⇒INDUCTIVE BIBLE STUDY HELPS⇐

Inductive Bible Studies Possible Questions Poetic Passages in the Prophets

Whether you have prose (regular speech) or poetry, the message stays the same.  Poetry adds to the prose message passion or emotional depth or seeing God’s heart in a clearer way, but the message of righteousness or judgment or hope or fear is the same message either way.

So… what you would ask for prose prophecies you can also ask for poetry prophecies.

The writings of the prophets are filled with many of the most precious passages in Scripture, including promises, encouragements, warnings, teachings of wisdom and predictions of the future.  The hard part is that they most often spoke to their own generation, confronting sin, strengthening the weak and calling Israel and Judah to remain faith to God’s covenant.

Are there any names of people or places which you are not sure about?  Look it up in a Bible Dictionary. Make sure you understand how what you read in the Bible dictionary fits with what you are reading in your passage.

Is the prophet in your passage confronting sin?  Who is committing the sin (you will need to look at the context to figure this out)?  Who is suffering from the sin?  How does this sin hurt Israel or Judah or Jerusalem or the King?

Is this prophecy a prediction of the future?  Does it predict something that would happen in the lifetime of the readers?  Is it a pleasant prediction or a prediction of suffering?

BUT ADDED TO THIS…

Are there any exaggerations which jump out to you as you read this prophecy?  Why does it catch your eye?  Does it make you see something in a new light?

Does the prophet use any images (God as a burning light, the king as a shepherd, etc.) that seems to point to something.  Would this prophecy have been less stirring or inspiring or frightening if the prophet had not used these particular images?

Are there any phrases or sentences which are difficult to understand at first?  Are they difficult because of strange names or places or because the images are hard to imagine or for some other reason?  What would help you in this?