What did Abraham learn?
(Genesis 12:1-9; 18:1-33; 19:1-29; Romans 8:26, 34; Hebrews 7:25; James 5:16) Blog Oct. 22-28, 2022
Prepared by Richard A. Marin: Present Truth PO Box 700, Fallbrook CA 92088-0700 USA
REVIEW: God who created us desires fellowship with us. Even after our fall into sin, God came looking for us. God also has called us, even though we are sinners, to leave our comfort zones and call others to enter into God’s fellowship.
Through Submission
1. How did Abraham respond to God’s call to leave his comfortable home in Chaldea and move to an unknown country? Abraham obeyed God, not knowing where he was going (Gen. 11:31; 12:1-4; Heb. 11:8).
2. What did God promise to make Abraham? God promised to make Abraham a great blessing to the whole earth (Gen. 12:2-3).
3. How was Abraham to be a great blessing to all the earth? By teaching God’s truth to others, by helping others, & by being the father of God’s chosen people through whom the Savior would come Abraham became a great blessing (Gen. 12:2-3; Rom. 4:13-16).
4. As he journeyed towards Canaan in what missionary activity was Abraham involved? Abraham was adding believers to his household as he journeyed towards Canaan (Gen. 12:5).
5. What practice of Abraham gave evidence to all around him that he worshipped God? Wherever Abraham lived he built an altar to worship the true God (Gen. 12:6-9).
6. What practice of Abraham gave evidence that this earth was not his home? Throughout his life Abraham dwelt in tents & did not build a great city to live in (Gen. 12:6-9; Heb. 11:9-10, 13-16).
7. What inspired Abraham to continually submit to God’s will? It was by faith in God’s promises & goodness as well as the hope of future glory that inspired Abraham to submit to God’s will (Heb. 11:8, 13-16).
Through Hospitality
8. When Abraham defeated the kings that attacked Sodom how did he demonstrate his care and generosity to the king of Sodom? Abraham refused to take any of the spoils of the battle but rather returned them to the Sodomites (Gen. 14:21-24).
9. How did Abraham confess God to the king of Sodom? Abraham told the king that he had sworn to “the most high God, the possessor of heaven and earth” not to take a thing from the Sodomites (Gen. 14:22-23).
10. Who walked past Abraham’s tent one hot Palestinian day? God & two angels walked near Abraham’s tent (Gen. 18:1-2).
11. What did Abraham do when he saw the three heavenly visitors standing on the road? Abraham ran out to meet them & invited them to rest under his tree while he got something for them to eat (Gen. 18:2-8).
12. What did Abraham learn as a result of his hospitality? By entertaining God, Abraham learned the time when God would provide the promised son & God’s intent to destroy Sodom (Gen. 18:10-20).
13. When the two angels arrived in Sodom, who showed them hospitality? Lot met the two angels at the gate & invited them to his home (Gen. 19:1-3).
14. When surrounded by the men of the city how did Lot show his love for them while abhorring their sin? Lot went out of his house & spoke to the men of the city, calling them “brethren” & reproving their wickedness (Gen. 19:6-9).
Through Intercession
15. When Abraham heard God’s plan to destroy Sodom how did he show his love for the wicked inhabitants there? Abraham interceded with God for the salvation of the city (Gen. 18:23-25).
16. What characterized Abraham’s intercession for Sodom? Abraham continued interceding with God for the city until he was sure it would be saved (Gen. 18:23-29; Luke 18:1-8).
17. What might we learn from Lot and Abraham’s love for the people of Sodom? By their example of hospitality & intercession we can see our need to love sinners while hating their sins. And we can understand the place of hospitality & intercession in winning others to Christ (Matt. 22:39; 1 Tim. 2:1; Heb. 13:2; Jam. 5:16).
18. What divine examples of intercession are given in the Bible? Jesus intercedes for saints & sinners; & the Holy Spirit intercedes for believers (Isa. 53:12; Mat. 10:32-33; John 17:9-26; Rom. 8:26-27, 34; Heb. 7:25).