Author: Brett Baggett

Q1. WHO IS THE FIRST AND BEST OF BEINGS?

A. God is the first and best of beings.

Q. WHY DOES THE CATECHISM BEGIN HERE, WITH GOD CLARIFIED AS THE FIRST AND BEST OF BEINGS?

I. WE MUST BEGIN WHERE THE BIBLE BEGINS

GENESIS 1:1 “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.”

II. WE MUST BEGIN WHERE TRUE WISDOM BEGINS

PROVERBS 1:7 “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.”

PROVERBS 9:7 “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight.”

PSALM 111:10 “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; all those who practice it have a good understanding. His praise endures forever!”

Stories are best begun in the beginning or confusion will abound. Foundations are best laid on the ground or everything will fall apart. So it is when we are seeking to be grounded in the faith—we must begin with God or confusion and crumbling may surely follow us all the days of our life.

Q. What is God? A. God is the Creator and Sustainer of everyone and everything. (New City Catechism Q2)

Q. WHAT DOES IT MEAN THAT GOD IS FIRST?

I. FIRST IN EXISTENCE

GENESIS 1:1 “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.”

JOB 38:1-7 1 Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind and said: 2 “Who is this that darkens counsel by words without knowledge? 3 Dress for action like a man; I will question you, and you make it known to me. 4 “Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell me, if you have understanding. 5 Who determined its measurements—surely you know! Or who stretched the line upon it? 6 On what were its bases sunk, or who laid its cornerstone, 7 when the morning stars sang together and all the sons of God shouted for joy?

PSALM 90:2 “Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever you had formed the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God.”

COLOSSIANS 1:16-17 “16 For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. 17 And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.”

REVELATION 22:13 “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.”

II. FIRST IN EMINENCE

PSALM ‭97:9‬ “For you, O Lord, are most high over all the earth; you are exalted far above all gods.”

COLOSSIANS 1:18 “And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent.”

See the sad state of all who do not honor God, the first and best of beings.

ROMANS 1:21-23 21 For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Claiming to be wise, they became fools, 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things

ISAIAH 44:9-11 9 All who fashion idols are nothing, and the things they delight in do not profit. Their witnesses neither see nor know, that they may be put to shame. 10 Who fashions a god or casts an idol that is profitable for nothing? 11 Behold, all his companions shall be put to shame, and the craftsmen are only human. Let them all assemble, let them stand forth. They shall be terrified; they shall be put to shame together.

Q. WHAT DOES IT MEAN THAT GOD IS BEST?

I. BEST IN GLORY AND GOODNESS

PSALM 8 O Lord, our Lord,
how majestic is your name in all the earth!
You have set your glory above the heavens.
2 Out of the mouth of babies and infants,
you have established strength because of your foes,
to still the enemy and the avenger.
3 When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars, which you have set in place,
4 what is man that you are mindful of him,
and the son of man that you care for him?
5 Yet you have made him a little lower than the heavenly beings
and crowned him with glory and honor.
6 You have given him dominion over the works of your hands;
you have put all things under his feet,
7 all sheep and oxen,
and also the beasts of the field,
8 the birds of the heavens, and the fish of the sea,
whatever passes along the paths of the seas.
9 O Lord, our Lord,
how majestic is your name in all the earth!
See the happy state of all who are reconciled to God by His Son Jesus Christ!

The first and best of beings—Jesus Christ our Lord—was made a little lower than the angels. He debased himself in order to Redeem His bride.

On the cross, the first and best of beings was treated like the last and worst of beings. Why? So that you could be cleansed of your filthy sin and clothed in the pure white robes of Christ.

HEBREWS 2:9-11 9 But we see him who for a little while was made lower than the angels, namely Jesus, crowned with glory and honor because of the suffering of death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.
 10 For it was fitting that he, for whom and by whom all things exist, in bringing many sons to glory, should make the founder of their salvation perfect through suffering. 11 For he who sanctifies and those who are sanctified all have one source. That is why he is not ashamed to call them brothers.

BENJAMIN KEACH (1640-1704)

Originally from Buckinghamshire, Keach worked as a tailor during his early years. He was baptized at the age of 15 and began preaching at 18. He was the minister of the congregation at Winslow before moving in 1668 to the church at Horsleydown (Horse-lie-down), Southwark where he remained for 36 years as pastor (1668-1704). This congregation later became the New Park Street Church and then moved to the Metropolitan Tabernacle under the pastorship of Charles Spurgeon. Keach’s catechism was first published in 1693.

For a brief biography of Keach, see http://baptisthistoryhomepage.com/keach.benjamin.tbe.html

For easy access to a digital copy of The Baptist Catechism, see http://www.ekklesiamuskogee.church/the-baptist-catechism/

To purchase a hard copy of The Baptist Catechism, see https://www.amazon.com/1689-Baptist-Confession-Faith-Catechism/dp/1599253771/ref=sr_1_2?dchild=1&keywords=The+Baptist+Catechism&qid=1590608161&sr=8-2

HERCULES COLLINS (1646/7-1702)

For a brief biography of Collins, see https://founders.org/2012/07/12/baptists-and-1662-the-persecution-of-john-norcott-and-hercules-collins/

To purchase a hard copy of An Orthodox Catechism, see https://www.amazon.com/Orthodox-Catechism-Hercules-Collins/dp/0980217911/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1590608349&sr=8-1

For easy access to as digital copy of An Orthodox Catechism, see https://www.thecalvinist.net/etc/1680%20Orthodox%20Catechism%20(Hercules%20Collins).pdf

WHY USE CATECHISMS? Colossians 1:21-23

OUTLINE

Q. Why use Catechisms?

1. Because “[Jesus] has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him, if indeed you continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard” (Colossians 1:21b-23a).

2. The way to be stable and steadfast is to be properly catechized (instructed).

Q. Why is it crucial that we are properly Catechized?

1. If we do not continue in the faith, we reveal that we are not reconciled to God by the blood of Jesus (Colossians 1:21-23).

2. We are commanded to grow up into the likeness of Jesus, no longer children tossed around by every wind of doctrine (Ephesians 4:11-14).

3. There are many who are catechizing you according to damnable heresies (2 Peter 2:3, 1 John 2:6; 4:1).

4. There are difficult doctrines “which the ignorant and unstable twist to their own destruction” (2 Peter 3:16).

5. Leaders must be raised who can “give instruction in sound doctrine and also confute those who contradict it” (Titus. 1:8).

6. “Such that are not settled in the faith can never suffer for it” (Mark 4:16-17).

7. The more instruction you drink, the more intoxicating joy you will have in Jesus—to know Him more is to love Him more (Psalm 16).

8. The better instructed you are the better you will be able to instruct others—the more useful you will be in helping others be glad in Jesus (2 Timothy 3:16-17).

KINGLESS: Judges 21

OUTLINE
“In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes.” (Judges 21:25).
But…
I. There is a King coming who will do what is right in the LORD’s eyes
II. There is a King coming who will defeat the giant enemies of the LORD’s people
III. There is a King coming who will establish a kingdom that will never end

DISCUSSION
1. Read chapter 21 and write down what stands out to you as the people of Israel scramble to reverse what they have done to wipe out the tribe of Benjamin.

2. How does verse 25 perfectly sum up the book of Judges? What are some scenes wherein you vividly remember someone doing “what was right in his own eyes”?

3. Look back through the entire study at all of your answers. What was new? What was convicting? What was encouraging?

HOPELESS: Judges 20

OUTLINE
I. Hopeless are all who stand trial for their sin without an advocate
II. Hopeless are all who will not part with sin
III. Hopeless are all who rage against the justice of the LORD
IV. Hopeless are all who try to do the LORD’s work in their own strength
V. Hopeful are all who take refuge in the Rock

DISCUSSION
1. Chapter 20 reveals further moral corruption in Israel, this time by the entire nation subjecting one of their tribes to complete annihilation. Read verses 1-11. What does the writer mean by “from Dan to Beersheba”? How did the people of Israel initially respond to “this evil” that had happened? What does the Levite leave out when he tells them of the evil that was done to his concubine by the leaders of Gibeah? How did the people of Israel eventually respond to “this evil”?

2. Read verses 12-17. What did the people of Israel demand from the Benjaminites? How do Deuteronomy 13:5 and 17:7 shed light on their demands? How did the Benjaminites respond?

3. Read verses 18-28. What admirable thing do the people of Israel do time and time again in these verses? What can we learn from these verses? What else stands out to you in these verses and why?

4. Read verses 29-48. According to verse 35, who defeated Benjamin? What can we learn from this? How far did the people of Israel take this civil war according to verse 48? What else stands out to you in these verses and why?

WORTHLESS: Judges 19

OUTLINE
I. If we base our sexual ethic according to what is right in our own eyes, we are worthless (v.1-2,22-25)
II. If we choose what we do each day based on what is right in our own eyes, we are worthless (v.4-5,9)
III. If husbands refuse to lead, love, provide for, and protect their wives and instead do what is right in their own eyes, they are worthless (v.25-28)
IV. If we are outraged at the evil done by others yet unmoved by our own, we are worthless (v.29-30)

  1. Chapter 19 begins to show the moral corruption of the people of Israel. First, this is shown by a Levite and the treatment of his concubine. Second it is shown by how the “worthless fellows” treat these sojourners. Read verses 1-9. What is the current setting in Israel that we are reminded of in verse 1? What is a concubine—how does the ESV Study Bible note on verse 1 shed light on the answer? How does the concubine’s father treat the Levite when he comes to his house? How does the Levite respond? What else stands out to you in these verses and why?
  2. Read verses 10-21. Why did the Levite not want to “spend the night in the city of the Jebusites” but rather “pass on to Gibeah”? Who offered hospitality to the Levite and his concubine? What else stands out to you in these verses and why?
  3. Read verses 22-28. What do the “worthless fellows” do? How is this reminiscent of Genesis 19, when the angels come to Lot’s house in Sodom? What did the master of the house do when the worthless fellows demanded the Levite? What did the Levite do? How does this make us long for Jesus? What should they have done? What did the worthless fellows end up doing to the concubine? What else stands out to you in this passage and why?
  4. Read verses 28-30. How did the Levite initially respond when he realized his concubine was dead? How should he have initially responded? How did he eventually respond? How should this make us long for Jesus? What else stands out to you in this passage and why?

SHAMELESS: Judges 17-18

OUTLINE
I. You cannot serve the LORD and idols (v.1-6)
II. You cannot trust Jesus and yourself (v.7-13)
III. You cannot love the LORD and money (17:10-11, 18:4-6, 18-20, Matthew 6:24)
IV. If you serve idols or trust yourself or love money, the temporary results will be either 1) empty hands or 2) enslavement. The eternal results will be destruction (ch.18, Philippians 3:18-19)

  1. Chapter 17 begins showing the depths of Israel’s apostasy. The first section, Judges 17:1–18:31, is an example of their religious corruption. Read verses 1-5. What did Micah confess to his mother? How did his mother respond? What did she do with the silver and who did she dedicate it to? What did Micah do with the carved image? How is this reminiscent of Exodus 32:1-10? How does Exodus 20:4 reveal the foolishness of Micah and his mother? What else stands out to you in these verses and why?
  2. Read verses 6-13. How should verse 6 make us long for Jesus? Further evidence is shown here of Israel’s religious corruption. This time it is not a family in general, but a Levite in particular. Why did the Levite become “content to dwell with the man”? Were priests meant to be private servants of families of public servants of the people? What did Micah think would happen now that he had a Levite as his very own priest, according to verse 13?
  3. After showing the religious corruption of a family (Micah and his mother) and of a Levite, the narrative now turns to showing the religious corruption of an entire tribe, the Danites. Read verses 1-6. Why were the five Danites spying out and exploring the land? Where was the Danites allotted territory according to Joshua 19:40-47? How does Judges 1:34-35 help us understand why they did not possess an inheritance? Where did they end up finding lodging? What did they ask the Levite to do? Does anything in the text say that the Levite actually inquired of the LORD? How does Jeremiah 10:21 shed light on the stupidity of this kind of promise? What does Jeremiah 10:21 say the results of such stupidity would be?
  4. Read verses 7-21. What did the Danites find when they scouted the land of Laish and how did they respond? How should they have responded? What did they end up doing to Micah and the Levite? How did the Levite respond? What else stands out to you in these verses and why?

PRAY FOR ALL PEOPLE: 1 Timothy 2:1-7

OUTLINE
I. We must pray
II. Who we must pray for
III. Why we must pray

1 TIMOTHY 2:1-7
First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, 2 for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. 3 This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, 4 who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. 5 For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man[a] Christ Jesus, 6 who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time. 7 For this I was appointed a preacher and an apostle (I am telling the truth, I am not lying), a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth.

The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

SAMSON (pt.5): Judges 16:23-31

OUTLINE
I. Our unfaithfulness brings reproach upon the name of the LORD (v.23-27)
II. For the sake of His name, the LORD overrules our unfaithfulness and causes us to glorify Him again (v.28-31)
III. Samson is never more reminiscent of Jesus than in his death

  1. Read verses 23-24. Why do the Philistines gather? Who did they sacrifice to? Why did they worship Dagon here? How does the LORD humiliate the idol Dagon and his worshipers in 1 Samuel 5:1-5?
  2. Read verses 25-27. Why did the Philistines bring Samson out in the midst of their rejoicing? How many Philistines, and of what kind, were present? What does Samson do when he is brought out and how does this further show his cunning?
  3. Read verse 28. What did Samson ask of the LORD? Why did he ask this? Do you think this was the right motivation—how does Deuteronomy 32:35-36 shed light on the answer? What would have been the right motivation?
  4. Read verses 29-31. What did Samson do after he was placed by the pillars? In what way is Samson like Jesus? In what ways is he different? What can we learn from the life and death of Samson?

THE PSALMS

THE PSALMS, AN ANATOMY OF THE SOUL
“I have been accustomed to call this book, I think not inappropriately, ‘An Anatomy of all the Parts of the Soul;’ for there is not an emotion of which any one can be conscious that is not here represented as in a mirror. Or rather, the Holy Spirit has here drawn to the life all the griefs, sorrows, fears, doubts, hopes, cares, perplexities, in short, all the distracting emotions with which the minds of men are wont to be agitated. The other parts of Scripture contain the commandments which God enjoined his servants to announce to us. But here the prophets themselves, seeing they are exhibited to us as speaking to God, and laying open all their inmost thoughts and affections, call, or rather draw, each of us to the examination of himself in particulars in order that none of the many infirmities to which we are subject, and of the many vices with which we abound, may remain concealed. It is certainly a rare and singular advantage, when all lurking places are discovered, and the heart is brought into the light, purged from that most baneful infection, hypocrisy. In short, as calling upon God is one of the principal means of securing our safety, and as a better and more unerring rule for guiding us in this exercise cannot be found elsewhere than in The Psalms, it follows, that in proportion to the proficiency which a man shall have attained in understanding them, will be his knowledge of the most important part of celestial doctrine. …”

THE PSALMS, POINTING US TO SALVATION IN CHRIST
“Moreover although The Psalms are replete with all the precepts which serve to frame our life to every part of holiness, piety, and righteousness, yet they will principally teach and train us to bear the cross; and the bearing of the cross is a genuine proof of our obedience, since by doing this, we renounce the guidance of our own affections and submit ourselves entirely to God, leaving him to govern us, and to dispose of our life according to his will, so that the afflictions which are the bitterest and most severe to our nature, become sweet to us, because they proceed from him. In one word, not only will we here find general commendations of the goodness of God, which may teach men to repose themselves in him alone, and to seek all their happiness solely in him; and which are intended to teach true believers with their whole hearts confidently to look to him for help in all their necessities; but we will also find that the free remission of sins, which alone reconciles God towards us and procures for us settled peace with him, is so set forth and magnified, as that here there is nothing wanting which relates to the knowledge of eternal salvation.”
– John Calvin, introduction to his commentary on The Psalms

JUDGES 2020

After the conquest of Canaan, depicted in the book of Joshua, the people of God spent around 350 years in a despicable cycle of joy and sorrow detailed in the book of Judges. Judges tells the sad story of the people doing what was right in their own eyes, which lead to constant misery and the need for a deliverer.

In simplest terms, the book of Judges reveals how the LORD’S people are half-hearted at best and full-blown idolatrous at worst. There is an endless cycle of unfaithfulness, discipline, regret, deliverance, and unfaithfulness again. As soon as a judge dies, the people forget the LORD. 

This brings us to an important point—the story of Judges should ultimately make us long for the true and better deliverer, Jesus. Jesus is the king who not only rules over his people with justice and equity but also with grace and mercy. He not only delivers us from our great enemies sin and death but also changes our hearts so that we no longer deeply desire to do what is right in our “own eyes.” By God’s grace, Jesus changes us to desire to do what is right in his eyes. He does not simply deliver us for a time but buys for us an eternal redemption by his cross and resurrection. He is the king who—at great cost to himself—delivers us from all danger and rules over us in all joy. He is the eternal king we need and long for.

  1. HALF-HEARTED: Judges 1:1–2:5
  2. IDOLATROUS: Judges 2:6–3:6
  3. OTHNIEL AND EHUD: Judges 3:7-31
  4. DEBORAH AND BARAK: Judges 4:1–5:31
  5. GIDEON (pt.1): Judges 6
  6. GIDEON (pt.2): Judges 7
  7. GIDEON (pt.3): Judges 8
  8. ABIMELECH: Judges 9
  9. JEPHTHAH: Judges 10-12
  10. SAMSON (pt.1): Judges 13
  11. SAMSON (pt.2): Judges 14
  12. SAMSON (pt.3): Judges 15
  13. SAMSON (pt.4): Judges 16:1-22
  14. SAMSON (pt.5): Judges 16:23-31
  15. SHAMELESS: Judges 17:1–18:21
  16. WORTHLESS: Judges 19:1-30
  17. HOPELESS: Judges 20:1-48
  18. KINGLESS: Judges 21:1-25

Ekklesia Muskogee is a reformed baptist church that gathers for worship in Muskogee, Oklahoma. We confess the 1689 second London baptist confession of faith. We affirm the five solas of the Reformation as well as the doctrines of grace (otherwise known as the five points of Calvinism), and each of our pastors would not be ashamed to be called a Calvinist. We are a church led by elders, of which there is a plurality (also called pastors and overseers in the Scriptures). Our mission is to make disciples, love cities, and plant churches.