Sunday, September 26, 2015
Acts 7:2-4, 8-10, 17, 33-34, 45-47, 53 KJV
2 And he said, Men, brethren, and fathers, hearken; The God of glory appeared unto our father Abraham, when he was in Mesopotamia, before he dwelt in Charran, 3 And said unto him, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and come into the land which I shall shew thee. 4 Then came he out of the land of the Chaldaeans, and dwelt in Charran: and from thence, when his father was dead, he removed him into this land, wherein ye now dwell. ... 8 And he gave him the covenant of circumcision: and so [Abraham] begat Isaac, and circumcised him the eighth day; and Isaac [begat] Jacob; and Jacob [begat] the twelve patriarchs. 9 And the patriarchs, moved with envy, sold Joseph into Egypt: but God was with him, 10 And delivered him out of all his afflictions, and gave him favour and wisdom in the sight of Pharaoh king of Egypt; and he made him governor over Egypt and all his house. ... 17 But when the time of the promise drew nigh, which God had sworn to Abraham, the people grew and multiplied in Egypt, ... 33 Then said the Lord to him, Put off thy shoes from thy feet: for the place where thou standest is holy ground. 34 I have seen, I have seen the affliction of my people which is in Egypt, and I have heard their groaning, and am come down to deliver them. And now come, I will send thee into Egypt. ... 45 Which also our fathers that came after brought in with Jesus into the possession of the Gentiles, whom God drave out before the face of our fathers, unto the days of David; 46 Who found favour before God, and desired to find a tabernacle for the God of Jacob. 47 But Solomon built him an house. ... 53 Who have received the law by the disposition of angels, and have not kept [it].
OBSERVATION QUESTIONS
1) What did Stephen tell the council about Abram, the other patriarchs of the faith, and Israel? (v.2-4,8-10, 17)
2) What did Stephen tell them about Moses? (v.33-34)
3) What did Stephen say about David and the nation of Israel? (v.45-47,53)
APPLICATION QUESTIONS
4) How do you personally apply the history of the nation of Israel to your own life?
LIFE LESSONS
5) The history of the nation of Israel enables us to understand God and ourselves, as His children, better.
Tuesday, June 2, 2015
Amos 2:9-16 KJV
9 Yet destroyed I the Amorite before them, whose height [was] like the height of the cedars, and he [was] strong as the oaks; yet I destroyed his fruit from above, and his roots from beneath. 10 Also I brought you up from the land of Egypt, and led you forty years through the wilderness, to possess the land of the Amorite. 11 And I raised up of your sons for prophets, and of your young men for Nazarites. [Is it] not even thus, O ye children of Israel? saith the LORD. 12 But ye gave the Nazarites wine to drink; and commanded the prophets, saying, Prophesy not. 13 Behold, I am pressed under you, as a cart is pressed [that is] full of sheaves. 14 Therefore the flight shall perish from the swift, and the strong shall not strengthen his force, neither shall the mighty deliver himself: 15 Neither shall he stand that handleth the bow; and [he that is] swift of foot shall not deliver [himself]: neither shall he that rideth the horse deliver himself. 16 And [he that is] courageous among the mighty shall flee away naked in that day, saith the LORD.
OBSERVATION QUESTIONS
1) After declaring judgment on the nation of Israel for their transgressions, what did the Lord remind the people of Israel of concerning the Amorites? (v.9-10)
2) What had the Lord done for Israel and how did His people respond? (v.11-12)
3) What general declaration did the Lord make concerning His judgement of Israel? (v.13)
4) What seven (7) declarations of judgment did the Lord declare for the nation of Israel? (v.14-16)
APPLICATION QUESTIONS
5) How has the Lord blessed you throughout your walk of faith?
6) How do you typically respond to the Lord's blessings?
LIFE LESSONS
7) The Lord delights to bless His people, but chastens and withholds those blessings from the disobedient and ungrateful.
Thursday, September 11, 2014
Jeremiah 31:7-11
7 For thus saith the LORD; Sing with gladness for Jacob, and shout among the chief of the nations: publish ye, praise ye, and say, O LORD, save thy people, the remnant of Israel.
8 Behold, I will bring them from the north country, and gather them from the coasts of the earth, [and] with them the blind and the lame, the woman with child and her that travaileth with child together: a great company shall return thither.
9 They shall come with weeping, and with supplications will I lead them: I will cause them to walk by the rivers of waters in a straight way, wherein they shall not stumble: for I am a father to Israel, and Ephraim [is] my firstborn.
10 Hear the word of the LORD, O ye nations, and declare [it] in the isles afar off, and say, He that scattered Israel will gather him, and keep him, as a shepherd [doth] his flock.
11 For the LORD hath redeemed Jacob, and ransomed him from the hand of [him that was] stronger than he.
OBSERVATION QUESTIONS
1) How does the Lord want people to respond to His redemption of the remnant of His people (Israel)? (v.7)
2) What does the Lord say that He will do for His formerly exiled people ? Why? (v.8-9)
3) What were (are) the nations to declare about the Lord? (v.10-11)
APPLICATION QUESTIONS
4) Have you ever felt distant from the Lord? If so, please describe one such time.
5) How did you respond when (if) the Lord made His presence known to you, after a period of silence?
6) Has the Lord ever delivered you from an enemy (or enemies) that were stronger than you? If so, please describe one such time.
PRINCIPLES
7) The Lord loves to rescue His people from their enemies.
8) Because He is our Good Shepherd, the Lord watches over His sheep, even after we have strayed.
9) The Lord chastens His children as a loving Father and longs to be reconciled to do good for us.
