1. powerpoint presentation designed by claro ruiz vicente http://clarovicente.weebly.com Adult Bible Study Guide Oct Nov Dec 2010 Adult Bible Study Guide Oct Nov Dec 2010

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4. Background Characters in the Old Testament Contents 1. Story and History 2. Caleb: Living With the Wait 3. Hannah: Learning to Be Someone 4. Jonathan: Born for Greatness 5. Abigail: No Victim of Circumstances 6. Uriah: Faith of a Foreigner 7. Abiathar: The Priest 8. Joab: David’s Weak Strongman 9. Rizpah: The Influence of Faithfulness 10. The Man of God: Obedience is Not Optional 11. The Widow of Zarephath: The Leap of Faith 12. Gehazi: Missing the Mark 13. Baruch: Building a Legacy in a Crumbling World

5. Background Characters in the Old Testament Our Goals {181} T o “learn things that can help us to write a different and better story for ourselves.” To “read Scripture afresh, looking beyond the obvious to discover the joy of learning new truths from God’s Word.” To “remember the power of our own lives and examples.”

6. Background Characters in the Old Testament Lesson 6, November 6 Background Characters in the Old Testament Lesson 6, November 6 Uriah: Faith of a Foreigner

7. Key Text 1 Deuteronomy 6:5 NIV L ove the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.”

8. Uriah: Faith of a Foreigner Initial Words {248} W e’ll see a powerful contrast of ethics between those of King David and of the soldier Uriah. However horrible David’s actions are, they appear even worse contrasted with those of Uriah. What we discover of him and his unfortunate fate can teach us what it means to live out one’s faith as opposed to just talking about it.

9. Uriah: Faith of a Foreigner Quick Look 1. FAITH of a Foreigner! (Ephesians 2:19) 2. FAITH in King David? (2 Samuel 11:8-9) 3. FAITH in the King of Kings! (Hebrews 11:3-34)

10. Uriah: Faith of a Foreigner 1. Faith of a Foreigner! Ephesians 2:19 NKJV N ow, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God.”

11. 1.Faith of a Foreigner! A Foreigner in Israel {253} U riah is referred to as Uriah the Hittite. In the Old Testament world, culture, nationality, race, and religion were very much interconnected. For this reason, the Old Testament strongly criticizes and prohibits intermarriage between Israel and the surrounding nations.

12. 1.Faith of a Foreigner! A Foreigner in Israel {253} A key to understanding the prohibitions against intermarriage is religion. The Old Testament is full of examples of foreigners who accept the God of Israel, and the Bible regards their assimilation to Israel positively. In the case of Uriah, the assimilation is in the form of marriage, as well as religion.

13. 1.Faith of a Foreigner! Our Citizenship {253} “So now you Gentiles are no longer strangers and foreigners. You are citizens along with all of God’s holy people. You are members of God’s Family.” (Ephesians 2:19 NLT) How can Ruth’s, Rahab’s, and Uriah’s assimilation into Israel help us to establish our personal spiritual pedigree? How does this passage help us understand that no matter our background, through Christ we can be accepted into “the household of God”?

14. Uriah: Faith of a Foreigner 2. Faith in King David? 2 Samuel 11:8-9 NKJV A nd David said to Uriah, ‘Go down to your house and wash your feet.’ So Uriah departed from the king’s house, and a gift of food from the king followed him. But Uriah slept at the door of the king’s house with the servants of his lord, and did not go down to his house.”

15. 2. Faith in King David? A Man of Principle {257} D avid sends for Uriah, who has to make a tiring 65-kilometer trip to Jerusalem. After making some small talk, David sends Uriah home with a veiled command that he go and sleep with his wife. However, Uriah, being a man of principle, cannot be manipulated. The next morning David hears that Uriah spent the night in the gate with the servants of the king.

16. 2. Faith in King David? A Man of Principle {254} The ultimate revelation of Uriah’s sterling character is his declaration (2 Samuel 11:11, NKJV ): “As you live, and as your soul lives, I will not do this thing.” Uriah is referring to spending the night with his wife, which no commandment forbids. Is there an even deeper matter here?

17. 2. Faith in King David? A Man of Principle {254} Yes! As a measure to conserve strength, Israelite soldiers took an oath not to have sexual relations the evening before, or during, battle. The permanence of keeping a vow was not to be trifled with even if keeping it meant a person suffered loss in order to keep the vow. So deeply was Uriah’s oath ingrained in the Lord’s honor and his own that, even drunk, Uriah was not swayed to break it!

18. Hebrews 11:3-34 NKJV B y faith we understand that the worlds were framed by God…. By faith Abel…. And what more shall I say? For time would fail me to tell of [Uriah]…who through faith…became valiant in battle.” Uriah: Faith of a Foreigner 3. Faith in the King of Kings!

19. What’s in a Name? {255} U riah’s name is Hebrew and could be translated as “my light is the Lord” or “flame of the Lord.” While he may have been a Hittite by birth, by choice he belonged to the God of Israel. Uriah’s ethnic background underlines the fact that God does not look at the outside but knows the heart.

20. 3. Faith in the King of Kings! What’s in a Name? {255} Having family members in prominent church positions or great godly ancestors does not give us a better standing before God. Neither does our family history or even our past personal history affect our acceptance with God.

21. 3. Faith in the King of Kings! What’s in a Name? {257} “I will not do this thing.” 2 Samuel 11:11 NKJV Uriah’s answer shows that he was not a nominal believer but had completely identified himself with the God of Israel and his comrades. Uriah believed that it was wrong to use his situation for personal comfort or advantage.

22. Uriah: Faith of a Foreigner Final Words {250} U riah’s whole focus was his duty to God. All the persuasive power of a mighty king couldn’t move him to violate his conscience, and because of it, David had him killed.