Lesson Six

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" colspan=2 height=90 BGCOLOR="#006699" TEXT="#080000" bgproperties="fixed" background="02c285a1erlcgo.png"> <div> <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#111111" FACE="Arial" ><A HREF="http://ourworld-top.cs.com/rjmcclur/worship_.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://ourworld-top.cs.com/rjmcclur/wors"><U><B>Twelve Lessons On Worship</B></U></A></FONT>  <A HREF="bible_study.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Lesson One"><U>Lesson One</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id17.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Lesson Two"><U>Lesson Two</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id18.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Lesson Three"><U>Lesson Three</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id20.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Lesson Four"><U>Lesson Four</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id21.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Lesson Five"><U>Lesson Five</U></A>   |   <B>Lesson Six</B>   |   <A HREF="id23.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Lesson Seven"><U>Lesson Seven</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id24.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Lesson Eight"><U>Lesson Eight</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id25.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Lesson Nine"><U>Lesson Nine</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id26.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Lesson Ten"><U>Lesson Ten</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id27.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Lesson Eleven"><U>Lesson Eleven</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id28.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Lesson Twelve"><U>Lesson Twelve</U></A>   <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#111111" FACE="Arial" ><A HREF="http://members.tripod.com/rjmcclur55/HolySpirit/" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://members.tripod.com/rjmcclur55/Hol"><U><B>Studies On The Holy Spirit</B></U></A></FONT></div> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" width=210 BGCOLOR="#FFCC66" TEXT="#080000" background="02ad2c00dkelyh.png"> <div> <A HREF="http://www.biblestudyoftheweek.com" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.biblestudyoftheweek.com"><U><B>Bible Study of The Week Home</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div>  <img src="HTMLobj-91/aniGif.gif" border="0" align="bottom" width="126" height="312">  </div> </td> <td valign="top" height=390 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000"> <bR> <div> <B>VI. Old Testament Worship   Part 5</B></div> <div> <B>                   </B><FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#111111" FACE="Arial" ><B>First Four Commands</B></FONT></div> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <I><B>Idolatry</B></I></div> <div> <B>1) What is the third commandment found in Ex. 20? What does this say about our attitude toward God?</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>“Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord the God in vain.” (v.7)</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>This obviously demands an attitude of respect and reverence toward God (Lev. 19:14; Ne 1:11). God's people should have so much respect for their God that they would not even mention His Name except with that attitude!</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>2) What is the fourth commandment? Look through your Bible and find how this was observed and the purpose(s) for its observance!</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>This was the 7</B><FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" ><B>th</B></FONT><B> day of the week. It was to observed as a time of rest and worship, stemming from the Creation itself, when God rested on the seventh day from all that He had done Gen. 2:2,3). All their labor was to be done on the other 6 days, and on this day no work was to be done by man or beast (Ex. 20:8-11). Anyone who worked upon the Sabbath was to be put to death (Ex. 31:15). The Sabbath was to be a `delight' (Hos 2:11), a time of great rejoicing before the Lord! This caused God to also command `doubled' sacrifices on the morning and evening of this day (Num. 28:9) (Ps. 92).</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>The shewbread was to be replaced as well on the Sabbath day (Lev. 24:8), showing a renewing; and the people were to meet together to praise God and be instructed in His Law (Lev. 10:11; Deut 14:29; 33:10)</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>WHY ALL OF THIS?</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>A) It was a sign between Israel and God of His creating and resting upon the seventh day. A reminder of His greatness. (Ex. 31:17)</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>B) The observing of the Sabbath showed submission to God! (Isa. 58: 13,14)</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>C) Again, man was (as he has and will always need to be) reminded of God, His greatness, man's littleness (Mt. 12:1-3).</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>NOTE: When Jesus gets on the Pharisees' case about their observation, He was not saying that the Sabbath was any less important. He was saying that they had added foolish traditions and were observing hypocritically (uselessly). (Mt. 12:1-13, Mt. 15:9; Isa. 1)</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>Again we see God providing a way for man to improve his humble attitude toward His Creator!</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>3) Now let's look at the first two commandments. Could they be any simpler to understand? Yet what do we find in Ex. 32?</B></div> <bR> <div> <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#990080" FACE="Arial" ><B>Remember Lesson 3?</B></FONT> <B>God spoke these commandments to the people themselves. Yet, while Moses was upon the mount receiving the rest of the instructions concerning moral and civil matters, the people formed a golden calf and began to worship it; thus breaking the first two commandments. That old Egyptian idolatry must have had a tremendous affect; for as soon as they doubted Moses would return, they created an idol to worship!</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>4) The biggest problem that Israel would have in worshipping God was idolatry. In spite of the first two commandments it wouldn't be long before they would return to the sin of Ex. 32. Read 1Kings 12 and 13 and explain what brought this about.</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>Solomon, in his old age, because he had taken foreign wives against God's command, was drawn into idolatry by his wives (1Kings 11:4,5), But when his son Rehoboam succeeded him upon the throne, it became even worse. Rehoboam put such a burden upon the people that they rebelled, leaving only the tries of Judah and Benjamin under his reign. The other ten tribes (northern) set up Jeroboam as their king.</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>Because the people returned to Jerusalem to observe the annual feasts, Jeroboam feared that the Israelites might return to the reign of Rehoboam; so he set up two golden calves and setting them up at Bethel and Dan so that his people might not need to go to Jerusalem (1Kings 12:28). Although these, and the altars would be destroyed 150 years later (1 Kings 13:2; 2 Kings 23:15, 16), idolatry was in Israel's heart to stay.</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>5) Who were some of the men who worked toward eradicating idolatry, and what kind of success did they have? (2 Kings 23;18; 2Kings 9 and 10) (2Chron. 15; 17; 24)</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>We've already mentioned Josiah's success (1Kings 13:2, 23:15,16) in destroying the idol-worship, which Jeroboam had set up 150 years earlier. Elijah also challenged Baal-worship (1Kings 18:18-39) and won a victory against the prophets of Baal. Jehu was raised up by God to destroy Baalism from Israel (2Kings 9:7-10), and did, by defeating Joram (Ahab's son) in battle, causing Jezebel to be thrown down, and acting like a Baal-worshipper himself, destroying all Baal-worshippers. The 70 sons of Ahab were also given to him at Samaria. (2Kings 9:16-26, 30-37; 10:1-11,18,19,23,24-28) Jehu was promised the throne for four generations for this deed (2Kings 10:29,30).</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>After Jeroboam ruled, the northern kingdom never had a truly (lasting) godly king. But the southern kingdom did have some (Asa, Jehoshaphat, Amaziah, Uzziah, Jotham, Hezekiah, Josiah). </B></div> <bR> <div> <B>6) Who were some of those who led them into idolatry? (1Kings 16; 14,15)</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>Jeroboam (1Kings 12:28) Ahab/Jezebel (1Kings 16:32,33)</B></div> <div> <B>Every king of the northern tribes (Even Jehu returned to idolatry)</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>Despite watching the fall of the northern kingdom to idolatry, the southern kingdom followed in their footsteps. There were a few godly rulers, but the last five were foolish and led Judah into captivity as well.</B></div> <bR> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <A HREF="http://members.tripod.com/rjmcclur55/" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://members.tripod.com/rjmcclur55/"><U>Bible Study of The Week</U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="bible_study.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Lesson One"><U><B>Lesson One</B></U></A><B>   |   </B><A HREF="id17.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Lesson Two"><U><B>Lesson Two</B></U></A><B>   |   </B><A HREF="id18.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Lesson Three"><U><B>Lesson Three</B></U></A><B>   |   </B><A HREF="id20.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Lesson Four"><U><B>Lesson Four</B></U></A><B>   |   </B><A HREF="id21.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Lesson Five"><U><B>Lesson Five</B></U></A><B>   |   </B><B>Lesson Six</B><B>   |   </B><A HREF="id23.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Lesson Seven"><U><B>Lesson Seven</B></U></A><B>   |   </B><A HREF="id24.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Lesson Eight"><U><B>Lesson Eight</B></U></A><B>   |   </B><A HREF="id25.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Lesson Nine"><U><B>Lesson Nine</B></U></A><B>   |   </B><A HREF="id26.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Lesson Ten"><U><B>Lesson Ten</B></U></A><B>   |   </B><A HREF="id27.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Lesson Eleven"><U><B>Lesson Eleven</B></U></A><B>   |   </B><A HREF="id28.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Lesson Twelve"><U><B>Lesson Twelve</B></U></A></div> <bR> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>