August 2011 – Home Steeped Hope

First Day of School Treasure Hunt Clues

On Thursday of this week, we’ll embark on our 9th annual Treasure Hunt to kick off the first day of school! Normally I come up with around 10-15 clues that rhyme…but that felt quite daunting with three girls, each having their own tailor made hunt to conquer…which would be a total of 30-45 little ditties. Whew. I love to write, but you’ve gotta draw the line somewhere!

This year I decided to utilize the greatest treasure of all as the trove of clues for my students…the KJV Bible. Each girl will get 12 of their own clues, which involve looking up a scripture reference, and zeroing in on something in the verse that has to do with the next clue’s hiding place. And the treasure at the very end? Why, this year’s new school books, readers, and supplies, of course! For weeks now, we’ve had mysterious packages arriving in the mail only to be whisked away by “mommy”, contents unknown…so many surprises, the girls can’t WAIT for the great “reveal”! Sometimes along the clue route, I’ll leave surprises. Could be a stick of gum, an eraser, a fun pencil…once it was an alarm clock!

So here’s what this year’s clues look like for my 11 year old…I put some clarifying notes in parentheses for your benefit, not hers!, kind of a teacher’s edition, if you will! *wink*

One last tip, each girls’ clues are color coded, so if they trip across someone else’s clue, they know to ignore it if it’s not “their” color. I try to do a mix of clues both indoors and out. One year we had all outdoor clues, and did it in the pouring rain! (Soggy clues lend a bit of difficulty to a treasure hunt!)

Treasure Hunt Clues 2011, for 11 year old daughter

First Clue: Matthew 7:17. What is this verse about? (trees) Go out the back door, and take a right. Follow the driveway to the first one in sight. (on ground by tree at bottom of driveway)

Second Clue: Zechariah 14:21, third word. Where do we keep ours? (Pots)

Third Clue: Acts 19:19, the eighth word in this verse rhymes with darts. Find the word, and find our stash of supplies. Remember, they are not where they used to be! (Arts drawer, we reorganized!)

Fourth Clue: Genesis 3:12. You want words number 13 and 16. Put them together and think small, dark red and sweet—what a treat! Go look here quick as a wink! (Bing Cherry Tree)

Fifth clue: Look up Exodus 37:17: Count the words, count 22, where these things are stacked, you’ll find your next clue! (Bowls)

Sixth clue: Psalm 18:28. Hm, we have several of these in the living room! Happy hunting! Hint!! It’s under and out of sight! (Under a living room candle)

Seventh clue: Judges 5:14, fourth word from the end of the verse. We have some in a drawer. (“pens” in phone book drawer)

Eighth clue: Genesis 2:8, seventh word. Go there. Look everywhere. You’ll find a clue by something red. (In garden, by tomato plant)

Ninth clue: Leviticus 14:6. 5^th word. Where do we sometimes feed these pretties? (taped to hummingbird feeder)

Tenth clue: Daniel 4:15, 4^th word. We don’t have too many of these, but one big one for sure! (by big stump near hammock)

Eleventh clue: You are so close. Time for a cloozy. Isaiah 10:14. “Gathereth”what, exactly? Hope the one you find is not oozy! (near an egg in chicken nesting box)

Twelfth clue: Ding! Ding! Ding! FINAL clue!!! Three different verses contain three different words, put the three words together, in order, and go a-hunting for your treasure! 1. Proverbs 26:11, 3^rd word. 2. Job 39:12, last word. 3. Psalm 118:22, last word. Put them together and follow the clue! (dog barn corner)

Well, that’s it folks. Hope your first day of school is a blast like ours!

Proverbs 2: 1-5,

1 My son, if thou wilt receive my words, and hide my commandments with thee; 2 So that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom, and apply thine heart to understanding; 3 Yea, if thou criest after knowledge, and liftest up thy voice for understanding; 4 If thou seekest her as silver, and searchest for her as for hid treasures; 5 Then shalt thou understand the fear of the LORD, and find the knowledge of God.

Remember, if you desire to tweak these for your homeschoolers, the words and their sequence found within the verses is tailored straight from the KJV Bible.

And MUMS the word, folks, till sometime Thursday! My 11 yo must not catch wind of this blog post!

The Word of God Personified

Our family’s understanding of God’s word has grown exponentially as we familiarize ourselves with the dispensational approach to Bible study. Dispensationalism is a way of “rightly dividing” the Bible into time frames that help us see how God’s plan has progressed from day 1 of Creation to now, and beyond. There is a lot more to it than that, but this blog post is not about explaining dispensationalism, it’s about the Bible, the word of God being Jesus Himself. I bring dispensationalism into it only because this blog post will reference Dr. Douglas Stauffer’s resources, the dvd series, Changed by the Book, and his corresponding book, titled, One Book Rightly Divided. Dr. Stauffer has taught us much about dispensational study, and came highly recommended by our pastor.

I was so struck by Dr. Stauffer’s comments about the “personification” of the word of God, that I jotted the scripture references down in my special Bible notebook. So here we go!

Perhaps the first one we all think of, is John 1:1, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God and the Word was God.” Doesn’t get much more equitable than that, or so I thought.

But it just gets better and better.

Check out Proverbs 30:4-5, noticing the questions raised, that I’ve bolded:

“Who hath ascended up into heaven, or descended? who hath gathered the wind in his fists? who hath bound the waters in a garment? who hath established all the ends of the earth? what is his name and what is his son’s name, if thou canst tell?”

(and verse 5 gives us the answer to the six questions in verse 4)

“Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him.”

Incredible! Do you see that? The answer to “what is his name and what is his son’s name” is “every word of God is pure”! Do you see how the very next word after “pure” is “he”, referring back to the word of God? I love it.

Another good one,

John 1:14, “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.”

Notice that the “Word” dwelt among us. Another reference to Jesus being the word of God.

Another awesome one, in Romans 9:17,

“For the scripture saith unto Pharaoh, Even for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might shew my power in thee, and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth.”

This passage in Romans 9, is referring back to Exodus 9:13-16, noting specifically the first few words of verse 13, and how verse 16 directly corresponds to Romans 9:17. Here we see that the “scripture saith” of Romans 9, is what “the Lord said” back in Exodus 9! A classic example of how the word of God is personified.

“And the LORD said unto Moses, Rise up early in the morning, and stand before Pharaoh, and say unto him, Thus saith the LORD God of the Hebrews, Let my people go, that they may serve me.

For I will at this time send all my plagues upon thine heart, and upon thy servants, and upon thy people; that thou mayest know that [there is] none like me in all the earth.

For now I will stretch out my hand, that I may smite thee and thy people with pestilence; and thou shalt be cut off from the earth.

And in very deed for this [cause] have I raised thee up, for to shew [in] thee my power; and that my name may be declared throughout all the earth.”

Galatians 3:8 mentions the “scripture” as “seeing”:

“And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all the nations be blessed.”

Lastly, for this blog post, is the wonderful passage of Hebrews 4:12-13,

“For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do.”

So we see the scripture, both the written and spoken word of God, coming alive…ascending into heaven and descending, gathering the wind in his fists, binding the waters in a garment, establishing all the ends of the earth, shielding those that trust in him, becoming flesh and dwelling among us, as a quick and powerful sword of the spirit, seeing all things and speaking both as the Lord, and as Scripture to his people.

Is it any wonder, that He would promise to perfectly preserve His words forever according to Psalms 12:6-7? And that we’re warned several times of the grievousness of adding to or changing His words? (Deut. 4:2, Prov. 30:6, Rev. 22:18-19)

When we all get to heaven, do you think He’ll say, “Hey, listen, you took my words just a little too seriously there on earth. Lighten up, will you?”

Rather, this is what He tells us is at stake:

John 12:48,

“He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day.”

May God lead us all to a knowledge of the life-changing truth of His words before it’s too late.