Editor's Page
Our study this quarter invites us to discover and appreciate how God, through prophets and other leaders, gave help and guidance to the people of Judah so that we may come to see the hand of God in our own lives and all human affairs.
Unit I, Isaiah and the Renewal of the Temple, offers four lessons that recount the theological reasons for the decline of Israel seen mainly through the prophetic ministry of Isaiah and two faithful kings. The Book of Isaiah is introduced, giving an overview of the prophet’s call and the substance of his witness. While most kings of Israel and Judah earn bad grades from the writers of Kings and Chronicles, two seventh-century kings of Judah are highlighted—Hezekiah and Josiah: the first, a passionate worshipper of YHWH, and the second, a by-the-book strategist. Both kings reformed Jerusalem’s religion and removed idol worship. Later passages from Isaiah help frame the breadth of his influence in preexilic Jerusalem and exilic Babylon.
Unit II, Jeremiah and the Promise of Renewal, provides five lessons on the prophetic career of Jeremiah, who lived during the worst of the Babylonian assault on Judah and Jerusalem. YHWH called Jeremiah to preach a harsh message to the princes, priests, and people of Judah, one they wouldn’t heed. The people have forsaken the covenant time and time again; therefore, judgment is coming in the guise of Nebuchadnezzar, ruler of Babylon. As Jerusalem teeters on the brink of extinction, Jeremiah is given a word of hope—after their punishment, God will bring the people back home. On that day, the law of God will no longer be written in stone but on the human heart.
Unit III, Ezekiel and the Exile of Judah, recounts the fall of Judah and Ezekiel’s prophetic messages to the people in exile. The 2 Kings account of the last days of Judah is hard to read, as it is full of violence and desperation. Into that environment, the priest Ezekiel, in Babylon among the first exiles, reports the devastation in Jerusalem. His prophecies are replete with visions, signs, and symbolic actions, testifying to the utter ruin of the homeland and later incredible promises of renewal.
May God bless your faithful study of His Word this quarter!
Steve
The intentions and aims of the The Helping Hand in Bible Study are:
- to provide for adults and older youth a quarterly for personal or group use in gaining a continually renewed knowledge of the Bible, Christian beliefs and church life, particularly that characteristic of Seventh Day Baptists.
- to enable such study of Christian convictions as will develop the students' abilities to share their faith.
- to strengthen appreciation of Seventh Day Baptist heritage and conviction of the Sabbath's truths.
- to nurture moral and spiritual aspects of daily living and decision-making.
- to provide resources for daily devotions.
- to encourage the educational ministry of Seventh Day Baptists around the world.
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