Welcome toWelcome to Calvary United Methodist Church’s Calvary United Methodist Church’sOnline Online ‘Easter Week’‘Easter Week’ Bible Study Bible Study

“Promises”

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“As we’ve listened to many ‘Voices From The Past’

over the last several weeks, let us finish this study

by looking to the ‘Future’.”

Consider these ‘issues’ that may come to be expectations

for many of us about the future…

•Health• Age• Financial Security• Growing Children• Aging Parents

On a sheet of paper write some words or phrases that indicate your ‘fears’

about the future!

On another sheet of paper write some words or phrases that indicate your ‘hopes’

about the future!

““Are your ‘fears’ directly related to your ‘hopes”?Are your ‘fears’ directly related to your ‘hopes”?

“Which of them seem ‘stronger’ to you?

Let’s share our First set of ‘Voices’Let’s share our First set of ‘Voices’

Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego Daniel 3: 13-30 RSV

Summary of Daniel 3:1-12

King Nebuchadnezzar had made a golden statue whose height was sixty cubits and whose width was six cubits; he

set it up to display on the plain of Dura in Babylon.

Anyone who refused to worship his statue would be cast into a blazing fire!

Certain Chaldeans came forward and told the King that there were certain Jews, [Shadrach, Meshach, and

Abednego], whom he had appointed over the affairs of the province of

Babylon, who paid him no heed. They didn’t serve his gods and they didn’t worship the golden statue that he had set

up.

Gold

Silver

Brass

Iron

Clay

90 feet

9 feet

Babylon Empire

Medo-Persia Empire

Grecian Empire

Roman Empire

Modern Day

Daniel 13:13-30Daniel 13:13-30

13 Then Nebuchadnezzar in furious rage commanded that 13 Then Nebuchadnezzar in furious rage commanded that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego be brought in; so they Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego be brought in; so they

brought those men before the king. 14 Nebuchadnezzar said brought those men before the king. 14 Nebuchadnezzar said to them, ‘Is it true, O Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, that to them, ‘Is it true, O Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, that you do not serve my gods and you do not worship the golden you do not serve my gods and you do not worship the golden statue that I have set up? 15 Now if you are ready when you statue that I have set up? 15 Now if you are ready when you

hear the sound of the horn, pipe, lyre, trigon, harp, drum, and hear the sound of the horn, pipe, lyre, trigon, harp, drum, and entire musical ensemble to fall down and worship the statue entire musical ensemble to fall down and worship the statue that I have made, well and good. But if you do not worship, that I have made, well and good. But if you do not worship,

you shall immediately be thrown into a furnace of blazing fire, you shall immediately be thrown into a furnace of blazing fire, and who is the god that will deliver you out of my hands?’ and who is the god that will deliver you out of my hands?’ 16 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered the king, 16 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered the king,

‘O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to present a defence to ‘O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to present a defence to you in this matter. 17 If our God whom we serve is able to you in this matter. 17 If our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the furnace of blazing fire and out of your deliver us from the furnace of blazing fire and out of your

hand, O king, let him deliver us. 18 But if not, be it known to hand, O king, let him deliver us. 18 But if not, be it known to you, O king, that we will notyou, O king, that we will not

19 Then Nebuchadnezzar was so filled with rage against 19 Then Nebuchadnezzar was so filled with rage against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego that his face was distorted. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego that his face was distorted.

He ordered the furnace to be heated up seven times more He ordered the furnace to be heated up seven times more than was customary, 20 and ordered some of the strongest than was customary, 20 and ordered some of the strongest

guards in his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego guards in his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego and to throw them into the furnace of blazing fire. and to throw them into the furnace of blazing fire.

21 So the men were bound, still wearing their tunics, their 21 So the men were bound, still wearing their tunics, their trousers, their hats, and their other garments, and they were trousers, their hats, and their other garments, and they were thrown into the furnace of blazing fire. 22 Because the king’s thrown into the furnace of blazing fire. 22 Because the king’s command was urgent and the furnace was so overheated, the command was urgent and the furnace was so overheated, the raging flames killed the men who lifted Shadrach, Meshach, raging flames killed the men who lifted Shadrach, Meshach,

and Abednego.and Abednego.

23 But the three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, fell 23 But the three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, fell down, bound, into the furnace of blazing fire.down, bound, into the furnace of blazing fire.

24 Then King Nebuchadnezzar was astonished and rose up 24 Then King Nebuchadnezzar was astonished and rose up quickly. He said to his counsellors, ‘Was it not three men that quickly. He said to his counsellors, ‘Was it not three men that we threw bound into the fire?’ They answered the king, ‘True, we threw bound into the fire?’ They answered the king, ‘True, O king.’ 25 He replied, ‘But I see four men unbound, walking in O king.’ 25 He replied, ‘But I see four men unbound, walking in

the middle of the fire, and they are not hurt; and the fourth the middle of the fire, and they are not hurt; and the fourth has the appearance of a god.’ has the appearance of a god.’

26 Nebuchadnezzar then approached the door of the furnace 26 Nebuchadnezzar then approached the door of the furnace of blazing fire and said, ‘Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, of blazing fire and said, ‘Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego,

servants of the Most High God, come out! Come here!’servants of the Most High God, come out! Come here!’ So Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego came out from the fire. So Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego came out from the fire.

27 And the satraps, the prefects, the governors, and the king’s 27 And the satraps, the prefects, the governors, and the king’s counsellors gathered together and saw that the fire had not counsellors gathered together and saw that the fire had not

had any power over the bodies of those men; the hair of their had any power over the bodies of those men; the hair of their heads was not singed, their tunics were not harmed, and not heads was not singed, their tunics were not harmed, and not

even the smell of fire came from them.even the smell of fire came from them.

28 Nebuchadnezzar said, ‘Blessed be the God of Shadrach, 28 Nebuchadnezzar said, ‘Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who has sent his angel and delivered Meshach, and Abednego, who has sent his angel and delivered

his servants who trusted in him. They disobeyed the king’s his servants who trusted in him. They disobeyed the king’s command and yielded up their bodies rather than serve and command and yielded up their bodies rather than serve and

worship any god except their own God. worship any god except their own God.

29 Therefore I make a decree: Any people, nation, or language 29 Therefore I make a decree: Any people, nation, or language that utters blasphemy against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, that utters blasphemy against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego shall be torn limb from limb, and their houses and Abednego shall be torn limb from limb, and their houses laid in ruins; for there is no other god who is able to deliver in laid in ruins; for there is no other god who is able to deliver in

this way.’ this way.’ 30 Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and 30 Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and

Abednego in the province of Babylon.Abednego in the province of Babylon.

What ‘effect’ did ‘trusting God’What ‘effect’ did ‘trusting God’ have on the outcome of this story? have on the outcome of this story?

Daniel 3:17 17 If our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the furnace of

blazing fire and out of your hand, O king, let him deliver us.

Luke 22:42 42 ‘Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me;

yet, not my will but yours be done.’

When might we need to think about these statements in our lives?

“Let’s compare the following verses…”

DISMAS The ‘Penitent’ Thief

Reubens- ‘The Three Crosses’

Luke 23:39-43Luke 23:39-43

39 One of the criminals who were hanged there kept deriding him and saying,

‘Are you not the Messiah? Save yourself and us!’

40 But the other rebuked him, saying, ‘Do you not fear God,

since you are under the same sentence of condemnation?41 And we indeed have been condemned justly,

for we are getting what we deserve for our deeds, but this man has done nothing wrong.’

42 Then he said, ‘Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.’

43 Jesus replied, ‘Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in Paradise.’

Ask yourself:

““What does Dismas, the penitent, add

to the narrative of the crucifixion,&

…to the role of Jesus’ promises in faith?”

The UNNAMED FAITHFUL

Finally, our last group of voices…

Hebrews 11:32-40

32 And what more should I say? For time would fail me to tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the

prophets— 33 who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, obtained promises, shut the mouths of

lions, 34 quenched raging fire, escaped the edge of the sword, won strength out of weakness, became mighty in war, put foreign

armies to flight.

35 Women received their dead by resurrection. Others were tortured, refusing to accept release, in order to obtain a better

resurrection. 36 Others suffered mocking and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment.

37 They were stoned to death, they were sawn in two, they were killed by the sword; they went about in skins of sheep

and goats, destitute, persecuted, tormented— 38 of whom the world was not worthy. They wandered in deserts and

mountains, and in caves and holes in the ground.

39 Yet all these, though they were commended for their faith, did not receive what was promised, 40 since God had provided something better so that they would not, without us, be made

perfect.

Thinking about the stories in Hebrews,

How can we, today,

help ‘make perfect’ those who have gone before us?”

MAKING CONNECTIONS

Let’s add a third sheet to our list…

“The Promises of God”…and add some of your own words…

“From your first two sheets, can you identify with…

How ‘trust’ in the Promises of God sheet, addresses the words you’ve posted?”

So ends our journey among the voices that teach us the spiritually that is alive and well

in the Bible’s margins- and in the margins of our own times

and our own lives!

For a weekly meditation:

Loving God, whose reign will come in the fullnessOf time; Keep my trust and hope intact as I wait for you

By serving you.

We hope you have enjoyed the time together with We hope you have enjoyed the time together with othersothers

on your Faith Journey. on your Faith Journey.

We encourage all to reflect back on the questions and We encourage all to reflect back on the questions and readings presented over this past Lent season.readings presented over this past Lent season.

Please visit the Bible Study link fromPlease visit the Bible Study link from time-to-time to see future schedules time-to-time to see future schedules … …

Calvary United Methodist Church