This chapter is rich with wisdom, advice, and warnings. Filled with encouragement as well as cautions for those who are digging deeper. I encourage you to rest in this chapter over several days.
There are many riches to be gleaned here for those willing to get their minds engaged in God’s WORD and walk through the verses slowly. GLEANING means
God made provision for those who were impoverished or needy right from the start!! In the book of Leviticus, God gave instructions for those who harvested the foods of the Israelites to leave something behind so that these less fortunate might have provision for food. Gleaning had to do with providing these with sustenance, nourishing food for health, and wholeness. HOWEVER, gleaning involved WORK. If you did not choose to humble yourself and break a sweat, you went hungry. The LORD GOD does not make provisions for the lazy or rebellious of the land.
When you reap your harvests, you must not thoroughly reap all the corners of the fields, nor pick up the fallen grain; leave it for the poor and for foreigners living among you who have no land of their own; I am Jehovah your God! Leviticus 23:22 TLB
Here is this same verse from the Amplified Bible that we read from last week. NOTE the use of the word "gleaning."
‘When you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not reap to the edges of
your field, nor gather the gleaning of your harvest; you are to leave them for
the poor and for the stranger. I am the Lord your God.’” Leviticus 23:22 AMP
When have you used the word "gleaning" as part of a conversation last? Pretty much never. The dictionary states:
Something learned by gleaning.
The act of collecting leftover crops from farmers' fields after they have been commercially harvested or on fields where it is not economically profitable to harvest.
There is a wealth of synonyms to dig out more understanding of gleaning ...
you can find it here: GLEANING synonyms
Since we consider God's Word as FOOD for our souls so that we can grow and mature as children of God. The field would be viewed as the "farmers' field." BUT what we are doing here in GOING DEEPER is to learn something by gleaning. We are looking to learn all that the Savior would reveal to us in His Word. So as we go to and fro in the Bible, we are looking for nourishment.
So let’s grab our favorite bible translation and answer some questions …
QUESTIONS:
1. What is your takeaway from the poor widow’s offering? Why did Jesus say she had given more than all the rest combined?? (HINT: v1-4)
2. Jesus prophecies that the Temple the disciples were admiring would end up being a vast heap of rubble. His disciples could not fathom that concept and ask for clarification of when it will happen and how they can know. So a bunch of questions here. (HINT: 5-22)
What had the disciples been admiring? (HINT: v5)
Jesus told them a lot of information about things that will have to come BEFORE that building built by human hands would be a rubble heap.
a. Make a list of all of those things that must happen. (HINT: v8-24)
b. Has this prophecy of Jesus come to pass yet?
If so, when and what was the result?
What does Jesus mean by the turn of phrase: the period of Gentile? (HINT: v6-11)
a. Who, what people group(s) were considered to be Gentile?
b. What will be under the rule of the period of Gentile?
c. In what year was Jerusalem conquered and trampled down by the Gentiles?
d. What dates were Jerusalem under the control of the “gentile?”
Has Jerusalem ever been surrounded by armies?
a. When was that?
a. What happened to the Jew that survived that event? (v24)
3. In verse 25, Jesus speaks to strange happenings in the natural earth; what were those events?
Were these happenings a result of man’s actions/interaction with the earth?
What was the response of the people?
Have these strange happenings taken place yet?
Are these events still to come in our future?
A pivotal moment is when Jesus appears coming in a cloud
with power and great glory.
4. How will we know when the Kingdom of God is near?
What illustration did Jesus give?
5. Revisit verse 28: What things is Jesus talking about?
What two things does Jesus expect us to do?
When are we to do those two things?
What is drawing near?
a. And what does that mean to you?
6. How will we know that the “end of this age” has come? (HINT: v 32)
7. What are the warnings that Jesus speaks to every believer at His second coming? (HINT: v34-35)
Based on verses 34 and 35, do you think the LORD was being casual about this warning as if these warnings are options and of little importance?
What are the two (2) negative warnings Jesus gives us?
a. What are we not to be found doing in our life?
b. Are we supposed to be modeling our behavior like the world?
What are the two (2) things we are to be found doing?
a. What is prayer so essential in this warning?
b. Are you praying about this?
8. Why did Jesus spend the nights on the Mount of Olives? (HINT: v37-38)