The Cloud of Witnesses

Former title Lessons From the People of the Bible

Set 1

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PDF These lessons are also available as PDFs (with the number of lessons in brackets).

Abraham (5) — David (5) — Esther (4) — Gideon (5) — Isaac (6) — Jacob (7) — Job (6) — John the Baptist (6) — Jonah (4) — Jonathan (6) — Joseph (10) — Joseph of Nazareth (6) — Mary (4) — Mary Magdalene (4) — Mary of Bethany (3) — Moses (5) — Nehemiah (8) — Nicodemus (4) — Noah (6) — Paul the Apostle (5) — Peter (5) — Philip (4) — Ruth (7) — King Saul (6) — Stephen (6) — Thomas (4)

Download the complete set 1 as PDFs (2.46 MB).

The lessons of set 1 are also available as individual online lessons below.

Set 2

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PDF These lessons are available as PDFs (with the number of lessons in brackets). These PDFs have not yet been updated to the new name.

Andrew (7) — Caleb (7) — Daniel (7) — Elijah (6) — Elisha (5) — Isaiah (21) — John (22) — Joshua (16) — Leah (2) — Luke (22) — Mary Magdalene (3) — Matthew (9) — Miriam (4) — Nahum (2) — Rachel (6) — Rebekah (5) — Samson (5)

Download the complete set 2 as PDFs (1.85 MB).

Jacob

Lesson 2: Jacob – His Blessing

Reading

Genesis 27.

Identify your values

As we read the blessing that Isaac bestowed upon Jacob, we can appreciate why Rebekah and Jacob were so determined to secure it for Jacob. It was about as universal a blessing as you could ever want or wish for! Worth more than any Lotto prize draw could ever give! It is of little wonder how devastated Esau became when he realised that not only was the blessing given to Jacob but all that was left for him was effectively a curse.

That’s difficult for us in the Western world to comprehend. If we had been Isaac, we would have just repeated the blessing for Esau and moved on! But Isaac couldn’t. In Hebrew thought, words not only had power – so whatever was said would happen – but they were also like arrows – once said they could not be withdrawn or sent again. NO. As Isaac cried, “I have made him lord over you… sustained him with grain and new wine. So WHAT CAN I POSSIBLY DO FOR YOU, my son?”

Esau extracted something from Isaac but it does indeed read like a curse!

God loves us so much that, as Paul reminds us, He has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in Christ Jesus our Lord. BUT it is for us to appropriate it. It is for us to make it ours.

As Joshua said to the Israelites – How long will you wait before you begin to take possession of the land the Lord, the God of your fathers, has GIVEN you?

All the promises of God are ours in Christ – so why do we wait to ‘possess’ them?

What do you want God to do for you?

What are the things that really matter to you?

Jacob would say to us today...

You need to work out what you really want out of life? Will you settle for the mediocre or go for gold?

Prayer

Father, it’s so easy to get squashed into this world’s mould and world-view. Please help me sort through my values so I live by Your standards and not this world’s standards. Please don’t let me settle for less. Amen.

Additional readings

Philippians 3:1-14; Ephesians 1:3-23; Deuteronomy 28:1-14.

Questions

Why do we need to identify our values?

What do you really want out of life?

What are your values, a) personally b) in your family c) at work d) in ministry?