Category: OT Studies

Numbers 9-14: Trust and Obey

On By BrianIn OT Studies

(9) Israel obeyed God completely in regards to the Passover (v5).  How did Moses respond when a question was raised (v7-8)?  How is this a good example for us?  Can you think of a time when you did this?

(9) At God’s command the people set out, and at God’s command they camped.  What would it look like to so order our lives today?

  • What part would the Spirit play?
  • What part would God’s Word play?
  • Why would trust be essential?

(11) Soon after the people leave Mt Sinai, they begin to complain (v1).  When might we be tempted to complain?  Be specific.  What does our complaining say about our trust in God?

(11) The people grumble again (v4-6).  To whom did Moses turn (v10-15)?  To whom should we turn?  How do trust and prayer go together?  Are there parts of his prayer that show a lack of trust?

(13-14) All of the spies saw the same land, but their focus and recommendation was different.  What was the focus and recommendation of the ten (13:28-29, 31-33)?

What was the focus and recommendation of Caleb and Joshua (14:6-9)?

Why are we often tempted to think (like the ten) that our situation is bigger than our God?  How might we overcome this temptation?

(14) How did the people respond to the spies’ report? What did they want to do (v1-4)?

They failed to trust God, and so they refused to obey Him.  Why is trust essential for obedience?

In what situation do you need to trust and obey God right now?  Take some time to look to the Lord about this situation.

Numbers 1-8: Preparation

On By BrianIn OT Studies

(1) Preparations must be made for the people to move from Mt. Sinai to the Promised Land.  First, they must get an idea of how many men are available for battle.  How does this census point to the fulfilling of the Abrahamic Covenant?  How would this encourage the people?

How does God prepare and encourage us for our own battles?

(2) The second preparation is to organize the camp.  What is the camp organized around?  What does this suggest for Israel?  For us?  What would this look like in our church?  In our families?

(3-4) The third preparation is to assign duties to the Levites.  How is the way God does this similar and different in the church?

(5) The fourth preparation requires the removal of impurities from the camp so God will go with them.  How does each of the three instructions in this chapter relate to this theme?

How does this theme point to the necessity of church discipline and unity today?

(7) The fifth preparation was to provide the necessary items for the service and transportation of the tabernacle.  How does our giving today prepare for church ministry?

(3, 8) The sixth preparation was to cleanse the Levites, separating them for service to God.  What words or phrases do you find in 8:14-18 and 3:11-13 that point to the Levites’ separation unto God?

We too have been cleansed and belong to God (I Peter 2:9-10, etc.).  What does that mean for our lives?

Leviticus 23-27: Worship

On By BrianIn OT Studies

(23) The people were to gather together regularly throughout the year.  What was the purpose of each of the holy gatherings (or feasts) that God appointed?  How might each one point to Jesus?

  • Sabbath (Matthew 11:28-30) –
  • Passover / Unleavened Bread (I Corinthians 5:7) –
  • First Fruits (I Corinthians 15:20-23) –
  • Weeks / Pentecost (Acts 2) –
  • Trumpets (I Thessalonians 4:13-18) –
  • Day of Atonement (Hebrews 9:12, 24-26) –
  • Booths/Tabernacles –

How might the Lord’s Supper fulfill many of the same purposes of worship for us today?

(24) Worship includes not only public celebrations, but how we live our daily lives. What do you learn about our speech (v10-16)?  What would it look like to apply this principle to all of our lives?

(25) What was the purpose of the Sabbath year and the year of Jubilee (v4, 10)?  How does the year of Jubilee point to Jesus (Luke 4:16-21)?

What was the reasoning behind these special years (v2, 23, 42, 55)?  What do these reasons suggest about how we should live (see also Psalm 24:1)?  Be specific.

(27) This chapter deals with voluntary and required gifts.  Why is giving an important part of worship?

Leviticus 18-22: Holiness

On By BrianIn OT Studies

(18-20) To be holy is to be set apart.  God is holy in that he is set apart from his creation and from all evil.  Like God, Israel was supposed to be holy (19:1-2).  What were they to be set apart from?  Set apart to?  (18:1-4, 20:22-26)

In what ways are we called to be set apart today (I Peter 1:13-16, Romans 12:2)?  Give examples of what that might look like.

To be set apart implies making distinctions between right and wrong, true and false.  In what ways do you see our culture seeking to blur those distinctions?

(18-22) What is the significance of the phrase “I am the Lord (your God)” repeated throughout this passage?  What would it look like to live by this constant refrain?

(18) What clues in this chapter point to these laws being universal laws that transcend the Mosaic Law?

(19-20) How might we determine which laws are Mosaic Law only, and which laws transcend the Mosaic Law as universal laws?

What major themes do we  find in these laws?  How might we apply these themes to our lives today?

(21-22) In what ways were the priests required to be set apart unto the Lord?  Why?  How does that apply for us today?

In what ways does a failure to be holy profane the name of our God (21:6, 22:1, 22:31-33)?

Leviticus 11-17: The Need To Be Clean

On By BrianIn OT Studies

(11-15) In these chapters, God gives the people of Israel laws about what is clean and unclean.  What reasons are given for these laws, and how might we apply these principles to our lives today?

11:44-45 (I Peter 1:14-16, 2:11-12) –

 11:46-47 (Philippians 1:9-11, II Corinthians 7:1) –

15:31 (I Corinthians 6:18-20) –

(11-15) If a person touched someone unclean, then that person would also become unclean.  But what happened when Jesus touched (or was touched by) an unclean person (Mark 1:40-42, 5:25-34)?  What does this tell you about Jesus?

(11-15) According to Jesus, do these clean/unclean laws apply to us today (Mark 7:14-23)?  According to Jesus, what does make us unclean?

(16) What was the purpose of the Day of Atonement (see especially v15-19)?  How does Jesus offer a better solution (Hebrews 9:12, 24-26)?

(16) What was the purpose of the live goat?  How is this a picture of what Jesus has done for us (John 1:29)?

(17) Why were the people forbidden to eat blood – what does the blood accomplish (v11, Hebrews 9:22)?

How should we respond to this study?

Leviticus 1-10: Sacrifice

On By BrianIn OT Studies

(1, 6) What was the purpose of the burnt offering (1:4, see also Exodus 29:38-42)?  How does this point to Jesus (Hebrews 7:27)?

How much of the offering was to be consumed on the altar – given to God (1:9)?  How does this point to Jesus, and how does it relate to us (Philippians 2:5-8, Romans 12:1)?  What would it look like for us to do this?

(2, 6) What was the purpose of the grain offering (2:2), and how does Jesus accomplish this purpose for us (Hebrews 7:25)?

How does this offering point to the Holy Spirit (2:1, Luke 4:18, II Corinthians 1:21-22)?

What must not be included in the grain offering (2:11)?  How does that point to Jesus (Hebrews 4:15), and to how we should live (I Corinthians 5:6-8)?

(3, 7) What was the purpose of the peace offering (7:11-16), and how does it point to Jesus (Romans 5:1, Colossians 1:20-22)?

(4-7) What was the purpose of the sin and guilt offerings (note the regular refrain in these verses), and how does it point to Jesus (II Corinthians 5:21, I Peter 2:24, Colossians 2:13)?

(8-9) What did the priests have to do before they could offer sacrifices for the people?  How is Jesus a better high priest (Hebrews 7:26-27)?

(8-10) What refrain runs through chapter 8-9?  In stark contrast, what happens at the beginning of chapter 10 (v1)?  What does this tell us about how we should approach God?  What does this look like?

Exodus 35-40: Building the Tabernacle

On By BrianIn OT Studies

(35) In order to build the tabernacle, the people needed materials.  What words describe the hearts of those who gave?

When has your heart been moved to give?

Should we not give if our hearts are not stirred?

(35-36) In order to build the tabernacle, the people needed workers.  Describe what God did to provide for this need.

What similarities do you see in how God provides workers for his church today?

 (39-40) What phrase is repeated throughout these chapters?

Why do you think this point is stressed throughout these chapters?

What does this suggest about how we approach God in worship?  How we lead and serve in his church?  How we live our lives?

(40) After setting up the tabernacle, Moses anointed everything – consecrating all of it to God.  And God moved in!  We too have been anointed by the Holy Spirit (I Corinthians 1:21-22), and set apart unto God as his dwelling places (I Corinthians 6:19-20).  What does this suggest about how we should live?

(40) In what two ways did God guide his people in this chapter?

How does God guide us?

Exodus 31-34: Idolatry and Intercession

On By BrianIn OT Studies

(32) Which of the Ten Commandments did Israel break in this chapter?

How does the golden calf compare to the one true God revealed throughout the book of Exodus?  Revealed especially in 34:6-7?

In what ways are we tempted to domesticate God?

What other gods are we tempted to follow?  Why?

(32) What excuses does Aaron offer when Moses questions him about the golden calf?

What excuses might we use to justify our idolatry?

How does the rest of the chapter make clear that God doesn’t “buy into” Aaron’s excuses?

(32-33) What are the results of their idolatry?  How is this a warning to us?

(32-34) The people make a calf, Aaron makes excuses, and Moses makes intercession for them.  To what attributes of God does Moses appeal?  What requests does Moses make?  How does God respond?

32:11-14 –

32:30-34 –

33:12-19 –

34:9 –

What can we learn from Moses’ example of intercession and apply in our own prayers?

Exodus 25-30: The Tabernacle

On By BrianIn OT Studies

(25, 29) What is the main purpose of the tabernacle according to 25:8 and 29:45-46?

How does the tabernacle point forward to Jesus (John 1:14) and the church (I Corinthians 3:16-17, Ephesians 2:19-22)?

How should we live as a church in light of this truth?

(25-27, 30) God instructs Moses to make numerous items to place in the tabernacle. What is the purpose of each? What symbolism, foreshadowing, or application might be found in each?

Ark and Mercy Seat (Hebrews 4:14-16) –

Veil (Matthew 27:51, Hebrews 10:19-25) –

Altar of Incense (Revelation 5:8, 8:3-4) –

Table (Matthew 6:11, John 6:35) –

Lampstand (John 1:4, 8:12) –

Bronze Basin (John 13:5-10, I John 1:9) –

Bronze Altar (Hebrews 10:11-14) –

(28-29) How does the ministry of the high priest point to Jesus – a better high priest (Hebrews 7:25, 9:24-26)?

(28-29) The priests were to be washed, clothed, and anointed (29:4-7) so that they might serve God (28:1, 3, 4).  We are called a royal priesthood (I Peter 2:9).  In what way have we been washed (I Corinthians 6:9-11), clothed (II Corinthians 5:21), and anointed (II Corinthians 1:21-22) to serve the Lord?

Exodus 21-24: Obedience and the Covenant

On By BrianIn OT Studies

(21-23) How do these laws relate to the 10 Commandments?

(21-23) Jesus said the sum of the law was loving God and loving people.  How are these laws of love?

(21-23) What do these laws tell us about God?

(21-23) Several of the laws carried the death penalty if broken (21:12-17, 22:18-20).  God is serious about these things!  How would you summarize these laws?

How seriously do you take these things?

(23) What was Israel to do toward the inhabitants as they entered the Promised Land?  Why?

In what ways are the gods of our land a snare to us and our families?  How might we minimize their affect?

(24) How did the people respond to God’s laws?  Describe the process of confirming the covenant.

How does Jesus re-apply this “blood of the covenant” ceremony to Himself and the New Covenant (see Matthew 26:26-28)?  What does this suggest about our celebration of the Lord’s Supper?

What did the elders do when they saw God?  How might this be a picture of the Lord’s Supper?