These Discovery Questions are for use with this week’s Lookout Bible Lesson, “Hope in God’s Loving-Kindness” (Jeremiah 31:1-17, 31-34), by Mark Scott.
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1. Over the past week, how did you encourage, advise, or coach someone whose life isn’t currently going according to their plans?
2. How do you like to celebrate when you receive good news?
Ask two people to read aloud Jeremiah 31:1-17, 31-34 one after the other, preferably from different Bible versions. Then ask a third person to briefly summarize these verses.
3. Scan the passages for sentences with the word “will,” especially those in which God says, “I will . . .” Overall, what was God promising the people?
4. Reread 31:3, perhaps several times. Take a few moments to meditate on those words from God. Let them sink in. Imagine God speaking those words directly to you.
- How do these words make you feel? (What emotions do they evoke?)
- How would you respond to him?
5. What do you learn about God from these passages?
6, What do you learn about yourself?
7. Through Jeremiah, the Lord pointed forward to the “new covenant” (31:31) in Jesus’ blood (Luke 22:20; 1 Corinthians 11:25). This new covenant has brought us forgiveness of our sins and a new relationship with God. How does this new covenant fulfill God’s many promises in these passages in this study?
8. In 31:10, God tells the people to “hear the word of the Lord” and then “proclaim it.” With whom and how will you proclaim God’s Word from these passages we’ve heard and discussed in this study?
9. Based on our study and discussion, complete the sentence: “I will . . .”
10. God’s promise to the people of Jeremiah’s day to turn their mourning into gladness will ultimately be fulfilled for all of us when, “They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away” (Revelation 21:3-4). What do you need from God, and from us, to persist in hope as we wait for Jesus’ return?
For Next Week: Read and reflect on Jeremiah 32:2, 6-9, 16-27, 36-41. You can also read next week’s supplemental texts as well as the Study and Application sections as part of your personal study.
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