Genesis 15-18; Proverbs 2; Matthew 4

Genesis 15: What was the concern that Abram expressed to the Lord?  What ‘object lesson’ did the Lord use with Abram in verse 5.

Genesis 16: What did Sarah do to take control of the situation? What did Hagar call God?

Genesis 17: What covenant does God re-visit with Abram? Why did he change his name and Sarai’s name?  What was Abraham’s reaction when God said Sarah would have a child? What was the mark of the new covenant?

Genesis 18:  What was Sarah’s reaction when the visitors said she would have a child? What question does Abraham ask God?  What do you find interesting about the negotiating that Abraham does to save Sodom?

Proverbs 2: How do wisdom, knowledge, and understanding preserve and keep us?

Matthew 4: Where did Jesus begin His ministry and why?

Journal Prompts: Rewrite Genesis 15:6 in your own words.  What significance does this have in your walk with the Lord?

Answers

Genesis 15: Abram was concerned that he would not have a descendant and that his estate would be inherited by his slave, Eliezer. 15:5 – Abram believed the Lord and he credited to him as righteousness.

Genesis 16:  Sarai decided to provide an heir for Abraham by arranging for him to sleep with her servant, Hagar.  On a personal note, I know that there are far too many times that I go ahead and ‘do the next thing’ when I feel unsure about receiving direction from God, so I can really identify with Sarai’s actions.  Hagar called God, “the One who sees me.”

Genesis 17: God renews His covenant with Abraham to make him the father of many nations. He changes their names to “father of many” and “princess of many”. Abraham laughed when God told him he and Sarah would have a child. The mark of the covenant was the circumciscion and God told Abraham he was to circumcise all males in Abraham’s household.

Genesis 18:  Sarah laughed.  Abraham asks God if he will kill the righteous together with the wicked (in Sodom).  I find it interesting that Abraham negotiated at all with God – it speaks to me of the relationship they had.  It’s also interesting that Abraham began his negotiations on behalf of Sodom rather than just Lot and his family.

Proverbs 2: They will deliver us from the way of evil and from those who do evil and from the immoral woman.

Matthew 4: Jesus began His ministry in Galillee, specifically Capernaum.