The ideal guide for the thinking Christian who wants to interpretand apply the whole Bible in a way that is relevant to

the issues of today’s world

Encounter with God is about insight and maturity of outlook:

Providing informed comment from an international team of writers

Inspiring readers to explore the wonder of the gospel

Encouraging thoughtful application to contemporary society

www.scriptureunion.org.uk

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PLEASE RECYCLE ENCOUNTER WITH GOD

The ideal guide for the thinking Christian who wants to interpretand apply the whole Bible in a way that is relevant to

the issues of today’s world

Encounter with God is about insight and maturity of outlook:

Providing informed comment from an international team of writers

Inspiring readers to explore the wonder of the gospel

Encouraging thoughtful application to contemporary society

BIBLE READINGS FOR JULY–SEPTEMBER 2017

Julie Woods

Nigel Hopper

Howard Peskett

Derek Tidball

Ian Paul

Nigel Wright

Alison Lo

Katharine McPhail

EXODUS 17–24

JOHN 8–10

PROVERBS 1–9

ISAIAH 46–55

JOHN 11–13

ROMANS 12–16

1 SAMUEL 26–31

JAMES 1–3

1867–2017150 Scripture Union – Sharing the good news since 1867

BIBLE READINGS FOR JUL–SEP 2017

EXODUSPROVERBS

ISAIAHROMANS

JAMES

‘JUBILEE: REMEMBERING’

‘THEMES OF REST, FREEDOM, REMEMBERING, GRATITUDE, DEPENDENCE ON GOD AND

SOCIAL JUSTICE FIND THEMSELVES INEXTRICABLY BOUND TOGETHER IN

THE SINGLE WORD – JUBILEE’1867–2017150

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ON THE COVER Tim Hastie-Smith considers the different things that make up a jubilee (pages 76 to 79).Image credit: RossHelen/Thinkstock

‘It’s not fair!’ is a cry of the heart. If I think about the times when I have said this – or felt it, even though I may not have said it – it is usually when I have been powerless to do anything about the thing or action that seems so monstrous. The shout of unfairness comes from somewhere deep down: it is almost an automatic response to injustice. I am sure you will know what I mean.

We are surrounded by injustice in God’s good world. Some people (maybe you!) are being pushed around the globe because of war and economic famine; other people (maybe you!) will lose their lives, their freedom or their good health through no apparent fault of their own. Some people (maybe you!) will have been publicly accused, and had no way of getting those accusations (true or false) back ‘in the box’ and out of the public eye.

Several of our biblical passages this quarter address the matter of God’s justice. Of one thing we can be quite sure: humans may experience unfairness, but God has no favourites – nor illusions about our personal perfection! Any of us may feel overlooked, misjudged

or persecuted, but God knows the truth and his justice spans all eternity. Truth will, in his time, be revealed; and everyone will see that truth and be humbled before it.

Jesus was falsely accused and condemned (see our substantial readings in John’s Gospel this quarter). God’s judgement on this terrible, pivotal act of human injustice was displayed in the revelatory power of the resurrection. God will not let evil triumph in eternity. This declaration is a wonderful comfort in an unjust world – but it is also a call to action. We walk in his way; we follow the Leader; we are to live justly and to speak for justice, wherever and whenever we can do so. We must not let things pass by when we can do something, however small. The kingdom is already among us, though not yet fully. Until Jesus comes again, we build that kingdom by a thousand small acts of kindness, a thousand small words of love – and with each one, we witness that Jesus is Lord.

IT’S NOT FAIR!

Angela Grigson Caleb WoodbridgeContent Manager Product Developer

Sally NelsonEditor

ENCOUNTER WITH GOD

JULIE WOODS is a freelance Old Testament lecturer, who concentrates on the Majority World, though she has taught at various Bible colleges in the UK.

NIGEL HOPPER is Churches and Resources Manager at A Rocha UK – a Christian charity working forthe protection and restoration ofthe natural world. A former editorwith Scripture Union, Nigel livesin Milton Keynes with his wife andtwo teenage children, who will notbe children for much longer!

HOWARD PESKETT retired to Penzance in 2006 with his wife Roz, after doing discipleship and ministry training for 20 years in Singapore and 15 years at Trinity College, Bristol.

DEREK TIDBALL is a Baptist minister, former Principal of London School of Theology and currently Visiting Scholar at Spurgeon's College, London.

IAN PAUL is a theologian, writer and speaker. He is Associate Minister at St Nic's, Nottingham, Honorary Assistant Professor at the University of Nottingham and a leading blogger at www.psephizo.com.

NIGEL WRIGHT is a Baptist minister, theologian and author. He is married to Judy and lives in Cheshire.

ALISON LO is a lecturer at the Moorlands Midlands Centre. Previously, she taught at the Chinese University of Hong Kong and London School of Theology.

KATHARINE McPHAIL spent some years teaching modern languages before having two children. She and her husband, Stuart, minister as a team in the local church. They are presently at Hill Cliffe Baptist Church in Cheshire, where Stuart is the pastor.

TIM HASTIE-SMITH joined SU in England and Wales as National Director in September 2010. Tim is an ordained minister in the Church of England, is married with three children and lives in Gloucestershire, where he is involved in leading the local church.

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THE WRITERS

ENCOUNTER WITH GOD

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Scripture Union, Trinity House, Opal Court, Opal Drive, Fox Milne, Milton Keynes MK15 0DF, UKEmail: info@scriptureunion.org.uk Website: www.scriptureunion.org.uk

Scripture Union is an international Christian charity working with churches in more than 130 countries. Thank you for purchasing this book. Any profits from this book support SU in England and Wales to bring the good news of Jesus Christ to children, young people and families and to enable them to meet God through the Bible and prayer.

Find out more about our work and how you can get involved at:www.scriptureunion.org.uk (England and Wales) www.suscotland.org.uk (Scotland)www.suni.co.uk (Northern Ireland) www.scriptureunion.org (USA) www.su.org.au (Australia)

CONTENTS

Editorial: It's not fair! 1

The writers 2

Using this guide 4

Exodus 21–24; Psalms 114,115 Julie Woods 5

John 8–10; Psalms 116,117,119:1–24 Nigel Hopper 15

Proverbs 1–9; Psalm 119:25–48,49–72 Howard Peskett 30

Isaiah 46–55; Psalm 119:73–96,97–112 Derek Tidball 45

John 11–13; Psalm 119:113–128,129–152 Ian Paul 60

Worldview: Jubilee: Remembering Tim Hastie-Smith 76

Romans 12–16; Psalms 119:153–176,120 Nigel Wright 80

1 Samuel 26–31; Psalm 121 Alison Lo 95

James 1–3; Psalm 122 Katharine McPhail 103

USING THIS GUIDE

ENCOUNTER WITH GOD

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Encounter with God is designed for thinking Christians who want to interpret and apply the Bible in a way that is relevant to the problems and issues of today’s world. It is based on the NIV translation of the Bible, but can easily be used with any other version.

Each set of readings begins with an Introduction to the section you are about to study. The Call to Worship section at the start of each note should help you consciously to come into God’s presence before you read the passage. The main Explore section aims to bring out the riches hidden in the text. The Growing in Faith section at the end suggests ways of applying the message to daily living.

The Bible in a Year readings at the foot of the page are for those who want this additional option.

Scripture quotations taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version (Anglicised edition) Copyright © 1979, 1984, 2011 Biblica (formerly International Bible Society). Used by permission of Hodder & Stoughton Publishers, an Hachette UK Company. All rights reserved.

Scripture taken from The Message copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 Eugene H. Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group.

Scripture quotations marked NLT are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189 USA. All rights reserved.

Design by Heather Knight

Printed by Thomson Press, India

This edition of Encounter with God copyright © Scripture Union 2017

ISSN 1350-5130. All rights reserved.

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of Scripture Union.

INTRODUCTION

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EXODUS 17–24

FOR BETTER, FOR WORSE, TO LOVE AND TO CHERISH

The readings from Exodus 17–24, begun in June and continuing this next week, are centred around the covenant that God made with his people, Israel, at Mount Sinai after he had brought them out of Egypt. As a covenant, both parties had a role to play. God would guide, protect, provide for and bless his people, while the people would follow God’s laws and statutes. The laws covered all facets of Israelite society, including the spiritual and ritual aspects, social policy, employment law, sexual mores and general neighbourliness. It should be noted, however, that the Israelites didn’t differentiate between the spiritual and the secular as we do; the covenant affected the whole of their lives. Nevertheless, in terms of the spiritual side, there were rules for offerings, sacrifices and festivals. Social policy guidelines stipulated justice and righteousness towards others, particularly the marginalised. Employment law stipulated fair business practices. Sexual ethics and neighbourliness promoted mercy towards others. The command that is reiterated, perhaps more than any other, is that the people of Israel should have one God and no other; they were not to be tempted by the gods of other nations and were to make no idols.

Another theme to emerge is the insistence on the importance of the preparation of the people’s ‘hearts’ (as we would put it). They were to be a holy people and needed to consecrate themselves before they approached the smoking Sinai and to obey the angel of the Lord when they entered the land of Canaan.

The Exodus was the most crucial event in Israelite history and was constantly remembered, as Psalm 114 demonstrates. Despite having experienced God’s salvation, the Israelites repeatedly broke their part of the covenant so that, centuries later, God eventually disciplined them by sending them into exile. Even in exile, however, the covenant was the basis of the people’s trust that God would remember and bless them, as Psalm 115 (thought to be written when Judah was in exile) shows. God who first appeared to them in fire would love and cherish them for ever.

Julie Woods

BIBLE IN A YEAR:6

SATURDAY 1 JULY

POSSESSING OR PROTECTING?Lord, please help me not to dismiss passages that deal with subjects that I might not like very much.

EXODUS 21:1–11

‘These are the laws’ (v 1) introduces what some consider to be the Book of the Covenant that Moses wrote down,1 a book which runs from Exodus 21:1 to 23:33. These laws start with those concerning servants. The idea of buying and selling people as servants is undoubtedly and it is troubling that the Bible does not explicitly speak out against the practice. Instead, the Bible works within the context of its day and tends to put boundaries on behaviour and to encourage fair treatment, even protection, of the vulnerable. For instance, the Law says that a Hebrew servant must be freed after six years, as must his wife if she arrived with him (vs 2,3). In a world where God hates divorce,2 verse 4 seems strange, but it is also a world where women and children relied on the financial protection of men. A man who had been reduced to poverty to the extent he had to sell himself would be unlikely to be able to support a family, whereas the master could. The servant still had the opportunity to retain his family by becoming a life-long servant of the master (vs 5,6). Or, a female slave must not be sold on to foreigners (v 8) and if the master’s son marries her, she must have full rights as a daughter (v 9). The son must provide for her even if he takes another wife (v 10). Such laws discourage sexually using and abusing female slaves. The Old Testament is full of laws that protect the weak and the vulnerable.

While we probably do not overtly exploit others, there may be areas where we could be better, for instance by resisting pressure to make our team work unpaid overtime in evenings and at weekends. Or perhaps we emotionally manipulate people?

Father, help me not to exploit or manipulate others at work, home, or church. May I treat fairly all those who come into contact with me.

1 Exod 24:4,7 2 Mal 2:16

2 Chronicles 33,34; Psalms 75,76

7BIBLE IN A YEAR:

SUNDAY 2 JULY

IS THIS OUR GOD?‘Tremble, earth, at the presence of the Lord … who turned the rock into a pool, the hard rock into springs of water.’1

PSALM 114

God dwelt with his people (vs 1,2). That is so familiar to most of us that we might almost take it for granted, but it was amazing! God choosing Judah for his sanctuary? This is the God from whom the sea and river Jordan fled (v 3) – references to the Red Sea crossing, when Moses stretched out his hand,2 and the Jordan parting for Joshua.3 This is the God before whom the mountains and hills skipped (vs 4,6) – perhaps a reference to the trembling Sinai when God descended insmoke. Creation, when confronted by God, responds, to the point ofdefying physics – and with reason. God can turn the rock into a pool– this is probably a reference to water coming out from rocks in thewilderness – and hard rock into springs (vs 7,8). Certainly, the earthhas every reason to tremble before this great, mighty, majestic God!Yet, this is the same God who chooses to dwell amongst humans.Why did the sea and the rivers flee and the mountains skip beforeGod (vs 5,6)? It was to save the Israelites; God shifted creation tobring his people home safely. The more one thinks about it, the moresurreal it becomes. Why did he save the Israelites? Because he lovedthem.4

Although the incarnate Christ is fully human and fully God, we can better understand the fully human aspect. What does it mean to be ‘fully God’? Who is this God that we worship, the maker of heaven and earth, who can move mountains and seas? A God who became a little lower than the angels to suffer death so that by God’s grace he might taste death for everyone.5 Why did he save us? Because he loved us.6

If you have time, meditate on this psalm. Read it slowly and repeatedly, thinking on the all-powerful God who nevertheless lives within us. Praise God for his unfathomable mercy.

1 Ps 114:7,8 2 Exod 14:15–22 3 Josh 3:14–17 4 Deut 7:8 5 Heb 2:9 6 John 3:16

2 Chronicles 35,36; Luke 1:39–80