Day 7 - Sabbath - Saturday - (Lord's Day - Sunday International KJV Sunday school Lesson - Outline for Teacher's and Student's)

 May 23

Lesson 12 (KJV)

Preaching to the Exiles

Devotional Reading: Psalm 147

Background Scripture: Ezekiel 18

Ezekiel 18:1–9, 30–32

1 The word of the Lord came unto me again, saying,

2 What mean ye, that ye use this proverb concerning the land of Israel, saying, The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children’s teeth are set on edge?

3 As I live, saith the Lord God, ye shall not have occasion anymore to use this proverb in Israel.

4 Behold, all souls are mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine: the soul that sinneth, it shall die.

5 But if a man be just, and do that which is lawful and right,

6 And hath not eaten upon the mountains, neither hath lifted up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, neither hath defiled his neighbor’s wife, neither hath come near to a menstruous woman,

7 And hath not oppressed any, but hath restored to the debtor his pledge, hath spoiled none by violence, hath given his bread to the hungry, and hath covered the naked with a garment;

8 He that hath not given forth upon usury, neither hath taken any increase, that hath withdrawn his hand from iniquity, hath executed true judgment between man and man,

9 Hath walked in my statutes, and hath kept my judgments, to deal truly; he is just, he shall surely live, saith the Lord God.

30 Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, every one according to his ways, saith the Lord God. Repent, and turn yourselves from all your transgressions, so iniquity shall not be your ruin.

31 Cast away from you all your transgressions, whereby ye have transgressed; and make you a new heart and a new spirit: for why will ye die, O house of Israel?

32 For I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth, saith the Lord God: wherefore turn yourselves, and live ye.

Key Verse

All souls are mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine: the soul that sinneth, it shall die.—Ezekiel 18:4

Prophets Faithful to God’s Covenant

Unit 3: Courageous Prophets of Change

Lessons 9–13

Lesson Aims

After participating in this lesson, each learner will be able to:

1. Quote the mistaken proverb the exiles believed.

2. Explain the reasons for the exiles’ misconception regarding how God judges people.

3. Evaluate his or her preparedness to identify, avoid, and correct blame-shifting.

Lesson Outline

Introduction

A. Imagined Righteousness

B. Lesson Context

I. A Proverb (Ezekiel 18:1–4)

A. Repeated by the People (vv. 1–2)

Selective Hearing

B. Refuted by God (vv. 3–4)

II. A Case Study (Ezekiel 18:5–9)

A. A Man’s Actions (vv. 5–9a)

B. God’s Verdict (v. 9b)

III. A Call (Ezekiel 18:30–32)

A. To Repent (vv. 30–31)

B. To Live (v. 32)

Autonomy

Conclusion

A. Actual Righteousness

B. Prayer

C. Thought to Remember

HOW TO SAY IT

Adonai (Hebrew)	Ad-owe-nye.
Canaanite	Kay-nun-ite.
Chebar	Kee-bar.
Elohim (Hebrew)	El-o-heem.
Jehoiachin	Jeh-hoy-uh-kin.
Yahweh (Hebrew)	Yaw-way.

What Do You Think? What old sayings do you need to let go of? Who will hold you accountable for progress? Digging Deeper How does Lamentations 5:7 (lesson 8), Matthew 5:27–28, etc., illustrate a need to do so?

What Do You Think? In what ways will the truism in Proverbs 26:9 guide your use and non-use of maxims? Digging Deeper What foundational problem do you see when comparing these two old sayings: “Too many cooks spoil the broth” and “Many hands make light work”?

What Do You Think? If your locality had a ballot initiative to limit interest rates charged on so-called payday loans, should this text be used to influence how Christians vote on it? Why, or why not? Digging Deeper How do Matthew 25:27 and Luke 19:23 influence your response, if at all? Why?

What Do You Think? What are some practical ways for Christians to be accountable to one another in keeping sin in the rearview mirror? Digging Deeper Which kinds of biblical texts most help you in letting go of sin: texts that stress the positive results of doing so or texts that stress the negative result for not doing so?

Conclusion

A. Actual Righteousness

The exiles imagined themselves to be the victims of a cosmic injustice. They viewed themselves as serving a sentence intended for the prior generation. The history of God’s people reveals that they had always been incapable of keeping the covenant. Before Moses brought the Ten Commandments down from Mount Sinai, Aaron had already constructed the gold calf and led the people into idolatry. The book of Judges outlines the nation’s checkered history of obeying God.

The exiles were not unique in their ability to view themselves as morally superior to the prior generation. Jesus called out similar duplicity in the Pharisees, who insisted that if they had been alive at the time of the prophets, they would not have murdered them (Matthew 23:30). Indeed, they had already plotted to kill Jesus (12:14). The apostle Paul’s words, “Let God be true, but every man a liar” (Romans 3:4), fit well in Ezekiel’s defense of God’s justice.

The hearts of the people were always incapable of obeying God fully. So God promised a new creative act: He would give the people new hearts, ones capable of being sensitive and obedient to God’s Word.

What Do You Think? Which thought in today’s text? Do you have the hardest time coming to grips with? Why? Digging Deeper What extra effort will you expend to resolve this uncertainty?

B. Prayer

God, we see moral goodness in ourselves, but You see Your image marred with sin. We confess that Your assessment of our situation is correct. We thank You for providing mercy and renewal. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.

C. Thought to Remember

If we cannot acknowledge God’s judgment, we will see no need to receive His forgiveness.

 Shallenberger, Larry, Chuck Terrill, et al. “Preaching to the Exiles.” The KJV Standard Lesson Commentary, 2020–2021. Ed. Ronald L. Nickelson, Jane Ann Kenney, and Margaret K. Williams. Vol. 68. Colorado Springs, CO: Standard Publishing, 2021. 327. Print.