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1 Samuel: Lesson 6 — The Right Thing In The Wrong Place

The following are discussion questions from a weekly study I am leading through the book of 1 Samuel.  We meet each Wednesday evening at the Deer Run Church of Christ.

 

Here Comes A King:
A Study of the Book of 1 Samuel

Lesson 6 (The Right Thing In The Wrong Place)
1 Samuel 5:1-12

The Text:

  1. What did the Philistines capture?  How significant was this?  What did they do with it?
      
  2. What did the Philistine people discover when they went to the temple of Dagon in the morning?  What did they do?  What did they find the next morning?
      
  3. What was happening to the people of Ashdod?  What was the cause?  What did they decide to do?
      
  4. What happened when the Philistines moved the ark to Gath?  What was their solution?
        
  5. How did the people of Ekron feel about the ark coming to their city?  Why did they feel this way?  What was happening to them?  What did they decide needed done?

 

The Application:

  1. What are some sacred items in your life?  What makes them sacred?  How would you feel if someone took them?
      
  2. Thinking of those sacred items, where do they rate in relation to God?  Are there things/symbols/practices that you rely on that God has/would expose as powerless?   
      
  3. How often do you consider the possibility of God’s judgment when things don’t go well?  How hard is it to consider God’s anger directed toward others?  . . . Toward yourself?
        
  4. How common is it to simply pass along misfortune to someone else?  Why do we do that?
      
  5. What makes it so hard to recognize God’s hand in the midst of hardship?  What is the proper response when we realize bad things are happening as a result of our sin or disrespect of God?  Why is that so hard to do?
     

Next week: 1 Samuel 6:1-7:1
Follow The Cows

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1 Samuel: Lesson 5 — What’s In Your Box?

The following are discussion questions from a weekly study I am leading through the book of 1 Samuel.  We meet each Wednesday evening at the Deer Run Church of Christ.

 

Here Comes A King:
A Study of the Book of 1 Samuel

Lesson 5 (What’s In Your Box)
1 Samuel 4:1-21

The Text:

  1. As chapter 4 opens, what do the Israelites set out to do?  Why would they do this?  How does it go for them?
      
  2. How did the elders of Israel take the news of what had happened?  What was their solution to getting the outcome they wanted?  Who are a part of that solution?
      
  3. What reaction do the Israelites have?  What is the reaction of the Philistines?  What was the result this time around?  Why do you think it didn’t’ go as expected?
      
  4. When the messenger returns from the battle line, where is Eli?  Why?  How did Eli respond to the news he received? 
      
  5. What do we learn about Eli’s daughter-in-law?  How did the news of the day affect her?  What does she do?  What is the name given her son?  Why?

The Application:

  1. How do you decide what “battles” to take on?  How do you approach your enemies?  How does that typically work out for you?
     
  2. Who do you go to when you are defeated in your “battles”?  What is their response?  What “Arks” might be suggested as the secret weapon in winning?
         
  3. How do people respond to the symbols of God’s presence that you may carry?  Does having a symbol of God’s presence mean that you have God’s presence?
     
  4. How valuable are the things of God to you?  Are there things of God that would cause you to “fall apart” if they were taken from you?  How can you avoid that?
     
  5. As you think about the boy Ichabod, how accurate was his name, “no glory” at that time in Israel?  Are there times you look around and feel the glory has left?  When there is no glory, what is really the reason?

Next week: 1 Samuel 5:1-12
The Right Thing In The Wrong Place 

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1 Samuel: Lesson 4 — Hearing Voices

The following are discussion questions from a weekly study I am leading through the book of 1 Samuel.  We meet each Wednesday evening at the Deer Run Church of Christ.

 

Here Comes A King:
A Study of the Book of 1 Samuel

Lesson 4 (Hearing Voices)
1 Samuel 3:1-21

The Text:

  1. How does the Bible describe the frequency of God’s communication with His people?  Why do you think this was?
     
  2. Where was Samuel?  What was he doing?  Why was he there?
     
  3. Who did Samuel think was calling him?  Why do you think it took so long for Eli to realize who was really calling Samuel?  What instruction did Eli finally give Samuel about the voice?
     
  4. What message did God have for Samuel?  What was his reaction?  How did Eli respond to the message of God? 
     
  5. How is Samuel’s growing up years described?  Has the frequency of the Lord’s communication changed from the beginning of chapter 3 to the end of the chapter?  Why might that be?

The Application:

  1. Are there times in your life when it appears, or feels, like the Lord is silent?  What might be some reasons for that?
     
  2. When it comes to serving God, what has He called you to do to honor Him?   How easy/hard is it to stay in God’s presence when He seems silent?
     
  3. How do you distinguish between God’s voice and the voice of someone else?  Do you try harder to get people to listen to you or to God?
     
  4. Are there times that God still gives bad or negative messages?  How do you react to news that is not positive?
     
  5. What changes can you make that would increase your connection with God?  What importance is there to you about the way the Lord revealed Himself to Samuel? 

 

Next week: 1 Samuel 4:1-22
What Is In Your Box? 

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1 Samuel: Lesson 3 — Bad Boys

The following are discussion questions from a weekly study I am leading through the book of 1 Samuel.  We meet each Wednesday evening at the Deer Run Church of Christ.

 

Here Comes A King:
A Study of the Book of 1 Samuel

Lesson 3 (Bad Boys)
1 Samuel 2:12-36

The Text:

  1. How does the Bible describe Eli’s sons?  Why was this?
     
  2. What were the priests doing when people would come to sacrifice?  What was God’s view of their actions?  Why?
     
  3. What blessing would Eli tell Elkanah and Hannah each year when they would travel to Shiloh for the yearly sacrifice?  How did God fulfill that blessing?
     
  4. What reports came back to Eli about his sons?  What did he do about it?  How did they respond? 
     
  5. What message did God send to Eli?  What did God want Eli to remember?  Did God lay all of the blame on the sons?  How was God going to make known His displeasure with Eli’s sons?  In the midst of this rebuke, what promise does God give for the future?

 

The Application:

  1. On a practical level, what does it look like in your life to “have regard for the LORD?
     
  2. How might the sinful actions of the priests look today?  What would it look like to “treat the LORD’s offering with contempt”?
         
  3. What do you think it means that “the LORD was gracious to Hannah?  How hard is it to give up something of great value not knowing if it will ever be replaced?  Is faithfulness always rewarded in this manner?
     
  4. How do you respond when you hear bad reports of people close to you?  Is there anything that can be done other than confront them?  How does it feel when they choose not to respond or change?
     
  5. How easy is it to forget God’s calling of you to Himself?  Are there times that your silence or cooperation may aid another person’s misconduct?  Who is the faithful priest God has raised up for Himself?

 

Next week: 1 Samuel 3:1-21
Hearing Voices 

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1 Samuel: Lesson 2 — Returning The Gift

The following are discussion questions from a weekly study I am leading through the book of 1 Samuel.  We meet each Wednesday evening at the Deer Run Church of Christ.

 

Here Comes A King:
A Study of the Book of 1 Samuel

Lesson 2 (Returning The Gift)
1 Samuel 1:21-2:11

The Text:

  1. After Samuel is born, what does Elkanah do?  What did Hannah do?  Why do you think she made the decision she did?
     
  2. What does Hannah do when she finally returns to Shiloh?
     
  3. What attitude seems to stand out in Hannah’s prayer?  What is her view of God?
     
  4. In Hannah’s prayer, how does she acknowledge God changing the circumstances of people?  What seems to determine a negative change versus a positive one? 
     
  5. Who makes the trip home?  Where is Samuel and what is he now doing?  How do you think Hannah felt about that?  

The Application:

  1. How hard is it to keep your promises to God?  What things make it easier or harder?  How do you prepare for the fulfillment of your promises to God?
     
  2. When the “Lord confirms His word”, how tempting is it to put off what you know needs done?  How is your worship and the keeping of your promises to God connected?   
     
  3. How do you think Hannah can “rejoice in the Lord” at a time when she is “giving up” the answer to her prayers?  How hard is it to rejoice when you have to give something up to keep a promise?
     
  4. What does Hannah’s prayer say to you about pride and arrogance?  Do you typically find yourself feeling crushed by God or lifted up by God?  Does this say more about God or more about you?
     
  5. In keeping your promises to God, particularly in giving something to God, how hard is it to just let go?  When you know that things you have given up are being used by God, how does that make you feel about following through with what you promised?

     

 

Next week: 1 Samuel 2:12-36
Bad Boys 

 

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1 Samuel: Lesson 1 — Not All Is As It Seems

The following are discussion questions from a weekly study I am leading through the book of 1 Samuel.  We meet each Wednesday evening at the Deer Run Church of Christ.

 

Here Comes A King:
A Study of the Book of 1 Samuel

Lesson 1 (Not All Is As It Seems)
1 Samuel 1:1-20

The Text:

  1. Who are Peninnah and Hannah?  What do we learn about them in the opening verses of chapter 1?  How does God describe their relationship?
     
  2. Who is Elkanah?  What does he and his family have a practice of doing each year?  How does he treat Hannah?
     
  3. What does Hannah do while in Shiloh to worship?  What is her attitude or emotional state?  What is the vow she makes?
     
  4. Who is watching Hannah?  What is his occupation?  What did that mean he should be doing?  What does he assume when he confronts her? 
     
  5. How does Hannah respond to the accusations?  What is Eli’s response?  What effect does this have on Hannah?  What becomes the result of Hannah’s prayer? 

The Application:

  1. What are some things that people would say indicate God’s blessing if present or lack of blessing if absent?  Are these accurate?  How do you treat people who lack, and want, what you have?
     
  2. How important is worship to you even when living in the midst of conflict?  What are some effective ways to encourage someone who feels left out or “unblessed”?
       
  3. How hard/easy is it to pray when it feels like the world, and God, is against you?  What things have you vowed/promised to God?  Have you meant them?
     
  4. What is one role God says you have as a Christian?  What does that mean you should be doing?  How often do you find yourself making assumptions about a person or situation rather than interacting as God would have you?
     
  5. How confident are you in God’s promises?  What effect should this have on you?  What things do you need to pour out through tears in bitter, earnest prayer?

Next week: 1 Samuel 1:21-2:11
Returning The Gift