English: OBS Study Questions - English

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05. The Son of Promise

What the Story Says

  1. Why did Sarai tell Abram to have a child with Hagar?

    Sarai was now too old to have children (#05-01). The custom of that time allowed a woman to have a child through their servant.

  2. What was the name of the son born to Abram through Hagar?

    Abram named the son that Hagar bore him Ishmael (#05-02).

  3. What did God tell Abram to do to show his covenant with God?

    As a sign of the covenant God made with Abram, God told Abram to circumcise every male in his family (#05-03).

  4. Who would be the “son of promise?”

    Sarai would bear a son for Abram. His name would be Isaac. He would be the son of promise (#05-04).

  5. What were the meanings of the new names that God gave to Abram and Sarai?

    Abraham means “father of many” and Sarah means “princess” (#05-04).

  6. How old were Abraham and Sarah when Isaac was born?

    Abraham was 100 years old and Sarah was 90 years old (#05-05).

  7. What did God tell Abraham to do to his son Isaac?

    God told Abraham to kill Isaac as a sacrifice to God (#05-06).

  8. Where did Abraham tell Isaac that they would get the lamb for the sacrifice?

    Abraham told Isaac that God would provide the lamb for the sacrifice (#05-07).

  9. Did God want Abraham to actually kill Isaac as a sacrifice?

    No, God told Abraham not to kill Isaac. God was only testing Abraham to see if he would obey God. God provided a ram for the sacrifice instead of Isaac (#05-08), (#05-09).

  10. Why did God say that he would bless Abraham?

    God said he would bless Abraham because Abraham was willing to give God everything, even his only son ($05-10).

What the Story Means to Us

  1. Should Sarai have told Abram to have a son with her servant Hagar?

    The custom of the day allowed Sarai to have a son through her servant. But perhaps Sarai did this because she did not believe God could give Abram a son in their old age.

  2. Why was Isaac called the “son of promise?”

    Isaac was the “son of promise” because God would fulfil his promise to bless all nations through him. Even though Ishmael was also Abram’s son, God had chosen to bless Abraham’s descendants through Isaac instead of through Ishmael (#05-04).

  3. Why did God give new names to Abram and Sarai?

    In the Old Testament, people were often named according what kind of people they were, or what they would do. God gave Abram and Sarai new names to show that they would have many descendants and would be honored by them.

  4. Why did God test Abraham by asking him to kill Isaac?

    God tested Abraham to show that Abraham would obey God no matter what God asked him to do. He would even sacrifice Isaac, his son of promise.

  5. Was Abraham willing to kill Isaac as God asked?

    Yes, Abraham was willing to obey everything God told him to do. He was ready to kill Isaac when God told him to stop (#05-08).

  6. Why did God provide a ram for the sacrifice?

    Abraham told Isaac that God would provide a lamb for the sacrifice. But at that time, God provided a ram instead (#05-09). Abraham was speaking about a sacrifice in the future when God would provide a perfect lamb.

  7. Why did God say that Isaac was Abraham’s only son?

    Ishmael was also the son of Abraham. But Isaac was the son of promise that God had chosen to bless. Isaac was the only son through whom God would keep his covenant.

Summary

When Abram and Sarai were old, they still did not have a son as God had promised. Therefore, Sarai told Abram to have a son through her servant. Hagar bore Ishmael to Abram, but God had not chosen to keep his covenant with Abram through Ishmael. Instead, God allowed Sarai to give birth to Isaac in their old age. He was the son of promise. God tested Abraham to see if he would obey God and kill Isaac. When Abraham showed he was ready to do that, God stopped him and provided a ram for the sacrifice. God promised to bless the world through Abraham’s family because Abraham obeyed him.