And The Mute Will Sing!

This is the Bible study page for the Thursday Night Bible Study Group meeting July 2 to study Luke 1:57-80.  This was a lot of verses but not long ones.  There are several allusions to Psalms, and prophets in the wording, somewhat like Mary's song.

Read through the passage several times making notes on the various things that are interesting to you.  Look for things you might find strange to say at a 'baby shower'.  Jot down your insights and questions.  Then use any commentaries you have about you; study Bible notes, or whatever. 

After that, go back through the passage with the questions below:

• We noted last week that 6 months and 3 months meant Mary remained until 9, when John would be expected to be born.  Considering the wording of this section, do you think she was there with Elizabeth?  If so, why do you think she wasn't mentioned?
• Their relatives seem very involved with John's birth, celebrating with Zachariah and Elizabeth, why do you think they were so insistent to name him Zachariah?
• Finally Zachariah asks for something to write on, and the people are astonished he writes John.  Why do you think they were astonished at that name, or Zachariah's choice?
• What do you think it was about what Zachariah wrote that indicated he had 'learned his lesson' so to speak (and yes, that's a pun)?  What do you think he had not learned up to that point?  Or what do you think the timing was about?
• The first things out of Zachariah's mouth are praises.  His 'healing' affected everyone in the area around them.  So when do you think Zachariah says his prophesy over his son?
• There are a lot of common prophetic terms in Zachariah's 'song'; horn, visitation, redemption, salvation, and so on, but what do you see as his main theme in verses 68 through 75?
• From verse 76 on, he speaks to John.  This is more than Gabriel told him, so what has happened to Zachariah to reveal this to him?
• As John's father, what do you think Zachariah thinks of his own prophesy over his son?  What parts do you think he might, as a father, find troubling?
• Read verse 78 in as many translations as you have.  How do you imagine the sun rises from a height?  What does that even look like?  What do you think Zachariah is alluding to?
• Does John live with his parents, raised by them, or does he live in the wilderness, 'raised by wolves?'  What do you think verse 80 means for his childhood?

That should keep us busy for an hour or so.  Remember to bring your notes and questions to the group.

Magnificent Psalm of Mary

This is the Bible study page for the Thursday Night Bible Study Group meeting June 25 to study Luke 1:46-56.  This is a spontaneous poetic monologue attributed to Mary, named for the first word in it in the Latin Vulgate, Magnificat. 

This 'hymn' is filled with some interesting stuff; not the stuff of a teenage girl typically.  If it were truly spontaneous and/or truly something Mary said/wrote, we get a very intriguing look at her character, how she sees herself, and how she understands what's happening to her.

Read it slowly.  Find the parallel (repeated/contrasted) elements.  Look for themes, like the reversal of how things normally work in the world.  Try and come up with a central theme of this hymn.  See if there's one central point you see being made.

As always, jot down questions and interesting things you see.  Make notes, and only after that go to a commentary or two.  You can modify your questions from there, but don't dismiss them.  Commentaries never have all the answers.  Add notes and questions you have after reading commentaries.  After you have done all that, then go through the questions below:

• Notice that the verse divisions don't make a lot of sense throughout.  Why do you think that might be? (no wrong answer here, no one knows)
• Mary exalts and rejoices because all generations will call her blessed, and God's to blame.  What does that tell you about Mary's character?
• Mary refers to herself throughout as the Lord's maid-slave.  Consider what that means in that historical setting (maid-slave, see if you can find an article on it, like Blue Letter Bible site, in the ISBE).  Why do you think she sees herself that way?  What does that tell you about such a one being 'called blessed by all generations'?
• Mary lists lots of things God has done to 'bad people'.  How is what's happening to her God doing such things to such people?  Who do you think these 'people' might be?
• In several places, Mary uses contrasts.  Think about who is contrasted with whom.  How do you think she sees herself in those categories of people she uses?
• What makes Mary a slave, or poor, or humble, or hungry?  Why do you think she refers to herself this way?
• Christians interpret the "Servant Songs" of Isaiah as referring to Jesus.  Mary seems to tie them to Israel.  Who's right? (yep, look it up)
• Why do you think Mary stays with Elizabeth three months?
• What does Mary walk back into at home after that time?  What do you think of her courage?

That should be plenty for us.  Remember to bring your questions!

Baby Announcement - Take 2

This is the Bible study page for the Thursday Night Bible Study Group meeting June 18 to study Luke 1:26-45.  This is the announcement to Mary, which is different in many ways from the one made to Zachariah previously in this chapter.

This is one of the most familiar passages in Scripture because we spend so much time with it during Christmas.  We like to read how the angel appeared to Mary, as well as Joseph.  So that will make harder to find the things that seem strange.  There are a few though, one of which is the differences between this announcement and the previous one to Zachariah.  Even so, it will be difficult for familiarity to not breed some level of 'contempt'.

Read it through, jot down notes, come up with some questions that occur to you.  Be sure to use several translations and look up differences in word choice.  Then go to commentaries and see what they think.  After having done that, then go back through with the questions below:

• Look up a Jewish calendar, and see when their year started, and see when 'sixth month' would have been.  So what would nine months after that have been?
• The timing of the announcement of John isn't given.  Why do you think it would be important to give the timing of this announcement?  Or do you think this timing is tied to the first?
• What do you think of the difference in greeting between Gabriel to Zachariah and then to Mary?  What sort of 'greeting' was there to Zachariah?
• Mary is startled, but what does it sound like to you that she was most aware of when she sees Gabriel?
• After the greeting and her response, the rest sounds a lot like the announcement to Zachariah (with some obvious necessary differences).  But what do you think about the 'tone' of the two announcements.  Do you think there are or detect any difference in tone between the two?
• Mary asks how these things 'might be' since she's still a virgin.  This question doesn't bring any punishment.  What differences, if any, do you see between her response and Zachariah's?
• The word 'overshadow' is a compound word made up of 'over' and 'darken'; which makes sense. But what do you think of the irony that the coming of the Light of the World at first darkens Mary's?
• Mary doesn't ask for a 'sign' but the angel gives one anyway (Elizabeth), why do you think Zachariah was wrong then to ask for one?
• The angel points out that Elizabeth was in her sixth month, so was the first 'sixth month' the timing within the year, or after the previous events described (i.e. Elizabeth becoming pregnant).  Consider that it may be possible that her husband's temple visitation may have occurred as part of the New Year as well.  What do you think?
• The phrase of verse 37 is '...because every word beside God not powerless." But it could also be, "...because every word not powerless beside God." There is a slight difference in meaning.  Which do you think is intended?
• Consider Mary's response to all that Gabriel said.  How much do you think her response had to do with the last phrase of Gabriel?
• Mary goes to see Elizabeth in Judah.  Find Nazareth on a map, and then trace down to Judah.  We're not told where in Judah they were, but still, Mary is walking.  What does this tell you about how Mary feels about what she was told?
• Elizabeth is filled with the Holy Spirit when she hears Mary.  Previously it was said that John would be filled with the Holy Spirit still in the womb, and he leaps when he hears Mary.  Why would Elizabeth only be filled now, not before when John was filled before?  Or do you think he was?
• Consider what Elizabeth says carefully.  What is it really that makes Mary 'blessed' or 'happy'?  Why do you think that is?  Why wouldn't it be the fact/event itself?

That should keep us going for a bit.  I was going to do fewer questions, but more came to mind, sorry...sort of.  

Luke: Good News of Jesus

This is the Bible study page for the Thursday Night Bible Study Group meeting June 12 to begin the study of Luke's Gospel.  This will be a long study folks, so settle in for the long trek.  But this trek will be through the life of Jesus, and no one is more odd to us than Jesus.  He will frustrate us, delight us, confuse us, and illuminate us beyond our ability to imagine.  Get ready.

The best way to prepare for this I hope you've already been doing.  Since we knew two weeks ago we'd be going through Luke, I was hoping you'd be reading through 'introductions' in study Bibles and any commentaries you could find.  The Blue Letter Bible has lots of resources, including the International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (ISBE).  The entry for Luke is pretty good, but multi-volume commentaries will have good ones as well.

One of the things we'll discuss is Luke himself.  Find out all you can about him (which is probably sparse).  Most of what's out there is conjecture, but still interesting.  Sifting down to what we actually know is sometimes depressing compared with what we suspect, but still important.  Any decent Bible dictionary should have a good article on him.

If we have time, we'll dive into the first 25 verses of chapter 1 and begin to examine the announcement of John the Baptist, his parents, and 'announcements from God' in general.  We may not get that far, and there's no reason to push it.  If you've been reading a lot about Luke already, you can read ahead, and have some questions about verses 1-25.

That's all I have at the moment.  I know you were hoping for more of my amazingly insightful probing questions, but this week we'll just fly around without them (did I just hear a collective sigh of relief?).  See you Thursday!