WEEKLY READINGS - QUESTIONS & ANSWERS
Week 32: Ps. 89:35 - 52; Prov. 17-18, and Ezra 1:1-4:23 and Romans 1 - 16
Ps. 89:35—52
1. Ps. 89 complains and questions whether God is keeping His promises to David and his descendants, but still ends with what expression of faith in God? 89:52, Blessed be the Lord forever
Prov. 17—18
1. If we belittle or disrespect a poor person (or one less fortunate in any way), who are we also disrespecting? 17:5, God who created the poor person
2. You can preserve love in a relationship by disregarding what about the other person? 17:9, his faults
3. It is more dangerous to confront a fool caught in wrong doing than to meet what animal? 17:12, a bear robbed of its cubs
4. Even fools are thought to be wise when they do what? 17:28, keep silent
5. According to 18:7, what part of the body usually gets a fool into trouble? Mouth or lips
6. According to 18:12, haughtiness goes before destruction. What precedes honor? Humility
7. Before listening to the facts in a situation, it is shameful and foolish to do what? 18:13, give advice
Ezra 1:1—4:23
1. Who prophesied that the Israelites would be allowed to return to Jerusalem after 70 years of exile? 1:1 Jeremiah (Jer. 25:11 and 29:10)
2. What Persian king signed and published the decree that allowed Israelites to return to Jerusalem from Babylon? 1:1, Cyrus
3. The king of Persia himself took these items out of a pagan temple and gave them to the Jews returning to Jerusalem. What were the items? 1:7, silver and gold temple fixtures Nebuchadnezzar had taken
4. Who was the senior leader of the first group of Jews who returned to Judah? 1:8, 2:2, 4:3, Sheshbazzar (possibly the Babylonian name) or Zerubbabel
5. What did the Jewish Festival of Shelters commemorate? Mentioned in 3:4, Israel’s 40 years wandering in the wilderness
6. Which Hebrew prophet foretold that an emperor named Cyrus would allow Jewish exiles to return to their land? Isaiah (Isa. 44:28, over 150 years before Cyrus’ birth)
7. When the first 50,000 people returned to Israel from Babylon, what was the first thing they rebuilt? 3:2, the altar
8. When the Gentile inhabitants of Judah falsely accused the returning Jews of planning to rebel against me, I ordered the Jews to stop rebuilding the Jerusalem temple. Who am I? 4:11-22, Artexerxes
Romans 1—16
1. In the Roman empire, freedom and citizenship were precious possessions, but Paul starts his letter to the Romans calling himself what? 1:1, Jesus Christ’s slave
2. How do we accept the Gospel message and experience its transforming power in our lives? (By what means?) 1:17, faith
3. What is the witness God has given of Himself to every human being? 1:19-20, Creation
4. What ritual physically marked the covenant descendants of Abraham and was a physical symbol of their spiritual attitude of faith in God? 2:28-29 cf Gen 15:9-14, circumcision
5. Whether we are theists or atheists, morally better or worse than people around us, religious or not religious, what do all human beings have in common? 3:9, 23, we are all sinners
6. Because of his faith, Abraham was declared righteous by God almost twenty five years before the ritual of circumcision was commanded, so Abraham is the spiritual father of what other group? 4:9-11, Believing Gentiles (declared righteous in Gen. 15:6, circumcised about 25 years later in Gen. 17:23)
7. The aspect of salvation where God forgives us and sees us “just as if we had never sinned” is called what? 5:1, justification
8. They are good for us, producing endurance and building strong character and faith. What are they? 5:3, problems and trials
9. By His obedience, Jesus the Messiah offers forgiveness and life to all men. By my disobedience, I made sin and death a part of every human’s experience. Who am I? 5:12-21, Adam
10. After a person experiences God’s salvation, what is his or her relationship with sin? 5:11, in Christ, we are now dead to sin, freed by God’s grace and power to live for God’s glory
11. The “wages” of sin is death, but what kind of life does God offer to us as a free gift? 6:23, eternal life
12. According to Rom. 8:9, in what way is God’s Holy Spirit related to every true Christian? Indwelt
13. One work of the Holy Spirit is to speak deep in the heart of every Christian, bearing witness to what wonderful truth? 8:16, that we are indeed God’s children
14. How does the Holy Spirit help us in our prayer life? 8:26, guides us and prays God’s will for us
15. In Rom. 8:29, what did (does) God foreknow? He knows which people will trust Him for salvation
16. In Rom. 8:29, what did (does) God “predestine” or pre-determine to happen? Saved to be like Jesus
17. Paul ends Romans 8, stating beautifully that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Who is “us”? Those who have trusted in Jesus and been saved from sin and death
18. Paul states that he would be willing to lose his own salvation for what? 9:2-3, Jews saved
19. In Rom. 10:5-8, Paul says there are two ways to attain righteousness and salvation: What are they? a) keep all of God’s commands perfectly, or b) faith in Jesus the Messiah
20. In Rom. 10:15, Paul quotes the prophet Isaiah in complementing the feet of what people? Those who deliver the Good News
21. In Rom. 11:12, Paul states that if the Gentiles were blessed because the Jews rejected the Messiah, think how much greater blessing the world will experience when what happens? Jews finally accept Him
22. In Rom. 12, we are commanded to give everything we are and have—even our bodies—to God. What is the motivation to make such a sacrifice? The mercies (love) of God (not moral obligation)
23. In Rom. 13, Paul states that believers must obey all laws. Why? All gov. placed in power by God
24. In Rom. 14, we learn that there are many areas of life where we have freedom (eat, dress, other customs). What is the principle that should guide our behavior? 14:14—19, not make the weaker brother stumble
25. In Rom. 15, after stopping in Rome (for his trial), Paul planned to go to what country? V 24, Spain