Old Testament 150 Reading Challenge week 11

Old Testament 150 Reading Challenge 5 May 2014 to 28th November 2014 Week 11: Bible Reading Plan and Discussion Starters

Welcome to The Salvation Army's Challenge to read
150 popular chapters from the Old Testament within 7 months,

reading just 5 chapters per week.

Monday, July 14, 2014 --- Exodus 01 --- The descendants of Israel become oppressed slaves in Egypt 

-       If you add v6, v7, and v8 together…do you get the reason for the Israelites becoming slaves in Egypt?

-       Why do you think anti-Semitism is still so prevalent today?

-       Do you think the persecution of Christians worldwide can be a result of fearing their message?

-       Is it possible that closer to home, ridicule, mockery and even aggression toward Christians is rooted in a kind of ‘fear’ of the Gospel of Jesus Christ?

-       V15-22, such disregard for the value of a tiny baby’s life may seem outrageously cruel, but are there similarities within our culture today? 

Tuesday, July 15, 2014 --- Exodus 02 --- Moses is born, raised, and then flees to Midian. 

-       V2, how easy do you think it was to hide a baby for 3 months!

-       V3, do you think the baby was placed in this location at random, or in the knowledge of it being a place where he may be seen by someone who could protect him?

-       V6, how do you think they could tell that the boy was a Hebrew?

-       V7, do you think the sister came up with this idea by herself, or that this was all a part of the plan?

-       V10, so what relation would Moses have been to the Pharaoh?

-       V11, how do you think Moses became aware of the fact that he was a Hebrew?

-       V15, Pharaoh tries to kill Moses, was this a key turning point in Moses’ life?

-       V23, clearly this chapter covers a great deal of time, and yet there is little mention of how much thought Moses gave to God. Is it possible that his early years within the Hebrew family would have also been his most formative and helped set the foundations of his spiritual life for what was to come?...if so, what can this teach us about the importance of the early years? 

Wednesday, July 16, 2014 --- Exodus 03 --- Moses speaks with God at a bush which is on fire but which doesn’t burn up! 

-       V1, Moses’ father-in-law seems to be known as both Reuel and Jethro…is this legitimate, or is it a contradiction?...can you think of anyone else in the chapters we have read so far who was known by 2 different names?

-       V2, was the angel of the Lord in the bush, or in the fire?

-       V10-11, do we sometimes respond this way when God asks us to go and tell people about how they can be saved from the slavery of sin?...what was God’s response?

-       V16-21, from God’s eternal perspective, did the Pharaoh have any freewill?...what is the difference between something being ‘pre-known’ and something being ‘pre-destined’? 

Thursday, July 17, 2014 --- Exodus 04 --- God becomes angry at Moses’ reluctance! 

-       V1, “What if…?”, is this a question which sometimes stops us from doing the things we should? Why? And what can we do about it?

-       V8, can you imagine what impact these signs might have on you if performed today?

-       V10-17, why do we highlight our weaknesses as an excuse to not do what God asks? Do you find it easy to tell people about Jesus and what He has done for you, and what He can do for others? How did God respond to God’s reluctance and what can we learn from this?

-       V13, does this request sound familiar to you?...does it demonstrate the extent of our trust in God’s power?  

Friday, July 18, 2014 --- Exodus 05 --- Moses approaches Pharaoh and, as predicted, the King refuses to let the Israelites go.

-       V1-3, was Moses asking Pharaoh to let the Israelite slaves go completely free?...or something for much less demanding?

-       V22, Moses already had God’s promise, and yet here he seems to be doubting God’s timing. Do we do this today?...aware of His promises, do we sometimes doubt His timing?