Leader training - Isaiah 40-55 (Oct 2022)

COMA questions for prophetic literature Context • Are there any clues about the circumstances in which the prophecy was given or written? • Are any people or places mentioned that you aren’t familiar with? (Chase them up in earlier parts of the book, or refer to a Bible dictionary or commentary.) • Are other bits of the Old Testament mentioned or alluded to in the passage? What part do these ‘memories’ play in the text? Observation • Are there repetitions or multiple instances of similar ideas? Do these repetitions make a particular point, or point to the structure of the passage? • Paying attention to when the prophet is speaking and when God is speaking, what does the passage tell us about God’s plans? What does it tell us about God’s character? • What kind of human behaviour, if any, is condemned or rewarded? What response is called for (if any)? • What is the main point or points? O N E -T O - O N E B I B L E R E A D I N G © Matthias Media and Holy Trinity Church 2011. From One-to-One Bible Reading by David Helm. For more one-to-one Bible reading resources, or to purchase the book from which these pages were extracted, please visit www.matthiasmedia.com. Meaning • Are there specific instructions/commands given to the reader? Does this passage mention any consequences for not following God’s commands? • Does the text have a sense of expectation about something happening in the future? What is to be expected and when? How should this motivate action in the present? • Does the passage point forward to Jesus? Is the gospel anticipated or foreshadowed in some way? Application • How is your own situation similar to or different from those being addressed? • How does this passage challenge (or confirm) your understanding? • How does this passage lead you to trust God and his promises in Jesus? • How does this passage call on you to change the way you live? Q U E S T I O N S F O R P R O P H E T I C L I T E R AT U R E © Matthias Media and Holy Trinity Church 2011. From One-to-One Bible Reading by David Helm. For more one-to-one Bible reading resources, or to purchase the book from which these pages were extracted, please visit www.matthiasmedia.com.