Recap from 8/1/10

This week, in addition to having a great dinner of Kabobs (thanks Ted and Angie) and awesome fellowship, we studied chapters 12 and 15-18 of Genesis.

These chapters tell the story of Abram/Abraham. Abram was called by God to leave his home land, and God promised to give him lots of descendants and make him a great nation. Abram and his wife got impatient waiting for God to fulfill his promise (his wife could not conceive) , so Abram used his wife's servant to give him a child. God promised to bless this child, but also insisted that he would have a child by Sarai, his wife, even though they were both old. God gave both Abram and Sarai new names, Abraham and Sarah, as signs of His promise to them.

Here are some questions that came up during our Bible study on Sunday. If you couldn't be there in person, think about these as you read through the chapters yourself.

• In the Old Testament, God speaks very directly to people. Why doesn't God speak to us in this way today? Is it possible that he does and we don't realize it?
• Was it sinful for Abram to have a child by Hagar even though the Ten Commandments had not yet been given? What was the cultural norm of the time?
• God continually reassured Abram of His promise to give him descendants. Did Abram sin by not trusting God? What were the consequences of him not trusting God?
• What was the significance of the animal ritual in chapter 15? (see also Jeremiah 34:18-20)

We did not read chapters 13,14, 19, or 20. These are "bonus reading," so you can read them on your own if you would like to read through all of Genesis with us. You can discuss these chapters (or any of the things we have discussed so far) here, or you can bring your questions or thoughts to Bible study on Sunday.