What Is God Doing Here?

On to Chapter 15 of Genesis!  This is for our meeting on Thursday, May 17.

Last week was interesting and there was action and intrigue.  This week there is strange behavior by both Abram and God.  This chapter is about a covenant God makes with Abram and the odd way God ratifies it.

Read the chapter a few times this week, and consider the following questions:

• When has God initiated the coversation with you?
• What does it tell you about the relationship Abram had with God?
• Abram wastes no time bringing up what's bothering him, what's bothering him?
• He believes God in verse 6, so why the renewal of this discussion in verse 7?
• If you had to write a transition between verse 6 and 7, what would it be?
• Why does God "prove" His promise with dead animals, a smoking oven, and a torch?
• What clue do we have that God has actually arrived?
• Do a search on "Suzerainty Treaty" and browse some of the results.  Do any features of verses 7-21 sound like any of those sorts of treaties?
• In this account, who is the suzerain and who is the "vassal"?
• If God is sovereign, the Creator, Master, and incomprehensible to His human creatures, why would He do this?  To whom is He binding Himself?
• Pastor Rod gave a list of promises of God in his sermon Sunday.  If you remember any, write them down.  If you don't listen to the sermon again, and write them down.  From this account, how sure can you be that God will make good on His promises?  How comfortable are you with that?

That should gain both practical and interesting understanding from this passage.  I hope to see everyone on Thursday!

Taking Care of Family Business

I said this last week, this is a fun chapter.  Genesis 14 has lots of difficult names which I encourage you to look up at the Strongs Concordance website (click here to reach).  You will need to go one step beyond the page at the link to find each name, and then come back with the Strongs number.  I know it's a pain, and if you have a way to get the Strongs number more easily, then do that (like an AMG Word Study Bible or something). Names are interesting pieces of Scripture, and without checking on what they mean, you miss detail that might help understand the passage.

As we have seen a good map helps too.  I have included one from an 1854 Bible textbook below.  You may find better ones elsewhere.

As you read, consider the following:

• Which king is in charge of the campaign against the Jordan River Valley?
• Why did they choose to attack this region?
• In verses 5 and 6, how many of these peoples actually is heard from again in Scripture?
• Do you think battling the other kings before the Joran River Valley Gang (JRVG) helped or hindered the kings of the east?
• Read verse 10 in as many different versions as you can.  What's your best understanding of what happened?
• After defeating the JRVG, what did the kings of the east do, and why?
• Where was Lot living now?
• Look at a map of Canaan.  How far did the "refugee" run from the battle to find Abram?
• Why do you think Abram wastes no time in pursuing the kings of the east?
• Who is this Melchizadek person?  Where is Salem?  Look at this article.  Basically, we don't know who Melchizedek was, but the possibilities are interesting.
• Consider Abram's response to the king of Sodom.  How does Lot seem different here?

That should be more than enough to think through.  I'm never going to remember all this stuff on Thursday, so I hope you guys take notes and bring them with you.

I have enjoyed this so much so far.  I hope you all have as well.  I look forward to this Thursday!