Lesson 12 (Dec 14-20), Dealing with Bad Decisions

Nehemiah's Reaction

1. Why are only Jewish men condemned for marrying non-Jews and not Jewish women for marrying foreigners? Does it make a difference to the family?
2. Why is the language we speak at home called one's "mother tongue?" How does it affect one's upbringing? 
3. How effective is public shaming as a deterrent for undesirable behaviour?

Nehemiah's Reproof

1. Why was Solomon a bad example only for marrying heathen wives, and not for polygamy?
2. How was it acceptable to have for foreigner wives such as Zipporah, Ruth and Rahab?
3. How likely was it that some of the foreign wives in Ezra's day had become genuine worshippers of Yahweh, and were acceptable to Ezra and Nehemiah?
4. How might the term "unequally yoked with unbelievers" apply even to members in the church?

Ezra Reacts

1. How can we mingle with the people we are to evangelize and still avoid ending up marrying one of them?
2. How can we implement the concept of "in the world but not of the world?"
3. How can one who is a believer rectify a decision made earlier to marry a non-believer?

Ezra Acts

1. How correct was it to send away foreign wives and their children? Should the husbands have gone with them and settled perhaps in a third country?
2. How likely was it that some "converted wives were also sent away? Was it possible that such drastic action caused some women to be converted and baptized?
3. Under what circumstances may a marriage be considered "null and void?"

Marriage Today

1. What advice can we give a person contemplating marriage with a non-Adventist who claims that this person is better than many Adventists? Are there non-believers who are in our church, even baptized? 
2. Who is a non believer?
3. What steps can a believer take to try to win over an unbelieving spouse?

Lesson 11 (Dec 7-13), Backslidden People

Tainted Temple Leadership

1. Was the law (Deut 23:3) to prevent Ammonites and Moabites up to the tenth generation, from entering the congregation of Israelites unfair? Did this mean that the eleventh generation could? How did Ruth the Moabitess manage?
2. What evidence is there that Tobiah was a threat to Israel's religion?
3. Why do people forget their initial spiritual fervor?

The Levites in the Fields

1. What is the advantage of having a paid clergy over having volunteers care for the spiritual needs of the family?
2. How much can one person do to reform the church today?
3. What could Israel do about a corrupt priest/high priest who held office because of birthright?

Tithes and Offerings

1. What makes us think that the system of support for the priests in the OT times applies to our churches today?
2. Could the church be supported as well as it is through offerings alone as it is through tithe? 
3. How does Tithing aid in spirituality and relationship with God?

Treading the Winepress on Sabbath

1. Is physical restraint such as locking doors the best way to enforce Sabbath keeping? Why did Nehemiah resort to closing the gates of the city?
2.  Would extracting juice from fruit be wrong if it was for consumption for that day only?
3. Under what circumstances if any might it be okay to buy on Sabbath?

Did Not Your Fathers Do This

1. How would closing the gates help in keeping the Sabbath?
2. What was the response of  Jesus to the strict observance of the Sabbath in His day?
3. Did Jesus mean to say that justice, mercy and faith supercede the law, or are only equal to it?

Lesson 10 (Nov 30-Dec 6), Worshipping the Lord

Singing the Songs of the Lord

1. What are ways in which a song service enhances worship? What are ways in which it can spoil worship? 
2. What has a song leader done in your experience that has made singing more effective?
3. Should singers who have less talent be encouraged or discouraged from singing special songs?
4. Which is more effective for worship moods, performed music or congregational singing?

Purification

1. Why did the Israelites purify the gates and the walls? How had it become defiled?
2. What happens to humans when they undergo purification rites?
3. If one does not feel spiritually cleansed, what should one do?

The Large Thanksgiving Choirs

1. Which is to be preferred, a large choir with whoever wishes to join, or a small choir of only those who have obvious talent?
2. What should be done about the words of songs that are performed which cannot be understood clearly?
3. What is the function of music in worship? What are ways in which it is misused?

Sacrifice as Part of Worship

1. How did animal sacrifices lend itself to teaching the plan of salvation? How much was it a waste of animals?
2. How much did it matter whether people fully understood the ritual of the various kinds of sacrifices?
3. What was so joyful about sacrifices that the people rejoiced and sacrificed?

Priests and Levites as Part of Worship

1. Is there enough rejoicing and celebration in our worship today?
2. How much of the function of priests is replaced by the pastors?
3. How Biblical is it to have pastors paid through tithes like the priests and Levites were in the Old Testament?
4. Should other participants of worship such as visiting preachers and musicians be paid from the tithe?

Lesson 9 (Nov 23-29), Trials, Tribulations, And Lists

The God of History

1. How much of Nebuchadnezzar's madness should Beltshazzer have known? How could he make the same mistake of being too proud?
2. Why was Cyrus so cooperative with God's plan? Did he have a choice?
3. How can we explain the freedom of people like the betrayer and denyer in the light of the statement that  "everyone has a place in God's plan?"

In Their Cities

1. What is the purpose of Biblical genealogies?
2. Should each of us be recording our genealogies? What do we discover by doing so?
3. What is required to turn a life around so completely as the fortunes of Israel and Jerusalem?

Where Are the Priests?

1. What are the advantages of having an inherited clergy?
2. What were the options in Bible times for those other than Levites who wished to serve God?
3. What are the options for those who feel called by God, but not by the church?
4. Was it wrong for Jews to stay back in Babylon when the others returned as per the decree?
5. Is it wrong to migrate to a country other than that which God caused us to be born in?
6. How well did Judaism survive in Babylon?

Humbled Before God

1. What kept Jews from escaping from Babylon before the 70 years were up?
2. What occasions "drove out" certain Israelites from their country? Why would emigrants wish to return to their home country?
3. How are we to know that we are reading the "signs of the times" right?

In the Holy City

1. Would the returning Jews have preferred to live in Jerusalem or in the rural towns?
2. Why was it necessary for some to occupy the city of Jerusalem?
3. What are ways in which Adventists can reach out to those who live in India's cities?

Lesson 8 (Nov 16-22), God and the Covenant

The Idea of the Covenant

1. Why does God want to make a covenant with people? Why do people want to make a covenant with God? What would it be like if there was no covenant between God and humans?
2. What evidence is there of a  covenant between God and the first family on earth?
3. Why do the majority of people end up on the side of evil?

Covenants in History

1. How can one tell if a covenant is not meant to be permanent? Has God made any temporary covenants?
2. What indicates that a covenant has been terminated? 
3. What do we understand by the term "old covenant?"

Covenantal Structure

1.  When making a petition or prayer what are the advantages of following a "structure?" What are disadvantages? For example, what are the benefits and weaknesses of using the Lord's prayer as a template?
2. What are advantages and/or disadvantages of using a template for covenants?
3. What are the differences in covenants made between equals and between unequals?

Pledges

1. Is it always wrong to marry outside the faith? Aren't there some worse people within the church?
2. Should pledges precede or follow grace?
3. Why does God want us to support the church financially when He has all the resources He needs?

The Temple

1. Why is it beneficial to have a dedicated structure in which to worship?
2. Why does the Adventist church generally require a structure to be debt free before it can be dedicated?
3. Are there any valid reasons why one may cease to give offerings to the church?

Lesson 7 (Nov 9-15), Our Forgiving God

Fasting and Worship

1. How responsible are children for the sins of their fathers? Why did the Israelites need to repent for their ancestors' sins?
2. To what extent were children rewarded or punished for the actions of their parents in the history of Israel?
3. How does the Holy Spirit help those who read the Bible?

Beginning of the Prayer

1. How should prayers begin and why?
2. What makes Abraham father of those who have faith when he failed to trust God to protect him and his wife?
3. Why is the doctrine of creation so important to our faith?

Lessons from the Past

1. Why is confession of sin important? How does conceding the sin of long past ancestors help?
2. What comes first, confession or repentance? 
3. What lessons does one learn from past experiences of confession?

The Law and the Prophets

1. Why do people forget God during periods of plenty?
2. Why does God give gifts that make people fat?
3. In what ways is it a blessing to have and know God's law?
4. Is the law enough for salvation? How necessary is it to have prophets?

Praise and Petition

1. How important is it to plan a prayer? Are prayers especially those to be said in public in church better read or delivered from the heart spontaneously?
2. Is it better to be a servant or a slave of God?
3. Why do people place their petition at the end of a prayer instead of getting straight to the point?

Lesson 6 (Nov 2-8), The Reading of the Word

What were the advantages in Nehemiah appointing his own brother as governor of Jerusalem? What were the disadvantages?

The People Gather

1. What benefits are there from a public reading of God's word over a private reading? How necessary is it to hear the actual words when the audience is the whole city and the meeting outdoors?
2. What contribution to faith does a festival make? How can one ensure that faith endures during festivities?
3. What does it mean for "all the people to assemble as one person?" How does that happen?

Reading and Hearing the Law

1. What is so interesting about the "law" that the people would listen for half a day?
2. What other parts of the Old Testament would have existed at that time and why would the law be preferred for reading that day?
3. How often does one need to hear the law? How would hearing in those days compare with hearing today?

Reading and Interpreting the Word

1. How much can the Bible be understood by plain reading? What are necessary tools for understanding the Bible better?
2. What advantages does the printed Word have over the digital versions? What advantages do the digital Bibles have over the printed ones? Why do we use the word "scroll" with smart screens?
3. How much can we trust preachers today to give the correct interpretation of the Bible? 

The People's Response

1. Why did the people mourn and weep as the law was being read? Why did the leaders tell the people not to mourn?
2. How responsible were the people for their failure to have observed the law in their personal lives, and for the nation?
3. What makes Christianity arguably the happiest of all religions?

The Joy of the Lord

1. What is different in the strength that comes from joy and the strength that comes from fear?
2.  What is suggested by the fact that the heads of families assembled again with the leaders to hear the Word once more the next day?
3. Considering that the people were almost wholly younger people who were not the ones taken into exile, or who had needed to be punished, what could have been their attitude to God's law?