Oh I Get It!

Followers of Christ in the New Testament were Christians, so were their churches like ours?

Start by reading Acts 11:19-30

The churches themselves were different: • They met in people’s homes. • They often had to meet in hiding. • Everyone in the group was involved; nobody just “went to church.” • Everyone shared their meals and stuff with each other. Just like in our churches, they came together to pray, worship and learn how to spread the good news of Jesus Christ to the whole world.

 

More To Get You Thinking

Why did Moses sing a song when he was going to die?

Start by reading Deuteronomy 32

Some songs comforted them when they were sad and scared, exactly the way your favorite CD does when it feels like your life is falling apart. Music inspired them when they weren't sure if they could do what God expected. Our hymns and praise songs do that, too. The people of Israel were probably freaked out about going on without Moses, and they needed some comfort and peace. Moses was pretty wise to burst into song.

So, what exactly is a tribe?

Start by reading Numbers 2

There were extended families, like you, your brothers and sisters, parents, grandparents on one side; aunts, uncles and cousins on the other side. All the extended families that were related to each other made up a clan, like your grandfather's brother and his extended family. Different clans that lived in the same area and had similar responsibilities made up a tribe. For example, the Levites always assisted the priests. All the tribes belonged to Israel.

Why did the Israelites want a human king when they had God?

Start by reading 1 Samuel 8, 10

God raised up a leader whenever Israel was about to be attacked by some nation. In peaceful times, though, all they needed were Moses' laws, prophet guides and wise judges. But other nations were growing more powerful because they had kings and central governments, so the Israelites whined to Samuel that they wanted that, too. God let them have it, but not before he warned them that they weren't going to like it.

When God called Gideon to lead Israel, Gideon was acting like a wimp. Why did God use him?

Start by reading Judges 6:15

Gideon reacted to God's call just like Moses did: "Why me? I can't do this!" God often calls on people we consider "wimps" to do his mighty work. These people with self-doubts had to listen to God and obey him because they didn't have plans of their own getting in the way. Full of God's power, Gideon brought down a false religion and then took out the Midianites with only 300 men, restoring peace to the land for 40 years. But he was so humble he wouldn't let the people make him king. Only the Lord was king, he said. And that's exactly why God chose him.

Who was Edom?

Start by reading Obadiah 1

In the book of Genesis (25:3–36) twin boys were born—Jacob and Esau—who were literally fighting when they came out of their mom. It didn't stop there. Jacob's descendants became the people of Israel, and Esau's descendants became the people of Edom, and the two neighboring nations were at each other constantly. When God brought judgment on Israel, Edom got nervy. But he had Obadiah tell the Edomites that the same thing could happen to them— and it did.