Thursday, July 30, 2020

Daniel and Hosea Twenty Questions

1. What was the “test” that Daniel proposed to his Babylonian guardian in the matter concerning the diet for him and his friends from Judah?

2. Who did Daniel credit for his ability to reveal and interpret Nebuchadnezzar’s dream?

3. How do most Christians interpret the kingdom referenced in Daniel 2:44-45?

4. What evidence is there in Daniel 3 that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego’s faith in God did not rely on His deliverance of them from the fiery furnace?

5. Who do you think is the “fourth man” that Nebuchadnezzar saw in the furnace in Daniel 3?

6. What was the sin that triggered Nebuchadnezzar’s loss of mind in Daniel 4?

7. What was the sin of Belshazzar that triggered the hand writing on the wall in Daniel 5?

8. In Daniel 6, what did Daniel’s enemies conclude would be the only way of entrapping him? 

9. Why might God’s miraculous deliverances of Daniel and his friends especially resonate with the community of Jewish exiles in Babylon?

10. What emotional response do Daniel’s prophetic visions give you?

11. What did God command the prophet Hosea to do in Hosea 1:2?

12. What was the point of this strange commission?

13. What do the sad names of Hosea’s children represent?

14. Why and how is Israel going to be punished, according to Hosea 2:1-13?

15. How does God show that He still loves Israel, according to Hosea 2:14-23?

16. How would you like to have the calling of Hosea and act out in a marriage the love relationship between God and His people?

17. How much does Hosea “buy” Gomer for in Hosea 3?

18. What two animals does God say He is going to be like to Israel, according to Hosea 5?

19. Do you think Hosea 6:2 is a prophecy pertaining to Christ?  Why or why not?

20. What phrases in Hosea 11 demonstrate the Fatherhood of God?

Wednesday, July 29, 2020

Ezekiel 25-48 Twenty Questions

1. In Ezekiel 25, what is God’s verdict on those nations around Israel which took delight in her time of judgment and destruction?

2. What does Ezekiel prophesy will be the destiny of Tyre?

3. What evidence is there in Ezekiel 27 that Tyre was a great trading nation?

4. What do you think may have been the chief sin of Tyre, based on Ezekiel 28?

5. What nation does God say will be Nebuchadnezzar’s reward for fighting a tough battle against Tyre?

6. Where does God consign Egypt in Ezekiel 32:17-32?

7. What is the burden laid upon the watchman for his work?

8. According to Ezekiel 33, is it better to be a righteous person who disobeys, or a wicked person who turns from their wickedness?

9. What were the sins of the shepherds of Israel?

10. What parallels do you see between Ezekiel 34:11-31 and the teachings of Jesus?

11. Who is Ezekiel told to prophesy to in Ezekiel 36:1?

12. For whose sake is God promising to restore Israel: the people’s or His own?

13. Do you think we should interpret Ezekiel 37’s Valley of the Dry Bones literally or figuratively?  Why or why not?

14. What does Ezekiel’s vision of the Valley of the Dry Bones mean to Israel?

15. What does Ezekiel’s prophetic action of joining two sticks together in Ezekiel 37 represent?

16. Ezekiel looks forward to a great battle between Gog, a nation of the north, and Israel.  Who will win?

17. How would Ezekiel’s vision of a new Temple inspire and encourage God’s people of his age?

18. How does Ezekiel’s vision of a new Temple inspire and encourage God’s people today?

19. What does Ezekiel 43:1-5 describe, and how does it bring the book full circle from what the prophet had witnessed earlier?

20. What does it say about God that He promises to restore Israel after their time of exile?

Friday, July 24, 2020

Ezekiel 1-24 Twenty Questions

1. What biographical details do we learn about the prophet Ezekiel from chapter 1?

2. What can you make of Ezekiel’s vision described in chapter 1?

3. “Son of Man” appears frequently in Ezekiel.  Where else in scripture do we hear this phrase?

4. What does God commission Ezekiel to do in chapter 2?

5. What were God’s instructions to Ezekiel concerning how long he was to lay on his left side and on his right side in chapter 4?

6. What is the symbolism of Ezekiel’s hair from his shaved head in chapter 5?

7. Ezekiel’s message in chapter 7 is now “The End Is Here!” rather than “The End Is Near!”  How would you respond to a prophet announcing imminent doom?

8. Ezekiel 8 reveals several instances of idol-worship among the Israelites.  Why does God regard this as such a terrible sin?

9. According to Ezekiel 8, even priests and elders were engaging in idolatry.  Are religious leaders today immune from provoking the Lord with false worship?  Why or why not?

10. When Solomon dedicated the temple, the glory of God filled it.  What happens in Ezekiel 10:18?

11. What kind of “heart transplant” is described in Ezekiel 11:19?

12. What is the connection between Ezekiel 12 and Jeremiah 39?

13. In Ezekiel 13, what do false prophets (those who proclaim “peace” when there is no peace) have to do with “whitewash”?

14. Which 3 men are held up as models of righteousness in Ezekiel 14?

15. Ezekiel 16 is an extended graphic metaphor of Jerusalem as an adulterous wife.  According to the prophet, what kind of items did God give her, and what did she do with each of the gifts?

16. What spiritual principles does Ezekiel 18 set forth concerning the sin of parents paid for by their children, as well as the wicked turning to righteousness and the righteous turning to wickedness?

17. According to Ezekiel 20, how far back does Israel’s rebelliousness go?

18. What do we know about the sword described in Ezekiel 21?

19. Who do the two adulterous sisters of Ezekiel 23 represent?

20. In chapter 24, Ezekiel’s wife dies.  How is her death, and the response that Ezekiel is commanded to have toward it, symbolic of what is happening in Israelite history at that moment?

Sunday, July 19, 2020

Jeremiah 38-52 and Lamentations Twenty Questions

1. If you had been in Jerusalem circa 587 B.C. to hear Jeremiah’s message in chapter 38:2-3, how do you think you would have responded?

2. Do you see any connection between what was done to Jeremiah in 38:6 and his message to King Zedekiah in 38:22?

3. What was the fate of King Zedekiah after the Babylonian victory?

4. What was the fate of Jeremiah after the Babylonian victory?

5. After the assassination of Nebuchadnezzar’s appointed governor, Gedaliah, many of the Jews remaining in Judah fled to Egypt.  Was this in obedience or disobedience to Jeremiah’s message to them?

6. According to Jeremiah 44, how did the Jews in Egypt feel about offering incense to the Queen of Heaven?

7. In the battle between Babylon and Egypt for supremacy, who won?

8. What does Jeremiah prophesy for Babylon in chapters 50 and 51?

9. What did the Babylonians do to Jerusalem, as recounted in Jeremiah 52:12-27?

10. How does the Book of Jeremiah end emotionally, with its account of King Jehoiachin in 52:31-34?

11. Have you ever had a season or time of lament in your life?  What did you lament?

12. Why didn’t the promises of God and the status of the Jews as God’s chosen people protect their nation from ruin?

13. What are some things Jerusalem is likened to in Lamentations 1:1?

14. What do you think Lamentations 1:10 is referring to?

15. What is the emotional, psychological, economic and spiritual toll of seeing a land’s best people sent into exile to another nation?

16. Does Jeremiah describe God’s role in the destruction of the nation as passive or active?  Why do you think that is?

17. Do you see any spiritual significance in the children of Jerusalem crying out in desperation for “bread and wine” in Lamentations 2:12?

18. The phrase “terrors on every side” appears several times in Jeremiah and Lamentations, such as in Lamentations 2:22.  What does 2:20 and 4:10 indicate about the extent of the famine in Jerusalem during the Babylonian siege?

19. In spite of Jeremiah’s many afflictions, what is the source of his hope in Lamentations 3:22 and following?  (Bonus question: What hymn is based on Lamentations 3:22-23?)

20. According to Lamentations 4:12, it had been widely believed that Jerusalem’s defenses were impregnable.  Is any nation beyond the reach of God’s judgment?

Thursday, July 16, 2020

Jeremiah 20-37 Twenty Questions

1. Are you surprised that Jeremiah, a true prophet of the Lord, with even a book of the Bible named for him, was beaten and rejected?  Why or why not?

2. Jeremiah expresses his bitterness toward God in chapter 20.  Can you relate?  Have you ever felt angry with God?

3. What should people do when they are upset with God?  Did Jeremiah handle his feelings the right way?

4. What are the parallels between Jeremiah 20:14-18 and Job 3?

5. What was Jeremiah’s advice in chapter 21 concerning the attacking Babylonian army?

6. How does Israel fulfill her calling to be a witness for God to the nations, even in a passage like Jeremiah 22:8-9 (compare with Deuteronomy 28:9-10 and 29:22-28)?

7. Who are the “shepherds” described in Jeremiah 23:1-4?

8. What was the meaning of Jeremiah’s vision of the two baskets of figs in Jeremiah 24?

9. In Jeremiah 25, what noteworthy nations are made to drink the cup of the Lord’s wrath?  Are any kingdoms omitted?

10. What evidence do we have in Jeremiah 26 that the prophet’s life was truly in jeopardy?
11. Imagine a modern-day prophet giving our nation the message of Jeremiah in chapter 27.  What would you think of someone who prophesied our destruction unless we surrender to another power?

12. How would you feel to be a prophet like Jeremiah, and being called by God to proclaim a message of national disaster like he was?

13. Describe what the yoke of Jeremiah 27 and 28 represented, and what Jeremiah and Hananiah each had to say about it?

14. The exiles in Babylon had a choice – either resign themselves to their situation and make the best of it, or sullenly refuse to accept their lot, pine for their homeland, and work against  Babylon.  Which course of action does Jeremiah advise them to take?

15. In the midst of all the “bad news” Jeremiah was charged to deliver during his ministry, what is the “good news” of Jeremiah 29:10-14?

16. How do Christians believe Jeremiah 31:15 is fulfilled in the New Testament?

17. Describe the “new covenant” that Jeremiah foresees in chapter 31.

18. How is the act of Jeremiah buying a field in chapter 32, at the very moment the Babylonians are laying siege to the city, a sign of hope?

19. Who are the Rekabites of Jeremiah 35, and what is their lesson to Judah?

20. How did King Jehoiakim treat the scroll containing the prophetic words that the Lord had given to Jeremiah in chapter 36?

Wednesday, July 8, 2020

Jeremiah 1-19 Twenty Questions

1. What do you already know, or what have you heard, about the prophet Jeremiah?

2. Why would Jeremiah 1:4-5 be a potentially powerful verse on the abortion issue?

3. What two issues made Jeremiah think he was unqualified to be a prophet, and how did God respond?

4. How is Israel’s turning away from the Lord and turning toward idols reflected in Jeremiah 2?

5. In what way has the nation of Israel been behaving like a prostitute?

6. God says of Himself that He is a “jealous God” (Exodus 20:5).  Is jealousy ever appropriate in a relationship?  If so, how?

7. What alternatives does God offer the nation in Jeremiah 4:1-4?

8. Jeremiah 4:5-31 is a good example of why Jeremiah is known as “the weeping prophet.”  It was his mission to announce doom to Judah.  What nation and its invading army is described here?

9. In Jeremiah 5, how many fair and honest people does God say Jeremiah needs to find in order for Him to forgive the city?

10. What kind of warnings has our nation heard over and over again about long-term troubles that have become background noise?

11. The residents of Jerusalem thought they were safe from attack because the city housed the Temple.  What does the prophet say in Jeremiah 7 to show that the people are misguided in their trust?

12. What does God reveal to Jeremiah about the success of his ministry as a prophet (Jeremiah 7:27-28)?

13. How many times do you find words or images for “weeping” and “wailing” in Jeremiah 9?

14. Israel had exchanged God for worthless idols.  What kinds of “worthless idols” today tempt us away from worshiping God?

15. According to Jeremiah 11, is God justified for bringing destruction upon His chosen people?  Why or why not?

16. We often struggle with why bad things happen to good people.  In Jeremiah 12, the prophet complains that good things happen to bad people.  What are some biblical answers to this concern?

17. While Jeremiah prophesied destruction, false prophets proclaimed deliverance (Jeremiah 14:13).  How can we tell the difference between real prophets and false prophets?

18. In Jeremiah 16, what activities does God forbid the prophet to do, and what is the deeper meaning behind their prohibition?

19. What is the message that Jeremiah received in chapter 18 at the potter’s house?

20. What is the message of the clay jar that Jeremiah buys from a potter in chapter 19?

Monday, July 6, 2020

Isaiah 45-66 Twenty Questions

1. Isaiah 45 calls out Cyrus by name over two hundred years in advance of his appearance in history.  For that reason, some believe this portion of Isaiah was added later and backdated.  Others hold it to be genuinely prophetic.  Which do you believe, and why?

2. Isaiah 45:9 includes the image of a potter’s creation arguing with him.  Why is that an apt analogy of our relationship with God at times – and is there any important failing in that comparison?

3. What is the connection between verses like Isaiah 45:23 and Philippians 2:10-11?

4. Does Isaiah 46 envision a capricious God or One who makes purposeful plans?

5. According to Isaiah 48:11, for whose sake did God “refine” Israel through her sufferings?

6. What are some things that the chosen “servant of the Lord” will accomplish, according to Isaiah 49:1-7?

7. Do you see any parallels between Isaiah 50:7-9 and Romans 8:31-34?

8. In Isaiah 51, which lasts longer: God’s righteousness and salvation, or the heavens and earth and its inhabitants?

9. Why do you think Isaiah 52:7 and 53:1 are quoted by Paul in Romans 11:14-17?

10. What in Isaiah 53 most speaks to you of Jesus Christ?

11. Isaiah 53:7-8 appears again in Acts 8:32-33.  How can the fulfillment of prophecy in Jesus serve as an evangelistic tool for the gospel?

12. Why do you suppose some chapters of Isaiah (like Isaiah 22) are extremely severe and punitive toward Israel, while others (like Isaiah 54) are extremely gracious and generous?

13. What emotions does Isaiah 55:8-9 stir in you?

14. In Isaiah 56, what does the prophet say God’s house will be called?

15. What does God respond to among His people in Isaiah 56:14-21?

16. What kind of “fast” does God want to see in His people (Isaiah 57)?

17. How is Isaiah 59:17 related to Ephesians 6:13-17?

18. List some parallels you find between Isaiah 60 and Revelation 21.

19. Jesus read from Isaiah 61:1-2 at the start of His ministry (Luke 4:14-21) and said the words were fulfilled in His audience’s hearing.  How did Jesus fulfill this prophecy?

20. Isaiah 65:17 and 66:22 speak of “new heavens and a new earth.”  Where else in the Bible do we see such things spoken of?