In the Psalms: Part 1

Key Verses: Exodus 3-4 Key Questions
 Abraham J. Heschel talks about “the prophet” being one who feels deeply what God feels (pathos). Consider the possible symbolic meanings of the burning bush—what do they disclose about the nature of God, his relationship to the world, and Moses’ mission? Why is the revealing of God’s name significant in the development of the story of God and His people? 
 What does God’s statement, “I have seen… I have heard… I know… and I have come down” reveal about God’s stance toward the oppressed? How should this inform the ethical sensibilities of communities of faith today?

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Key Verses: Exodus 1-2 Key Questions
 Why is it meaningful to consider the title of the book (Exodus x Shemot) as we think about the nature of the book of Exodus itself?
 What kind of a world is the world in the first chapters of Exodus and how similar is it to our world today? 
 Where is God and where are “His people” in the introduction of the book of Exodus? How do the women depicted in the first two chapters of Exodus provide insights into possible answers to this question.
 How does the author use irony and reversal in the scene of ...

Opening QuestionWhat is the largest natural disaster you’ve experienced personally? IntroductionOur lesson this week concludes the study of prophetic foreshadowings or types from the Old Testament that predict or hint at final events. The key here is that they show how God’s actions in history give us reasons to have hope in the future. The same struggles and victories of His people in the past are ours today.  This lesson looks at Jonah’s calling, and then takes us to Babylon to watch it fall, and reveals a pagan “Messiah” who delivered God’s people from their exile. Yes, God even uses pagan ...

Opening QuestionWhat aspects of the future worry you most? IntroductionThis lesson is primarily drawn from Daniel 2 and 3 and some New Testament parallels, especially Relation 13. Generally, Daniel can be divided into two sections: chs. 1-6 are narrative while chs. 7-12 are more prophetic/visionary. Yet in both chs. 2 and 4, Nebuchadnezzar has dreams. In both, Daniel interprets them for the king, setting the stage for, and giving us clues of interpretation regarding, the later chapters of the book.  It often surprises Bible readers when they learn that the narratives of Daniel are just as significant to helping interpret Revelation ...

Opening QuestionWhat value do you find hearing ancient stories? IntroductionThis lesson focuses on two small books: Ruth (4 chapters) and Esther (10 chapters). These stories have been told in Christian and Jewish circles with much respect for these faithful women, holding them up as beautiful exemplars. The stories contain some surprises when read beyond the children’s books, but these only make the stories more complex and dramatic. I highly recommend reading through both books in their entirety, rather than reading a section here or there. We will find, as the quarterly addresses, that these stories have a future-focus as well. RuthRead ...

Opening QuestionCan God affect human events without violating our freedom of choice? IntroductionIn this study, the author examines stories from the Old Testament that in one way or another foreshadow, typify, or parallel some final events of the New Testament. The concept here is called typology. Essentially, typology is when an Old Testament historical person(s), place, event, or institution somehow prefigures Christ or last-day events. Many Old Testament stories find a parallel in Jesus Christ, such as the near-sacrifice of Isaac, and God’s substitution of a ram for the firstborn.  An important question that may not find an easy answer is ...

Opening QuestionWhat is the greatest struggle you’ve endured? IntroductionThe Psalms offer encouragement to God’s people as they journey through the struggle with sin and seek victory. One of the ways god encourages us is by painting pictures of a glorious future, providing hope of a world restored. This is a major theme of the Psalms, as well as the Hebrew Prophets and Revelation, too!  Psalm 46The lesson this week asks us to meditate on this Psalm. Read Psalm 46, and for each verse or section, consider what experiences here and now are addressed by the lines.  For the choir director. A Psalm ...

Opening QuestionDo you love poetry? Why or why not? IntroductionThe figurative language of poetry allows us to not only express specific ideas, but also feelings, images and pictures in ways that prose cannot. The use of symbols, of metaphor, simile, parallelism, and chiasm all contribute to create literary pictures and emotions that resonate in the heart, that move and draw us. Revelation borrows much of the imagery of the Psalms. The lesson this week explores some of these connections.  The Psalms as a WholeIt is helpful to consider the lyrics (sadly, most of the music is lost to us) of the ...

Opening QuestionHow do you think you would respond if you met God face to face? IntroductionThis lesson directs us to the throne, and to the living beings and their activities around it. While not a tremendous amount can be known of the angelic world—indeed some angelology goes far beyond scripture!—several books of the Bible highlight their role and proximity to God. We can learn more about the purposes of God by examining these beings. Angels in GenesisThroughout the Old Testament, when God sends a messenger to speak or meet with his people, that being is called “the angel of the Lord.” ...

Opening QuestionWhat would you give up for someone you love? IntroductionThe lesson this week is how the concept of sacrifice found throughout the Bible plays a role in the prophetic literature. As an earlier lesson noted, Genesis is the starting point for most major topics in Scripture, and certainly in Revelation. Sacrifice is so much a part of Revelation, that if we miss the temple/sanctuary structure of the book and the various sacrifices that take place there, we will fail to grasp the big picture of the Great Controversy, and how God uses His own sacrifice and that of His ...