Old Testament Prophets (For Discussion on October 17)

The Humanity of Prophets

1. What do you imagine Ahab's emotions were as he reported the events of the day on Carmel to Jezebel? Had he been converted or not?

2. How do you reconcile Elijah's fleeing from Jezebel to save his life on the one hand, with his request to God to "take my life," on the other hand?

3. Even though Elijah had a nature like ours, what characteristics of Elijah, do you think made him special?

Identifying True Prophets

1. How much do you think (false) prophets believed in themselves and their prophecies?

2. How would the king of Israel have known that the four hundred were not prophets of the Lord, and that Micaiah was? Were their claims enough?

3. Can a true prophet have sin in his or her life?

Functions of Prophets

1. Why did God ask some prophets to anoint kings? How much good did it do for the king's faithfulness to God? 

2. Why do you think God generally didn't call kings or priests to be prophets?

3. Why were kings permitted by God to persecute prophets?

Women Prophets

1. While we know that certain women (or even men) are referred to in the Bible as prophets, how would the people of their day know that they were prophets, since the Bible was not written yet?

2. Why do you think that God would call women to be prophets but not as kings or priests?

3. Are women in general closer to God than men? Give reasons for your answer.

False Prophets

1. Can some false prophets seem genuine? How much can people be faulted for sincerely believing a false prophet ?

2. What can make a false prophet believe they are a true prophet?

3. Why are there more false prophets than true prophets?

 

The Call of a Prophet (For Discussion on Sabbath October 10)

 Abraham, Defender of the Covenant

1. Why do you think God called Abraham out of Ur into a hard nomadic life? Couldn't Abraham have remained faithful even in the midst of idolatory, and been a good witness to others in the city?

2.  How can Abraham be an example of those who have faith when he demonstrated lack of faith in God to care for him twice, by lying about Sarah being his wife?

3. Why is the near sacrifice on Mt. Moriah a demonstration of Abraham's faith rather than Isaac's? 

The Elijah Message

1. After delivering his prophecy of the drought, why did Elijah have to run and hide? Couldn't God have protected him wherever he was, as a demonstration that he was God's true prophet?

2. After so many demonstrations of the results of falling into worship of false gods, why do you think Israelites kept running after Baal?

3. What did Elijah do, that his name is used for forerunners of Jesus' first and second advent?

Isaiah, the Gospel Prophet

1. Should we be hesitant, like Isaiah was, when God calls us to service, or should one respond readily? 

2. Is it necessary for a preacher to have all sins forgiven before delivering God's message?

3. Who is most responsible for justice and injustice, the king, the judges, or the people? 

Daniel, the Faithful Seer

1. Is it better to acquire healthful habits before we are old enough to know the reasons why?

2. Why would Daniel request a vegetarian diet when Israelites were not vegetarians?

3. How does God predicting the rise and fall of nations not make Him responsible for their actions?

John the Baptist, Preparing a People

1. What do you think gave John courage to condemn political and religious leaders? Would it have been better to exercise caution and extend his life?

2. How unfair was it for Satan to tackle John, because he could not defeat Jesus?

3. How can we overcome doubts and fears such as John experienced in prison, considering we cannot get vocal answers from God? 

Lesson 1, The Creator Speaks (For Discussion on Sabbath, Oct 3, 2026)

The Creator Speaks

1.  How important is communication for relationships?

2.  Why did God suspend face-to-face communication with humans after Eden?

3.  Why is Bible study and prayer inadequate communication with God?

Hiding from God

1. Why didn't God program humans to make the right choices?

2.  What difference might it have made if God had warned Adam and Eve about Satan?

3. Why did Adam and Even hide but apparently, not the serpent?

God Seeks Humanity

1. Why did God ask Adam and Eve "Where are you?" rather than "Why are you hiding?"

2. How and why did Satan take target relationships?

3. How much comfort is it to us that even Paul admitted that what he hated he did?

Expelled from the Garden

1. How was the curse on the land, work, and sweat, in a way, good for humans?

2. How can you describe how Adam and Eve felt expelled from God's presence?

3. Where does guilt and shame come from and where does it go?

God's Spokespeople

1. Why do you think Satan has not been allowed to spoil creation completely? How adequately does nature reveal God?

2. How can we know which words of a prophet are inspired and which are not?

3. What can we humans do to ensure we receive what God is communicating through the Holy Spirit?

Expelled From the GardenExpelled From the 1Garden

Lesson 6, November 2-8, 2024

MORE TESTIMONIES ABOUT JESUS

Why does the performance of miracles divide those who witness it? Why do some people reject miracle workers? 

Humility of Soul: John the Baptist Testifies Again

1. What did Jesus mean when He said that if He were lifted up, He would draw everyone to Himself? 
2. How effective was John's testimony of the Messiah, considering his own disciples didn't seem to have accepted it?
3. How important is the role of a bridesmaid or bestman?

A New Understanding of the Messiah

1. What did John do that prepared the way for the Messiah?
2. Why does political freedom seem more urgent than salvation?
3. Why didn't Jesus bring freedom from Rome as well as salvation from sin?

Acceptance and Rejection

1. Why did Jesus use revolting terms as eating His flesh and drinking His blood?
2. Why do you think Judas did not walk away from Jesus?
3. Considering that His disciples understood His mission of salvation only after His death, why did they keep following Him?

The Witness of the Father

1. Why did Jesus say about the Father "You have not heard His voice," when the Father had spoken audibly at his baptism?
2. When God spoke again (John 12:28), why did some people think it was thunder and others think it was the voice of an angel, though Jesus had addressed His Father?
3. How does God glorify His name?

The Witness of the Crowd

1. Since no one had seen Christ before, were people justified in being confused as to Who He really was? 
2. Since the people knew that the Messiah had to be born in Bethlehem and from the line of David, why did they hesitate to connect Jesus to the Messiah?
3. How does a crowd turn into a mob? 

 Lesson 5 for October 26-November 1, 2024

Who, if any, are some types of people that we might not mind being left out of God's kingdom?

THE TESTIMONY OF THE SAMARITANS

The Setting of the Encounter

1. Why might a well still be called "Jacob's" after more than a thousand years?
2. Why would Jews avoid traveling through Samaritan territory?
3. What were advantages and disadvantages of fetching water at an unusual time of the day?

The Woman at the Well

1. How could one with "living water" become thirsty?
2. How does one get converted?
3. How else, besides "living," can we describe the water that Jesus offers?

Sir Give Me This Water

1. What properties did the Samaritan woman think "living water" might have had?
2. Why are questions a good way to introduce a topic?
3. How does hiding sin affect us?

The Revelation of Jesus

1. Why did the Samaritan woman bring up a discussion of holy sites?
2. What are the pros and cons of worshiping in church versus at home?
3. What are the dangers, if any, of worshiping in churches of other denominations?
4. How did Jesus catch the woman's attention, and how did He hold it?

The Testimony of the Samaritans

1. Why do you think the disciples, as soon as they returned, urged Jesus to eat?
2. Why would the gospel writer record that the woman left her pot behind?
3. What could have convinced the town folk to follow the woman to Jesus?

Closing down this Blog.

 Friends, after about ten years I feel it is time to discontinue this blog. I have been writing these questions on the Sabbath School lesson since 2011, which is ten years. I would hope that those of you who have been using these questions will continue your good discussions in class. 

I am now teaching the Cornerstone youth class and enjoying discussing questions with them, but on a different set of lessons.

God bless you all. It's been an interesting experience for me.

Gordon Christo

Lesson 3 (Apr 10-16, 2021), All Future Generations

 The Sin Principle

1. Why did humans sin again and again even after seeing the consequences of Eve's and Adam's sin?
2. How likely was it that Adam and Eve themselves sinned again?
3. Did human nature and propensity to sin change slowly or instantly?
4. How is propensity to sin passed on through generations?

The Man Noah

1. How could a righteous and blameless man get drunk and lie naked?
2. What qualified Noah to be called righteous and blameless?
3. What distinguished Noah from other humans before the flood?

Covenant with Noah

1. Did Noah's response cover his entire family or did they have to also enter into a covenant with God?
2. How likely is it that Noah had other children, daughters maybe?
3. Why does God speak to Noah saying it was "My covenant?"

Sign of the Rainbow

1. What do most people associate the rainbow with?
2. What obligations do people have regarding God's covenant to not destroy the earth with flood again? Is that conditional?
3. Why do we speak as though the rainbow has seven colours?

Only Noah Was Left

1. Are "remnant" those who are left behind, or those taken away?
2. How was Noah able to stay so different from the people around him?
3. What did God mean by mentioning "regret" for creating humans? Had He made a mistake?