Reflection Questions: Pantocrator Provocateur
by Pastor Gene
- Identify the Court of the Gentiles, the Court of Women, and the Priest’s Court on the diagram. A gentile could venture no closer to the Presence of God (the Holy of Holies) than the Court of the Gentiles. Jewish women and non-Levite men could come no closer than the Women’s Court. Not all Levites could be priests, but only those who were sons of Aaron. Priest could only enter the Holy Place selectively, once per lifetime if chosen by lot. Why do you think God restricted access to Himself the way that He did? What was He trying to show us? How and why have things changed with respect to access to God’s presence? Was God unfair in ‘choosing’ to restrict access the way He did? Why not?
- Consider the story of the Widow’s Mite in Mark 12:41-44. Does knowing something about the Temple Treasury and the Women’s Court help to make this story more vivid? What is the point of the story; what’s it about? What is Jesus trying to teach us from it? Brainstorm all possible angles.
- Read and discuss Isaiah 6:1-8. What does it tell us about God? Heaven? Angels? The Prophet Isaiah? Ourselves?
- Think about 1 Peter 1:14-16. Look carefully at the words. What does it say about us, what does it say we are? What are the “passions of former ignorance” in your life? What kind of holiness is the Lord calling us to in this passage? (Again, LOOK AT THE WORDS!) What reason does Peter give for believers to pursue this ‘holiness’?
- Consider Hebrews 12:14. Compare it with Revelation 21:27 and James 2:14-18. What is God showing us in these verses? What is He asking of us? Why might we consider these verses a kind of ‘salvation reality check’? Look at 2 Cor. 13:5, 1 Peter 1:10 & 2 Peter 1:10-11. What does it mean to diligently “confirm your calling and election”?
- How might you draw nearer in your proximity to God?
