Announcements
-We want to welcome Santi and Natalie Yurrita’s new baby girl Annie to the world! As a church body, we can serve them by signing up for the meal train! https://www.mealtrain.com/trains/20n47e
-We are having a worship and prayer night on October 3rd at 6:00 pm! This is going to be an awesome time for us to join together for some evening worship as a church! Childcare will be provided!
Theme
This week’s guide will be structured more like a traditional bible study- with a specific emphasis on how to understand the new testament in light of the old testament and visa versa. The questions and activity below should help your GC focus on Abiding in Scripture as an essential aspect of discipleship.
Passage
Matthew 2:13-15
13 Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Rise, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you, for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him.” 14 And he rose and took the child and his mother by night and departed to Egypt 15 and remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet, “Out of Egypt I called my son.”
Bible Study Activity
***Consider the following optional activity: ask the GC to split up into groups (3-5) and spend 15 minutes comprehending what the test is saying at its most basic level. Then come back together and allow some time for the GC to discuss their findings. Move on to the interpretation step all together***
Comprehension: What does it say?
-Come up with 10 observations from the passage
-In the passage, Matthew quotes from Hosea 11:1. Take a look at that passage from Hosea and discuss what it would have meant in it’s Old Testament Context.
-Summarize the meaning of the passage in your own words
Interpretation: What does it mean?
A common practice of interpreting scripture is looking to scripture to interpret scripture.
This is usually done by paying attention to cross-references, or passages of scripture from other books of the Bible that might provide more context for understanding the passage you are currently reading. This is particularly helpful between the Old and New Testaments.
-Who is the “son” described in Hosea 11:1?
-Read Hosea 11:2-7. How did Israel respond to God “calling them out of Egypt”?
-Read Hosea 11:8-12. How does God respond to Israel’s “bent” towards rebellion?
-Thinking of both Hosea 11 and Matthew 2, consider the following questions:
-How is Jesus like Israel? (look for themes like sonship, beloved by God, being “called out of
Egypt,” God’s promise to bless the whole world through Israel, etc.)
-How is Jesus different from Israel? (Israel’s unfaithfulness, selfishness, rebellion, etc.)
Application/Response: Why does it matter?
-How should this cause us to respond with our lives?
-Take this time to respond in prayer to the Truth about Christ that you have just discussed with your group!