Category: OT Studies

Isaiah 21-27: Our Lord Acts

On By BrianIn OT Studies

(21-25) Repeatedly in these chapters, God is referred to as the Lord of Hosts.  He has all of the hosts of heaven at his command.  The imagery speaks of his power and rule.  How do we see his strength and sovereignty play out in these chapters?

(21-25) Four times we read that certain things will happen – for the Lord has spoken (21:17, 22:25, 24:3, 25:8).  When God speaks things happen.  Where else in the Bible do we see this?

God’s words define reality.  What significance does this have for our identity?  How we define right and wrong?  Salvation?  The future?  The relevance of the Bible today?

(23-27) Our Lord humbles the proud in 23:9, 25:11.  Why do you think God keeps repeating this theme?

Our Lord helps the poor in 25:4.  How does each picture word: stronghold, shelter, shade – illustrate this truth?  How has he been these things for you?

Our Lord will host people for a great feast (25:6).  What does this tell you about God?

Our Lord will swallow up death forever (25:7-8, 26:19).  How should this truth change our lives?  How was it accomplished?

Our Lord will slay the serpent dragon (27:1, see also Revelation 12:9).  How does this give you hope?

(25-26) How should we respond to our Lord’s actions according to the following verses?  Based on what we have learned about God, why is each response a good response?

25:9a –                                 Why do we struggle to do this?

26:3-4 –                               What will be the result?

26:8b-9a –                           What might this look like?

25:1 –                                   How might you grow in this response?

Isaiah 13-20: God’s Purpose Stands

On By BrianIn OT Studies

(14) What general truth do you learn about God’s purpose in v26-27?  How would that encourage Judah as they are surrounded by hostile nations?  How might that encourage us when we are surrounded by hostile trials of various sorts?

(13-14) What does God purpose for Babylon (13:1-8)?  For the world (13:9-11)?

What three reasons are given (13:11a, 11b; 14:1-2)?  How do all these reasons relate to each other?

(14) Who do you think Isaiah is talking about in v12-15?  Why? What does God purpose for this individual?

How do people in our culture act like this individual?  Give examples.

How should we act differently as Christians, and why (see Philippians 2:1-11)?

(15-16) What does God purpose for Moab?  Why (16:6)?

Why do you think God hates pride so much?

In 16:5, we see a throne.  Whose throne is it?  How is the throne, and the one who sits on it, described?  Why is each description important and how do they all relate together?

(17) What does God purpose for Damascus (v1-2)?  Who gets lumped in with their judgment (v3)?  What lesson can we learn about making alliances?  In what contexts might we apply that lesson today?

(18-20) What does God purpose for Cush and Egypt?

Where had Judah and their neighbors placed their hope of deliverance from Assyria (20:1-6)?  What warning do you see?

What remarkable promise do we find in 19:18-25?  How do we see this fulfilled throughout church history?  In the future?

Isaiah 7-12: The Promised Child

On By BrianIn OT Studies

(7-8) Syria and Ephraim come against Judah.  How does Ahaz respond, and how should he respond (7:1-8)?  How do you tend to respond when trials come upon you?  Why?

Isaiah predicts the birth of a child.  What will happen before the child can talk (8:3-4)?  What will happen before the child becomes a man (7:14-16)?

Instead of trusting God, Ahaz looks to Assyria for help (see I Kings 16).  How does that work out for him (7:17, 8:5-8)?

When do you find it hard to trust God?  To who or what might you look instead?  How has that worked out for you?

(8-10) God instructs Isaiah not to walk like the people, but to follow the Lord (8:11-22).  What should this look like?  How well does this describe your life?  How do you need to heed these instructions?

How does God respond to Judah’s continuous unrepentant sin (9:8-10:4)?  Notice the repetition in 9:12b, 9:17b, 9:21b, 10:4b.  What warning is there for us?

Assyria is coming against Judah (10:5-19).  What does God intend?  What does Assyria intend?  How does this text help us see the interplay between God’s sovereignty and man’s choices?  Why are both of these truths important?

(7, 9, 11) How does the promised child and shoot point forward to Jesus (7:14, 9:1-7, 11:1-10; see also Matthew 1:18-23, 3:16-17, 4:12-16)?

What glorious promises do we find in these passages?

How should we live in response to these promises?

(12) What responses does God call us to make (v1-6)?

Why should we respond in these ways (v1-6)?

How do these reasons spur you on to respond in these ways?

Isaiah 1-6: Of God and Men

On By BrianIn OT Studies

(1, 3, 5) What is God’s diagnosis of Israel in 1:2-15?

What further sins does God point out?
1:21-23 –
3: 9, 11, 13-17 –
5:8-12, 18-23 –

What does God call Israel to do, and what would be the results (1:16-18)?

What would happen if they refused?
1:20 –
3:1-8, 5:5-6 –
3:18-26, 5:13-14, 5:24-30 –

(1-5) What names and attributes are given to God in 1:4, 1:24, 2:10, 5:16?  What overall picture of God are we given?

(2) What will God do with human pride in v9-22?

When are we tempted toward pride?

When are we tempted to regard men instead of God (v22)?

From the text, what do you think is the antidote?

(6) In chapters 1-5 we see God’s greatness, man’s sin, man humbled, man called to repent, and the results if they will repent.  How do you see these same themes in 6:1-7?

How does v6-7 point forward to Jesus?

What task is Isaiah given, and what success will he have in v8-13?  What might we learn from these verses?

(2, 4) What pictures of our future hope are given in 2:1-5, and 4:2-6?

How might we respond today to this future hope?

Joel 1-3: The Day of the Lord

On By BrianIn OT Studies

(1) What kind of army has come upon Judah (v4), and what are the results?

How does Joel call them to respond in v3?  How does Joel call them to respond in v5, 8, 11, & 13-14?

Why are these good responses to tragedy?

What keeps us from responding in this way?  How else might we respond instead?

(2) How does Joel describe the Day of the Lord in v1-11?

How does he describe the army coming against them?  What do you think is the identity of this army?  Why?

God calls the people to return to Him in v12-17.  Describe the return that God calls them to make.

What motivation is given for their return in v13?  How would this encourage you to return when you have sinned?

(2) How will God restore Judah in v18-27?  What will he pour down in v23?

What will he pour out in v28-29?  When do we see this happen (see Acts 2)?  What practical affects does this have in our lives?

How would you describe the Day of the Lord in v30-32?

What hope is given in v32?  How does Paul apply this hope in Romans 10:12-13?

(3) How would you describe the Day of the Lord in v1-16a?

What hope is given in v16b-21?

When do you think chapter 3 will happen, and why?

How would you summarize what Joel is teaching about the Day of the Lord in this book?

Hosea 8-14: A Call To Return

On By BrianIn OT Studies

(8-13) What words, phrases, and pictures does Hosea use to describe Israel’s sin?

8:1 –

9:1, 10 –

10:1-2, 13 –

12:1, 7-8 –

13:2 –

In what ways are we tempted to follow Israel’s example?

What “fruit of lies” are we tempted to eat (10:13)?

What has Israel become because of their sin (8:8, 9:10, 13:3)?

(10-14) God calls Israel to return to him.  What would such a return look like?

10:12 –

12:6 –

14:1-3 –

14:9 –

How is this different from the way many people think of repentance?

(11-14) Returning to the Lord is possible because of who God is.  How does God reveal himself in 11:1-12, 13:4, and 14:8?

How do these verses encourage you?

(11-13) How does 11:1 and 13:14 point forward to Jesus (see Matthew 2:15 and I Corinthians 15:55)?

 

Hosea 1-7: Whoredom and Hope

On By BrianIn OT Studies

(1) What does God tell Hosea to do, and why (v2)?

How might we be unfaithful today (see James 4:4-5, Revelation 2:4-5)?

What does God tell Hosea to name his children, and why?

(4) For what sins does God condemn Israel in v1-2?

Give examples of how we see these sins in our country.

How are we tempted to excuse some of these sins as lesser sins?  Does the church need to repent of some of these sins?

For what two main sins does God condemn Israel in v12-14?  How might the former sin lead to the latter sin?  How do we see this today?

What is the result of these sins in v3, and how might we see this today?

(4) The people don’t know God (v1,6).  Why not (v4-6)?

How might we apply this point to our homes, churches, and nation?

(2-7) In what way are the people seeking the Lord, and why does God reject it (2:11, 5:6-7, 6:6)?

In what way does God want them to seek him (5:15)?

What application is there for us?

(1-3) What hope is given 1:10-2:1?  How does this begin to play out in the New Testament (John 1:11-12, Ephesians 5:23)?

What further hope is given in 2:14-23?  How do we see this play out in the New Testament (Matthew 9:15, II Corinthians 11:2, Ephesians 5:22-32, Revelation 7:15-17, 19:6-9, 21:1-9)?

Jonah 1-4: Mercy

On By BrianIn OT Studies

(1) God calls Jonah to go to a wicked people, but Jonah doesn’t want to go.  How does this contrast with Jesus?

What does Jonah attempt to do instead (v3, 4, 10)?  Why might we attempt to do the same?

How well does Jonah’s attempt work?  What happens?

The sailors try to save themselves.  How do people try to save themselves today?

What did the sailors need to do instead?  How does this point to Jesus?

(2) How would you describe Jonah’s prayer from the belly of the fish?

Where do you see his hope?

Why is there no hope for those who worship idols (v8)?

How might his prayer serve as a useful pattern for us?

What happens to Jonah?  What does this tell us about God?

How does Jonah’s experience point to Jesus (Matthew 12:40)?

(3) What message does Jonah give to Nineveh, and how do they respond?

How does God respond?  What does this tell us about God?

(4) How does Jonah respond?  What does this tell us about Jonah?

Jonah was grateful when God extended mercy to him (2:9), but grumpy when God extended mercy to Nineveh.  In what ways are we like Jonah?  Why?

What lesson does God want Jonah (and us) to learn?

Amos 1-9: Justice and Righteousness

On By BrianIn OT Studies

(1-8) Amos begins by confronting the violence of Israel’s neighbors, but then turns his focus on Israel.  What sins does Amos confront?

2:6-8 –

3:9-10 –

4:1 –

4:4-5 –

5:7, 10-12 –

6:4-6, 12 –

8:4-6 –

How would you summarize the sins that Amos is confronting?  What does God want to see (5:24)?

How might we see these same sins in our country?  In our lives?

(2-9) How does Amos describe the judgment that is coming?

2:13-16, 3:11-15, 4:2-3, 5:1-2, 6:14, 8:7-10 –

4:12-13, 5:16-17, 7:7-9, 8:2-3 –

5:27, 7:17 –

5:18-20 –

8:11-12 –

9:1-10 –

(4-7) Our God judges sin, and yet he is also willing to show mercy.  How do we see his mercy in the following verses?

4:6-11 –

5:1 –

5:4-6, 14-15 –

7:1-6 –

How do we need to apply each of the above passages in our lives?

(9) What hope does Amos leave for the people?  For us?

v11-12 (see Acts 15:16-17) –

v13-15 –

II Kings 14-17 & II Chronicles 25-28: King & Exile

On By BrianIn OT Studies

(2K14-16) Trace the kings of Judah and Israel.  How long did each reign?  Did they do right or evil in God’s sight?  How did they die?

What observations or applications can you make from your summary of these kings?

The first three kings in Judah did right except…  What were the exceptions?  What are the exceptions in your life?

How do you see God’s control during this period (14:25-28, 15:10-12, 15:37 – see also II Chronicles 28:1-6)?

(2K17) This chapter records the exile of Israel.  What reasons are given for their exile?  Make a list.

What do these reasons tell you about God?  About people?

(2Ch25) How did Amaziah respond to God’s instruction through the prophet in v5-11?  What were the results?

How did Amaziah respond to God’s instruction through the prophet in v14-24?  What were the results?

What application might you draw from this contrast?

(2Ch26) How do v4-5 highlight the importance of godly instruction?  What applications can we draw for our own lives?  Our families?

What was Uzziah’s downfall (v16a), how was it expressed (v16b-19a), and what were the results (v19b-21)?

When are you tempted to be proud?

(2Ch25-28) How would you describe the heart of Amaziah (25:2)?  Uzziah (26:4-5)?  Jotham (27:2,6)?

How are these kings like us?

How do these kings point to the need of a greater future King?