We shall continue with
the study of the Book of Genesis this week.
(1) How long since the birth of Ishmael did God choose to appear to Abraham again? Why did it take so long?
(2) Before changing Abram’s name, God chose to address Himself as “God Almighty” (El Shaddai). Why?
(3) In confirming the covenant again with Abraham, of what did God exhort him before reiterating His covenant? How did Abraham fall short of this exhortation after he was credited with righteousness?
(4) Why did God choose to change his name from Abram to Abraham (i.e. from Exalted Father to Father of Many)?
(5) Why did God not change his name before? What might be the lesson conveyed by the timing?
(6) God emphasizes that it is an “everlasting covenant”. In what way is it everlasting? How do you understand this as an everlasting covenant?
(7) This covenant is conditional on Abraham’s acceptance by performing circumcision on himself and all his descendants.
a. Why did God make it conditional?
b. Of all things, why did God choose circumcision as a sign?
c. What might it take for Abraham and his descendants to obey this command?
d. Why was non-compliance such a serious breach?
(8) What spiritual significance is there to include “foreigners” in his household prophetically? (Read Rom. 4:9-12.)
(9) What is the main message to you today and how can you apply it to your life?
(1) Why did God change the name of Sarai as well? (Note: The exact meaning of her name change is unclear, except that both names appear to be variants of the word, princess.)
(2) Did God not intend that His promise of a son would come through Sarah from the beginning? Why did Abraham laugh then?
(3) Even with God’s clear confirmation of a son through Sarah, why did Abraham still bring forward the name of Ishmael? What does it tell us about this “father of faith” whose conversation with the Lord was carried out “facedown”?
(4) In v. 20, God said, “I have heard you.” What had God heard from Abraham?
(5) What blessings would Ishmael receive? How did his blessings compare to those of Isaac in this passage?
(6) Whom did Abraham circumcise? What did this action confer upon them?
(7) Did Abraham circumcise Ishmael too? What is the significance of Ishmael’s circumcision?
(8) What is the main message to you today and how can you apply it to your life?
(1) After the last appearance, God followed up with another appearance to Abraham. From the contents of this passage, what was the purpose of God's appearance? To whom was this appearance directed and why?
(2) What lesson can you learn from this?
(3) Judging from the way Abraham acted towards these strangers, one would have thought that he knew who they might be. Read Hebrews 13:2 to see how the Scripture interprets this incident. What lesson can you draw from this interpretation? (Note: If Abraham knew it was God, he would have brought an offering, but he brought refreshments instead.)
(4) Neither the angels nor God needs to eat. Why would they accept Abraham’s reception?
(5) Did God know that Sarah was listening? Can you blame Sarah for laughing?
(6) Why did God choose to confront Sarah’s laugh and not Abraham’s (Gen. 17:17)?
(7) What did Sarah’s lie signify? Why did God choose to confront her lie as well?
(8) This is the first time that this rhetorical question appears, “Is anything too hard for the Lord?”.
a. What did it mean to Abraham?
b. What did it mean to Sarah?
c. What does it mean to you?
(9) What is the main message to you today and how can you apply it to your life?
(1) What was the other purpose of this visit of the Lord and the angels?
(2) How significant is this rhetorical question by God, “Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do?”? Why did God feel obliged to share the destruction of Sodom with Abraham? What does blessing other nations through him have to do with disclosing this particular plan? Can you think of more than one reason?
(3) As much as the covenant is one of blessing, v. 19 clarifies Abraham’s role in the fulfillment of this promise. What did his role entail?
(4) What can Christian parents learn from this role of Abraham?
(5) Did God not “know” how great and grievous the sins of Sodom and Gomorrah were? Why did He have to “go down and see”?
(6) What can you learn about God from this?
(7) According to the Masoretic text, v. 22 should read, “but the Lord remained standing before Abraham” which is more in tune with v. 23 which follows by saying, “Then, Abraham approached Him…”.
a. Why didn’t the Lord go with the angels, but stood there instead? What was He waiting for?
b. Did He get what He was waiting for?
(8) Abraham interceded for Sodom and Gomorrah. Consider these questions:
a. Why did Abraham start with 50 righteous people?
b. Why did he stop at 10?
c. Who lived in Sodom, other than the Sodomites? (see Gen. 19:29)
(9) How should we emulate Abraham when we are faced with increasing immorality and godlessness in our city?
(10) What can we say about Lot, given that he had a large and wealthy household, when there were not even 10 righteous in their midst?
(11) What is the main message to you today?
(1) By describing Lot as sitting (presumably safely) in the gateway of the extremely immoral city, what might we know about Lot? (Refer to Prov. 31:23.)
(2) Based on the ensuing event and apart from hospitality, what might be the reason that Lot insisted “strongly” to have the angels enter his house?
(3) Do you appreciate what Lot did to these two strangers? Why?
(4) The angels went to see how “great and grievous” the sins of the city were (18:20).
a. What did they find out?
b. How did their sins compare to our city today? Are we (or ours) there yet?
(5) Lot sought to protect the strangers because “they have come under the protection of (his) roof”
a. What does it say about Lot?
b. What does his offer of his two virgin daughters say about Lot?
c. What has choosing, moving closer to and eventually living in Sodom done to Lot and his family, spiritually speaking?
(6) As much as Lot did grieve over the sins of the city (2 Pet. 2:8), what did Abraham do about the city (see Gen. 18) that presumably Lot did not do?
(7) What then is the essential message of today and how may you apply it in your life?
(1) Why did the angels extend the rescue to Lot’s sons-in-law (who could be Sodomites)?
(2) Why did they take it as a joke?
(3) The angels were urging Lot to leave, obviously with a sense of urgency. Why did Lot hesitate (19:16)? What did he hesitate about? Should he not fear for his life? What did leaving Sodom mean to him?
(4) Apart from urging them to flee, the angels also said that they should not look back? Why?
(5) Why then did Lot’s wife look back? Why was she turned into a pillar of salt? What is the lesson here?
(6) Why did Lot refuse to flee to the mountains and prefer to flee to a “town”? What difference did a town make, versus the mountains? What was the result of his decision?
(7) Why would the angels grant his wish?
(8) I am sure, the very next morning, that both Abraham and Lot saw the smoke that came from the totally destroyed cities.
a. What might Abraham be thinking?
b. What about Lot?
(9) Given the spiritual insensitivity of Lot, why did God choose to bring him out of the city of Sodom?
(10) What is the main message to you today and how can you apply it to your life?
(1) Did Lot not choose to stay in the little town of Zoar? Why then would they leave for the mountains? What might they be afraid of?
(2) What “custom all over the earth” did his daughter refer to?
(3) Had this righteous person, Lot, exerted influence on the city he lived in, or vice-versa?
(4) What about his influence on the daughters?
(5) What important lesson may we learn from Lot?
(6) Like Noah, Lot was drunk with wine. How similar were their weaknesses?
(7) Again, what far reaching impact did such a weakness have?
(8) What is the main message to you today and how can you apply it to your life?