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 12, December 18 Background Characters in the Old Testament Lesson 12, December 18 Gehazi: Missing the Mark

7. Key Text Deuteronomy 13:4 NIV I t is the Lord your God you must follow, and him you must revere. Keep his commands and obey him; serve him and hold fast to him.”

8. Gehazi: Missing the Mark Initial Words {326} G ehazi had a wonderful opportunity to be closely associated with someone as blessed of God as Elisha. Yet, despite so much potential and so many great opportunities, Gehazi became a miserable failure. His story serves as an example of someone who gets sidetracked and becomes unable to distinguish the important from the peripheral.

9. Gehazi: Missing the Mark Quick Look 1. Learning FIRSTHAND (2 Kings 4:12, 16) 2. Learner’s FALL (2 Kings 5:26-27) 3. Living on FRAGMENTS (2 Kings 8:5-6)

10. Gehazi: Missing the Mark 1. Learning Firsthand 2 Kings 4:12, 14 NKJV T hen he said to Gehazi his servant, ‘Call this Shunammite woman.’ … Then he said, ‘What then is is to be done for her?’ And Gehazi answered, ‘Actually, she has no son, and her husband is old.’ ”

11. 1.Learning Firsthand Servant’s Opportunity {327} B eing a servant means primarily that one puts aside one’s own wants, wishes, and comfort and involves oneself totally in someone else’s life. A servant is there to assist the master in carrying out the master’s plans, wishes, and activities. The servant acts not to further his own ends but to further his master’s.

12. Gehazi was the servant of prophet Elisha. Being a servant to a prophet was a unique privilege. It involved more than menial labor. It was a type of apprenticeship. This special time of serving together helped the would-be prophet develop his faith and trust in God. We have no record of Gehazi’s calling, but we see the opportunities that he was given. 1.Learning Firsthand Servant’s Opportunity {327}

13. Elisha actively involves Gehazi. He sends him to call the woman and includes Gehazi in his expression of thanks. He asks Gehazi’s opinion and acts on Gehazi’s suggestion. Gehazi rises to the occasion by being observant and showing sensitivity to the woman’s real needs. Elisha gives Gehazi the opportunity to initiate a miracle. 1.Learning Firsthand Servant’s Opportunity {329}

14. Gehazi: Missing the Mark 2. The Learner’s Fall 2 Kings 5:26-27 NKJV I s it time to receive money and to receive clothing, olive groves and vineyards, sheep and oxen, male and female servants? Therefore the leprosy of Naaman shall cling to you and your descendants forever.’ And he went out from his presence leprous as white as snow.”

15. 2. The Learner’s Fall In the Battle Against Greed {333} T he incredible healing of Naaman happened right before Gehazi. He saw not only the power of God but the actions of his master, who refused to take any money from the captain. One would think that would have been more than enough to humble him before God and man, but apparently it didn’t.

16. It is not the amount of material possessions that we have that is the problem but rather our attitude toward what we have. The battle against greed requires constant attention. We continually have to adjust our thoughts toward our possessions and surrender them to God. We can keep our perspective by consistently giving not only material possessions but also time. 2. The Learner’s Fall In the Battle Against Greed {333}

17. 2 Kings 8:5-6 NKJV A nd Gehazi said, ‘My lord, O king, this is the woman, and this is her son whom Elisha restored to life.’ …. So the king appointed a certain officer for her saying, ‘Restore all that was hers, and all the proceeds of the field from the day that she left the land until now.’ ” Gehazi: Missing the Mark 3. Living on Fragments

18. What Has Been {335} M any years have passed since the great miracle of the raising of the Shunammite’s son. Gehazi’s skin disease must not be too disfiguring, for we now find him in the royal court. Gehazi is talking about what has been. He is bragging about Elisha and his miracles, most likely reflecting on his own importance by his connection to Elisha.

19. And so Gehazi fades from history. The sad part of the story is the fact that Gehazi could have been doing God’s work. He could have learned from Elisha. He could have been perhaps a leader and teacher in the schools of the prophets. 3. Living on Fragments What Has Been {335} Now all he can do is speak about the good old days when he worked with the prophet. Gehazi could have been making history; now all he can do is live in the past.

20. Prophets and Kings 252 Final Words {337} T he course of Gehazi was such as to place a stumbling block in the pathway of Naaman, upon whose mind had broken a wonderful light, and who was favorably disposed toward the service of the living God. For the deception practiced by Gehazi there could be pleaded no excuse. To the day of his death he remained a leper, cursed of God and shunned by his fellow men.”