Through the Bible: Day #18

It is vital that we spend time in God’s Word.

But it’s not always easy.

We open up our Bible, read a chapter and we don’t know what to get out of it or even how to start to understand it.

I thought I could try to help you get a little something out of what you are reading by providing you with some questions to ask as you look at the text.  Good questions are a good start to understanding. Sometimes there will be more questions, sometimes less. I was giving you questions for three different books of the Bible, but I’ve realized it’s probably not realistic for you to get to all of those everyday. So, I am going to go a little more slowly now and give you questions for just one chapter.

You can do this!

So, get a notebook, a pen, your Bible, and if you would like some help, take some time to answer the questions, and you may be surprised by all God teaches you.

Genesis 18

1. Who does the author say appeared to Abraham in verse 1?
2. But who specifically does he see in verse 2?
3. How does Abraham respond when he sees these men coming? How does he address them? Is it singular or plural? What is a bit unusual about that? And what does that tell you Abraham seem to know about this encounter?
4. Somehow these individuals are representing God. Abraham shows them hospitality and then in verse 10, Moses tells us the Lord speaks to Abraham. What does he say?
5. Who is listening to him say this? What detail does the author add about Abraham and Sarah in verse 11 that is important for understanding Sarah’s response?
6. What does Sarah say when she hears what the Lord says? What do you think the author is trying to help us understand about God’s keeping this promise about Isaac?
7. Sarah thinks God keeping HIs promise is impossible. And in a sense it is. Of all people in the world Sarah would be the one who would know this. But how does God respond to her? What hope does that give you about salvation?
8. After this scene the men are going to leave in verse 16. But then the author hits a pause button in verse 17. And who is talking here? What does God say to himself about Abraham, His relationship with Abraham and the purpose of Abraham? And because of that, what does God think he should do for Abraham?
9. What does God do in verse 21 and what does that tell you about sin and about God?
10. Now, in verse 22, the author hits play again and what does he say happened?
11. The men somehow represent God but at the same time God’s presence is not limited to the men. This is a strange scene. But perhaps it is a little bit like Moses at the burning bush. God was present in the burning bush, but he wasn’t the burning bush and he wasn’t limited to the burning bush. Now, back to the text here. How many men go down to Sodom? But how many men does Lot see in chapter 19:1? Where’s the third man? Either he is staying and talking to Abraham or he’s gone down to investigate Gomorrah.
12. What question does Abraham ask God in this passage? And what is he teaching us about the character of God? How does God respond? What are we learning about God’s justice and compassion here?
13. God has said he will spare these two big cities if how many righteous people are found there? But that’s where this chapter stops. So what question are we asking now as we go into chapter 10?