Evers Bible Class - A Gentle Ramble through the Bible

                                                                   Laying the Foundation of the New Temple    Ezra 2-4:5, Haggai, Zechariah 1-4 The newly returned exiles start off by building an altar for their future Temple and beginning sacrifices and feast days. But they and their leaders, Joshua and Zerubbabel, run into stiff resistance laying the foundation of the new Temple in Jerusalem. The opposition delays them for years.  When they do lay the foundation, they have a huge celebration, but the size of the new Temple’s footprint is so small and pathetic the elders actually weep in sorrow. Joshua and Zerubbabel are clearly discouraged. But the Lord sends the prophet Zechariah with magnificent words of encouragement that have reverberated through the ages. A free Study Guide is available. A video ve...

                                                                  Daniel's Grand Finale    Daniel 11b-12 After the set-up of the timeline in the “70 Sevens,” the angel goes on to explain to Daniel a series of wars and intrigue between a King of the North and a King of the South.  All of the details fit perfectly with what happens historically between Antiochus IV Epiphanes and Egypt--until the time Antiochus dies. Then the events no longer match up to history. Even before that, the wording in Daniel begins to wobble between the time of these kings and the End Times. There are several clear End Time markers in the text, including prophecy about resurrection and judgment and the afterlife. In our breakout groups, we take a look at how beliefs regarding the afterlife morphed over the biblical period and we think ...

                                                                 Prophecy or History?    Ezra 1, Neh 7, Daniel 10-11a In a surprise move, Cyrus the Great decrees that any exiles who wish to may return to Jerusalem to rebuild the Temple. He orders exiles staying behind to contribute gifts towards the effort, and Cyrus himself sends gold and silver from the treasury. Meanwhile, in Babylon, Daniel is visited by an angel who gives him a detailed account of the future. The prophecy is so detailed that we can match it up exactly to historical events until about 165 BCE, then the wheels fall off the wagon.  Did Daniel’s prophecy morph to the more distant future at that point? Was his original prophecy overwritten with historical detail and recorded around 165 BCE, leaving the rest of the prophecy untouched? A free St...

                                                                The 70 Sevens    The 70 Sevens and the End of the Exile Jeremiah prophesied that the exile would last 70 years, and in the first year of King Cyrus of Persia Daniel realizes the 70 years is up. He prays for God to remember his promise, and immediately, God sends the angel Gabriel with news of great blessings that will occur during a set of “70 Sevens.” The news isn’t exactly what Daniel is expecting, but it is great news nevertheless. Gabriel ends his news with some rather alarming predictions about the Messiah and the end times. We’ll take a look at the “70 Sevens” and see how we might make sense of them.  A free Study Guide is available. A video version of the class is available on YouTube. More info at EversBibleClass.com .

                                                               The Writing on the Wall    Mene, Mene, Tekel, Uparsin So-called King Belshazzar is full of himself. He has no respect whatsoever for God. But when he dares to drink from the vessels stolen from the Temple, a disembodied hand inscribes mysterious words on the wall. He does not know it yet, but these words spell the end of his kingdom. Daniel survives the change of regime. He’s elderly now, but he quickly becomes an invaluable advisor to the new Median/Persian government. This, of course, makes him some bitter enemies who cause Daniel to be sentenced to immediate execution. We get our first glimpse of the Apocrypha as we compare the Sunday School standard version of Daniel in the Lions’ Den with the Apocryphal story of Bel and the Dragon. A free Study Guide i...

                                                              The Clash of Empires    A Glimpse of the Future Daniel has some pretty intense dreams and visions: a winged lion, a bear with ribs in its teeth, a leopard with four heads, and a great crushing, trampling beast with ten horns. He sees a similar vision a couple of years later, but this time it is a ram with two horns who conquers the world. It in turn is overcome by a goat with a large single horn that is broken off and replaced by four horns.  In both sets of visions, a final boastful and cruel horn arises--one that persecutes the holy people. And yet, it is not all death and destruction, for Daniel also sees the Ancient of Days and is present when the holy one enters and is given kingship over all nations and peoples and languages. Justice is meted out and ti...

                                                             Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego    The Fiery Furnace and the Mentally ill King The book of Daniel is full of striking, extravagant stories, and we look at two of them this week. The first is the story of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego in the fiery furnace and the second is King Nebuchadnezzar’s rather bizarre mental illness.  We see world power begin to shift as Babylon shrinks and the Medes and Persians gain strength.  In our breakout session we pause to reflect on the bizarre details in these stories, on the various parts left out or added by Jews, Catholics, and Protestants. And we’ll wonder--where do you draw the line? A free Study Guide is available. A video version of the class is available on YouTube. More info at EversBibleClass.com .

                                                            The Book of Job    How Could God Do This? The book of Job raises the question "Why do bad things happen to good people?"  From the bizarre opening scene through the various answers given rather emphatically by Job's friends and then finally to God's voice in the whirlwind, people have combed through this book to find the answer. And I have to be honest, most of their responses would not comfort me at all if I were in Job's situation.  As you might expect, we'll take a different tack in this class. We'll apply our backpack tools to see if we can make sense of this story. A free Study Guide is available. A video version of the class is available on YouTube. More info at EversBibleClass.com .

                                                           God's Prophets Speak Comfort    God Has Not Forgotten You Isaiah 40-66 is often called the “Book of Comfort.” It contains some of the most well-known and memorable passages in all of Scripture. Big chunks of Handel’s Messiah come from this part of Isaiah. And big chunks of our understanding of who the Messiah is comes from this section as well. Ezekiel also has chapters of comfort. He gives a great deal of information on a Davidic king who will shepherd the people. And in this war-torn land he sees a battlefield where the dry bones of slain soldiers rise up, become enfleshed, and live again.  Ezekiel 38-39 are more End Time prophecies about the Lord showing up to defend Israel from attack. And the book ends with a very detailed vision of a brand new Temple and a redi...

                                                          The Fall of Jerusalem    God's Precious City Falls The Babylonian siege lasts about 2 ½ years. The food supply in Jerusalem completely runs out. When the attention of the Babylonians is momentarily distracted, the Lord has Jeremiah buy a field as a sign of hope and promise that the Lord’s people will one day be gathered back home. When all hope is lost, King Zedekiah and his soldiers sneak out through a hole in the wall but are caught by the Babylonians. Things do not end well for Zedekiah.  Most of the people are taken into captivity to Babylon, leaving only a tiny staff supporting Gedeliah, the governor set up by the Babylonians. Gedeliah is quickly assassinated, and in fear for their lives, the few remaining Jews flee to Egypt, taking Jeremiah and Baruch with them. A fr...

                                                         Eze 10-23, 25-36, Jer 21-23, 32-34, 37-38    The Glory of the Lord Leaves the Temple The end is near. All who grieve Jerusalem’s evil have been marked with God’s mark on their foreheads. The rest, the Lord says, will be pursued by plague, famine, and sword. In Eze 23 we meet Oholah and Oholibah and see how God views Israel and Judah in this moment in history. And now, Ezekiel sees the Glory of the Lord depart from the Temple. It is a view of what is happening spiritually. The physical events are yet to come. Zedekiah rebels against Babylon and allies with Egypt. Big mistake. Nebuchadnezzar sets out with his armies and then comes to a fork in the road--and finds a sign that Ezekiel put there. In the midst of all this turmoil, Jeremiah is arrested and thrown in prison. A free Stud...

                                                        Ezekiel 1-9    Ezekiel Sees Visions One of the young priests in exile in Babylon is called by God to warn the people of Jerusalem of impending disaster. Which is kind of weird--Ezekiel does all sorts of object lessons there in Babylon, and his antics all have to be transmitted back to Jerusalem by mail and messenger. Isaiah had to go naked for 3 years and Hosea had to marry a woman he knew would be unfaithful, so you know Ezekiel is in for a rough ride. This week we hear his “call story” and follow along as he acts out the events bearing down on Jerusalem . A free Study Guide is available. A video version of the class is available on YouTube. More info at EversBibleClass.com .

                                                       Jeremiah 30-31, 24, 47-51, 27-29 & Daniel 2    King Nebuchadnezzar has a Dream The sages and mages of Babylon cannot tell the king his dream nor can they interpret it, so the enraged king orders them all killed as frauds. And that includes any wise-men-in-training like Daniel and his friends.   Daniel and his friends beseech the Lord God for mercy, and God gives Daniel both the dream and its meaning. This means all lives are saved and Daniel gets a big promotion. Meanwhile in Judah, Jeremiah is still trying to make an impression on the hard-hearted, stubborn leaders. He wears a wooden yoke and gets into a confrontation with a more politically correct prophet. Letters and envoys are swapped between Judah and Babylon, with Jeremiah right in the middle of it all. A free Study Gui...

                                                      2 Ki 24, 2 Chr 36, Lamentations, Nahum & Habakkuk, & Jer 18-20, 25-26, 36, 45, 35, 13    Jeremiah is Accused of Treason After King Josiah dies, Judah never has another good king. Jeremiah writes laments over King Josiah. The book of Lamentations, which may not be Jeremiah's, is a poignant lament over the fall of Jerusalem which is fast approaching. Jeremiah is a persistent, annoying thorn in the side of the new king, Jehoiakim, and his officials. And since Jeremiah sets up his soap box in the Temple precincts, it’s not long before the priests and false prophets are out to get him. Things get dicey when they accuse Jeremiah of treason. The Lord saves Jeremiah and his faithful scribe, Baruch, but he has no mercy on wicked King Jehoiakim. After Jehoiakim’s death, his son Jehoiachin reig...

                                                     2 Kings 22-23 and 2 Chron 34-35 and Isaiah 7-12 & 14-17    Gung-ho for God When the Book of the Law is found in the Temple and is read to King Josiah, he knows the nation is in deep trouble. He goes on a rampage cleansing all of Judah, Jerusalem, the Temple and even what used to be Israel of all the idols and high places and shrines. Then he orders a grand Passover celebration. The problem is that it’s a top-down reform. It definitely does not reach the hearts of the people. The Lord has Jeremiah stand at the gates of the Temple and then at every gate into Jerusalem and urge the people to repent and turn to the Lord.  The Lord tells Jeremiah to stop bothering to intercede for the people. The Lord will relent only if the people themselves turn to him with their whole hearts.  A f...

                                                    2 Kings 22:1-2 and 2 Chron 34:1-3 and Zephaniah and Isaiah 1-6    A Cauldron from the North After Manasseh’s death and the assassination of the next guy in line, 8 yo Josiah comes to the throne. He follows the Lord wholeheartedly his whole life. He destroys all the idols in Judah and even whatever he can find in what used to be Israel. He destroys high places, desecrates idol altars--the whole nine yards. But it’s pretty much only Josiah. The people show up and say the words, but their hearts are not in it. They want their idols back. And so, the Lord sends the next great prophet--Jeremiah--who will stick with the kings of Judah until the bitter end. He sees a cauldron from the north ready to flood Judah with disaster. Jeremiah is a young, introverted man and his “call story” is one of the most dra...

                                                   2 Kings 18-21 and 2 Chron 32-33 and Isaiah 36-39, 49-53    The King of Assyria Defies God Despite Isaiah going naked in warning, Hezekiah still turns to Egypt for help. Assyria pounces and Hezekiah quickly realizes his mistake. But then the King of Assyria dares to disparage YHWH, the God of Israel. He dares to say YHWH cannot be trusted. And so, YHWH shows up. Hah! Later, after a miraculous 15-yr life extension, Hezekiah dies and his 12 year old son Manasseh becomes king. Manasseh is a disaster. He does it all--worshipping idols, bringing them into the Temple, sacrificing his own son. He ends up a captive in Babylon where he finds...YHWH? We finish up with a look at the four “Servant Songs” in Isaiah, especially Ch 49 which is typically taken out of context. A free Study Guide is available. A vide...

                                                  2 Kings 18:1-12 and 2 Chron 29-31 and Isaiah 14 (v24-end), Isaiah 18-20    Hezekiah Becomes King - The First Passover, Again When Ahaz dies, his son Hezekiah becomes king and immediately tosses all the idols out of the Temple. He calls for a renewed devotion to YHWH. Frankly, he’s looking for all the help he can get to avoid being conquered by the Assyrians. But this first effort is a comedy of errors. Will Hezekiah decide to hedge his bets by forming an alliance with Egypt? Things get pretty dicey, and the Lord calls on Isaiah to step up in a graphic way. This lesson needs to come with a warning label. A free Study Guide is available. A video version of the class is available on YouTube. More info at EversBibleClass.com .

                                                 2 Kings 17 and 2 Chron 28 and Isaiah 9 & 50, Hosea & Micah   The Last King of Israel The Lord’s going to take one more shot at saving Israel, and it’s going to be a dramatic one. This time, he doesn’t just have the prophet speak the words...the Lord has him act them out. Israel, the Lord’s chosen wife whom the Lord has wooed and protected and fed and cherished, has been hopelessly unfaithful for their entire marriage. She’s run away with idols every chance she’s gotten. So as shocking as it is, it should be no surprise that the Lord wants Hosea to act out the “state of the marriage.” The Lord tells Hosea to find a prostitute to marry--specifically one Hosea is 100% sure will be unfaithful to him. Meanwhile, in Judah, the prophet Micah adds another prophetic voice, calling both kingdoms to act justly, lo...

                                                2 Kings 15 and 2 Chron 26 and Isaiah 1-4   War on All Sides--so what does that have to do with Jesus? What if you were attacked on all sides simultaneously? And what if the Lord showed up and said, “Don’t worry. I will protect you. Let me prove it to you.”     That’s an offer you jump at, right? But the King of Judah turns to the King of Assyria for help instead. Say, what? You think Assyria is going to protect you, when they are already poised to crush you?     It's like asking the fox to protect the hen house.The results are disastrous for both Israel and Judah. Thousands of Israelites are deported to far-flung places across the Assyrian Empire.   Don’t miss the discussion and additional whiteboard session in the second half where we dive into Isaiah’s “A virgin shall conceive” and fin...

                                               2 Kings 15 and 2 Chron 26 and Isaiah 1-4   Isaiah and a Peek at the End Times King Uzziah of Judah is pretty proud of himself. Judah is thriving under his economic leadership. So he figures he should be more important than anyone, including the priests. He shows up with incense and crashes the Holy Place in the Temple. Hmmm...I wonder what could go wrong here? Israel is in complete turmoil as the kingdom changes hands three times in seven months. Into all this chaos, the Lord sends Isaiah. We take a peek at future events so we have a good frame of reference for understanding Isaiah's messages. A free Study Guide is available. A video version of the class is available on YouTube. More info at EversBibleClass.com .