Category: OT Studies

Psalms 130-140: Approaching Our God

On By BrianIn OT Studies

(139) What do you learn about our great God in each of these passages, and what does that mean for our lives?

V1-6 –

V7-12 –

V13-18 (138:8) –

In response to God, how does David view God’s enemies?  How should we view God’s enemies?

What does he recognize about himself (v23-24)?  Do you pray these words?

(136) This psalm celebrates God’s love in his creation (v4-9), his redemption (v10-16), and his preservation (v17-25).  How do we see God’s love in each of these actions?

How should we respond to his great love (v1-3, 26)?  What keeps us from responding more in this way?

(130-134) These psalms are the final songs of ascents, sung as the people went to Jerusalem to appear before God.  From these psalms, how should we approach our great loving God?  Why?

130 –

131 (138:6) –

132 –

133 –

134 (135:1-3) –

(130-140) Which verse(s) or psalm especially speaks to you, and why?

Psalms 120-129: Our Helper

On By BrianIn OT Studies

(120, 123, 124, 129) In what difficult situations does the psalmist need help in these psalms?

In what ways do you face similar situations today?

(120-121, 123) To whom does the psalmist look for help?

What picture does the psalmist paint in Psalm 123?  How is this a helpful picture?

(121, 124) Where does our help come from (121:1-2, 124:8)?  Why is it important for us to grasp this?  Where else might we look?

What does the psalmist say about his helper in those verses?  Why is that important?

(121) In what ways does God keep us according to this psalm?  How have you experienced this?

(125) Not only does God help and keep us, but he also surrounds us (v2).  How is this a helpful picture?

(122) What help does the psalmist seek for Jerusalem?  Why?

What reasons do we have to be glad to go to the house of the Lord today?  Were you glad to come today?

(127) What help do we need from God in our work (v1-2)?  What lessons can we learn from this truth?

What help do we need from the Lord in our families?  How does this recognition affect our view of children?  How does this recognition compare with our culture’s various views?

(120-129) Which verse(s) or psalm especially speaks to you, and why?

Psalms 110-118: All Glory To The One True God

On By BrianIn OT Studies

(115) When are we tempted to glory in ourselves (v1)?  Why?

(115) How does the psalmist respond to the nations’ taunt in v2-3?

How does God’s ability compare to the nations’ idols (v3-7)?

How would you define an idol (see v8 for a hint)?

What are some modern idols in our culture today?  Which idols are you tempted to follow?

What does the psalmist mean when he says people become like their idols (v8)?

(115) Unlike the idols, our God can act.  How does God act towards his people in v9-15?

(111, 113-114, 118) What further examples of God’s actions toward his people do you find in 111:5-9, 113:7-9, 114:1-8, and 118:13-16?

(115) Why then should we glory in God and not ourselves (v1)?

(115) How should we respond to God’s actions toward us?

v9-11 (118:8-9) –

v18 (111:1, 113:1-3, 117:1-2, 118:28-29) –

v11, 13 (111:10) –

(110, 118) How do the following passages point to Jesus?

118:22-24 (Matthew 21:42) –

118:26 (Matthew 21:9) –

110:1-3 (Matthew 22:41-45) –

110:4 (Hebrews 5-7) –

(110-118) Which verse(s) or psalm especially speaks to you, and why?

Psalms 101-109: The Love Of God

On By BrianIn OT Studies

(102, 104) How would you describe God according to 102:25-27 and 104:1-35?

(103) How would you describe people – morally (v6-12) and physically (v13-18)?  How does this contrast with God?

How does God respond to us (v8, 11-12, 17)?

(105-106) God demonstrates his love towards his people by remembering his covenant with them (106:45).  Trace the ways he remembered his covenant (105:7-11) to Israel in these two psalms.

How are his actions towards Israel good examples of love?

How should God’s people respond to his love (105:1-6, 45; 106:1, 47)?  What might this look like in our daily lives?

(107) For each of the following passages, describe the situation, God’s loving response, and how we should respond:

v4-9 –

v10-16 –

v17-22 –

v23-32 –

(101, 108, 109) How should we further respond to God’s love in 101:1-8, 108:1-5, 109:21-26?

(101-109) Which verse(s) or psalm especially speaks to you, and why?

 

Psalms 91-100: Praise the Lord

On By BrianIn OT Studies

(92, 98, 100) What two attributes of God do you find in all three passages: 92:1-4, 98:1-6, 100:1-5?

How should we respond to these two attributes according to these passages?  Describe our heart, our words, and our actions.

Give a recent example of how God has shown these two attributes to you.

(93, 95-97, 99) Many of these psalms celebrate God as the King of Kings who reigns over all the earth.  What attributes and actions are related to his reign?

How should we respond to God’s reign according to these psalms?  Describe our heart, our words, and our actions.

(91-100) Spend some time praising the Lord.

(91-100) Which verse(s) or psalm especially speaks to you, and why?

Psalms 81-90: Our Great God

On By BrianIn OT Studies

(86, 89) How does God compare to other gods (86:8-10, 89:5-8)?

How should we respond?

81:8-10 –

82:1-8 –

83:18 –

86:9, 89:5 –

(90) How does God compare to people (v2-4)?

How should we respond (v12)?  What does that mean?

(85-86, 89) What attributes of our great God do you find in 85:10-11, 86:5 & 15, 89:14?

How should we respond?

85:1-7 –

86:1-4, 16-17 –

89:1 –

(84, 89) Our great God is present with his people.  How should we respond to his presence (84:1-12, 89:15)?

(89) Describe the covenant our great God made in v3-4, 19-37.

In what ways does this covenant point to Jesus?

What does it mean for us?

(81-90) Which verse(s) or psalm especially speaks to you, and why?

Psalms 71-80: Remember and Teach

On By BrianIn OT Studies

(74) What does Asaph ask God to remember in v2, 18, 22-23?

Does God forget?  What does Asaph mean?

(79) What does Asaph ask God not to remember in v8?

Can God forget?  What does Asaph mean?

(77) What does Asaph want to remember in v3, 6, 11?

Why is remembering so important?

(78) What did Israel fail to remember in v10-11, 40-42?

What actions go along with their forgetting in these verses?

How are their actions and their forgetting related?

Read v35-37.  Is remembering enough?  What must go with it?

(78) Not only are we to remember, but we are then also to teach the next generation (v4-8).  What are we to teach?  Why?

What application do we find here for parents?  For the church?  For children and youth?

(71) Go through the psalm noting each occurrence of the following words (or their synonyms): hope, refuge, praise, tell.  How would you describe his testimony?  What has God done in your life?

He wants to tell others about what God has done in his life (v15-18).  Who could you tell this week?

(73) What causes Asaph to almost stumble (v1-14)?  What is he afraid his words might do (v15)?  Where does he find his answer, and what is the answer (v16-20)?  What blessings does he have in God (v23-28)?  What application do you need to make in your life?

(71-80) Which verse(s) or psalm especially speaks to you, and why?

Psalms 61-70: Seek the Lord and Rejoice in Him

On By BrianIn OT Studies

(61, 69, 70) What is David seeking in these psalms (61:1-2, 69:1, 70:1)?

Why is David confident in doing this (61:3, see also 62:1-2)?

(63) What is David seeking in Psalm 63:1 (see also 69:32, 70:4)?

What words in v1 help us understand the intensity of David’s seeking?

How might we seek what David was seeking (v2, 6, 8, see also 62:8)?

(63, 65) As we seek and find God, our response ought to be praise and rejoicing (70:4).  What divine attributes and actions lead us to this response?

Psalm 63 –

Psalm 65 –

How have you experienced God in one of these ways?

(66) For what awesome deeds of the Lord might you use this psalm as your testimony?

(66, 67, 68) As we experience and testify to God’s awesome deeds, what further goal do we have (66:4, 67:3-5, 68:32)?

(51-60) Which verse(s) or psalm especially speaks to you, and why?

Psalms 51-60: God Our Helper

On By BrianIn OT Studies

(52-53, 58-59) How does David describe the wicked who have come against him in these psalms?

(52, 55-56) How does David respond when people come against him according to 52:8, 55:23, 56:3-4?

How are we often tempted to respond when people come against us?

How do you need to apply David’s response to your own life?

(54-59) How else does David respond when people come against him (54:1-3, 55:1-3, 56:1-2, 57:1, 59:1-2)?  What is he looking for?

Name one situation in your life today in which you need to follow David’s example.  Stop and do it now!

(52-60) In response to David, what does God do for David?

What does God do with the wicked?

How can this encourage you when you have others come against you?

(52, 54, 57, 59) How does David respond to what God has done for him (52:9, 54:6-7, 57:7-11, 59:16-17)?

For what situations in your own life can you do the same?

(51) Sometimes you are the person acting wickedly.  How might you use this psalm to help you confess and repent your sins?

(51-60) Which verse(s) or psalm especially speaks to you, and why?

Psalms 41-50: Coming Together into God’s Presence

On By BrianIn OT Studies

(42-43) With what attitude should we come together into God’s presence according to 42:1-4 & 43:3-4?

Why is our attitude important as we come together?  What affect will it have on our gathering?  On ourselves?

With what attitude do you come to church?

(50) What do you learn about God in v1-6?  How should that affect the way we come together into His presence?

Why wasn’t God pleased with the way Israel came before Him in v7-23?  How might we come in similar ways today?

How should we come instead?

How do you come?  In what ways might you need to change your approach?

(48) What two things does the Psalmist say they do as they come together into God’s presence in v9-11?

In what ways do we do these same two things as we come together?

(47) How might this psalm help us to praise the Lord as we come together?  For what can we praise Him?

(41-50) Which verse(s) or psalm especially speaks to you, and why?