Matthew 1-2

• Significance of 3 lots of 14 generations? (1:17)
• A child not conceived in usual manner, but a child from the Holy Spirit. (v18)
• Joseph's loving character revealed by choosing not to publicly shaming her. (v19)
• Message revealed to him through angel for assurance. He could only have faith and believe what was said (v20-21)
• This was the fulfilment of the prophecy (v22-23) and married immediately took Mary after message revealed (v24)
• No sexual relationships with wife before the birth of Jesus (v25)
• At this stage no one shouldn't know about the birth of Jesus except wise men (2:2). (Notice the faithful wise men by the use of worship, not where is he so we can in and see whether there really is a king born - how many wise men were there?) Why was the three wise men's words so powerful and had so much authority that people believed them and worried? As far as people are concerned they could only see a bright star. Or was everyone clearly aware of the Old Testament prophecy all along?
• King Herod confirms details of prophecy with Chief Priests. (v4-6)
• King Herod plots against baby Jesus. (v7-9)
• How Jesus was Nazareth/Galilee. (v22-23)

Isaiah 6

And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, "Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?" Then I said, "Here am I! Send me."

-- Isaiah 6:8

God gives us many opportunities to serve him. But we give ourselves all kinds of excuses, I am busy, I have something else to do, may be I will do it later, can you ask somebody else to do it for you Lord?
Here is Isaiah's response: Here am I! Send me! Without knowing what he will need to do, how hard or dangerous the task will be, whether he wants to do it or not, without thinking at all, he replies immediately: send me!
We should learn his attitude when serving the Lord.


Something I dont understand in Isaiah 6...

v9 - 10. I dont get it ... Does God not want to save those people? Why God does not want them to see, listen and understand?

Isaiah 1-6

• Isaiah the son of Amoz (1:1)
• God declares Israel no longer acknowledges His position (v2). Compares that animals like ox and donkey knows, but Israel does not. (v3)
• Their minds have been corrupted with evil. (v4) Even children, who are supposed to be pure, have now been taught to deceive. Is society today like this? China with kids cheating for money by saying the are crippled etc.
• Compares the rebellious heart as a sick one. (v5). Asks why would someone want to stay sick? And they are not doing anything about it to heal these wounds (v6)
• They reject God in their presence and are being taken over (v7) and nothing is being done about it.
• Comparison with Sodom & Gomorrah (v8-9)
• God doesn't like their offerings in v11-12. Reveals in v13 that it is because " I cannot endure iniquity and solemn assembly." God could not bear unrighteous offerings at all. These are offerings with the absence of the heart for the Lord.
• Consequences of sin. You do not want to be in the presence of God, God stays away from you. (v15)
• God loves and offers opportunities to repent. (v16-19)
• Consequences of rebelling (v20)
• What was once good is now a disgrace. (v21-23)
• God show his wrath against unrighteousness and promises to purify Israel Zion. (v24-31)
• The day when God's people (nation) are exalted and people would like to come after it! (v2-3)?
• God is just (?) (v4) hence we shall now repent. (?) (v5)
• The place is filled with things God dislikes, eg fortune tellers (v6), money (v7), and idols (v8) (isn't that like our world today?
• Warning: (v9-17) What happens to proud man? What happens to the so called gods when the true God is in action? (v18-21)
• How big is man? (v22)
• Israel sinned, God no longer will be in their presence. (3:1) And God warns without God's presence, Israel will be a place of ruins that no one wants to rule (v6-8) People thought It's just a change in power, different rule. They didn't realise it is an unwanted place? Like hell?
• Warnings to those who sin proudly (v9) vs those who are good (v10)
• More vivid description of the difference between now and without God's presence. (v18-26)
• Prophesied what will happen (4:5). Not all will come under God's wrath (v6)
• God did good for Israel by comparing to vineyard (5:2), but why were bad fruits (wild grapes) formed? He has done all for it and this is what he gets. (v4) Hence He is going to pull it apart. (v5-10)
• Who will be punished? Those who are drunk (v11 and 19-20) who give no attention to God at all (v12).
• How Israel will fall into the hands of others. (v14, 25-30)
• Isaiah has visions (6:1-13)

Job 1-2

Whenever I read Job, I am encouraged by Job's faith in God. When Job lost all he had, he did not ask why, did not ask 'Where are you, God?'. Instead, the first thing he did was to come back to God and worship, and praise the Lord.

All sons were dead, Job's wife did not understand how he felt and challenge his faith, God seemed not listening to Job's prayers. I believe they are the worst things can ever happen in anyone's life. But Job replies:

You are talking non-sense! When God sends us something good, we welcome it. How can we complain when he sends us trouble?

It is easy to say, but hard to do. But Job did.


A few things I don't understand. Why would God allow Satan to test Job? God knows Job's faith is strong and He knows Job will not curse God. Does He want to show Satan that there are righteous people in the world?
God said Job is faithful and good, does that mean Job is sinless? On what basis can we tell someone is righteous in OT?

Job 1-2

• Job, from land of Uz, ideal role model: blameless, upright, God fearing person.(1:1) but is he sinless?
• A very abundant life (v2-3) and loves his family. (v4)
• Tries to keep the wrath of God by offering sacrifice on behalf of his children. (v5)
• Satan was under God as well. (v6)
• God confirms Job's righteousness.(v8)
• Satan challenges that he is only righteous because of the abundance God has given him. (v10) Is this image a bit like Christ leaving his riches in Heaven for all of us?
• Satan destroy his properties. Are there any significance in the order of the destroying events and why in sections? Multiple sources to confirm the disaster is true. (v13-19)
• The first thing he did was not to reason Why or blamed, but came back to God and worshiped, even praised the Lord. (v20-21)
• Destroyed without reason (2:3)
• He ensured Job would not be suffering death without cause? (v6)
• Even wife's faith has been rocked (v8)
• Still accepts and receives from God everything with trust. (v10)
• Sympathise and tore their robes and sprinkled dust on their heads toward heaven. (v11-12). Is that a sign towards God saying that something is wrong?

Psalms 1-2

• Don't follow the advice of the evil ones (1:1)
• Assured that those who meditate, think, stay in God's path (His Law) are Blessed. (1:2)
• Comparison that anything that is not righteous (not in accordance with God's way) will not last (v3-6)
• Silly to plan anything that is against God's will. It's unfounded and it will fail. (2:1-4)
• God gives chance for repentance (v5) by announcing his fury.
• Declares his relationship with those that are with him is like Father and child and child will inherit His riches are enormous in size. (v6-8)
• Power will be given (v9)
• Repent and beware (v10)
• God will protect that serve Him with respect. (v11-12)

Joshua 1-5

• Joshua, son of Nun - Moses' assistant. (1:1)
• God's assurance that He will be with them (1:5), provided their hearts' are with God (v6-9).
• Why send spies? Is Joshua not trusting God that they will win? (2:1)
• Why did Rahab, the prostitute, risk her life covering for the two spies? (2:4-7)
• Answer revealed in v8-11. Heard and believed. v14, a promise given.
• 3 days of hiding, any significance on no. 3? (v16)
• Guiltless? (v17)
• Did they had to see before they believed what God had promised? (v24). They had been outside the promised land for 40 years, lacked faith after all this time?
• God raising/exalting Joshua and making him on par with Moses to lead Israel. (3:7) Parting the waters in v8-17, reminding Israel the days when Moses led Israel.
• Laying 12 stones to show God's grace in bringing them to promised land. (4:1-7)
• Kings heard of Almighty God about parting the river (5:1). Note they are aware of God's existence. They never said it was Joshua's work.
• From Manna to fruits of Canaan - a path to maturity? (v12)
• Who is this Commader? (v13-15)

Genesis 1-3

• 1:26-27, Man was made on 6th day - v26 rule 1:- dominion over fish and birds. V28 be fruitful and multiply.
• 2:7, man created from dust, Eden created after in v8. V9, tree of life + tree of the knowledge to good and evil.
• 2:22, woman created
• 3:3, did Eve not remember God's closely? If she did, would serpent not successfully tempt? Or did Adam just misinformed Eve God's commandment in 2:15? Who is it to blame?
  
• 3:5, the heart to be like God? Is there a such a value for rebellion? (i.e. is there a need to rule in a perfect world?)
• 3:19, Consequences of rebelling against God: affirmation of death, serious about what he said about death in
• 3:21, And the LORD God made for Adam and for his wife garments of skins and clothed them. Once heard from a sister in Christ who learnt from BSF that this is the first ever form of sacrifice: God killing the first animal for our Sin, becoming the first-born to be killed to remember our sin.
  
• 3:22, God casted them out to prevent Adam from eating tree of life. Did God not intend us to live forever? Or only not intend after we have knowledge of good and evil? In the ideal situation where they had/won't sin against God, would Adam and Eve have one day found the tree of life and lived on forever? What happened if they first ate from the tree of life, and then ate from tree of knowledge?
  
• Why didn't he give us eternal life right from the beginning in the first place when everything was perfect?