TABLETS OF STONE

EXODUS 20:1

New International Version (NIV)

And God spoke all these words: “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. “You shall have no other gods before me. ...

The law of the Ten Commandments is, of God’s making. They are commanded by the immeasurable eternal Majesty of heaven and earth. And where the word of the King of kings is surely there is power; and it is a law of his own speaking. God has many ways of speaking to the children of men and he never spoke, at any time, upon any occasion, as he spoke the Ten Commandments, which therefore we ought to hear with the more earnest heed. They were not only spoken audibly (so he owned the Redeemer by a voice from heaven, Matt. 3:17), but with a great deal of dreadful pomp. This law God had given to man before (it was written in his heart by nature); but sin had so defaced that writing that it was necessary, in this manner, to revive the knowledge of it.

I am the Lord thy God, Exod. 20:2. Herein, we see that God asserts his own authority to enact this law in general: “I am the Lord who command thee all that follows.” Note that He proposes himself as the sole object of that religious worship which is enjoined in the first four of the commandments. They are here bound to obedience by a threefold cord, which, one would think, could not easily be broken.

(1.) Because God is the Lord—Jehovah, self-existent, independent, eternal, and the fountain of all being and power; therefore he has an incontestable right to command us. He that gives being may give law; and therefore he is able to bear us out in our obedience, to reward it, and to punish our disobedience.

(2.) He was their God, a God in covenant with them, their God by their own consent; and, if they would not keep his commandments, who would? He had laid himself under obligations to them by promise, and therefore might justly lay his obligations on them by precept. Though that covenant of peculiarity is now no more, yet there is another, by virtue of which all that are baptized are taken into relation to him as their God, and are therefore unjust, unfaithful, and very ungrateful, if they obey him not.

(3.) He had brought them out of the land of Egypt; therefore they were bound in gratitude to obey him, because he had done them so great a kindness, had brought them out of a grievous slavery into a glorious liberty. They themselves had been eye-witnesses of the great things God had done in order to their deliverance, and could not but have observed that every circumstance of it heightened their obligation. Luke 1:74. Having loosed our bonds, he has bound us to obey him, Ps. 116:16. 

They were now enjoying the blessed fruits of their deliverance, and in expectation of a speedy settlement in Canaan; and could they think anything too much to do for him that had done so much for them? Nay, by redeeming them, he acquired a further right to rule them; they owed their service to him to whom they owed their freedom, and whose they were by purchase. And thus Christ, having rescued us out of the bondage of sin, is entitled to the best service we can do him,

What does the Lord your God ask of you but to fear the lord your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul? Deuteronomy 10:12

In Christ,

Janet Irene Thomas

Playwright/Director/Screen Writer

Producer/Gospel Lyricist/Author

Founder/CEO

Bible Stories Theatre of

Fine & Performing Arts

www.biblestoriestheatre.org

BREAD OF LIFE

John 6:25-38

New International Version (NIV)

Jesus the Bread of Life

²⁵ When they found him on the other side of the lake, they asked him, “Rabbi, when did you get here?”

²⁶ Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, you are looking for me, not because you saw the signs I performed but because you ate the loaves and had your fill. ²⁷ Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For on him God the Father has placed his seal of approval.”

In this passage bread is a symbol that stands for something else. Jesus was not talking about real bread but was teaching his listeners that he was the One who could give them spiritual food and keep them alive forever.  This verse is one of the seven “I Am” statements of Jesus. Jesus used the same phrase “I AM” in seven declarations about Himself. In all seven, He combines I AM with tremendous metaphors which express His saving relationship toward the world. All appear in the book of John.

Jesus told his followers, "I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst." Bread plays an integral part of the Jewish Passover meal. The Jews were to eat unleavened bread during the Passover feast and then for seven days following as a celebration of the exodus from Egypt. Finally, when the Jews were wandering in the desert for 40 years, God rained down "bread from heaven" to sustain the nation (Exodus 16:4).

When Jesus used the term "bread of life." He was trying to get away from the crowds to no avail. He had crossed the Sea of Galilee, and the crowd followed Him. After some time, Jesus inquires of Philip how they’re going to feed the crowd. Philip’s answer displays his “little faith” when he says they don’t have enough money to give each of them the smallest morsel of food. Finally, Andrew brings to Jesus a boy who had five small loaves of bread and two fish. With that amount, Jesus miraculously fed the throng with lots of food to spare.

In John 6:27, Jesus says, “Do not labor for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you. For on him God the Father has set his seal.” In other words, they were so enthralled with the food, they were missing out on the fact that their Messiah had come. Recall when they asked for physical bread, Jesus startles them by saying, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.”

This is an astonishing statement! First, by equating Himself with bread, Jesus is saying he is essential for life. Second, the life Jesus is referring to is not physical life, but eternal life. Jesus is trying to get the Jews’ thinking off of the physical realm and into the spiritual realm. He is contrasting what He brings as their Messiah with the bread He miraculously created the day before. That was physical bread that perishes. He is spiritual bread that brings eternal life.

Jesus is making another claim to deity. This statement is the first of the “I AM” statements in John’s Gospel. The phrase “I AM” is the covenant name of God (Yahweh, or YHWH), revealed to Moses at the burning bush (Exodus 3:14). The phrase speaks of self-sufficient existence (or what theologians refer to as “asity”), which is an attribute only God possesses. It is also a phrase the Jews who were listening would have automatically understood as a claim to deity.

Note the words “hunger and thirst.” Again, it must be noted that Jesus isn’t talking about alleviating physical hunger and thirst. The key is found in another statement Jesus made, back in His Sermon on the Mount.

In Matthew 5:6, Jesus says, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.” When Jesus says those who come to Him will never hunger and those who believe in Him will never thirst, He is saying He will satisfy our hunger and thirst to be made righteous in the sight of God.

Jesus satisfies our hunger and thirst for righteousness. 

He is our Bread of Life.

In Christ,

Janet Irene Thomas

Playwright/Director/Screen Writer

Producer/Gospel Lyricist/Author

Founder/CEO

Bible Stories Theatre of

Fine & Performing Arts

www.biblestoriestheatre.org

In Christ,

Janet Irene Thomas

Playwright/Director/Screen Writer

Producer/Gospel Lyricist/Author

Founder/CEO

Bible Stories Theatre of

Fine & Performing Arts

www.biblestoriestheatre.org

GENESIS AND EXODUS (3)

ABRAHAM AND SARAH Isaac, Jacob and Esau, and the Children of Jacob

Key Passage: Genesis 12-37

GENESIS. God has never stopped loving his people. He called out Abraham to be parent to a new family of faith upon the earth. We can trace the long story of the descendants of Abraham and Sarah – Isaac, Jacob and Esau, and the children of Jacob, in chapters 12-37.   

From the Genesis stories, we learn the solemn promise of God and His chosen people.  And we also learn that God never, never breaks the covenant agreement even when the people fall short and rebel.

In Christ,

Janet Irene Thomas

Playwright/Director/Screen Writer

Producer/Gospel Lyricist/Author

Founder/CEO

Bible Stories Theatre of

Fine & Performing Arts

www.biblestoriestheatre.org

JEWISH RELIGION

 During the many struggles of the Jewish people during the five hundred years between the Old Testament and the New Testament, four main developments seem to have occurred:

1.     Ceremonies.  Jewish life centered around the Temple and the priest. It was important to have daily sacrifices, with private offerings for special occasions and public sacrifices for the Day of Atonement and other great days. The rules and ceremonies for these times were very detailed and precise.

2.     The Law. The Torah (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy) became more and more important. Synagogues were growing in number because so many people were far from Jerusalem and could go to the Temple only on rare occasions. Member of the synagogues studied hard to memorize the Torah, explain it to one another, and hold it in high honor. It was absolutely essential to the unity of Jewish people.

3.     Wisdom. Not only the Greeks and the Egyptians but also the Jews, came to treasure the wise sayings had been preserved from leaders of the past. The Jewish leaders honored their own "wisdom" that had been collected and written down. One idea in the wisdom writings was very popular: that evil is always punished and doing good always brings reward.

4.     Expecting the "last days." For centuries, the Jewish people had believed, especially in times of gloom, that God would take charge of world affairs. God would punish oppressors and support God’s chosen people. This was the message of prophets who had announced that a Messiah would come.  There would be a new Day of the Lord.

But in the Persian and Greek periods, new ideas began to creep into this pattern of Jewish thought. Using elaborate symbolic numbers and figures, some of the writers worked out a sensational way of looking at history.  They said that God would act suddenly to restore the nation of Israel to a position of power. 

What the people seemed to forget was that none of these four developments really matched what God wanted most.  Again and again, through the Hebrew prophets of long ago, God had called on the people to reach out and share their faith with others. They were to be God’s servants to the world.

Instead of heeding these calls, the people had focused too much on themselves, neglecting their larger mission.

In Christ,

Janet Irene Thomas

Playwright/Director/Screen Writer

Producer/Gospel Lyricist/Author

Founder/CEO

Bible Stories Theatre of

Fine & Performing Arts

www.biblestoriestheatre.org

YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE A STAR

COLOSSIANS 2:4-8

Paul demanded of the Colossians that they "walk in [Christ], rooted in him and built upon him" (Colossians 2:6-7). This is all that matters. God, who invites us as we are, expects us to change and become like Christ. When we do so, just being who we are means being more than who we are. This poem expresses the same sentiment:

You don’t have to be a star,

And receive media attention,

You don’t have to record a song,

That creates a lot of tension,

You don’t have to be a politician,

Putting on airs of pretension,

You don’t have to be rough,

To show that you are tough,

You don’t have to go along with the

crowd,

And you don’t have to be loud.

You don’t have to hang with the group,

Afraid of being left out of the loop.

You don’t have to be a king or queen,

Because just being you is the right thing.

In Christ,

Janet Irene Thomas

Playwright/Director/Screen Writer

Producer/Gospel Lyricist/Author

Founder/CEO

Bible Stories Theatre of

Fine & Performing Arts

www.biblestoriestheatre.org

NABOTH'S VINEYARD

A STORY OF GREED

21 Some time later there was an incident involving a vineyard belonging to Naboth the Jezreelite. The vineyard was in Jezreel, close to the palace of Ahab king of Samaria. 2 Ahab said to Naboth, “Let me have your vineyard to use for a vegetable garden, since it is close to my palace. In exchange I will give you a better vineyard or, if you prefer, I will pay you whatever it is worth.”

3 But Naboth replied, “The Lord forbid that I should give you the inheritance of my ancestors.”

The last of the Ten Commandments is "You shall not covet."  This means that we are not to want something that belongs to another person.  In this Bible story, King Ahab coveted a field of grapevines that belonged to Naboth.

Read 1 Kings 21:1-29 and first meditate on the passages, and then ask yourself these questions about coveting. 1. How did coveting something make Ahab feel (1Kings 21:4)? 2. What did Ahab’s wife do to get him the field he coveted (1 King 21: 7-16)?  3. What did God tell Ahab would happen, and why (1 King 21:17-22)?

·       When Ahab asked for the vineyard, Naboth said, “The Lord forbid…” (verse 3). Was this an unreasonable answer? No. The vineyard, part of his inherited property, had belonged to his ancestors for many generations, so how could he sell it? But it was not simply a matter of sentiment - look up Leviticus 25:23 and Numbers 36:7. God had expressly forbidden the sale of this property; therefore, when Ahab made his request Naboth said, ”The Lord forbid it…How can I do this thing when God has forbidden it?” So he refused to disobey God - and how great this is! Look up and compare Hebrews 11:24 with Daniel 3:13-14 and Acts 4:20. Christian, are you contemplating marriage with an unbeliever? “”The Lord forbid it”” (2 Corinthians 6:14). Are you seriously thinking of uniting in Christian service with those who do not believe the Bible? ”The Lord forbid it” (2 Corinthians 6:15). Naboth had the courage of his convictions. It was a costly business to stand up for God, truth and righteousness –- it always is –- look at verse 13, and compare Psalm 37:32.

Jezebel’s Plot

Jezebel (the Queen) noticed the king’s fury; and when she heard what had happened, at once she revealed her awful character. She was determined to get Ahab what he wanted. Her bosom heaved with anger, and her eyes flashed with rage. She said to Ahab (with a tongue sharp like a butcher knife), “Are you not the king of this country?” (verse 7). And then she went on; she said, “Leave it to me, Ahab. I’ll get that vineyard for you!”

God's Sovereign Action 

Ahab and Jezebel had defied the Lord, but they could not get away with it, for He is sovereign in the affairs of mankind and He always has the last word. Now He acted – – and take note of this solemn record, for this God is the God with whom we all have to do and before whom all men will stand to give account of themselves (Romans 14:12). In the world there are two groups of people: those represented by Ahab and Jezebel, and those by Naboth and Elijah, and the latter group are very much in the minority. 

Many, like Naboth, have been martyred for their faithfulness to the Lord, and many are suffering persecution and death because they are Christians. Is the Devil winning, and is the majority group in the right? No –- look up Matthew 7:13-14, and compare Proverbs 4:18-19. God will yet vindicate His people and mete out judgment to those who have rebelled against Him, rejected His word and refused to humble themselves before Him –- look up Revelation 20:9-15 and 21:6-8. God is merciful and slow to fulfil His word of judgment, but He will fulfil it – – look up Ecclesiastes 8:11.

ELIJAH’’S SOLEMN TASK 

Verses 17-26. It was a hard task for Elijah to have to pronounce Ahab’’s doom and that of his posterity, and then the doom of Jezebel –- verses 21-24. What should be our message in these darkening days? Should we tell men and women that God is love? Yes. Should we say that He is merciful? Yes. But above all, we must declare that God is just and holy, that He hates sin, that judgment is coming upon this world and that if they want to escape it they must “flee from the coming wrath” (Matthew 3:7) –- flee to the refuge which is Christ Jesus our Lord (Isaiah 32:2). The message that should be on the lips of every Christian today is John 3:36 –- not the first part without the second. Are you proclaiming that message (Acts 20:27)? 

...and final thought: 2 Peter 3: 9-14.

In Christ,

Janet Irene Thomas

Playwright/Director/Screen Writer

Producer/Gospel Lyricist/Author

Founder/CEO

Bible Stories Theatre of

Fine & Performing Arts

www.biblestoriestheatre.org

GENESIS AND EXODUS (2)

SIN MAKES LIFE CORRUPT

GENESIS. The word "genesis" means "beginning."  From this book we learn that the one true God made everything and called it "good."  One story of Creation is told in ch.1. It tells, in order, how God made the world and all creatures in six days. The seventh day was a Sabbath, a day of rest for God. 

In a second Creation Story, chs. 2-3, we learn that people spoiled the good creation by disobeying God. They sinned, and their sin made life corrupt.

In Christ,

Janet Irene Thomas

Playwright/Director/Screen Writer

Producer/Gospel Lyricist/Author

Founder/CEO

Bible Stories Theatre of

Fine & Performing Arts

www.biblestoriestheatre.org