Thursday, March 12, 2020

Exodus 20-40 Twenty Questions

1. What questions do you have about this week’s reading?

2. The very first commandment is that we should have no other gods before God.  Why do you think God insists on being first in our lives (Commandment #1 in Exodus 20:3)?

3. Jealousy is not normally considered a positive trait.  How should we interpret that God identifies Himself as a “jealous” God (Commandment #2 in Exodus 20:5)?

4. How would you explain Exodus 20:5 and 6 to someone who objects that God is being unfair by punishing children for the sins of the parents?  (Compare: Ezekiel 18:1-20)

5. How should Christians view the Ten Commandments – binding/ legalistic/optional/helpful?

6. In Ephesians 6:1-3, Paul says that honoring your father and mother is the first commandment with a promise.  What is that promise?

7. Is our entire consumer-driven marketing/economic system based on an inherent violation of the Tenth Commandment to not covet?

8. How is the understanding and punishment of homicide becoming more nuanced in Exodus 21:12-14?

9. How should we understand the concept and application of retributive justice (“eye for eye, tooth for tooth”) in Exodus 21:23-25?

10. Do any of the various laws strike you as strange or disproportionate?

11. Reading Exodus 23:23-33 and Exodus 34:10-17, what is the basis of God’s command for the Canaanite nations to be wiped out entirely?

12. Does reading Hebrews 9:16-20 help you to better understand Exodus 24:4-8?

13. Can people look upon God?   Check out Exodus 24:9-11 and Exodus 33:11 and 33:18-23.

14. Why was it important for Moses and the Israelites to build the Tabernacle exactly to the specifications that God laid out?

15. What did God do for Bezalel and Oholiab?

16. What do you suppose motivated the people to want to follow other gods in Exodus 32:1?

17. Do you believe Aaron’s story in Exodus 32:24 that the golden calf just happened to come out of the fire?

18. What kind of punishments came upon the people because of their sin with golden calf?

19. Based on Exodus 36:1-7, how well was the building project of the Tabernacle supported by the people?

20. How did the Israelites do in actually assembling the Tabernacle according to the vision God had given Moses?  (Hint: See Exodus 39:42-43)

No comments:

Post a Comment