C.A.C SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON FOR August 12, 2018 : UNIT I: MAN'S LOVE TOWARD GOD.
C.A.C SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON
UNIT I: MAN'S LOVE TOWARD GOD.
August 12, 2018.
LESSON TWO.
COMPARISON BETWEEN BALAAM AND PHINEHAS.
PART II.
12TH August, 2018 | PHINEHAS LOVED GOD'S HOLINESS (25:1-13)
(International Youth Day).
God always has witnesses in every generation. Priest Phinehas was one of such in his own generation, as the Israelites journeyed in the wilderness to Canaan, after the exodus, and were close to the Promised Land. True love for God would make take the riskiest risk for Him.
A. REAL LOVE MOTIVATED HIM (vv. 1-9)
Now when Phinehas the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, saw it, he rose from among the congregation and took a javelin in his hand (v. 7).
i. 25:1-3: God's errant, stiff-necked people had fallen for the temptation that was Balaam's brainchild. Obviously, they didn't love God for what He is. They were only following for what they could get from Him. No wonder they easily committed harlotry and idolatry with God's enemies. Your love for God can't be hidden (Jn. 15:14).
ii. vv. 3-5: This so provoked God's anger, bringing destruction on His people.
iii. v. 6: Most disgusting was how Zimri (v. 14) took in the Midianitess, Cozbi (v. 15) in the full glare of Moses and the people who were still weeping for their sins and woes.
iv. According to some commentators, Cozbi may have been a priestess of Báálì, and it is likely they performed their harlotry in the sight of all the congregation, at the door of the tabernacle.
v. vv. 7,8: Of course, no one carrying the holy zeal of God against unholiness would have been comfortable with such u godly effrontery. And since they were in a holy war, the offenders had to be wiped out to dowse God's wrath.
vi. vv. 7-9: No one was zealous and courageous enough to do this, except Priest Phinehas, the son of Eleazar (Exo. 6:25). His love for God and His holiness motivated him to do the needful, and that put an end to the plague (cf. vv. 10,11).
vii. The type of love that motivated Phinehas is that intense feeling of tender affection for God. The strong liking for, or pleasure gained from doing what pleases God, seeing it as something that elicits deep interest and enthusiasm in one. It was so consuming in Phinehas that he damned the consequences to pin down the erring Israelite on that fateful day. How far can your love for God push you?
B. REWARD BY THE LORD (vv. 12-13)
Therefore say, 'Behold, I give to him My covenant of peace; and it shall be to him and his descendants after him a covenant of an everlasting priesthood, because he was zealous for his God, and made atonement for the children of Israel.' (vv. 12-13)
i. vv. 10,11: God doesn't overlook such wholeheartedly display of love for Him in such risky and dicey situations. He openly acknowledged and commended Phinehas' zeal for Him. The Hebrew word rendered zealous can also be translated as jealous.
ii. v. 12: Because Phinehas did not want the Israelites' camp to be defiled with immortality connected with Baal worship. God honoured him with His own covenant of peace. There is everlasting peace for those who choose not to hide their love for God, no matter the cost (Mk. 8:38).
iii. v. 13: God rewarded him with a covenant of an everlasting priesthood. Judges 20:27,28 attests to the fact that Phinehas was blessed to continue in the priesthood.
iv. More still, his holy zeal fuelled by love for God was accounted to him for righteousness to all generations forevermore (Psa. 106:31).
v. Phinehas ' love for Yahweh and His holiness paid off, unlike Balaam who chose to help God's enemies against Him, only to end up in destruction.
vi. He who loves God passionately cannot but be greatly rewarded for such passion. God is not an usurper. Don't stop loving Him.
LESSON DERIVED
1. Those who truly love God would be ever ready to stand for His holy standards, regardless of the cost and risks involved.
2. God is not an usurper; He rewards labours of love, accordingly.
QUESTIONS
1. Do we need to kill the deviants in the Church of Christ today?
2. Loving God even in risky situations is in our own interest. Discuss.
SUGGESTED ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS
ANSWER TO QUESTION 1:
i. We do not need to kill the deviants in the Church of Christ today?
ii. Christ has given us a better law of love than the 'eye for eye' commandment. He even commands us to love our enemies.
iii. The deviants in the Church are not to be killed. They are to be prayed for, until they come to the realization of the fact of their waywardness and repent of the foolishness.
iv. However, the erring ones can be disciplined in line with God's love, like He disciplines His loved children (Heb. 12:1ff).
v. In fact, the seriously erring ones can be suspended or excommunicated as the case may be, in line with God's holy Word.
vi. But, Christ has not given us the command to kill anybody. The killing that Phinehas did was in line with the war trend of the Old Testament. Jesus refused to call down fire like Elijah did.
ANSWER TO QUESTION 2:
i. Yes, of course.
ii. When we love God, we do it in our own interests.
iii. Loving God in risky situations might seem as if we are putting ourselves in unnecessary tight corners, but at the end of the day, we would discover that we have only helped ourselves to become God's best.
iv. When Daniel refused to stop praying to Yahweh in the face of being fed to the lions, it sounded stupid. In the end, the whole nation acknowledged the lordship of his God.
v. He who stands for Christ even in the riskiest of situations, cannot be left alone in the end. God would surely glorify Himself in, and through him, and we know what that means to the account of the one who stands for Him.
LIFE APPLICATION
The civil service and other sectors of the economy, including the church, are filled with corruption and corrupt practices. It is increasingly becoming difficult to stand for God's holy standards without being termed 'old-school,' stupid or old-fashioned. It takes the likes of Daniel to show their love for God in such situations. In fact, some bosses want their subordinates to conspire with them to destroy others, like Bálákì wanted Balaam to do for him. We need those who won't follow the error of Balaam. We need the likes of Phinehas who would stand to correct the wrongs around them, even where they look like lone-rangers on the path of righteousness. May God help us to stand for Him. Amen .
Click to read previous CAC Sunday School Manuals here
CONCLUSION
Comparing Balaam and Phinehas is what we have just finished doi g in this lesson. These two Bible characters are diametrically opposed to each other. Balaam is a negative role model whole Phinehas is positive. While Balaam chose to jettison God and His people for the ungodly gains of Balak, Phinehas chose to stand out in the crowd to do the right thing to save the situation, in line with God's holy expectation. We have two different examples. This lesson is out to help us to choose the path of Phinehas. May we not enter into Balaam's error. Amen.
C.A.C SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON
UNIT I: MAN'S LOVE TOWARD GOD.
August 12, 2018.
LESSON TWO.
COMPARISON BETWEEN BALAAM AND PHINEHAS.
PART II.
12TH August, 2018 | PHINEHAS LOVED GOD'S HOLINESS (25:1-13)
(International Youth Day).
God always has witnesses in every generation. Priest Phinehas was one of such in his own generation, as the Israelites journeyed in the wilderness to Canaan, after the exodus, and were close to the Promised Land. True love for God would make take the riskiest risk for Him.
A. REAL LOVE MOTIVATED HIM (vv. 1-9)
Now when Phinehas the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, saw it, he rose from among the congregation and took a javelin in his hand (v. 7).
i. 25:1-3: God's errant, stiff-necked people had fallen for the temptation that was Balaam's brainchild. Obviously, they didn't love God for what He is. They were only following for what they could get from Him. No wonder they easily committed harlotry and idolatry with God's enemies. Your love for God can't be hidden (Jn. 15:14).
ii. vv. 3-5: This so provoked God's anger, bringing destruction on His people.
iii. v. 6: Most disgusting was how Zimri (v. 14) took in the Midianitess, Cozbi (v. 15) in the full glare of Moses and the people who were still weeping for their sins and woes.
iv. According to some commentators, Cozbi may have been a priestess of Báálì, and it is likely they performed their harlotry in the sight of all the congregation, at the door of the tabernacle.
v. vv. 7,8: Of course, no one carrying the holy zeal of God against unholiness would have been comfortable with such u godly effrontery. And since they were in a holy war, the offenders had to be wiped out to dowse God's wrath.
vi. vv. 7-9: No one was zealous and courageous enough to do this, except Priest Phinehas, the son of Eleazar (Exo. 6:25). His love for God and His holiness motivated him to do the needful, and that put an end to the plague (cf. vv. 10,11).
vii. The type of love that motivated Phinehas is that intense feeling of tender affection for God. The strong liking for, or pleasure gained from doing what pleases God, seeing it as something that elicits deep interest and enthusiasm in one. It was so consuming in Phinehas that he damned the consequences to pin down the erring Israelite on that fateful day. How far can your love for God push you?
B. REWARD BY THE LORD (vv. 12-13)
Therefore say, 'Behold, I give to him My covenant of peace; and it shall be to him and his descendants after him a covenant of an everlasting priesthood, because he was zealous for his God, and made atonement for the children of Israel.' (vv. 12-13)
i. vv. 10,11: God doesn't overlook such wholeheartedly display of love for Him in such risky and dicey situations. He openly acknowledged and commended Phinehas' zeal for Him. The Hebrew word rendered zealous can also be translated as jealous.
ii. v. 12: Because Phinehas did not want the Israelites' camp to be defiled with immortality connected with Baal worship. God honoured him with His own covenant of peace. There is everlasting peace for those who choose not to hide their love for God, no matter the cost (Mk. 8:38).
iii. v. 13: God rewarded him with a covenant of an everlasting priesthood. Judges 20:27,28 attests to the fact that Phinehas was blessed to continue in the priesthood.
iv. More still, his holy zeal fuelled by love for God was accounted to him for righteousness to all generations forevermore (Psa. 106:31).
v. Phinehas ' love for Yahweh and His holiness paid off, unlike Balaam who chose to help God's enemies against Him, only to end up in destruction.
vi. He who loves God passionately cannot but be greatly rewarded for such passion. God is not an usurper. Don't stop loving Him.
LESSON DERIVED
1. Those who truly love God would be ever ready to stand for His holy standards, regardless of the cost and risks involved.
2. God is not an usurper; He rewards labours of love, accordingly.
QUESTIONS
1. Do we need to kill the deviants in the Church of Christ today?
2. Loving God even in risky situations is in our own interest. Discuss.
SUGGESTED ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS
ANSWER TO QUESTION 1:
i. We do not need to kill the deviants in the Church of Christ today?
ii. Christ has given us a better law of love than the 'eye for eye' commandment. He even commands us to love our enemies.
iii. The deviants in the Church are not to be killed. They are to be prayed for, until they come to the realization of the fact of their waywardness and repent of the foolishness.
iv. However, the erring ones can be disciplined in line with God's love, like He disciplines His loved children (Heb. 12:1ff).
v. In fact, the seriously erring ones can be suspended or excommunicated as the case may be, in line with God's holy Word.
vi. But, Christ has not given us the command to kill anybody. The killing that Phinehas did was in line with the war trend of the Old Testament. Jesus refused to call down fire like Elijah did.
ANSWER TO QUESTION 2:
i. Yes, of course.
ii. When we love God, we do it in our own interests.
iii. Loving God in risky situations might seem as if we are putting ourselves in unnecessary tight corners, but at the end of the day, we would discover that we have only helped ourselves to become God's best.
iv. When Daniel refused to stop praying to Yahweh in the face of being fed to the lions, it sounded stupid. In the end, the whole nation acknowledged the lordship of his God.
v. He who stands for Christ even in the riskiest of situations, cannot be left alone in the end. God would surely glorify Himself in, and through him, and we know what that means to the account of the one who stands for Him.
LIFE APPLICATION
The civil service and other sectors of the economy, including the church, are filled with corruption and corrupt practices. It is increasingly becoming difficult to stand for God's holy standards without being termed 'old-school,' stupid or old-fashioned. It takes the likes of Daniel to show their love for God in such situations. In fact, some bosses want their subordinates to conspire with them to destroy others, like Bálákì wanted Balaam to do for him. We need those who won't follow the error of Balaam. We need the likes of Phinehas who would stand to correct the wrongs around them, even where they look like lone-rangers on the path of righteousness. May God help us to stand for Him. Amen .
Click to read previous CAC Sunday School Manuals here
CONCLUSION
Comparing Balaam and Phinehas is what we have just finished doi g in this lesson. These two Bible characters are diametrically opposed to each other. Balaam is a negative role model whole Phinehas is positive. While Balaam chose to jettison God and His people for the ungodly gains of Balak, Phinehas chose to stand out in the crowd to do the right thing to save the situation, in line with God's holy expectation. We have two different examples. This lesson is out to help us to choose the path of Phinehas. May we not enter into Balaam's error. Amen.
C.A.C SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON FOR August 12, 2018 : UNIT I: MAN'S LOVE TOWARD GOD.
Reviewed by Muyiwa Abodunrin (Muyilight)
on
August 12, 2018
Rating:
Reviewed by Muyiwa Abodunrin (Muyilight)
on
August 12, 2018
Rating:
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