Wednesday Night Bible Study (Flatonia Baptist Church)

We examine the apex of Solomon's rule as king of Israel, considering how God used material blessings such as wealth, power, and security, to fulfill his earlier promise to Abraham that His chosen people would be a blessing to all the world.

We conclude our study of David's reign by looking at his role as Israel's worship leader and considering the worshipful and prophetic words of the Psalms.

David, despite being the recipient of God's grace and blessing, commits a terrible string of sins and must seek forgiveness from God. In his failure, we see the depth of God's mercy and grace.

In this session we review the significance of David's representative victory over Goliath and the ways that event points us toward Christ's victory over sin and death. Then, we examine the period in David's life where he is trying to survive Saul's plots against him, looking at how his obedience, perseverance, and submission to God during this period points us toward the One Isaiah calls the "Suffering Servant."

As we shift our focus to David we examine how he embodies the idea of the anointed one, the good shepherd, and the victor - all roles that will ultimately find their fulfillment in Christ.

We wrap up the story of Saul by looking into the origins of his failure as king and tracing how those failures point to deeper needs that are ultimately fulfilled in Christ, the King of kings.

In this session we study the unraveling of Saul after his rejection by God as king. We observe how Saul's pridefulness and jealousy led him to treat the kingdom as his possession, rather than as God's, and we see the beginnings of what develops into a stark contrast between Saul's mindset and that of his successor, David.

As we continue to study Israel's first king, Saul, we see the beginnings of a life-long pattern of Saul making decisions out of concern for what other people may think or do, rather than out of devotion to God. Saul's failures in 1 Samuel 13 and 15 result in God declaring that Saul would not endure as Israel's king and provide us with a contrast against which we can examine the humility, obedience, and devotion of Jesus, the King of kings.

We begin our study of Saul's reign by first looking to Deuteronomy to understand God's design for the kings who would lead His people. Then, we follow the events that led Samuel to find Saul and proclaim him as Israel's king. We examine what it means to be anointed by God and how Saul inaugurates an office that Christ ultimately fulfills: the "anointed one," or Messiah.

We begin our study of the monarchy in ancient Israel with a brief overview of Israel's history and a study of the people's desire for a king to that they could be like the other nations around them. We consider what they were choosing to give up and what they desired to gain in having a king appointed for them. This session lays the ground work for the rest of our study, in which we will look at the ways in which Israel's kings - specifically Saul, David, and Solomon - are used in Scripture to reveal truth about the true King of kings.

We conclude our study of Job by discussing Job's confession of his sin and God's gracious restorative work for Job as well as his friends. We finish with a discussion of some key questions raised by the book of Job. Thank you for going on this journey with us!

After Job, his three friends, and Elihu have all had their say, God speaks to Job out of a whirlwind, shifting Job's perspective completely and calling us to consider how we can fail to trust God with our struggles when we fully comprehend who He is.

A new character enters the scene: Elihu, a young man who has been watching the debate between Job and his friends unfold, speaks up and causes the reader to shift their perspective from the things of man to the things of God.

Job gives his final speech, reflecting on how far he has fallen and protesting his innocence once again before God. As we study Job's words we are reminded about the sort of holiness we should desire for our own lives.

Eliphaz speaks for the third and final time, eliciting a response from Job in which he laments what he perceives to be God's passivity in the face of injustice but ends with a hopeful statement of faith.

Zophar makes his final speech, summing up his argument that Job's suffering is evidence of hidden sin. Job wrestles with the fact that God's judgment of the wicked is not always swift and sure.

Bildad once again expresses the consensus of the friends that Job's suffering is the result of an unnamed sin, but Job responds with a remarkable statement of faith and hope in declaring "I know that my Redeemer lives!"

Eliphaz has a second opportunity to speak, reiterating his argument that Job must be suffering due to sin. Job's response indicates a sense of hopelessness, and we look to the example of King David to see an example of hope in suffering.

Job's third friend, Zophar, speaks, arguing that Job's stubborn refusal to repent of his sin is the source of his present difficulty. Although we know that this advice is misapplied in Job's case, we will take the opportunity examine what repentance truly is and how we can find peace in being reconciled with God.

Job's second friend, Bildad, bluntly carries on Eliphaz's line of thinking that Job's suffering is proof of hidden sin in his life.

Job's friend Eliphaz begins the discussion as the friends wrestle with the causes and justifications for Job's suffering by reasoning that Job must have sinned; otherwise, God would not allow him to suffer as he has. We examine Eliphaz's argument and Job's response.

After being joined by his friends Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar, Job speaks to the tremendous pain, grief, and despair that he feels in light of all that has happened to him.

As we begin the narrative story of the book of Job and examine the nature of the calamities that befell Job, we examine the role of suffering in our lives and consider how we should respond when faced with difficulties.

We begin our study of the book of Job by examining the first 5 verses, which give us an idea as to the character of Job and his spiritual practices. We also discuss the world in which Job lived, with special attention to the patriarchal structure of Job's culture which will help us to better understand the narrative in the coming weeks.

The people's experience with God fulfilling His promises gives courage as they move forward into the next chapter of the story when they cross the Jordan and enter the Promised Land.

As Moses gives his final instructions to the people, he urges them to see the benefit of living as the people of God.

The puzzling story of Balaam (and his donkey) is another instance in which God demonstrates his sovereignty, even over pagan kings and questionable prophets.

God's merciful response to the Israelites in the midst of judgment is a foreshadowing of Christ's sacrifice on the cross.

Forty years after the failure of the people to enter Canaan, Israel once again arrives in a place called Kadesh, and once again they balk at responding in faith to God's provision. Their failure - and Moses' own sin - sets the stage for the new generation of Israelites to take hold of the promised land.

The people finally reach the promised land, but an unfavorable report from the scouts leads to a decision rooted not in faith but in fear.

Three episodes in the period immediately following the people's departure from Mt. Sinai highlight Moses' faithfulness in contrast to the lack of faith demonstrated by the Israelites, foreshadowing what is to come.

As the people get close to the promised land, God gives them warnings and instructions about their future neighbors and the ways in which they are (and are not) to interact with them. 

An overview of the festivals and observances that God set out for His people to follow and the purpose they served in helping them live as the people of God.

We finish out the book of Exodus by looking at God's instructions for the construction of the Tabernacle and seeing how the imagery of that structure was a deliberate reference backward toward Eden and forward to Jesus.

The people react to Moses' extended absence by fashioning an idol in the form of a golden calf.

An overview of the Old Testament Law: its purpose, its structure, and its applicability to us today.

The Israelites arrive at Mt. Sinai and Moses comes into the presence of God.

The people's accusations against Moses - and against God - bring about judgment, mercy, and provision.

God provides for His people in the new, barren environment of the desert wilderness.

God takes the people out of Egypt along an unexpected route that leads to the total destruction of Egypt's fighting forces.

The historical context of the Exodus.

God judges Pharaoh and Egypt through a series of devastating plagues.

YHWH uses the plagues to execute judgment on Pharaoh and the Egyptian deities, demonstrating His power and sovereignty for all the world to see.

Moses and Aaron have their first confrontation with Pharaoh, which leads to discouragement among the people and a key promise from God.

Moses encounters God in the burning bush on Mt. Sinai and must choose whether to be obedient to God's call.

The circumstances surrounding the birth and early life of Moses give us a glimpse of how God works through His people to accomplish His purposes.

As we transition into Exodus, we will look at how God responded to His people's plight in Egypt.

Genesis 24-50 • Wednesday, September 25, 2024 As succeeding generations experience the covenant with God, they are shown how powerful, good, and faithful He is - and this can be a source of hope and determination for us as well.

Genesis 12-23 • Wednesday, September 18, 2024 God established His covenant with Abram - changing his name to Abraham and promising to make him the father of a great nation and bless the entire world through his descendants. In this session we look at the Abrahamic covenant in all its various statements and seek to understand God's purposes in choosing Abraham's family as His covenant people.