard. It was right next to King Ahab’s palace. One day King Ahab decided that he wanted a vegetable garden, and he didn’t have a good place for it, so he told Naboth that he would give him a really good price for his vineyard. God had told Naboth not to sell his vineyard to Ahab because Ahab was an evil king so he refused to sell it.

We know the rest of the story right? (Read 1 Kings 21 for a refresher). Ahab goes home and pouts about the vineyard until his wife Jezebel promises to get it for him. Jezebel sets up Naboth for a crime he didn’t commit and has him killed, then she goes back to Ahab and tells him to get out his garden hoe and start his precious garden. When Ahab is out looking over his new garden, Elijah shows up and tells him that God is going to have him and his family killed because of his actions.

And then, King Ahab, the one that Kings describes as the most evil man ever, humbled himself in the sight of the Lord. He turned his laughter to mourning and his joy to gloom and God saw and He changed his mind.

What we see in Ahab’s story and in our own lives, is that “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.” (Psalm 51:17). God responded to Ahab’s humility and spared him death-by-dogs, but He did carry out this punishment on the rest of Ahab’s family. We are spared punishment because of Jesus’ sacrifice, and all that is required of us is a turning. If we turn toward Him, He will come to us. If we humble ourselves, He will lift us out of our gloom and mourning.

James’s audience would recognize the language of verses 7-10 as a description of coming to the temple to offer a sacrifice. Coming near to God would be, literally, coming to the temple. There would be actual rites of hand-washing and purification required before fellowship with God could be restored.

When I compare what was required of a faithful servant of Yahweh in the Old Testament with what is required of believers on this side of the cross, I am humbled. Jesus truly did the work for us, all that is left for you and me to do is believe—and even our ability to do that is a gift from God! I would like to think that being part of this amazing fellowship with God and recognizing that none of it rests on me would cloak me in humility. I should be able to relate to others as one who has received much and who has been forgiven much. But I don’t.

Instead, I leave my posture of humility and go sit in judgment over others. James’s readers were guilty of the same thing. Instead of recognizing our lowly places beneath the true Judge, we set ourselves above the law and judge others; we say bad things about them and we think less of them.

James wants his readers (and us) to live in fellowship with God and with each other. The only way this radical community can exist is if we live humbly, submitting ourselves to God and to each other.

If God's grace is big enough to move Ahab to humility, I feel like we might have a shot.

1. What other people in the Bible have a story like Ahab’s, an account where their humility caused God to lift them up?

2. Can you think of any requirements of worshipers in the OT that really stand out? (Think of some of the wild things in Leviticus you’ve read). How does being free from those requirements inform your life as an NT believer?

3. The NIV translates verse 4:11 differently than other versions, using the word “slander.” How is slander different from speaking evil against someone? Why might that one word make a difference when studying this section?

Week 8 Two kinds of wisdom

A few weeks ago I had a little "situation" with a student and a parent. The student was saying one thing and I was saying another and the parent was upset and it was a big mess. I was so stressed out about this situation because I KNEW THAT I WAS RIGHT! And that was all I could think about, the fact that I was right and that he was wrong and how can I make this parent see my righteousness. It was after about three emails back and forth and many long conversations with my mother( as a sympathetic fellow teacher) and my husband, (the captive audience) that it hit me. My sole focus in trying to work this thing out was myself. And there's the rub.......

Read James 3:13-18

After James completes his first look at the dangers of the tongue he moves on, or I would say, builds on his argument through talking about two different kinds of wisdom. "worldly wisdom" and wisdom from heaven. Wisdom is the source we use to make decisions, both large and small in or daily lives. Some might think of it as reasoning, but we do it daily without even realizing that we are doing it. It becomes more evident of course when making bigger decisions like: how to take care of our money, or career choices, or how to be involved in ministry, but it's just as present in our daily attitudes and thoughts about smaller things like, how we spend a Friday evening, or whether or not there is time for the gym today. What I am trying to say is James 3:13-18 is actually a lesson on how to discern the will of God, and who doesn't want to take a minute to talk about that?

"Discerning God's will for your life" is one of those big Christian catch phrases we like to throw around but we don't often use it in the normal everyday living of life. You use it when you are graduating from college and you need to know what's next, or when you are assessing whether or not you are ready for the responsibility of a family. Every once in a while we will use it when trying to decide what ministry to be involved in at church. But it doesn't often get used when we are thinking about how we treat the people around us or our daily activities and how we spend our time.

When making those smaller decisions, do we consider them to be influenced at all by wisdom? The truth is they all are, the question is really what KIND of wisdom is motivating us? Let's break the two kinds down in a way that we teachers understand...

Take a second make yourself a little chart. (you thought I was going to do all the work for you...) Read through Verse 3:17 and write out the motivations of Heavenly wisdom. Now read through 3:14-15 and write out the motivations of Worldly wisdom.

Now outline the results of both kinds of wisdom. Worldly results 3:16 and 4:1-3. Heavenly results are 3:18.

Take a look are both lists.

On a daily basis how often are we motivated by the wisdom that comes from heaven? How about the latter?

When we think about the problems in our lives, how many of them are a result of following "worldly wisdom"? If we were to change our way of thinking about, look at them through the eyes of heavenly wisdom, would the situation look different?

Back to my situation with the parent. I realized that in my selfish ambition I had made the situation so much worse. If instead I had used Godly wisdom and submissively spoken to the parent admitting that I hadn't spent the time to explain what needed to be explained to their student this would never have been a problem in the first place. Also, in my selfishness I forgot that my motivation for teaching is not myself, it is actually the growth of my student, and by defending myself my student was not growing. Instead they felt uncared for and unimportant. When I stepped back and looked away from myself I saw clearly the wisdom I had used was not from heaven.

When our motivations are driven by envy and selfish ambition the result is always death. However, because there is a good work that God has planted in is there will be Godly wisdom motivating us towards deeds that are done by that wisdom and those deeds lead to, "a harvest of righteousness".

What does a harvest of righteousness look like in your life?

Week 7--A Restless Evil

Every morning in February my students read a passage about a famous African American as part of their morning work. The other day, as I was getting ready to go over the work with them, I said, “Take out your passages on Arthur Haley.” The students looked confused. I said, with much condescension, “Yes, Alex Haley. You read about him this morning. His name is at the top of the paper.” One bold soul said, “You said Arthur Haley.” My response was, “Well, I have Arthur Mitchell in my desk, I got confused.”

I didn’t laugh. I didn’t apologize. I defended myself and moved on. The reason why is simple: I needed to keep the upper hand in my classroom. If I admitted I was wrong, I might have lost control. At least, that’s what my pride tells me when I find myself in situations like these every day.

It’s easy for teachers to become proud. They are the center of attention. The expectation is that everyone will listen to them (and woe to those who don’t!). Ideally, teachers have all the answers—they have authority. What an ego trip!

And so James begins chapter 3, “Not many of you should presume to be teachers, my brothers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly.”

James recognized the dangerous way teachers dance with pride. His readers would want to be teachers—they were respected and admired—but James warns that teachers are subject to stricter judgment. As it should be. If I can get an attitude about Alex Haley, imagine the pride that would come with being an "expert" in the faith!

The opening verses of chapter three lay a foundation for one of James’s major themes: humility. We should be humble, because we all make mistakes. A lot of these mistakes are caused by a tiny part of our bodies, our tongues.

James goes on listing small things that have big influences, culminating in verse 8, when he calls the tongue “a restless evil, full of deadly poison.” But we don’t even need to read as far as verse 8 to be overwhelmed—verse 2 does a fine job, “If anyone is never at fault in what he says, he is a perfect man…” All those in favor of giving up and being imperfect say “Aye.”

Why should we try to tame this uncontrollable little beast? The answer is in verses 11 and 12. Salt springs cannot produce fresh water; grapevines can’t bear figs—unless something miraculous happens, unless the One who created them steps in. Our tongues are restless evils, but sometimes, we say the right thing. When this happens, it is a tiny miracle, a reminder that we have Supernatural help dwelling inside us.

Questions:
Have you had a tiny miracle recently, wherein you were able to say the right thing at the right time? Describe.

Why is gossip such a common sin for women? What are some practical ways we can “tame our tongues” and avoid gossip?

In Matthew 15, Jesus says, “What goes into a man's mouth does not make him 'unclean,' but what comes out of his mouth, that is what makes him 'unclean.'” If our unclean talking comes from our unclean hearts, how can we clean them up?

Week 6 - Working Out Your Faith

Read James 2:14-26

“Like rain on a cold window, these thoughts pattered against the hard surface of the incontrovertible truth, which was that he must die. I must die. It must end.”

Reading the words above, one might think they are a modern-day description of Jesus’ thoughts as He approached the end of His life. But one would be incorrect. These are the thoughts of Harry Potter near the end of his own 7-book story. And these few lines neither explain nor spoil the story. Few, if any, people would look at a few lines of a novel and claim to understand the whole story. Yet we do this quite often with Scripture, and today’s verses are probable victims of such reading.

It is easy to read this text as James saying that works are the essence of faith. Our desire for laws, rules, and checklists of how we should act would actually enjoy this call to action. If there is a specific way that a Christian acts, then we can know who the Christians are just by watching. And everyone else can know that we are Christians just by seeing us live out those expected actions. It’s so much easier to have a checklist of required works than to deal with heart change and the unquantifiable idea of a relationship with God.

We have to remember that James is the half-brother of Jesus. Everything James writes is influenced by living with His Savior, by seeing Jesus live out the faith & deeds conundrum in perfection. Being the practical man that he was, James is revealing the bare bones of the vine analogy in John 15. Jesus is the vine in which we, as believers, are to abide. When branches are living healthily with their vine, the branches produce fruit. James breaks down this flowery (pun intended) analogy.

Our belief must inform the way we live. A mental ascent to the story of Jesus will not produce works, just as a branch cut from one tree and glued onto another will not produce fruit. However, if we truly believe the Gospel, we must act out of that. We are compelled by God’s grace! The Word implanted in us will bloom into works that reveal our faith.

James is in no way disputing the truth that Paul sets forth in Ephesians 2:8-9 – “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast.” James is offering a complement. Jesus’ sacrifice alone is the only basis for our justification. And that justification is demonstrated through our actions. Faith and works.

Questions:

1. Do you tend to err more to the side of “I am saved by faith alone, no works are needed” or “My works demonstrate my faith – they are necessary” as you think of your spiritual life?
2. In verse 16, James writes of someone who reacts to a cold, hungry person with the well-wish “Go in peace, be warmed and filled.” In what ways are we guilty of meeting the needs of others in this way rather than allowing our faith to bloom into works?
3. Reflect on the fact that both Abraham, a religious ‘insider,’ and Rahab, an outsider, are said to be considered righteous by their works.

Week 5--Playing Favorites

Read James 2:1-13

When Katie, Michelle and I were discussing this passage, I was assigned the task of finding out what it meant to James’s readers. What we read as a scenario about a rich man and a poor man walking into a church might have meant something entirely different to the original audience.

It is helpful to know that James’s readers were, for the most part, peasants. If you were the eldest son of your family you might have owned a plot of land. All the other siblings would be involved in trade. As the poorest members of society, and as religious outcasts, it would be common for rich people to drag these believers into the secular courts.

So what is James’s sermon on favoritism all about? The two theories that prevail are:
1. This is an illustration about two men walking into a synagogue. Early church Jews hearing this letter from James would have been worshiping in a synagogue. The believers would have catered to the wealthy man because his money would help support their congregation.
2. The passage is a reference to a church court proceeding. Both men are believers; the other church members are to settle their dispute. By seating the wealthy man in the front and making the poor man sit on the floor, the people would have violated Jewish law and, without hearing a word, would have sided with the rich man.

Regardless of how you interpret the illustration, James strongly decries showing favoritism to the wealthy man. He states that favoritism is contrary to the guiding law of Christ’s kingdom, to love your neighbor as yourself (v. 8-9).

While preparing to write this, I’ve been thinking about favoritism and today’s Church. I don’t think we are as likely to make decisions about people based on wealth and poverty as James’s readers were, but we have other categories for people, don’t we? We’re more comfortable with people we perceive as being “just like us.” While I’m not saying friendship and comfort are bad things, I wonder if they ever become an impediment to ministry and if they ever oppose Christ’s command to love our neighbors.

So that we can keep tracking with James and his audience, though, let us consider an instance of outright favoritism. Think of a celebrity whom you really admire. Imagine that person walks into your church on Sunday morning. Through another door comes a family of refugees. It’s time for the greet-your-neighbor part of the service. Whose hand are you going to shake?

I know what I would do. I’d climb over three rows of people to shake hands with Bruce Springsteen. I would promise myself that I’d meet the refugees the next week. And I would go away feeling all right. After all, it’s not like I killed anyone.

James’s readers must have been a lot like me (perhaps all of us?), because after verse 9, he begins to talk about keeping the whole law. If we stumble at one point, for instance by showing preference to the Boss, we are guilty of breaking all of God’s law.

Because we are law-breakers, we are subject to judgment. James tells his readers to let the awareness of this coming judgment shape the way they speak and act. He does not tell them this to scare them into submission, but rather to point them toward freedom.

At the root of favoritism is the question, “What’s in it for me?” If we only see relationships in terms of what they can do for us, we will be mired in the present and judged in the future. On the other hand, if we are really living in Christ’s freedom, there is no need to play favorites. If we are confident in Christ’s acceptance and in His provision, we will be free to reach out to all kinds of people—not just the ones who can give us something in return.

1. I glossed over verses 5-7. Spend a few minutes pondering them, perhaps thinking of some present-day applications of them.

2. What are some categories we use to group people in our “assembly”? How have you seen these labels be detrimental to relationships and ministry?

3. Have you ever been on the wrong end of favoritism—the guy sitting on the ground? Describe the situation.

4. It would be nice to stitch “Mercy triumphs over judgment” on a pillow; doesn’t it sound nice? How would you relate it to the rest of this passage, or to the theme of favoritism in general?

Week 4 - Getting Practical

Read James 1:22-27

Have you ever had that moment when you look in the mirror and wish you could change everything you see? You look a little pale. Your eyes are bloodshot. Your lips are a bit too thin. And your eyebrows are a bit too thick. Is your nose too big for your face? And are your ears uneven? You’re starting to develop wrinkles. Yet you still have acne. This is not what you bargained for at all. And you can’t really fix any of it without outside help – prescriptions, surgeons, professional help. So, it’s easier to just walk away from the mirror and forget what you’ve seen. At least that’s often my reaction to being confronted with things I don’t like, but can’t easily fix.

Is our spiritual life so different? We read that it’s foolish to look into a mirror and forget what we’ve seen. And in the comfort of Bible study, as you read about the foolishness of being exposed to the Word which brings life and walking away to forget what you’ve heard, the truth of that statement is obvious. But what about when the ‘rubber meets the road,’ when you’re confronted with an opportunity to be obedient to Scripture? Just like that outside help needed to fix the physical problems we see in the mirror, we need some outside help. We need Christ. We need to rely on the Holy Spirit who lives within us as believers and who enables us to be “doers of the Word.”

As Scripture takes root in our hearts and begins to bring forth life, we can no longer be confronted with those imperfections without desiring change. We desire to be obedient, to walk in-step with our Savior. We can no longer deceive ourselves that there is nothing wrong. The Word has adequately achieved its purpose – revealing our sin and giving us an opportunity to seek that outside help (i.e. forgiveness and change) from the Lord that we so desperately need.

What does it look like to be a “doer of the Word?” A doer refuses to live in that place of self-deception – denying there is a disconnect between what a follower of Christ should be and what her life currently looks like. A doer works to bridle her tongue (oh, there’s more coming on that as we continue on with James). A doer shows mercy and love to the oppressed, to the “widows and orphans” of her sphere. A doer avoids being stained by the world – she is shaped by Scripture, not by culture.

As we walk with Christ, let us strive to not only hear the Word, but to be doers.

Questions:

*When you look in a mirror, what do you see and wish to change? What about when you look into the spiritual mirror of God’s Word?

*Can you think of other characteristics of a “doer of the Word?”

*Who are the “widows & orphans” in your sphere? What can you do practically to ease their oppression?

Quick to Listen...

19My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to
listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, 20for man's anger does
not bring about the righteous life that God desires. 21Therefore, get
rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly
accept the word planted in you, which can save you. James 1:19-21.

I volunteered for this passage because it has become very evident in
the past few weeks how relevant these verses are in my life. The need
for this truth to be accepted and practiced is great.

A couple weeks ago I walked into my bedroom ready to crash and sleep
for as long as the little man would let me. My husband was standing by
my dresser studying one of the many pictures that desperately need to
be dusted. He picked up the picture, taken eight years ago, of the two
of us sitting on a bench looking every bit as young as we were. I
asked him what he was doing and he paused, looked up at me and said,
“I was just thinking about how weird it is that if I saw the girl in
this picture walking toward me in the mall I wouldn’t know who she
was.”

Now, before I got married, my sister gave me some advice. She said that
James 1:19 was the most important verse for a happy marriage. She told
me to remember that often what we hear and what the other person is
really saying are not the same thing. I don’t often remember this
advice in time, but because of God’s grace at this time, I did. Instead
of ripping his head off and throwing it out the window, I sat down
slowly and looked at him, waiting for him to hear what he had just said,
and hoping there would be some explanation.

He continued by telling me he had been standing there looking at all
the pictures of us, starting as young teenagers in high school and
moving through college, our wedding and then of our new little family
complete with dog and child, and he couldn’t believe what a blessing
it was to have such an amazing history with the person he was going to
spend his life with.

My sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen,
slow to speak, and slow to become angry.

How different his thoughts were from where my mind had jumped when he
first started what he was saying. And I couldn’t help thinking how
much we miss in relationships because it is so easy to be SLOW to
listen and QUICK to speak. It’s a dangerous place to be.

For man’s anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires.

I have been thinking a lot about man’s anger. Where does my anger come
from? Nine times out of ten it is pride. My rights have been disturbed
or I feel misunderstood or overlooked. The point is my anger comes
from the moral filth and sin that is so prevalent in my life. I’m
either fighting my own battles that don’t need to be fought, or I’m

taking up the offenses of others and calling it righteousness.


I’ve taken to asking myself when I feel the anger boiling up inside,
“why am I angry?” There IS such a thing as righteous anger. But so far,
since starting this little exercise in growth, it has always been man’s

anger. The result of giving in to that anger is not life, it is

death.

“He chose to give us birth through the word of truth” The hope here
is that Word he planted in us. It is there, it was planted in us the
day we took our first steps as God’s children. But like a seed that
has to have time to grow, the word does not turn into the mature
finished product it’s going to be overnight. It takes time.

These three little verses have been so convicting to me but freeing at
the same time. Yes there is stuff to clean up in my life, but the Word
has been planted. And as I accept it, as I look to the Lord for the
patience to listen quickly and speak slowly, I will taste the delicious
fruit of all He has created in my life.

Questions:

1. What makes you angry?

2. How do you personally deal with anger? What does it do to your life?

3. How do we go about ridding ourselves of moral filth and the evil that is
so prevalent? Is that something that we are even doing or is God
doing it? Also what does “humbly accepting the word planted in us”
look like?

Week 2--The Journey Continues

Read James 1:1-18

James begins by telling his readers to consider it “pure joy” when they face trials and temptations. For these believers, the trials were not necessarily life-threatening, but they were frustrating. They faced social rejection and boycotts. Having been brought up in traditional, Jewish homes, these new converts to The Way would face rejection in their closest relationships.

I think of those of us who have non-Christian families. Fun occasions like birthdays and Christmas always carry with them the sting of rejection. The people who should know you best don’t know you completely. The people designed to accept and support you question the very ideology that shapes you. The audience of James’s epistle was living in this tension.

Living in this dynamic surely tempted them to become discontented. “Lord, I chose You. I chose this Way, but my circumstances are not good! What are You doing? Where are You?”

Further compounding their suffering was a radical departure from the sacrificial system in which they’d always trusted. In the good old days, if you will, they could see the animal on the altar, a tangible reminder that their fellowship with God was restored. Faith in Christ meant they no longer had this act of atonement and restoration. Their new action was to continually place their trust in Christ’s sacrifice on behalf of their sins. In so doing, James encourages them that their faith will become mature and complete.

For James, the remedy for the world’s trials and temptations is a dose of godly wisdom. Because their trials are ongoing, their prayers for wisdom must be continuous as well. He reminds his readers that, “God…gives generously to all without finding fault…”. In other words, the believer shouldn’t be afraid to repeatedly go to God for wisdom. He will not respond with, “You again? What did you do with the wisdom I gave you last week?!”

We are bent on instant gratification. This is revealed in our prayer lives when, after praying for something and not sensing any response from God, we stop praying for it. In my prayer life, there are very few things for which I pray continually—especially if I am not seeing results on my timetable. After years of praying for my brother and sister-in-law to have children, I am tempted to gloss over praying for them. Surely God knows I want this by now, right? Why keep beating the drum?

Perhaps this is why James’s next admonition is to ask God for wisdom without doubt. The doubt James describes is not doubting that God can fulfill the petitioner’s request, it’s doubting God in general. It speaks of a deeper, internal crisis of faith. After seasons of crying out to God and not seeing the results we had in mind, we can be lured into self-pity. And from this pitiful place we begin to ask the deeper, darker questions, “Is God really God? Can I really trust Him? Is He really there?” (Note that these are the same questions that got us tossed out of Eden!)

Another encouragement James offers his audience: their humble position in this life is actually preparing them for a much higher position in the life to come. It is this faith in eternity that allows James to call their present trials “pure joy”, because they are being refined for the joy to come. In contrast, those who seem to have it all in this life will be humbled when the end comes.

When we take our eyes off eternity and compare ourselves to those around us, it is easy to cry, “the wicked are…always carefree, they increase in wealth. Surely in vain I have kept my heart pure; in vain I have washed my hands in innocence.” (Psalm 73:12-13) We are tempted to doubt God’s control, His goodness, and His particular concern for us.

Knowing this, James exhorts his readers not to give temptation a foothold.

When Shannon and I started a garden at school last year, we did not agree about putting down mulch. She wanted to cover everything with mulch. Always wanting to save money, I persuaded her to simply mulch around the plants and leave much of the soil exposed. When we came back to school after summer vacation, the garden had been completely overrun with weeds. The weeds had grown around the plants we’d planted, making them almost impossible to uproot. Spraying them with weed killer would have killed our good plants along with the weeds.

Temptation is the weed in our life’s garden. If we are not prepared, even vigilant, against resisting it, it will destroy the life around it. Once we let temptation in, it’s really hard to get it out. And, like the weeds in my garden, temptation doesn’t just stay in one place, it grows and spreads, reaching from temptation to desire to sin to death.

In contrast, God, through His word, gives us life. Our lives are designed to bear the best of the harvest, not to be overrun with weeds. James tells his readers they were created to be the firstfruits of God’s creation—a familiar image to his Jewish audience (Deuteronomy 26:9-11).

In this section, James makes it clear that God is the Creator of every good and perfect thing. He is not to blame for our temptations, or for the resulting sins. Sin is already rooted in us and it is our yielding to temptation that allows it to grow.

Like the readers of James’s epistle, we face rejection and disappointment. We, too, have a choice. We can choose to keep our eyes on the world around us, dwell on how much better everyone else has it, and eventually find ourselves in soul-killing despondency, or we can ask God for wisdom, bank on our eternal inheritance, and live fruitful lives.

1. What is the difference between discontent and living with an unmet desire?

2. Is it a sin to be discontent?

3. In what situations are you most inclined to pity yourself? How would godly wisdom make a difference in each of those situations?

4. I used the metaphor of weeds spreading through a garden to describe sin’s infiltration and eventual destruction of our lives. Now, when I see my garden, I’m also reminded of a spiritual principle. Create your own metaphor for James 1:14-15 that will help you remember the pernicious effects of sin.

5. My usual response to the testing of my faith is to doubt God and grab for the reins, not to persevere; but James says the testing of our faith develops perseverance. How do you see this at work in your life?

Week 1 - The Dig Begins

Each Biblical book is written in a specific literary form. The book of James is an epistle, or a letter. Each epistle contains basically the same elements. Knowing this helps us to see the way the book is organized.

Elements of Biblical Epistles

1. name of the writer

2. name of recipients

3. greeting

4. prayer, wish, or thanksgiving

5. body of letter

6. final greetings and farewell

We have to keep in mind that when we are studying an epistle it really is a letter written to a specific group of people. This is why it is important to know who wrote the letter and to whom they were writing. While scripture is God’s living word to all of his people, knowing the original purposes is very helpful in understanding what the letters are really saying. To that end, we now give you “James: The Basics.”

Author

James was written by a guy named James. (surprise, surprise) But just who was this James? He was the brother of Jesus. James lived with Christ during His “Pre-public-ministry” years. There’s definitely some room for sibling rivalry in that relationship – how do you attempt to live up to Jesus? He was a leader in the Jerusalem church. The early church fathers knew James as “old camel knees.” This nickname is an allusion to his great focus on prayer, the ultimate combination of faith and works. Finally, James was executed in 62AD.

Date Written

James was written within about 15 years of the crucifixion. Some sources date the book as early as 42AD, while others believe James was written in the later 40s. Regardless of the specific date, there is consensus that James was written prior to the apostolic council held in Jerusalem in 49AD. The book contains no mention of the council, which would have been important to a leader in the Jerusalem church such as James.

Audience

Jewish Christians were the audience to whom James was writing. These believers had been scattered because of persecution and were most likely part of house churches outside of Palestine. James is writing to encourage these believers to press on in their faith, to live a life transformed by their knowledge of Christ. It appears that conflicts have entered the churches and are leading to some wavering commitment between worldly things and true faith. James writes to combat this conflict.

Literary Features

Because the original audience was Jewish Christians, there is a Jewish style of reasoning evident throughout the book of James. Also, James frequently reflects on the law of Moses, or Torah, throughout his writing.

Though James begins in the style of an epistle, the remainder of the book takes on characteristics of a collection of wisdom sayings. This has caused some commentators to refer to James as “the Proverbs of the New Testament.” The book contains many directives, showing that James is more interested in action than in mere belief. He writes in a way that meant to persuade his readers to actively live in a way worthy of a life-transforming Gospel.

Another really important fact in studying an epistle is beginning by reading the entire letter. Much like finding a place on a globe helps you understand better where it is. Each passage of the letter will make more sense when you know it in the whole of its context. So take a little time to read through the whole letter of James.

Questions:

1. After reading the letter what are your first impressions on themes in James?
2. Why is it significant that Jesus’ brother believed that the Gospel should transform the lives of those who believe?
3. James was known as “old camel knees.” If someone were to give you a nickname based on your spiritual life, what might that name be? What nickname would you desire?

Welcome!

Welcome to the official blog site of Thursday Night Bible Study! Studies and questions for the week will be posted here on Sundays beginning January, 24th!

It might be a good idea to bookmark this site, or add it to your dashboard (for you Google types).

We'll be studying James this spring. The name for this blog and its URL come from James 5:17, "Elijah was a man just like us." What better way to start off a women's Bible study? Enjoy!