A Case for Christianity, Review of Session 1: Class Introduction and the importance of Christian Apologetics

This week we are focusing on the importance of Christian Apologetics, as we begin to make our case for Christianity. I want to encourage everyone to watch Bobby Conway and Frank Turek discuss the topic of Christian Apologetics and how, in practical ways, it can shape your faith and witness to others. Bobby Conway’s “One Minute Apologist” and his website “Christianity Still Makes Sense” is a go to for quick and insightful answers to many questions asked of Christians today. Frank Turek’s “Cross Examined” tackles tough question with hard line answers to skeptics and atheists, often in a debate or Q & A format. I highly recommend following them if you are serious about giving answers for the hope that you have in Jesus.

Watch Bobby’s interview with Frank Turek on the importance of Christian Apologetics:

This week’s class is on a quick break for VBS (Vacation Bible School) and we will return next week with a new presentation and Bible study review. The following is from last week’s introduction in case you’d like to review and have a little more time on the homework:

BIBLE STUDY REVIEW AND HOMEWORK

Prayer cards: Take a minute and write your name on the index card provided, and add any special prayer request you might have. Exchange cards at the end of the class this evening.

At your table groups, do the following:

1. Review anything you had questions on, or stood out to you, from last week’s introduction notes
2. Recite the Memory Verse(s):

“Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers, but whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night.”  Psalm 1:1-2 (NIV)

The following are example answers to the first part of our Bible study in the book of Numbers from the introduction class last week:

1. Author: Who wrote the book and when? (Include anything you can find about the author and when it was written)

• Moses is the author of this book which is part of the first five books of the Bible known as the Torah (Hebrew), Pentateuch (Greek), also known as “the Books of Moses”
• Moses’ story is told in the books of Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy
• The Bible tells us that God gave Moses all that is in the Torah at Mt. Sinai, and he wrote during the forty-year period of wandering in the desert after the exodus from Egypt, 1446-1406 BC

Biblical reference examples for Moses’ authorship: Exodus 17:14, 24:2-4, 34:27; Numbers 33:1-2, Deuteronomy 31:9, Joshua 1:8, 2 Kings 21:8; and most importantly Jesus spoke of Moses’ authorship many times as exampled in John 5:46-47

2. Audience: Who was it written to? (Include anything you can find about the people, the culture or societal norms, of that time period)

• The Nation of Israel is the intended audience and it was given to them during their forty-year wilderness wanderings after the exodus from Egypt (prior to entering the Promised Land).
• Additionally, God gave it to them through Moses and commanded them to teach it to the people of God for generations to come.

3. Purpose: Why was it written? (Include anything you can find about their circumstances and what was, or had been, going on)

• The Hebrew name for Numbers is Bamidbar, which means “In the Wilderness” and in this book they will be in the wilderness for some forty years due to their disobedience.
• The theme of Numbers narrates the gradual fulfillment of the promises to Abraham, that his descendants would be a great Nation, the people of God, and would occupy the land of Canaan.
• The book also shows the reality of God’s presence with Israel in the pillar of cloud and fire over the Tabernacle day and night, and even though He must discipline them, He never leaves them.
• In this book we find the question has been answered as to why, at the end of Exodus, the people could not enter the “tent of meeting” in the Tabernacle where God’s presence was (because of God’s holiness and His shinning glory). We find that now they could enter the “tent” due to the implementation of the laws in the book of Leviticus. The first verse in the book of Numbers says: “Then the LORD spoke to Moses in the Wilderness of Sinai, in the tent of meeting, on the first of the second month, in the second year after they had come out of the land of Egypt” (compare with Exodus 40:34-35).
• Numbers also shows us how Israel’s unbelief and disobedience delays the entry into Canaan (by some forty years) and costs many lives; nevertheless, by the end of the book Israel is ready to enter the land.

4. Content: What is in each chapter?

• Basic:  Write out chapter by chapter titles.
• Going Deeper: Add a short summary under your titles, 3-5 sentences
• Advanced: Look for these things to put in your summary notes:

1. Is there anything in this chapter that relates to one of the Covenants (Adamic, Abrahamic or Mosaic)?
2. Where’s Jesus? Is there anything in this chapter that foreshadows/pictures Jesus?
3. The Shelf: Note any questions or a’has you have about the chapter.

The Book of Numbers: Chapter notes

PREPARING FOR THE JOURNEY

Chapter 1: The First Census of the Nation – Census of Israel’s Warriors; Levites Exempted

In this chapter we read about God’s command to Moses to take a census, every male 20 years and older, for the purpose of war (conquest of the Promised Land). We also read about the assigned heads of each of the twelve tribes. The number is 603,550. The tribe of Levi were not to be numbered according to the LORD because their duties were to the Tabernacle.

Interesting Note: It is ironic that when the nation is numbered again at the end of the book with the second generation, after this generation dies off in the wilderness, the number is 601,730, almost exactly the same. They had not lost their children to famine or disease in the wilderness as they had complained about, and it was their children who would lead them into the Promised Land.

C = We see a pointing to the Abrahamic Covenant in this first chapter with the listing of the twelve tribes of Israel (and their leaders) that fulfills God’s promise to Abraham of a “nation” and of for a “land” as they prepared to enter the land of Canaan (the Promised Land).

JF = If we follow the “seed promise” from Genesis 3:15 through to the tribe of Judah we find the designated leader of the tribe of Judah is Nahshon the son of Amminadab in Numbers 1:7. Then if we cross-reference to the New Testament and look at Jesus’ genealogies in Matthew 1:4 and Luke 3:32-33 we find these names in the direct line of Jesus.

Chapter 2: Arrangement of the Camp by Tribes

In this chapter God tells Moses and Aaron how to have the tribes set up and arrange their camps around the “tent of meeting” in the Tabernacle. The arrangements would be in order by who would pick up and leave camp first and where they would set up camp when they stopped. The tribe of Levi would always camp around the Tabernacle in four groups to attend to the duties of setting up, maintaining and breaking down the Tabernacle for travel.

JF = We find the following about tribe of Judah, Jesus’ lineage: 1) They would lead the others by going out first (Jesus said “follow” Him); 2) they were on the east side where the entrance to the Tabernacle was (Jesus said that “He was the door”); and 3) the final arrangement of the camp was in the shape of a cross with the Tabernacle in the middle where the presence of the LORD was located in the “tent of meeting.”

HOMEWORK:

Read Numbers chapters 3-11 and do the following: This would continue #4 – Content from the Bible survey format…

• Basic: Write a title for each chapter (could include more than one depending on topics in that chapter).
• Going Deeper: Take notes to summarize the chapter (no more than three to five sentences). However, you can add to your summaries if you glean something important from your study partners.
• Advanced: Look for these things to put in your summary notes:

a.Is there anything in the chapter that relates to one of the Covenants (Adamic, Abrahamic or Mosaic)?

b.Where’s Jesus? Is there anything in the chapter that foreshadows/pictures Jesus?

c.The Shelf: Note any questions or a’has you have about the chapter.