by Paul Apple | Mar 8, 2022 | Bible-OT
BIG IDEA: THE SABBATICAL DEBT AND INDENTURED SERVANT RELEASES GRANT A NEW START FOR ISRAELITES WHO HAVE FALLEN ON HARD TIMESINTRODUCTION:Gerald Gerbrandt: The distinctive thrust of the Deuteronomic release provisions becomes more striking when read within its larger...
by Paul Apple | Mar 8, 2022 | Bible-OT
BIG IDEA: OFFERING TITHES AFFORDS THE OPPORTUNITY TO JOYFULLY CELEBRATE A COMMUNAL FEAST IN THE PRESENCE OF THE LORDINTRODUCTION:Daniel Block: Deuteronomy 14:22–29 is transitional, bringing to a conclusion a chapter on eating in the presence of Yahweh and introducing...
by Paul Apple | Mar 7, 2022 | Bible-OT
BIG IDEA: GOD’S PEOPLE MUST MANIFEST THEIR DISTINCTIVE OF HOLINESS IN AREAS OF DAILY LIVING (e.g. DIETARY LAWS)INTRODUCTION:Michael Grisanti: This pericope begins and ends with a focus on Israel’s identity as God’s “children” (14:1), a people “holy to the LORD” (14:2,...
by Paul Apple | Mar 6, 2022 | Bible-OT
BIG IDEA: THREE HYPOTHETICAL ATTEMPTS AT SPIRITUAL SEDUCTION DENOUNCED IN ORDER TO MAINTAIN COVENANT LOYALTYINTRODUCTION:Daniel Block: The unity of Deuteronomy 13 is evident in the form with which Moses presents the three seditious scenarios. Each is divided into...
by Paul Apple | Mar 4, 2022 | Bible-OT
BIG IDEA: ENTERING THE PROMISED LAND PROVIDES THE TRANSITION TO CENTRALIZED WORSHIP ALONG WITH THE FREEDOM TO EAT MEAT LOCALLYINTRODUCTION:Patrick Miller: Placement of the instruction about worship at the sanctuary in first position indicates clearly its priority for...
by Paul Apple | Mar 3, 2022 | Bible-OT
BIG IDEA: CHOOSING OBEDIENCE, LOVE AND LOYALTY TO GOD ENSURES THE BLESSING OF POSSESSING THE PROMISED LANDINTRODUCTION:David Whitcomb: Now that we know we must love God first and foremost, we can learn with Israel that our LORD expects us to keep His rules. Once we...
by Paul Apple | Mar 1, 2022 | Bible-OT
BIG IDEA: TIMES OF TRANSITION REQUIRE A RENEWED PLEDGE TO TOTAL ALLEGIANCE TO THE GOD OF THE COVENANTINTRODUCTION:Daniel Block: The elevated style of Deuteronomy 10:12–11:1 suggests that Moses’ second address is nearing a climax. As in chapter 4, Moses signals the...
by Paul Apple | Mar 1, 2022 | Bible-OT
BIG IDEA: DESPITE ISRAEL’S HISTORY OF PROVOKING THE LORD TO ANGER, COVENANT PRIVILEGES PERSISTINTRODUCTION:Daniel Block: Deuteronomy 9:1–10:11 is a self-contained literary subunit whose boundaries are marked by Moses’ anticipation of crossing the Jordan and claiming...
by Paul Apple | Feb 27, 2022 | Bible-OT
BIG IDEA: REMEMBERING GOD’S FAITHFULNESS IN TOUGH TIMES (THE WILDERNESS) SHOULD GUARD AGAINST FORGETTING GOD IN PROSPEROUS TIMES SO THAT WE OBEY RATHER THAN PERISHINTRODUCTION:Michael Grisanti: Looking back at God’s faithfulness to Israel as they wandered in the...
by Paul Apple | Feb 26, 2022 | Bible-OT
BIG IDEA: ELECTION DEFINES OUR IDENTITY AS GOD’S TREASURED POSSESSION (INVOLVING COUNTLESS BLESSINGS) AND ORIENTS US TOWARDS HOLINESS (REQUIRING THE PURGING OF GOD’S ENEMIES)INTRODUCTION:Daniel Block: Deuteronomy 7 opens with series of temporal clauses that set the...
by Paul Apple | Feb 25, 2022 | Bible-OT
BIG IDEA: BOTH PROSPERITY AND HARDSHIP CAN TEMPT GOD’S PEOPLE TO FORGET THE HISTORICAL EXPERIENCE OF REDEMPTION –SO PROTECT FUTURE GENERATIONS WITH HISTORICAL INSTRUCTIONINTRODUCTION:Daniel Block: While 6:4–5 embodies the central idea, in the rest of chapters 6–8...
by Paul Apple | Feb 25, 2022 | Bible-OT
BIG IDEA: COVENANT COMMITMENT MUST BE WHOLEHEARTEDLY LIVED OUT AND PROPAGATED TO FUTURE GENERATIONSINTRODUCTION:Duane Christensen: The continuity of faith within the context of a religious community depends on the observance of that faith within the context of...
by Paul Apple | Feb 24, 2022 | Bible-OT
BIG IDEA: THE EXPOSITION OF ISRAEL’S COVENANTAL RELATIONSHIP BEGINS WITH THE FOUNDATION OF THE TEN COMMANDMENTSINTRODUCTION:Michael Grisanti: The Ten Commandments, distinct from most of the rest of the law, entail terse, divine demands, called “apodictic” law....
by Paul Apple | Feb 22, 2022 | Bible-OT
BIG IDEA: PROCLAMATION OF THE LAW IN PREPARATION TO CROSS THE JORDANINTRODUCTION:Meredith Kline: This passage is transitional. As a summary of the Trans-Jordanian conquests (vv. 46b-49; cf. 2:32-36; 3:1-17), it serves as a conclusion to the historical prologue. But it...
by Paul Apple | Feb 22, 2022 | Bible-OT
BIG IDEA: MOSES IMPLEMENTS A LEGAL SYSTEM IN THE NEWLY ACQUIRED TRANSJORDANIAN TERRITORY THAT COMBINES MERCY AND JUSTICEINTRODUCTION:Duane Christensen: The reader cannot help but feel the jarring effect of encountering a totally different type of content as one moves...
by Paul Apple | Feb 21, 2022 | Bible-OT
BIG IDEA: LIFE IN THE LAND DEPENDS ON COVENANT FAITHFULNESS AS THE UNIQUENESS OF ISRAEL RESPONDS TO THE UNIQUENESS OF THEIR GODINTRODUCTION:Daniel Block: In Chapter 4 Moses’ first address reaches its climax. Although the chapter exhibits numerous links with the...
by Paul Apple | Feb 20, 2022 | Bible-OT
BIG IDEA: RESOLVING ISSUES OF REWARD, RESPONSIBILITY, RULERSHIP, AND RATIONALIZATON PREPARED GOD’S PEOPLE TO MOVE FORWARD IN THEIR MISSION OF CONQUESTINTRODUCTION:Daniel Block: Moses’ recollections here divide into four parts, each of which is signaled by the...
by Paul Apple | Feb 19, 2022 | Bible-OT
BIG IDEA: GOD GRANTS VICTORY AS HIS PEOPLE FIGHT THE BATTLES TO POSSESS THE PROMISED LANDINTRODUCTION:Daniel Block: This section consists of three parts: two battle reports, the first describing Israel’s defeat of Sihon king of Heshbon (2:24–37), and the second...
by Paul Apple | Feb 18, 2022 | Bible-OT
BIG IDEA: IN THEIR JOURNEY TO THEIR OWN PROMISED LAND, ISRAEL MUST RESPECT THE SOVEREIGN LANDS OF EDOM, MOAB AND AMMONINTRODUCTION:Michael Grisanti: Toward the end of Israel’s wilderness wanderings the Lord commanded the children of Israel to begin their journey to...
by Paul Apple | Feb 17, 2022 | Bible-OT
BIG IDEA: ISRAEL’S DISOBEDIENCE FLIES IN THE FACE OF GOD’S FAITHFULNESS AND ASSURANCESINTRODUCTION:Michael Grisanti: After arriving in Kadesh Barnea (1:19), Moses commissioned twelve spies to survey the Promised Land, but ten of them brought back a discouraging...
