Luke 22:14-20  

We are to have compassion for people who don’t know God. What is compassion?

According to Webster’s Dictionary, compassion is sorrow for the sufferings or trouble of another or others, accompanied by an urge to help; deep sympathy, pity.

What does “compassion” really mean for Christians?

What does the Bible tell us about the compassion of God?

Psalm 86:15

Psalm 103:13

Isaiah 49:13

Jeremiah 15:6

Lamentations 3:22-32

The stage for the events of these last two chapters of Jonah has already been set in the first two chapters of the book. In chapter 1 Jonah was commanded by God to go to Nineveh, where he was to cry against this great city for its sins. Instead of traveling to the northeast, Jonah went down to the seaport of Joppa, where he boarded a ship headed to Tarshish, apparently on the coast of Spain. Jonah was headed in the opposite direction!

Jonah’s disobedience resulted in God bringing about an intense storm, which was breaking up the ship, and which had frightened the sailors to the point that they were fervently calling on their gods to save them. At the same time, they were casting all the cargo overboard. Finding Jonah sleeping soundly below deck, the captain of the ship commanded him to pray (which he apparently never did).

At the seamen’s initiative, lots were cast to determine on whose account the ship was about to sink. After persistent and thorough interrogation, Jonah told them he was at fault and what they must do to save themselves and their ship—cast him overboard.

Only after God thwarted their diligent efforts to get Jonah to shore did the sailors consent to do as Jonah had instructed them. They preceded this act with a prayer which expressed their concern for putting an innocent man to death. When Jonah was cast over the side, the sea calmed and the seamen worshipped the God of Israel with sacrifices and vows.

If this first chapter revealed anything, it dramatically contrasted Jonah with the heathen sailors. He was disobedient to the command of God; they obeyed what God told them to do through Jonah. They prayed frequently and fervently; Jonah did not. They had great compassion on Jonah; he seemingly had none on them.

In chapter 4 Jonah blurts out his reasons for rebelling against the command of the Lord to preach against the city of Nineveh. The events which take place in this chapter were intended to reveal the sin of Jonah. While the sins of the prodigal prophet become very apparent to the reader, they apparently do not have much of an impact on Jonah, and so the story ends in a kind of stalemate, with God’s final words of admonition suspended in mid air, and Jonah still angry with his God.
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Was Jonah justified in his anger toward God? Why did God “change His mind” after saying that Nineveh would be destroyed because of their sin? Jeremiah 18:5-11

We must remember that Christ came to seek and to save the lost. How do we see compassion in His actions?

Matthew 9:36, 14:14, 20:34

Luke 19:10

Luke 23:32-43

What are His instructions to us as Christians?

Ephesians 4:32

Colossians 3:12

1 Peter 3:8

Do Christians show compassion to the world as Christ commanded?

Rebellion Bible Quiz

True/False: Circle the correct answer

1. T F The Bible considers rebellion to be both not telling or not wanting 
          to hear the truth.
          Isaiah 30:9

2. T F Mosaic law does not allow for punishment of a rebellious child.
          Deuteronomy 21:20

3. T F Moses was concerned that Israel would become even more
          rebellious after his own death.
          Deuteronomy 31:27

4. T F Foolishly, corruptible idols have replaced an incorruptible God
          in the hearts of mankind.
          Romans 1:22-23

5. T F A divided heart shall be judged.
          Hosea 10:2

6. T F Teaching others to rebel is not as serious an offense as rebellion
          itself. 
          Jeremiah 28:16

7. T F Rebellion leads to more rebellion and mental anguish.
          Isaiah 1:5

8. T F Man's rebellious nature will eventually lead to earth's destruction.    
          Isaiah 24:20

9. T F The Antichrist will be in direct rebellion against God.
          2 Thessalonians 2:3-4

10.T F When we seek forgiveness, God will be merciful toward our
          rebellion. 
          Daniel 9:9

Fill in the blanks
Rebellion—

11. Is _______________________________
      Numbers 14:9; Joshua 22:19.

12. _____________________________ God
      Exodus 32:10 Numbers 16:30; Nehemiah 9:26.

13. _____________________________ Christ
      Exodus 23:20,21; 1 Corinthians 10:9.

14. ______________________the Holy Spirit
      Isaiah 63:10.

Can we have hope in spite of our rebellion?
Jeremiah 29:11

How should we pray if we rebel?
Psalm 119:35

Psalm 25:4

What is the promise if we are obeying God?
John 8:12

Our obedience to God is a sign of what?
John 14:15

What is a means of rebellion prevention?
Hebrews 3:12-13

Read 2 Kings 5:1-16 God heals Naaman’s leprosy.

Compare and contrast humility and pride.

What does the Bible say about humility?
Read Romans 12:1-8

Humility and Faithfulness—a Fruit of the Spirit Story

Once upon a time there was a family of grapes who lived in a great big vineyard. The grapes had a long tradition of being very sweet and juicy and many people wanted to buy them to sell in their stores or restaurants. A small, green grape named Aaron was just starting to grow and mature into a plump purple grape. Aaron knew his family's tradition of being from a great grape dynasty because he had heard his dad, uncles and grandpa talk about it many times before. Aaron was proud of his family, and he had good reason to be.

Aaron was also friends with a little ladybug named Faith who lived nearby him. He had met Faith when he was just a tiny squirt, and they had become great friends. One day when Aaron and Faith were playing, Aaron told Faith that he planned to be in a bottle of the most exclusive and expensive wine known to the world. Faith laughed and said, "You can't control where you are used. You may even be in a fruit salad, mixed up with lots of other fruits." Well, Aaron was not very happy to hear that, and he told Faith that his family was from a well-known vineyard, and he would never be caught dead in a fruit salad. Aaron said, "I'm not from the lower-class grapes that get tossed into a fruit salad; we are upper-class grapes that only get chosen to be used in expensive wines."

Just as Aaron said that, the vine dresser walked down Aaron's row picking the ripe grapes near Aaron, and he accidentally knocked Aaron off the vine. Aaron came crashing to the ground, and he was stomped on by the vine dresser. Faith could not believe her eyes! One minute Aaron was boasting that he could only be used for fine wine and the next he was nothing but a sour, smashed grape laying flat on the ground.

Faith felt so bad that she vowed to stick with arrogant Aaron's family and talk to his little brothers and sisters about humility and pride. She wanted the rest of his family to realize that God does not like pride, and He will destroy and bring down anyone who is proud or arrogant.

God wants us to realize that without Him, we can do nothing. When we start getting so full of ourselves that we brag and boast, God cannot use us and He has no use for us. Faith vowed to spend the rest of her life making sure all of the surrounding grapes knew the story of Aaron so they could walk in the spirit of humility and not be full of pride and arrogance like Aaron.

Do you think God places just as much worth and value on a grape being used in a fruit salad as He does on a grape put into a bottle of expensive wine? Why?

Humility means the opposite of pride; it is defined as freedom from pride and arrogance, or a modest estimate of one's own worth. The Bible says that pride goes before destruction (Proverbs 16:18) and humility comes before honor (Proverbs 15:33).

If you start feeling puffed up or better than someone else, it is time to quickly start praying that God will help you gain humility. An easy way to gain humility is to look at where you live and all the blessings you have. They are all a result of your Creator, not a result of anything you have done to deserve them. Constantly keep God first place in your life and humility will follow.

http://www.child-bible-lessons.com/fruit-of-the-spirit-stories.html

For additional insights, read:

1 Peter 5:5b

Proverbs 8:13

Isaiah 66:2

Proverbs 16:18-19

Proverbs 22:4

Luke 18:9-14

Kings show that the welfare of Israel and her kings depend on their obedience to their obligations as defined in the Mosaic covenant.

Ahaziah, king of Israel and the son of Ahab and Jezebel, reigned from 850 BCE-849 BCE. Ahaziah followed the ways of his father. During his reign the Moabites revolted from under his authority (2 Kings 3:5-7). He united with Jehoshaphat, King of Judah, in an attempt to revive maritime trade by the Red Sea, which proved a failure (2 Chronicles 20:35-37). His messengers, sent to consult the god of Ekron regarding his recovery from the effects of a fall from the roof-gallery of his palace, were met on the way by Elijah, who sent them back to tell the king that he would never rise from his bed (1 Kings 22:51; 2 Kings 1:18).

Elisha ‘s name means ‘my God is salvation.’ Elisha lived when apostasy abounded and Israel’s enemies were circling. Yet through countless situations, Elisha stood as a lightÉ a voice in the wildernessÉ showing through his life that the God of Israel was well and truly alive! In fact, Elisha performed more recorded miracles than anyone in the Bible other than Jesus.

What is the significance of these places as Elijah tests Elisha?

1. Gilgal (Separation) Joshua 4: 19-24; 5: 2, 6-9.

Gilgal was a very important place in Israel’s history. It was a base where Joshua and the Israelites used to go out from. And it was also the very first place that they came to when they entered the Promised Land. Now there are two important things in Gilgal. The first are these stones that were set up as a monument and a reminder so that anyone that looked at them would remember that God is alive and well. God wanted it known and remembered that He is a living God and that He acts on behalf of His people. Secondly, Gilgal means the ‘rolling’ or ‘roll-away’ and so it is called Gilgal because God was saying to them “I have rolled away the past. I have rolled away the reproach of Egypt, I have separated you from all those taunts that you had had that you would never get into the Promised Land’. They were now a separated people, separated from the past, but also separated unto a living God - which is what circumcision speaks of.  It was a sign that they had made a covenant with God.

2. Bethal (Desire for God’s Presence) Genesis 28:10-19: 

Jacob called the place Bethel which means the ‘House of God’ because he had been in the very presence of the Lord. Later in Israel’s history, during the time of Judges, Bethel was where the Ark of the Covenant was kept. People always used to go to Bethel  to enquire of the Lord. It was known as the House of God where God’s presence was.

3. Jericho (Walk by Faith) Josuah 6

4. Jordan (Death and Resurrection)

Do you see significance in Elisha’s retracing his steps: crossing the Jordon after striking the water, healing the water in Jericho, cursing the jeering youths in Bethel, and going to Mount Carmel and then Samaria?

IV. Read 2 Kings 4: 8- 36

VI. Read 2 Kings 4: 42-43

God proves His love for the needy in this lesson.

List some people that you know are in need? How might you help them?

Keep $5.00 (or some amount) out this week to share with strangers as you might see a need. Buy them a meal at a fast food place, pay for the bill behind you at a drive-thru, bring a can of Coke to a check-out clerk, take candy to the doctor’s office, etc.

Have a garage sale and make some (or all) items free. Cook a meal and invite people over for dinner or take it to them. Offer to baby-sit for free. Visit the shut-in’s. Really listen to people when they talk to you. Send cards to people. Change oil on a car. Compliment others. Help a friend complete a home project. Invite them to watch a favorite sports event together.

Brainstorm ideas with your friends as to how you might spread love.

List your own spiritual needs? Ask a present-day Elisha to help; form an accountability group with two or three other Christians and meet weekly to share.

How does having needs benefit us?