The Greek transliteration of James’ name is Jacobus. In other words, his name is Jacob. All I can say to this is, “WOW.”
If you would have told me this little factiod 3 years ago, I probably would have just nodded my head politely and smiled, while thinking something like, “that’s interesting, but so what?” So if that IS what you happen to be thinking to yourself at this very moment, don’t worry. In fact, be encouraged! You are on the treasure hunt of your life sister! And the more you dig, the more wonderful the gems you will find.
My husband Matt laughed at me when I said this to him recently. Studying God’s word reminds of that old video game Zelda. If I remember the game correctly (I probably only played it a total of 10 times), you (Zelda) would journey around on the video game board looking for keys that you might need to unlock unknown rooms or treasures. You basically didn’t even know why you were collecting these keys or what you would use them to unlock. Such is the study of God’s word.
Let me try to explain with a specific example. About 3 years ago, I worked through Beth Moore’s study of the Tabernacle entitled, “A Woman’s Heart: God’s Dwelling Place.” While I did enjoy that study in the midst of doing it, I didn’t begin to fully appreciate its worth until much later. To this day, I am using keys I found on that journey through God’s word to unlock treasures I come upon today.
And here we have another treasure. To be honest, I’m not sure exactly where I collected my keys to appreciate and understand the significance of Jacob as the father of the twelve tribes of Israel (it may have been through “A Woman’s Heart” or elsewhere), but those little keys continue to blow my mind with the treasures they unlock.
While it may be just another fact to someone else, it sincerely BLOWS MY MIND that the book of James may very well have been the first book of the New Testament written, and that James essentially opens his letter saying, “This letter is from Jacob, a slave of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes scattered among the nations: joy to you!” Talk about coming FULL CIRCLE. Wow.
What is my point? Okay, I’m getting to it. Try to catch my enthusiasm (because an exclamation point will not do this sentence justice): Bible study is so incredibly amazing! Keep collecting your keys! If this one went right over your head, I get that. It still happens to me all the time. But we should never dare stop or think that we’re missing the point. Because when we “get it” (and we will), there is nothing like it- Nothing. I know, because I “got” this one. And all I can say to this is, “WOW.”
***
If you have committed to posting a comment in response to our weekly lessons, feel free to post anything you like. If however you find it easier to respond to a specific question, our question of the week is this:
What did you write in response to the question posed on page 46?
***
This week, we’ll be watching video session THREE. The viewer guide (to be completed while watching the video session) can be found on pages 68 and 69 of our workbooks.
PLEASE NOTE - This Is Important!
The Lifeway website has CHANGED! To order the “Session 3” video, take the following steps:
1) Copy and paste the link below into your browser.
2) Choose the box that says “Session 3" in the section that says “Select Session Number” and click "Add to Cart".
3) When you are SURE you have session 3 in your cart, then proceed to check out.
4) Follow download instructions.
http://www.lifeway.com/Product/james-mercy-triumphs-video-sessions-mp4-downloads-m00000088#
Our homework for week three begins on page 71 of our workbooks and ends on page 95. Again, the homework is broken down into 5 days that should take about 45 minutes each day to complete. Make every effort to complete this homework before next Saturday, when I will post the link for our next video session and discuss some of the things that we learned this week.
Okay, so that’s it. Please do not hesitate to ask for help (by private inbox to me, if you prefer) if you find yourself struggling with the homework or anything else. That is why we are studying as a group instead of studying on our own.
Also, please feel free to post any comments and/or prayer requests at any point throughout the week. We will all enjoy and benefit from hearing what you’ve been learning, and it is truly our privilege to lift one another up in prayer.
Your friend, Amy
No comments:
Post a Comment