We shall continue with
the study of the Book of Genesis this week.
(1) Abraham obeyed God and took a leap of faith, leaving his homeland to an unknown place, and yet one of the first results of his obedience was having to face a severe famine. What can we learn about both the cost of obedience and the basis of our obedience?
(2) What can we know about the social conditions of Egypt of the time? What was obviously missing in Abraham’s decision making process in facing such a difficult situation?
(3) What does his lying about his wife tell us about him, as a person, and his spiritual journey of faith?
(4) We know the result of his lie. Was it worth it?
(5) How did God intervene in keeping the promise He made in 12:3?
(6) If you were Abraham, what lessons would you have learned from this incident?
(7) In particular, what did Abraham learn about his God?
(8) What is the main message to you today and how can you apply it to your life?
(1) When was the last time the Bible mentioned that Abram called on the name of the Lord? What might this gap signify?
(2) How did he become so wealthy?
(3) What did such great wealth bring to him and his family?
(4) What options might Abram have in resolving this conflict?
(5) What option did he choose and why? (i.e. How does it reflect on him as a person and on his journey of faith?)
(6) What options did Lot have, especially as a beneficiary of Abram’s kindness and his position in an ancient Near East family?
(7) What option did he choose and why? (i.e. How does it reflect on him as a person and on his faith?)
(8) How did God respond to Abram’s decision concerning his resolution of the conflict in 13:14-17? Why?ow
(9) This time, Abram again built an altar to the Lord. What was the significance of this action?
(10) What is the main message to you today and how can you apply it to your life?
(1) From a spiritual standpoint, what can you say about the choice made by Lot, especially in view of the progression highlighted by the verbs used in 13:11, 13:12 and 14:12?
(2) What kind of a time or society did Abram live in and how did he cope with such a time? Was he a pacifist?
(3) How was it possible for Abram with his small “army” to defeat the four kings who had taken Lot and his family captive? What might be the message to the pagan world of the time?
(4) How does this incident affirm God’s promise in 12:1-3?
(5) It is often said that Lot represents a life based on sight and that of Abram, a life based on faith. Do you agree with such an analysis? Why or why not?
(6) Through this incident, what might have Lot and Abram learned respectively?
(7) What is the main message to you today and how can you apply it to your life?
After his defeat of the powerful kings of the east, Abram was met by two kings representing two different worldviews:
(1) King of Sodom:
a. What had just happened to the King of Sodom and his people?
b. Why did he come to meet Abram?
c. What kind of attitude did he display?
d. What was his worldview?
(2) King of Salem (likely Jerusalem):
a. From this passage and other references in the Bible, such as Hebrew 5:5-6, 6:20-7:3 and Psalm 110:4, what can we learn about this King of Salem?
b. Why did he come to meet Abram?
c. What was the essence of his blessing pronounced upon Abram?
d. What was his worldview?
e. Why did Abram give a tenth out of his loot to Melchizedek?
(3) Why did Abram have to back his response to the King of Sodom with an oath to the Lord God (14:22)?
(4) In his dealing with the two kings, consider what Abram demonstrated in the following areas:
a. His understanding of his calling
b. His relationship with God
(5) What is the main message to you today?
(1) God reiterated His covenant twice in this section. What might be the significance of the timing of this reiteration (note the words, after this)?
(2) Given what had just happened to Abram, what is the significance of God’s first words, “Do not be afraid”?
(3) What about the assurance that followed?
(4) The word, but, signifies Abram’s complaint: What was his complaint about? Was it a complaint based on faith or a lack thereof, or both?
(5) In reply to Abram’s complaint, what visual aid did God employ?
(6) Now Abram appeared to have grown in his faith:
a. What does it mean that God “credited” to him as righteousness?
b. What is righteousness?
c. What is faith that forms the basis of (his) righteousness?
(7) What then is the essential message of today and how may you apply it in your life?
(1) The first part of the reiteration is about the giving of a son. What is the second part of the reiteration about in 15:7?
(2) Again, Abram responded with another “but”. What was his complaint about? Was it out of faith, or a lack thereof, or both?
(3) It was not the first time God promised him land. Why did he choose to raise this question now, and not when God first made the promise in 12:7?
(4) In such a solemn and sacred moment, the appearance of birds of prey seemed inappropriate. What might be the message here?
(5) In his deep sleep, God chose to give him details of the future of his descendants:
a. What were the details about?
b. Why did God choose to let him know before reaffirming the giving of the land?
(6) What might be the lessons that Abram learned from this experience?
(7) What is the main message to you today and how can you apply it to your life?
(1) As much as God has promised Abram a son coming from his own body (15:4), and God’s explicit pronouncement about the sacredness of marriage as the two “become one flesh” (2:24), Sarai was about to make a similar mistake as Eve, because she still bore Abram no children in her senior years. Compare 3:6-7 with 16:1-3 and see how similar their mistakes were. What was Sarai guilty of?
(2) Compare Adam’s mistakes with Abram’s as well in 3:6 and 16:2-4 and see how similar their mistakes were.
(3) What was the “immediate” result of Adam and Eve’s mistakes?
(4) What was the “immediate” result of Abram and Sarai’s mistakes?
(5) How similar was Sarai’s response (in 16:5) to that of Eve’s when confronted with the consequence of their mistakes?
(6) In resolving this conflict, what did Abram decide to do? What would you have done in his place?
(7) It is believed that in 16:7, “(t)his is the only known instance in ancient Near East literature where the deity addresses a woman by name.” (Waltke) How does this distinguish our God from the gods of the pagans?
(8) Why did Hagar despise Sarai? What might be her intention or goal? What did she get instead?
(9) When God asked her to return and submit, what exactly did Hagar have to submit to?
(10) What might be the most important lesson that Hagar had learned from the entire experience?
(11) What is the main message to you today and how can you apply it to your life?