Christian Women – Page 24 – Michelle Lesley

Previous Lessons: 1, 2,

Read Psalm 119:17-32

Recall the things from the introductory lesson that you wanted to keep in mind as you study the text of Psalm 119.

Don’t forget to read in complete sentences instead of stopping at the end of each verse.

Questions to Consider

1. Review your notes from last week’s lesson. Does that passage relate to this week’s passage? How? Do you notice any repeated words, thoughts, or themes?

2. For what purpose does the psalmist ask God to “deal bountifully” with him? (17) When Christians today ask God to “deal bountifully” with them do you think this is what they have in mind? Is it what you have in mind?

3. Think about the approximate time period during which the psalms were written (you may wish to look back at the resources in lesson 1 – link above). Which books of the Bible would the psalmist have had access to? What two kinds of writing – poetry, historical narrative, prophecy, law, or didactic – compose the bulk of those books? (Think and answer first, then scroll down to *.) So when the psalmist uses words like “law,” “commands,” “statutes,” and “rules,” he’s usually using those terms interchangeably with “Scripture” (all of it that he had access to), but in another sense he can be referring specifically to God’s laws. In verse 18, how does he characterize God’s law? Think specifically about the law portions of the Old Testament (the 10 Commandments, Levitical law, etc.). What are some “wondrous things” you see in God’s law? What are some “wondrous things” you see in the other portions of the Scriptures the psalmist had access to?

4. Consider 20-22 together. What is God’s disposition toward those who forsake His Word? Toward those who keep it? Why does this cause the psalmist to “long after” God’s Word? What role does God’s Word play in the psalmist’s relationship with God? Make the connection between this and your own relationship with God.

5. 18, 26-27, 29 – What is the main idea of these verses? Is the psalmist asking God for better reading comprehension skills? Is He saying Scripture is so confusing he doesn’t understand what it means? What, exactly, is he asking God for? What is the illumination of Scripture? Who initiates and drives illumination (18,32)? Why do we need God to illumine Scripture to us? What role does the indwelling Holy Spirit play in illumination? Does God illumine Scripture to unbelievers? Why or why not? How does the doctrine of illumination fit with the concept that God’s Word is “living and active“? Describe the experience of God illuminating His Word to you, personally.

6. Which verses describe the comfort of God’s Word during hard times? What is the psalmist’s perspective or desire regarding God’s Word in these verses?

7. One of the themes you will probably notice in Psalm 119 is those who love and keep God’s law versus those who disobey God’s law. In what ways or verses did you see that theme in today’s passage? What are some other themes you’re beginning to notice? How does the psalmist connect Scripture to each of those themes? Watch for those themes to be repeated in future passages. You may wish to make a list of them to refer to throughout this study.

8. What does today’s passage teach us about the nature and character of God?

*Question 3: At that point in history, the psalmist would have had access to the Pentateuch (Genesis – Deuteronomy), probably Joshua, Judges, and Ruth, and possibly some or all of 1&2 Samuel and some of Psalms. The bulk of these books is historical narrative and law.

Praying Psalm 119

Have you ever tried praying the psalms? I want to encourage you to try praying part of Psalm 119 back to God each week of this study. (If you’re familiar with my other studies, this will take the place of the weekly “Homework” section.)

The psalms are uniquely suited for praying back to God, both verbatim and conceptually, because they are often written as prayers – as though the psalmist is talking to God. Did you notice that about today’s passage? In which verses?

What is a concept or thought for your own life that the Holy Spirit impressed on your heart or convicted you about from today’s passage? Is there a particular verse(s), or maybe the whole passage, that you would like to pray back to God verbatim? Whatever your “prayer point” from today’s lesson, pray it at least daily until we get to the next lesson.

Suggested Memory Verse

Psalm 119 Bible Study

Psalm 119: The Glory of God’s Word ~ Lesson 2

February 9, 2022February 8, 2022 Michelle Lesley

Welcome, ladies! Just a reminder, please do not skip Lesson 1 from last week (link below). Not only will it answer any questions you may have about the study itself, but if you want to study Psalm 119 properly, you must do the background work contained in Lesson 1.

Previous Lessons: 1

Read Psalm 119:1-16

Questions to Consider

1. Review your notes from last week’s introductory lesson. What are some things to keep in mind as you begin to study the text of Psalm 119 today?

As you study, it will probably help you grasp and absorb the psalmist’s meaning better if you read in complete sentences instead of stopping at the end of each verse. For example, notice the comma at the end of verse 2. Verse 2 is not the psalmist’s complete thought. Read all the way through to the period at the end of verse 3, and consider verses 2 and 3 together as the complete thought.

2. List all the synonyms for “Scripture” in this text. How many of the verses in this passage contain a term that means “Scripture”? How would you define each of these terms? Are there subtle shades of difference in what these various terms mean? (You may wish to use a lexicon such as Strong’s to check your work after you have defined these words.) Why would the psalmist choose so many different words that all essentially mean “Scripture”?

3. Do verses 1-3 remind you of another passage of Scripture? How are these verses structurally different from those verses? Why, how, and for what is a person blessed in verses 1-3? What does it mean for a person’s way to be “blameless”? (1)

4. What is the orientation of the psalmist’s heart toward keeping God’s law? Does he view it as a drudge and a burden? Does he want to obey God’s Word, or does he grudgingly do it because he has to? Which words and phrases from today’s passage support your answers? How does this compare to the New Testament’s view of obedience to Scripture? What is the orientation of your heart toward obeying Scripture?

5. How does the psalmist’s love for Scripture, and for obeying Scripture, impact his worship of God (7,12) and his love for God? Which words and phrases from today’s passage support your answers? How does this compare to the New Testament’s view of obedience to Scripture being an indicator of one’s love for God? What does your level of obedience to Scripture and your attitude toward obeying Scripture say about your love for God? Is your love for God reflected by your obedience to Scripture? Explain, in your own words, the relationship between loving and obeying Scripture and loving and obeying God.

6. Which parts of today’s passage can you accomplish in a way that’s pleasing to God without the indwelling and empowering of the Holy Spirit? Is it possible for a lost person to truly love and obey God’s Word? Is it possible for a saved person not to truly love and obey God’s Word? What does this tell you about people who claim to be Christians, yet live in unrepentant sin, or have an unbiblical worldview?

7. Notice the verses that mention body parts (eyes, heart, etc.). How does the psalmist use or relate each of those body parts to his love for Scripture? How does this reflect the idea that love for God isn’t just a private feeling we have internally, but that we use our bodies to love God externally by acting in obedience?

8. How does storing up God’s Word in our hearts guard us against sin? (11) How can we be intentional, purposeful, and proactive about storing up God’s Word in our hearts?

9. Connect today’s passage with the concept that Jesus is the Word.

Praying Psalm 119

Suggested Memory Verse

Psalm 119 Bible Study

Psalm 119: The Glory of God’s Word ~ Lesson 1- Introduction

February 2, 2022February 1, 2022 Michelle Lesley

Welcome to our new study, Psalm 119: The Glory of God’s Word!

What does God’s Word teach us about…itself? Weighing in at a hefty 176 verses, Psalm 119 is well known as the longest chapter in the Bible, and is similar in length to Philippians and James. Over the next several weeks as we make our way through this lovely psalm, you’ll learn about loving God’s Word, the reliability of God’s Word, and the various ways Scripture helps us in our daily lives. But most importantly, you’ll learn about and increase in your love for the God of the Word.

Our lovely title pic for the study was designed by Susan Snyder. The photo is her own, captured in beautiful Greenville, South Carolina. Susan says:

The psalmist loved God’s Word and wanted his life to reflect that love through obedience. The path of God’s commandments is delightful. I thought a nice-looking path might illustrate that thought…
Make me walk in the path of Your commandments, for I delight in it. Psalm 119:35

Many thanks to all of those who worked so hard on your entries for our title pic contest. You ladies were very creative and did some outstanding work!

There were too many entries to share all of them with you, but here are a few “honorable mentions”:

If you’re new to using my Bible studies, just a few housekeeping items and helpful hints:

The studies I’ve written (you can find all of them at the Bible Studies tab in the blue menu bar at the top of this page) are like “training wheels”. They’re designed to teach you how to study the Bible for yourself and what kinds of questions to ask of the text so that, when you get the hang of it, you won’t have to depend on other people’s books and materials – even mine – any more. To that end, I do not provide answers for the study questions in the studies I’ve written.

My studies are meant to be extremely flexible and self-paced so that you can use them in the way that works best for you. You can do an entire lesson in one day or work on the questions over the course of the week (or longer). You do not need to feel obligated to answer all (or any) of the questions. If the Holy Spirit parks you on one question for several days, enjoy digging deep into that one aspect of the lesson. If He shows you something I haven’t written a question about that captures your attention, dive in and study it! Those are ways the Holy Spirit speaks to us through His Word. This is your time to commune with the Lord, not a school assignment or work project you are beholden to complete in a certain way by a certain deadline.

I will post a new lesson on the blog every Wednesday, so there is nothing to sign up for or commit to. Simply stop by the blog each week, or subscribe to the blog via e-mail to have the lessons delivered to your inbox.

I use hyperlinks liberally. The Scriptures for each lesson will be linked at the beginning of the lesson and in the lesson questions. As you’re reading the lesson, whenever you see a word in a different color text, click on it, and it will take you to a Scripture, article, or other resource that will help as you study.

All of the studies I’ve written are suitable for groups or individuals. You are welcome to use them as a Sunday school or Bible study class curriculum (for free) with proper attribution.

You are also welcome to print out any of my Bible studies (or any article I’ve written) for free and make as many copies as you’d like, again, with proper attribution. I’ve explained more about that in this article (3rd section).

From time to time I receive inquiries from men about using my studies for their personal quiet time or for teaching a co-ed or men’s Bible study class. It is my personal conviction that it is more in keeping with the spirit (though not the letter) of 1 Timothy 2:12, Titus 2:3-5, and related passages for men to use Bible study materials authored by men rather than by women. Therefore, on the honor system, I would request that men please not use my studies for personal use, or when teaching a class with male members. (Vetting the studies for your wife, daughter, or the women of your church, is, of course, fine. Encouraged, actually.)

Introduction to Psalm 119: The Glory of God’s Word

Before we begin studying a book of the Bible, it’s very important that we understand some things about that book. But even though we’re not going to be studying the whole book this time, we still need to know…

Who the author was and anything we might be able to find out about him or his background.

Who the audience of the book is: Jews or Gentiles? Old Testament Israelites or New Testament Christians? This will help us understand the author’s purpose and approach to what he’s writing.

What kind of biblical literature we’re looking at. We approach books of history differently than books of wisdom, books of wisdom differently than books of prophecy, etc.

What the purpose of the book is. Was it written to encourage? Rebuke? Warn?

What the historical backdrop is for the book. Is Israel at war? At peace? In exile? Under a bad king? Good king? Understanding the historical events surrounding a piece of writing help us understand what was written and why it was written.

When the book was written. Where does the book fall on the timeline of biblical history? This is especially important for Old Testament books which are not always arranged in chronological order.

So this week, before we start studying the actual text of Psalm 119, we need to lay the foundation to understanding it by finding the answers to these questions.

Read the following overviews of the book of Psalms, taking notes on anything that might aid your understanding of the book, and, particularly Psalm 119, and answer the questions below:

Bible Introductions: Psalms at Grace to You

Overview of the Book of Psalms at Reformed Answers

Summary of the Book of Psalms at Got Questions

You may also wish to read these resources on Psalm 119 itself:

What should we learn from Psalm 119? at Got Questions

What are the Acrostic Psalms? at Reformed Answers

The Greatness and Glory of God’s Word at Blue Letter Bible (I have vetted only the introduction of this resource, and I would encourage you to stop reading at the end of the introduction rather than continuing on through the commentary. That way you can begin the study of the text of Psalm 119 next week with no pre-conceived notions, ready for the Word of God itself to write on the blank slate of your heart.)

1. Who are some of the authors of Psalms? The author of Psalm 119?

2. Approximately when was Psalms written? What is the geographical setting of the book of Psalms?

3. Who is the original, intended audience of the book of Psalms? Describe the historical setting (historic events, politics, sociology of the time, etc.) of Psalms.

4. Which genre of biblical literature is the book of Psalms: law, history, wisdom, poetry, narrative, epistles, or prophecy/apocalyptic? What does this tell us about the approach we should take when studying from this book versus our approach to books of other genres?

5. What is the theme or purpose of the book of Psalms? Of Psalm 119?

6. What are some ways Psalms and Psalm 119 point to and connect to Jesus?

7. Describe the format and structure of Psalm 119. Why was it written this way?

8. What else did you learn about Psalms or the setting of this book that might help you understand Psalm 119 better?

Take some time in prayer this week to begin preparing your heart for this study. Ask God to grow your love for Him and His Word as we study Psalm 119: The Glory of God’s Word together.

Mailbag

The Mailbag: Husbands, pastors, and mentors- Which roles do they play in a Christian woman’s life?

January 31, 2022 Michelle Lesley

Originally published January 20, 2020

I have three questions that are kind of related to each other:

1 Corinthians 14:35 says women should ask their husbands questions at home; how does this fit with women mentoring other women in Titus 2?

Where does a husband’s role end and where does the role of a godly older woman begin in terms of teaching younger women?

Are there areas where a pastor’s authority trumps a husband’s authority?

Thank you for your help.

These are really awesome questions. I love it when women ask questions that demonstrate that they’re digging into Scripture and thinking deeply about the things of God. It’s so exciting to me!

(Before I begin answering, let me just stipulate, as I usually do in articles about marriage, that the following statements assume a normal, relatively healthy, average marriage, not abusive marriages, extremely aberrant marriages, etc. Also, it’s not my intent to leave out my single sisters, but the reader asked specifically about married women, so that’s how I’m answering the questions.)

So let’s take each question separately…

1 Corinthians 14:35 says women should ask their husbands questions at home; how does this fit with women mentoring other women in Titus 2:3-5?

The first thing we need to do when we’re addressing questions like this is to look at each of these passages in context. This is a very simple study skill that will clear up nearly all instances of supposed contradictions in Scripture.

Read 1 Corinthians 14:26-40. What is the venue for Paul’s instructions in this passage? In other words, is he telling people how to behave at home? At work? At the movies? Look at the key phrases in verses 26 (“when you come together”) and 28,33b-35 (“in church”). Paul is giving instructions for how an orderly worship service is to be conducted. He is not making a blanket statement that any time any woman wants to know anything about Scripture or God or life in general that the only person she can ever ask questions of is her husband. What he’s saying is that in order to avoid chaos in the worship service, women are to sit down and be quiet during the preaching and teaching, rather than interrupting to comment or ask questions (one of the reasons Paul says this is that the women in the Corinthian church were doing just that – interrupting the preaching and teaching with questions and comments). If you read further in chapter 14, you’ll notice he places similar restrictions on prophesying and speaking in other languages to prevent chaos and confusion during the worship service. I’ve discussed this passage in further detail in my article Rock Your Role ~ Order in His Courts: Silencing Women?

Now read Titus 2. What’s the main idea of this chapter? Is it the same as the main idea of 1 Corinthians 14 – instructions for an orderly worship service? No. Verse 12 gives a nice summary of chapter 2: “renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age.” That’s what this chapter is about. “Titus, here’s what your church members (and you) are to do and how they’re to conduct themselves as they go about the business of living as Christians in this world and in community with one another.” The older women teaching and training the younger women in verses 3-5 is not taking place during the worship service, but as these women go about daily life with one another. Today, this kind of teaching and training takes place in women’s Bible study classes, women’s fellowship groups, and in one on one discipleship, not in, nor instead of, the gathering of the whole church for worship.

So as we can see when we examine the context of both passages, 1 Corinthians 14:35 and Titus 2:3-5 are not in conflict, they’re actually in harmony, addressing two distinct ways women are to conduct themselves in two completely different venues.

Where does a husband’s role end and where does the role of a godly older woman begin in terms of teaching younger women?

I don’t think it’s really that discrete and linear, i.e. the husband teaches this list of topics the wife needs to be taught about and the godly older woman teaches that list of topics she needs to be taught about, and never the twain shall meet. It’s a much more informal and “whatever is needful at the moment” type of thing. Additionally, it’s going to vary from marriage to marriage. Some women have unsaved husbands. Some women are newly saved with husbands who have been saved for decades. Some husbands and wives are very private about everything, some are very open to others. So the balance between who (husband or older woman mentor) teaches what, and how much, and when, is going to look different in every marriage.

I would just offer a few guidelines:

• After your relationship with Christ, if you’re married, your highest allegiance is to your husband. He should be your best friend and first confidant, not a woman who’s mentoring you (or even your mother, sister, or female best friend). He should never feel like he’s in competition for your time, interest, or affinity with the woman who’s mentoring you, or that you esteem her on the same (or, perish the thought, higher) level of loyalty or emotional intimacy with him. If you’ve gotten that close to your mentor, you’re too close. Turn your attention toward your husband.

• Along those same lines, always keep in mind that God instructs you to submit to your husband, not your mentor. The only time you should ever follow your mentor’s advice over your husband’s desires is if your husband is asking you to do something the Bible clearly calls sin and your mentor is advising you to obey Scripture instead. (But even in that case, you’re not really choosing your mentor over your husband, you’re choosing to obey God rather than to sin.)

• There are some things that are private between a husband and wife that shouldn’t be shared with anyone, including a mentor. Which things? Again, that’s going to vary from marriage to marriage, but a few no no’s might include the private details of your sex life, your finances, and anything your husband would be embarrassed for someone else to know. Talk with your husband and ask if there’s anything he would rather you didn’t share with your mentor.

Are there areas where a pastor’s authority trumps a husband’s authority?

It really depends on what you have in mind when you ask that question.

If you’re talking about personal decisions made between a husband and wife, let’s say, for instance, whether or not to move to a certain part of town or whether or not the wife should take a part time job, it is not the pastor’s place to step in and overrule the husband’s decision, nor should the pastor have any expectation that the couple would obey any edicts he issues. If the couple goes to him for counseling or asks for his advice, he can certainly give it, but we never see any place in Scripture where a pastor has authority over another family’s decisions. The husband is responsible before God for leading his family, not the pastor.

But if you’re talking about a situation in the church, then yes, a pastor’s (or the elders’) authority – assuming he’s abiding by Scripture – trumps a husband’s authority, and pretty much every other church member’s authority as well. For example, a husband does not have the authority to walk up to the pastor and say, “I’m going to let my wife preach the sermon next Sunday,” or “My wife is going to take over this Sunday School classroom and use it as her personal office.”. If a husband were to say something like that, the pastor is well within his authority as shepherd of the church to say, “Oh no she’s not.”. The buck stops with the pastor when it comes to how the church runs, and he is responsible before God for making godly decisions for the church.

I’m aware that there are aberrant, fringe “churches” (many of them are some stripe of New Apostolic Reformation or extreme legalism/fundamentalism) out there in which the “pastor” has ultimate authority over every decision a family makes: where they live, how many children they have, what to name their children, whether and where each spouse should work, etc. If you’re in a so-called church like that, leave immediately and find a doctrinally sound church to join. A church doesn’t plunge to that depth of spiritual abuse without succumbing to other dangerous false doctrines along the way.

If you have a question about: a Bible passage, an aspect of theology, a current issue in Christianity, or how to biblically handle a family, life, or church situation, comment below (I’ll hold all questions in queue {unpublished} for a future edition of The Mailbag) or send me an e-mail or private message. If your question is chosen for publication, your anonymity will be protected.

Wednesday's Word

Wednesday’s Word ~ 1 John 4

January 19, 2022January 18, 2022 Michelle Lesley

For further study on the book of 1 John, try my study, Am I Really Saved?: A First John Checkup, from which this lesson is excerpted.

1 John 4

Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world. ²By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, ³and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you heard was coming and now is in the world already. ⁴Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. ⁵They are from the world; therefore they speak from the world, and the world listens to them. ⁶We are from God. Whoever knows God listens to us; whoever is not from God does not listen to us. By this we know the Spirit of truth and the spirit of error.

⁷Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. ⁸Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. ⁹In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. ¹⁰In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. ¹¹Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. ¹²No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us.

¹³By this we know that we abide in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit. ¹⁴And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. ¹⁵Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. ¹⁶So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. ¹⁷By this is love perfected with us, so that we may have confidence for the day of judgment, because as he is so also are we in this world. ¹⁸There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love. ¹⁹We love because he first loved us. ²⁰If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. ²¹And this commandment we have from him: whoever loves God must also love his brother.

Questions to Consider

1. What is the theme or purpose of the book of 1 John? What is the historical backdrop for the book of 1 John?

2. Which Spirit is controlling true Christian teachers? What spirit is controlling false teachers according to verse 3? True or false: If you’re following a false teacher, you’re following a demonic spirit. What does it mean to “test the spirits”? (v1) How did the noble Bereans test the spirits?

3. According to verses 7-8, who defines, originates, and is the embodiment of, love? How does this tell Christians Who and what is to motivate any love that we might feel or show to others? Is the “love” that non-Christians feel or show to others motivated by God or by other factors such as affection, selfishness, lust, etc.? Can you truly love others if you do not know God? In verses 9-10, what is the ultimate definition and demonstration (what action did God take) of the phrase “God is love”?

4. How do we know, according to verse 13, that we belong to Christ? How can we tell if we have the Spirit? In what ways do our actions show that we have the Holy Spirit?

5. What does our love (or lack of love) for others say about whether or not we truly know God? (20) What does verse 20 call people who claim to love God but do not love others? Are such people saved?