Lesson 1: Abraham Backpacking Through the Middle East

Question 1

What was God’s first promise to Abram?

Answer 1

Abram had to move from his country leaving his kindred and father’s house to the land that God was supposed to show him. God promised that He would bless him. God would bless Abram so that whoever he would bless will be blessed and whoever he would curse would be cursed and in Abram all the families of the earth shall be blessed.

Question 2

What was the second promise of God to Abraham?

Answer 2

That God will bless him with a child and make him father of a nation.

Question 3

What did Abram do after getting God’s instruction to move out of his father’s land? What was the name of the land he left behind?

Answer 3

He left his land as soon as he got the order. Name of the land was Ur.

Question 4

Whom did Abram take to accompany him when he left Haran?

Answer 4

Abram took his wife Sarai (meaning Princess), his brother’s son Lot, all his possessions and the people they acquired in Haran.

Question 5

What was the name of the new land Abram was supposed to move to?

Answer 5

Canaan

Question 6

Why did Abram build an altar in Shechem to the Oak of Moreh?

Answer 6

When they were passing through Shechem to the Oak of Moreh, Canaanites were living there. God appeared to him and said to your offspring I will give this land. To commemorate this, Abram built an altar there for the Lord who had appeared to him.

Question 7

Where was the second altar Abram built for God?

Answer 7

In the hill country on the east of Bethel with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east.

Question 8

What was the name of Abram’s father?

Answer 8

Terah

Question 9

How old was Abram when he left Haran?

Answer 9

75 years

Question 10

Name the place here Abram’s father died?

Answer 10

Haran

Question 11

Where was the third altar Abram made in honor of God?

Answer 11

Canaan

Question 12

What is an altar? How is it built?

Answer 12

Altar was the earliest means of worshiping God. The altars were built with earth and stones on which an animal or grain was placed on top and were burnt as sacrifice. Altars were also built as landmarks of identification for travelers.

Question 13

True or false: Noah who lived 400 years before Abram did sacrifice on altars?

Answer 13

TRUE

Question 14

At what age did Abraham received the second part of God’s promise; and what was the second part?

Answer 14

At a hundred years of age, he became the father of Isaac that was the second part of God’s promise.

Question 15

When did God change the name of Abram to Abraham and what is the meaning of that name?

Answer 15

When Isaac was born to Abram at the age of 100; the name means father of many.

Question 16

Who was the patriarch of the Jewish Nation? What does the word patriarch mean?

Answer 16

Abraham; the word patriarch means father of a very large family.

Question 17

What is the new name of Sarai?

Answer 17

Sarah

Question 18

What is the word covenant mean?

Answer 18

A special promise made between God and human.

Question 19

What can we learn from the story of Abram?

Answer 19

Following the plan God has for us takes a lot of courage, faith, and commitment especially when that gets us out of our comfort zones. To build an altar in the midst of strangers who believed in different gods is also very hard to do. It takes a lot of courage. Especially now in North America where we live among multi-cultured people, it is a big task to keep our faith in the Living God.

Question 20

What is an altar now in the new world?

Answer 20

In modern day churches, it in the holiest of holy place, there is an altar. Alter is the place where priests celebrates Holy Communion. In Holy Communion we share the body and blood of Jesus that was sacrificed for us in the form of concentrated bread and wine for the forgiveness of sins. Jesus became the ultimate sacrifice for us on the cross instead of animals and Grains on the altar as mentioned in the Old Testament.

Question 21

Do you think Abraham is worthy to be called father of Nations? Why?

Answer 21

Today people of the main religions such as Jewish, Christian, and Muslim all consider Abraham as the father or the patriarch. All these religions trace back to Abraham through Isaac and Ismail. Isaac being the father of Jews and Christians and Ismail as the father of Muslims.