DEUTERONOMY Lesson 1
DISCUSSION CHPTS. 1-3, INTRO TO CHAPTS. 4-5
OPEN WITH PRAYER
OPENING: Tell us what brought you to this Catalina Foothills Church Bible study?
Pass out Prayer Request Cards. Fill them out and pass them to the left.
SUMMARY OF CHAPTER 1:
Moses recounts what God did for the parents of these people from Mt. Sinai to Kadesh-barnea, the edge of the Promised Land and how the parents reacted with fear and disbelief and striking out on their own without God’s blessings.
SUMMARY OF CHAPTER 2: Moses recounts most of the 38 years of wandering. Again he emphasizes God’s instructions as well as His faithfulness and deliverance.
SUMMARY OF CHAPTER 3: Moses recounts the defeat of Og, the parceling out of lands to three tribes, and the transition of leadership to Joshua.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
1. Nine times in these 2 chapters Moses says, “The Lord our God....” and 8 times he says “the Lord your God...”. What is he trying to get the people to understand? When you read this, do you feel Moses is talking to you about your God, our God?
2. For the most part, none of the people to whom Moses is speaking was alive at Sinai or when the Israelites first came to the Promised Land. Why does Moses address them as if they were? What effect would this have on their sense of being a people? Do we in America have that sense? Do Christians? Should we?
3. Why did the Lord tell Moses to bypass Edom, Moab and Ammon? Who was the ancestor of the Edomites? Of the Moabites and Ammonites? This is over 400 years after these men lived. Do Americans feel a part of their ancestors? How far back can you trace your ancestry? Have we lost something?
4. God repeatedly commanded the Israelites to completely destroy people. Why did He do that? Why don’t we even think about doing that today?
5. Which tribes settled west of the Jordan River? What special instructions did Moses give them? Once they were given the land, why do you think the men crossed over and helped the other tribes fight? What prompted them to obedience?
6. Moses was not allowed to enter the Promised Land. Read Numbers 20:7-12. What was Moses supposed to do? What did he do? What does this tell us about God?
CLOSE IN PRAYER
OVERVIEW OF CHAPT. 4-5. Ch. 4 is a summary of the covenant. It is also the admonition and prophecy of the result of turning away or forgetting God, who He is and what He has done.
Ch. 5, God’s 10 commandments, the initial response of Israel and God’s response to Israel’s response.
ASSIGNMENT FOR WEEK 3: Read Chapters 4, 5
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
1. The people Moses is addressing were the children of those brought out of Egypt and given the Commandments. Yet, Moses speaks as if they were there themselves. What message is God conveying through this? What does this mean for us?
2. Thirteen times in Deuteronomy God says, “Hear O Israel” or “Listen” or “You must listen”. He is saying, “Pay attention! Don’t let it go in one ear and out the other.” What do you do in your study or prayer time to close out distractions? What is the greatest obstacle to you really hearing or listing to the Word of God?
3. Ch. 4, vs. 6-7 tells us that people will notice when we live by God’s rules. Our faith should be open and obvious from the way we live. Read Matthew 5:14-16. What impact have these verses had on your life?
4. God warns us over and over not to put anything before Him, to worship no god besides Him. What are some of the things we, today, let come between ourselves and God?
5. The Ten Commandments are in Ch. 5, vs. 6-21. Before He gives us any commandments, He reminds us Who He is and what He has done for us. He brought us out of darkness, out of slavery, not just the Israelites, but us as well. What is the effect of God getting us to remember before giving us the rules?
6. First of all is our worship and reverence of God, including our not taking even His name lightly. Verses 12-15 are about keeping the Sabbath. Read Ex. 20:8-11 and Ex. 31: 12-17.
a) Describe the differences between the three. What does God add each time He tells us to observe the Sabbath? What is the importance of these additions?
b) We are under a new covenant (Jer. 31:31-34). What has God given us to do as a sign of the new covenant between us and Him? (Hint: See John 31:34)
c) All of the commandments are for our own good (Deu. 10:12-13). Not only are we no longer judged by whether or not we keep the Sabbath (Romans 14:5-8), Jesus told us that viewing the Sabbath as something to be kept legalistically is wrong. Read Mark 2:23-27. What is the principal Jesus is teaching us here?
d) Since the Sabbath was made for man, do you accept His gift of a day off? for those of you who set aside one day every week, what do you do on that day? What is the benefit to you?
EZRA/NEHEMIAH: A BIBLE STUDY
LESSON 9: Ezra 10
1. (Read Ezra 10:1-5) Although Ezra could lead the people in repentance and could intercede in their behalf, the people had to turn from their sin to receive God’s continued blessings. Every week pastors throughout our country pray, as Mark does. They intercede and pray for repentance for themselves and for their congregations. How do you respond when your pastor prays on your behalf?
a. The leadership of the church is upon the pastor. Like Ezra, our pastors need to know that we are with them. Our support will give them courage to exhort us to righteousness. How can we let them know we support them? What can you do, personally?
2. (Read Ezra 10:6-9) Ezra and the elders and the leaders had the authority to inflict grave consequences if the people did not participate. What were the consequences?
a. They sat outdoors, in the heavy rain, trembling because of the matter and the rain. All of the men of Judah and Benjamin came. If for whatever reason, Mark called us to fast and pray for a day, all of us together, perhaps for revival in our country, perhaps for repentance for our own shortcomings, whatever he felt was sufficiently important, what percentage of the congregation do you think would participate? Why do you think that? Would you?
3. (Read Ezra 10:10-38) The obedience was not without opposition. Whenever we chose to do God’s will, we will be opposed. When have you faced opposition for doing what you knew was right? What did you do?
a. The leaders had to go first. As the leadership goes, so will go those they lead. What qualities are you looking for in our next leaders?
b. This was no witch hunt or haphazard endeavor. It took over 2 months to catalogue the foreign wives. Do not under estimate the pain of the sacrifice this required. What sacrifice(s) has God required of you? Which have been the most difficult?
c. What have you learned in the course of studying Ezra that you will apply to your own life?