by Paul Apple | Dec 31, 2020 | Bible-OT
BIG IDEA: OUR RESPONSE TO GOD’S DISCIPLINE WILL CONFIRM US IN HOLINESS AS WE:- REJOICE (PLEASE) THE LORD- RESPECT THE LORD- REMEMBER THE LORDINTRODUCTION:This passage of detailed instructions about various offerings and sacrifices may seem out of place in the...
by Paul Apple | Dec 22, 2020 | Bible-OT
BIG IDEA: DEVOID OF GODS’ FAVOR, PRESUMPTION RECKLESSLY RUSHES FORWARD TO CERTAIN SPIRITUAL DEFEATINTRODUCTION:When God calls us out for our disobedience, we should never try to fix things on our own. We must follow the divinely prescribed formula of repentance and...
by Paul Apple | Dec 21, 2020 | Bible-OT
BIG IDEA: PERSISTENT COMPLAINING TESTS THE LIMITS OF GOD’S PATIENCE BUT THE APPLICATION OF HIS MERCY AND JUDGMENT PROTECT HIS REPUTATIONINTRODUCTION:God is not someone to be trifled with. Complaining and grumbling are serious offenses. The authority of His appointed...
by Paul Apple | Dec 17, 2020 | Bible-OT
BIG IDEA: DENYING GOD’S ASSURANCE OF VICTORY IN THE FACE OF HIS TRACK RECORD OF FAITHFULNESS DEMONSTRATES A SURPRISING FAILURE OF FAITHINTRODUCTION:Israel is finally positioned to enter the Promised Land and begin to take possession of all that God had promised to...
by Paul Apple | Dec 15, 2020 | Bible-OT
BIG IDEA: LEADERSHIP ENVY (WHICH CHALLENGES GOD’S AUTHORITY) RECEIVES GOD’S DISCIPLINE OF SHAME AND HUMILIATIONINTRODUCTION:The fear of God should give one pause when it comes to challenging His authority by speaking against His divinely appointed spiritual leaders....
by Paul Apple | Dec 14, 2020 | Bible-OT
BIG IDEA: GOD DEALS EFFECTIVELY WITH FRUSTRATION IN LEADERSHIP AND WITH THE SINFUL COMPLAINTS OF THOSE WHO DESPISE HIS GRACIOUS PROVISIONINTRODUCTION:This passage completes the first half of the chapter where various issues and complaints had been raised. Here God...
by Paul Apple | Dec 12, 2020 | Bible-OT
BIG IDEA: CONFIDENCE IN THE SUFFICIENCY OF GOD’S POWER TO MEET NEEDS IS THE ANTIDOTE TO ALL COMPLAINING AND TO FRUSTRATION IN LEADERSHIPINTRODUCTION:Moses certainly had a high degree of certainty regarding God’s call for him to lead the Israelites out of Egypt and to...
by Paul Apple | Dec 10, 2020 | Bible-OT
BIG IDEA: AGAINST THE BACKDROP OF FAITHFUL PROVIDENTIAL CARE, GOD’S PEOPLE RESPOND TO THE PRESSURE OF ADVERSITY WITH GRUMBLING AND COMPLAINING THAT BRING SEVERE DISCIPLINEINTRODUCTION:This more general introduction to the repeated theme of grumbling and complaining...
by Paul Apple | Dec 7, 2020 | Bible-OT
BIG IDEA: DIVINE GUIDANCE DIRECTS THE ISRAELITES TO BREAK CAMP AT SINAI AND BEGIN THEIR JOURNEY TO THE PROMISED LANDINTRODUCTION:Most commentators argue that this passage begins the second major section in the book of Numbers – since they base their outline on the...
by Paul Apple | Dec 7, 2020 | Bible-OT
BIG IDEA: GOD COMMUNICATES HIS FAVORABLE PRESENCE WITH HIS REDEEMED PEOPLE VIA CLEAR SIGNALSINTRODUCTION:The subject of how God guides His people in their wilderness journey continues with this presentation of the use of the silver signal trumpets. God wants Israel to...
by Paul Apple | Dec 4, 2020 | Bible-OT
BIG IDEA: GUIDANCE FOR THE DEPARTURE AND ENCAMPMENT OF THE ISRAELITE TROOPS WAS PROVIDED BY THE CLOUD AND THE FIRE SIGNIFYING THE PRESENCE OF GODINTRODUCTION:Divine Guidance tests our patience and our dependency upon the Lord. As parents we are very familiar with the...
by Paul Apple | Nov 26, 2020 | Bible-OT
BIG IDEA: THE RATIFICATION OF THE COVENANT IS ROOTED IN THE BLOOD OF THE COVENANT AND IS DESIGNED TO MANIFEST THE GLORY OF GOD INTRODUCTION: The structure of this important transitional chapter in the book of Exodus is very intentional. There are two main sections....
by Paul Apple | Nov 23, 2020 | Bible-OT
BIG IDEA: THE DIVINE PROMISE OF GUIDANCE AND VICTORY MOTIVATES OBEDIENCE TO THE BOOK OF THE COVENANT IN LOYAL WORSHIP — DESPITE THE THREAT OF IDOLATRY INTRODUCTION: This is the Epilogue of the Book of the Covenant. It offers compelling motivation to obey the...
by Paul Apple | Nov 21, 2020 | Bible-OT
BIG IDEA: GOD INSTRUCTED ISRAEL TO OBSERVE SABBATH LAWS AND CELEBRATE THREE ANNUAL PILGRIM FEASTS INTRODUCTION: There was a distinct rhythm to the life of the Israelites that the Lord commanded in order to keep their focus on His redemptive work as their sovereign...
by Paul Apple | Nov 19, 2020 | Bible-OT
BIG IDEA: THE BOOK OF THE COVENANT REVEALS HOW OUR VIEW OF GOD MUST IMPACT OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH OTHERS (ESPECIALLY THE VULNERABLE) AND OUR PURSUIT OF JUSTICE AND HOLINESS INTRODUCTION: Our theology must impact how we live out the details of our daily lives. These...
by Paul Apple | Nov 18, 2020 | Bible-OT
BIG IDEA: THE BOOK OF THE COVENANT LAYS DOWN GOD’S LAWS (INCLUDING PRINCIPLES OF PUNISHMENT AND RESTITUTION) DEALING WITH VIOLENCE TO PEOPLE AND ANIMALS AND WITH PROPERTY RIGHTS INTRODUCTION: Studying the civil laws of Israel might seem remote and mundane, but...
by Paul Apple | Nov 16, 2020 | Sports
This game is not worthy of a lot of technical analysis. Let me just make a number of observations that support my summary evaluation = WHAT A MESS!The weather conditions were a MESS! It was fitting that the game ended in the most dismal driving rainstorm you could...
by Paul Apple | Nov 14, 2020 | Bible-OT
BIG IDEA: CERTAIN EGREGIOUS CRIMES ARE WORTHY OF CAPITAL PUNISHMENT INTRODUCTION: Any society which does not punish these types of offenses severely will be undercutting its own survival. The rationale is not so much deterrence as it is the protection of the image of...
by Paul Apple | Nov 12, 2020 | Bible-OT
BIG IDEA: FREEDOM AND PROTECTION AFFORDED TO HEBREW SLAVES (IN STARK CONTRAST TO THE CUSTOMS OF SURROUNDING PAGAN NATIONS) INTRODUCTION: The culture of slavery described in the economic system of the Israelites as they prepared to move into the Promised Land differed...
by Paul Apple | Nov 11, 2020 | Bible-OT
BIG IDEA: OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH THE ONE TRUE GOD REQUIRES APPROACHING HIM AND WORSHIPING HIM ON HIS TERMS INTRODUCTION: This is a transition paragraph that bridges the narrative from the giving of the Ten Commandments to the fuller revelation of the Book of the...
