LESSON #75 (Week ending 08/16/11)

PSALMS 42-51

OVERVIEW

DATE:

The Psalms were written over a period of about 900 years, from the time of Moses (90, written about 1405 b.c.) to the time of Israel’s return from Babylonian exile (126, 147–150, written c. 500 b.c.).^[1]

MAJOR CLASSIFICATIONS OF PSALMS:

* Praise psalms. These focus on the person of God and praise Him by describing His nature or His qualities. This type of psalm is illustrated by Psalms 33, 103, and 139.

* Historical psalms. These review God’s dealings with His people. Illustrations are Psalms 68, 78, 105, and 106.

* Relational psalms. These psalms explore the personal relationship which exists between God and the believer. They are illustrated by Psalms 8, 16, 20, 23, and 55.

* Imprecatory psalms. These are psalms in which the worshiper calls on God to overthrow the wicked. Among them are Psalms 35, 69, 109, and 137.

* Penitential psalms. In these the psalmist expresses sorrow over his failures and confesses his sins to God. Examples are Psalms 6, 32, 51, 102, 130, and 143.

* Messianic psalms. These psalms refer in some way to Christ, who is to come from David’s family line. Many such psalms are indicated by references in the New Testament. Psalms which the New Testament indicates refer to Christ are Psalms 2, 8, 16, 22, 40, 45, 69, 72, 89, 102, 109–110, and 132.

* Liturgical psalms. These are psalms which were used in Israel’s worship at specific times of the year or on special occasions. Liturgical psalms may be illustrated by Psalms 30, 92, and Psalms 120–134.^[2]

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Psalm 42 - 43:  Desire for God

Ø  David “pants” for God!  Have you ever experienced that deep, deep desire to know God more intimately?

Ø  Why are our emotions so governed by the events that occur around us?  In whom should our hope be focused?

Ø  Do life’s situations ever alter God’s love and His grace toward us?  Application?

Ø  Have you ever felt rejected by God as David did?  Does God ever reject His people?  How should we respond to those feeling of rejection?

Psalms 44: Israel’s Past Glory

Ø  What can we learn about God from history?

Ø  Who is our ultimate warrior? 

Ø  Why does God use the heathens to punish Israel?  Application for us?

Psalm 45: Praise to the King!

Ø  Who is THE King?

Ø  Have you ever thought of Jesus in the way David describes him in this Psalm?

Ø  Who does the princess represent?  Thought?

Psalm 46: Praise for God’s Protection

Ø  From whom does our protection come?  Do we act like that?

Ø  Is there any catastrophe over which he is not our protection?

Ø  Note verse 10; is this your heart’s desire?

Psalm 47- 48: Praise The Lord!

Ø  When is the last time you shouted and clapped your hands to the awesomeness of our God?

Ø  Why is it important to sing praises to our Lord and King?  Is that something reserved for Sunday corporate worship only?

Ø  Why is the Lord worthy of praise?  Do you really believe that?

Psalm 49 - 50: The Wicked Will Be Judged

Ø  Is it possible to “purchase” God?  Why and how do we try?

Ø  Of what eternal benefit are all the riches of this world?  Why do we strive for what perishes?

Ø  Is the end of life on this planet any different whether one is rich or poor?  What is the most important factor before facing physical death?

Ø  Does God need any of our “sacrifices”?  Why, then, do we try to appease Him with them?

Ø  Is there a different final outcome for those who reject God?

Psalm 51: God’s Mercy

Ø  Define mercy.

Ø  When we sin, against whom are we sinning?  Why?

Ø  Have you ever prayed David’s prayer in verse 10 and 12?

Ø  If God does not delight in sacrifices, what is it that He wants from us? 

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^[1]Willmington, H. L. (1997). Willmington's Bible handbook (306). Wheaton, Ill.: Tyndale House Publishers.

^[2]Richards, L., & Richards, L. O. (1987). The teacher's commentary. Includes index. (326). Wheaton, Ill.: Victor Books.

LESSON #74 (Week ending 10/09/11)

Job 15-42

Job 15:1–35: Eliphaz Rebukes Job Again

Ø Eliphaz again accuses Job of being a fool for not admitting his sin which is causing his distress. Is personal sin always the cause of a person’s suffering?

Ø Is Eliphaz’s argument that no one born of a woman is pure a relevant argument in this situation? Why or why not?

Job 16:1-17:16: Job Responds to Eliphaz

Ø Job accuses his friends of an endless flow of foolish and critical words. What can we learn from Job’s response to his friends?

Ø As Job’s despair deepens, he senses that both God and his friends have turned against him. Job is in a very lonely place. Have you ever been there? How did you escape that place?

Job 18:1-21: Bildad Piles On

Ø Instead of showing compassion on his friend, Bildad responds to Job with sarcasm and distain. How does Jesus teach us to respond to one another?

Ø Is it possible to rebuke a fellow believer without adding to their feelings of despair? If so, how?

Job 19:1–29: Job Responds

Ø Because of his suffering, Job concludes that God must have something against him. Have you ever felt that way? From whom do thoughts like that originate?

Ø Even though Job is distressed that no one believes him and is condemning him, he trusts that one day he will be vindicated and see God for himself. PTL for the grace that we now have in Jesus Christ!

Job 20-37: Continued Debate between Job and His Friends

Ø It seems to Job that the more wicked people are, the more they prosper! Have you ever felt that way? Is it true?

Ø Bildad tells Job that no one can stand before God and claim to be righteous. Is that true? From Whom do we receive our righteousness?

Ø Elihu, who is younger than Job and his friends, joins the group and becomes angry with Job for refusing to acknowledge his sin. He rebukes the others for not giving adequate rebuttals to Job’s answers. What is the problem with this approach?

Ø Elihu asserts that God uses suffering to correct and instruct people. Is this accurate?

Job 38:1-39:30: The Lord finally Speaks!

Ø “Where were you when . . . ?”

1. I created the earth?

2. I created the oceans?

3. I created light?

4. I created snow and rain?

5. I created the stars?

Ø “Where were you when I created . . . . ?”

1. The lions?

2. The ravens?

3. The mountain goats?

4. The wild donkeys

5. The wild ox?

6. The ostrich?

7. The horse?

8. The hawk?

Ø WOW!!!! What a challenge that puts everything into perspective!

Job 40:1-42:7: Job’s Reaction to God’s Questions

Ø Notice job’s reaction to God’s question: “I am nothing—how could I ever find the answers? I will put my hand over my mouth in silence.” What does this teach us about how we should enter the presence of the Most Holy One?

Ø Job admits his insignificance in comparison to the Lord’s power. Have you ever humbled yourself before the Lord that way? Do you really recognize that He is the Almighty God?

Job 42:7–17: The Lord Restores Job

Ø The Lord rebukes the friends of Job. He instructs them to make a sacrifice and says that Job will pray for them. Notice that what started out as a test for Job turned into a learning experience for those around him as well.

Ø After Job prays for his friends, the Lord restores his fortunes to him, giving him twice as much as he had before.

Ø Is the ultimate teaching from this book that when the people of God suffer on this earth, God is obligated to relieve their suffering and restore them to prosperity?

Ø What is the bottom line teaching we need to learn from the book of Job?