Category: The Women Of Advent

12/17/23 The Women of Advent: Ruth

12/18/2023

ICEBREAKER
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DISCUSSION

What are some things that stood out to you about the story of Ruth?
What are some things that Naomi would have experienced or gone through as a widow after losing her husband and her two sons?
What would it be like for Ruth now as a childless widow?
Do you know who the Moabites were and what kind of relationship did they and the Israelites have?
You can learn more about them by reading Genesis 13:10-13, Genesis 19, Deuteronomy 2:9, Numbers 22:1-6, Numbers 25:1-4, Deuteronomy 23:3–6.
What's the significance of Boaz being so generous to a childless widow from Moab?
What's the difference between the Moabite Ruth and the other Moabite women? See Ruth 1:16-17.

Ruth is a short story with a BIG message. And that message centers around the two main characters, God, and the word hesed--a Hebrew word that is often translated as steadfast or unfailing love and kindness. But this one Hebrew word is bigger, deeper, and richer than that. This word communicates characteristics that require multiple English words for us to truly understand. These characteristics include love, loyalty, steadfastness, strength, compassion, generosity, grace, and mercy.

How do Ruth and Boaz display hesed in this story?
How does God display hesed through all of Scripture?
What's the connection between hesed in the Old Testament and the teachings of Jesus, Paul, and John about love in the New Testament?
How can we display hesed today?

PRAYER
Take some time for people to share prayer requests. Then pray. First, pray about what was discussed—thanking and praising God for his hesed—unfailing love, compassion, mercy, generosity, etc.—and asking for help to show hesed to others. Then pray for each other's prayer requests.

12/10/23 The Women of Advent: Rahab

12/11/2023

Watch this Week's Message

ICEBREAKER

What's the smelliest thing you've ever encountered?
What's a label you've been given over the years and how have people treated you because of it?

DISCUSSION
Review the story of Rahab in Joshua 2:1-21 and 6:20-25.

First, what is the conquest of the land all about?
1. Driving out the wickedness of the Canaanites (Deuteronomy 9:4-6).
2. Giving the land to the Israelites instead.
What are some things you've noticed or that have stood out to you about Rahab's story?
What do you think life was like for Rahab in Jericho among the Canaanites?
Innkeeper?
Many Jewish teachers and Rabbis both before Jesus and the New Testament and shortly afterward promoted the idea that Rahab was an innkeeper. In fact, a strong tradition developed believing that Rahab married Joshua and that a number of prophets were descended from them: Jeremiah, Hilkiah, Seraiah, Mahseiah, Baruch, Ezekiel and Hulda.
1. Is there a footnote in any of your Bibles or have you come across any articles suggesting that Rahab might have been an "innkeeper" rather than a "prostitute"?
2. How would that change our perspective of her?
3. Why would they have come up with this tradition?
  The root Hebrew word for what is translated as "prostitute" is "znh" which has some connection to "feeding" or "being fed." The context of Joshua 2 also hints at her running a household where travelers can find lodging. But mostly, it's understood that it was too shameful to have a prostitute in the line of such great prophets.
Prostitute?
The root word "znh" is more strongly understood as "stinking" or "rejected" or "unfaithful." The actual word used in Joshua 2:1 is "zenuth," is the exact same word used in Genesis 38:15, which means "prostitute" or "promiscuous." The Canaanites had many religious prostitutes who served in the temples of Baal and Asherah, but there's a different term for them. Furthermore, Hebrews 11:31 and James 2:25 both indicate that Rahab was a prostitute.
1. Why did the two spies "stay" in the house of Rahab?
2. Rahab hid them under flax stalks that had been soaked and now were drying. They were probably very stinky. Is there any significance to this?
Prophetic words.
The Lord promised to give the land to the descendants of Abraham, the Israelites (Genesis 15:18-21). He promised it would be spacious and fruitful (Exodus 3:8; Joshua 1:13).
1. What do you think the spies thought when they met Rahab, whose name in Hebrew means "wide" or "spacious"?
2. What is the significance of Rahab speaking prophetically the words of Joshua 2:8-11?
What is the significance of Rahab being brought in to dwell among the Israelites (Joshua 6:25) and even marry Salmon (Matthew 1:5) in light of God's prohibition to marry Canaanites in Deuteronomy 7:1-6?
How does this story demonstrate God's judgment against the wicked and grace for those who turn to him?
Have you seen this kind of grace at work in your own life or in the church?
Why is it significant that Matthew just says "Rahab" rather than "Rahab the prostitute" (Matthew 1:5)?
What is the significance of what Hebrews 11:31 and James 2:25 are saying in light of Rahab's story?

PRAYER
Take some time for people to share prayer requests. Then pray. First, pray about what was discussed—confessing how we experience God's grace today. Then pray for each other's prayer requests.

12/3/23 The Women of Advent: Tamar

12/3/2023

Watch this Week's Message

ICEBREAKER
What's it like to try to explain your family system to someone else?
DISCUSSION

Review Matthew 1:1-17.
1. While this genealogy contains the names of many biblical heroes, their stories also include sin and brokenness. Try to recall with each other what you know about the sin and brokenness in some of their stories.
2. This genealogy also contains the names of five women in a way that breaks from kingly genealogies and lists of some other surrounding nations of the time. From what Pastor Jim shared, how are they different, and why is this significant?
Read Genesis 38:6-30.
1. What was it like to be a widow in Tamar's world?
  1. How does being a childless widow complicate it?
  2. What is it like for widows in our world today?
2. What is Yibbum, or a "levirate marriage"? What is the biblical custom of a "kinsman redeemer"?
3. What was the "sin of Onan"? What was so wicked about it?
4. How is this different from another, more well-known interpretation of "onananism"? What does this difference in interpretations say about how we read the Bible?
5. What were the sins of Judah? What was so wicked about them?
6. Why does Judah say that Tamar is more "tsadaq" than him? What does "tsadaq" mean?
  Note: it can be translated as righteous or just, referring to moral righteousness and social justice.
7. What does this story say about God's desire for the way things are in the kingdom of God?
8. What are some implications for us today?
9. What is significant about knowing this story along with the brokenness in the stories of those listed in Matthew chapter 1? How does this relate to what is said about Jesus in Matthew 1:21.

PRAYER
Take some time for people to share prayer requests. Then pray. First, pray about what was discussed—confessing how we sin in similar ways today and asking for God's help to fulfill his kingdom. Then pray for each others prayer requests.

12/17/23 The Women of Advent: Ruth

12/10/23 The Women of Advent: Rahab

12/3/23 The Women of Advent: Tamar

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