HIS STORY AND ISRAEL
Introduction
So what’s the big deal with doing Chronological Bible teaching?
Churches (including this one) are full of well meaning, God fearing, Jesus professing
members who cannot provide a viable and cohesive narrative of God’s design for
humanity as revealed in His Word, the Bible. The church has lost her storyline. The
story is still there, but it is taught in bits and pieces making it hard for Christians form a
cohesive and practical Biblical worldview.
What is a worldview? Our worldview forms the framework from which we interpret
reality and make sense of life and the world. People with a Biblical worldview believe
that their primary reason for existence is to love and serve God, and use the truths of
the Bible as a guide. The Barna Research Group recently conducted a poll to assess the
prevalence of the Biblical worldview among born-again, Bible believing Christians.
They asked the following questions:
 Do absolute moral truths exist?
 Is absolute truth defined by the Bible?
 Did Jesus Christ live a sinless life?
 Is God the all-powerful and all-knowing Creator of the universe, and does He
still rule it today?
 Is salvation a gift from God that cannot be earned?
 Is Satan real?
 Does a Christian have a responsibility to share his or her faith in Christ with
other people?
 Is the Bible accurate in all of its teachings?
Only nine percent of born again believers answered all of these question “yes”. Could
one of the reasons for such a poor showing be the way churches and families teach the
Bible? Instead of presenting the Bible as God’s story of creation and His interaction
with people throughout history, we teach individual concepts and doctrines as
fragments, without tying together the overall plot. The Chronological Bible teaching
plan seeks to tie the entire story of the Bible together with a flow that is easier to
comprehend, recall and apply to daily life.
Key Truth: God ensures that His Story is preserved by commanding Moses to
record the storyline of humanity, the promises of redemption, and the instructions
that pertain to following generations.
Understanding what God as done in the past prepares God’s people to live
purposefully and hopefully in the present.
Context
The Biblical narrative begins with God creating the universe and calling it good. He
gives man instructions, which he fails to follow resulting in sin and separation from
God. He promises a redeemer through the seed of the woman institutes the
sacrifice as a picture of that coming redemption. He speaks to Noah, Abraham,
Isaac, Jacob and Joseph. Then He speaks to Moses regarding His people and gives
him the responsibility of recording God’s redemptive mission thus far so that
future generations may benefit.
Lesson Objective
Examine the role of Bible literacy in Israel’s history and discover the parallels
between Bible literacy and the spiritual vitality of His people.
Deuteronomy 28
Bible Literacy Maintains Divine Protection
58 If you do not carefully follow all the words of this law, which are
written in this book, and do not revere this glorious and awesome
name—the LORD your God— 59 the LORD will send fearful plagues on
you and your descendants, harsh and prolonged disasters, and severe
and lingering illnesses. 60 He will bring on you all the diseases of Egypt
that you dreaded, and they will cling to you. 61 The LORD will also bring
on you every kind of sickness and disaster not recorded in this Book of
the Law, until you are destroyed. 62 You who were as numerous as the
stars in the sky will be left but few in number, because you did not obey
the LORD your God.63 Just as it pleased the LORD to make you prosper
and increase in number, so it will please him to ruin and destroy you.
You will be uprooted from the land you are entering to possess.
64 Then the LORD will scatter you among all nations, from one end of
the earth to the other. There you will worship other gods—gods of wood
and stone, which neither you nor your ancestors have known. 65 Among
those nations you will find no repose, no resting place for the sole of
your foot. There the LORD will give you an anxious mind, eyes weary
with longing, and a despairing heart. 66 You will live in constant
suspense, filled with dread both night and day, never sure of your life.
Moses concludes the “Blessing and Cursing” pronouncement by
elevating Bible literacy
 A command to “carefully” follow God’s word
 Leads the reader to “revere” the LORD
Moses emphasizes the real consequences for the nation that fails to do
so
 Generation-spanning plagues, disasters and illnesses(59)
 The diseases of Egypt(60)
 Afflictions not even known at the time of writing(61)
 Decimation(62)
 Displacement(63)
 Dilution(64)
 Distress and anxiety(65)
 Dread(66)
God’s Warnings Teach the Following Truths
 People are prone to forget what God has said or done for previous generations
 God leaves nothing to chance or relative interpretation
o He provides a written account of for present generations
 He expects the current generation to live by that account and pass it on
Deuteronomy 31
Bible Literacy must be Actively Promoted
9 So Moses wrote down this law and gave it to the Levitical priests, who
carried the ark of the covenant of the LORD, and to all the elders of
Israel. 10 Then Moses commanded them: “At the end of every seven years,
in the year for canceling debts, during the Festival of Tabernacles, 11 when
all Israel comes to appear before the LORD your God at the place he will
choose, you shall read this law before them in their hearing. 12 Assemble the
people—men, women and children, and the foreigners residing in your
towns—so they can listen and learn to fear the LORD your God and follow
carefully all the words of this law. 13 Their children, who do not know this
law, must hear it and learn to fear the LORD your God as long as you live in
the land you are crossing the Jordan to possess.”
Moses Presents the Completed Copy of the Law(9)
 He gave it to the sons of Levi and the elders
o Religious AND tribal (political) leaders
 Commissioned them with the responsibility to regularly teach the people
o The Levitical priesthood would be responsible for promoting Biblical literacy
o The effort was to be ongoing and center around the regular observance of the Feast of
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Application
What does this lesson teaches us about God, man, sin and
redemption:
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Without Bible literacy people cannot understand who God is, what is
wrong in this world, or appreciate what God has done to redeem
mankind.
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Every generation and every people must hear His Story.
Summary
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Tabernacles (booths)
o The Law was to be read before all the people of Israel
 Men
 Women
 Children (to be raised to revere the LORD)
 Foreigners
God’s Command Teaches the Following Truths
 The priesthood had a special responsibility to teach His Story to Israel
 Faith in and fear of God comes by hearing God’s Story
 Every generation must be taught His Story
 Hearing His Story read aloud crates opportunities for conversation, teaching and discipleship
Deuteronomy 32
Bible Literacy must be Passed On
Moses came with Joshua son of Nun and spoke all the words of this
song in the hearing of the people. 45When Moses finished reciting all
these words to all Israel, 46 he said to them, “Take to heart all the
words I have solemnly declared to you this day, so that you may
command your children to obey carefully all the words of this
law. 47 They are not just idle words for you—they are your life. By
them you will live long in the land you are crossing the Jordan to
possess.”
44
Moses Passed the Baton of Bible Literacy
 Moses recited the song of Israel’s history with the LORD
 He passes on the responsibility of Bible literacy on the Joshua
Moses Tied Bible Literacy Together with the Daily Life of Israel(46,47)
 Bible literacy and obedience are essential for the Spiritual vitality of God’s people
o It must be passed on to successive generations
o It is important for defining their way of life as a holy people
 Their heritage as God’s people
 Their ability to define and interpret the world around them
Bible literacy would bring definite benefits to their children
o Enable successive generations would continue to occupy the Promised Land
o Enable stability which breeds prosperity and peace
God speaks through the written record of His Story
God acts by preserving His Story in written form
God reveals the importance of Bible literacy and its link to the
spiritual and practical vitality of His people.
Discussion
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How can God’s people get to know God’s Story?
How can they go about passing that Story on to the next generation?
What might the enemy do to rob God’s people of their Story?
What other stories in contemporary culture compete with God’s
story?