Category: OT Studies

Habakkuk 1-3: Trust in the Lord

On By BrianIn OT Studies

(1) What lament does Habakkuk bring to God (v2-4)?  When have you made a similar lament?

What answer does God give to his prayer (v5-11)?

Is this the answer Habakkuk was looking for (v12-17)?  What troubles him about God’s answer?  What troubles you about God’s answer?

(2) What is Habakkuk going to do (v1)?  How is this a good example for us?

God says that the righteous shall live by faith (v4).  In what ways does Habakkuk need faith in this situation?  What is the implied object of this faith?

How does the New Testament apply this faith in Romans 1:17 and Galatians 3:11?

The faith of the righteous is contrasted with the pride of the unrighteous (v4).  Why are pride and faith mutually exclusive?

God declares five woes upon Babylon for their sin (v6-20).  How would this encourage Habakkuk to trust God?

How do v18-20 contrast a person who trusts in idols with our trust in God?

(3) From Habakkuk’s prayer, how would you describe his view of God (v1-16)?  How would this understanding encourage him to trust God?  Encourage you to trust God?

How does trust enable joy in tough times (v17-19)?

(1-3) How do trust and prayer each require the other, and how does Habakkuk illustrate this?

In what situation do you need to trust God today?  What have you learned from this book to help you trust God in that situation?

Zephaniah 1-3: The Day of the Lord

On By BrianIn OT Studies

(1) The Day of the Lord is coming when God will bring judgment against Judah (v4–13) and one day the whole world (v2-3, 17-18).  What brings God’s judgment (v4-6, 8-9, 12, 17)?

Why do you think we are instructed to be silent before the Lord (v7)?

(2) God will judge the nations around Judah.  What brings God’s judgment (v7-11, 15)?

(3) God will judge Judah.  What brings God’s judgment (v1-7)?

From these three chapters, how would you summarize what brings God’s judgment?

What application do you see for us today?

(3) The Day of the Lord brings judgment, but also blessing.  What promise does God make to the nations for future blessing (v9-10)?

Why is this promise important for us?  How is it brought about (see Ephesians 2:11-13)?

Who will God remove and leave (v11-13)?

What further promises does God make for future blessing (v15-20)?

How does v17 encourage you?

How should we respond (v14)?  Why don’t we do this more?

(2) In response to the coming Day of the Lord, Zephaniah calls God’s people to seek three things (v3).  What are they?

In the context of the book, why these three things?

What would it look like for us to seek these things?

Nahum 1-3: Against The Enemy

On By BrianIn OT Studies

(1) What do you learn about God in v2-6?

What do you learn about God in v7?

Why must God be all the things in v2-6 in order to be all the things he is in v7?

Though Nineveh plots against God and is strong, God will destroy them (v8-14).  Why is this good news for Judah (v15, see also v12b-13)?  For us?

(2) Nineveh will be destroyed.  Why (v2, 13)?

Nineveh’s wealth will be plundered (v9).  What lesson is there for us in this?

(3) Again, Nineveh will be destroyed.  Why (v1, 5)?

God is against all people because of their sin (Romans 1:18).  What is our only hope, how does this change everything (Romans 8:1, 31)?

Who will grieve for Nineveh, and why (v7, 19)?

Thebes was a strong well-protected city, but it fell (v8-10).  What lesson is Nineveh to learn from this?

What lesson should we learn?

(1-3) Nahum’s name means “comfort.”  How would this short book be a comfort to Judah?

How can this book be a comfort to you?

Look again at 1:2-7.  How might these verses encourage you to trust God in your trials?

Praise God?

Fear God?

II Kings 21-23 & II Chronicles 33-35: Pay Attention

On By BrianIn OT Studies

(2K-21) Manasseh did what was evil in God’s sight (v2).  What evil did he do (v1-9)?

How did God respond (v10-15)?  What does this remind you about God?

(2Ch-33) Again we read of Manasseh’s evil in v1-9.  God confronted Manasseh, but Manasseh paid no attention (v10).  How did God finally get Manasseh’s attention (v11)?

Describe Manasseh’s response to his distress (v12-13).  What did God do (v13)?

How did Manasseh follow-through with his repentance after he returned to Jerusalem (v15-16)?

Why do you think it often takes a great trial for God to get someone’s attention?

(2K-21) Describe Amon’s reign (v19-22).  How was he like and unlike his father Manasseh?  What happened to him (v23)?

(2K-22) How did God get Josiah’s attention, and how did Josiah respond (v8-13)?

How is his response a good example for us (see Isaiah 66:2)?

What bad news and good news did God give through the prophetess to Josiah in v14-20?

(2K-23) How did Josiah further respond to God’s Word in v1-24?

Why was Josiah’s follow-through so important?

How is Josiah described in v25?  Are you giving your all to God?

How did God first get your attention?  How did you respond?

From Josiah’s example, how should we respond to the reading and hearing of God’s Word?  Be specific.

Micah 1-7: Judgment, Promise, Expectation

On By BrianIn OT Studies

(1-2, 6) What sins does God confront in 1:7; 2:1, 2, 3, 6, 8, 9, 11?

How does God respond to their sin (6:9-16)?  What does this tell you about God?

(3) What groups of people does God condemn, and why (v1-4, v5-7, v9-11)?  What would be the result (v12)?

How is Micah different (v8)?

In what ways is our role today as individual Christians and as a church similar to and different from Micah’s role in v8?

(4) What promises does God make for the future (v1-4, compare Isaiah 2:1-4)?

“All the peoples walk each in the name of its god” (v5a).  How do you see this today in America?

What does it look like for us to walk in the name of the Lord instead (v5b)?

(5) What promise is made in v2?  Who is this (see Matthew 2:6)?

What will he do (v4-5a)?

(6) What three things does God expect of his people (v8)?

Give examples of what each would look like in your daily life?  In your family and neighborhood?  At your job?

(7) Surrounded by ungodliness (v1-6), how does Micah respond (v7)?  How does this complement 3:8?  What other responses might we be tempted to make?

What important confession does Micah make in v9?  How should that affect our response to an ungodly world?

What will God do for his people (v18-20)?  How do you think we should respond?

Isaiah 58-66: A Glorious Future

On By BrianIn OT Studies

(58) Why was God not pleased with Israel’s fasting (v1-5)?

What did God expect the people to do along with their fasting (v6-7, see also the “If” statements in v9-10, 13)?

What would be the results (Then… in v8-12, 14)?

What application do you find in this chapter for us today?

(59) How does God describe their sin (v1-8, compare with Romans 3:10-18)?

How would you summarize the results (v2, 9-15a)?

How does God respond (v15b-19)?  How else does God respond (v20)?

(61) What will Messiah come to do (v1-3, see also Luke 4:16-21)?

What would be the results (v4-11, see also 62:1-5)?

(60) What words and ideas are frequently repeated in this chapter?

What phrases and ideas are also found in Revelation 21:1-22:5?

What do you learn about God’s promise for the future?

(65) What words and ideas are repeated in v17-25?

What more do we learn about the future?

(66) What words and ideas are repeated in v18-23?

What more do we learn about the future?

From these chapters, how would you summarize God’s future plans for his people?

What kind of people is God looking for (v2b)?  Why do you think this is?  How well does this describe you?

Isaiah 49-57: The Suffering Servant

On By BrianIn OT Studies

(49) How is the servant described in v1-5?

What will the servant do in v5-12 (compare with 42:6-7)?  How do we see Jesus doing these very things in the New Testament?

How are we to respond to the servant in v13?

What does the coming of the servant mean for Israel and for us (v13-16)?

(50) In what ways do you see Jesus the servant fulfilling v4-9?

How are we to respond to the servant in v10-11?  How are we not to respond?  What does this mean in practical terms?

(51) How should we respond in v1, 4, & 7?  In v11?  In v12-16?

(52) How should we respond in v7-10?

How is the servant described in v13-15?

(53) Describe his life in v1-4.  What does this description mean for us?

Describe his death in v7-9.

What did his death accomplish for us (v5-6, 10-11)?

Who is responsible for his death (v5-10)?

What evidence do you see of his resurrection in v10-12?

What especially stands out to you in this description of the suffering servant?

(55) How should we respond in v1-3?  In v6-9?

(57) What promise are we given in v15?  How does this challenge you?  Encourage you?

Isaiah 40-48: Behold Your God

On By BrianIn OT Studies

(44-45) Israel is going to be taken captive by the Babylonians.  Who is God going to raise up, and for what purpose (44:28-45:6)?

God predicted this over 170 years before it happened.  How would this encourage the people of Israel?  How does it encourage you as you think of other predictions from God?

(40-41) To what things is God compared in 40:15-26?  How does God measure up in the comparison?

In what ways can God help us (40:29-31, 41:10)?

How would God’s help comfort Israel in captivity?  Comfort us in our trials?  How should we respond (40:31, 41:10)?

(43-46) What idea is repeated in these verses: 43:10-11; 44:6-7, 24; 45:5-6, 18, 21-22; 46:9?  Why is this important for Israel to grasp in their captivity?  For us to grasp in our daily lives?

(47) What does Babylon claim for itself (v8, 10)?  In what ways are we tempted to act like this?

(41-46) How does God compare to the idols of the nations (41:21-29, 44:9-21, 45:16-20, 46:1-7)?

How does Isaiah’s description of idols in his day also describe the idols of our day?

(43-48) In what ways is God for Israel (43:1-7; 44:21-26; 46:3-4; 48:17-18)?

How would God’s actions for Israel comfort them in their captivity?  Comfort us in our current situations?

(42-45) Who is this servant (42:1-7 Matthew 12:18-21)?  What will he do?  How should we respond (45:22-23, Philippians 2:10-11)?

(40) Who is the one preparing the way of the Lord (v3-9, Matthew 3:1-3)?  Who is this Lord in Isaiah 40?  In Matthew?  Ponder the connection being made!

 

Isaiah 36-39, II Kings 18-20, II Chronicles 29-32: Hezekiah

On By BrianIn OT Studies

(2K18) What words are used to describe Hezekiah in v1-6?

How does his example challenge you?

(2Ch29-30) What is Hezekiah’s first order of business (29:3-19)?

Describe the worship that followed (29:20-36).  Note their actions, mood, and motives.

Describe their preparations for, and their keeping of, the Passover in chapter 30.  Note their decisions, actions, mood, and motives.

What can we learn from their example in chapters 29-30?

(Is36) What is the main issue the Assyrian official raises in his speeches (see especially v4-7, 15)?  What three options do the people of Jerusalem have?

What options do we have when trials come against us?

(Is37) Isaiah encourages Hezekiah not to fear – God will take care of the Assyrians (v1-7).  The Assyrians leave to fight another battle, but send a letter to Hezekiah threatening they will return (v8-13).  How does Hezekiah respond (v14-15)?

How does Hezekiah describe God (v16-17)?

What does Hezekiah ask God to do (v17-20)?  Why (v20)?

What can we learn from Hezekiah’s prayer?

How did God respond to Hezekiah’s prayer (v21-38)?

(Is 38-39, II Chron32) Hezekiah became sick.  Once again Hezekiah prayed to God, and God healed him.  How did Hezekiah respond to his healing (II Chron 32:24-26)?  How did this response show itself (Isaiah 39)?  How might we be tempted in the same way?

What were the results?  What warning is there for us?

Isaiah 28-35: Look to the Lord

On By BrianIn OT Studies

(28) Where did Ephraim look for a crown of glory and beauty (v1)?  Where should they have looked (v5)?  Where do we tend to look?

God offered rest to Judah, but they refused (v12). They looked elsewhere for refuge (v14-15).  Where else do people look for rest and refuge today?

God lays the foundation of true rest and refuge (v16).  How does Peter apply this point for us today (I Peter 2:4-6)?

(29) God is gathering an enemy to surround Jerusalem, but then he will scatter their enemy.  To whom should they look for help?

What was wrong with the way the people looked to God (v13)?  How might we do this today (see also Mark 7:1-7)?

Instead of looking to God, Judah tried to hide so God wouldn’t see them (v15-16).  When do we try to hide from God?

(30-31) Judah looks to Egypt to save them, but Egypt can’t help them.  Where should they have looked, and what does he offer to them (30:15)?

Why weren’t they willing (30:16-17)?  Why might we be unwilling?

(32) We get a picture of an ideal king in v1-2.  How is he described?  Explore each word picture.

Who is the ultimate fulfillment of this ideal king?  How do you need him to be things for you today?

What will the Spirit bring (v15-17)?

(33) Isaiah looks to Lord for help (v2).  How is the Lord described in v5-6?  Give an example of when he has been these things for you.

(34-35) God will judge the nations (34), but redeem his people (35).  What is the mood of chapter 35?  How can this be your mood?