Nov. 27, 2022

THE WORLD INTO WHICH JESUS WAS BORN – (pt 6)

LOVE WINS              11-20-22

SAMARITANS –

Matthew 10:5–6 ⁵ These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: “Do not go among the Gentiles or enter any town of the Samaritans. ⁶ Go rather to the lost sheep of Israel.

Isaiah 49:6 ⁶ “It is too small a thing for you to be my servant to… bring back those of Israel... I will also make you a light for the Gentiles, that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth.” 

John 8:48–49 ⁴⁸ The Jews answered him, “Aren’t we right in saying that you are a Samaritan and demon-possessed?” ⁴⁹ “I am not possessed by a demon,” said Jesus, “but I honor my Father and you dishonor me. 

2 Kings 17:24-33 ²⁴ The king of Assyria brought people from Babylon, Kuthah, Avva, Hamath and Sepharvaim and settled them in the towns of Samaria to replace the Israelites. They took over Samaria and lived in its towns. ²⁵ When they first lived there, they did not worship the Lord; so he sent lions among them and they killed some of the people. ²⁶ It was reported to the king of Assyria: “The people you deported and resettled in the towns of Samaria do not know what the god of that country requires. He has sent lions among them, which are killing them off, because the people do not know what he requires.” ²⁷ Then the king of Assyria gave this order: “Have one of the priests you took captive from Samaria go back to live there and teach the people what the god of the land requires.” ²⁸ So one of the priests who had been exiled from Samaria came to live in Bethel and taught them how to worship the Lord. 

2 Kings 17:29–33 ²⁹ Nevertheless, each national group made its own gods in the several towns where they settled, and set them up in the shrines the people of Samaria had made at the high places. ³⁰ The people… ³¹ burned their children in the fire as sacrifices to… the gods of Sepharvaim. ³² They worshiped the Lord, but they also appointed all sorts of their own people to officiate for them as priests... ³³ They worshiped the Lord, but they also served their own gods in accordance with the customs of the nations from which they had been brought. 

Ezra 4:1–5 ¹ When the enemies of Judah and Benjamin heard that the exiles were building a temple for the Lord, the God of Israel, ² they came to Zerubbabel… and said, “Let us help you build because, like you, we seek your God and have been sacrificing to him since the time of Esarhaddon king of Assyria, who brought us here.” ³ But Zerubbabel… answered, “You have no part with us in building a temple to our God. We alone will build it for the Lord...” ⁴ Then the peoples around them set out to discourage the people of Judah and make them afraid to go on building.  ⁵ They bribed officials to work against them and frustrate their plans... 

Nehemiah 4:1-8 ¹ When Sanballat heard that we were rebuilding the wall, he became angry.... He ridiculed the Jews ² and in the presence of his associates and the army of Samaria, he said, “What are those feeble Jews doing?  ⁷ they were very angry. ⁸ They all plotted together to come and fight against Jerusalem and stir up trouble against it. 

Deuteronomy 11:26–29 ²⁶ See, I am setting before you today a blessing and a curse—²⁷ the blessing if you obey the commands of the Lord your God… ²⁸ the curse if you disobey the commands… and turn from the way that I command you today by following other gods, which you have not known. ²⁹ When the Lord your God has brought you into the land you are entering to possess, you are to proclaim on Mount Gerizim the blessings, and on Mount Ebal the curses.

Joshua 8:33 ³³ Half of the people stood in front of Mount Gerizim and half of them in front of Mount Ebal, as Moses… had formerly commanded when he gave instructions to bless the people of Israel.

Luke 10:25–29 ²⁵ On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” ²⁶ “What is written in the Law?” he replied. “How do you read it?” ²⁷ He answered, “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” ²⁸ “You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.” ²⁹ But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”

Luke 10:36–37 ³⁶ “Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?” ³⁷ The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.” Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”

John 4:4–5 ⁴ Now he had to go through Samaria. ⁵ So he came to a town in Samaria called Sychar...

John 4:7–9 ⁷ When a Samaritan woman came to draw water, Jesus said to her, “Will you give me a drink?”… ⁹ The Samaritan woman said to him, “You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink?” (For Jews do not associate with Samaritans.)

John 4:19–20 ¹⁹ “Sir,” the woman said, “I can see that you are a prophet. ²⁰ Our ancestors worshiped on this mountain, (Mount Gerizim) but you Jews claim that the place where we must worship is in Jerusalem.”

John 4:28–29 ²⁸ Then, leaving her water jar, the woman went back to the town and said to the people, ²⁹ “Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did. Could this be the Messiah?”

Acts 1:8 ⁸ But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”