This week you will be reading out of two different books in the OT.
The first book is Lamentations. This is a book of sorrow. It is all poetry. It is assumed that the author is Jeremiah as he is the "weeping prophet" and this is a book of sorrow. But it is not known for sure. The book is composed with great care. The first day's reading will describe that in more detail.
The second book we will begin this week is Ezekiel. The book is kind of a strange book. Ezekiel is often called the "pantomiming prophet" as he doesn't talk during part of the book but instead acts out God's messages. The book has a very clear message from God - he desires true worship and obedience! The time of destruction is definitely here and God is very specific about why. The book is divided into two parts. We will cover the first half this week. It goes from chapter 1-22. It describes the judgment and rational for the judgment on Israel, Judah, and Jerusalem. The second half gives hope to the exiles. It speaks of restoration and hope. The key verses (33:10-11 and 37:14) are found in this section.
THE WB FOR WEEK 45:DAY ONE, NOVEMBER 5 - LAMENTATIONS 1-5
The book has five "laments" or poems. Each is 22 verses except the third one which is 66 verse (3 x 22). There is one lament per chapter. The whole structure of this book is very thought out and composed with great care. Each poem has a pattern of lines per verse. The verses go along with the letters of the Hebrew alphabet. This book can be appreciated for its passion and its structure and composition.
Chapter 1
What is the main theme of this lament?
After reading this lament, what would you name it?
What is the attitude of the sinful city of Jerusalem?
Have you ever felt the hurt, rejection, and sorrow that are described in this chapter?
Do you see any repentance in this chapter?
Chapter 2
What is the main theme of this lament?
After reading this lament, what would you name it?
What is God's attitude toward the people?
After reading most of the OT do you think this is a justified attitude or unreasonable? Why or Why not?
Have you ever mourned, cried out, or prayed for the lives of those seemingly lost?
Chapter 3
What is the main theme of this lament?
After reading this lament, what would you name it?
What is the life condition of the writer?
According to him, why is there still reason to hope?
What is the writer's burden for others?
Can you speech with as much hope and confidence in your life?
Chapter 4
What is the main theme of this lament?
After reading this lament, what would you name it?
How do you feel about the people of God after reading this?
How do you think God felt?
What is one small statement of hope in this poem?
Chapter 5
What is the main theme of this lament?
After reading this lament, what would you name it?
What does the word restore mean to you?
How has God restored you?
DAY TWO, NOVEMBER 6 - EZEKIAL 1-6
Chapter 1
In this chapter Ezekiel sees a vision. The last verse tells you what this vision is about - read it first.
Who is this vision about?
Now go back and read the description. Thing about what each description represents. Here is an example: "A huge cloud that flashed with lightning and shone with brilliant light." The cloud represented God's direction to the Israelites in the wilderness by day and fire or light by night. What is this sentence saying about God?
Now proceed through the chapter this way.
What would you say about God and his character from this chapter?
Chapter 2
Who spoke to Ezekiel?
What was he to do?
Where the people going to listen to him and did that matter?
What personal warning does the Spirit give to Ezekiel in verse 8?
How has God said the same thing to you?
What does the Spirit give Ezekiel?
Chapter 3
What does the Spirit tell Ezekiel to do with the scroll?
What does it taste like and what is it supposed to do?
How are God's words sweet to you and go down into your very heart and soul?
The people were in exile now, unlike Jeremiah were does God have Ezekiel live?
What is Ezekiel to be for the people?
What does that mean for him?
Is God asking you to be a watchman for anyone? Will you listen to God? Why or why not?
Ezekiel is often called the pantomiming prophet. Why is that (HINT: verse 22-27)?
Chapter 4
What did God tell Ezekiel to do in the first 3 verses?
What did it mean?
What did God tell Ezekiel to do in verse 4-8?
What did it mean?
What where the ration he was to eat during this time?
What did that mean?
Even though Ezekiel can't talk, how is his message clear?
How is God's message to you clear?
Chapter 5
What does God tell Ezekiel to do in verses 1-4?
What does it mean?
What does the hair in the robe hem represent?
How does that show hope and God's faithfulness to his promises?
Have you ever felt like a small remnant of people today, are only following God in truth?
Chapter 6
Why is it necessary for God to bring destruction to the people?
How does the place the people will die show the gravity of their sin?
Have you in any way put others before God and worshipped it instead of God?
Have you ever realized how grave that sin is?
What will happen to a few of the people and how does that show hope and God's faithfulness to his promises?
What will happen when the people see the destruction, according to verse 14?
DAY THREE, NOVEMBER 7 - EZEKIAL 7-10
Chapter 7
How is the total destruction of the people and land necessary because of the total permeation of idolatry?
With the repeated description of this destruction are you becoming immuned to the need of it are does you heart break more and more?
How do you react today to people's turning from God?
Chapter 8
Where have you seen the description of the figure before?
Who do you think it represents?
What is the setting of this vision?
What does Ezekiel see throughout the temple?
What class of people are represented here that worship other gods, how many other gods are represented, and what areas of everyday life is represented - in other words are wide spread is this false worship?
What does this vision mean?
How wide spread is sin against God today?
Chapter 9
From a spiritual point of view, what is happening in the city?
What does the mark mean?
What happens to those without the mark?
Which person would you be?
What is Ezekiel's reaction to this?
How have you been burdened for the sin and the sinners in this world?
Chapter 10
What returns to the temple when it has been cleaned out?
What does that represent?
When you clean out the sin in our life what it again evident in your life?
DAY FOUR, NOVEMBER 8 - EZEKIAL 11-15
Chapter 11
What did Ezekiel have to say to the people?
What promise does God give to those who are in exile and away from the temple in verse 16?
How is God your sanctuary today?
What will the people be like when they return from the exile according to verse 18-21?
How has God turned your hearts from stone into soft hearts responsive to him?
How do you think the people would respond when they heard Ezekiel recap the vision?
How do you think you would have responded?
Chapters 12 & 13
What was Ezekiel told to do in verse 1-6, 17-20?
What does it mean?
What is the new proverb and when will it happen?
What is the message about and for the false prophets?
Chapters 14 & 15
What does God say about the leaders of Israel when they come?
How have we often justified our actions by thinking they aren't so back cause they are in our hearts and minds, not visible to others?
What does God want to "capture" from the people?
How is that still true today - read II Corinthians 10:4-6.
Even in the midst of this judgment how do you see hope (HINT: verses 14:22-23)?
How is Israel useless?
DAY FIVE, NOVEMBER 9 - EZEKIAL 16-19
Chapter 16
This chapter is an allegory for Jerusalem and the people of God.
What do each of the characters represent?
How is this like the story of Jerusalem and Israel?
How does this way of telling the truth help you see the pain in the way Israel has acted and the great love of God toward his people?
What are the spiritual truths you see as you read this story?
Chapter 17
What is the story that God gave Ezekiel?
How is it explained?
What happens to the new tree in verse 22-24 and what does it mean?
Chapter 18
What does God say here about sin, punishment, righteousness and justice?
What question is asked in verse 25 and 29?
How can we see the same attitude today?
What does God want for each of us (HINT: verse 30-32)?
Chapter 19
This lament is given in allegory form. All of the other pantomimes, visions, activities have an explanation somewhere else in the chapter. This one doesn't. After all this reading in Ezekiel, what do you think this lament means? What is the tone?
DAY SIX, NOVEMBER 10 - EZEKIAL 20-22
Chapters 20 - 22
Is Israel disobedience and idolatry a one-time thing or a longstanding lifestyle?
Does Israel want to completely get rid of God in their life or have him on stand-by?
Do those things make it easier or harder for God?
What does God want all the people of the earth to know about him?
Is God justified in his anger and punishment?
DAY SEVEN, NOVEMBER 11 - EZEKIAL 23-24
Chapter 23
What does the allegory of the two sisters mean?
How does God use Judah's and Israel's lovers against them?
What descriptions make you sure that this has to do with worship?
How faithful is your worship to God?
Chapter 24
What is Ezekiel told to do with the boiling pot?
What does it mean?
What happens to Ezekiel wife on the day that Babylon invades Jerusalem?
How is Ezekiel told to respond? Why?
What happens to Ezekiel's voice now?
| DAY ONE | Nov-5 | MARK 8 OR PSALM 86,87&88 |
| DAY TWO | Nov-6 | MARK 9 OR PSALM 89&90 |
| DAY THREE | Nov-7 | MARK 10 OR PSALM 91,92&93 |
| DAY FOUR | Nov-8 | MARK 11 OR PSALM 94&95 |
| DAY FIVE | Nov-9 | MARK 12 OR PSALM 96,97&98 |
| DAY SIX | Nov-10 | MARK 13 OR PSALM 99,100&101 |
| DAY SEVEN | Nov-11 | MARK 14:1-31 OR PSALM 102&103 |
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.