Foofee's Nana

What is the significance of Hagar's name for God -- El Roi, the God Who Sees? Hagar named God the One Who Sees Me......He looked down on her sadness and actual flight of running away form an awful situation and gave her hope. I had never really thought about this before but it must have felt bad to have to sleep with your mistress' husband, then be punished after doing the thing you were told to do....she must have felt so angry and confused. So for God to SEE her must have given voice to her sorrow. What does it mean to a person who is discouraged and losing hope? Losing hope....it jsut makes us want to give up....run and hide or go back home as fast as we can. We can see a human situation that seems like no end....let alone a halfway good end is near. What does it mean to you personally? God has brought me through many tough times....raising my children in very unhappy circumstances, but He used all of this for His glory and brought me to the other side to be able to claim His victories....so far it has taken a lifetime, but that is what I have.....smiles.....

Why does the angel ask Hagar something that the angel already knows? ("Where have you come from, and where are you going?") Perhaps it is the way of giving humanity to her plight, to ask of her as a person, as a woman, a mother-to-be. She has been seen only as an object and she is now spoken to as a person. Why does she send her back to Sarah? I think it is to give she and her baby time to grow, to come to the full term of her pregnancy. Sarai has asked Abram to sleep with Hagar, she conceived and now just to toss her aside seems not to be in the will of God. God has promised an heir but to throw away this baby because of jealousy does not seem a right foundation for the promise to Abram to begin. Have you ever reacted and got yourself out of the place God wanted you? Yes, and so many times it takes a long time to get back in the will of God after stepping out on my own accord.

Why does Sarah take her anger out on Abraham? She feels angry that Hagar has become pregant so easily and wants to make this Abraham's fault. Why does she take her anger out on Hagar? She feels slighted and that she was not a wife in the real sense of the word by not being able to produce and heir. When Hagar takes pride in her state of pregnancy the tmeper of Sarah rages. Is she trying to get rid of Hagar or the baby? Perhaps her intent was to humilate Hagar into submission but I think her jealously took over, by ridding herslef of Hagar she also got rid of the baby. What hse thought she wanted turned out to be a mess for her. In what sense is Hagar's pride Abraham's fault? Abraham turned all of this over to Sarah to handle, he slept with Hagar at his wifes request and she concevied but when this became problematic he was out. Perhaps a word form Abraham would have stopped the bad feelings but he chose to turn the other way. In what sense is Hagar's affliction Abraham's fault? He did not speak up even to Sarah and tell her to trust in God for His promises. So he just follwed into the bed of Hagar and made his lfe a turmoil in the process. What situation in your family does this reminds you of? I have close family who are unbelievers and it is always so trempting to take things into ones own hand...but daily I have to remember that God is sovereign and in control of all of this.

Why did God go through the covenant ritual with Abraham, with the divided carcasses? Because He is God and this was a solemn vow, a promise, a covenant. Why does God bind himself to a solemn promise? I think that Yahweh bound Himself to that promise to show us His love and divinity, by His oath we would know how important He considers this. How does Abraham respond to God's promises (15:6)? He believed God...he believed and trusted. What promises has God made to us that affect our futures? He has promised the forgivenenss of sin, the hope of eternal life....a future of glory in heaven with Him. What significance does blood sacrifice have in those promises? The shedding of blood in the animals was the way of this time ( and still is in other cultures), it was to show the solemn nautre of this contract and I think it was also a "type" of Christ, all was done by the shedding of blood. It is awe inspirong to know that God walked between the two halves of the animals to show that He is so good and faithful.

Have you ever been frustrated with God for not fulfilling his promise to you immediately? I don't think frustrated, but anxious, longing to see the promises fulfilled. I wanted a family so badly, a baby of my own to hold and I used to think and ponder why not me???? God was gracious and gave me a beloved son and daughter, through adoption and also birth. I still can not say that I understand the reasonings but God is Good and faithful. Why does God sometimes delay the fulfillment of his promises to a future time? Only God knows the right time, all of the promises must be in His due time. He knows when the end or beginning is near. He is patient and kind and gives us ample opportunity to work out things.....then the day of His promises take effect.

What is so amazing about this verse? God has promised Abraham what appears to be impossible, that he will have an heir of his own body . On what basis does God declare Abraham a righteous person? Abrham beleived God and with this one step....faith....God counted him as being righteous. What significance does this have to our New Testament understanding of justification by faith? This is the step of faith that we are all asked to take....to know that we are given eternal life for our belief and faith in Jesus as our Savior. We did nothing to earn this but it is a gift.

What does it mean to you personally to call God your "Shield? It means that in the midst of my life and all it entails, I have a Lord who loves and offers me the protection of His majesty. What does it mean to you that he promises to you (as heir of the promises to Abraham) "an exceedingly great reward"? To Abram it meant the promise of an heir form his own body, that God is faithful and good to keep His promises to us. What does it mean to you to call God your Suzerain or Sovereign? I means tha I have the beloved hope that all will be okay because of my great God. He is the giver of good.....

Why does Abraham refuse to take the spoils of war that the King of Sodom offers him? He does not want to be aligned in any way with the evil that King Bera represented, nor for him tobe able to say that he made Abranham wealthy. What does this tell us about Abraham's character? I think that Abraham was a moral man because he did not want the taint of eveil around him at all. He said the men who were with him could take what was theirs but he would take not even the thong of a sandal. What is the lesson here for us to learn? It would be a lesson to not concern ourselves with our wealth, especially if it somes to us in a bad way. We need to separate ourselves from wrongdoing.

Why should we tithe to God first (like Abraham did) before dividing up our paychecks to pay our bills? It is to worship Him for all that He has given to us..... What is the significance of Abraham giving one tenth of the spoils of war to Melchizedek? As the king Melchizedek was not entitled to the spoils of the victory, but Abraham saw him as a priest of the God her loved and served and so wanted to give him the first tenth. Does tithing today represent the same kind of worship? I think it should represent the same kind of worship, but it does take us many years to get this straight. Many times we act out of duty rather than worship and praise.

What does Abraham's military expedition to rescue Lot from the Mesopotamian kings tell us about his character? This tells us that he was very loyal to his family and obligations, a man of great character. He was not just going against a a small local group of rebels but a full foreign army. About his abilities? He must have been a forward thinker to be able to plan out the attack and he knew that God would be with him for protection. About the way he deals with neighbors? He must have been repected and well thought of because he convinced his neighbors to join ranks with him and rescue Lot and all of his household. What is here for us to emulate? To have loyalty, treat others well....and stand bu the Word and promises of God.

Does Abraham's material wealth reflect God's blessing on him? Yes, I think it does for Abraham...it was a promise kept by God to bless him. Does material wealth always reflect God's blessing? No, absolutely not. Many who are wealthy do not serve the Living God. They may say they are blessed by God because they have riches, but that is not necessarily true.....IT COULD BE they are in God's will and are waelthy...but they could also be poor and abiding in His will. Does physical poverty always reflect God's curse? No, our lives may be filled with wealth or want.....and we can be in the same state of loving God and serving Him. The choice for us is God's to make.

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? God promised to make Abraham the father of many nations, to bless those who bless him and to curse those who curse him. With Sarai's abduction and the lies ( half-truths) told God still worked this to show His mercy and grace. He closed the wombs of the household of Abimelech....and made him have a dream to protect him from committing adultery. In doing this Sarai was also vindicated and Abram acquired wealth because he was given a great many gifts. I think this shows that even in the midst of things that we try to take into our own hands.....God is still the one in control. He turned this to glory, and restored the ability of Abimelechs household to bear children, and gave Abram back the wife that would provide him the heir to become the father of many nations.

What do you think about Abraham's and Sarah's ethics and faith? I think at best they are like us as humans, we see what we should do and fear takes over. So they chose to "bend" the truth.....like we have done in our culture today. Yes, it was a lie.....and we sit here centuries latger and see the wrong and do the same thing. Are they ethically and morally wrong? I would think they are wrong...not only do they slip...but they allow others to be punished and if not for the dreams of God to commit adultery. Does the Scripture intend to show that their actions as a lack of faith? I do not think the scripture intends this to focus as much on their lack of faith...but rather God's everlasting mercy and faithfulness. What lessons should we disciples learn from these stories? To trust ....and trust.....and if that fails....TRUST some more. It is not God who moves from us,but rather us in always trying to explian or cover our actions we forget that He is a kind and loving Father.

What does this story teach us about God's view of adultery? He views this as a crime....sin against Him and it is punishable by death. Can God forgive a person who has committed adultery? Yes, God can forgive adultery....He can forgive any sin. When we are born again we are cleansed with the blood of Christ. I think in today's times we look at this as not so serious but we can see that God's views are that death was the payment.

Why did Pharaoh and his household get sick? Pharaoh took Sarai to be his wife....when she was the wife of Abram.....God made Pharaoh and his household sick as punishment. What effect did this have? The effect was that Pharaoh released Sarai and Abram to leave, take their additional wealth and just go...with no recourse. What was God seeking to accomplish through this affliction? To keep Sarai and Abram alive during this great famine.....and together, for God had promised to make him the father of many nations. Did it have the desired effect? Yes, I think so.....maybe we today would say that Abram lied and made Sarai step into a situation that was bad...but until we have walked where he walks how do we really know what we would have done. God changed the situation for glory.

What dangers faced Abraham and his family as aliens and sojourners in Egypt and elsewhere? Since they had no relatives they were at the mercy of the ruling warlord, or local tribesmen. Who might oppress them? The local rulers as they were resident aliens. What "aliens and sojourners" live in your community? My husband lives in our home...he is a resident alien from the middle east. Our life has been blessed by God, but we have encountered much prejudice along this journey during our marriage. On a less personal note our city has many refugees from Somalia, and also Vietnam and Cambodia. Why did they come? They came to experience a better life, perhaps escape from bad governments or for that want of freedom of choice. They came to afford better opportunites to care for their familes. How are they being oppressed or discriminated against by employers and others in the community? I will use our own experience...after 9/11 my husband was subjected to discrimination and ridicule on the job. He was in a management position at a large company and they made his life unbearable. As I said...GOD is good.....our life turned around and what this compnay intended for bad God turned to glory. What can you and your church do to "love those who are aliens"? We can see people and situations through God's love....as humans we see with human eyes and it is difficult to try and understand someone or a custom that is different. We have to spend time in prayer and really try to know the will of God. We are not all "cookie-cutter" people but yet we share the foundation of humanity and that we are made in God's image.

What was the significance of Abraham "calling on the name of Yahweh"? To call on Yahweh is to call on the one and only God.....not one of the many gods that people have worshipped through the years. It means that Abraham was a believer in the One, and went to Him all of the time. What does it mean for you to "call on the name of the Lord"? It really means the same as for Abraham, I call on the name of the Lord and take Him my cares, thoughts , needs and praise and worship. Not only is He my God, but He is my advisor, my friend, my one and only soul mate.

Why does it take special faith to begin to do something in obedience to God before we see how it will turn out? It is that step of faith....going into the unknown with no prior knowlege of the "plan" but to only act in obedience. Have you had any of these "opportunities"? Yes.....when I married I was asked to move around the world, out of my comfort zone.....into an unknown. I felt like it was in God's will for me to go with my husband and step out on faith into a country that I did not speak the language nor practice the religion. And God did work it out for glory....He opened my small mind to the beauty and love He had placed in all of His children. It was during this time "away" form my comfort zone that I really began to want to be in His word. Are you in the midst of this adventure now? My adventure continues as I sit here....today I am in my country, but am blessed beyond my dreams with the new found love I have for Jesus....I love studying His Word and feel growth. It took so many years but the journey is of God.

In what ways was Abraham blessed? Abraham was blessed with great wealth, an heir Issac that God had promised, and also Ishmael through Hagar. How have all the peoples of the earth been blessed? All of the people on earth were blessed through Abraham by his belief in God's promises. Because of him, we have the nation of Israel, the Jewish relion, Christianity, and Islam......alll are through the line of Abraham. In what way does Abraham continue bless people through your life? Because of his obedience to God he opened the doorway for the birth of the Savior.

Have you ever begun something in response to God's urging and then stopped? I think in all honesty we have all begun things at God's urging and stopped. When I lived overseas with my husband in the middle east I felt I should read the Bible through and then little by little found that daily life took control. Did God want you to stop? No, I do not think God wanted me to stop.....I stopped....and had excuses...lack of time, away froorm family. Is it time now to renew your obedience and begin again? (Don't take this question lightly. Sometimes circumstances prevent us from doing what we once felt God wanted us to do. However, he is able to redirect you into his will for you now. Seek him diligently to learn his will.) Last year I stopped working on 11/14/08....and it was my desire...God's really....to read the Bible through in that first year. I was obedient....and completed it in 11/09....I have started it again in a different translation and my days are not complete without it. That is when I also wanted to do an online Bible study and have been thrilled with this.

What character flaws does Diotrephes exhibit? He is domineering and sefl centered. Can a person be a strong pastoral leader without developing these traits? I think yes...it may be a downfall or temptation of anyone in powere, especially a pastor. Ego becomes involved and he must keep in prayer to let it be God's Holy Word that is center, not self. I think many times our ministers are tempted to let it be only about them and it does stifle the other believers. If you have tendencies in yourself towards pride and a controlling spirit, how can you fight against them? I have to keep myself in prayer and continue asking God for His direction so my pride does not try to be center stage.

Why does the Apostle John tell his readers to refuse hospitality to the false teachers? John is saying this because we leave ourselves open to false teachings and really to satan. What would refusing hospitality mean for a congregation (as opposed to an individual)? To refuse hospitality as a congregation protects the body of believers from teachings that are not scriptual. We are in a battle for our souls. It is also important that as an individual we keep ourself protected, we may be more inclined to let our manners take over and forget the truth. What is the border between tolerance and stupidity, when it comes to false teachers? We need to be tolerant of believers from a different church or background....not to be open to false doctrine that can damage us. We need to be fiercely protective of our eternal life. Do the divisions of denominationalism find justification in this verse? Why or why not? This is not about denomination....this is about dealing with the Antichrist......this is for the deceivers and false teachers.

What are the reasons given in these verses for supporting Christian workers in their ministry? It shows our obedience to God's Word. These people go our on fatih and want to take the gospel of Christ to others and we need to be obedient also to God and support them. We need to be gracious and giving. What reward comes with becoming a "co-worker," by assisting Christian workers? The reward is that we are partners with the ones who go to the mission field. If we are faithful in our giving and prayers we also serve as if there with them. How effective can Christian workers be without those who support them? It would be very difficult for the workers of Christ to go forward without the means of support from their churches and other believers. They would not really have the time to focus on the ministry of Christ because they would have to be in thought about theur daily needs.

What is the danger of "running ahead" of Christ's teachings to "deeper truths"? The danger of running ahead of Christ's teachings is that we deviate form scripture and begin to put a worldly spin on Jesus, just as they did in Bible days. There is the danger of making Him a good man...a moral man....and forgetting that He was indeed God made flesh. What is the danger of "running ahead" of Christ's guidance for our lives? If we step out of Bible teachings, we run the risk of slipping away from the truth. We need to stay grounded in the Word of God to stay on track.The danger is that many of those days belived the "man" Jesus died on the cross...not the Divine jesus who is our Savior. What does it mean to "abide" or "continue" in Christ and his teachings? To abide means to saty in the word, to grow and study and live in it. All of us as humans get that feeling that things happening today are new, the worst of times.....but I always remember what my beloved Grandmother told me....there is nothing new to mankind....and only Jesus os the answer. Why is this so important? If we abide we become stronger in our faith and can withstand the troubles of this world without crumbling.

Why does John exhort his "children" to "keep yourselves from idols"? It is the way of saying to keep ourselves away form anything that makes us distracted from the goal...which is Christ. We may put many things ahead of Him and they in that sense become an idol. What idols distract us from the true God? Anything that is false or unworthy of the blessing of God...it may be the world series....or a new dress ....it matters how we look at it....do we love it to the point of placing before our God ??? As a christian this should be on our radar screen.....we can become open without thinking about it. Keep our eyes on the goal.....God. What idols compete with God for attention in your life? I think that at times I have placed my children or grandchildren as almost idols.....or making sure my house was clean....I know these things may seem small, but to place what others think of me above Christ is an idolotry issue.