The bible experience old testament
Discuss how present-day society might be different if a much greater degree of Christlikeness, love, peaceful relations, and justice were practised.Ģ. This reminds us of our own unworthiness before God, and of the grace that God exercises in His dealings with us.ġ. In this way we can recognise examples of His graciousness to a very unworthy man. This chapter describes the third occasion.Įach time, although in different ways, the initiative is clearly taken by God. The second was just before he met his brother Esau (chap. The first was at Bethel, where Jacob saw the ladder to heaven (Chap. God kept His covenant with Abraham, and met Jacob at several important stages of his experience. Many of his sons did even worse things than Jacob had done.
He continued to be very self-oriented later in life, and was often not wise in the way he treated family members. Jacob had been a deceiver and liar, himself, in his younger days. This new touch from God occurred to Jacob following a very sad episode in his life, described in the previous chapter. STUDY ONE God Touches Jacob Again (Genesis 35: 1 - 15.) The ones which have been chosen here are the ones about which the author hopes there will be more general agreement. There are many events in Biblical history which might be classed as a revival, under these definitions. In this sense, the repentance of the people of Nineveh, following the preaching of Jonah, would have to be classed as an "awakening", and not a revival, because it occurred amongst a people who had no previous devotion to the God of the Bible. In some instances, it can even apply to renewed devotion to God by a leading individual, such as a head of family or clan, like Jacob. "Revival", in the Bible, means any remarkable improvement in devotion to God by God's people. So, for the purposes of this Bible study, we will avoid lengthy definitions of "revival" which might have been more appropriate if we were studying modern movements, and we will use a very simple definition, which, I believe, is fully adequate for any study of revivals in the Bible. The events in Biblical history, however, were not necessarily like the evangelical revivals in modern history. When we talk about "revivals" in the Bible, we naturally tend to think about Biblical events which were, perhaps, like evangelical revivals such as we have known in the last few centuries, especially in Western Protestant Christianity. Some of the features associated with Biblical events were very different indeed from what life is like today.
There are many different causes and accompanying features which were used by God in bringing about this new quality of spiritual life. Such times of spiritual renewal took place in a wide range of circumstances, although certain common factors can usually be found. There are also a number of times in the New Testament record when a substantial turning to God took place, and spiritual life was deepened. There are many instances recorded in the Old Testament where devotion to God, and the quality of spiritual life, were renewed. The author will be grateful to hear from anyone who wishes to make suggestions which might improve this book, and his prayer is that, in some small way at least, the Lord Jesus will use this material to build His church throughout the world, and to honour the name of the Heavenly Father. Turning the attention of as many Christians as possible to the subject of revivals in the Bible will help to prepare God's people for outpourings of the Holy Spirit which are so greatly needed today throughout the world. If this occurs, the author will be grateful to God.
However, the booklet may also have a wider ministry of its own. The present booklet, along with some other study materials, were prepared to back-up and support this publication.
Roy McKenzie, of Gore, Southalnd, New Zealand, wrote a book entitled "Evangelical Revivals in New Zealand". The booklet, however, has been prepared to serve a purpose linked to special circumstances. This scarcity alone would make the publication of this booklet into a worthwhile project. The subject is also vitally important for bringing the transforming impact of the Gospel to help meet the many great needs in modern society. The Bible studies in this booklet seek to open up some of the treasures to be found in the accounts of revival movements recorded in Biblical times.Īlthough study material on Biblical revivals have, in the past, been scarce, the subject is of great importance because of its relevance to the growth of the Church throughout the world. Revivals in the Bible - The Old Testament (Lessons 1-9)