August 11: Discovery Questions (based on Zechariah 7:4-14; 8:16-19; Malachi 4:5-6)
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1. Think of time when you caught yourself serving God to impress other people or to gain a personal advantage. How did you discern this and how did you correct it?
Ask two people to read aloud Zechariah 7:4-14, 8:16-19; Malachi 4:5-6, one after the other, preferably from different Bible versions. Then ask a third person to briefly summarize the passage.
2. The Israelites worshiped God in captivity, but their motives were questionable. God asked them, “When you fasted and mourned in the fifth and seventh months for the past seventy years, was it really for me that you fasted?” (Zechariah 7:50).
- Why do think they lost their focus in worship?
- How can we lose our focus in worship today?
3. God provided a solution to Israel’s misguided worship: “Administer true justice; show mercy and compassion to one another” (Zechariah 7:9).
- How do qualities like holiness and obedience impact our personal worship?
4. God spelled out the sad consequences of Israel’s disobedience and self-centered worship: “When I called, they did not listen; so when they called, I would not listen” (Zechariah 7:13).
- How do obedience and submission to God impact our prayer lives?
5. In Zechariah 8:16-17 God spelled out certain things the Israelites were to do along with certain things they were not to do. Regarding the latter, God said, “I hate all this” (v. 17).
- What do you think it means to say that God hates sin?
- What does it mean to you to love what God loves and to hate what God hates?
6. God pointed out that the current nation of Israel had fallen into the same cycle of disobedience that led to their initial downfall. Why does this appear to be a common pattern in Israel’s history, and how might it be a common pattern for Christians today?
7. Despite their disobedience and resulting punishment, there was hope for the nation of Israel. God promised to send them the prophet Elijah who would “turn the hearts of the parents to the children, and the hearts of the children to their parents” (Malachi 4:5-6).
- When do you think this prophecy was fulfilled? (Hint: See Matthew 11:11-14 and 17:10-13).
- What comfort do you draw from knowing that God always keeps his promises?
8. Based on our study and discussion, complete the sentence: “I will . . .”
For Next Week: Read and reflect on Malachi 1:6-14; 3:8-18. You can also read next week’s supplemental texts and the Study and Application sections as part of your personal study.
Author: Christian Standard
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