In our Sunday School session today, we delved into Genesis 36 and 37. The scripture unfolds the lineage of Esau (otherwise known as Edom). He and his descendants dwell over and against their brothers, never to return to the promised land or to the Lord. Transitioning from this narrative, our focus shifted to Joseph—a bratty young man with dreams of grandeur.

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good! His steadfast love endures forever. One reason we need the church is to take joy in the ways God delivers his people, because thanksgiving is a public matter. The Lord saves all kinds of people in all manner of ways, and he likewise commands us to consider the steadfast love he shows to others.

Jacob, now back in the land with his family, is called by God to move to Bethel. But where did the idols come from, and why are people and places renamed for a second time? As we seek to answer these questions we see the promise to Abraham clearly restated in all of its elements to his grandson. Are we closer to seeing the promises fulfilled? And what do the stories of God’s continued faithfulness to Abraham’s children have to say to Israelites on their way out of Egypt, or to us?

Nehemiah seems to end on a downer as we see once more the rebuilding community failing to keep themselves unstained from the world. In a chapter prefaced by the subtle seduction of the world and placing on full display the fundamental reality of compromise, do we yet find a word of hope? Are we able with Nehemiah to look beyond the sin and disappointment of the present to final victory and blessed reward? Join us as we wrap up Nehemiah pondering both failures and a future.

Driven by fear, Saul dies in as ignoble a fashion as he often reigned. And, in the aftermath of Saul’s tragic demise, the kingdom of Israel is left at a low point mirroring the turbulent times of the judges.
As we move forward in our study, we must ask:
How will David, the anointed one, respond to the news?
How will the tribe of Judah react to the changing political landscape and David’s claim to the throne?
And, perhaps most crucially, how will the rest of Israel respond to David and Judah?
The fates of the nation and the monarchy hang in the balance as power shifts, alliances form, and a new era of leadership is about to unfold.

As we approach the end of Ezra-Nehemiah yet another list of names heads a chapter filled with rejoicing. How might we foster the kind of joy in God’s faithfulness this chapter displays? Join us as we consider their joy in a record of God’s faithfulness, joy in a celebration of God’s faithfulness, and joy in preparation for God’s continued and future faithfulness!

As we approach the end of 1 Samuel the cliffhangers mount, and each resolution leads to new questions. Leaving Saul in the dark we turn to 1 Samuel 29 and consider David’s predicament, in the pay of a Philistine commander as their armies muster to attack Israel. Will he end up on the wrong side of the battlefield? And if so, what will he do when the arrows begin to fly?

God intervenes to settle David’s difficulty, only for him to stumble into a whole new set of challenges in chapter 30. But through a maze of layered contrasts David is shown to be the king Israel needs, though not the one who rules them right now.
Meanwhile, back in the north, what will become of Saul and the armies of Israel? Stay tuned!

What do we gain from another long list of difficult names? How does it answer the problems faced by the community of returned exiles trying to rebuild under Ezra and Nehemiah? Join us as we see the way the promise to Abraham (Genesis 12:1–9) shapes this record of names and places, pointing to both the past and the future to remind them of God’s faithful keeping of his promises. And consider how we do the same week by week in the Apostles’ Creed!

What does repentance look like in the life of a community? What will happen among the returned exiles after they have heard and understood God’s word (ch. 8) and prayed a penitential prayer (ch. 9)? Here in chapter 10 the community gathers once more to renew their covenant commitment. We see in the chapter that 1) a renewed community is the aggregate of individuals waking in repentance; 2) true repentance manifests in a sincere resolve to new obedience; and 3) new obedience, as a fruit of repentance, targets specific areas of struggle.