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Q2. (17:11) What does circumcision signify for Abraham, his household, and his descendents? Why is some kind of definite act on Abraham's part important to confirming the covenant? What does Abraham's obedience the very same day signify? Circumcision was selected by God as a physical sign of the covenant made between Him and His people. The terms of the contract are that God will see that Abraham will have many descendents and the land of Canaan will be an everlasting possession. Besides this, He also promises to be their God and the covenant will last forever. To accept this contract Abraham had to obey God and circumcise all the males of his household. Abraham knows that he has a good deal, so immediately carries out God

Q1. (17:1-2) When God tells Abraham, "Walk before me and be blameless," is he requiring moral perfection? What kind of blamelessness does he require of Abraham? Does he expect more (or less) of Christians under the new covenant? No, God is not requiring moral perfection, but He does want Abraham to be upright and sincere in all he does; honouring God by acts of faith. We know a state of sinlessness is not attainable in this life and can only be had through our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. God does expect us, like Abraham, to serve Him faithfully, living a righteous life; determined to obey all His commandments. We are also to

Q4. What lesson is God teaching you out of Hagar's experience? Which situation that God is calling you to is most difficult for you to submit to? I notice that God

Q3. (16:13-14) What is the significance of Hagar's name for God -- El Roi, the God Who Sees? What does it mean to a person who is discouraged and losing hope? What does it mean to you personally? Our Heavenly Father not only loves cares and knows each one of us; He hears and sees all we do. The name El-Roi provides the message: God spoke in direct revelation, and Hagar responded in faith. God sees distress and hardship and He hears. The lesson was clear for Sarah, Abraham, Hagar, Israel, and for Christians: God

Q2. (16:7-9) Why does the angel ask Hagar something that the angel already knows? ("Where have you come from, and where are you going?") Why does she send her back to Sarah? Have you ever reacted and got yourself out of the place God wanted you? The angel knew from where Hagar had come and where was she going, but asked the question so that she would think again and consider what she had left behind and the dangers of the journey ahead. He told her to return and face Sarah, and submit to her. Most probably she was to curb her pride as well. She had to change her attitude and act as she should. Yes, sometimes because of our pride we react hastily and flee from our problems, thinking this will solve the situation. I have found that running away from my problems hardly ever solves them. It normally is better to return to the problem ,face up to it and ask God for help.

Q1. (16:1-6) Why does Sarah take her anger out on Abraham? Why does she take her anger out on Hagar? Is she trying to get rid of Hagar or the baby? In what sense is Hagar's pride Abraham's fault? In what sense is Hagar's affliction Abraham's fault? What situation in your family does this reminds you of? When Hagar became pregnant and was flaunting her pregnancy, Sarah blames Abraham and becomes angry with him. She demands Abraham to do something

Q4 (15:17-18a) Why did God go through the covenant ritual with Abraham, with the divided carcasses? Why does God bind himself to a solemn promise? How does Abraham respond to God's promises (15:6)? What promises has God made to us that affect our futures? What significance does blood sacrifice have in those promises? This was a

Q3. (15:16) Have you ever been frustrated with God for not fulfilling his promise to you immediately? Why does God sometimes delay the fulfilment of his promises to a future time? No, I have learned to trust God and wait with patience for His answer to my prayers. I have seen this occur so many times over my lifetime and I can truly say any delay that occurs always turns out for the better. I might not have understood this earlier. Also, I don

Q2. (15:6) What is so amazing about this verse? On what basis does God declare Abraham a righteous person? What significance does this have to our New Testament understanding of justification by faith? Before, Abraham had obeyed God and moved to the land of Canaan; now he trusts God fully to fulfil His promises and is immediately justified by faith. We find this foundational truth is repeated three times in the New Testament (Romans 4:3; Galatians 3:6; and James 2:23) and shows that righteousness is reckoned in return for faith. The righteousness here refers to the perfect standing which God provides for those who believe on His Son (2Corinthians 5:21).We know God

Q4. Read Matthew 8:5-13; 21:33-44; 22:2-13; 24:14; and 28:19. What do they have in common? What relation does the visit of the wise men have to Matthew's theme of bringing the Gospel to the Gentiles? How should we be applying this mandate in our own lives? We read in these verses that Jesus came not only for the Jews (who were unreceptive to Jesus), but also for the Gentiles. This was underscored when the Magi (from a foreign country) came seeking the King of the Jews. We too should be announcing to all the saving grace of our Lord.

Q3. (Matthew 2:11b) Why was it appropriate for the Magi bring gifts to the Christ-child? How does the extravagance of their gifts reflect their heart attitude? What kinds of gifts are appropriate for us to bring? It would have been appropriate for the Magi to bring gifts to Jesus; they were honouring the newborn King. Besides worshipping our Lord, these gifts were probably the means by which Joseph took his family to Egypt. It could have been enough to sustain them for the duration of their stay until Herod died. It is not the value of our gifts but rather the heart with which they are given. Each one of us gives according to our ability, thereby also honouring and worshipping our Lord and Saviour.

Q2. (Matthew 2:11a) What do we learn from seeing the Magi prostrating themselves before the child Jesus? What was the significance of this for them? How can we emulate this kind of worship? We see the Magi, these important men, not only bowing down before our Lord but also presenting Him with gifts. They must have deemed this baby Jesus to be worthy of the long journey and the gifts. They worshiped Jesus for who He was. There is a lesson in this for us; we too are to honour Christ, for who He is. We can do this, in the same way, by worshiping Him with our sacrifices and gifts.

Q1. (Matthew 2:1-2; Numbers 24:17) What is the significance of the Star of Bethlehem that the Magi saw? Why do you think the Magi came to find the Christ-child when they saw the star? In what way was does prophecy pre-figure this event? It was the Star of Bethlehem that made the Magi aware of the birth of our King. This birth was the most important event in the history of the world at the time. Although there are various scientific explanations about the appearance of this Star, I truly believe that its occurrence can only be explained as a miracle. The Magi perhaps became aware of the significance of the Star supernaturally. It could also be that they were familiar with OT prophesies concerning the Messiah

Q1. (15:1) What does it mean to you personally to call God your "Shield"? What does it mean to you that he promises to you (as heir of the promises to Abraham) "an exceedingly great reward"? What does it mean to you to call God your Suzerain or Sovereign? I know God

Q5. (Luke 2:17-20) Great joy, praise, curiosity, amazement, telling others, thoughtful meditation. Which of these responses to the Good News are present in your life? In what manner do they show themselves? If some are missing, why? What can you do to recover these responses? I experience great joy knowing what my Saviour has done for a sinner like me. I praise Him daily and am truly amazed at His sacrifice and love for us all. Given the opportunity I do tell others and I often find myself in thoughtful meditation. I wouldn

Q4. (Luke 2:11) What are the three titles of Jesus given by the angels? What does each mean? What does this tell us about Jesus' true identity? Saviour - deliverer, rescuer; Christ - the Anointed of God, the Messiah of Israel; Lord - He is God manifest in the flesh. As a Saviour Jesus had been appointed from all eternity; promised and expected from the beginning of the world; being God as well as man, able to bring about our salvation. He is Christ the Messiah spoken of by the prophets; the anointed of the Lord, to be a prophet, priest, and king in His church. The true Jehovah, the Lord our righteousness, the Lord of all creatures, the Creator, the Prince of Peace, the Lord of lords, and King of kings.

Q4. (14:21-24) Why does Abraham refuse to take the spoils of war that the king of Sodom offers him? What does this tell us about Abraham's character? What is the lesson here for us to learn? He does not want to have anything to do with the king of wickedness or with different pagan religions. He does not want to feel obliged to them either. We must also be careful not to associate with various sects that can lead us astray and feed us false doctrine. Abraham is obviously a man of integrity, loyal only to our God.

Q3. (14:20) What is the significance of Abraham giving one tenth of the spoils of war to Melchizedek? Does tithing today represent the same kind of worship? Why should we tithe to God first (like Abraham did) before dividing up our pay-checks to pay our bills? Abraham is honouring God, thanking Him for the victory. Yes, it is acknowledging that everything belongs to God and we are grateful for what He has given us.

Q3. (Luke 2:7-8) Why do you think the message of Jesus' birth comes to shepherds, of all people? Why is Jesus born in a stable with a manger for a bed? This has to be intentional. What point is God making? Jesus came to be our shepherd; He came in all humility to serve, to save. The conditions of His birth were intentional, so that He would be approachable by all of us, even the poorest of the poor. He came to save all who believed in Him. He died for us, ascended to heaven, and will return to earth as King of kings. Although born into poor and humble circumstances, He will rule the world and judge us individually according to our belief in Him.

Q2. (14:13-16) What does Abraham's military expedition to rescue Lot from the Mesopotamian kings tell us about his character? About his abilities? About the way he deals with neighbours? What is here for us to emulate? It shows us he is a man of integrity and loyalty to his family. He is also a man of peace who is able to get his neighbouring leaders to support him in rescuing Lot. He shows leadership qualities in organising the rescue mission, and a brave man going into battle himself. Mostly I feel he trusted God completely knowing that God promised him the land of Canaan and also that he would have numerous offspring

Q2. Why do you think the journey to Bethlehem was difficult for Mary? Is pleasure an indication that we are in God's will or not? Any examples from your life? Extra Credit: Argue for or against this proposition: "Being a consistent Christian causes more hardships than just going with the flow." It must have been an arduous journey for both Joseph and Mary. More so for Mary who must have been in her early teens, late in pregnancy, and having to undertake a four day journey in the open under winter weather. I dont think pleasure is an indication that we are in Gods will; perhaps just the contrary. I know from personal experience my best times of growing and drawing closer to our Lord, have been when undergoing trying circumstances. Im sure we are often tested for our own good God preparing us for eternity. Being a Christian does not guarantee an easy life of prosperity and having all that we want. God refines us and disciplines us all for our own good. I would not have it any other way! We have to trust God in all we do and surrender all to Him.

Q1. (13:2) Does Abraham's material wealth reflect God's blessing on him? Does material wealth always reflect God's blessing. Does physical poverty always reflect God's curse? Yes, God has promised that He will bless Abraham abundantly. We see in our world today so much evil and many people blessed with immense riches. Some of these people do not deserve this blessing but this is part of God

Q1. (Luke 2:1-2) Why does Luke name the rulers in 2:1-2? What point is he making? The Bible is the Absolute Truth and here Luke states historical facts. We therefore know about the political and historical settings when our Lord was born.

Q5. (12:2-3) What relationship does God's promise to Abraham in 12:2-3 have to do with the incident of Sarah's abduction in 20:10-20? All the promises God made to Abraham would still be fulfilled, irrespective of the detour Abraham and Sarah had to take

Q5. (1:24-25) What does Joseph accepting Mary as his wife say about his character? What is the significance for prophetic fulfilment of Jesus as a Son of David that Joseph "named" the child "Jesus"? Joseph did exactly what the angel had told him to do. This showed he was a man of God, a righteous man, a person who could be trusted. He named the baby Jesus, and because of Joseph naming Him, He became Joseph