Lesson 11: Relationship to Three Covenants

The end has come! We made it through our study of covenant! This last lesson was an important one in bringing the whole study together. Rebecca did a fantastic job connecting all the dots and wrapping everything up. A special thanks goes out to the teachers, small group leaders, and goodie bringers for this past semester. I hope it was a heart-changing study and something you'll continue to look back upon as you continue in your study of Scripture. If you don't know, we'll be doing Esther starting next year (2013?? already?) so be looking for more information!

This was the diagram that we made contrasting all 3 covenants. NOTE THAT ALL OF THE COVENANTS pointed to the fact that we ARE SAVED BY FAITH! 

2 Corinthians 3:1-18

-Spirit and Law (Old and New Covenants) contrasted

- Old Covenant called Ministry of Death and Ministry of Condemnation

-New Covenant called Ministry of Spirit and Ministry of Righteousness

-Old Covenant was written on tablets of stone and New Covenant written on hearts of flesh.

Exodus 34:29-35

-Moses went to get the law and his face shone when he returned from being in the glory of God

-He spoke to the people while he was still "shining" and then put on a veil. 

-He takes it off in the presence of God

-Why did he put the veil on? To hide the fading glory; the glory of the Old Covenant faded because it wasn't everlasting. With the New Covenant, we can always be "shining" because we are always in the presence of God.

Galatians 3:1-29

-Galatians was written in response to Judaizers' teaching that it was salvation by faith plus perfection by law.

-Paul calls Galatians foolish because for believing false teaching after receiving the Spirit. He tells them, essentially, to use their testimony and we can do the same thing when faced with false teachings (3:1-5)

-Paul brings up the Abrahamic Covenant and reminds them that Abraham was saved by faith (alone!) in Genesis 15:6. (Remember that faith is defined by a firm conviction that brings about surrender). (3:6-9)

-He reminds them that the Old Covenant brought conditions that NO ONE could keep. Christ freed us from the Old Covenant by becoming the curse and redeemed us (bought us back) by His blood.

-Then Paul uses an example in every day life. You don't just change covenantal agreements! (3:15-18)

-Paul then explains why the law was given in verses 19-25. The law was given to give us a knowledge of sin and tell us that we are under its bondage. (Note there is a difference between knowing there is sin and realizing you are a slave to it.) The law also gave protection (the Jews received the law before entering into the Promised Land and God wanted them set apart as a people). Finally, the law teaches and guides.

-Finally, we see that the New covenant is written on our hearts, that we have the Holy Spirit, that our sin is forgiven and forgotten, that we can be in God's presence, that we are united as a body, and that we are heirs to the eternal inheritance.

The last thing we did was look at Galatians 4 and the follow chart:

And that's all folks! Hope you and your family have a Happy Thanksgiving and a Merry Christmas! We'll see you in January!

Lesson 10: The Mediator

This week in our discussion, we compared the Old Covenant (or The Law) with the New Covenant (Salvation).

• The Old Covenant had regulations and an earthly sanctuary (Heb. 9:1), but the New Covenant has a heavenly sanctuary (Heb. 9:11)
• The Old Covenant required "continual" work on the part of the priests (Heb. 9:6), but the New Covenant was finished "once for all." (Heb. 10:12)
• In the Old Covenant, the priest entered the presence of God with fear and trembling and only did so once a year for atonement of sins of ignorance (Heb. 9:7). Under the New Covenant, we are constantly in the presence of God, can be so with confidence, and are forgiven of our sins because Christ is our Mediator and High Priest. (Heb. 9:11)
• The Old Covenant cannot cover our conscience- it only worked on the outside (Heb. 9:9), but the New Covenant changed our heart and our insides (see last week's review!)
• The Old Covenant required the blood of animals (Heb. 9:12), but the New Covenant required Christ's blood (Heb. 9:12)

In our small groups, we went over the following handout:

Lesson 9 :: The New Covenant

To begin our lesson this morning, we listened to the song Without You performed by Shane and Shane.



We reviewed last week's lesson over what the Tabernacle was and what each thing stood for. See last week's post for a review (again, thanks to Kathy Drake for taking awesome notes in my absence.)

Next, we went back through the timeline.

• Abrahamic Covenant (Gen. 12, 15, 17, 21)
• Abraham is promised descendants, land and to be a blessing (through Christ)
• This covenant is everlasting
• Also note Abram's name change to Abraham and that they're in Canaan
• The covenant was confirmed to Isaac in Gen. 26 
• The covenant was confirmed to Jacob in Gen. 28 and his name changed to Israel in Gen. 32
• 430 years goes by and the Israelites are multiplying (around 2 million), the famine sets in and Joseph goes to Egypt and is forgotten by the new Pharaoh.
• We move into Exodus- enter Moses and Mt. Sinai and The Old Covenant
• The law was set out to give boundaries to stay in covenant
• This covenant had an if/then clause
• Obedience bring blessing (life)
• Disobedience brings curse (death)
• The people agree to obey
• They are disobedient and there is 40 years of wandering so a generation dies
• The Second Law (Given because there was a new generation coming up)
• Deuteronomy 28: 58-68
• Disobedience brought scattering, enslavement, despair and no land.
• Deuteronomy 29
• Blessings from obedience are that God will lead them, that they'll have life.
• Deuteronomy 30: 6
• Do we wear a sign that we are saved? Foreshadowing of New Covenant sign that is the circumcision of the heart. (More on that later!)
• The people agree to obey. Note that this covenant was not everlasting. Christ was promised in the Abrahamic covenant (remember it's everlasting) and the Old Covenant shows us why we need Christ (but it is not everlasting).
• A cycle sets in of obedience, disobedience, crying out to God, obedience, etc. etc. etc. Then, when Solomon takes kingship, the nation is opened up to idol worship through his many wives. 
• The kingdom splits into Kingdom of Israel (10 tribes) and Kingdom of Judah (2 tribes) in 722 BC. Israel goes into captivity and we are going to be focusing on Ezekiel and Jeremiah's prophecy in Judah around 586 BC.

Now we move into the Promises of the New Covenant in Jeremiah 31:31-40, 32:37-44

• There is going to be a New Covenant for Israel/Judah
• The law will be written on their hearts and in their minds
• "I will be their God and they will be my people" (repeated twice)
• Forgiveness and forgetting of sin (Something the Old Covenant did, but only for a time until the next sacrifice)
• We can know God (and not rely on teaching of priests)
• The covenant is everlasting
• They'll return to the land and have safety
• They'll be united in heart and way
• Fear of God given for their own good and the good of their children (the "good" fear)

Next, we move onto Ezekiel 11:13-21 during the fruition of the consequences they were promised to the suffer.

• Ezekiel asks "Will Israel come to a complete end?"
• God says they'll get a new heart of flesh to replace their heart of stone and give them a new spirit so they'll be obedient to His statutes so they can be His people.
• This heart of flesh gives us the opportunity to obey God out of love for God, not just because we're fulfilling a law to Him. 
• A demonstration: Anne dropped a rock in a jar of water. Nothing changes about the rock and nothing penetrates it. Next, the heart of flesh (a sponge) was dropped it. The water (Word) changes the heart- it softens it, it absorbs the water and is changed inside and out because of it.

Finally, we move into the New Testament. The Gospel came first for the Jews, who did not accept it. The Great Commission sends the Gospel to the ends of the earth (to include Gentiles). 

And now the question: can you walk a sinless life? Am I motivated to not grieve the heart of God?

So, can we lead a sinless life? A few things to ponder on this issue:

• "Be holy, as I am holy." We have the Holy Spirit that enables us to be convicted of sin. We have the power that raised Christ from the dead. 
• David was a "man after God's heart," yet he was an adulterer and murderer. However, for a small slice of time, his heart was completely God's.
• The term "christian" means little Christ.
• God has given us the power to do it, but we don't tap into the power all the time, and based on the promise of the new heart and the Spirit, we can do it.
• Go back to the robe exchanging- we have Christ's identity on us.
• How is the power of God's Word changing your life?

Please feel free to share your thoughts in the comments section!!

Lesson 8: The Abrahamic and Old Covenants

These 2 covenants plus the New Covenant all link salvation and demonstrate Scripture as a progressive revelation.

The Abrahamic Covenant

• Genesis 12: Promise to Abraham
• Abraham was 75 and was promised the Land of Canaan and Descendants (seed) which is Christ (Galatians 3:16)
• Genesis 15: Covenant is Cut
• Abraham surrenders (Genesis 15:6) by "believing"
• Covenant is cut AFTER he believed
• We enter into covenant with God through Christ when we surrender/believe.
• Genesis 17: Promise Reaffirmed
• Abraham is 99 years old
• Isaac will be the son of promise, not Ishmael
• Circumcision was the sign of remembrance
• Name change from Abram to Abraham

The Old Covenant (Law)

• Exodus 6: God's Covenant Name
• Revealed "Lord" "Yahweh"
• Exodus 19: Mount Sinai
• Arrive at Mt. Sinai after 3 months
• Moses is the mediator
• if/then obedience
• the people agree

Timeline

• Genesis 17: Name change from Abram to Abraham
• Genesis 26: Covenant Confirmed with Isaac
• Genesis 28: "Jacob's Ladder"
• Genesis 32: Name change from Jacob (deceiver) to Israel (one who strives with God)
• Famine
• Genesis 46:27: 70 people went into Egypt and 2 million came out 400 years later
• Exodus 6:1-8: Moses hears the Covenant name of God "Lord/Yahweh"
• Exodus 20-23: Law Given
• Exodus 24: Covenant confirmed by blood
• Exodus 25: Tabernacle built

Please reference the Tabernacle Handout in your Appendix for the next part or see one here. (Scroll down about halfway)

How the Tabernacle Represents Christ

1. John 14:6, Matthew 7:13-14 Jesus is the gate (anyone can come)
2. John 1:29 Jesus is the Lamb of God (Jesus is the sacrifice on the altar)
3. Ephesians 5:25-27, Hebrews 10:22 Jesus is the cleansing (laver)
4. John 10:1-5,7 Jesus is the door to God
5. John 1:9, John 8:12 Jesus is the lamp (true light, light of the world)
6. John 6:35, 49-50, Revelation 3:20 Jesus is the bread of life (the bread of presence)
7. Psalm 141:2, Isaiah 56:7, Revelation 8:3-4, Romans 8:34 Jesus is the Sweet Aroma/Incense (prayers are sweet aroma)
8. - 10. Hebrews 10:19-22 Jesus' flesh is the curtain (our priest)

Special thanks to THE Kathy Drake for taking notes in my absence!

Lesson 7: Extended to Descendants

Y'all! We only have 4 more meetings left. It's gone by so quickly and has been such a blessing to me- I hope it's been for you, too!

Yesterday (or two days ago!) we looked at how the covenant was extended to descendants. First, lets took at Abraham:

1. In Genesis 12, we see that God initiates a covenant with Abraham when he is 75 years old. In Genesis 17, we see the extension to the descendants. 
2. We know that the covenant cut was cut close to where the seed/paternity was so that the covenant can include women and descendants. Now, Abraham tried to take things into his own hands ("use Ishmael as my descendent!") later on in chapter 17. We know that the son through which God is going to use is Isaac.
3. In Genesis 22, God tests Abraham by calling him to sacrifice his only son, whom he loved. God is asking Abraham, "Who do you love more?" Abraham is obedient (immediately, even) and shows God that he is devoted to Him and His Plan. What a great contrast to earlier when Abraham was trying to take things into his own hands- now, he is completely resting in God's hand. In covenant, you don't withhold anything, not even what you love most.

Next, we looked at Jonathan:

1.  In 1 Samuel 18, we studied the covenant ceremony between David and Jonathan. 
2. Jonathan is almost immediately tested between choosing his father over his covenant partner (19:2) "Who do you choose?" is what God is asking Jonathan. 
3. We also see that Saul, in 1 Samuel 24, realizes that David is anointed as the next king! What a huge surrender that must have been for him. God was asking, "What do you choose? Your ambitions?"
4. In 1 Samuel 20, we see the covenant extended to descendants. 

Finally, we looked at David:

1. In 1 Samuel 26, David is tested: "Who will you listen to? God or others?"

The next thing we looked at was the term "lovingkindness." We now know that this is a covenant term.  The Hebrew word for this term is "chesed/hesed." It means strength, steadfastness and love demonstrated by actions and not just words. Rebecca gave us this example: obligation calls for you to send your kids to bed on time; lovingkindness makes sure the covers are tucked in just right, that a bedtime story is read, prayers are said and "goodnight" hugs and kisses are given. It's all about going the extra mile. We will see that David does that.

The last thing we looked at was 2 Samuel 9 and the story of Mephibosheth. Mephibosheth is the son of Jonathan, who is lame in both feet. David seeks him out for the sake of the covenant he had made with Jonathan and restored to Mephibosheth the possessions of his grandfather, Saul, and given a seat at David's table as a son.

The application for us?

We are sought after for the sake of Christ, motivated by that lovingkindness, that hesed. All Mephibosheth had to do was accept it, and that's all we have to do, too: accept it in humility, and then we become sons, and as sons, become heirs to the throne.

We were given a handout in our discussion groups that summarizes well everything this pearl of a passage has to offer. Here is the link to that handout. Just scroll all the way to the bottom. (But reading all of it wouldn't hurt, either!) 

Looking forward to this week of homework and next weeks meeting!

Lesson 6: The Oneness of Covenant

This week, we got to see an example of a covenant ceremony. I videoed the Tuesday Morning "performance" with my iPhone (so please excuse the poor quality) but at least you can see and hear what Anne is saying as you watch the example of what entering into covenant looked like.



If you are having trouble viewing the video, click here.

We started off our time together with a review (as always!) of what we've learned so far. First, there was the exchanging of robes (which stood for the exchanging of identities). Secondly, there was the exchanging of weapons and belts (which stood for protection and strength). Thirdly, there was the walk into death (or the walk through the pieces) which symbolized dying to self and independence. The lesson picked up here, with the covenant cut.

In Leviticus 17:14a, we see that blood equals life. This is also true in our culture today. Just look at any Blood Drive campaign, and you'll see that they advertise that by giving blood, you are giving life to someone else. In the covenant cut, there was a commingling of blood, either through a cut that was then touched with the other man's cut or by drinking from a common cup. The reason the commingling of the blood is so important is because once something is in your blood, it literally infiltrates every part of your body. This testifies to both the seriousness and importance of covenant. We see this in the New Covenant in Jesus. Jesus was pierced and still has the covenant cuts on His resurrected body.

In Isaiah 49:14-16, we read:
      14But Zion said, "The LORD has forsaken me,

And the Lord has forgotten me."

15"Can a woman forget her nursing child

And have no compassion on the son of her womb?

Even these may forget, but I will not forget you.

16"Behold, I have inscribed you on the palms of My hands;

     Your walls are continually before Me.
Isn't that amazing? Anyone who has ever been pregnant knows that you can't forget your pregnant; it is constantly on the forefront of your mind. The same is true with nursing a baby. That intimacy, that relationship is used here to demonstrate how Christ remembers us.

In John 6:47-55, we see that we commingle blood with Christ through salvation and our mark is our obedience. We are now in covenant with Jesus Christ, and are therefore co-heirs, and unified, almost tucked up inside the Trinity because of it (see John 17:21-23).

The next thing that happened in a covenant ceremony was the sharing of names. On page 64 in the PUP study, we see this example played out in God's covenant with Abraham. "Some scholars believe that the change in Abram's and Sarai's names to Abraham and Sarah occurred because God took the "he" (pronounced hay) out of His sacred name, YHWH or Yahweh, and put it into their names. Notice the change Abraham and Sarah!" After that, we see that God took on Abraham's name as well; he was now referred at times as "the God of Abraham." How do we take on Christ's name in the New Covenant? Through being called a "christian" which literally means "little Christ." (See also Rev. 2:17) Did you know that "friend" is a covenant term? John 15:14 says we are called friends of Jesus if we do what He commands us to do. This requires abiding that we see talked about in John 15. Knowing that we are considered friends of God is not a relationship that is to be abused, but that should cause us to worship. Anne gave a great example: if she were to say "I'm friends with Beth Moore" we would think of her as friends with someone famous and even prideful in boasting about it. But, if Beth Moore from stage says "Anne is one of my dear, dear friends," that carries much more clout. It's the same way with God, no? It's not that we're so awesome that we are considered worthy of being His friend, it's that He comes down and entered into covenant with us, the lesser party, and calls us Friend.

We also know that possessions were listed out to each of the covenant partners because everything was now co-owned, essentially. We receive heavenly and spiritual blessings from Christ and are to hold our hands open with those blessings as they all belong to Him anyways, no "buts."

Next, we see that the share a meal, which meant that they were literally eating each other's flesh. Sounds gross, but it's what it meant (again, this is serious stuff!). The Lord's Supper is the New Covenant meal.

The last thing is that a memorial was set up. We partake of communion to remember the New Covenant. We received a handout in class of that I've attached here that show other ways covenants were remembered. Read Deuteronomy 6:4-9. You can click on the picture to make it bigger!

Lesson 5 :: Covenant: A Walk into Death

Ya'll! We're almost halfway done...continue on in the homework each week and in coming to our time together! When both of these things are combined, amazing things happen!

We went back to Genesis 15 to start the lesson. Before we dig in, we need to get some context:

• In Genesis 12, Abram was promised descendants at 75 years of age. 
• Isaac doesn't come until Abraham is 99 years old
• Ishmael has not been born yet, either.

Abram comes to God and says "You've given me no heir, so I guess Eliezer is my heir." (15:1-3) God responds with "No!" and reiterates His promise to Abram. (15:1-5) And then we read verse 6: "Then he believed in the Lord; and He reckoned it to him as righteousness." Then God cut covenant with Abram.

This word BELIEVE: it means an unqualified (without condition!) committal of oneself to another. It is not a statement of just knowing in your mind; it goes back to our root words we studied last week. Belief and faith were a firm conviction that resulted in complete surrender. God goes all in for us and we go all in for Him- it's a complete surrender of our wills. The concept of believing is the same here in the OT as it is in the NT. Turn to Galatians 3:6-9.

For some more context, the Galatians were saying that you had to be Jew first to be saved (essentially, they were adding to the requirements of being saved) and Paul was refuting that. He says "Abraham was righteous because HE BELIEVED and we are called to do the same. (3:6-7) It goes on to say that the Gospel was preached to Abraham. Wait, the GOSPEL was preached in the OLD TESTAMENT? YES! Abraham was looking forward to the promise of a Messiah. We look back at the finished work- but we all do the same thing: we all believe! And not just the kind of believe that means we know or agree with. No, it has to be the "complete surrendering" type of belief.

Going back to Genesis 15, we see in verse 13 that God passes through the pieces and binds him to himself to keep the covenant. And because of that, we can KNOW FOR CERTAIN that God will keep His covenant promises to us. What a peaceful place to be...

So, how do we walk through the pieces?

We looked at John 1:29 where Jesus is called the Lamb of God. We also looked at 1 Corinthians 5:7 where Jesus is called the Passover Lamb. When Christ was crucified, His body was broken, His flesh was torn. Because of this, we can walk through Christ (see John 14:6) into a state of righteousness. And, when Christ was crucified, the veil was torn; this thick veil that guarded the Holy of Holies, that only the High Priest was allowed to enter into after he had gotten things right before God, that if the High Priest hadn't atoned for all of his sins would die walking into the Holy of Holies and be pulled out by the rope tied around him and that now is revealed for us- the presence of God made accessible to us.  See also Hebrews 10:19-20.

Anne left us with a section from the PUP study: "When do we symbolically walk through the pieces into covenant? When we believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, committing ourselves totally to Him. There He hangs; Jesus, the Passover Lamb, in the veil of His flesh- God's covenant sacrifice! The way to God! Do you see Him? Do you believe? Are you ready to enter into covenant? O Beloved, do you realize it is a solemn, binding agreement; one that is to be honored? Are you willing to die to your independent way of life? Are you willing to put on Jesus' robe, to become like Him? Will you give Him your strength-live for Him? Will you stand against His enemies? Are you willing to lose your life for His sake and the gospel? That is what covenant is all about. That and more as we shall see."

Lesson Four: How Serious is Covenant?

At the beginning of our time together, we reviewed everything that we've learned about covenant.

• karath beriyth means to cut covenant by going through two pieces of flesh
• The exchanging of robes symbolized the exchanging of identities and dying to self
• The exchanging of weapons symbolized the protection that can be found under the umbrella of covenant. Also, we're to take a stand against the enemies of our covenant partner (so, taking a stand against the Satan and the world).
• The exchanging of belts symbolized strength

Then, we went through each of the Scriptures we looked at over the past week. Note that I didn't include page numbers as I am going from the PUP study and don't have the in and out study to reference. If you have any questions you can email us or just leave a comment!

Genesis 15:9-10 God initiates a covenant with Abram and animals died and were split in two for the purposes of covenant. So, how serious is God about covenant? When death of God's creation involved, it's serious. 

Genesis 15:17-18 God is binding himself to the covenant. Essentially, he is saying because he loves Abram (and consequently us) so much he'll do almost everything; all He asks for is obedience. So, how serious is God about covenant? He calls us to obedience and binds the covenant to Himself.

Genesis 17:9-14 Abraham was circumcised. So, how serious is God about covenant? He required the men have a physical cut close to where the seed was to remind them of the covenantal promises that were made.

Exodus 4:24-26 If a man was not circumcised, you were cut off from the protection and blessing of the covenant. So, how serious is God about covenant? Again, he is requiring obedience. Disobedience gets you cut off from the people and that's serious.

1 Samuel 20:12-17 We see lovingkindness mentioned as part of the discussion for covenant. If the covenant was broken, Jonathan said "God, kill me!" That's a pretty serious commitment. David is promised protection and promises kindness to Jonathan and his family. Each was prepared to die. So, how serious is God about covenant? He requires you to die to self.

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Exodus 24:3-9 God's presence is on the mountain and they say "we'll obey whatever you ask us to do, God!" The blood is split between the basins and the people. Remember, there are millions of people; that's a lot of blood. So, how serious is God about covenant? There was a lot of blood and death involved; that's serious.

Deuteronomy 30:15-19 The first generation had not been obedient and they were judged (and die) because of it. This seems harsh, BUT GOD IS SERIOUS ABOUT COVENANT. He told them when they entered into it that they were to choose life (by way of obedience) or choose death (through disobedience). 

What propels God to enter into covenant with us? His love for us and all He asks is that we obey. The same principle is found in the Old Testament (Old Covenant) and New Testament (New Covenant): love and obey! God's promises regarding breaking the covenant are as binding as his promises for keeping it.

The last thing we looked at was a word study on the words "belief" and "faith."

• We learned they come from the same root word (belief = pisteuo (a verb) and faith = pistes (a noun))
• The idea here is that "a firm conviction that results in a personal surrendering of our life/will" is what true faith/belief is.
• The conduct inspired by a personal surrender is action required
• Dead faith is belief without action. Understand that this isn't saying works are necessary for salvation; it is saying that obedience is a part of the covenantal requirements and if there is no obedience, there is no being part of the covenant.

I'm not sure how the other discussion groups go, but here are the notes from Rebecca's:

Matthew 26:26-28 is the institution of the Lord's supper set up as a remembrance. Again, we see death involved (blood poured out) and we are reminded of the seriousness of the covenants.

1 Corinthians 11:17-34 In this passage, they were incorporating the Lord's Supper into their party and forgetting the seriousness of what the Bread and the Cup were signifying. Because of this, many were weak and sick, and some were even dying. (Again, God takes this VERY SERIOUSLY!) Paul was telling them to examine themselves before they came to take the elements.

Romans 2:1-11 God is the only judge; and the last thing she left us with was this question: Is unbelief disobedience? 

Week 3 :: The Exchanging of Weapons and Belt

In case you missed our time together last night or this morning, here's a small recap of what you missed in the teaching time. We reviewed Lessons 1-2 and then went over Lesson 3 a little more in depth. As always, we hope you were able to complete the homework, but don't ever NOT COME to our weekly meetings if you didn't.

Rebecca provided us with a handout which I've filled in below. We looked at What Items Were Exchanged, What They Symbolized, What God's Actions are and Our Responsibilities.



A couple of points:

• Remember, all the rituals of covenant are never to be taken past Scripture's intentions and all of the covenantal signs are never shown all at the same time.
• The word "wait" actually means bind together and the word "renew" means to change, substitute, or change for the better. Doesn't that give a WHOLE new meaning to Isaiah 40:31?
• In life, we are constantly focused on living out life using our strengths? But what if we identified our weaknesses and asked God to do something big there?

Week 2 :: The Exchanging of Robes

In case, you missed our time together last night or this morning, or if you missed something during the teaching time, you've come to the right place. This week, we reviewed week one quickly and jumped right into this week's lesson. 

First, we listened to the hymn, The Solid Rock (Edward Mote, 1984) performed by Charlie Hall (and the Passion Worship Band). Make sure and pick up a copy next week to have for your binder. Underlined portions are covenantal themes.

My hope is built on nothing less

Than Jesus' blood and righteousness

I dare not trust the sweetest frame

But wholly lean on Jesus' name

Chorus: 

On Christ the solid Rock I stand

All other ground is sinking sand

All other ground is sinking sand

When darkness seems to hide His face

I rest on His unchanging grace

In every high and stormy gale

My anchor holds within the veil

His oath, His covenant, His blood

Support me in the whelming flood

When all around my soul gives way

He then is all my Hope and Stay

When He shall come with trumpet sound

Oh may I then in Him be found

Dressed in His righteousness alone

Faultless to stand before the throne

Next, we had the demonstration of Jonathan and David exchanging robes described in 1 Samuel 18:1-4. Jonathan, the higher presence and initiator of the covenant removed his royal robe and put it on David, the shepherd. He (Jonathan) then takes David's robe and wears it.

The next thing we pointed out was that covenant requires 3 things: a sign, sacrifice and solemn oath. We also looked at Galatians 3:26-29. In light of the demonstration of 1 Samuel 18:1-4, this now has a deeper meaning. Christ put on our flesh and our sin and we are to put on His identity. Then, we looked at our handout for the week. Remember, pick yours up next week so you can fill it in!

The PUP study also looked at two more verses: Philippians 2:5-8 and Hebrews 2:9, 14-18. Philippians gave us the bigger picture of Jonathan/David and how it reflects what Christ did for us. Hebrews tells us that Christ became a man and we can identify with Him and He understands us. He didn't sin, but wore our sin.

If you have any questions, leave a comment or email us. Looking forward to the week ahead! 

Week 1 Teaching Time Handout

In case you missed our time together last night or this morning or if you missed something during the teaching time, we've got you covered! We went over the first week of homework which familiarized us with some various references of covenant in Scripture, particularly Genesis. Hopefully, you were able to complete your homework; but if you didn't, press on! It's a new week and a new start!

Anne provided us with a fabulous handout (with matching fonts, of course; I'm sorry that these don't have the matching font! You can always pick up the sheet at the next study and fill in accordingly) that helped us compare and contrast the covenants that we discussed in Week 1. We looked at God & Man covenants and Man & Man covenants.

First up, we have the Covenants between God & Man:


Next, we talked about the covenants between Man & Man:

PS: I'm checking on the correctness of the "Conditions" row, so I'll get those posted as soon as I can!

A few points that were discussed:

• God initiated covenants to protect and bless; man initiated covenants out of fear
• The New Covenant was made because the Israelites couldn't keep the condition of the covenant made with Moses. They were disobedient.
• Although there isn't a lot of application this week (because we're laying the foundation), one thing to think about is this: these covenants were made to men who passed them on. What kind of things are you passing on in your family? No one is perfect, but are you laying foundations that are strong in the Lord or shaky?

If you have any questions about anything, leave us a comment or email us! Looking forward to seeing you next week and what God teaches you through this week's portion of our study!

A new women's Bible study is beginning in Wichita Falls!

We are beginning a city-wide women's Bible study in September here in Wichita Falls!  Our study will cover God's amazing faithfulness to us and how we can be secure in what He says in Scripture.  We will study through both the Old and New Testament to gain insight into the concept of covenant (His everlasting promise to us) and explore Biblical truth regarding God's promises.  We are excited for this opportunity and hope you will join us.  Please email questions to: wfbiblestudy@gmail.com.

Who:    All women!  This study is for any age, any denomination, any woman who desires to grow in her relationship with Christ.  Whether you are a new Christian, a seasoned believer, or seeking to learn about God, this study is for you!

What: An 11-week, Inductive Bible Study on Knowing God’s Covenant. 

What is an Inductive Bible Study?  It is a method of studying Scripture using the Bible as your primary source to learn about God and what He teaches.  You will discover Truth for yourself using three skills: observation, interpretation, and application.  These skills will aid in your study of God’s Word in the future.  (For more information on Inductive Bible Study see http://www.precept.org/about_inductive_bible_study.)

What are God’s covenants and why are they important in my life?  Our study of how God enters into binding agreements with His people and always keeps His promises will transform the way you read Scripture!  Study His covenants from Genesis through Revelation and learn to trust Him as your Covenant Partner.  Trusting Him frees us from the bondage of worry and anxiety.  

When:  Orientation for the Bible study will be on Tuesday, September 4^th for both the morning and evening class times.  Due to the Labor Day Holiday, our normal Monday night class will meet for orientation on Tuesday, September 4^th at 8:00 p.m. at the Forum. 

Our evening class will meet on Monday nights, beginning on September 10^th – November 19^th, 2012 from 8:00 – 9:30 p.m.  Our morning class (with childcare available) will meet on Tuesday mornings, beginning on September 11^th – November 20^th, 2012 from 9:30-11:00 a.m.

Where: Our Monday evening study will meet at Wichita Falls Women’s Forum, 2120 Speedway, Wichita Falls.  Our Tuesday morning study will meet in Room 350 of First Baptist Church, 1200 9^th Street, Wichita Falls.  Childcare is available for the Tuesday morning study.  

               

Why:    To learn how to study God’s Word and become established in and transformed by His Truth.

How:   Depending on your schedule, you have two options of study which are parallel and will

allow for women to come and discuss God’s Word together during our weekly discussion

group meetings.

Option 1:  In & Out – designed to meet the needs of those who might not be able to commit to lengthy homework requirements.  The In & Out lessons require about 1 hour of home study time per week.  Cost of workbook: $20

Option 2:  Precept Upon Precept – a more in-depth study which incorporates approximately 3-4 hours of individual study time per week that enable you to dig deeper into God’s Word.  Cost of workbook: $25

             You will be able to pick up and purchase your workbook at orientation!  We have         
             ordered extras for everyone.

How do I register?  See the tab marked “Registration Form” at the top of this webpage and follow the prompts to register for a study time and study type.

Still want to find out more?  Feel free to email us at wfbiblestudy@gmail.com or call one of the following ladies to get more information or to answer any questions:

                
                Heather Ashcraft             940.232.4603

                Anne Harrison                 940.782.7728

    Rebecca Schrass              940.613.5804

                Jodie White                       940.882.9376

We look forward to studying God’s Word with you!

All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work. -2 Timothy 3:16-17 (ESV)