by Jen | Apr 29, 2025 | 1-21, DISO studies, John 3
NEW TO THIS STUDY? START HERE.
Hi there!
I’m posting this with the National Day of Prayer (Thursday, May 1, 2025) on my heart. Will you join us, friend, even for just a minute or two? I hope so. You can find out more here: https://www.nationaldayofprayer.org/.
Even if you don’t see this till after May 1, I ask you to pray anyway. Take a moment now and intercede for our country, all its teachers and leaders of any sort (even if you don’t agree with them). The Bible says we should “Confess [our] sins to each other and pray for each other so that [we] may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results (James 5:16 NLT).” Don’t forget, if you’re a believer, Jesus’s blood on the cross has made you righteous: our prayers have great power and produce wonderful results!
Last Week’s Work
MY PRAYER
Isn’t God’s timing so perfect?! Here’s my usual prayer, customized a little for this study:
Father God, thank you so much for Your Holy Spirit in me! As I study John 3:1-21 again, I ask—as always—that my eyes, ears, and heart stay open to His gentle instruction. Help me dig into the passage with hope and understanding, that I can see what You want me to focus on, understand it the way You meant it, and use it to glorify You and build up Your church here on earth. In Jesus’s name I pray. Amen!
HUH? and WOW! MOMENTS
Next, I read John 3:1-21 and focused on my reactions. Here’s what I noted:
HUH?s
- Does Nicodemus the ruler and teacher show up anywhere else in the Bible? What does his name mean?
- What is Jesus talking about “born again (v3),” and “born of water and the Spirit (v5)”, “born of flesh” and “born of the Spirit (v6)”? Are they all different things?
- Why might someone want to get into the kingdom of God (vv3,5)?
- How is “everyone who is born of the Spirit” like hearing the wind and not knowing where it comes from or goes (v8)?
- How is Moses lifting a serpent in the wilderness the same as the Son of Man being lifted up so people will believe and have eternal life (v14)?
WOW!s
- Nicodemus didn’t ask a question, he just made a statement about Jesus’s identity; but the text says Jesus answered him (v3)!
- This born again thing seems to be a big deal: without it people are blind to the kingdom of God (v3) and can’t get into the kingdom of God (v5).
- Jesus came to the world so people who believe in Him won’t perish; they’ll have eternal life (v16)!
- It seems there’s an abrupt shift in topic between vv16 and 17: Jesus starts out talking about death (perishing) and eternal life (16), then shifts to condemnation and judgment (vv17-21). I don’t follow the train of thought there.
Seems like I have a lot more questions than ah-ha!s about this text—even though I’ve already done at least one in-depth study on it! This week, I’ll be praying about which one of the above to focus on in this series.
Dig-In Challenges
If you’re studying this passage with me, listen to the Spirit this week, and choose a personal Huh? or Wow! to dig more deeply into. Going forward, I’ll refer to this as your personal treasure from John 3:1-21. It can be something you noticed in your study, one of the items I’ve listed above, or anything else the Holy Spirit has laid upon your heart as you think about this passage. As we study, we’ll consider everything in the chapter, but we’ll gradually narrow the focus to the verses that talk about our treasure.
Then:
- PRAY for the Spirit to help as you choose your focus for the remainder of this study. Write this personal treasure from the Holy Spirit in your journal, along with the verse(s) that focus(es) on it.
- MINE: Read John 3:1-21, focusing on the setting (who’s involved, and where and when the action took place). Note anything the Spirit emphasizes about the characters involved, any locations mentioned, and any timeframes discussed.
I hope you’ll join me again soon!
GO TO WEEK 3 >
by Jen | Apr 22, 2025 | 1-21, DISO studies, Introduction, John 3
Hello and thanks for joining me in this Digging into Scripture Ourselves (DISO) study of John 3:1-21. I’m glad you’re here!
This is the third of seven studies I’m calling Restoration. I explored these passages years ago using my original “20 Questions” version of DISO, but those posts are no longer available online. To minimize confusion, I’ll be working through the texts again, this time using the current process. I can’t wait to see what new revelations the Holy Spirit will show us this time!
Let’s Study John 3:1-21!
This week, I’ll begin by praying and surveying John 3:1-21. If you want to study on your own, too, here’s what I recommend you have ready:
- A copy of John 3:1-21, plus access to the entire Gospel of John.
I like to refer often to the text I’m studying and sometimes make notes on it, so I copy the passage from https://www.blueletterbible.org, paste it into a word processing program like Google docs or MS Word, change the formatting to suit my preferences, and print it out. If you want to use the ESV translation, here’s a pdf of my Scripture study sheet with lots of room for doodles and notes.
NOTE: for the first time, I noticed footnotes in this passage! Most are interpretation-related, so I went ahead and included them on my study sheet for consideration in Step 3.
- A study journal.
We’ll spend the next seven weeks immersed in and learning about John 3:1-21. And the work we’ll do each week builds on what came before, so plan to record at least some highlights from your work over the coming weeks. I’m old-school and like the pen-and-paper method for journaling my studies, but it’s okay if that doesn’t work for you. If you don’t have time to write out or type your notes, consider dictating them into a notes app, or recording audio files, instead.
Or, you may decide to just read the posts I publish here. That’s good, too, because you’ll become familiar with the process and see how the Spirit speaks to my situation. You may find that’s enough to make it worth your while to keep checking in with me, even if you can’t dig into John 3:1-21 yourself now.
Dig-In Challenges
So, here’s how I’ll be studying this week:
- PRAY: I’ll be creating a prayer with which I’ll start my weekly study sessions. I’m going to write it in my study journal, so I’ll have it handy every time.
- SURVEY: Then I’ll read John 3:1-21, noting anything that makes me say, “huh?” (as in, “I wonder what that means?”) or “wow” (as in, “that is so awesome!”). I’ll record these and later ask the Spirit to direct me to the one I should dig deepest into right now.
If you’d like more information about these steps, check out this printable summary of the process I’ll be using over the next eight weeks. Or, you can always reach out to me with your questions through my contact page or at [email protected].
I’m looking forward to sharing what I discover in this process with you, along with relevant snippets of my previous study from 2020, so I hope you’ll keep checking in with me each week!
GO TO WEEK 2 >
by Jen | Apr 15, 2025 | 1-24, DISO studies, Joshua 2
NEW TO THIS STUDY? START HERE.
Welcome to the last segment of my 2025 Joshua 2 study. This post will appear during Holy Week, and I hope you can take the time to pause and remember Jesus’s sacrificial death this Friday. Many saw it as the permanent silencing of another would-be messiah, but God knew it was the necessary first step to His plan of redemption for all who would believe. Though many claimed immortality, Jesus is the only man who died yet lives, and the Bible we’re studying contains eyewitness testimony to that fact.
Moreover, we have the same hope of living after our earthly deaths simply by confessing Jesus as Lord with our mouths and believing in our hearts He was indeed raised from the dead (see Romans 10:9). In the meantime, let’s keep digging and treasuring what we discover.
Last Week’s Work
LESSON(S) LEARNED
In my study notes review, the Spirit called my attention to two gifts from God I hadn’t noticed before:
- The opportunity He gave a non-Israelite whose work made her totally unworthy (Rahab) to save herself and her family; and
- The conquest of Jericho He provided for His people, without a single Israelite casualty!
CONVICTION
I feel convicted that the recipients of the above gifts are so very different, yet they had one thing in common—faith. Rahab showed her faith in God and in the Israelites by trusting they’d keep their promise to her. And the Israelites showed their trust by following God’s commands to march around and make a lot of noise rather than waging a normal war against Jericho. Taken with His previous command in Genesis 3 not to eat from a certain tree, doesn’t it seem God asks the strangest things of believers sometimes?!
Next to Rahab and the Israelites, I’m clearly in Adam and Eve’s camp, convicted of feeble faith, and so often subdued by fear.
As I write this, I’m reminded of the black-and-white “Faith/Fear” signs that began popping up all over the Florida town where I lived during the early months of the COVID-19 pan[dem]ic.
At first, I didn’t recognize the graphic’s real message. Not until I realized the importance of where the words were placed. Then I got it: “Faith over fear.” Rahab, the woman whose heart melted at the thought of the Israelites, was the ancient poster woman for that message!
CORRECTION
These last eight weeks, I’ve moved steadily toward several big changes in my life. If they all come to fruition as envisioned, I will be blessed beyond all measure. In all but one instance, though, execution of the plans lies outside my control. Unlike Rahab, none of the changes are matters of life and death, but I still feel some connection with her as she waited for the siege of Jericho, wondering if the spies would keep their promise.
As I mulled over my hopes with the Spirit, He brought three passages from other current projects to mind:
- “Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong” (2 Corinthians 12:8-10 ESV, Emphasis mine).
- “‘… be strong in the Lord and the strength of his might’” (Ephesians 6:10). I know God’s strength. I pray the Lord pour His powerful, mighty faith into my heart till there’s no room for fear or anything except confidence in what He will do in the circumstances.
- “‘So faith comes from hearing and hearing through the word of Christ’” (Romans 10:17). Rahab’s story reminds me He didn’t just spare her life, He intertwined it with the Israelite clan from whom He brought forth Jesus, the man.
ACTION PLAN
Does this mean the changes will turn out in my favor? Only God knows how He plans to work them out. But I do believe whatever happens, I can rest assured what He does bring will be sufficient for me. I intend to keep praying for faith that displaces all the fear with confidence in Him.
Our Next Study
Next week we’ll start our third “blast from the past” study. This time I’m opening up the New Testament, John 3:1-21. Like my other studies this year, these files were also lost when my old website went down in late 2023. By studying the same verses again, I hope to refresh my mind about the earlier study and discover new treasure from the text—treasure the Spirit knows I need for today. I hope you’ll join me again next week as we revisit my 2020 study of God’s Greatest Gift!
by Jen | Apr 8, 2025 | 1-24, DISO studies, Joshua 2
NEW TO THIS STUDY? START HERE.
Can you believe we’re almost done with this study? I’m so grateful you’re checking in with me, and I hope you’ve had a chance to do a little digging on your own in this amazing story of Rahab. There is no better way to get to know our awesome God than to spend time in His Word!
Here’s the treasure I uncovered this past week.
Last Week’s Work
CROSS-REFERENCES
When I sat down to work through the cross-references for Joshua 2 this week, the Spirit first sent me in another direction: to search for other “biblical sightings” of Rahab. I knew from before she’s mentioned in Matthew 1:5 in the genealogy of Jesus. I felt like I’d encountered her name in other parts the New Testament at some point but couldn’t remember where or why.
Using her name to search cross-references, I saw she’s also included in the Hebrews 11 list of Jewish heroes (among them Noah, Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, and Moses) who demonstrated their faith in amazing ways. After the author extolls their faith, he adds one Gentile woman, Rahab, who “by faith … did not perish with those who were disobedient.” (Hebrews 11:31, emphasis mine) This is how amazing our God is!
By His own law, a prostitute was obviously disobedient, yet God chose to give her alone the opportunity to help the spies that night. And, even though she was afraid of them, by faith she leaned into that chance.
James also found her faith remarkable. In his argument that faith can’t be separated from works (James 2:19-26) he cites just two examples: Abraham—the Father of the faith—and Rahab—a woman whose exemplar work of faith was “a friendly welcome.”
But perhaps most interesting, I found six other cross-refs (Job 9:13 and 26:12, Psalms 87:4 and 89:10, and Isaiah 30:7, 51:9) containing the word rahab that didn’t refer to a woman at all. I dug into the interlinear tools for both words and discovered though spelled the same, there are separate entries in Strongs for each. Rahab the woman is H7343, and the other is H7293. In context, the latter refers to pride or strength, the opposite of how Rahab described herself and her countrymen in my treasure verses!
As I thought this through, the Spirit revealed a paradox: though Rahab acknowledged her weakness, God made her strong enough to lie to the king’s guard and negotiate with men representing a nation poised to wipe out her people. This reminded me of Paul’s telling the Corinthians about a conversation he had with the Lord: “Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong 2 Corinthians 12:8-10 ESV (emphasis mine).”
OTHER TRANSLATIONS
I compared the ESV, AMP, NIV, and Good News translations, but didn’t find anything remarkable there. As previously noted, the inhabitants of Jericho and surrounding area were quite intimidated by the Israelites. This came from what they’d heard about the Lord giving His people victory over other fierce warriors in Canaan.
Dig-In Challenges
This week, let’s wrap up our study of Joshua 2 and align with what we’ve discovered in this passage:
- PRAY: Read the prayer created in Step 1.
- ALIGN: Review our study notes and other work, focusing specifically on what we’ve learned in this process.
- ALIGN: Then, considering those “lessons learned,” think about how the Spirit has convicted us through this study. In other words, where has He shown us misalignment between what we’ve discovered and how we practice our faith?
- ALIGN: Next, let’s look to God’s Word for guidance to correct that misalignment. This is often—but not always—a verse from the study text or from one of the cross-references.
- ALIGN: And finally, I’ll reflect on how I can change my thoughts or actions to align more closely with what I’ve discovered here. To really make this work, I commit to changing something and do my best to act on that commitment every day for at least three weeks.
That may seem like a lot to consider in one week. If you’re working with the Spirit, remember it’s okay to work at your own pace. Don’t worry about where you are—just do what you can when you can. I know the Lord will bless any time you spend in His Word!
GO TO WEEK 8 >
by Jen | Apr 1, 2025 | 1-24, DISO studies, Joshua 2
NEW TO THIS STUDY? START HERE.
Hi there—I’ve lots to share, so I’ll get right to it!
Last Week’s Work
WRITING TYPES
Overall, I believe Joshua 2 is narrative, and I think it was intended to be interpreted literally. Still, I suspect the hearts of the people in Jericho weren’t literally “turning to liquid” when they heard about the Israelites (vv9, 11, 24)—this is definitely a metaphor (see my interlinear research below)..
LITERAL CONTEXT
I read Joshua 1 and 3-6 to get a timeline of the events leading up to and following the study text scenario. In chapter 1, Moses dies, and Joshua takes over leadership of the Israelites. God tells him to be strong and courageous and stick to the Law (vv1-9), and Joshua tells the people to prepare to cross the Jordan.
In chapters 3-5, they cross the Jordan River, create a memorial on the other side from 12 stones picked up in the river, and set up camp. Next, they circumcise all the men who hadn’t been circumcised in the desert [if you’re curious about that, see the covenant between God and Abraham established about 2067 BC (661 years before Joshua 2!) and described in Genesis 17:6-14]. They also celebrate the Passover feast (Joshua 5:1-12). You can learn more about Passover in Exodus 12. Finally, in Chapter 6, they attack and take Jericho, sparing only Rahab and her family as the spies agreed.
HISTORICAL CONTEXT
We know the cultures involved (Israelites and Canaanites), their co-location in Jericho in Canaan, and the approximate date of the events described in Joshua 2 (1406 BC). I didn’t find much information about either culture from the ESV Global Study Bible, so I tried a secular source, Britannica.com, and discovered the Canaanites were influenced by several dominant cultures in the area surrounding them. They worshiped many gods, including Resheph, Kothar, Astarte, El, Asherah, and Baal, unlike their forefather, Noah, who walked so closely with God only Noah and his family were spared in the great flood (Genesis 6:5-18).
INTERLINEAR RESEARCH
I focused on the curious use of melt/melting in verses 9, 11, and 24, and discovered the author used two different terms to describe this phenomenon.
In verses 9 and 24, H4147, nā-mō-ḡū, is translated in the ESV melt away. This metaphor is based on the Hebrew belief that the heart was the center of emotion and will, and indicates fear, despair, or overwhelm. It was often used in the context of warfare or divine judgment where strength and resolve are tested. This connects with other research indicating the conquest of Jericho and surrounding areas represented God’s judgment on the Canaanites for various abominations (see Leviticus 18).
In Verse 11 though, melted is a totally different word(H4549 masas) that was also used metaphorically to symbolize weakening or fainting courage, strength, or resolve. In other words, fear or discouragement caused one’s heart to weaken in the face of overwhelming circumstances. When reading for context, I noticed the same word used in Joshua 5:1 to describe the hearts of the kings who learned about the LORD drying up the Jordan (not unlike Rahab’s statement in 2:10 referencing His drying up the Red Sea!). Really thinking about this meaning reminded me of how I felt that day in the desert right before God saved my life. I know exactly how Rahab and her countrymen felt. Knowing her place in the genealogy of my Savior (Matthew 1:5), I am so glad she trusted God, too!
Dig-In Challenges
This week, let’s wrap up the second half of the Refine step by examining cross-references and other translations.
- Don’t forget to begin with your prayer from Step 1.
- REFINE: Then consult a concordance or online cross-reference study tool (I’ll be starting at this blb.org page) to find and read through the available cross-references for the verses you’re most interested in and log what the Spirit shows you.
NOTE: if you’re interested in other verses, follow the above link, then scroll down to the verse you want to study, click the TOOLS button on the left side, and choose Cross-Refs from the menu.
- REFINE: Finally, compare at least a few other translations of your study verses and write about what you find in your study journal. I’ll be comparing ESV, AMP, NIV, and GNT using this biblehub.com page. You can compare your own verses from that link by entering them in the Enter Reference or Keyword box at the top of the page and clicking the spyglass icon there.
I’m looking forward to sharing what I discover with you next week. I hope you join me then!
GO TO WEEK 7 >
