The Chosen People: There is a remnant - Personal Study Guide

Grow in your faith through examining fascinating and unusual biblical stories and events. Book 8 in the OBSCURE Bible Study Series is about the chosen people. It might be considered an introduction to Book 9, which is about the chosen person - Jesus. The book begins with two lessons about angels, Lucifer (the devil), and the archangel Michael. Lucifer is referred to by a number of names, the most common being Satan. If we have a better understanding of the nature of evil we should have a better chance of overcoming Satan's temptations. This is no small task as Paul tells us that we need to put on the full armor of God in order to stand against the devil's schemes. Other than Lucifer, only two other angels are mentioned by name: Michael and Gabriel. Michael is described as an archangel, or an angel of high rank. Other angels are cherubim, seraphim, and the Angel of the Lord. is the next lesson, and the focus is on the Retribution Principle, which states that if a person is righteous, he will prosper and if a person is wicked, he will suffer. This lesson also raises the question of theodicy - how can the justice of an almighty God be defended in the face of evil, especially the suffering of the innocent? The lesson on Achan introduces us to the concept of "devoted things." These are things that God specifically sets aside as belonging to or to be devoted to Him and only Him. Achan challenged the instructions of God and paid the ultimate price for his rebellion. Next we gain a unique understanding of spiritual gifts as we study how God grants special knowledge to Bezalel and Oholiab so they could construct and furnish the Tabernacle. was chosen by King David to lead worship and give thanks to the Lord when the Ark of the Covenant was returned to the temple. Jeduthun and his family were specifically assigned to continue worship at the tabernacle in Gibeon. Thirty years later they were one of three family groups to lead worship when Solomon became King. was responsible for warning the people of danger and the prophet's role as a watchman was to warn Israel of their rebellion and call them to repentance. The watchman prophets carried out their responsibilities but their message fell on deaf ears. The shepherd leaders of Israel had failed. They led the people into idolatry and rebellion. . Lastly, Book 8 examines Isaiah's son Shear-Jashub. God's people were living an illusion because of the absence of justice, faithfulness, and righteousness. Isaiah was called as a prophet and his message was one of doom if the people would not repent. The one glimmer of hope was Shear-Jashub, whose name means "a remnant will return."