Key Verses: Exodus 7-10

Key Questions


Chapter 7 begins with a clarification of the dynamic between God, Moses and Aaron in terms of prophetic activity followed by an announcement of judgment that God would bring to the land of Egypt. How does this text anticipate later prophetic activity within Israel?

How do the miraculous signs performed by Moses and Aaron challenge Pharaoh’s authority? In what ways do the “plagues” challenge the Egyptian worldview and its pantheon of gods?

What does Pharaoh’s continued resistance reveal about the nature of human obstinacy in the face of justice? What is the meaning of “hardening of the ...

Key Verses: Exodus 5-6

Key Questions


Pharaoh responds to Moses’ call for justice by increasing oppression (questioning “rest” and adding to the labor so that the people will not regard “lying words”). What does this say about how oppressive powers react to the demands for liberation?

How can the Israelite response to increased hardship inform contemporary understandings of faith under oppression?



Egyptians perceive the Israelites as “idle.” How does derogatory language precede de-humanizing actions in the Bible and in history?


How does God's reaffirmation of the covenant with the patriarchs strengthen the Israelites’ faith (especially in 6:3)? What is the role of memory in ...

Key Verses: Exodus 3-4

Key Questions


Abraham J. Heschel talks about “the prophet” being one who feels deeply what God feels (pathos). Consider the possible symbolic meanings of the burning bush—what do they disclose about the nature of God, his relationship to the world, and Moses’ mission?

Why is the revealing of God’s name significant in the development of the story of God and His people? 


What does God’s statement, “I have seen… I have heard… I know… and I have come down” reveal about God’s stance toward the oppressed? How should this inform the ethical sensibilities of communities of faith today?



How ...

Key Verses: Exodus 1-2

Key Questions


Why is it meaningful to consider the title of the book (Exodus x Shemot) as we think about the nature of the book of Exodus itself?


What kind of a world is the world in the first chapters of Exodus and how similar is it to our world today? 


Where is God and where are “His people” in the introduction of the book of Exodus? How do the women depicted in the first two chapters of Exodus provide insights into possible answers to this question.


How does the author use irony and reversal in the scene of ...

Opening QuestionWhat is the largest natural disaster you’ve experienced personally?

IntroductionOur lesson this week concludes the study of prophetic foreshadowings or types from the Old Testament that predict or hint at final events. The key here is that they show how God’s actions in history give us reasons to have hope in the future. The same struggles and victories of His people in the past are ours today. 

This lesson looks at Jonah’s calling, and then takes us to Babylon to watch it fall, and reveals a pagan “Messiah” who delivered God’s people from their exile. Yes, God even uses pagan ...

Opening QuestionWhat aspects of the future worry you most?

IntroductionThis lesson is primarily drawn from Daniel 2 and 3 and some New Testament parallels, especially Relation 13. Generally, Daniel can be divided into two sections: chs. 1-6 are narrative while chs. 7-12 are more prophetic/visionary. Yet in both chs. 2 and 4, Nebuchadnezzar has dreams. In both, Daniel interprets them for the king, setting the stage for, and giving us clues of interpretation regarding, the later chapters of the book. 

It often surprises Bible readers when they learn that the narratives of Daniel are just as significant to helping interpret Revelation ...

Opening QuestionWhat value do you find hearing ancient stories?

IntroductionThis lesson focuses on two small books: Ruth (4 chapters) and Esther (10 chapters). These stories have been told in Christian and Jewish circles with much respect for these faithful women, holding them up as beautiful exemplars. The stories contain some surprises when read beyond the children’s books, but these only make the stories more complex and dramatic. I highly recommend reading through both books in their entirety, rather than reading a section here or there. We will find, as the quarterly addresses, that these stories have a future-focus as well.

RuthRead ...

Opening QuestionCan God affect human events without violating our freedom of choice?

IntroductionIn this study, the author examines stories from the Old Testament that in one way or another foreshadow, typify, or parallel some final events of the New Testament. The concept here is called typology. Essentially, typology is when an Old Testament historical person(s), place, event, or institution somehow prefigures Christ or last-day events. Many Old Testament stories find a parallel in Jesus Christ, such as the near-sacrifice of Isaac, and God’s substitution of a ram for the firstborn. 

An important question that may not find an easy answer is ...

Opening QuestionWhat is the greatest struggle you’ve endured?

IntroductionThe Psalms offer encouragement to God’s people as they journey through the struggle with sin and seek victory. One of the ways god encourages us is by painting pictures of a glorious future, providing hope of a world restored. This is a major theme of the Psalms, as well as the Hebrew Prophets and Revelation, too! 

Psalm 46The lesson this week asks us to meditate on this Psalm. Read Psalm 46, and for each verse or section, consider what experiences here and now are addressed by the lines. 

For the choir director. A Psalm ...

Opening QuestionDo you love poetry? Why or why not?

IntroductionThe figurative language of poetry allows us to not only express specific ideas, but also feelings, images and pictures in ways that prose cannot. The use of symbols, of metaphor, simile, parallelism, and chiasm all contribute to create literary pictures and emotions that resonate in the heart, that move and draw us. Revelation borrows much of the imagery of the Psalms. The lesson this week explores some of these connections. 

The Psalms as a WholeIt is helpful to consider the lyrics (sadly, most of the music is lost to us) of the ...