Syllabus  Periods of Old Testament History (chart)  SBW - 1  SBW - 2 SBW - 3  SBW - 5 SBW - 6 SBW - 7  SBW - 8

 

BIBLE WOMEN

LESSON 4

Of the Old Testament

Patriarchal Age

Abraham to Exodus

430 years; Gen 12 to Ex 14

PERIOD OF PREPARATION

 

SARAH—PRINCESS (continued)

1.      At the time of her death, how old was Sarah (23:1)?

2.      Where did she spend the end of her life (23:2a)?

3.      How did her death affect Abraham (23:2b)?

4.      Describe the surroundings of Sarah’s burying place (23:17, 19).

 

POINTS TO PONDER:

1.      Abraham and Sarah were the “parents” of what nation (Isa 51:2)?

A.     Notice the promise that was made and fulfilled here (Gen 17:16b)?

B.     Though they are fleshly parents to the nation of Israel , they are also the spiritual ancestors of spiritual Israel , the church (John 8:37-44)?

C.    What key word did the Jews misunderstand in the passage mentioned above?

2.      What covenant did Sarah represent (Gal 4:22-31)?

A.     What blessings grew out of her barrenness (Isa 54:1; Gal 4:27)?

B.     Being impatient with delayed promises, what did she do (Gen 16:1-3)?

3.      How did she respect her husband (1 Pet 3:3-6)?

A.     What lesson should Christian wives or mothers learn from this?

B.     How did Abraham order his house (Gen 18:18-19)?

4.      What price did Sarah pay for introducing polygamy (Gen 16:4-6; 21:9)?

5.      What had God commanded from the beginning (Mat 19:4, 5: Mal 2:14-16)?

6.      What was her great contribution to the world (Gen 3:15; Gal 4:28)?

7.      Discuss how Sarah had “children” (Gen 21:7; 16:, 2).

 

HAGAR—WANDERING (uncertain Egyptian meaning—not a Hebrew name)

1.      What nationality was she? What was her relationship to Sarah (16:1)?

2.      How was she corrupted by becoming Abraham’s wife (16:4)?

A.     How did her mistress deal with her (16:6)?

B.     Was it Abraham’s fault that Hagar was lifted up with pride?

C.    How did he clear himself (16:6)?

3.      What did Hagar do because of the harsh treatment (16:6b)?

A.     Who found her, and what were his words to her (16:7-9)?

B.     What was the prophecy concerning the child to be born (16:10-12)?

C.    How did Hagar speak about the angel who appeared to her (16:13-14)?

4.      Whose child was now born to her (16:15)?

A.     What was to be his disposition and that of his posterity (16:10-12)?

B.     What does the name Ishmael mean (16:11)?

i.        Give Job’s description of the wild ass (Job 39:5-8).

ii.      How does this fit the description of the Ishmaelites (37:25)?

C.    How many princes were to come out of his loins (17:20b)?

D.    What nation came from him (17:20; 37:25)?

E.     What are the Ishmaelites called today? [fleshly descendents are Arabians; their religion is Muslim] Gen. 25:13-18 & 25 describes the land inhabited by the Arabs today.

5.      What is meant by “he shall dwell in the presence of his brethren” (16:12)?

A.     The Hebrew word for presence literally means face.

B.     What happens when someone is always in your face?

C.    It may refer to the constant feuds between Jews and Arabs.

D.    To whom was Joseph sold (37:28)?

6.      Nothing more is said of Hagar’s pride, but what of her son’s (21:9)?

A.     What was to be done with Hagar and her son because of his action (21:10)?

B.     How did this affect Abraham (21:11)?

C.    How id God make the ordeal easier for Abraham (21:12-13)?

D.    Read the account of how Hagar and Ishmael were sent away (21:14-21)?

7.      Hagar represents what covenant (Gal 4:24-25)?

8.      The end of the covenant is pictured by casting her out (Gal 4:25, 30).

 

KETURAH—PERFUMED OR FRAGRANCE

1.      To whom was she married (25:1)?

2.      How many sons did she bear (25:2)?

3.      Did Abraham divide his estate with all his children?

A.     To whom did he give it (25:5)?

B.     Before sending the others away, what did he do (25:6)?

4.      Some consider this portion of Abraham’s life to be out of sequence in time. If this is according to sequence, approximately how old was Abraham at this time?

A.     He was 86 when Ishmael was born (Gen 16:16).

B.     He was 100 when Isaac was born (Gen 17:17).

C.    Sarah was 90 when Isaac was born (17:17) and 127 when she died (Gen 23:1).

D.    Abraham was 137 when Sarah died and 175 when he died (Gen 25:7)?

E.     He lived another 38 years after Sarah died.