Main components of an expository Bible study: I.Understand the theme of the Book. II.Understand how the author structure the contents of the book to express the theme and the message. III.Understand different approaches of reading different genres of books in the Bible. IV.Entering the biblical worlds.

I.Understand the theme of the Bible book, and how the author organized the contents of the book to express such theme. 1)Speed reading the whole book, seeking to answer only one question: What is the overall theme of the book. Write it down in 1-2 sentences. I 2)Slow reading each chapter of the book (for narrative, continue reading till a major thought unit of the narrative),, write down the main content of the chapter.

Put the chapter contents together, and ask a question: What is the theme/message that the author trying to present to his readers. Write it down in 1-2 sentences.  Compare the two results together, hopefully, you can confirm the overall book theme.  Habakkuk  Ephesians

《 Habakkuk 》 God, why … ？ The prophet who dared to question God.

 The uniqueness of Habakkuk: TT he prophet who dared to question God. AA book contains only the dialogue between the prophet and God. B ackground: viewing the failure of the religious revival of King Josiah (640 BC), the sinking of Assyria and Egypt, the rising of the Babylonian power, and the declining status of Judah, Habakkuk had a serious question for God:

 What was Habakkuk’s question? 11 : 13 “Your eyes are too pure to look on evil; you cannot tolerate wrong. Why then do you tolerate the treacherous? Why are you silent while the wicked swallow up those more righteous than themselves? ” W hat was the nature of this question: A question of the struggle between knowledge and reality. A question of faith and reality.  H ow to reconcile faith and experience while things go the other way?

a)Chapter 1 ： Questions to God “ Why don’t you do something ?” (1:1-3) ““ I raise up the Babylonians!” (1: 4-11) “ Why do you use the wicked swallow up those more righteous than themselves?” (1: 12-17) WW hat is the chapter central message? 《 Question raised to God for the coming destruction caused by the more wicked people? 》

b)Chapter 2 ： The Lord’s Answer “ I will look to see what the Lord has to say to me” (2: 1-3) T he written revelation from the Lord (2:4-17) “ See he is puffed up…but the righteous will live by his faith.” (2:4) “ Woe to him who builds a city with bloodshed” “ But the Lord is in His holy temple; let all the earth be silent before Him.” (2:20) WW hat is the chapter central message? 《 The wicked will have their time of judgment, but the righteous will live by faith. 》

c)Chapter 3 ： Habakkuk’s Song of Submission “ O Lord, renew your deeds in our day, in wrath remember mercy” (3: 2) “ Were you angry with the rivers, O Lord?” (3:8) “ Woe to him who builds a city with bloodshed” “ I heard and my heart pounded, my legs trembled. Yet I will wait patiently for the day on the nation invading us.” (3:.16) “ Though the fig tree does not bud…” (3:17-19) WW hat is the chapter central message? 《 Prayer of submission and confirmation of faith in the Lord. 》

a)Chapter 1 ： Questions to God 《 Question raised to God for the coming destruction caused by the more wicked people? 》 b)Chapter 2 ： The Lord’s Answer 《 The wicked will have their time of judgment, but the righteous will live by faith. 》 c)Chapter 3 ： Habakkuk’s Song of Submission 《 Prayer of submission and confirmation of faith in the Lord. 》 WW hat is the overall book theme? 【 Rest in the faith of God’s appointments 】

《 The Gospel of John 》 John 20:31

a)Chapter 1 ： What does this chapter tell us about the Son of God and Life? b)Chapter 2: What does this chapter tell us about “Faith”? c)Chapter 3: What does this chapter tell us about the Son of God, and Life, and Faith? d)Chapter 4: What does this chapter tell us about Life (“water”), Faith (“the right type of faith that brings life” 4:40-41, 50) e)Chapter 5: What does this chapter tell us about Jesus? Who is Jesus?