This is a busy week of reading. We will be covering a lot of ground!
The first reading is from Song of Solomon. Many people have wondered why this book is in the Bible with its passionate language of love. But it is fitting that this book be in the Bible as God is the initiator of love, marriage, and sex. It can describe the passionate love between God and his people. As well, as the passionate love between a husband and wife within the context of marriage.
The next book is from the NT. It is the book of Colossians. Paul wrote the book to the church in Colosse. Paul didn't start the church in Colosse. It was started by Epaphras who was an early convert in Ephesis. It is a book written to directly refute the heresies of the day that were affecting the early church. The heresies were strict rules for ceremonial observance as opposed to holy living, angel worship, wrong view of Jesus, secret knowledge, and reliance on human wisdom and tradition. It is a fairly uplifting book to read.
We will begin reading from the book of Isaiah in the NT. This book is from the category of "Major Prophets." This book is an amazing book to read. It tells of God's justice and judgment on nations, God's compassion and mercy on nations, and about God's plan of salvation for the nations. It begins unfolding more and more truth about the coming Messiah. There is some very specific prophecy regarding Jesus. It begins to describe Jesus coming in two ways, the glorious king and kingdom, as well, as Jesus the suffering servant. This book is full of hope and worship.
WEEK 40 OF THE WB READING:DAY ONE, OCTOBER 1- SONG OF SOLOMON 1-8
There are two ways that this book can be viewed. One is in spiritual realm, which describes God's love for his people. The other is in the human relationship realm, which would describe God's desire and view of sex and love for a married couple.
Read the whole book of Song of Solomon in one sitting then answer or think through the following questions:
How is this book an example of how God loves his people (especially Israel)?
This book is also a beautiful picture of what love is and can be a good tool for helping young people know what God's view of marriage, love, and sex is. How can this book teach the following things?
Love is mutual.
Love is exclusive.
Love and sex is total.
Love and sex is beautiful.
DAY TWO, OCTOBER 2 - COLOSSIANS 1-4
Chapter 1
Why does Paul give thanks for the believers in Colosse?
Can others say the same thing about you?
What is the Good News that is changing lives?
What is Paul praying for the believers?
Have you ever asked God for the same thing for yourself and others?
What does this passage say about Christ?
What does that mean for your life?
How is Paul serving the church?
How are you serving the church?
Chapter 2
What is Paul saying an obedient growing Christian should "look" like?
How well are you doing at growing "deep in Christ?"
Why shouldn't sin have power over a believer?
What rules shouldn't a believer follow and which things should a believer follow?
Describe what the body of Christ should look like?
What comfort and reassurance do you get knowing that Christ is the head of the body?
Chapter 3
What should new life in Christ look like?
What things should a believer have nothing to do with? Why?
How should we treat others?
What are the Words of God (Bible) useful for?
How does that sound like the church?
How well are you participating in your church, helping it operating like the "body" God intended it to?
What guidelines for marriage relationships are found here?
What can you learn for these?
Chapter 4
What are things we should remember to pray for others and ourselves from these passages?
What are some of the examples from the end of this chapter of people who were living rightly within the body of Christ?
What are some things that could be said about you if others were writing a letter?
DAY THREE, OCTOBER 3 - ISAIAH 1-4
Chapter 1
Who was king during the time that this book was written?
CHALLENGE: What do you remember from your reading in Kings and Chronicles about those kings?
Do you think that Isaiah was a prophet to Judah or the Northern Kingdom of Israel? Why?
How does he describe the people's relationship with God?
How are the animals even better than they are?
Have you meet people like the ones described here?
What will happen if they don't turn back to God?
What will happen if they do turn back to God?
Chapter 2
What will happen to the nations in the last days?
Why does God desire all the nations of the world to come together to worship him?
How does this show that God had a love for all nations to know him even in OT times?
What happens to people who do not worship God, including the Israelites?
How are you helping to bring all nations to God to worship him?
Chapter 3
What judgment is God give to the leaders who aren't godly and those who follow them?
What judgment is God proclaiming to the women who worship other things like men, wealth, adornments, etc. instead of God?
What warnings are relevant for you?
Chapter 4
How will God restore his people?
What words and phrase represent God's presence among his people again?
What words allude to the salvation that comes through Jesus Christ?
How have you felt the restoration and protection of God in your life?
DAY FOUR, OCTOBER 4 - ISAIAH 5-7
Chapter 5
What is the song of the vineyard about?
Have you ever know someone who has gone "wild" after being raised to be "sweet?"
How does that feel?
How do you think God feels when his people have done that?
What will happen to God's people because they don't recognize God in their life?
According to verse 16, will God still be raised up for his justice or brought down too?
Chapter 6
Describe the opening sense of worship and the awesomeness of God.
How does Isaiah feel in the presence of Almighty God?
What happens to cleanse Isaiah?
Have you ever felt humbled before the Lord?
After being cleansed how does God use Isaiah?
What will be the outcome of Isaiah going to God's people?
Where is God asking you to go for him?
Should the response of the people be what motivates us, or the directive of God? Why?
What promise of the Messiah do you find at the end of the chapter?
Chapter 7
What is the prophecy for Israel found in these verses? How much detail is given?
What must the people do if they want God to protect them?
How well are you living within God's commands and guidelines?
What prophecy of the Messiah do you find in this chapter?
What new information does the prophecy contain?
DAY FIVE, OCTOBER 5 - ISAIAH 8-12
Chapter 8
What is Isaiah son's name? What does it mean?
What does that have to do with the prophecy for Israel and Judah?
CHALLENGE: For you history and Bible buffs, how does the fall of Israel and Judah happen?
What is the promise for the people?
CHALLENGE: Where are the verses 14-15 found in the NT? To whom is it referring?
Who or what is the cornerstone of your life? (That will determine if you stand or fall)
Where should we go when we need to find out the future or get help with a decision regarding the future?
Just like in the time of Isaiah, where do some people go for that today?
What can be said about the promise of God that can't be said of others?
Chapter 9
What prophecy regarding Jesus do you find in these passages?
Does Jesus plan to come for just the Jews? How do you know?
What will be the names of Jesus?
What do those names mean to you?
CHALLENGE: According to just the information in this chapter, what kind of a ministry do you think the Jews will picture Jesus having?
Why does God stay anger with the people of Israel, according to verse 8 and following?
Chapter 10
What is the sin of the Assyrians that angers God?
How have you felt that you accomplished things in your own strength and not give God the glory?
Who is the remnant and what does God say about them?
Chapter 11
Who are the opening verses of this chapter describing?
What is the fullness of his character due to the Holy Spirit?
How is that different than any ruler the nations have seen?
According to verse 10 and following, is Jesus coming just for the Jews?
Again, according to this chapter, what kind of a kingdom were they expecting the Messiah to lead?
Chapter 12
How is this a song of salvation?
How is this a song for all the nations, not just the Jews?
What part of this song is meaningful to you?
DAY SIX, OCTOBER 6 - ISAIAH 13-17
Chapter 13
What is God's prophecy for Babylon?
Besides being an actual physical location, Babylon is also referred to in NT as a spiritual force against the kingdom of God (I Peter 5:13, Rev. 14:8, 16:19, 17-18).
How is the prophecy fitting for that reference also?
CHALLENGE: How has/is being that been fulfilled?
Chapter 14
What is the promise for Israel found in the opening verses?
How are the nations to be part of that promise?
What is that saying to you now?
If Babylon can also be seen as the kingdom opposing God's kingdom, what/who do you think verses 12 and following are also about?
What does the future hold for Satan?
What hope and comfort does that give to you?
In verses 24-27, describe God's plans. What is a new thought to you about this plan?
Chapter 15 and 16
What is the message for Moab?
Why is Moab to be destroyed?
In 16:5 there is a glimmer of hope. Who is that hope?
Does it surprise you that it is the same hope as the one to the Jews?
Who is your hope?
Chapter 17
What is the prophecy for Damascus?
What is the hope for Israel in verses 7-8?
Look at your life; is there any thing you need to turn from that has caused you not to worship God?
DAY SEVEN, OCTOBER 7 - ISAIAH 18-21
Chapter 18, 19 and 20
What is the prophecy for each of these countries?
What promises of hope do you find in these chapters?
In 19:23-25, what really is the only thing that can unit people?
How have you experience unity with people of different language, culture, and country because you are worshipping the same God?
Chapter 21
What is said about Babylon, Edom, and Arabia?
How much wasteland will there be?
When we do not worship God and follow him, how much wasteland is there in our life?
| DAY ONE | Oct-1 | MATTHEW 2 OR PSALM 3&4 |
| DAY TWO | Oct-2 | MATTHEW 3 OR PSALM 5&6 |
| DAY THREE | Oct-3 | MATTHEW 4 OR PSALM 7&8 |
| DAY FOUR | Oct-4 | MATTHEW 5 OR PSALM 9&10 |
| DAY FIVE | Oct-5 | MATTHEW 6 OR PSALM 11&12 |
| DAY SIX | Oct-6 | MATTHEW 7 OR PSALM 13&14 |
| DAY SEVEN | Oct-7 | MATTHEW 8 OR PSALM 15&16 |
Always begin your time of God with prayer. Ask him for understanding and insights. You can pick out a verse, thought or feeling from the passage and think on it (mediate) on it all day. Meditating on God's word means to digest it, put it into your mind, think on it, and concentrate in different ways on the passage.
Some ways you can do this is:
1. Put yourself into the scene.
2. Emphasize different words in the verse.
3. Paraphrase the passage in your own words.
4. Pray the passage back to God if it is a prayer, song, poem, etc (personalize it).
5. Use SPACE PETS acrostic to ask some standard questions.
S - Sins to confess? Do I need to make restitution?
P - Promises to claim? Have I met the conditions(s)?
A - Attitudes to change? Am I willing?
C - Commands to obey? Even if I don't feel like it?
E - Examples to follow? One to copy or avoid?
P - Prayers to pray? Is there something I need to tell God?
E - Errors to avoid?
T - Truths about God or the Bible I need to believe?
Adapted from 12 Dynamic Bible Study Methods (Chapter 1) by Richard Warren and William A. Shell.