Children’s Bible Program – Level 3: Lesson 33 “Ruth Gets Married”

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Featured Passage: Ruth 3-4

 Boaz was a prominent man in the community, having great wealth and many servants. He was also a close relative of Elimelech, Naomi’s deceased husband. Ruth had found favor with Boaz, and Naomi thought to secure Ruth’s future with him. The law of redemption allowed the nearest of kin to purchase the family land and to marry the widow of the one who owned it. Naomi instructed Ruth to secretly go to Boaz one night, with this statute in mind, and express her desire to put herself into his care. She said  to Boaz, “Take your maidservant under your wing, for you are a close relative.” She was basically asking Boaz to marry her! Boaz was glad that she came to him, and said he would be willing to take care of her, only there was a problem. There was another man who was more closely related to her than Boaz. This other man would have to decide not to redeem the land and marry Ruth if Boaz was to have a chance to do so himself. Not wanting to waste any time, Boaz got up early in the morning and went to the gate of the city to see what could be done. The decision made that day would determine what would happen to Ruth and Naomi. 

Discuss:

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  • The book of Ruth is one of  two books in the Bible that has a woman’s name in the title.
  • Consider the character and honor that Boaz displayed in the book of Ruth. What were some things that he did which reflected favorably on his character? 
  • True love always shows outgoing concern for others and does no harm. When Boaz showed concern for Ruth’s reputation and went to great lengths to protect her name. What are some other examples of true love from the book of Ruth?

Memory Challenge: 

Ruth 3:10-11

Then he said, “Blessed are you of the Lord, my daughter! For you have shown more kindness at the end than at the beginning, in that you did not go after young men, whether poor or rich. And now, my daughter, do not fear. I will do for you all that you request, for all the people of my town know that you are a virtuous woman.”

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Children’s Bible Program – Level 2: Lesson 33 “Joseph Reunites with his Brothers”

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Featured Passage: Genesis 42-50

The seven years of plenty that God promised quickly passed, and soon famine struck Egypt and the land surrounding it. In Canaan, Israel and his family were running out of food, so when he heard that Egypt had grain, he sent his sons to purchase food there. Benjamin did not go because he was Israel’s youngest son and the only surviving son of Rachel. At least, that’s what everyone thought! When the brothers arrived in Egypt, they were brought before Joseph. Even though they were face to face with their own brother, they didn’t recognize him. On the other hand, Joseph immediately recognized who they were. Should he tell them that he was their long-lost brother? Could he overlook their cruelty on that day that they sold him into slavery? As Joseph agonized over what to do, the tables had been turned. Now, their lives were in his hands. Joseph faced a tremendous challenge, and his brothers were in for a big surprise. 

Discuss:

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  • Why do you think Joseph’s brothers did not recognize him when they came to Egypt? (Possible reasons are he was older, he was dressed as an Egyptian, etc.)
  • The brothers attributed their problems to what they had done to Joseph many years before. They felt guilty. Repentance is the remedy for guilt. When we repent, God is quick to forgive!
  • What was Joseph’s attitude toward his brothers? Was he bitter? Did he want revenge? 
  • Imagine the great joy Jacob and Joseph felt when they saw each other again. 
  • What did it mean for Joseph to receive the birthright? 

Memory Challenge: 

Genesis 45:4-7

And Joseph said to his brothers, “Please come near to me.” So they came near. Then he said: “I am Joseph your brother, whom you sold into Egypt. But now, do not therefore be grieved or angry with yourselves because you sold me here; for God sent me before you to preserve life. For these two years the famine has been in the land, and there are still five years in which there will be neither plowing nor harvesting. And God sent me before you to preserve a posterity for you in the earth, and to save your lives by a great deliverance.”

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Children’s Bible Program – Level 1: Lesson 33 “Joseph Saves Israel”

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Featured Passage: Genesis 37-50

 Jacob had twelve sons, but Joseph was his favorite. Seeing the special treatment he received from his father, Joseph’s older brothers became very jealous of him. They were also annoyed that Joseph would tell their father what they were doing, and would bother them by talking about his crazy dreams. One day, when they saw him coming, they decided to get rid of him for good and sold him to some traders as a slave. They thought they would never have to see or hear from him again. How wrong they were! Joseph ended up being taken down to Egypt and sold to an officer of Pharaoh named Potiphar. This was only the beginning of Joseph’s adventures, and as time went by, God began to work out his special purpose for Joseph. Little did his brothers know that Joseph’s dreams were about to be fulfilled in a way they would never have imagined. 

Discuss:

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  • God was with Joseph throughout his trials. How do you think Joseph was able to stay close to God even when things got tough?
  • What was the important position that Joseph had in Egypt under Pharaoh?
  • God used Joseph to save many people in the area from starvation, including the Israelites and the Egyptians. What was Joseph’s plan to make sure that the people didn’t go hungry during the seven years of famine?
  • Jacob blessed each of his sons near the end of his life. Joseph, who was the firstborn son of Rachel, was given a double portion and Ephraim and Manasseh (Joseph’s sons) were given an inheritance with Israel’s sons.

Memory Challenge: 

Genesis 45:8

“So now it was not you who sent me here, but God; and He has made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house, and a ruler throughout all the land of Egypt.”

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Orientation Week | 2019

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The second year of Living Education is now underway!

This week was filled with activity as our new Living Education students arrived and began to learn more about where the next nine months will take them. Their three-day orientation program began on Monday with a trip to the Smoky Mountains, where they braved the icy waters of the Watauga River in a whitewater rafting adventure. On Tuesday, they spent the morning learning about the importance of education in the history of the Church of God, how to navigate the academic challenges for the coming year, and the principles that will guide them for the months ahead, before returning to Charlotte. On Wednesday they were welcomed by Dr. Douglas Winnail, Mr. Richard Ames, and Mr. Weston in a special forum, where they challenged to make the most of the opportunity.

For lunch, the headquarters staff gathered to meet and greet them, welcoming them to their new home. The balance of the day was spent learning more about their work-study program, becoming more familiar with the library, and taking a complete tour of the Headquarters facility. We’re so pleased to have these young people here to learn and also contribute their efforts to the Work. With our first day of classes drawing to a close, we can safely say that Living Education Charlotte 2019 has begun!

Click to check out the pictures from our Orientation Week!

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Cities of the Book of Acts

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Galilee

Acts 1:11 – Messengers after ascension: “Men of Galilee”

Acts 2:7 – During Pentecost, “Aren’t they Galileans?”

Acts 5:37 – Gamaliel mentions “Judas the Galilean” who rose up for a time, had some followers, who then scattered.

Jerusalem

Acts 1:1-8:3 – Starting point for the way. Events in chapters 1-7 occur in Jerusalem: Ascension, Pentecost, healings, Stephen’s ministry and death.

Acts 11:2-18 – Peter returns to Jerusalem and tells the brothers what happened in Caesarea.

Acts 12:1-19 – Herod kills James, imprisons Peter. Peter escapes and goes to Caesarea.

Acts 12:25 – After completing their mission (in Antioch), Barnabas and Saul return to Jerusalem with John Mark.

Acts 15:1-2 – Brothers from Judea came to Antioch teaching circumcision. Barnabas and Paul chosen to go to Jerusalem to discuss issue with them.

Acts 15:4-39 – Jerusalem council. Barnabas and Paul separate. Barnabas with Mark to Cyprus, Paul with Silas to Syria and Cilicia.

Acts 18:22 – Paul goes from Kenchreae to Ephesos to Caesarea (boat), then Jerusalem to Antioch (overland).

Acts 19:21-22 – Paul’s travel plans while in Ephesos: travel through Macedonia and Achaia, then back to Jerusalem, then on to Rome.

Acts 20:16 – Paul had decided to sail past Ephesos and meet the elders in Miletus because he didn’t want to spend time in Asia and was eager to get to Jerusalem for Pentecost.

Acts 20:22 – Paul tells the Ephesian elders in Miletus that he is on his way to Jerusalem.

Acts 21:15-23:22 – Paul in Jerusalem. Trials.

Acts 26:4-11 – In his defense in Caesarea, Paul tells of his persecution of Christians in Jerusalem.

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Profile of Herod Agrippa II

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Paul’s Encounter with King Agrippa

Apostle Paul On Trial by Nikolai Bodarevsky, 1875. Agrippa and Berenice are both seated on thrones.

“Agrippa said to Paul, ‘You may now speak for yourself.’ Paul lifted his hand and started to talk, ‘King Agrippa, the Jews have said many things against me. I am happy to be able to tell you my side of the story. You know all about the Jewish ways and problems. So I ask you to listen to me until I have finished. ‘All the Jews know about my life from the time I was a boy until now. I lived among my own people in Jerusalem. If they would tell what they know, they would say that I lived the life of a proud religious law-keeper. I was in the group of proud religious law-keepers who tried to obey every law (Acts 26:1-5).“

King Agrippa

A “seat of Moses” carved from basalt found in the ruins of the third-fourth-century C.E. synagogue at Chorazin. 

Born        27/28

Died        c. 92 or 100AD

Full name
Marcus Julius Agrippa

Dynasty        Herodian dynasty

Father         Herod Agrippa I

Mother        Cyprus

Herod Agrippa II was born in the year 28, and according to a statement that is not uncontradicted (Photius, “Bibliotheca,” cod. 33), it is said that he died in the year 100. He was educated in Rome, where he saw much of the court life that had been so harmful to his father. It proved just as detrimental to him, for he reached maturity just at the time that Messalina and Agrippina dared to flaunt the most fearful depths of profligacy in public. On the sudden death of his father, the emperor Claudius desired him to enter into the full inheritance of all his rights and titles, but upon the advice of court favorites he refrained from doing so. Once again Judea was handed over to the care of procurators, and for the time being the young man was detained at court. Here he had the opportunity of being helpful to his coreligionists from time to time (Josephus, “Ant.” xv. 11, § 4; xx. 1, § 2) and of acquiring proficiency in all the arts of courtly flattery.

Succeeds Herod II. On the death of Herod II., Agrippa succeeded in having the former’s post promised him. In the year 50, without regard to the rights of the heir to the throne, he had himself appointed (“B. J.” ii. 12, § 1; “Ant.” xx. 5, § 2; 9, § 7) to the principality of Chalcis by the emperor, and also to the supervisorship of the Temple at Jerusalem, which carried with it the right of nominating the high priest. Within three years—possibly before he left Rome to assume the dignity of his office—the emperor presented him with larger territory in exchange for Chalcis, giving him the tetrarchy of his great-uncle Philip—over which Agrippa’s father had also ruled—together with that of Lysanias (Abilene), and the district of Varus (“Ant.” xx. 7, § 1; “B. J.” ii. 12, § 8). Nero, when he became emperor, added to this territory, giving him considerable tracts of Galilee and Perea.

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Paul’s Travels

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50 – Paul took Silas to Syria and Cilicia. Barnabas took his nephew John Mark to Cyprus and presumably on to Egypt (Acts 15:39).

50 – Paul came to Derbe and to Lystra (Acts 16:1).

50 – At Derbe Paul met Timothy (whose mother was a believing Jew and his father a Greek unbeliever) and circumcised him (Acts 16:1-3). Note: this matter is understood as one of expediency in order that Paul’s work among the Jews would not be hindered. It differs from the matter of Titus (Galatians 2:3) as some at Jerusalem had argued for the necessity of circumcision as a prerequisite to being a Christian.

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The Nazarite Vow

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Nazarite Vow

In Lectures 2,3, and 4, Dr. Meredith describes how Paul and his companions participated in a Nazarite vow.

In Numbers 6, Moses was inspired of God to lay out the requirements of a vow of special consecration to God, called a Nazarite Vow. Generally men took this vow for a specific period of time, after which, there was a ceremony marking its conclusion. During the time of their vow, the men were not to cut their hair or shave, nor were they to taste any grape product, including wine, fresh grapes, or raisins, nor were they to touch anything that would make them ceremonially defiled.” (Ogwyn, John. “A Tale of Two Nazarites”)

A “seat of Moses” carved from basalt found in the ruins of the third-fourth-century C.E. synagogue at Chorazin.

James propose to Paul to sponsor and pay the expenses of the Nazarite vow for some of the men in order to prove to Paul’s detractors that he is loyal to the Law (21:22-25).

As Mr. Meredith explains in Lecture 2, the book of Acts describes how Paul had apparently taken a Nazarite vow when he cut his hair off at Cenchreae. But there was another major character in the New Testament who lived under a Nazarite vow. That man was John the Baptist.

The two examples in the Old Testament of men who lived under a Nazarite vow were contemporaries, and they served God in leading Israel. But they were very different men.

To read the full story of these two men, just go to Mr. John Ogwyn’s article, “A Tale of Two Nazarites”.

If you’d like to do more research into how the Nazarite vow became woven into Jewish culture in history, a good place to start is the Jewish Encyclopedia. Follow this link for an article on this topic.

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Diana of Ephesus

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he Diana of Ephesus was a goddess “whom all Asia and the world worship” (Acts 19:27). Diana was the Roman name for the Greek deity Artemis, the “goddess of the moon and the chaste and sister of the sun-god, Apollo” (Colliers Encyclopedia). Artemis was also the “protectress of chastity and patroness of childbirth” and the goddess of seafarers, who brought good weather and profitable voyages (Encyclopaedia Britannica,11th edition). She is often portrayed as a virgin and mother goddess and the “Mistress of Animals.” Her statues depict a multi-breasted figure wearing a turreted crown. Artemis incorporates many features of the great mother goddess who was worshiped under a variety of names in the ancient world (see The Oxford Companion to the Bible).
 
We also learn that “Artemis is a deity of very ancient origins who survived and attracted great popularity in Asia Minor and Greece into Christian times when… much of her ethos [beliefs & practices] was transferred to the Virgin Mary. Both figures enjoyed major sanctuaries at Ephesus” (Encyclopedia of Gods, Jordan, p. 26).

By building a church for Mary in Ephesus and declaring her “Mother of God” near the great temple of the mother goddess Diana, the Catholic church simply borrowed and adapted ancient traditions that allowed new converts to continue pagan practices in a “Christian” context!  

…Excerpted from “The Lady of Nations,” Tomorrow’s World,  2003 November-December

To read the whole article, including Diana’s connection to modern-day worship of Mary, read “The  Lady of Nations“

To learn more about “Diana”, a good resource is the International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, under the article “Diana; Artemis”.

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Concours Artistique pour les Jours Saints de cet automne!

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Conditions et règlement officiel du concours

Avez-vous jamais rêvé d’illustrer un livre ? Vous aimez créer des bandes dessinées ? Est-ce que l’aquarelle est votre passion ? Avez-vous de l’expérience dans le domaine de la création d’images vectorielles sur tablette, ou est-ce que les bons vieux crayon de bois et papier sont plutôt votre style ?

Nous recherchons des artistes de tous âges dont les œuvres pourraient être mises en vedette dans notre édition spéciale des leçons pour les enfants des Jours saints d’automne.

Thème

Les Jours saints d’automne : Quand vous pensez aux Fêtes divines d’automne, quelle image vous vient à l’esprit ? Pensez-vous à un Israélite faisant sonner une scintillante trompette en argent devant le tabernacle ? Ou aux deux boucs le Jour des Expiations ? Ou bien imaginez-vous le lion et l’agneau pour représenter le Millénium ? Quoi qu’il en soit, préparez-vous à mettre votre créativité à profit !

Soumettez vos œuvres artistiques traitant de la Fête des Trompettes, du Jour des Expiations, de la Fête des Tabernacles et du Dernier Grand Jour. Ces œuvres peuvent représenter des symboles, des traditions religieuses, des personnages ou des scènes bibliques se rapportant aux Jours saints d’automne. Nous sommes particulièrement intéressés par tout travail de type « bande dessinée », bien que nous acceptions tout style pouvant être utilisé dans notre édition spéciale des leçons à l’attention des enfants : « Les fêtes divines automnales : Un guide d’étude pour les parents qui enseignent à leurs enfants la voie divine. »

Quel genre d’art recherchons-nous ?

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Les œuvres artistiques soumises peuvent être soumises sur tout support 2D (ex. crayon à papier, encre, crayons de couleur, fusain, pastel, aquarelle, gouache ou acrylique) et réalisées sur tout support traditionnel ou électronique sont acceptées. N’oubliez pas que nous sommes à la recherche d’œuvres soignées et prêtes à être utilisées dans nos diverses publications.

Les œuvres doivent être de la plus haute qualité possible (c.-à-d. non froissées, exemptes de taches, de traces de gommage, etc.) Le cas échéant, définissez les paramètres du scanner, de l’exportation ou de l’appareil photo pour soumettre des images de haute qualité.

Qui peut y participer ?

Tous les artistes, quel que soit leur âge, sont invités à soumettre leur meilleure oeuvre qui sera répartie selon trois catégories en fonction des groupes d’âge  ci-dessous :

Groupe 1  | – de 12 ans 

Groupe 2  | 13 à 20 ans

Groupe 3  | 21 à 121 ans

Ouverture du concours & date limite

Ouverture du concours : 15 août 2019

Date limite de participation : 20 septembre 2019

Résultats affichés : 27 septembre 2019

Comment y participer

Toutes les inscriptions doivent être transmises via notre formulaire d’inscription en ligne pour le concours artistique des Jours saints de la saison automnale, qui sera tenu à la disposition des artistes à partir du 15 août. Chacun des participants doit communiquer son nom, son âge, une adresse courriel valide, sa congrégation, quelques phrases à son sujet ainsi qu’une courte description de son œuvre artistique au moment de l’inscription. Tous les artistes relevant du premier groupe doivent avoir l’approbation parentale pour y participer. Si vous n’avez pas accès à Internet ou si vous n’avez pas les moyens de créer des copies électroniques de vos œuvres d’art, n’hésitez pas à demander l’aide d’un membre dans votre congrégation locale.

Règlement officiel

1. Aucune œuvre artistique ne doit reproduire des images représentant Dieu, Jésus-Christ ou des créatures célestes.

2. Œuvre originale seulement – pas de plagiat ni de matériel protégé par des droits d’auteur.

3. Les réalisations doivent pouvoir être regardées par des enfants de moins de 12 ans.

4. L’Éducation Living se réserve le droit de rejeter les œuvres inappropriées.

5. Les artistes doivent soumettre leurs œuvres sous leur propre nom selon la catégorie d’âge appropriée.

6. Les artistes peuvent soumettre jusqu’à deux œuvres artistiques par personne. 

Avis de non-responsabilité :

La sélection d’une œuvre artistique pour le concours de l’Éducation Living sur les Fêtes divines automnales transfère à l’Éducation Living le droit d’utiliser et de modifier l’œuvre artistique à des fins éducatives et/ou de publication promotionnelle. L’Éducation Living s’engage à ce que les œuvres artistiques sélectionnées ne soient pas utilisées à des fins mercantiles.

Gagnants*

Les meilleures sélections de chacune des catégories seront insérées dans nos leçons hebdomadaires pour les enfants ou dans notre Édition spéciale – Fêtes d’automne de Dieu**. Elles seront affichées sur le blog « Actualisations » de notre site Web avec une courte biographie de l’artiste avec une description de l’œuvre artistique. Les artistes recevront un crédit de nom pour toute œuvre artistique utilisée dans nos publications. De plus, les gagnants de chaque groupe d’âge recevront un petit prix parmi nos souvenirs de l’Éducation Living.

Les œuvres artistiques recevant une mention honorable seront affichées sur le blog « Actualisations » de notre site Web ainsi qu’une courte biographie de l’artiste avec une description de l’œuvre artistique.

* Si votre œuvre artistique est sélectionnée, vous recevrez une notification par courriel. 

** Il pourrait y avoir des occasions spéciales pour des artistes exceptionnels de se joindre à notre équipe d’illustration pour le programme biblique des enfants de l’Éducation Living, pouvant impliquer de nombreux autres types de projets et d’initiatives en tout genre.

Pour de plus amples renseignements concernant les détails de ce concours, ou d’autres questions, veuillez contacter : Rebekah Ross | Living Education – Children’s Bible Program Staff [email protected] 704-708-2295