This year I attended Bible Study Fellowship and studied 15 books of the Old Testament. It was fascinating. The study was called "People of the Promise: Kingdom Divided," and it followed the people of Israel and Judah starting after the reign of King Solomon.
Each week we read Bible passages on our own and answered lesson questions, then we met together for a large-group lecture and small-group discussion of the same the material . This method of Bible study is totally free, has an amazing children's program, and is available all over the world. If you're curious about God at all - you should check out a local class! (https://www.bsfinternational.org/ They also have online options.)
At the end of every year, the participants are invited to share something they've learned through the study. It's slightly intimidating because it includes speaking into a microphone to a couple hundred people, but this year I did it. And this is what I said...
One thing I’ve learned about Bible study is to look for the repeated words. Repeated words are never an accident. This year, one word particularly emerged to me - GATHER. This word was repeated as we studied the books of Hosea, Isaiah, Micah, and Jeremiah.
In each of these verses - God is the one speaking to his people through his prophets.
And the children of Judah and the children of Israel shall be gathered together,
and they shall appoint for themselves one head. Hosea 1:11
Fear not, for I am with you;
I will bring your offspring from the east,
and from the west I will gather you. Isaiah 43:5
For a brief moment I deserted you,
but with great compassion I will gather you. Isaiah 54:7
I will surely assemble all of you, O Jacob;
I will gather the remnant of Israel;
I will set them together
like sheep in a fold,
like a flock in its pasture,
a noisy multitude of men. Micah 2:12
I will be found by you, declares the Lord,
and I will restore your fortunes and gather you from all the nations and all the places where I have driven you, declares the Lord, and I will bring you back to the place from which I sent you into exile. Jeremiah 29:14
AND one of our lesson questions brought us to the New Testament where Jesus himself talks about gathering. Matthew 23:37-39
“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it!
How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing!
These verses were clear to me. Even though this year we studied a Kingdom DIVIDED, and we came to a deeper understanding of God’s wrath as his people went into exile… God’s heart is to GATHER - his kingdom, and us.
To me, this means my heart should grow to reflect God’s. I am challenged to ask the Holy Spirit to show me how to reflect his heart to GATHER in a world divided by sin and self-focus. The work of gathering is not always easy, but if God’s word says it’s good - then it is worth it. Praise the Lord - he is a God who gathered us! And one day, he will ultimately gather us to himself!
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