Old Testament 150 Reading Challenge week 14

Old Testament 150 Reading Challenge 5 May 2014 to 28th November 2014 Week 14: 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, August 04, 2014 --- Exodus 16 --- The Israelites complain and God provides again 

-       v2-3, maybe thing  were pretty bad, but doesn't it seem odd that such complaints come so soon after the songs of praise and thanks in the previous chapter? Why is this? Is it just a demonstration of our 'fickleness'? A lack of faith or spiritual maturity? Is it just a reaction to this particular situation, or are there similarities within our lives today?

-       v20, Why was Moses angry? Are any of God’s laws complicated or difficult to understand?

-       v24-26, Aside from God's daily provision pf quail and manna, there was also the weekly provision of a Sabbath miracle.

-       v29, The Lord had ''given' them the Sabbath. Why was the Sabbath a gift?

Tuesday, August 05, 2014 --- Exodus 17 --- Water from a rock, and the Israelites get attacked 

-       v5-7, Another amazing miracle. Why do you think Moses was told to take some of the elders with him? Were they witnesses? Was the idea that the people might go to them rather than directly to Moses in the future? 

-       v8-16, What reasons might there have been for the Amalekites to attack the Israelites?

Wednesday, August 06, 2014 --- Exodus 18 --- Moses is reunited with his wife, and offered advice from his father-in-law. 

-       v13-16, why do you think the people brought their disputes to Moses?

-       v 17-18, What factors would have led Jethro to believe that this was too much work for Moses? 

-       v19-26,  Moses took Jethro's advice. How can we tell the difference between good management of resources (including delegation), and being lazy or shifting responsibility?

-       v 24, Moses used Jethro (a priest of Midian, who evidently praised and worshipped God) as his mentor or sounding board. Is this a good idea to adopt a trusted mentor or sounding board in our lives? If so, what characteristics should they have?

Thursday, August 07, 2014 --- Exodus 19 --- God speaks to the Israelites, through Moses, at Mount Sinai 

-       v5-6, Is this simply a matter of 'favouritism toward the Jews?...or does being a 'kingdom of priests and a holy nation' imply that God was setting them apart for a purpose and responsibility?

-       v13&16&19, There appears to have been a literal sound of a trumpet. Where did this sound come from?...How might this compare to the future trumpet of 1 Corinthians 15:51-52 & 1 Thessalonians 4:15-17?

 Friday, August 08, 2014 --- Exodus 20 --- Moses receives the 10 Commandments 

-        v1-17, Take a careful, serious, personal look at these Ten Commandments.  Have you managed to keep God's Law, or have you (like me) been a Law-breaker?  If you came before the perfect, holy, incorruptible Judge who cannot be bribed or turned from His desire for justice, would you be found innocent or guilty of breaking His Law?

-       Can a perfectly just and holy Judge avoid administering justice without compromising His character?

-       What, then, do we deserve - freedom or punishment?

-       God loves us, but He also loves justice. Does this help explain why He couldn’t just forgive us without firstly taking the punishment for our sins upon Himself (paying the fine/penalty for what we have done)?

-       Have you accepted your guilty verdict? Have you repented? Have you trusted in the death of Jesus as the penalty for your Law-breaking?

-       Have you accepted the promise of salvation, forgiveness, and resurrection to eternal life which comes through this process?