Category: Bible Journey

Reflections on Proverbs 5-9

On By BrianIn OT Reflections

Which proverb especially speaks to your life situation today?  How should you respond?

  • Adultery – Three chapters are given to warning us against the folly of adultery. How might you use these chapters to help you combat the allure of forbidden sex in our society?
  • The Calls of Wisdom and Folly – Both wisdom and folly call out to the simple. Wisdom offers life, while folly leads to death.  Which call are you following?  In what ways?

Reflections on Proverbs 1-4

On By BrianIn OT Reflections

Which proverb especially speaks to your life situation today?  How should you respond?

  • Fear of the Lord – As Proverbs introduces its purpose of teaching wisdom, it proclaims the foundation of wisdom – the fear of the Lord. Four times it is mentioned in our passage today.  True wisdom is more than common sense, it includes a sense of God and his commands.  Does your life show a proper reverence for God?
  • Seeking wisdom – Our passage today calls us to pursue wisdom, and outlines many benefits for doing so. Are you seeking wisdom?  What wisdom are you hoping to gain from your study of this book?

Proverbs 1-9: Wisdom

On By BrianIn OT Studies

(1) What is the purpose of the book of Proverbs in v1-6?

To which three groups is the book written?  Why?

(1, 4, 8) What does wisdom teach us (1:1-4, 4:11, 8:1-8)?

How are wisdom and righteousness related?

(1-3, 8-9) How is the fear of the Lord related to wisdom (1:7, 1:29, 2:5, 3:7, 8:13, 9:10)?

(2) Where do we find wisdom in v1-6?

What value does wisdom offer in v7-15?  Can you think of some current or recent examples?

(9) Describe wisdom (v1-6) and folly (v13-18).  How are they similar?  How do they differ?  What lessons can we learn?

(2, 5-7) What wisdom is highlighted in these passages (2:16-19, 5:1-23, 6:20-35, 7:6-27)?

What are the results of failing to follow this wisdom?

What further truth is presented in 5:21 to deter us?

(3, 9) What does wisdom teach us in the following verses?  What would it look like to apply this wisdom to our lives?

3:5-8 –

3:9-10 –

3:11-12 –

9:7-9 –

(4) What challenge is laid out in v5-9?  How will you respond?

Reflections on I Kings 8-10

On By BrianIn OT Reflections

Solomon dedicates the temple for the Lord.  Note:

  • The Glory of the Lord – After Solomon moves the ark into the temple, the glory of the Lord fills the temple – just as it filled the tabernacle earlier. Yet the temple can’t contain God, for God is greater.  Ponder the glory of the Lord and praise him!
  • Prayer – Solomon prays that God would hear the peoples’ prayers and forgive their sins that the people of the earth would know that the Lord is the one true God. What do you need to pray about?  What sins do you need to confess?  Are you seeking to spread the name of the Lord?

Reflections on I Kings 6-7

On By BrianIn OT Reflections

Solomon builds the temple for the Lord.  Note:

  • God’s Presence – God chooses to dwell in the temple Solomon built (6:13). He chooses to dwell among the people of Israel.  Today the church is God’s temple, and he dwells among us.  What a privilege we have!  What a responsibility!
  • Obedience – Part of that responsibility is to walk in the ways of the Lord and obey his commands (6:12). Are you taking that responsibility seriously?

I Kings 6-10: The Temple

On By BrianIn OT Studies

(6-7) The Picture: How would you describe the temple building and its furnishings?  What is it supposed to convey about God?

(6, 9) The Promise: What promise does God make to Solomon regarding the temple in 6:11-13 and 9:4-9?  How do we see this play out in later history?

(8) The Presence: What happens after the ark is brought into the temple (v10-11)?  What does this tell us about God?

Where does God dwell according to v13, 27, & 30?  What twin truths does this tell us about God?  How should we respond?

(8) The Prayer: What is the repeated request in Solomon’s prayer (v28-53)?

What does this prayer tell us about our nature and our need?

Describe the interplay between God and people as it relates to our hearts (v39-40, 57-58, 61).  How should we respond?

(8) The Purpose: What is one important purpose of the temple (v43, 60)?  How well did Israel fulfill this purpose?  How well do we?

(6, 8) The Preview: How does 8:19 point forward to Jesus and a greater temple (see Ephesians 2:19-22)?

How do 6:11-22 preview a final temple in Revelation 21?

Reflections on I Kings 3-5

On By BrianIn OT Reflections

Solomon asks for wisdom and prepares to build the temple.

  • Love the Lord – Solomon loves the Lord and walks in the ways of the Lord like David did (3:3). How is your love for the Lord?  How does your love motivate your obedience?
  • Wisdom – God offers to give Solomon whatever he wants. Solomon chooses wisdom.  What would you choose?  What does that say about your heart?

Reflections on I Kings 1-2

On By BrianIn OT Reflections

David makes Solomon the next king and charges him to be faithful to God.

  • Exalting Oneself – Adonijah exalted himself as the next king only to be humbled when David made Solomon king. Later Adonijah tried a new scheme to exalt himself as king, and it cost him his life.  Are you seeking to exalt yourself?  Will you humble yourself before the Lord and let him exalt you in his own way and time (James 4:10)?
  • Faithful to God – David charges Solomon to faithfully follow the ways of the Lord with all of his heart and soul (2:1-4). Are you faithfully following the ways of the Lord?  Does your heart desire to be faithful?  In what ways are you tempted to be unfaithful?

I Kings 1-5: The Call to Faithfulness

On By BrianIn OT Studies

(2) God wanted David’s descendants to walk before Him in faithfulness with all their heart and soul (v4).  What does faithfulness to God look like in the context of v3?

Why does faithfulness require us to pay close attention to ourselves (v4a)?  Do you?

Why is the phrase “with all their heart and soul” so significant to being faithful?  How would you describe your heart?

(2) David charged Solomon to be strong (v2).  Why is being strong essential to being faithful to God?

In what specific situations in your life do you need to be strong?

What hinders you from being strong?

Where does strength ultimately come from (Ephesians 6:10)?

(3) Solomon answered the call to faithfulness – loving the Lord and walking in His ways (v3).  How do “loving” and “walking” relate to each other (see also John 14:15)?

(3) God offered Solomon anything he wanted, and Solomon asked for wisdom.  Why is wisdom essential for faithfulness to God?

(3-4) Despite Solomon’s overall faithfulness, he followed the way of the world in two ways – he married Pharaoh’s daughter as part of a treaty (3:1) and amassed many horses for his army (4:26, see Deuteronomy 17:16).  From the world’s point of view, why do both of these things make sense?  What spiritual dangers do they bring?

In what ways are we tempted to follow the way of the world today instead of being faithful to God?

What principles from this study do we need to apply to our lives to help us overcome these temptations?

Psalm 119 Reflections

On By BrianIn OT Reflections

Which psalm or verse especially reflects your heart today?  Use those words to talk to the Lord.

  • Heart – The psalmist seeks the Lord with his whole heart (v2, 10). His heart is in awe of God’s Word (161).  He wants God to incline his heart to God’s Word (v36).  He keeps God’s Word with his whole heart (v34, 69).  Why is the heart so important?  How is your heart?
  • Value – God’s Word is valuable! His Word guards our way (v9), keeps us from sin (v11), counsels and guides us with wisdom for our lives (v24, 98-100, 105), strengthens us (v28), and comforts us (v50).  In what ways have you experienced the value of God’s Word?  How might remembering its value spur you on to learn and live it?