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Content:
1. Sovereignty
The Sovereignty of God is the biblical teaching that all things are under
God’s rule and control, and that nothing happens without His direction or
permission. God works not just some things but all things according to the
counsel of His own will (Eph. 1:11). His purposes are all-inclusive and never
thwarted (Isa. 46:11); nothing takes Him by surprise. The sovereignty of God
is not merely that God has the power and right to govern all things, but
that He does so, always and without exception. In other words, God is not
merely sovereign de jure (in principle), but sovereign de facto (in practice).
1. God is God.
5. He is the “Only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords” (1 Tim.
6:15). Such is the God of the Bible.” A. W. Pink, The Sovereignty of
God, chapter 1.
1. Day One God created light because without light there will be no
order. He separated the light from dark. The light was named day
while the dark was named night. Genesis 1:1-5 –
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 2 Now the earth
was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and
the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.
2. Day Two God created the firmament with mass of water. Firmament
means the sky and the heaven. Genesis 1:6-8
6
And God said, “Let there be a vault between the waters to separate water
from water.” 7 So God made the vault and separated the water under the
vault from the water above it. And it was so. 8 God called the vault “sky.”
And there was evening, and there was morning—the second day.
3. Day Three God created the dry land and seas. The dry land is earth,
He also made the seas, oceans and rivers on the third day. On this
day God also made plants. There are more than 250,000 types of
plants and all of them are different from each other. God is
wonderful. Genesis 1:9-13
9
And God said, “Let the water under the sky be gathered to one place, and
let dry ground appear.” And it was so. 10 God called the dry ground “land,”
and the gathered waters he called “seas.” And God saw that it was good.
11
Then God said, “Let the land produce vegetation: seed-bearing plants and
trees on the land that bear fruit with seed in it, according to their various
kinds.” And it was so. 12 The land produced vegetation: plants bearing seed
according to their kinds and trees bearing fruit with seed in it according to
their kinds. And God saw that it was good. 13 And there was evening, and
there was morning—the third day.
4. Day Four God created the sun, moon and stars to lighten the earth.
Sun to show light during the day and moon and starts to show light
during the night. The sun is more than one million times bigger than
the earth; but one star is bigger than the sun. Genesis 1:14-19
5. Day Five God created the fishes in the water, the birds that fly. All
animals in water and air were created on the firth day. After creating
them God instructed them to reproduce their kind. Genesis 1:20-23
20
And God said, “Let the water teem with living creatures, and let birds fly
above the earth across the vault of the sky.” 21 So God created the great
creatures of the sea and every living thing with which the water teems and
that moves about in it, according to their kinds, and every winged bird
according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. 22 God blessed them
and said, “Be fruitful and increase in number and fill the water in the seas,
and let the birds increase on the earth.” 23 And there was evening, and there
was morning—the fifth day.
6. Day Six God created the animals, all insects and creeping things. The
most important creature created on the sixth day was man. Genesis
1:24-31
24
And God said, “Let the land produce living creatures according to their
kinds: the livestock, the creatures that move along the ground, and the wild
animals, each according to its kind.” And it was so. 25 God made the wild
animals according to their kinds, the livestock according to their kinds, and
all the creatures that move along the ground according to their kinds. And
God saw that it was good.
After God had created the heaven and earth; the animals, fishes, birds and
plants He decided to create the man. God formed the first man, Adam out
of dust from the ground, breathed into his nostrils the breath of life and
man became a living being. God created the Garden of Eden and made it a
living place for Adam. The Garden of Eden was made beautiful with all kind
of trees and flowers and rivers to water the water the plant and trees.
God cannot forgive sin without the payment being made. Because
God is just, He cannot simply “wipe the slate clean” (Romans 6:23).
Christ cried out in the Garden of Gethsemane, “O my Father, if it be
possible, let this cup pass from me…” (Matthew 26:39). Christ had
to endure excruciating physical and spiritual agony, God’s perfect
justice pronounced on sin.
God cannot force anyone to love Him or to receive His gift of eternal
salvation through Jesus Christ. It is an act of man’s free will (John
1:11–13). When an individual chooses to respond in faith, welcoming
Jesus into his life, he becomes a new creation.
EVALUATION
1. What day did God create man?
INTRODUCTION:
GOD THE CONTROLLER OF THE UNIVERSE
The Lord directed Jeremiah to a potter’s house where the potter was
manipulating clay to form pot, then the Lord said to Jeremiah: “Can I not do
with you, Israel, as this potter does? Like clay in the hand of the potter, so
are you in my hand, Israel.” This verse tells us that God can do to us
whatever He deems fit, just as the clay cannot question and dictate to the
potter so does man, we cannot dictate for God. We are clay in His hands.
God is the creator and controller of the universe and all that is in it, whether
animate or inanimate. Any use or disposition He chooses to make of any
part of His creation is His sovereign right. God is accountable only to
Himself. He reports to nobody. He is not required at any time to give to any
person any explanation for anything He says or does. He is the superpower
above all powers in every area of His creation.
During creation God said: “Let us make man in our image after our likeness
and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of
the air and over the cattle and over all the earthly and over every creeping
thing that creeps upon the earth.” This reveals the importance God
attached to man at the time of creation. Man was created to have absolute
control over all the creatures and he is therefore accountable to the God his
creator. God therefore, owns and controls the universe. Though He created
man in His image and likeness and gave him authority, He doesn’t share
equality with man in any way.
God gave man trees, flowers and animals as food; therefore, man depends
on God for his sustenance and existence. God gave man authority to
subdue and control the other creatures; but God controls man. Therefore,
God controls the universe.
Ways in which God controls the Universe
3. All the processes of nature are at His direction (Genesis 8:22; Psalms
107:33-34, Psalms 107:38; Jeremiah 31:35).
2. Not a single sparrow falls to the ground apart from His will (Matthew
10:29).
3. He can appoint all His creatures to perform His will (Jonah 1:17; 2:10):
even for ravens to convey bread and meat to His servants (1 Kings
17:6).
4. The Lord brings both prosperity and disaster (Isaiah 45:7); success and
victory in battle (1 Samuel 11:13) and the ability to get wealth are
from Him (Deuteronomy 8:18), as too is the power to bring illness or
to remove it (Deuteronomy 7:15).
5. Ordinary daily needs are within His concern and control (Matthew
6:30, Matthew 6:33).
4. On the other hand, He can harden the hearts of His people’s enemies
(Pharaoh and Egyptians) so that they fall into His people’s hands or
even destroy themselves (Joshua 11:20; Judges 7:22)
EVALUATION
How is God the controller of man?
Content:
1. The Birth and Call of Moses
Moses was born at this critical period from the tribe of Levi. When Moses
was born his mother tried to hide for three months, but when she could no
longer hide him she made a waterproof basket and put Moses in it and
place it on the reeds of the bank of the river. As the basket was floating on
the river the daughter of Pharaoh who had come to bathe in the river saw it
and picked the child and adopted him. She needed someone to care for the
child, she unknowingly chose Moses mother (she didn’t know that was
Moses’ mother). She named the child Moses because she said “I drew him
out of water.”
Moses gave a lot of excuses why he might not be able to lead the Israelites
but God assured him that He would be with him.
1. Humility – When the Lord first called to Moses from the burning
bush, “Moses hid his face; for he was afraid to look upon God.”
(Exodus 3:6 KJV) In other words, he was humble and recognized he
was in a presence greater than his own. Great leaders in the gospel
also recognize that they are servants to the Lord as well
7. A man of Integrity
When a leader does something morally wrong, that action can prevent him
from having effective leadership. When a leader’s actions do not match
what he says, people will not follow his direction or vision.
3. Exodus 3:1-2 – One day Moses was tending the flock of his father-in-
law, Jethro, the priest of Midian. He led the flock far into the
wilderness and came to Sinai, the mountain of God. There the angel
of the Lord appeared to him in a blazing fire from the middle of a
bush. Moses stared in amazement. Though the bush was engulfed in
flames, it didn’t burn up.
Observation: God approached Moses in a foreign land while he was
doing the normal work of tending the flock of his father-in-law’s
sheep. In that ordinary situation, God approached Moses. Principle:
God can approach His future leader wherever he is no matter what is doing
but he has to be busy doing something
4. Exodus 6:1-2 – “But Lord!” Moses objected. “My own people won’t
listen to me anymore. How can I expect Pharaoh to listen? I’m such a
clumsy speaker!”
Observation: Moses was honest to confess what he perceived to be a
weakness but also believed his weakness was stronger than God’s
ability to overcome it.Principle:
It is okay for a leader to share his unbelief in his own abilities. It is a sign
that he is reliant and dependent on God, not himself. However, a leader
must believe in God more than his own lack of ability.
A strong faith in God and His power to save His people is a good quality to
have in a leader. However, the leader also needs to play an active role in
God’s plan.
A leader must be teachable. This means that he is willing to learn new ways
of doing things and that he follows through on what he learns.
EVALUATION
1. How did God call Moses?
Introduction
Moses was reluctant to lead the Israelites out of Egypt because he thought
that they would not believe that God actually appeared and sent him. He
complained that he was not eloquent and God gave him Aaron to assist
him. The Lord afflicted the Egyptians with a lot of plagues before Pharaoh
reluctantly allowed the Israelites to go. As soon as he let them go he
pursued them again because God had had hardened his heart. Exo 14:14.
As the Israelites were leaving and Egyptians pursing them there was big sea
in front of them and Egyptians behind them. They cried to Moses for help,
Moses cried to God who instructed him to strike his rod on the water. As he
did that the sea divided and the Israelites crossed on dry land. As they
finished passing God instructed him to strike it again to close the sea, then
the Egyptian army were already half way on the dry land, the water closed
and consumed the entire Egyptian army. By this God had fulfilled the
covenant He made with their father Abraham.
When Moses went to the mountain the people cajoled Aaron to make a
golden calf image for them to worship as God. God was angry and decided
to wipe them out except Moses, but Moses interceded on their behalf and
God forgave them.
The Israelites rebelled against God the second time when twelve spies sent
out by Moses to spy the Promised Land came back. Ten out of the twelve
spies brought negative reports that the Israelites were like grasshoppers
before the occupants of the land. Only Caleb and Joshua brought
encouraging news. God was angry, but Moses interceded again and God
forgave them.
6. Moses was empathetic and always put the salvation of his people first
before his personal comfort. You can’t be a leader if you don’t put
your people first. Moses put his people’s comfort and wellbeing first
before his own.
Their stubbornness did not make Moses stop leading them; he still loved
them and interceded for them.
Now Moses brings the problems to the Lord in a kind of petulant way.
“11 He asked the LORD, ‘Why have you brought this trouble on your
servant? What have I done to displease you that you put the burden of all
these people on me? 12 Did I conceive all these people? Did I give them
birth? Why do you tell me to carry them in my arms, as a nurse carries
an infant, to the land you promised on oath to their forefathers? 13 Where
This is not one of Moses’ greatest leadership moments. He blames God for
the problems. They’re your problem, he tells God. Why do I have to deal
with your problem people? At the root of Moses’ misery, however, are two
elements:
Moses is at his wits end. Unless God backs him up, he can’t “face [his] own
ruin.” God answers Moses in two ways:
“The LORD answered Moses, ‘Is the LORD’s arm too short? You will now
see whether or not what I say will come true for you.’ So Moses went out
and told the people what the LORD had said.” (Numbers 11:23-24a)
EVALUATION
1. Why was God angry with Israelites after Moses returned from the
mountain?
God had delivered them. They were free from bondage and ready for a new
life in a new land. They were praising God and singing songs to Him…until
there was a slight problem. There was no water to drink. Instead of
continuing to praise God, they began to grumble. Today’s lesson is short
but packed with truth that needs to be applied to our lives. Ask God to
speak to your heart as you go to His Word.
Deuteronomy 8:2
3. What was the purpose of God’s testing of Israel?
This section of Exodus is the description of the travels of the people from
the Red (Reed) Sea to Mount Sinai, which was a three-month journey (19:1).
The rest of Exodus describes God’s dealings with the Israelites during their
encampment at Mount Sinai.
Looking Upward
4. How would you define grumbling?
Introduction
As Moses was growing old he prayed to God to appoint a leader to replace
him so that Israel would not be without a leader. The Lord instantly
instructed Moses to take Joshua, the son of Nun. Moses did exactly as the
Lord had commanded and Joshua took over the mantle of leadership.
2. The church leaders of today should fear God and trust Him.
3. The church leaders should never doubt God. They should follow the
good examples of Joshua.
The Conquest of Jericho: God gave Joshua the master plan for the
capture of Jericho which was strictly adhered to by him. The Lord told him
to lead the Israelite to match round Jericho for six days, and on the seventh
day the priests should blow the trumpet. As soon as the people heard the
sound, with song and shout the wall of Jericho fell down flat. The people
went straight to the city and possessed it. Rahab, the harlot who spared the
two spies, together with her household were not destroyed. Also, precious
stones like gold, silver and the vessels of bronze were kept in the Lord’s
sanctuary.
Lessons to Learn
1. Christians are expected to work in faith not by sight
3. Every good deed has a reward. The family of Rahab who was a harlot
was spared because she saved the lives of two spies who came to spy
on Canaan.
i. A MAN OF HUMILITY
A. BEFORE HE WAS A LEADER, HE WAS WILLING TO SERVE...
to them to lead
B. EVEN AS A LEADER, HE WAS WILLING TO SERVE...
- cf. Nu 14:6-9
2. Only full trust and faith in the Lord could have led Joshua to
[Great leaders realize they cannot place their faith in men (including
2. To ensure that he did, he was to meditate upon the Law day and
- Josh 1:12-15
[Faith comes from the Word of God (Ro 10:17), so we really can't
For those who would lead, they need to heed the charge God gave Joshua
(Josh 1:8), which is similar to the charge Paul gave Timothy (1 Tim
Israel
opposition (Josh 9:1-2), Joshua still put God first and kept
EVALUATION
1. Describe how Jericho was destroyed and highlight the importance of
praise.
Introduction
For years after the death of Joshua the Israelites were ruled by Judges; they
had no king. These judges, in most cases, were either prophets or
prophetess and God often raised them particularly when there was problem
in Israel. After the death of Ehud, Deborah took over as one of the judges in
Israel. She was the wife of Lippadoth and a prophetess. According to the
Bible, she used to sit under the palm of Deborah between Ramah and
Bethel in the hill country of Ephraim where the people of Israel came up to
her for judgment.
Deborah was a judge and a prophetess. The only other person who was a
combination prophet/judge was Samuel. And Deborah was a singer and
songwriter—she had an impressive resume.
At the time of Deborah, Israel was under the oppression of Jabin, king of
Canaan, Israel consulted Deborah for solution over this problem. Deborah
invited Barak, a warrior in Israel and informed him that he was the one God
was going to use to liberate Israel from the oppression of Jabin. Barak
requested that Deborah should go with him, Deborah being a courageous
woman accepted and accompanied Barak to the battle and Israel brought
the Canaan army under the command of Sisera (Jabin’s commander) to
complete humiliation. Sisera ran to a woman, Jael for protection but the
woman eventually killed him and Israel was liberated from the hand of
Canaanites.
Deborah’s Leadership – What to Learn
Deborah led when times were difficult.
Judges 4:1-3 declares, “The Israelites once again did evil in the eyes of the
Lord … they cried to the Lord for help.” Deborah says in Judges 5:7, “Village
life in Israel ceased, ceased until I, Deborah, arose, arose a mother in Israel.”
Deborah arose when Israel needed new leadership to stop its fall. She did
what great leaders do and that is to grow strong and step forward when
times are difficult.
Judges 4:4 says Deborah was “a prophetess … leading Israel at the time.”
The nation of Israel respected Deborah as someone who spoke with
authority concerning the things of God.
While you may not be a national leader like Deborah, you can learn to
speak with authority within your own career specialty. Establish credibility
by excelling at your job and helping others do the same with theirs. Earning
the respect of your co-workers is the first step toward becoming their
leader.
Judges 4:5 says, “She held court under the Palm of Deborah … and the
Israelites came to her to have their disputes decided.” Deborah made good
use of all the gifts and opportunities God sent her way.
Deborah didn’t have to fight her way up the organizational ladder. She was
summoned by God and affirmed by her followers.
Judges 4:8 declares, “Barak said to her, ‘If you go with me, I will go; but if
you don’t go with me, I won’t go.’” She replies in Judges 4:9, “Very well,’
Deborah said, ‘I will go with you.”
Deborah led by example. She was not a warrior or battle commander and
could have easily said she would be of better use by remaining behind, but
she did not do that. She faced reality and exposed herself to the full
consequences of her decision.
Deborah used her abilities to serve. She showed no selfishness in the use of
her God-given abilities to judge Israel or to prophecy. Rather, she focused
on helping the people of Israel improve their lives, honor God, and find
freedom from their oppressors.
Deborah offers a bold and powerful role model for women today. Deborah
had courage to face the enemy, even after 20 years of oppression. Her
courage was contagious, and Barak was able to fulfill his God-given duty
with Deborah’s support. Her courage became encouragement.
Lessons to Learn
2. The Lord will sell Sisera into the hand of a woman. This statement was
made by Deborah to
a. Lappidoth.
b. Jael.
c. Barak.
d. Heber.
6. “The Lord will sell Sisera into hands of a woman.” This statement was
directed to
a. Lappidoth
b. Barak.
c. Jael.
d. Jabin.
13. How did Barak react when he was asked to lead Israelites
against the Canaanites?
a. He summoned courage and attacked Sisera.
b. He made inquiries from the oracle.
c. He summoned the tribes of Naphtali and Zebulun
d. he requested Deborah to accompany him.
2. It signifies that God does not lead people halfway and abandon them,
He finishes what he starts.
Lessons to Learn
1. God can cater for people’s needs beyond their imagination. In
Jeremiah 33, the Lord says: “Call upon me and I will answer you.” The
Israelites had no food and God provided for them the type of food
they had never seen.
3. God at times allow people to lack in order to prove Himself God of all
sufficiency.
EVALUATION
As Moses struck the sea with his rod as the Lord instructed the sea divided
and the Israelites walked on dry land, when they finished crossing he struck
the sea again and the sea closed back, by this time the Egyptian army and
Pharaoh were half way in the dry land. Pharaoh and his entire army
perished on the sea.
Lessons to Learn
1. Moses cried unto God and God answered and gave His protection. In
the same way Christians should also be prayerful and obedient to
God’s instruction
3. In Proverb 18:10, the Bible says: “The name of the Lord is a strong
tower, the righteous run to it and are safe.” This, therefore, follows
that the protection of the Lord is available to all who serve the Lord in
truth and in spirit.
4. Israel was saved from the hand of the Egyptians by the special grace
of God. Likewise, over the years Nigeria has passed a lot of socio-
political and economic problems but God saved us from destruction.
EVALUATION
As Moses struck the sea with his rod as the Lord instructed the sea divided
and the Israelites walked on dry land, when they finished crossing he struck
the sea again and the sea closed back, by this time the Egyptian army and
Pharaoh were half way in the dry land. Pharaoh and his entire army
perished on the sea.
Lessons to Learn
1. Moses cried unto God and God answered and gave His protection. In
the same way Christians should also be prayerful and obedient to
God’s instruction
3. In Proverb 18:10, the Bible says: “The name of the Lord is a strong
tower, the righteous run to it and are safe.” This, therefore, follows
that the protection of the Lord is available to all who serve the Lord in
truth and in spirit.
4. Israel was saved from the hand of the Egyptians by the special grace
of God. Likewise, over the years Nigeria has passed a lot of socio-
political and economic problems but God saved us from destruction.
EVALUATION
1. Using the story of delivering Israel from bondage highlight the
importance of prayer.
Asa’s Achievement
1. Asa stamped out male cult and prostitution from the land
3. He removed Maacah his mother from being the queen because she
had an abominable image made for Asherah
5. He abolished idolatory
Asa was full of faith, piety, zeal and courage. This made him to perform the
reformation of manners, suppression of idolatry and male cult prostitution.
2. Eli could not bring up his sons in the fear of God, Asa did
3. Eli’s and Samuel Son’s were worthless and corrupt while Asa’s son was
pious and worthy.
2. Even if the parents are bad and do not follow the way of God the
children should strive to be different and do what is right. Dare to be
different!
EVALUATION
1. What is the difference between Asa and Eli in carrying out their
parental responsibility?
Back then, the custom with offerings was that whenever people made
sacrifices, the priest’s servant would come with a three pronged fork and
dip it into the pan or pot while the meat was boiling. And whatever the fork
brings out the priest would take for himself. But the sons of Eli did not
respect this rule. Rather they preferred taking this meat raw and if the
person offering the sacrifice refused they would take it by force. Apart
from this, they also had sexual intercourse with the women who served at
the entrance to the tent. And then they blasphemed against God. These
acts were great sins in the sight of God. And he was very displeased with
the sons of Eli.
God’s Punishment
God who had warned Eli before and vowed to destroy his children fulfilled
it when there was a war between Israel and Philistines. In the battle, the
Israelites were defeated and Hophni and Phinehas were killed with the Ark
of God captured. When the news got to Eli he fell off his seat, broke his
neck and died. Eli’s daughter-in- law, the wife of Phinehas who was
pregnant delivered prematurely and died. But before she died she named
the child Ichabod, the meaning of which was that the glory of God has
departed from Israel.
3. Parents should inculcate in their children the spirit of fear of God in all
they do
EVALUATION
1. Why was God angry with Eli?
1. Asa stamped out male cult and prostitution from the land
3. He removed Maraca his mother from being the queen because she had
an abominable image made for Ashcan
6. He brought into the temple his votive gifts and that of his father.
Jehoshaphat succeeded his father, king Asa. He was thirty-five years when
he began to reign. He walked in the ways of his father Asa, doing what was
right in the sight of God. Above all he made peace with the king of Israel.
King Asa and his son Jehoshaphat pleased the Lord by doing what was
right in His sight. Although, Asa’s father was bad, he [Asa] did not follow in
Lessons to Learn
I. People and leaders should learn to follow the path of the Lord at all times
so that the Lord would direct them on what is good
II. Even if the parents are bad and do not follow the way of God the
children should strive to be different and do what is right
EVALUATION
A. What is the difference in the manner with which Asa and Eli carried out
their parental responsibilities?
Soon after the appointment of Saul as the king of Israel, God gave him
assignment though Samuel saying- “I will punish what Amalek did to Israel
in opposing them on the way when they came out of Egypt. Now go and
smite Amalek and utterly destroy everything they have. Do not spare them
but kill both male and female, infants and suckling; ox, sheep and camel.”
Saul did carry out the assignment, but not as instructed by God. He had
organized his soldiers, and went after the Amalekites and defeated them.
But rather than destroying everything as he was instructed by God, he took
the best of the things he saw and destroyed worthless things instead.
Above all, he spared Aga the Amalekite king and brought him home. God
knew about Saul’s disobedience and it angered him greatly. Therefore, God
decided to dethrone Saul as king of Israel. He [God] sent Samuel to Saul
again, and when Samuel confronted him about his disobedience to God, he
lied to Saul, saying that he had carried out the instruction. He did not know
that God had revealed everything to Samuel! Samuel then questioned Saul
about the “bleating of the sheep and lowing of the oxen” he heard coming
from Saul’s barn, to which Saul claimed that it was the people that came to
offer sacrifice to the Lord…
Please note that this incident was a typical example of gross indiscipline
and lack of repentance. Saul knew he had disobeyed God. But instead of
admitting his fault and repenting, he resorted to shifting blames.
2) The Lord instructed Saul to punish the Amalekites for what they did to
Israelites on their way from Egypt.
3) Saul actually carried out the assignment but not according to instruction
EVALUATION
1. Why did God reject Saul as king?
2. He suffered mental problems and was killed along with his three sons by
the Philistines on Mount Gilboa.
Lessons to Learn
i. Christians should be obedient to God’s instruction for the reward of
ii. One’s favor with God can turn to sorrow once one starts living a life
disobedience and sinful life
iv. One man’s disobedience can lead to the suffering of the entire nation as
seen in Saul’s case
EVALUATION
1) Mention five things disobedience can do to us.
When David had gone for a distance to a vantage position, he called upon
Abner and reprimanded him for failing to keep proper watch over his
master, Saul. David asked him about Saul’s spear and jar of water.
Meanwhile, Saul recognised David’s voice and called him. David asked why
he came out in search of him to kill him without any cause. Saul felt guilty
and repented of his sin and promised not to harm David. He appreciated
David for saving his life and David returned the spear and jar of water he
had taken from Saul’s camp. Do note that David spared Saul’s life because
he feared and respected God, thereby admitting to the will of God. This
equally demonstrates David’s high sense of forgiveness.
Lessons to Learn
2. David sparing Saul’s life made him to repent of his sins. This teaches that
when people show love to those who hate them they could be be forced by
their conscience to drop the hatred like Saul did
3. Sparing Saul’s life demonstrated David’s faith in God and his submission
to the will of God. You should endeavor to emulate this example.
EVALUATION
1. Why is important to show love even to our enemy?
The sins and wickedness of the people of Nineveh had become unbearable
and God needed somebody to go and preach to them and tell them about
the calamity he would send their if they fail to repent. He sent Jonah to go
to Nineveh but he [Jonah] refused. Instead, he set forth to run away from
God. He thought God is like a man from whom he could hide. He decided
to go to Joppa where he boarded a sheep going to Tarshis. On the sea God
sent a violent storm that made the sailors to fear for their lives. As the ship
was about to sink, they threw away to the sea all the loads on the ship. Each
and every one of them was praying to their own different gods. But lo and
behold, Jonah who was the only one asleep in the deck in spite of the
pandemonium. When he introduced his name
The people then knew that Jonah was running away from God because he
told them. So they asked Jonah “what should we do to you to make this
ship calm down for us?” Jonah replied “Pick me up and throw me into the
sea, and it will become calm. I know that it is my fault that this great storm
has come upon us”. The men were reluctant to throw him down the sea
because they didn’t want to shed innocent blood. But as the storm became
more violent, they took Jonah, prayed to God not to hold them responsible
for his death then threw him into the sea. Immediately the storm stopped.
The sailors were marveled and offered sacrifice to God and promised to
serve him.
EVALUATION
I. Why was Jonah running away?
Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego are names that are very popular among
Christians. But do you know the actual circumstances that led to their
everlasting fame? Well I am here to briefly remind you just in case you have
forgotten. Due to the outstanding qualities in these young men they were
appointed officials in the Babylonian kingdom. But then a time came when
Nebuchadnezzar made a golden image and commanded all the officials
and subjects in the provinces of Babylon to come for the dedication of the
image. He ordered that when they hear the sound of the horn pipe, lyre,
harp and of all kinds of music, that all the people should fall down and
worship the golden image. Everybody else obeyed this injunction except for
the three Hebrew boys who vehemently refused to bow down to a man-
made god. This made the king mad at them, and so he ordered that the
furnace should be heated seven more times so that guards could bind
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego and cast them into the fury furnace.
(Daniel 3:16-18).
The young men were cast into the fire which the Bible recorded was so hot
to the extent that the flame consumed those men who cast the Hebrew
boys into the furnace. But instead of being consumed, Shadrach and his
brothers were joined by God’s spirit and this greatly astonished
the king. He then ordered them to come out of the fire and made them
stand in the presence of the Prefects, Government Officials, Counselors and
other important men in Babylon. They all observed that the fire had no
effect on the Hebrew boys. The expression of boldness, courage and faith
The king therefore decreed that any person that would ever speak against
the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego should be destroyed with his
household. This was the profit of great faith, confidence and courage and
obedience to God.
Please note that God does not neglect the cries of his people in distress.
However, he works miracles through humans, which was why He used
Esther who was a queen. Esther was in a better position to intervene
because she was a queen, so the people would obey her easily.
EVALUATION
1. Why were they ready to die?
Solomon’s Wisdom
The success of any leader is largely dependent on his or her ability to make
good decisions. To drive home this point, we shall now look at the story of
Solomon and how he was able to make good/Godly decisions as the King
of Israel. The Bible says that when he [Solomon] went to Gibeon to offer
sacrifices to the Lord, God appeared to him in a dream and said to him:
“Ask what shall I give you.” To this offer Solomon requested “Give to your
servant an understanding mind to govern the people that I may discern
between good and evil.” Solomon’s request pleased the Lord for he did not
ask for wealth and vain things for his personal gains only, God gave him the
wisdom, and added wealth and honor to it.
Do note that God shifted this punishment from coming when Solomon was
alive because of His servant David who was Solomon’s father.
2. Solomon became arrogant and proud, and that led to his downfall
EVALUATION
1. Why did Solomon fall?
2. What made God pleased with Solomon after his request in the dream?
Following Solomon’s death, the next in line to succeed him was his son
Rehoboam. Rehoboam’s mother was Namath the Ammonites, and she was
one of the many wives of Solomon whom he had brought in from foreign,
pagan-cultured lands. The Israelites then approached Rehoboam and asked
him if he would tax them heavily like his father Solomon did. He asked
them to come back in three days for an answer. In the meantime,
Rehoboam sought counsel from his father’s advisers and they told him to
listen to the people. But he also sought advice from his friends who told
him not to listen to the people. He accepted his friends’ advice. And by this
time, Jeroboam, who had revolted against Solomon’s heavy taxation and
even went on exile to Egypt as a result had returned to Israel.
Rehoboam’s unwise decision not to listen to the people and the advice of
his father’s advisers led to the people rejecting him. Consequently,
Jeroboam was crowned king of ten (out of the twelve) tribes of Israel. In
other words, the kingdom of Solomon was torn apart and Rehoboam
Solomon’s son was left with just two tribes (namely Judah and Benjamin)
while Jeroboam ruled over majority of the tribes. Meanwhile, even though
he was left with just two of the tribes, Rehobaom still misbehaved just like
his father by marrying many foreign wives as well as having concubines. He
had eighteen wives and sixty concubines.
Lessons to Learn
b. For people to be successful in life they must avoid taking unwise decision
especially when they see that the interest of others are at stake
c. The numerous marriages with foreign women brought the wrath of God
upon Solomon. This brought pagan worship to Israel, this made the Lord to
tear Solomon kingdom after his death.
EVALUATION
1. Compare the two advice taken by Rehoboam
Naboth, the Jezreelite had a vineyard in Jezreel near the palace of King
Ahab. Meanwhile, the king wanted this vineyard from Naboth to use for a
vegetable garden because it was near his palace. He proposed to exchange
it with another vineyard or preferably with money. But Naboth refused both
offers. He said to Ahab: “The Lord forbid that I should give you the
inheritance of my father.” This statement annoyed Ahab so much and he
told his wife Jezebel who comforted him and assured him she would surely
give him Naboth’s vineyard. Jezebel, a wicked woman, then quickly plotted
how to destroy Naboth and take over his vineyard.
After Jezebel plotted and successfully ensured that Naboth was killed, she
said to her husband “Arise, take possession of the vineyard of Naboth the
Jezreelite which he refused to give you for money; for Naboth is not alive
but dead.” (I Kings 21:15)
The Bible recorded that Ahab repented later from his evil ways, but the Lord
only postponed his punishment to his children.
Lessons to Learn
1. The evil consequence of greed, in most cases outweighs the benefits, if
any. In some cases, it has lingering effects. In the case of Ahab his greed for
little things like vineyard led to the destruction of his future generation.
What a big curse, people should be contented with what they have.
2. It is better to have little that is blessed than to have much that is curse.
EVALUATION
1. What is the role of Jezebel in destroying the lineage of her husband
Ahab?
When Gehazi returned, Elisha asked him where he was coming from. That
was an opportunity to confess and be forgiven, instead he lied again. Elisha
knew what he had done, he said to him: “Was not my spirit with you when
the man got down from his chariot to meet you? Is this the time to take
money or to accept clothes—or olive groves and vineyards, or flocks and
herds, or male and female slaves? Naaman’s leprosy will cling to you and to
your descendants forever.” Immediately Gehazi’s skin became leprous.
Lessons to Learn
1. Elisha being a man of God may have seen the evil consequences of
collecting such gifts from Naaman, so he decided to avoid it. His servant
Gehazi was not aware of this, he was only moved by greed, and he did not
think twice before on the possible reason his master rejected the gifts.
EVALUATION
1. Prove that Gehazi was a very dishonest and greedy person
Naaman was the commander of the Syrian army, he had leprosy. He had
tried different ways and things to be cured to no avail. An Israelite slave girl
serving Naaman’s wife suggested if Naaman could go to Samaria as there
was a prophet who could heal his leprosy. Naaman took the girl’s advice,
collected a letter from Syrian king informing him of Naaman’s coming and
predicament. But as soon as the king of Israel got the letter, he tore his
robes and said “Am I God? Can I kill and bring back to life? Why does this
fellow send someone to me to be cured of his leprosy? See how he is trying
to pick a quarrel with me!” Naaman knew not who to meet, he just knew
that when he got to Israel he would be healed. When Elisha learnt of the
king’s unhappiness after receiving the letter he said to him: “Why have you
torn your robes? Have the man come to me and he will know that there is a
prophet in Israel.”
When Naaman came to the gate of Elisha’s house, Elisha sent his servant
Gehazi to go and tell Naaman to go to river Jordan and dip himself there
seven times. Naaman was not happy because he thought that Elisha would
come and shout and call on the name of God and lay hands on him. He
queried why he would dip himself in river Jordan when they had better
rivers in their country. He left angry, unsatisfied and disappointed. He knew
not what was faith. He thought that prayer was all about shouting.
Naaman’s servant convinced him to obey the prophet since it was for his
own good. Naaman did as Elisha instructed. On the seventh dip his skin
became as fresh as new born child’s skin. He reluctantly did it and God
EVALUATION
1. Identify the moment when pride nearly spoiled the healing
WEEK 2
WEEK 3
WEEK 4
WEEK 5
WEEK 6
WEEK 7
WEEK 8
WEEK 9
WEEK 10
WEEK 11
Naaman was the commander of the Syrian army, he had leprosy. He had tried
different ways and things to be cured to no avail. An Israelite slave girl serving
Naaman’s wife suggested if Naaman could go to Samaria as there was a
prophet who could heal his leprosy. Naaman took the girl’s advice, collected a
letter from Syrian king informing him of Naaman’s coming and predicament. But
as soon as the king of Israel got the letter, he tore his robes and said “Am I God?
Can I kill and bring back to life? Why does this fellow send someone to me to be
cured of his leprosy? See how he is trying to pick a quarrel with me!” Naaman
knew not who to meet, he just knew that when he got to Israel he would be
healed. When Elisha learnt of the king’s unhappiness after receiving the letter he
said to him: “Why have you torn your robes? Have the man come to me and he
will know that there is a prophet in Israel.”
When Naaman came to the gate of Elisha’s house, Elisha sent his servant Gehazi
to go and tell Naaman to go to river Jordan and dip himself there seven times.
Naaman was not happy because he thought that Elisha would come and shout
and call on the name of God and lay hands on him. He queried why he would dip
himself in river Jordan when they had better rivers in their country. He left angry,
unsatisfied and disappointed. He knew not what was faith. He thought that prayer
was all about shouting.
Naaman’s servant convinced him to obey the prophet since it was for his own
good. Naaman did as Elisha instructed. On the seventh dip his skin became as
fresh as new born child’s skin. He reluctantly did it and God healed. His joy knew
no bound. He and his attendants went back to Elisha to offer and show
appreciation: “Now I know that there is no God in all the world except in Israel. So
please accept a gift from your servant.” Elisha rejected the gift. It did not end
there. Naaman said: “If you will not, please let me, your servant, be given as much
earth (sand) as a pair of mules can carry, for your servant will never again make
burnt offerings and sacrifices to any other god but the Lord. Naaman left not just
EVALUATION
1. Identify the moment when pride nearly spoiled the healing
2. Identify the happy ending in Naaman story.
Lessons to be Learnt
1. Elijah’s action shows that the weakness of a leader may ruin a nation. Ahab
weakness enabled Jezebel to replace Yahweh’s worship with Baal’s in Israel.
2. Most interreligious marriages have their consequences.
3. God is always on hand to defend His course hence He called Elijah to
EVALUATION
I. How many were the prophets of Baal?
II. In your own understanding why did Elijah pour more water on his altar?
EVALUATION
i. Discuss the circumstances that brought religious tension in Israel
ii. Why were Jezebel and Ahab hunting Elijah?
Josiah was eight years when he began to reign as king. He reigned for twenty-one
years in Jerusalem. He did what was good in the sight of God. He walked in the
way of his grandfather, David. He showed much interest in the things of God. One
of his first assignments was the repair and renovation of the temple. Later when
the book of the law was found in the temple by Hilkiah the high priest, Josiah
engaged in other reforms. The book was read to the king and when he heard the
contents he tore his cloth as sign of repentance because he knew they had been
transgressing.
Josiah sent Hilkiah, the high priest; Shaphem, the secretary and others to enquire
of the Lord through prophetess Hildah, the wife of Shallim. The prophetess said:
“Thus said the Lord, behold I will bring evil upon this place and upon its
inhabitants, all the words of the book which the king of Judah has read.” (I Kings
22:16-17). The Lord said that because Josiah was patient and humbled himself
before the Lord when he heard the words read to him, his eyes would not see evil
and he would rule his people in peace. King Josiah summoned all the elders in
Israel and read the book of the covenant which was found in the temple to them.
King Josiah stood by the temple’s pillar and made a covenant to walk with the
Lord and keep His commandments and His testimonies and His structures with all
his heart and soul.
Josiah’s Reform
a. He ordered the priest to bring out all the vessels made for Baal and Asherah
and burn them.
b. He deposed all the idolatrous priests whom the king of Jude had ordained to
burn incense in the high places of the cities of Judah and Jerusalem. He also
brought Asherah image from the temple and burned it.
EVALUATION
1. Mention the reforms Josiah made.
Josiah is well known for his thorough cleansing of the land of Israel, destroying
every idolatrous legacies in totality. Israel was transgressing since all those while
before Josiah came, the land needed cleansing, Josiah did that.
1. Crimes and various vices are rampant in the churches today
2. There are many corrupt preachers and churches today
3. As it was in the days of Josiah, when people were filled with immoral act. In the
society today people we think are practicing the right religion are doing
something else.
4. There are many wrong teachings in our society today, we have derailed from
the actual meaning God wants.
Lessons to Learn
1. Josiah, in spite of his young age, he was a perfect example of a good leader
2. He did not follow the footstep of his father
3. People should not have followed the bad behaviors of others.
4. Churches and the name of God should be respected.
EVALUATION
1. What are the similarities between today’s religious situation and that of Ahab?
EVALUATION
1. What led to the freedom of Israelites in Babylon?
EVALUATION
1. Explain the reconstruction of the Jerusalem.
EVALUATION
1. How was the faith of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego tested?
Lessons to Learn
1. Absolute trust and confidence in God will save people in times of difficulty
EVALUATION
1. Why didn’t the lions devour Daniel?
There was a high level of social and moral decadence in Israel as in the time
of prophet Amos. The focus of his prophecies was mainly the social
injustice which had eaten deep into the social life of Israel. There was no
true fear of God in the mind of the people. Amos was therefore called by
God to go and warn the people. The theme of Amos prophecy is summed
up in the book of Amos 2:6-8.
b. The poor were robbed of their properties. They pledged such properties
to borrow money.
c. The rich exploited the poor by selling to them with false weights and
measures, thereby becoming richer at the expense of the poor.
d. There were cases of forced slavery. Some poor farmers who borrowed
money from lenders and couldn’t pay back were forced to become the
servants of the rich.
2. Those who exploited the poor to build for themselves houses of hewn
stone would be taken on exile, they wouldn’t dwell in those houses
3. The punishment that would come upon them would be so great that
people would weep bitterly
c. Cheating in business
ASSESSMENT
1. What are the vices condemned by Amos that are still prevalent today?
2. What are the reasons those who oppose God would be punished?
Apart from social justice that had been corrupted, the religion of the
Israelites was no longer practiced as they had deviated from observing the
covenant made with God. Their hearts were not truly with God, they only
pretended by fulfilling the physical obligations of worship such as payment
of tithes and offering sacrifices while the real fear of God was not in them.
Their religion had been polluted with the worship of idols; a case in point
was the golden calves made by Jeroboam which he put one at Bethel and
the other at Dun. This Bethel was the place of worship for Israelites by then.
Also, there were other idols brought by the foreign women that various
kings of Israel had married. All these combined to pollute the true worship
of God in Israel, they felt they could appease God by their sacrifices but
God rejected their offerings and sacrifices because they were not from
people with a pure heart (Amos 5:21-24).
Lessons to Learn
4. Too much of luxuries and pleasures drag people into all kinds of evil and
social vices
EVALUATION
1. Explain the practices Amos condemned in Israel.