Copyright Page • Table of Contents • Excerpt of Chapter 1The Bible has been tested for its Truth and Character all through the ages. Scholars have diligently sought out the matter,

HodgepodgeCome, let us Reason together!By Emily Leonard

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By Emily Leonard

Come, Let Us Reason Together!

Hodgepodge

Copyright © 2009 by Emily Leonard.

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, without permission in writing from the publisher. University Readers is NOT affiliated or endorsed by any university or institution.

First published in the United States of America in 2009 by University Readers

Cover design by Grant P. Williams

13 12 11 10 09 1 2 3 4 5

Printed in the United States of America

ISBN: 978-1-934269-70-1

Contents

PrEfaCE 1

HodgEPodgE: “ovErviEw” 3

My JournaL 5

CHaPtEr onE: tHE inquiring Mind! 7

In the Beginning 9Noah 10There is a Wilderness Out There! 12Getting to Know God 14

CHaPtEr two: tHE ways of Man vs tHE ways of god 17

Genesis: The Book of Origins 20Sin: Wrong vs Right 21Getting to Know You! Author 24God 26

CHaPtEr tHrEE: god, tHE HEavEnLy fatHEr, CrEator 27

Getting to Know Him! 27Out of the Wilderness! 31Abram 33Abram: Answers for questions 1-18 35Abraham 36Abraham: Answers for Questions 1–9 37Abram … Abraham - Journal 38

CHaPtEr four: god’s CHosEn PEoPLE 39

Moses 39God’s Chosen People! 42I Am that I Am 44The ‘Pillars’ 45Crossing the Red Sea 47The Tabernacle 49The New Nation of Israel 50

CHaPtEr fivE: rEBEkaH and isaaC 53

Ruth and Naomi 55The Family of God 57The Story of Jacob’s Sons 59

CHaPtEr six: isaiaH … on tHE Horizon 61

Out of Captivity 63Israel to be Restored to Zion 65Inheriting the Promised Land 67Map – The Tribes 68Journal – Israel 70

CHaPtEr sEvEn: BiBLiCaL rELationsHiPs 71

Psalms 73David 74Honor - Authority 75Holy Spirit vs Evil 76

CHaPtEr EigHt: BirtHs forEtoLd! JEsus and JoHn 79

Mary and Joseph 81Jesus was There! 83The Beatitudes 86Satan: His Powers 90

CHaPtEr ninE: JEsus said 93

Places Where Jesus Walked 98Choices! 100Blessed are the Children 103Jesus Tells Parables 106

CHaPtEr tEn: PauL! 109

Who was Paul? 110Stephen 112The Value of a Penny! 113

CHaPtEr ELEvEn: LovE onE anotHEr 115

Hymn: Trust and Obey 117Angels 118The Highway 120Lift up Your Hands and Sing! 121

CHaPtEr twELvE: tELLing tHE story 123

Stories are Personal 124Preaching vs Storytelling 127Forty Years in the ‘Wilderness’ 130Holy Spirit! 131

CHaPtEr tHirtEEn: tHE soJournEr 133

Sophia 135The Old vs the New 139Remembering 141

CHaPtEr fourtEEn: tHE nEw song! 143

Journal: ‘Lord’s Prayer’ 145The Prodigal Son 147The Last Supper 150Jesus Dies on the Cross 151The Cross is Empty! 154

CHaPtEr fiftEEn: our ConfidEnCE in god 157

Closing Thoughts 159“In a Nut Shell!” The Church … Its Foundation 160Challenging Thought! 163The Master 165

Books of tHE BiBLE 167

BiBLiograPHy 169

Chapter One: The Inquiring Mind! 7

“God is a Spirit and they that worship him must worship him in spirit.” (John 4: 23-24)

Tools and EquipmentBe Prepared!

Prayerfully, ask God to help in understanding the stories.1. (Don’t read as a fact-finding formula … as a business sheet.)Let the spirit lead your thoughts … let them wonder (wander?)2. Jot down ‘notes’ as you progress … questions?3. Stop and meditate … realize the significance of a situation.4. Know when to quit for the time-being. Saturation is ‘mind-overload.’ 5.

Have at hand:

A Bible … perhaps several. Write in its margin and underline.A Bible ConcordanceA calendarA notebook and dictionaryPens, pencils, erasers, magic markers and paper clips.Sticker-type notes … keep track of your thoughts! ‘Reminders’!

Chapter one: the inquiring Mind!

8 Hodgepodge

Bible Study is:

Bible study is not compiling facts to prove a point! No! Start out with an ‘in-quiring’ mind! The Bible is a Library of stories made up of words. These words expound on the ways of God in the universe, within the nations and even in our own lives! It has been recorded by the hands of inspired minds down through the ages. It, also, has been scrutinized by spirit-filled believers and copied by the monks who, too, asked questions!

The Holy Spirit has been given for teaching and extracting the Truth … giving us assurance of a living God, Who knows and cares about each person. All are given the same promises!

“The Holy Spirit will teach you all things!” (John 14: 26)

The Bible is God exemplified! God is a Spirit! Enjoy your journey through the ages!

Chapter One: The Inquiring Mind! 9

in tHE BEginning

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” (John 1: 01)

God was spoken into Being!

Genesis, Chapters One and Two, explain the Beginning. We may question parts of it as our faith seeks to understand ‘wholly’, and there are many ‘disturbing parts!’, we say! Yet, any Beginning has to put forth its own dimension, so let’s accept

these basic facts for a start! Test it as you go along? The purpose of this Book is to allow individual discovery by ‘questioning’ its content. Meanwhile, basic truth will spill out of doubt as One separates spiritual thought from human imagination. Answers may change even as the study progresses. All the more reason to ponder the wonderful significance of the ‘Spiritual’ thought! After all, we are yet alive!Use the Bible Concordance:

You may not, early on, find answers for this page of questions: Attributes of God:

Date:

Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Explain their part in Unity!

Date: Actually, it is with the Triune God as a factor, that we are able to comprehend the positive measure of Who God is. Use Concordance:

Questions:

Date:

10 Hodgepodge

noaH

(Genesis 6: 05–07) As man multiplied, God saw that wickedness was great on earth. He became angry with the people and said:

(Genesis 6: 08) Who did God find worthy of saving? ________________

(Genesis 6: 10) How many sons did Noah have? ________________

(Genesis 6: 13) What did God tell Noah that he was going to do?

(Genesis 6: 14) What was Noah to make? ________________

(Genesis 6: 14–22) Explain how Noah was to build the ark.

Journal

Date:

Read Chapters 7 and 8

How long did the flood last? ________________

(Genesis 7: 23) Copy:

(Genesis 8: 06-11) How did Noah know that the flood had receded?

Chapter One: The Inquiring Mind! 11

(Genesis 8: 18-19) Who left the ark with Noah? ________________

(Genesis 9: 13) What will God put in the sky? ________________

(Genesis 8: 20) What did Noah build? ________________

(Genesis 8: 21) The Lord said when he smelled the fragrance from the altar:

(Genesis 8: 22) Copy:

12 Hodgepodge

tHErE is a wiLdErnEss out tHErE!

Through the ages, the people of God experienced the power of a Father God. In ways of defeat and humiliation, God had allowed them to be captured by the Babylonians. Other nations seemed more powerful than either Israel or Judah as they were driven out and away from their established moorings.

As we read the individual stories of such times, we hear the message that God is deter-mined to cleanse and keep clean the people he calls His own … the nation of believers who held in esteem the name of the One true God.

Only as we read the prophet’s own true story do we comprehend the sincerity and pur-pose with which the exiled people were brought to their knees. God cannot look upon evil! How well we remember the Creation Story! And, how quickly Adam and Eve were dismissed from the Garden of Eden! Scripture tells us how God made sure that they did not reenter the Garden.

(Genesis 3: 22-24) How did God do this?

Journal

Date:

The New Jerusalem Bible puts it this way:

“He banished the man and in front of the Garden of EdenHe posted the great winged creatures and the

fiery flashing sword to guard the way.”Babylonian Mythology.1

Questions

Chapter One: The Inquiring Mind! 13

All through the Scriptures we find God is a jealous God.

Explain:

(Exodus 20: 05)

(Deuteronomy 4: 24)

(Ezekiel 39: 25)

With a burning joy and excitement I read of the ‘Wilderness’ promises for new life where ever the Spirit of God has been born in the hearts of the people.

“The zeal of the Lord will accomplish this!” (Isaiah 9: 07)

14 Hodgepodge

gEtting to know god

Here is where a good concordance will be of help! Question ‘words’ and their meaning ~ Journal your thoughts! Write out your questions and then define your answers. Discuss your doubts with others. Learn to pray with others … be open to sharing truth and hurting!

To be honest with ourselves, it may be that there is too much doubt about the ‘unknown’ to believe in anything! You are not alone! How better to research, using the Bible for refer-ence and find the wonderful assurance of a believable God.

The Bible has been tested for its Truth and Character all through the ages.Scholars have diligently sought out the matter, much the same as we, here, will do.

However, we have a wealth of material to peruse with an assurance of truth to start with.One thing about it … God gets personal! We are drawn into a story of relationships

between people and their Creator as we read the Scriptures. That’s what is so fascinating about the Word of God … each person is special in a most significant manner. We become acquainted with God, as a Person, while we read the biblical history!

First of all, there is a God! This study will show that there is a Heavenly Father and one to be reckoned with.

The Bible says:

“He knew me in the womb.” (Psalm 139: 13-18)

God said:

“I know what plans I have for you.” (Jeremiah 29: 11713)

Journal

Date:

Chapter One: The Inquiring Mind! 15

The Prophet, Micah states:

“He hath shown thee, o man, what is good: and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God.”

(Micah 6: 08)

“Behold, happy is the man whom God correctith, therefore despise not thou the chastening of the Almighty.”

(Job 5: 17)