WONDERFALLS Bible Study Week 1

Episode 1- Wax Lion

1 Peter 2:23-25

When he was insulted, he returned no insult; when he suffered, he did not threaten; instead, he handed himself over to the one who judges justly. ²⁴ He himself bore our sins in his body upon the cross, so that, free from sin, we might live for righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed. ²⁵ For you had gone astray like sheep, but you have now returned to the shepherd and guardian of your souls.

Numbers 22:15-35

 Balak yet again sent princes, who were more numerous and more distinguished than the others. ¹⁶ On coming to Balaam they told him, “Thus says Balak, son of Zippor: Please do not refuse to come to me. ¹⁷ I will reward you very handsomely and will do anything you ask of me. Come, lay a curse on this people for me.” ¹⁸ But Balaam replied to Balak’s servants, “Even if Balak gave me his house full of silver and gold, I could not do anything, small or great, contrary to the command of the Lord, my God. ¹⁹ But, you too stay here overnight, so that I may learn what else the Lord may say to me.” ²⁰ That night God came to Balaam and said to him: If these men have come to summon you, go back with them; yet only on the condition that you do exactly as I tell you. ²¹ So the next morning when Balaam arose, he saddled his donkey and went off with the princes of Moab.

²² But now God’s anger flared up at him for going, and the angel of the Lord took up a position on the road as his adversary. As Balaam was riding along on his donkey, accompanied by two of his servants, ²³ the donkey saw the angel of the Lord standing in the road with sword drawn. The donkey turned off the road and went into the field, and Balaam beat the donkey to bring her back on the road. ²⁴ Then the angel of the Lord stood in a narrow lane between vineyards with a stone wall on each side. ²⁵ When the donkey saw the angel of the Lord there, she pressed against the wall; and since she squeezed Balaam’s leg against the wall, he beat her again. ²⁶ Then the angel of the Lord again went ahead, and stood next in a passage so narrow that there was no room to move either to the right or to the left. ²⁷ When the donkey saw the angel of the Lord there, she lay down under Balaam. Balaam’s anger flared up and he beat the donkey with his stick.

²⁸ Then the Lord opened the mouth of the donkey, and she asked Balaam, “What have I done to you that you beat me these three times?” ²⁹ “You have acted so willfully against me,” said Balaam to the donkey, “that if I only had a sword at hand, I would kill you here and now.” ³⁰ But the donkey said to Balaam, “Am I not your donkey, on which you have always ridden until now? Have I been in the habit of treating you this way before?” “No,” he replied.
³¹ Then the Lord opened Balaam’s eyes, so that he saw the angel of the Lord standing on the road with sword drawn; and he knelt and bowed down to the ground. ³² But the angel of the Lord said to him: “Why have you beaten your donkey these three times? I have come as an adversary because this rash journey of yours is against my will. ³³ When the donkey saw me, she turned away from me these three times. If she had not turned away from me, you are the one I would have killed, though I would have spared her.” ³⁴ Then Balaam said to the angel of the Lord, “I have sinned. Yet I did not know that you took up a position to oppose my journey. Since it has displeased you, I will go back home.” ³⁵ But the angel of the Lord said to Balaam: “Go with the men; but you may say only what I tell you.” So Balaam went on with the princes of Balak.

Reflect on the Bible passages in light of the film.

What do you think of the story of the Maid of the Mist?

Compare it to the sentiment in 1 Peter.

Reflect on this quote: “I surrender to destiny.”

What kind of person is Jaye? What is her life like?

What kind of person is Balaam? What is his life like?

What is her encounter with Gretchen like?

What is their conversation about Judaism all about?

What is the significance of the choking incident?

What is the first thing the Lion says to Jaye?

What does the donkey say to Balaam?

Why doesn’t jay listen to the lion?

What is the result?

Why doesn’t Balaam listen to the donkey? What is the result?

What effect does this experience have on Jaye?

How would you respond to an experience like this?

How does experiencing a talking donkey affect Balaam?

What experience does have a significant effect on him?

Is Jaye right to suspect she may be insane? Why or why not?

Why doesn’t Balaam think he’s lost his mind?

Reflect on this quote: “if you’re crazy do you think you can know that you’re crazy?”

What does Mahandra say about what happened to Jaye with the lion? What do you think of this?

What is the conversation about surrendering to fate at the end all about?

How did Balaam and Jesus both surrender to fate?

Ruth 1

Ruth 3:1-6

Ruth 4:13-21

Reflect on the Bible passages in light of the film.

What is Jaye’s family like? What do you think of the way they try to help Jaye?

What is the conversation between Jaye and the therapist like?

What has brought Naomi so low at the beginning of Ruth?

How is the experience with the monkey like the experience with the lion? How does it differ?

Reflect on the Monkey saying, “I love you.”

Reflect on this exchange: “My sister hates me…how does that make you feel?...one less person to 

worry about?”

Why does Ruth refuse to leave Naomi?

What do you think of Jaye being told to steal the monkey? What do you think of her doing it?

What risk did Naomi take by sending Ruth to Boaz to propose marriage as she did?

Why did Naomi take this risk?

What does Mahandra say to Jaye about her relationship with her family?

Reflect upon Eric’s story.

What is the end result of Jaye going after the quarter?

How should this affect her perspective on what is happening to her?

What chain of events did the lion have to set in motion to get Jaye to the purse?

What happens when she tries to give the purse back?

What is Jaye’s relationship like with her sister?

Why does Jaye say she returned the purse? Reflect on this.

What do you think of Jaye being told to hook up Sharon with Thomas?

What do you think Jaye believes everything to be about at this point? What does she think the 

‘voices’ are trying to accomplish?

What was Naomi trying to accomplish by sending Ruth to Boaz?

Reflect on this quote: “I think the universe is conspiring against me.”

When did we see Naomi say something similar?

When does this change for Naomi?

What was this whole thing really about? What did the lion accomplish?

What did God ultimately accomplish at the end of the Ruth story?

Where do we see a scene similar to the one between Jaye and her sister in Ruth?

What does Jaye say about her life at the end of the episode?

Reflect on this quote: “I was just trying to do what I thought I was supposed to do, but they 

wouldn’t tell me what it was, they just kept on making me guess.”

How did we see God keeping people guessing in the Ruth passages?