Master Teacher: 2nd Quarter 2014

LESSON 1 FOR WEEK OF APRIL 6, 2014

PRESERVING PLACES OF HERITAGE

Background Passages: Isaiah 56:6-8; Jeremiah 7:8-15; Mark 11:15-19 Lesson Passages: Isaiah 56:6-7; Jeremiah 7:9-11; Mark 11:15-19

UNIFYING TOPIC:

Jesus Cleanses the Temple

LESSON TEXT

  I. The Heritage of the Temple (Isaiah 56:6-7)

 II. The Abuse of the Temple (Jeremiah 7:9-11)

III. The Preservation of the Temple (Mark 11:15-19)

THE MAIN THOUGHT

Is this house, which is called by my name, become a den of robbers in your eyes? Behold, even I have seen it, saith the Lord. (Jeremiah 7:11, KJV)

UNIFYING PRINCIPLE

When an activity becomes rote, the original helpful intents and purposes may be lost and replaced by new, harmful intents and purposes. How can a good activity be prevented from evolving into an unintended harmful result? Jesus’ angry action in the temple called attention to the ways in which the priests and worshipers had lost sight of the tradition of God’s dwelling place as a house of prayer for all peoples.

LESSON AIM

To help students understand that God is not pleased when selfish motives replace godly intentions

LIFE AIM

To encourage believers to remain focused on preserving the original intent and purpose of godly faith traditions being careful to always honor God in their words and their actions

BEFORE YOU TEACH

Consider …

Focus for College and Career—Consider that some of these students might not understand the purpose of some religious traditions.

Focus for Adult Christian Life—Consider that some of these students may be actively involved in routine practices and activities in the church but have lost sight of their original intent. Allow students time for self-examination and reflection during this study.

Supplementary Study Materials

For further reference, see today’s lesson from Boyd’s Commentary, New National Baptist Hymnal, 21st Century Edition #501 (NNBH #372), and God’s Promises Bible.

Teacher Helps

For teaching supplements in Teacher’s Helper and student SpiritLife assignments, visit http://www.rhboydpublishing.com.

First Step: Preparation. Invite God to guide you as you study in preparation for this class. Pray that each student will be able to examine him- or herself with an open heart and mind and will be open and receptive to God’s Word.

Second Step: Ask the students to explain the purpose of a religious tradition practiced at your church. When did this tradition begin?

Third Step: Have the students discuss situations in their lives when they participated in an activity without knowing its purpose. What was the end result? Would it have helped to know the purpose beforehand?

Fourth Step: For College and Career: Challenge the students to consider the importance of purpose and intent behind actions. For Adult Christian Life: Ask the students how they are actively preserving the heritage of their religious traditions.

Fifth Step: Pray that the students seek to please God daily in everything they say and do.

God’s Word in Life

The purpose of a museum is to preserve artifacts. Those who visit museums are provided information concerning the significance of such artifacts and have an opportunity to see the artifacts for themselves. Often, museums showcase the evolution of objects by showing how they have changed in design and purpose over time. A museum is an interesting place because people are able to learn about the traditions of the past by observing the preserved remnants of previous generations.

It is often said that the younger generation does not have much respect or appreciation for its heritage. However, there is not much conversation about the root of this problem. Could it be that the older generation has failed to preserve the authenticity of its traditions? In the age of technology at one’s fingertips, the quest for innovation far exceeds the quest for preservation. Virtual tours have replaced on-site visitation, and being present no longer requires one’s bodily presence.

How can the older generation expect the younger generation to appreciate a culture they have never experienced? The older generation must be creative in finding new ways to reach the young. †

— EXPOSITION —

Introduction

The temple in Jerusalem represented the presence of God among His people. It was the place where the Israelites would come to worship God, offer sacrifices to God, confess their sins to God, and renew their relationship with God. The Old Testament prophecies of Isaiah and Jeremiah condemned those who exploited the temple. These prophets warned the people about harmfully misrepresenting God’s intent and purpose for the temple. Yet the people would not listen to the warnings from the prophets.

In our lesson today, we will study the Old Testament prophecies concerning the abuse of the temple and the New Testament fulfillment of those prophecies. When we understand the dangers of losing sight of the intent and purpose of traditions established by God, we will be better able to recognize and prevent such abuse. Believers can preserve places of heritage by remaining steadfast in God’s will and by honoring God’s intended purpose for their lives, the faith community, the world, and the world to come.

I. The Heritage of the Temple (Isaiah 56:6-7)

The Old Testament prophet Isaiah declares that one day all people will have access to the temple and be welcomed to join the covenant community in worship. This text specifically mentions eunuchs and foreigners (see Isa. 56:4-6). The Law had specifically excluded eunuchs and foreigners from temple worship because they were declared unfit (see Deut. 23:1-8). Yet Isaiah’s prophecy declares that a time will come when all will be worthy to join in worship (even those who have been deemed unfit or unworthy) and to be active members of the covenant community. This prophecy also applies to the future inclusion of the Gentile community in the body of believers after the New Covenant is put into place in the New Testament.

God desires to restore the Israelites who have failed to faithfully carry out God’s desires for them as His people. In restoring the Israelites to their calling of being His representatives in the world, God also shows grace to the outsiders to whom the Israelites are called to demonstrate God’s glory. This is possible because the Lord’s power exceeds all others, and He will not be limited by any nation or any other god (see Isa. 40:1-31). One day, all nations will recognize God as the one true God.

II. The Abuse of the Temple

(Jeremiah 7:9-11)

Jeremiah’s presence in the temple, preaching God’s message of judgment upon the people, essentially transforms the scene into a courtroom. Jeremiah is announcing the various sins—theft, murder, adultery, bearing false witness, and idolatry—of which the people are guilty. In the guilt brought on by these sins, the people are also guilty of severing their relationship with the Lord. Their continued worship in the temple only serves to make the problem worse as it demonstrates a lack of care for their actions and an attempt to manipulate the Lord through worship. Thus judgment will be served as a result of the Jews’ failure to keep the Law.

For more information about the PROPHET JEREMIAH, visit www.rhboydpublishing.com.

FOREIGNERS

(Hebrew: bene hannekhar)

The phrase translates the sons of the strangers. It refers to individuals who were not part of God’s covenant people (Gentiles). Only the Jews were allowed entrance into a covenantal relationship with God at this time.

Jeremiah 7:9-11 provides specifics concerning the abuse of the temple. What is interesting to note is the exclusion of eunuchs and foreigners from the temple was enforced supposedly to preserve the cleanliness of the temple. Yet even with the absence of such individuals, Jeremiah’s prophecy declares that the Jewish people allowed to enter the temple are robbers.

Jeremiah describes exactly how those who come to the temple are committing robbery. Jeremiah’s prophecy states that the Jewish people deem only themselves fit to enter the temple while excluding all others. However, their claim of fitness is not valid. They are guilty of entering the temple to be cleansed from sin yet exiting the temple and continuing to commit the same sins over and over again. They are guilty of stealing, murder, adultery, lying, and burning incense to Baal (the fertility god of the Canaanites).

A closer look at the text reveals the magnitude of their robbery. God promises to be with the Israelites if they repent of their sins (see Jer. 7:5-7). Yet God declares He has seen what the Jews are doing. The offenders declare the temple to be the house of God, God’s dwelling place and their safe haven, yet they have not honored God’s presence in the temple. What, then, are the Israelites guilty of stealing? The robbers are stealing God’s name and God’s house and using it as cover for their injustice instead of using it to worship God. They are stealing God’s name, killing the spirit of worship in the temple, and participating in an adulterous relationship with false gods. Thus God condemns their actions.

III. The Preservation of the Temple (Mark 11:15-19)

Each of the Synoptic Gospels record the fulfillment of the Old Testament prophecies in Isaiah and Jeremiah we have already discussed (see Matt. 21:12-17; Mark 11:15-19; Luke 19:45-48). The concern in today’s texts is the relationship