QT with Bible

When all Israel longed for a king, the Lord orchestrated Saul's journey to search for lost donkeys, leading him to meet Samuel. 👉 Read 1Samuel 9:1 - 27 Q1. (3 - 4) What had been Saul looking for? Answers 👉 His father's donkeys The text says that Saul searched everywhere for the donkeys, but he couldn't find them. A herd of donkeys would have been a valuable asset in his father's household. Q2. (5 – 10) What did they want to see the seer? (6, 8) Answer 👉 to know where they should go (to find the donkeys).  The author specifically addresses a religious practice of those days in verses 8 – 9. People would come to the seer to ask God about various matters, particularly their fortunes or future direction, often compensating the seer. The prophet was the one who delivered the Lord’s messages, initiated by the Lord. Meanwhile, the seer was a person who foretold the future, whether divinely inspired or not, primarily in response to people's inquiries....

As Samuel aged and his sons mirrored the failures of Hophni and Phinehas, the people grew weary of the inconsistent and unreliable leadership. Seeking stability and security, they demanded the establishment of a monarchy. 👉 Read 1Samuel 8:1 - 22 Q1. What displeased God about their request for a king?  Answers 👉 They rejected God as their king and His way of governing Israel. When the Lord brought the Israelites into Canaan, He established not a centralized government but a theocratic and self-governing society based on adherence to God's words. They didn't maintain a standing army or government officials; leaders were raised only during invasions to lead the battle. Under the leadership of these appointed judges, the Lord delivered them. However, once a judge died, the nation often fell prey to their enemies again, due to persistent sins that the judges couldn't fully eradicate. The failure of Samuel's sons, mirroring the failures of Hophni and Phinehas, spu...

When they repented from their hearts and humbly sought God’s deliverance, they experienced God’s salvation.  👉 Read 1Samuel 7:2 - 17 Q1. They longed for the Lord, and Samuel exhorted them, “If you are really turning to the Lord with all your (            ), remove idols from among (          ), give your (           ) to the Lord, and serve him (          ). Then He will deliver you.” (1 – 4). Samuel gathered people at (             ), and they fasted and confessed their (           ) (5  -  6). When the Philistines came to attack, people said to Samuel, ‘(            ) crying out to the Lord our God so that he (       ) save us.” As Samuel prayed, God answered him. (7 – 9) Answers 👉 They longed for the Lord, and Samuel exhorted them, “If y...

Though the Ark returned to Israel, the people of Beth Shemesh dealt with it presumptuously and were struck by the Lord. The Israelites nor the Philistines could not stand before the Lord. 👉 Read 1Samuel 6:1 - 7:1 Q1. What advice did the priests and omen readers give regarding the return of the ark to Israel? (3-4) Answers 👉 “Be sure to return it with a guilt offering.” “don’t send it away empty” They were deeply concerned about how they had offended God by treating the ark as mere plunder. To atone for their offense, they offered a guilt offering to God. Their reverence for the ark stood in stark contrast to Israel’s presumptuous and irreverent behavior toward the Lord.  Do you feel sorrow before the Lord for your past presumptuous life that offended Him? Then, what guilt offering have you brought to the Lord?  Q2. What were their guilt offerings? Answer 👉 gold sores and gold mice: the images of the plagues.  The act of sending the gold images with th...

The Philistines seized the ark as plunder, but the Lord struck their towns and afflicted their people. 👉 Read 1Samuel 5:1 - 12 Q1. Why do you think they put the ark of the Lord in the temple of Dagon? Answers 👉 They thought their god, Dagon, was stronger so they defeated Israel. The Philistines originated from the Aegean Sea, most likely the island of Crete. Dagon was the god of the Philistines. This image shows that the idol was represented in the combination of both man and fish. The name “Dagon” is derived from ‘dag’ which means ‘fish.’ ->  https://bible-history.com/sketches/dagon Q2. Why do you think God made the idol Dagon fall and strike the Philistine? (6-7) Answer 👉 God wants to show them not because God is weaker than Dagon that the Israelites were defeated. Q3. What did the Philistines do to the ark? Answers 👉 They passed it around. They reasoned that relocating the ark to a place associated with a stronger local deity would prevent it from ...

They brought the ark of the Lord to the battlefield, expecting victory, but they were defeated and lost the ark. 👉 Read 1Samuel 4:1 - 22 Q1. When the Israelites failed in the battle, they knew (            ) had made them defeated. They said, “Let’s take with us the ark of the (                   ) of the Lord from Shiloh. When it is with us, it (        ) save us.”  They took the ark of the covenant of the Lord of (                        ), who sits between (               ). Now the (             ) of Eli were there.  Answers 👉 When the Israelites failed in the battle, they knew ( the Lord  ) had made them defeated. They said, “Let’s take with us the ark of the (  covenant  ) of the Lord from Shiloh. When it is with ...

The Lord called Samuel for the first time and announced imminent judgment on Eli’s house. Then, through Samuel, the Lord resumed making His word known.  👉 Read 1Samuel 3:1 - 21 Q1. There was no message from the Lord. Eli’s blindness symbolizes the spiritual (              ) of those days. (1-2) However, the Lord (           ) appeared in Shioloh and resumed revealing His words to all (            ) through Samuel. None of his prophecies fell to the ground (            ). (19-21) Answers 👉 There was no message from the Lord. Eli’s blindness symbolizes the spiritual ( darkness  ) of those days. (1-2) However, the Lord ( again ) appeared in Shioloh and resumed revealing His words to all ( Israel ) through Samuel. None of his prophecies fell to the ground ( unfulfilled  ). (19-21) But still, there is hope, for the Lord’s lamp was not off, an...