Dear Church of the Open Bible,
We are a week away from Christmas. Let the last minute shopping commence! While I have a few gifts left to pick up, I am struck by the fact that the Gift we celebrate was not last minute.
As we’ve traced God’s Promise of salvation in the Old Testament, we find it from the very beginning (Gen 3:15). Over time, the Promise persists and expands in detail, revealing who God is in the process. Here are a few passages to study after last week’s sermon from Isaiah 7-11 as we anticipate the Promise.
Ezekiel 34 - The One Shepherd
- Read Ezekiel 34:1-31. What other passages come to mind when reading this chapter?
- How do verses 23-31 remind you of Isaiah 9:1-7 and Isaiah 11:1-10?
- God is the Shepherd of His people, but He will set up His prince, from the line of David, to bring peace.
- Shepherds are some of the first to hear of and see the coming of God’s Good Shepherd, Jesus Christ (Jn 10:11).
Micah 5 - The Ruler Born in Bethlehem
- Read Micah 5:1-15. Count the number of references to the other messianic passages we’ve looked at so far.
- How do you see the Messiah’s humanity in 5:2-3? How do you see the Messiah’s divinity in 5:2-3?
- Israel will be “given up” (captivity and exile) until “she who is in labor has given birth” (v. 3). Then they will be restored and swell secure because this ruler born in Bethlehem will “be their peace” (v. 5).
- The promise of God’s rescue persists despite Israel’s faithlessness. How might we be encouraged by that today?