Monthly Archives: January 2020

Single-minded Obedience

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International Sunday School February 2, 2020 Winter Quarter #10

Matthew 4:1-11  Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.  (2)  And after fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry.  (3)  And the tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.”  (4)  But he answered, “It is written, “‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”  (5)  Then the devil took him to the holy city and set him on the pinnacle of the temple  (6)  and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down, for it is written, “‘He will command his angels concerning you,’ and “‘On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone.’”  (7)  Jesus said to him, “Again it is written, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.’”  (8)  Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory.  (9)  And he said to him, “All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me.”  (10)  Then Jesus said to him, “Be gone, Satan! For it is written, “‘You shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall you serve.’”  (11)  Then the devil left him, and behold, angels came and were ministering to him.

 

Solomon Anticipates Praise

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International Sunday School January 26, 2020 Winter Quarter #9

1 Kings 8:54-61 When Solomon had finished all these prayers and supplications to the LORD, he rose from before the altar of the LORD, where he had been kneeling with his hands spread out toward heaven. [55] He stood and blessed the whole assembly of Israel in a loud voice, saying: [56] “Praise be to the LORD, who has given rest to his people Israel just as he promised. Not one word has failed of all the good promises he gave through his servant Moses. [57] May the LORD our God be with us as he was with our ancestors; may he never leave us nor forsake us. [58] May he turn our hearts to him, to walk in obedience to him and keep the commands, decrees and laws he gave our ancestors. [59] And may these words of mine, which I have prayed before the LORD, be near to the LORD our God day and night, that he may uphold the cause of his servant and the cause of his people Israel according to each day’s need, [60] so that all the peoples of the earth may know that the LORD is God and that there is no other. [61] And may your hearts be fully committed to the LORD our God, to live by his decrees and obey his commands, as at this time.”

Solomon Seeks God’s Blessing

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International Sunday School Lesson January 19, 2020 Winter Quarter #8

1 Kings 8:22-30 Then Solomon stood before the altar of the LORD in front of the whole assembly of Israel, spread out his hands toward heaven [23] and said: “LORD, the God of Israel, there is no God like you in heaven above or on earth below—you who keep your covenant of love with your servants who continue wholeheartedly in your way. [24] You have kept your promise to your servant David my father; with your mouth you have promised and with your hand you have fulfilled it—as it is today. [25] “Now LORD, the God of Israel, keep for your servant David my father the promises you made to him when you said, ‘You shall never fail to have a successor to sit before me on the throne of Israel, if only your descendants are careful in all they do to walk before me faithfully as you have done.’ [26] And now, God of Israel, let your word that you promised your servant David my father come true. [27] “But will God really dwell on earth? The heavens, even the highest heaven, cannot contain you. How much less this temple I have built! [28] Yet give attention to your servant’s prayer and his plea for mercy, LORD my God. Hear the cry and the prayer that your servant is praying in your presence this day. [29] May your eyes be open toward this temple night and day, this place of which you said, ‘My Name shall be there,’ so that you will hear the prayer your servant prays toward this place. [30] Hear the supplication of your servant and of your people Israel when they pray toward this place. Hear from heaven, your dwelling place, and when you hear, forgive.

1 Kings 8:52-53 “May your eyes be open to your servant’s plea and to the plea of your people Israel, and may you listen to them whenever they cry out to you. [53] For you singled them out from all the nations of the world to be your own inheritance, just as you declared through your servant Moses when you, Sovereign LORD, brought our ancestors out of Egypt.”

Solomon Speaks to the People

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International Sunday School January 12, 2020 Winter Quarter #7

1 Kings 8:14-21 While the whole assembly of Israel was standing there, the king turned around and blessed them. [15] Then he said: “Praise be to the LORD, the God of Israel, who with his own hand has fulfilled what he promised with his own mouth to my father David. For he said, [16] ‘Since the day I brought my people Israel out of Egypt, I have not chosen a city in any tribe of Israel to have a temple built so that my Name might be there, but I have chosen David to rule my people Israel.’ [17] “My father David had it in his heart to build a temple for the Name of the LORD, the God of Israel. [18] But the LORD said to my father David, ‘You did well to have it in your heart to build a temple for my Name. [19] Nevertheless, you are not the one to build the temple, but your son, your own flesh and blood—he is the one who will build the temple for my Name.’ [20] “The LORD has kept the promise he made: I have succeeded David my father and now I sit on the throne of Israel, just as the LORD promised, and I have built the temple for the Name of the LORD, the God of Israel. [21] I have provided a place there for the ark, in which is the covenant of the LORD that he made with our ancestors when he brought them out of Egypt.”