- Verses 1-17 give a picture of the coming
judgment using the imagery of the sword of the Lord. Against whom will
this judgment come? (Verses 2-3).
- Verses 18ff describe the King of Babylon
at a fork in the road. What are the alternative destinations, and which
path will he choose?
- On what basis will he make that choice?
(See 21:21) Look up the word hepatoscopy either in an encyclopedia or
online.
- Do you see an irony when you consider
the pagan means the King will use to make his choice and compare that
with God's purpose in the matter? Could God have used the arrows and the
liver, or the diviners of these things, to influence the King of
Babylon?
- Verses 28 through 31 are to be
prophesied by the son of man concerning whom?
- Given your answer to the previous
question, who is the "you" in verse 29 where the text says, "while they see for you
false visions, while they divine lies for you - to place
you on the necks of the wicked who are slain"?
- What is the significance of being on the
necks of the wicked who are slain? Does the person in that position see
himself as being in a favorable position or in an unfavorable position?
(See Josh. 10:22-26, noting especially verse 24.)
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- In other words, the one who has his feet
on the neck of another is the ____________ in the battle. (No, the word
that fills in the blank isn't in the text. I just want to be sure you
understand the significance of the words in verse 29.)
- What are the lies that are being divined
by someone? (The answer is right there in verse 29.)
- Again, who is the "you" in verse 31
where the text says, "I shall pour out my indignation on you;
I shall blow on you with the fire of My wrath, and I shall
give you into the hand of brutal men skilled in
destruction"?
- So then, verses 28-32 are God's
declaration to the sons of ___________ that although some are telling
them they will put their feet on the necks of the slain, God would
instead pour out his ___________ on ___________.
- Now the question is, on whose necks did
the sons of __________ suppose they would place their feet? Verse 29
says, "on the necks of the _________ who are ___________." Who would
that be? Compare verse 25.
- Apparently, some in Ammon would have
hopes of taking advantage of Israel's demise. You might compare the
earlier taunting of Israel by __________ described in Zeph. 2:8,
and the contemporaneous exulting of __________ at Israel's expense
described in Ps. 137:7 as well as God's warning in Obadiah 10-14 that
Edom not attempt to profit from the troubles of _____________.
- What lies ahead for Ammon according to
verses 30-32?
- Is it fair to say there were false
prophets among the Ammonites just as there were false prophets among the
Israelites?
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