Old Testament 150 Reading Challenge week 4

Old Testament 150 Reading Challenge 5 May 2014 to 28th November 2014 Week 04: Bible Reading Plan and Discussion Starters

Welcome to The Salvation Army's Challenge to read
150 popular chapters from the Old Testament within 7 months,

reading just 5 chapters per week.

Monday, May 26, 2014 --- Genesis 16 – Abram has a son, but not with his wife Sarai 

-       V1-2, do you think Abram was too quick to listen to Sarai’s logic, or was this a sensible decision under the circumstances?

-       V5, do you feel sorry for Abram, or Sarai, or both…or neither? 

Tuesday, May 27, 2014 --- Genesis 17 – Circumcision is the sign of God’s covenant with Abraham 

-       Was God’s covenant with  Abraham the Hebrew a temporary one or an everlasting one?

-       V10-11, was circumcision part of the covenant itself, or was it the sign of the covenant?

-       V12, why do you think day eight of a boy’s life was chosen for circumcision?

-       V19-21, was God’s covenant to be established through Isaac or Ishmael?

Wednesday, May 28, 2014 --- Genesis 18 – Abraham receives heavenly visitors, who repeat the promise to Sarah and travel on to judge Sodom 

-       Reading through this chapter and the first verse of chapter 19, it seems that the God and two angels presented themselves in human form. Do you think God and His angels can, and still does, do this today?

-       v14, a question for you, maybe with regard to your own prayers….’Is anything too hard for the LORD ?’

-       v15, is there any promise or prophecy in Scripture which you doubt will occur?

-       V16-33, (especially v25) ‘Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?’…how useful is this to remember when considering those who die without hearing the Gospel?

 Thursday, May 29, 2014 --- Genesis 19 – The sin of Sodom and its subsequent Judgement 

-       V1-3, why do you think Lot was so insistant on the visitors staying at his house?

-       V5, does this verse reveal the problem which the angels came to judge?...or do you think it was a symptom of a bigger problem?

-       Was the wickedness shown toward the two visitors with regard to homosexuality, rape, or inhospitality?

-       V8, isn’t Lot’s offer of two daughters a crazy thing to do?...do you think the Bible includes this as a good thing, or as an example of human stupidity ?...is it affirming to know that the Bible does not attempt to hide such mistakes made by characters such as Lot ?

-       V9, having been denied the male visitors, and having rejected the virgin daughters, the men of the city now want Lot!

-       V14, even within the family unit not everyone heeded the urgent warning – does this happen today with regard to our eternal Judgement ?

Friday, May 30, 2014 --- Genesis 20 – Abraham pretends Sarah is his sister – again! 

-       We know that Sarah was now at least 90 years old (see Ch 17:17) and yet Abraham evidently still feels he needs to deceive the King Abimelech about her…putting her in danger and in the King’s hands. Do you think Abraham should have learnt to trust God for protection by now, given the repeated promise of descendants which would come through him ?

-       V12 reveals that, in Abraham’s perspective at least, he had not been lying about Sarah being his sister!