Christmas

1. 10 Basic Quizzes on Christmas:

a. ___________ was the home of Mary and Joseph. Luke 2:4

b. ___________ announced Jesus' birth to Mary. Lk 1:26-27

c. ___________ was the town where Jesus was born. Lk. 2:4-7

d. ___________ was the place where Jesus was wrapped in cloths and laid. Lk. 2:7

e. ___________ were told about a sign, that a Savior has been born to you, he is Christ the Lord. Lk. 2:8-12

Answers:

a. Nazareth; b. Gabriel; c. Bethlehem; d. Manger; e. Shepherds
_______________________________________________________

f. ___________ treasured up all in her heart what shepherds spread the word concerning the child. Lk. 2:19

g. ___________ guided the Magi to Jerusalem and then to Jesus. Mt 2:2

h. ___________ in where the Magi found Jesus. Mt. 2:11

i. ___________ warned the Magi about Herod's trick. Mt. 2:12

j. __________ of the Lord told Joseph in a dream to escape to Egypt with Jesus and Mary. Mt. 2:13

Answers:

f. Mary; g. A Star; h. A house; i. A dream(God); j. An angel
_______________________________________________________

2. What is Christmas, and the reason for the season?

Answer:
CHRISTMAS is the anniversary of the birth of Christ and its observance. The date of the birth of Christ is not known. In fact, early traditions differ about the time of year in which Jesus was born. Celebrated by most Protestants and by Roman Catholics on December 25, by Eastern Orthodox churches on January 6, and by the Armenian church on January 19.

The word Christmas is formed of Christ + Mass, meaning a religious service in commemoration of the birth of Christ. It is not clear whether the early Christians observed Christmas, but once introduced, the observance spread rapidly throughout Christendom.

The first mention of its observance on December 25 is in the time of Constantine about A.D. 330s, when this date was chosen to replace a Roman celebration commemorating the Sun's climb following the winter solstice.
(Solstice = either of the times when the Sun is farthest from the equator, on or about June 21 or December 21. The summer solstice falls in June in the northern hemisphere but in December in the southern hemisphere, and vice versa for the winter solstice).

The arrival of the Messiah on the human scene was not unexpected. Hundreds of Old Testament prophecies could be cited that were clearly fulfilled by Jesus Christ. But with prophecy, we often don’t know what it means until we know what it meant. Many of these predictions pertained specifically to the circumstances surrounding Jesus’ birth. A careful reading of the Old Testament, written hundreds of years before the birth of Christ, shows us where He will be born, when He will be born, how He will be born, and who, specifically, He will be. And with surprising accuracy, too!

Some Christian groups disapprove of the festival, probably because it is not a command of Jesus or Apostles. The Christian celebration on December 25th is about Jesus, not about whether he was actually born on that day.

A major point to consider in Christmas season is in Mt 7:12. So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.
_______________________________________________________

3.What is God's purpose in sending His Son, according to Gospels?

Answer:
a)Mt 1:21 She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.

b)Jn 3;16-20 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son.

19This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. 20Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed.

c)Ro 5:12-19 Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned— 13for before the law was given, sin was in the world. But sin is not taken into account when there is no law. 14Nevertheless, death reigned from the time of Adam to the time of Moses, even over those who did not sin by breaking a command, as did Adam, who was a pattern of the one to come.

15But the gift is not like the trespass. For if the many died by the trespass of the one man, how much more did God's grace and the gift that came by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, overflow to the many! 16Again, the gift of God is not like the result of the one man's sin: The judgment followed one sin and brought condemnation, but the gift followed many trespasses and brought justification. 17For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God's abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ.

18Consequently, just as the result of one trespass was condemnation for all men, so also the result of one act of righteousness was justification that brings life for all men. 19For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous.

d)Jn 14:6-10 Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
7If you really knew me, you would know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him." 8Philip said, "Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us."
9Jesus answered: "Don't you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, 'Show us the Father'? 10Don't you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me?

e)Lk 19:10 For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost."

f)Jn 6:35-40 Then Jesus declared, "I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty. 36But as I told you, you have seen me and still you do not believe. 37All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away.

38For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me. 39And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all that he has given me, but raise them up at the last day. 40For my Father's will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day."

g)Jn 17:1-3 After Jesus said this, he looked toward heaven and prayed: "Father, the time has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you. 2For you granted him authority over all people that he might give eternal life to all those you have given him. 3Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.

h)Mt 11:25-27 At that time Jesus said, "I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. 26Yes, Father, for this was your good pleasure.

27"All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.

i)Jn 5:21 For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the Son gives life to whom he is pleased to give it.

j)Jn 10:14-16 I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me— 15just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep. 16I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd.

k)2 Th 2:13 But we ought always to thank God for you, brothers loved by the Lord, because from the beginning God chose you to be saved through the sanctifying work of the Spirit and through belief in the truth.
_______________________________________________________

4. Harmonize the chronological sequence of Jesus' Birth and Infancy?
Mark and John say nothing about the birth of Jesus. Matthew and Luke record different incidents. Therefore, exact sequence is not easy. A probable and approximate dates are given below:

TIMELINE OF EVENTS:

6 or 5 BC ......... John's Birth announced to Zachariah .... Lk.1:5-25

6 months later .... Jesus' birth announced to Mary ........ Lk.1:26-38
................... Mary visits Elizabeth ................. Lk.1:39-56

3 months later .... Mary returns to Nazareth ............ .... Lk.1:56
................... Announcement to Joseph ................ Mt.1:18-24
....................Birth of John the Baptist ............. Lk.1:57-80
_______________________________________________________

5 BC .............. Birth of Jesus ................. Mt.1:25, Lk.2:1-7

................... Announcement to Shepherds .............. Lk.2:8-20

8 days later ...... Jesus' circumcision ...................... Lk.2:21

32 days later ..... Jesus' presentation ....................Lk.2:22-38
_______________________________________________________

4 BC .............. Visit of the Wise Men ...................Mt.2:1-12

................... Flight to Egypt ....................... Mt.2:13-15

....... Murder(massacre) of Bethlehem's Boys <2............ Mt 2:16-18
_______________________________________________________

3 BC ..............Return to Nazareth .............Mt 2:19-23, Lk 2:39
_______________________________________________________

5. Name the incidents associated with the birth of Jesus recorded in the Gospels?

Answer:
a) Matthew:
1:1-17 .....Genealogy thru Joseph
1:18-25 ... Joseph took Mary home as his wife
2:1-23 .... King's(Magi) visit

b) Mark:
1:1 ........Beginning of the Gospel about Jesus

c) Luke:
1:1-4 ..... Introduction
1:5-80 .....Announcements & Births of the forerunner & Messiah
2:1-38 .....Jesus' Birth
2:39-52 ....Family in Nazareth
3:23-28 ....Genealogy thru Mary

d) John:
1:1-18 .....The Word
____________________________________________________

6. Where did the word Messiah come from?

An English word that represents:
Mashiah in Hebrew, Mashiha in Aramaic, Messias in Greek. The basic meaning of the word is, "anointed one". Christ is the English form of the Greek 'Christos' which also means 'anointed'.
_______________________________________________________

7. Highlight some Messianic Prophecies related to Christmas?
(=NT Quotes from Old Testament Prophetic predictions fulfilled in Jesus)

Answers:
(1=OT Prophecy, 2=NT Quotes fulfilled in Jesus)

a) The woman's seed would bruise Satan's head:
1=Gen 3:15; And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel."

2= Gal 4:4, 4But when the time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under law.
-------------------------------------------------------
b)Of Abraham's seed:
1= Gen 17:7; I will establish my covenant as an everlasting covenant between me and you and your descendants after you for the generations to come, to be your God and the God of your descendants after you.

2= Gal 3:16 The promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. The Scripture does not say "and to seeds," meaning many people, but "and to your seed," meaning one person, who is Christ.
-------------------------------------------------------
c)Of the house of David:
1= 2 Sam 7:12-13 When your days are over and you rest with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring to succeed you, who will come from your own body, and I will establish his kingdom. 13 He is the one who will build a house for my Name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.

2=Acts 13:32 "We tell you the good news: What God promised our fathers 33he has fulfilled for us, their children, by raising up Jesus.
-------------------------------------------------------
d)Preceded by a messenger:
1=Mal 3:1 "See, I will send my messenger, who will prepare the way before me. Then suddenly the Lord you are seeking will come to his temple; the messenger of the covenant, whom you desire, will come," says the LORD Almighty.

2=Lk 1:17 And he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous—to make ready a people prepared for the Lord."
-------------------------------------------------------
e) Born of a virgin & Called Immanuel:
1= Isa 7:14 Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.

2=Mt 1:22-23 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: 23"The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel"—which means, "God with us."
-------------------------------------------------------
f)Born in Bethlehem:
1=Mic 5:2 "But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times."

2=Mt 2:1 After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem 2and asked, "Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him."
-------------------------------------------------------
g)The Shepherd:
1=Isa 40:11 He tends his flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart; he gently leads those that have young.

2=Jn 10:11-16 "I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep (11).......
-------------------------------------------------------
h)The king:
1=Zech 9:9 Rejoice greatly, O Daughter of Zion! Shout, Daughter of Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you, righteous and having salvation, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.

2=Jn 18:33,37. 33Pilate then went back inside the palace, summoned Jesus and asked him, "Are you the king of the Jews?" 37"You are a king, then!" said Pilate. Jesus answered, "You are right in saying I am a king. In fact, for this reason I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth.
-------------------------------------------------------
i)Live in Nazareth
1=Isa 11:1 A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit.

2=Mt 2:23 and he went and lived in a town called Nazareth. So was fulfilled what was said through the prophets: "He will be called a Nazarene."
-------------------------------------------------------
j)Stay in Egypt:
1=Hos 11:1 "When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called my son.

2=Mt 2:15 where he stayed until the death of Herod. And so was fulfilled what the Lord had said through the prophet: "Out of Egypt I called my son."
_______________________________________________________

8. How come "Christmas" sometimes is called "Xmas"?

In Greek, the letter Χ (chi), is the first letter of Christ, or, the similar Roman letter X, has been used as an abbreviation for Christ since the mid-16th century. Hence, "Xmas" is sometimes used as an abbreviation for "Christmas".

Although some people highlight that Christ is taken out of Christmas with this 'Xmas' usage, however it may certainly be not the intention. Many believers may be unhappy for commercializing the spirit of the season.

Although many Christmas celebrations do not emphasize Christ, wise men still seek him. In Jn 3:30 John the Baptist says, "He must become greater; I must become less". If similar themes become the focus of the celebration, Christmas will make a wonderful celebration.
_______________________________________________________

9. True or False.

There is no evidence in Scripture that the early church celebrated the birth of Christ.

Answer: True.
_______________________________________________________

10. What was the role of Egypt during Jesus' infancy?

Answer:
Matt 2:13-23. Jesus, Mary, and Joseph had escaped into Egypt. Demon powers through Herod centered his attack against God's plans in Christ for the earth. Thus Egypt, once was a great enslavement of Israel during Moses' time, now she became the refuge of Baby Jesus, Israel's future deliverer and the world's redeemer.
_______________________________________________________

11. Where do you find the pre-incarnation existence of Jesus in the Gospels?

Answer:
The Word Became Flesh. John 1:1-3.
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2He was with God in the beginning. 3Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.
_______________________________________________________

12. What does the Bible say all about Mary, the Mother of Jesus?

Answer:
After the birth of Jesus and His visit to Jerusalem at the age of 12, very little is said about Mary. She gave birth to at least 6 children besides Jesus. At her suggestion, Jesus turned water into wine at Cana, His first miracle (Jn 2:1-11). Later she tried to get Him in the crowd but Jesus' words indicate that her family relation to Him gave her no special advantage to meet Him (Mt 12:46, Mk 3:31, Lk 8:19). She was present at the crucifixion and there she was committed by Jesus to the care of John(Jn 19:25-27). Though there is no record of Jesus appearing to her after His resurrection does not mean that it did not happen. The last mention of Mary is in Acts 1:14, where she was with the disciples in prayer. However, Mary is a blessed woman.
_______________________________________________________

13. What does the Bible say all about Joseph, the legal or foster-father of God's own son, Jesus?

Answer:
Very little is told of Joseph. He was a descendant of David. He went with Mary to Bethlehem and was with her when Jesus was born (Lk 2:4, 16). He was with Mary when Jesus was presented in the temple(Lk 2:33) and thus he shared in the naming, circumcision, and dedication of the child (Luke 2:8-33). He took them to Egypt and brought them back to Nazareth(Mt 2:13, 19-23). He also took the 12 year old Jesus to Jerusalem(Lk 2:43, 51). As a dedicated father, he was anxious with Mary at the disappearance of Jesus (Luke 2:41-48). The only other reference about him is that he was a carpenter and the head of the family of at least 6 children besides Jesus(Mt 13:55-56). He raised Jesus as his own and taught Jesus his own trade(Mt 13:55).

Joseph is one of Scripture's quiet men. Nothing he said is quoted anywhere else. He is a man of faith and righteousness demonstrated by simple obedience to God's commands, especially by marrying pregnant Mary, despite the certainty of whispered accusations.

"Isn't this the carpenter's son?(Mt 13:55), and They said, "Is this not Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know?(Jn 6:42). The language of these 2 verses imply that he was alive after the ministry of Jesus had well begun, but as we do not hear of him in connection with the Crucifixion, and as Jesus commited the care of his mother to John(Jn 19:26-27), or in the Upper Room(Acts 1:14), it may be inferred(reasoned) that he had died prior to these events.
_______________________________________________________

14. When was Jesus presented in the Temple(dedication)?

Answer:
Lk 2:22-24 21On the eighth day, when it was time to circumcise him, he was named Jesus, the name the angel had given him before he had been conceived.
22When the time of their purification according to the Law of Moses had been completed, Joseph and Mary took him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord 23(as it is written in the Law of the Lord, "Every firstborn male is to be consecrated to the Lord"), 24and to offer a sacrifice in keeping with what is said in the Law of the Lord: "a pair of doves or two young pigeons."
______________________________________________________

15. Why the town of Bethlehem is called "the city of David"?

Answer:
David was anointed king by Samuel in Bethlehem(1 Sam 16:13,15) and therefore it was known as "the city of David" (Lk 2:4,11).
_______________________________________________________

16. Fill up the missing names:

a) Acts 2:29 "Brothers, I can tell you confidently that the patriarch _________ died and was buried, and his tomb is here to this day. 30But he was a prophet and knew that God had promised him on oath that he would place one of his descendants on his throne.

b) Rom 1:1 Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God— 2the gospel he promised beforehand through his prophets in the Holy Scriptures 3regarding his Son, who as to his human nature was a descendant of __________, 4and who through the Spirit of holiness was declared with power to be the Son of God by his resurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ our Lord.

Answers:
a)David b)David
_______________________________________________________

17. Although Joseph had the throne-rights of the house of David, he could never have occupied the throne. Why?

Answer:
God's word barred the way of Joseph. There had been a curse on this royal line since the days of Jeconiah. In Jeremiah 22:30 we read,
This is what the LORD says: "Record this man as if childless, a man who will not prosper in his lifetime, for none of his offspring will prosper, none will sit on the throne of David or rule anymore in Judah."
Joseph was in the line of this curse. Hence, if Christ had been Joseph's son, He could not have sat on David's throne.

But we find the genealogy of Mary's line back to David in Lk 3 through Nathan, and not Jeconiah(Lk 3:31). There was no curse on this line.
Lk 1:30-33: But the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God. 31You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. 32He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, 33and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end."
_______________________________________________________

18. What is Magnificat?

Answer:
MAGNIFICAT is the name given to the hymn of Mary(a Song of Praise) in Lk 1:46-55, commencing "My soul glorifies the Lord."

Mary's Song

Mary said:
"My soul glorifies the Lord
and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
for he has been mindful
of the humble state of his servant.
From now on all generations will call me blessed,
for the Mighty One has done great things for me—
holy is his name.
His mercy extends to those who fear him,
from generation to generation.
He has performed mighty deeds with his arm;
he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts.
He has brought down rulers from their thrones
but has lifted up the humble.
He has filled the hungry with good things
but has sent the rich away empty.
He has helped his servant Israel,
remembering to be merciful
to Abraham and his descendants forever,
even as he said to our fathers." _______________________________________________________

19. Is there any birthday celebrated with or without feasts, in the Bible?

Answer:
a)Gen 40:20Now the third day was Pharaoh's birthday, and he gave a feast for all his officials.

b)Mt 14:6On Herod's birthday the daughter of Herodias danced for them and pleased Herod so much 7that he promised with an oath to give her whatever she asked.

c)ceremonies were observed at child birth;
Lev 12; Lk 2:24
______________________________________________________

20. What is Epiphany?

Answer:
a) January 6, a Christian festival (holy day) which, in the Western church, celebrates the visit of the three magi (= Wise Men) to see the baby Jesus Christ, and in the Eastern church, the baptism of Christ.

b) A Christian feast celebrating the manifestation of the divine nature of Jesus to the Gentiles as represented by the Magi. Twelfth day after Christmas(= January 6).
______________________________________________________

21. Who invented the number zero?

It was invented by a Hindu mathematician Aryabhatta in India before 400 BC on the basis of a vedik chant as below-

पूर्णमदः पूर्णमिदं पूर्णात् पूर्णमुदच्यते।
पूर्णस्य पूर्णमादाय पूर्णमेवावशिष्यते॥

If you look at the Roman Numerals, you can see there is no "Zero" in that numbering system. Although the Zero was invented in India long before, it probably was never popular or never paid attention by the Romans.

The absence or the lack of usage of the number "Zero" have contributed for the error of the BC-AD calendar system.

Roman Numerals:
I=1, V=5, X=10, L=50, C=100, D=500, M=1000. An overline drawn above the numeral will make it multiple of 1000.
______________________________________________________

22. Stories about Christmas Story:

There are several concepts about the time of Jesus' birth. It is worthwhile to understand the science of determining the dates of the historical events mentioned about the Jesus' birth story and hence some are given below for a clear understanding of the stories.

1. The Christian era, now used for civil chronology, was introduced at Rome by Abbot Dionysius Exiguus in the sixth century. It is now generally agreed that the beginning of the era should have been fixed at least four years later.
According to the Gospels, Jesus was born some time before the death of Herod the Great. Josephus, the Jewish historian who was born A.D. 37, affirms that Herod died shortly after an eclipse of the moon, which is astronomically fixed at March 12-13, 4 B.C. His death occurred shortly before Passover, which that year fell on April 4. Jesus was born at least some months before Herod's death. Christ's presentation in the temple after he was 40 days old (Lev 12:1-8; Luke 2:22-24) means that the wise men came at least six weeks after his birth. The time spent in Egypt is uncertain, perhaps several months. Thus, the birth of Jesus should be placed in the latter part of the year 5 B.C.

2. Of the major Christian festivals, Christmas is the most recent in origin. The name, a contraction of the term "Christ's mass", did not come into use until the Middle Ages. The word Christmas originated as a compound meaning "Christ's Mass". It is derived from the Middle English Christemasse and Old English Cristes mæsse, a phrase first recorded in 1038. "Cristes" is from Greek Christos and "mæsse" is from Latin missa (the holy mass).

In the early part of the 4th century, Christians in Rome began to celebrate the birth of Christ. The practice spread widely and rapidly, so that most parts of the Christian world observed the new festival by the end of the century.

No evidence remains about the exact date of the birth of Christ. The December 25 date was chosen as much for practical reasons as for theological ones. Throughout the Roman Empire, various festivals were held in connection with the winter solstice. In Rome, the feast of the Unconquerable Sun celebrated the beginning of the return of the Sun. When Christianity became the religion of the Empire, the church either had to suppress the other festivals or transform them. The winter solstice seemed an appropriate time to celebrate Christ's birth.
Thus the festivals of the sun became the festival of the Son, the light of the world.
_______________________________________________________

23. How could Jesus have been born 5 years into B.C.(Before Christ), the new Calendar System?

Answer:
This error is not the result of any critical scholarship that tried to undermine the reliability of the Bible. Rather, it is the result of a mathematical error made by a monk some 1500 years ago.

Jesus was born when the Jewish nation was part of the Roman Empire. At this time, in the empire, years were counted from the founding of the city of Rome and there was no BC counting. But when the Roman Empire fell and Christianity became the universal religion in the regions once had been Roman Empire, a monk named Dionysius Exiguus, at the request of Emperor Justinian, made a new calendar in AD 526. This calendar replaced the Roman calendar, and it counted years from the birth of Christ. (Different views on "Bible & World History Timeline" or "Fall of Roman Empire" written by many are available on the net for detailed study).

The new calendar divided history into two parts:
1. the years before Christ as B.C. and
2. the years after the birth of Christ as A.D., which stands for Anno Domini meaning, "in the year of (our) Lord").

However, long after the Christian Calendar had replaced the Roman Calendar, it was discovered that Dionysius had made a mistake. He had placed the birth of Jesus in 753 AUC (Ab Urbe Condita, meaning "From the founding of the city of Rome"). He should have placed it a few yeas earlier, in about 748 AUC or so.
______________________________________________________

24. Which is the official national calendar of United States

The legal code of the United States does not specify an official national calendar. Use of the Gregorian calendar in the United States is a result of an Act of Parliament of the United Kingdom in 1751, which specified use of the Gregorian calendar in England and its colonies. However, its adoption in the United Kingdom and other countries was fraught with confusion, controversy, and even violence. It also had a deeper cultural impact through the disruption of traditional festivals and calendrical practices.
_______________________________________________________

25. What does the Rockefeller Center, New York City "Christmas Tree" do for Christmas?

Answer:
a) Each year the world's most famous tree is lit the week following Thanksgiving, and in 2009 the tree was lit on Wednesday, December 2, 2009 and remained lit until January 7, 2010. The Rockefeller Center Tree Lighting festivities began around 6pm, and the actual lighting took place at 8:55pm sharp. Mayor Mike Bloomberg and Tishman Speyer CEO Jerry Speyer flipped the switch on the 75-foot Norway Spruce.

The Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree is typically illuminated from 5:30 a.m. until 11:30 p.m. daily, except on Christmas and New Year's Eve. On Christmas, the tree is illuminated for 24 hours and on New Year's Eve the lights are turned off at 9:00 p.m.

b) Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony:
The 77th Annual Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony takes place on December 2, 2009 from 7-9 p.m. The annual event is televised and features musical performances from a variety of popular artists. Typically, the Radio City Rockettes perform and there are also ice skaters performing in the Rockefeller Ice Rink.

c) About the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree:
The Christmas tree that adorns Rockefeller Center is typically a Norway Spruce. The minimum requirement is that the tree be 65 feet tall and 35 feet wide, however manager of Rockefeller Center gardens prefers the tree be between 75 and 90 feet tall and proportionally wide. Norway Spruce that grow in forests don't typically reach these proportions, so the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree tends to be one that was ornamentally planted in someone's front or back yard. There is no compensation offered in exchange for the tree, other than the pride of having donated the tree that appears in Rockefeller Center.

Over five miles of lights are used to decorate the tree every year. Only the lights and the star decorate the tree. The tree is recycled and the 3 tons of mulch are donated to the Boy Scouts. The largest portion of the trunk is donated to the U.S. Equestrian team in New Jersey to use as an obstacle jump.

d) Tickets/Cost:
The tree lighting ceremony is free and no tickets are needed. However it is advised you arrive early to secure a prime viewing spot for the 2 hour lighting ceremony.

e) Weather:
The average high in December in New York City is 44 degree Fahrenheit (6.66 Celsius) and average low is 32 degree Fahrenheit (0 Celsius). The average precipitation is 3.56 inches. Rain or snow can happen anytime in December in New York City. Dress accordingly for weather conditions.(The term "Celsius" of the Metric temperature scale is usually preferred to "centigrade," especially in technical contexts).

PS:
On 2009 Christmas eve at 8pm, me and my family went to see this tree. The tree which was bright, colorful and gently swaying in the breeze, looked extremely beautiful. It was a very cold night but there was no rain. The whole area was filled by tourists and New Yorkers. Basically visiting the tree is an entertainment, fun and an experience for all especially children.

Random Quiz-23

20 Quizzes

Fill in the blank with the right name responsible for the mission effort during the spread of the early church. 10 Questions.

1. ______________ prayed with John that the Samaritans would receive the Holy Spirit, Acts 8:14-15.

2. _______________ was sent by God to restore Saul's eye sight, Acts 9:10-12.

3. ______________ witnessed to a eunuch in a chariot, Acts 8:26-27.

4. ______________ sent Peter to Samaria to Check on Philip's work, Acts 8:14.

5. _____________ was stoned to death for his faith in Jesus, Acts 7:59.

Answer:
1. Peter; 2. Ananias; 3. Philip; 4. The Apostles; 5.Stephen.
--------------------------------------------------------------------

6. _____________ was the prophet the Ethiopian eunuch was reading, Acts 8:30.

7. _____________ interceded in behalf of Saul after his conversion, Acts 9:27.

8. _____________ caught Philip up, and the eunuch saw him no more, Acts 8:39.

9. _____________ was blinded by a light on his way to persecute the Christians, Acts 9:1-3.

10. ____________ wanted to buy the power of the Holy Spirit, Acts 8:18-19.

Answer:
6.Isaiah; 7. Barnabas; 8. The spirit of the Lord; 9.Saul; 10. Simon
---------------------------------------------------------------------

11.Who were David's Great grandparents?

12. Because of her obedience to God, what Jericho woman with a shady reputation was blessed with a place in Jesus' family tree?

13. On what holy hill does David write in Psalm that God will install my King?

14. When Jesus cried on the cross, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me," He was repeating a line from what Old Testament book?

15. What is he referring, when David writes, "They divide my garments among them and cast lots for my clothing".

Answer:
11. Boaz & Ruth. Obed(grandfather), Jesse(father).
12. Rahab the prostitute (Matt 1:5)
13. Zion (2:6)
14. Psalm 22:1
15. Jesus would suffer this fate during His crucifixion, (Psalm 22:18; Matt 22:35)
---------------------------------------------------------------------

16. The 115th Psalm says, the other nations' idols are not the true God because,
a)they foster cruelty
b)their bodily organs are nonfunctional
c)they err constantly in their prophesying
d)they differ nation to nation

17. The stone which the builders rejected has become the (Psalm 118:22)
a)scorn of mankind
b)stone of the roadway
c)instrument of disaster
d)capstone(head stone of the corner)

18. Among the most lengthy of all, the 119th Psalm
a)recounts the history of Israel from Joseph to David
b)lists the punishments that await the wicked
c)describes the sanctuary
d)praises the Lord's laws and commandments

19. The "beginning of wisdom" is (Psalm 111:2,5,7,10)
a)the works of the Lord
b)His covenant
c)verity and judgment
d)the fear of the Lord

20. In the one hundred and twelfth Psalm, the rewards to the man who fears the LORD and who finds great delight in his commands include all EXCEPT, (Psalm 112:2-3)

a)His children will be mighty in the land
b)the generation of the upright will be blessed
c)Wealth and riches are in his house,
d)he shall have a life after death

Answer:

16)b; 17)d ; 18)d ; 19) d; 20)d

Leah

15 Questions & Answers

Scripture Ref: Gene 29-35; Ruth 4:11
________________________________________________________________

#1. Who is Leah?

Answer:
The story of Leah is an Old Testament love triangle. She was caught in conflict with her sister for the man she loved. Leah is the first of the four concurrent wives of the Hebrew patriarch Jacob, and mother of six of the Twelve Tribes of Israel. She is the eldest daughter of Laban and the older sister of Rachel, whom Jacob originally wanted to marry(Gen. 29:16). Leah is Jacob's first cousin, as her father Laban is the brother of Jacob's mother Rebecca. Jacob took her as wife through a deceit of her father (Gen. 29:23). She bore to Jacob six sons (32-35), also one daughter, Dinah (30:21). She accompanied Jacob into Canaan, and died there before the time of going down into Egypt (Gen. 31), and was buried in the cave of Machpelah, the family grave, near Hebron (Genesis 49:31).
-----------------------------------------------------------

#2. Fill up the blanks. Gen 29:31
When the LORD saw that Leah was not loved, he opened her __________, but Rachel was _____________.

Answer:
a)womb
b)barren
------------------------------------------------------------

#3. How many Children Jacob had in 4 women?

Answer:
Children of Jacob by wife in order of birth (D = Daughter)

Leah: Reuben(1), Simeon(2), Levi(3), Judah(4), Issachar(9), Zebulun(10), Dinah-(D),
Rachel: Joseph(11), Benjamin(12)
Bilhah(Rachel's servant): Dan(5), Naphtali(6)
Zilpah(Leah's servant): Gad(7), Asher(8)

Succession order with Mother's initial in brackets:
1. Reuben (L)
2. Simeon (L)
3. Levi (L)
4. Judah (L)
5. Dan (B)
6. Naphtali (B)
7. Gad (Z)
8. Asher (Z)
9. Issachar (L)
10. Zebulun (L)
11. Joseph (R)
12. Benjamin (R)

Dinah (L) was the only daughter of Jacob. Leah had all her 7 children(6 boys and a girl) before Rachel had been blessed with a Child.
------------------------------------------------------------

#4. True or false. Leah's memory was not forgotten by future generations.

Answer:
True. Ruth 4:11 discloses the fact. Memory of Leah was used as a blessing for Ruth.

4:11 Then the elders and all those at the gate said, "We are witnesses. May the LORD make the woman who is coming into your home like Rachel and Leah, who together built up the house of Israel. May you have standing in Ephrathah and be famous in Bethlehem.
------------------------------------------------------------

#5. Why Rachel was considered more beautiful?

Answer:
Leah was tender-eyed. The dullness or weakness of her eyes was so notable that it is mentioned as a contrast to the beautiful form and appearance of her younger sister. Probably, her eyes were lacking that luster/sparkle which always and everywhere is looked upon as a conspicuous part of female beauty. On the other hand Rachel was beautiful and physically attractive.
-------------------------------------------------------------

# 6. Who were the two sons of Leah became the progenitors of prominent tribes in Israel?

Answer:
a) Levi (Levites came from him)
b) Judah (Jews originated from him)

God fulfills His covenant to Abraham through Leah's descendants. All kings of Israel come from Judah, most notably King David. Other famous descendants are:
Moses, Aaron, Elizabeth, John the baptist, Barnabas, Peter, Joseph, Mary and her son Jesus, the long awaited Messiah.
--------------------------------------------------------------

#7. When Jacob was returning to the land of his fathers, before the end of their journey what did Jacob do to Leah when their courage was sorely tried at the time of the meeting between Jacob and his brother Esau?

Answer:
Although Leah was by all accounts always loyal to Jacob, the sentiment was not returned to the same degree. Jacob's continued second-rate regard for Leah apparently never ended. Years later, when he was about to meet his brother Esau for the first time since their bitter parting, Jacob surely believed that Esau would attack with his 400 men (Genesis 32:6), so he put Leah and her children near the front of the line, and kept Rachel and her children safely in the rear (Genesis 33:2) giving them the best chance of escape should Esau turn violent. Although Leah was placed between the handmaids in the front, and Rachel with her son Joseph in the rear, she still could not have derived much comfort from her position. We may well imagine her feeling of relief when she saw Esau and his 400 men returning to Seir (Gen 33:2,16).

However, God was not about to let anything happen to Leah. She is one of the key ancestors of the most important people in Bible History and Bible Prophecy.
--------------------------------------------------------------

# 8. True or False. Throughout Leah's story, Leah was disloyal to Jacob?

Answer:
False. Throughout her story, Leah must have been very unhappy and certainly had reason to be bitter. Jacob's preference of Rachel grew into hatred of Leah. However, she continued to love and be loyal to her husband even though that love was not returned. To her credit, with each birth, the names she chose show her devotion to God and her reverence for Him as the Ruler of her life. - And she was rewarded. Her six sons became representatives of six of the twelve tribes of Israel. It was through her son Judah’s line, the Savior Jesus Christ was born. Leah is remembered as a blessing in the book of Ruth.
-------------------------------------------------------------
#9. How much time Jacob had to wait to marry Rachel after the unwelcome surprise marriage with Leah?

Answer: One week.

A great wedding feast was held and when evening came, as was the custom, the heavily veiled bride was led into the bridal chamber. There, in the dark, Jacob spent the first night with his bride, but the light of day brought an unwelcome surprise. The untrustworthy Laban had secretly substituted Leah for Rachel. He wanted to wring 7 more years of service from Jacob.

Jacob was understandably upset at being deceived and confronted Laban, who hedged, saying that the older daughter must always marry before the younger. He excused himself to Jacob by alleging that the custom of the country forbade the younger sister to be given first in marriage. So, let Jacob would just finish the "marriage week" with Leah, he could marry Rachel too and then work another seven years for her. Jacob accepted the terms. He must have been very much in love to agree to another seven years work for the man who so cruelly deceived him.

Thus, the stage was set for an unhappy home. Jacob loved his wife Rachel but the Bible says that Leah was despised. She embarked on the unfruitful work to win her husband’s affection. There followed many years of jealousy and competition between the sisters.

(Jacob may have considered this God’s method of payback, for Jacob had deceived his own father to win his brother’s birthright - read Genesis 27).
---------------------------------------------------------------

#10. How is Leah's character projected in the story?

Answer:
Capable of strong and enduring love, she was a faithful mother and wife. Manipulated by her father, she became jealous of her sister, with whom she might not have reconciled. Her love for her husband was one-sided.
----------------------------------------------------------------

#11. With each child the unhappy Leah hoped to secure her husband's affection. But each time her disappointment grew. What is the old curse concerning this situation?

Answer:
Your desire will be for your husband and he will rule over you (Gen 3:16).
-----------------------------------------------------------------

#12. Children often caused a mother untold sorrow. Name a few sorrowful events Leah had to go through?

Answer:
a) Dinah, her only daughter, had been raped by a local prince on thier return to Jacob's homeland. Leah probably didn't know how to comfort her.
b) Her sons Levi and Simeon avenged their sister by savagely murdering a town-full of people.
c) Reuben disgraced himself by sleeping with his father's concubine Bilhah.
-------------------------------------------------------------------

#13. What are the things credited to Leah, rather than Jacob's favorite wife, Rachel?

Answer:
a)Jacob's love could not prevent Rachel from dying in childbirth and she was buried somewhere near Ephrath, not in the family grave.
b) Leah was destined to be his first and last wife.
c) The promise of a Savior was carried not through Rachel's Joseph but through Leah's Judah.
d) Jacob was laid to rest in the Cave of Machpelah, next to his first wife Leah.
e) Along her husband, the father of Israel, Leah would be revered as the mother of Israel.
f)Leah had a full life with many sons and wealth, however, she was best known for what she didn't have- the love of her husband.
---------------------------------------------------------------

#14. Many things other than another woman can put a wife in Leah's position. What could be them?

Answer:

Many women today have husbands who love something more than their wives, such as their jobs, their position, their money, sports, friends, relatives etc.
----------------------------------------------------------------

#15. Give couple of examples of promises in Scripture, as your only source of comfort when you desperately want a love you don't have?

Answer:

a)Isaiah61:1,3
1 The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me,
because the LORD has anointed me
to preach good news to the poor.
He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
to proclaim freedom for the captives
and release from darkness for the prisoners.

3 and provide for those who grieve in Zion—
to bestow on them a crown of beauty
instead of ashes,
the oil of gladness
instead of mourning,
and a garment of praise
instead of a spirit of despair.
They will be called oaks of righteousness,
a planting of the LORD
for the display of his splendor.

b)Jeremiah 31:13b
I will turn their mourning into gladness;
I will give them comfort and joy instead of sorrow.

Random Quiz - 22

20 Quizzes

1. Centuries before scientists proved it, ____________ indicated that the world was round.

2. The prophet Jeremiah is described at least 3 different ways. Can you name them?

3. Which prophet prophesied Jesus' birthplace as Bethlehem 700 years in advance?

4. Which book in the Bible predicted Jesus' dying words 1000 years ahead of time?

5. Who is the first prophet in the Bible?
====================================================================
Answers:

1. Isaiah. 40:22
---------------------------------------------
2. He has been called 3 names:

a)the weeping prophet.
9:1 I would weep day and night for the slain of my people.
13:17 But if you do not listen, I will weep in secret because of your pride; my eyes
will weep bitterly,

b)the prophet of loneliness.
16:2 "You must not marry and have sons or daughters in this place."

c)the reluctant prophet.
1:6 "Ah, Sovereign LORD," I said, "I do not know how to speak; I am only a child."
---------------------------------------------
3. Micah, 5:2
"But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times."
---------------------------------------------
4. Psalm, 22:1
My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?
---------------------------------------------
5. Abraham. Gen 20:7
Now return the man's wife, for he is a prophet, and he will pray for you and you will live.
===================================================================

Who said.......? (10 Quizzes)

6. "Lord, why can't I follow you now? I will lay down my life for you."

7. "Indeed, women have been kept from us..."

8. "You son of a perverse and rebellious woman"

9. "From now on all generations will call me blessed."

10. "After I am worn out and my master is old, will I now have this pleasure?"
==================================================================
Answers:

6) Peter - John 13:37. 7) David - 1 Samuel 21:5. 8)King Saul - 1 Samuel 20:30.

9) Mary - Luke 1:48. 10) Sarah - Gen 18:12.
===================================================================

11. "Even up to half the kingdom, it will be given you."

12. "Look, your sister-in-law is going back to her people and her gods. Go back with her."

13. "...whatever comes out of the door of my house to meet me when I return in triumph from the Ammonites will be the Lord's, and I will sacrifice it as a burnt offering."

14. "...the joy of the Lord is your strength."

15. "What have I done to you to make you beat me these three times?"
===================================================================
Answers:

11) King Xerxes - Esther 5:3, AND Herod - Mark 6:23. 12)Naomi - Ruth1:15.

13)Jephthah - Judg 11:30. 14) Nehemiah - Nehemiah 8:10.

15) Balaam's donkey - Numb 22:28.
==================================================================

16. Only Matthew records Jesus' encounter with 2 blind men. What did they call Jesus?

17. When Jesus was criticized by the Pharisees for picking and eating grain on the sabbath, whom from the OT did Jesus cite for eating in violation of the law?

18. If you had known what these words mean, 'I desire mercy, not _____________,' you would not have condemned the innocent.

19. 104th(:17) Psalm says, the stork has her house in the
a)cedars, b)cypresses, c)pine tree, d)palm trees.

20) Psalm 104:21 says, The young lions roar after their prey, and seek their food from
a)man, b)their kind, c)the sea, d)God.
====================================================================
Answers:
16) Son of David (Matt 9:27). 17) David (Matt 12:3). 18) sacrifice (Matt 12:7)

19)c. 20)d.

Random Quiz - 21

20 Quizzes

Fill in the blank with proper word which refer to each Chariot experience.

1. The Ethiopian eunuch was reading ___________ in his Chariot as he traveled between Jerusalem and Gaza, Acts 8:27-28.

2. Pharaoh used all the Chariots of Egypt to chase the _____________, Exo 14:6-8.

3. _________ saw a Chariot of fire before being taken to heaven by a whirlwind, 2 Kings 2:11.

4. God commanded _____________ to cripple the horses and burn the Chariots of King Jabin of Hazor, Joshua 11:1,6.

5. Pharaoh gave his ring to __________ and made him ride in Pharaoh's second Chariot, Gen 41:41-43.

6. In a war with Israel, the ___________ had 30 thousand Chariots and 6 thousand horsemen, 1 Samuel13:5.

7. When he saw the sword of Barak, __________ got out of his Chariot and fled on foot, Judg 4:14-15.

8. Elah, King of Judah, was killed by __________, the captain of half of the king's Chariots, 1 Kings 16:8-10.

9. Isaiah rebuked _________ for taking pride in the multitude of his Chariots, Isaiah 37:21-24.

10. After he was healed, _________ got out of his Chariot when he saw Elisha's servant following him, 2 Kings 5:21.

11. ___________ told Solomon that God said to use gold for the pattern of the Chariot of the cherubims that spread their wings over the ark of the covenant, 1 Chro 28:18-19.

Answers:

1)Isaiah, 2)Israelites, 3)Elijah, 4)Joshua, 5)Joseph, 6)Philistines, 7)Sisera,
8)Zimri, 9)Sennacherib, 10)Naaman, 11)David
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

12. Who said, "Nazareth! Can any good come from there?"
Answer:
Nathanael. John 1:46
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Fill up the blanks of some Day shift jobs in the Bible.

13. Demetrius was a ___________________. Acts 19:24

14. Paul was a __________ ____________. Acts 18:1-3

15. Joseph, Mary's husband, was a ________________. Matt 13:15

16. Alexander was a ____________________. 2 Tim 4:14

17. Luke was a ____________ ____________. Coloss 4:14

18. Lydia was a __________________. Acts 16:14

19. Zacchaeus was a _________ ________________. Luke 19:2

20. Tertullus was a _______________. Acts 24:1


Answers:

13)silversmith, 14)tent maker, 15)carpenter, 16)metal-worker, 17)medical Doctor,
18)saleswoman, 19)tax collector, 20)lawyer

Random Quiz: 20

20 Quizzes

Water is a major source of life. Match the following water bodies with the proper statement about it. 11 Questions.

1. A blind man washed in this pool and received sight,(Jn 9:6-7).

2. Naaman "dipped" in this river and was healed of leprosy (2 Kings 5:14)

3. Daniel saw a vision of a ram in this river,(Dan 8:2-3).

4. Ezekiel saw visions of God here, (Eze 1:3).

5. Elijah slaughtered the prophets of Baal at this valley,(1 Kgs 18:40).

6. Moses led the Israelites through the dry land of this sea floor,(Ex 14:16).

7. Another name for the sea of Galilee,(Jn 6:1).

8. A river which flows out of Eden,(Gen 2:10-11).

9. The water at this place was bitter,(Ex 15:23).

10. Seraiah was commanded to read a book and cast it into this river,
(Jer 51:60-63).

11. Jesus taught in a ship in this body of water, (Lk 5:1-3).


List for matching: (11 Names)

a)Marah, b)Gennesaret, c)Kishon, d)Tiberias, e)Euphrates, f)Pison, g)Red, h)Siloam,

i)Kebar, j)Jordan, k)Ulai.


Answers: 1-11 Questions

1-h, 2-j, 3-k, 4-i, 5-c, 6-g,

7-d, 8-f, 9-a, 10-e, 11-b.
----------------------------------------------------------------------

12. Matthew 1:1 calls Jesus Christ was the son of two fathers. Who were they?

13. In that day the "Root of Jesse" will stand as a banner for the peoples; the nations will rally to him, and his place of rest will be glorious.(Isa 11:10)
Who is the Root, Isaiah talks about and who is Jesse?

14. Who is David's great-grandmother?

15. "He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, 33and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end." Who delivered this message to Jesus' earthly mother Mary?


Answers:
12. David, and Abraham

13. Jesus, Jesse is the father of David.

14. Ruth (Mat 1:5)

15. The angel Gabriel (Lk 1:32)
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

16. 17Do not repay anyone evil for __________. 21Do not be overcome by ________, but overcome _________ with good. (Romans 12:17, 21)

17. What did Martha, the sister of Lazarus, do when she heard that Jesus was coming to their house?

18. What was the question Nicodemus, a Pharisee who held an important role in Sanhedrin(the Jewish ruling council) and Israel's teacher asked of Jesus when he came for secret instruction?

19. Who in the Bible was called, "A man after mine own heart"

20. 104th Psalm(2-30) is a paean to the Lord's
a) propensity to forgive, b) creative power, c)love, d)patience.

(paean = a song of joyful praise or exultation)


Answers:
16. evil, evil, evil

17. She went outside to meet Him.(John 11:20)

18. "How can a man be born when he is old?" Nicodemus asked. "Surely he cannot enter a second time into his mother's womb to be born!" (John 3:4)

19. David (Acts 13:22)
'I have found David son of Jesse a man after my own heart; he will do everything I want him to do.'

20. b
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Rachel

18 Questions & Answers

Scripture Reference:Gen 29-35; Jeremiah 31:15; Matthew 2:18 _________________________________________________________________________

#1. Who was Rachel?

Answer:
Rachel was the younger daughter of Laban, the Aramean, the brother of Jacob's mother(Rebekah) , wife of Jacob and mother of Joseph and Benjamin. So Rachel and Jacob were full cousins. Rachel was a shepherdess. For some time, Rachel remained barren.
-------------------------------------------------------------------

#2. What did Jacob do when he saw Rachel as soon as he arrived in Haran(Paddan Aram)?

Answer:
They met for the first time upon the arrival of Jacob at Haran. When attracted by her beauty he immediately fell in love with her, winning her love by his chivalrous act. She immediately became the object of his attention.
Later he signed a contract with Laban for seven years of labor (the usual period of indentured servants);

Gene 29:10-12
10 When Jacob saw Rachel daughter of Laban, his mother's brother, and Laban's sheep, he went over and rolled the stone away from the mouth of the well and watered his uncle's sheep. 11 Then Jacob kissed Rachel and began to weep aloud. 12 He had told Rachel that he was a relative of her father and a son of Rebekah. So she ran and told her father.
----------------------------------------------------------------------

#3. What did Laban do when he heard about his nephew, Jacob?

Answer:
13 As soon as Laban heard the news about Jacob, his sister's son, he hurried to meet him. He embraced him and kissed him and brought him to his home, and there Jacob told him all these things. 14 Then Laban said to him, "You are my own flesh and blood." (Gene 29:13-14)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------

#4. What did Jacob do to possess Rachel?

Answer:
After Jacob had stayed with him for a whole month, according to the custom of the times Jacob contracted with Laban for her possession, agreeing to serve him 7 years as the bridal price (29:17-20). But when the time had passed, Laban deceived Jacob by giving him Leah instead of Rachel. When Jacob protested, Laban gave him Rachel also after the bridal week, on condition that Jacob will serve 7 years more.(Gene 29:21-29)

A wife Jacob did not want was forced on him by deceit, just as he had gotten his father's blessing by deceit. He had begun to reap what he had sown.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

#5. How much time Jacob had to wait for him to lie with Rachel?

a) Fourteen years, b)Seven years, c)Seven years and one week, d)20 years

Answer: c
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

#6. Crafty Laban sensed Jacob's deep affection for Rachel. As the wedding day approached, Laban hatched a scheme to trick Jacob. What was it?

Answer: (Gene 29:21-30)
21 Then Jacob said to Laban, "Give me my wife. My time is completed, and I want to lie with her."
22 So Laban brought together all the people of the place and gave a feast. 23 But when evening came, he took his daughter Leah and gave her to Jacob, and Jacob lay with her. 24 And Laban gave his servant girl Zilpah to his daughter as her maidservant.

25 When morning came, there was Leah! So Jacob said to Laban, "What is this you have done to me? I served you for Rachel, didn't I? Why have you deceived me?"
26 Laban replied, "It is not our custom here to give the younger daughter in marriage before the older one. 27 Finish this daughter's bridal week; then we will give you the younger one also, in return for another seven years of work."

28 And Jacob did so. He finished the week with Leah, and then Laban gave him his daughter Rachel to be his wife. 29 Laban gave his servant girl Bilhah to his daughter Rachel as her maidservant. 30 Jacob lay with Rachel also, and he loved Rachel more than Leah. And he worked for Laban another seven years.

The marriage could not be undone. Though Jacob thought 7 years was a good bargain, Laban's convoluted plan of substituting Rachel's unattractive sister Leah, made Jacob serve Laban fourteen years to secure Rachel as wife.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

#7. The marked manner Rachel's character shows the traits of her family. What are they?

Answer:
Cunning and covetousness, so evident in Laban, Rebekah and Jacob. Though a believer in the true God (Gen 30:6,8,22), she was yet given to the superstitions of her country, the worshipping of the teraphim, etc. (Gen 31:19).

Manipulated by her father, she had little say over her own life circumstances and relationships. But rather than dealing creatively with a difficult situation, she behaved like a perpetual victim, responding to sin with more sin, making things worse by competing with her sister, Leah and deceiving her father in return.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------

#8. How did Rachel die prematurely and what did Jacob do at that time?

Answer:
Afterwards, on Jacob's departure from Mesopotamia, as they journeyed on from Bethel, Rachel died in giving birth to Benjamin (Gene 35:18, 19), and was buried "in the way to Ephrath, which is Bethlehem. And Jacob set a pillar upon her grave". Her sepulchre is still regarded with great veneration by the Jews. Its traditional site is about half a mile from Jerusalem.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

#9. Name the children of Rachel and her maid servant, Bilhah?

Answer:
Of Rachel: Joseph and Benjamin
Of Bilhah: Dan and Naphtali

These are the 4 out of 12 sons of Jacob.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

#10. True or False.
a)Jacob loved Rachel more than Leah.
b)Leah was more fertile than Rachel

Answer: a)True, b)True. Both statements are True.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

#11. Jacob, even in his sorrow loved Rachel's second son, and with a father's tenderness, he renamed his little one, Benjamin meaning "son of my right hand" (Gen 35:16-20). What was the child's first name?

Answer:
Perhaps one of the Bible's most poignant scenes is played out when Rachel, in great pain and knowing she was dying during the child birth, named her second son Ben-oni, "son of my trouble".
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

#12. After becoming prosperous, why did Jacob gather his flocks, his servants, his children, and prepare to return to the land of Isaac, leaving his uncle's service after 20 years of refuge in Haran?

Answer:
One day God spoke to Jacob, telling him to return to the land of Isaac, his father.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

#13. After 10 days on the road, Laban overtook Jacob and his possessions in the hill country of Gilead, accusing his son-in-law of theft. What was the reason and the end result of Jacob's promise to Laban?

Answer:
Before they leave Haran, Rachel stole her father's household gods, Rachel concealed these household gods in the baggage as she and Jacob fled (31:30-31). These household deities, about the size of miniature dolls, were regarded as indisputable evidence of the rights and privileges of family ownership and inheritance (31:30).
These small idols thought to ensure prosperity.

Unaware of Rachel's deceit, Jacob invited Laban to search the camp, promising to put to death anyone discovered with the idols. Having learned to trick from her crafty father, Rachel tucked the idols into a saddle and then sat on it.. When Laban entered her tent, she greeted him with a woman's ruse, saying, "Don't be angry my Lord, I cannot stand up in your presence. I am having my period". Her trick worked, much as Jacob's had when he deceived his own father. Laban finally gave up the search.
(Later, Jacob made sure that all the old idols were purged out from his household.)
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

#14. Two Old Testament and one NT passages, outside Genesis name Rachel. What are they?

Answer:
Ruth 4:11 calls her one who built up the house of Israel. Here, the names of Rachel and Leah occur in the nuptial benediction as the foundresses of the house of Israel.

Ruth 4:11 Then the elders and all those at the gate said, "We are witnesses. May the LORD make the woman who is coming into your home like Rachel and Leah, who together built up the house of Israel. May you have standing in Ephrathah and be famous in Bethlehem. 12 Through the offspring the LORD gives you by this young woman, may your family be like that of Perez, whom Tamar bore to Judah."

This name is used poetically by Jeremiah (31:15-17) to denote God's people mourning under their calamities. Jeremiah refers to her weeping over children being taken in Exile. Rachel’s fierce love for her children became an emblem for Israel.
15 This is what the LORD says: "A voice is heard in Ramah, mourning and great weeping, Rachel weeping for her children and refusing to be comforted, because her children are no more." 16 This is what the LORD says: "Restrain your voice from weeping and your eyes from tears, for your work will be rewarded," declares the LORD. "They will return from the land of the enemy. 17 So there is hope for your future," declares the LORD. "Your children will return to their own land.

This passage is also quoted by Matthew as (Matthew 2:18) Jeremiah's reference of weeping at Bethlehem in connection with Herod's order to kill male children under two.
Matt 2:16 When Herod realized that he had been outwitted by the Magi, he was furious, and he gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had learned from the Magi. 17Then what was said through the prophet Jeremiah was fulfilled:
18"A voice is heard in Ramah, weeping and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children and refusing to be comforted, because they are no more."
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

#15. What could be the reason, Rachel's own son, Joseph, suffered grievously, as a result being sold into slavery by his half brothers, Leah's sons?

Answer:
Like her husband, the beautiful Rachel had been both a schemer and the victim of schemes. Tricked by her own father, she viewed her children as weapons in the struggle with her sister. As so often happens, the lessons of treachery and competition were passed on from generation to generation.

Yet through a remarkable set of twists and turns, Rachel's Joseph one day ruled Egypt, providing a refuge for his father and brothers in the midst of a severe famine. Step by step, in ways impossible to foresee, God's plan was unfolding, a plan to heal divisions, put an end to striving, and restore hope.

Using people with mixed motives and confused desires, he was revealing his grace and mercy, never forsaking his promise.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

#16. What could be Rachel's Joy and tragedy?

Answer:
Her Joy: Her husband cherished her and would do whatever was in his power to make her happy. Jacob favored the sons of his beloved Rachel above the sons of Leah.

Her Tragedy: Her longing for children ultimately led her to death in childbirth.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

#17. When we study Rachel, name 4 relevant promises from scripture?

Answer:
1. Gene 30:22 Then God remembered Rachel; he listened to her and opened her womb.

2. Psalm 25:6 Remember, O LORD, your great mercy and love, for they are from of old.

3. Jerem 15:15 You understand, O LORD; remember me and care for me.

4. Luke 1:49 For the Mighty One has done great things for me— holy is his name.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

#18. What is teraphim(KJV)? (Refer question #7)

Answer:
Figures or images associated with pagan worship and the occult practice of divination. It is reported in all periods of OT history, showing the persistence of pagan practices in Israel.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Points to ponder:

1. When we have been in a situation that caused us to lie or cheat to protect ourselves or someone else, what could/should we have done differently?

2. Discontentment is an insidious thing, trapping us into thinking that which was enough once, is no longer enough, and that which was satisfying once, is no longer satisfying. What we can do to resist such sentiments that we ever feel discontent because we don't "have it all".

3. Add your own and meditate on what you can learn from Rachel's life.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Glossary:

1. chiv·al·rous = relating to knighthood code: relating to or reflecting the values of the medieval code of knighthood, especially courtesy, self-sacrifice, and a sense of fair play.

2. in·den·ture = contract with apprentice: a contract committing an apprentice or servant to serve a master or employer for a specific period of time ( often plural )

3. ruse = something done to deceive others: a clever trick or plot used to deceive others

4. Foundress = A female founder; a woman who founds or establishes.

5. pa·gan = 1. an offensive term that deliberately insults somebody who does not acknowledge the God of the Bible, Torah, or Koran.
2. an offensive term that deliberately insults somebody's nonbelief in religion, way of life, or degree of knowledge.

6. occult = supernatural or magic: relating to, involving, or characteristic of magic, witchcraft, or supernatural phenomena

7. div·i·na·tion = seeking knowledge by supernatural means: the methods or practice of attempting to foretell the future or discovering the unknown through omens, oracles, or supernatural powers

8. in·sid·i·ous = gradual and harmful: slowly and subtly harmful or destructive.

The Woman of Samaria

For the List of the "Women of the Bible", click Blog Archive, 2008 December

16 Questions & Answers
Scripture Reference: John 4:1-42

_______________________________________________

#1. True or False. The 'Woman of Samaria' given as her name in this story may be appropriate rather than her real name.

#1. True. Everybody knows Woman means an adult female human being. The teaching method of Jesus lay not in her name, but the political and religious relation of Samaritans with Jews serve a better understanding and implication of this particular story.
-----------------------------------------------------------------

#2. How Jesus happened to be at the well to meet with this ordinary woman?

#2. John 4:3-6. When the Lord learned of this(=hostility of Pharisees), he left Judea and went back once more to Galilee. 4Now he had to go through Samaria. 5So he came to a town in Samaria called Sychar, near the plot of ground Jacob had given to his son Joseph. 6Jacob's well was there, and Jesus, tired as he was from the journey, sat down by the well. It was about the sixth hour(=noon).
---------------------------------------------------------------

#3. Describe a brief religious history of Samaria to understand this context?

#3. When one church brands another a cult, it usually creates long-standing bitterness. The Samaritans and the Jews felt that way about each other. Samaritan religion closely resembled Judaism, but on key issues its followers had gone their own way.

Forty-two miles north of Jerusalem lie the ruins of ancient Samaria near a small village called Sebastiya. Samaria was the capital, residence, and burial place of the kings of Israel (1 Kings 16:23-28; 1 Kings 22:37; 2 Kings 6:24-30). Following the Northern Kingdom's fall to Assyria (721 B.C.), exiles from many nations settled Samaria (Ezra 4:9-10). Later, the Greeks conquered the region (331 B.C.) and hellenized the area with Greek inhabitants and culture. After a long period without inhabitants, Samaria lived again under the Romans (63 B.C.). Finally, Herod the Great obtained control of Samaria in 30 BC. and made it one of the chief cities of his territory. Again, the city was resettled with people from distant places, this time mercenaries from Europe. Herod renamed the city Sebaste, using the Greek word for Augustus, the emperor. When the Jews revolted in 66 A.D., the Romans reconquered the city and destroyed it. The Romans later rebuilt Samaria, but the city never regained the prestige it once had. Samaria is the only major city founded in Israel (the Northern Kingdom) by Omri, the sixth king of Israel (885-874 B.C.).
When Ahab, Omri's son, became king of Israel, he built an ivory palace at Samaria. Amos denounced him for doing this (Amos 6:1,Amos 6:4; 1 Kings 22:39). Jezebel influenced Ahab, her husband, to make the city the center for Baal worship (1 Kings 16:29-33). Jezebel also had many prophets of Yahweh killed in Samaria (1 Kings 18:2-4).

After the Assyrian conquest, Samaria began to shrink in size. By New Testament times, it became identified with the central region of Palestine, with Galilee to the north and Judea to the south. When Assyrian captives from distant places settled there (2 Kings 17:24) this led to the intermarriage of some, though not all, Jews with Gentiles and to widespread worship of foreign gods. By the time the Jews returned to Jerusalem to rebuild the Temple and the walls of Jerusalem, Ezra and Nehemiah refused to let the Samaritans share in the experience (Ezra 4:1-3; Nehemiah 4:7). The old antagonism between Israel to the north and Judah to the south intensified the quarrel.

The Jewish inhabitants of Samaria identified Mount Gerizim as the chosen place of God and the only center of worship. Their scriptures were limited to the Pentateuch, the first five books of the Bible. The Samaritans expected a Messiah, but their rejection of all the inspired writings after the Pentateuch meant that they knew little about him. They thought of him mainly as a teacher. Moses was regarded as the only prophet and intercessor in the final judgment. They also believed that 6,000 years after creation, a Restorer would arise and would live on earth for 110 years. On the Judgment Day, the righteous would be resurrected in paradise and the wicked roasted in eternal fire.
--------------------------------------------------

#4. The woman said the well was deep. How much was it deep?

#4. Christian pilgrim sources as early as the fourth century mention a well in this area that was about 100 feet deep. When the present well was cleaned out in 1935, it was found to be 138 feet deep. Jacob's well is mentioned only in the Scripture in
Jn 4:6.
--------------------------------------------------

#5. What was the belief of Jews if they drink out of a vessel handled by a Samaritan?

#5. A Jew would become ceremonially unclean if he used a drinking vessel handled by a Samaritan, since the Jews held that all Samaritans were "unclean."
-----------------------------------------------------

#6. In the days of Christ, the relationship between the Jews and the Samaritans was greatly strained. Can you name the things Jesus did to improve this situation by reaching across the barriers?

#6. In the days of Christ, the relationship between the Jews and the Samaritans was greatly strained (Luke 9:52-54; Luke 10:25-37; Luke 17:11-19; John 8:48). The animosity was so great that the Jews bypassed Samaria as they traveled between Galilee and Judea. They went an extra distance through the barren land of Perea on the eastern side of the Jordan to avoid going through Samaria.

Yet Jesus:
a)rebuked His disciples for their hostility to the Samaritans(Luke 9:55-56),
b)healed a Samaritan leper (Luke 17:16),
c)honored a Samaritan for his neighborliness (Luke 10:30-37),
d)praised a Samaritan for his gratitude (Luke 17:11-18),
e)preached to the Samaritans (John 4:40-42).
f)In Acts 1:8, Jesus challenged His disciples to witness in Samaria.
(Philip, a deacon, opened a mission in Samaria - Acts 8:5),
g)and even Jesus asked a drink of a promiscuous Samaritan woman beside a well(John 4:7).
--------------------------------------------------------

#7. How many times Jesus told before his trial that he is the Messiah?

#7. Jn 4:26 "I who speak to you am he". This is the only occasion before his trial on which Jesus specifically declared that he was the Messiah. (See also Mk 9:41).
----------------------------------------------------------

#8. "Sir, give me this water so that I won't get thirsty". Who said this and what was the occasion?

#8. Samaritan woman requested Jesus at the well.
Jn 4:10-15 Jesus answered her, "If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water." 11"Sir," the woman said, "you have nothing to draw with and the well is deep. Where can you get this living water? 12Are you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did also his sons and his flocks and herds?" 13Jesus answered, "Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, 14but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life."
15The woman said to him, "Sir, give me this water so that I won't get thirsty and have to keep coming here to draw water."
----------------------------------------------------------

#9. One of the constantly recurring contrasts in the Gospels is the repudiation of Jesus by the religious leaders of his nation. But what does the story of the Samaritan woman reemphasize about Jesus to us?

#9. The acceptance of Jesus by the outcasts, sinners, and common people.
-------------------------------------------------------------

#10. Why the disciples were surprised when they came back to Jesus after the shopping trip in Sychar?

#10. Jn 4:27 Just then his disciples returned and were surprised to find him talking with a woman. But no one asked, "What do you want?" or "Why are you talking with her?"

Jewish religious teachers rarely spoke with women in public. Jesus seemed refreshed and restored by his encounter with the woman, though he had arrived at the well thirsty, hungry, and tired from the journey towards Galilee in north.
-------------------------------------------------------

#11. Jesus clearly commanded, "how to worship God". What was it?

#11. Jn4:24 God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth."
This fact has great importance for the proper understanding of Christian worship.
(Holy Spirit is the third person of the trinity. Don't get confused with the context).

The place of worship is irrelevant, because true worship must be in keeping with God's nature, which is spirit. In John's Gospel truth is associated with Christ
Jn 14:6 Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

Jn 17:17 your word is truth.

Jn 8:31 To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, "If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. 32Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."

1 Cor 14:15 So what shall I do? I will pray with my spirit, but I will also pray with my mind; I will sing with my spirit, but I will also sing with my mind.

Phipp 3:3 For it is we who are the circumcision, we who worship by the Spirit of God, who glory in Christ Jesus, and who put no confidence in the flesh—
---------------------------------------------------------

#12. What was the end result of Jesus' conversation with the Samaritan woman?

#12. Dodge, counter dodge- nothing the woman said would keep Jesus satisfied. He kept pressing beneath the surface, inviting her to a deeper understanding, by revealing his knowledge of the most intimate details of her life. When she finally admitted the truth, Jesus startled her with a revelation about himself: for the first time he admitted that he was the Messiah.

She immediately left and began telling people, “He told me everything I have ever done” (John 4:39). Many Samaritans believed in Jesus because of the woman's testimony. At the Samaritan's urging, Jesus stayed on for 2 days with them and many more came to believe. Thus the woman helped to proclaim the gospel. Also the visit of Jesus laid the groundwork for the hearty reception of the Gospel by the Samaritans a few years later (Acts 8:4-8).
---------------------------------------------------

#13. What would have been the Samaritan woman's sorrow?

#13. She have lived in a way with many romantic liaisons that relegated her to the margins of her society. Though she helped to spread the Word after the encounter with the Lord, she would not have been most people's first choice to advance the gospel in a region where it had not yet been heard.
------------------------------------------------------------

#14. True or False. Jesus told the woman of Samaria, "You must be born again".

#14. False. (Jn 3:7) If Jesus had said this to the Samaritan woman, Nicodemus would have agreed with Jesus. But the wonderful teachings about "eternal life, His love and the new birth", Jesus taught the Israel's prominent religious teacher, a member of the Jewish Sanhedrin, and a respected interpretter of God's Law, Nicodemus.
--------------------------------------------------------------

#15. What is the meaning of the term Messiah?

#15. 1.In Christianity, Jesus Christ regarded as the Messiah prophesied in the Hebrew Bible.
2. In the Hebrew Bible, an anointed king who will lead the Jews back to the land of Israel and establish justice in the world.

The term became the official title of the central figure of a deliverer and redeemer which the writers of the New Testament considered to be fulfilled in Jesus.
(Jewish messianic hope in the first century was considerably diverse, and different concepts of the Messiah were in circulation at the time of Jesus).
-------------------------------------------------------------

#16. Give 2 promises in Scripture about hunger?

#16. 1. Matt 5:6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
2. Luke 6:21 Blessed are you who hunger now, for you will be satisfied.
____________________________________________________________________

Lot's Wife

For the List of the "Women of the Bible", click Blog Archive, 2008 December

11 Questions & Answers
Scripture Reference: Gen 18:16-19; 29; Lk 17:28-33
________________________________________________

#1. Who was Lot?

#1. Lot was the son of Abraham's brother Haran, both of whom were sons of Terah. Therefore, Lot is the nephew of Abraham or Abraham is the uncle of Lot. On the death of Lot's father, he was left in charge of his grandfather Terah. After the death of Terah Lot accompanied his uncle Abraham and finally he separated from Abraham and settled in Sodom(Gen 13:5-13).
Lot made many mistakes in life, yet the divine record still calls him a "righteous" man(2 Peter 2:4-8). While living in Sodom, the wicked men of the city said, "He keeps acting as a judge"(Gen 19:9)
When the judgment of God descended on the guilty cities of the plain(Gen 19:1-20), Lot was miraculously delivered.Lot's deliverance was the main concern of Abraham's prayer

The angels found Lot in the gateway to Sodom—a fact loaded with significance. Traditionally, city fathers gathered in the gateway to make important decisions. Lot’s presence suggests that he had become “one of them” during his time in Sodom, which may explain why he struggled against leaving.
Lot apparently had lost his power of moral persuasion even among his family members-
his sons-in-law thought he was joking when asked to leave.
----------------------------------------------------------

#2. Who was Lot's wife and what was her name?

#2. The Old Testament only refers to "Lot's wife" in Genesis 19. In the new Testament
Jesus' words of warning is in Luke 17:32. In the Scripture these two are all that is said of this person. The Bible does not give us the name of "Lot's wife". She was married to Lot, a righteous man.
Genesis simply tells us that Lot and the women of the home did not want to leave the city of Sodom. As a result,the angelic visitors in their effort to hasten the slow departure, "seized" them by the hand and took them out of the city. The angels had commanded them to flee and warned them to not look back at the destruction, but Lot's wife did and she became a pillar of salt(a stiffened corpse). This was an act of God's judgment.
-----------------------------------------------------------

#3. "Remember Lot's wife", who warned this, and what for? Lk. 17:32

#3. In the New Testament Jesus tells us why she looked back. We discover that she did not become a pillar of salt because she simply looked back. What was her sin? She was longing for the pleasures of Sodom - the pleasures of this world - more than she was longing to be faithful to God.

She was willing to live with the great wickedness that God hated in order to enjoy its pleasures. She did not really love God. She loved the things of this world more. She was not really willing to obey. So God punished her by turning her into a pillar of salt. (Did she really become a pillar of salt? Flavius Josephus, the Roman historian of 1st century A.D., recorded that he had seen her pillar of salt).

The end of Lot's wife is probably one of the difficulties of the Bible. But the value and the significance of the story to us are contained in the allusion of Christ given in LK 17:32.

Luke 17:28-29, 32-33
28"It was the same in the days of Lot. People were eating and drinking, buying and selling, planting and building. 29But the day Lot left Sodom, fire and sulfur rained down from heaven and destroyed them all.
32Remember Lot's wife! 33Whoever tries to keep his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life will preserve it.
-------------------------------------------------------------

#4. What did Abraham do for Sodom?

#4. Abraham interceded with the Lord for Sodom(Gen 19:27-28)
---------------------------------------------------------------

#5. While running for life, did Lot's family go to the mountains as instructed?

#5. Disobediently protests against going to the mountains, and choose Zoar caves (Gen 19:17-22)
--------------------------------------------------------------

#6. From the incestuous intercourse between Lot and his two daughters what two nations were produced?

#6. Moab and Ammon.
--------------------------------------------------------------

#7. Gen. 19:26 says Don’t Look Back. Who disobeyed this warning of God?

#7. Lot's wife. For this she became a symbol of indecision. Lot and his family found it hard to leave their adopted home of Sodom, despite its immorality. Angel messengers warned them to hurry, not even stopping to look back. When Lot’s wife disobeyed, she turned into a pillar of salt—perhaps caught in volcanic explosions that engulfed Sodom. Jesus warned his followers to remember her example when their time of trouble came (Luke 17:32).
--------------------------------------------------------------

#8. Why did God send his angels to Sodom?

#8. To rescue Lot and his family(Gen 18) from the upcoming destruction. Earlier, God had promised Abraham he would spare the city if he could find at least 10 righteous people in it, but not even 10 could be found.
-------------------------------------------------------------

#9. Was God's mercy extended to Lot for love of Lot or for love of Abraham?

#9. Bible don't say any answer on this. But we do know God's mercy was available for Lot and his family and in the hardest of circumstances God stretched his hand to lead them to safety.
-------------------------------------------------------------

#10. Did Lot consult his wife to invite the unexpected visitors of the city to spend the night under his roof?

#10. Certainly not. Lot's wife must have welcomed the strangers warmly too, for hospitality was a sacred trust in the ancient world. To avoid surrendering guests for the people's pleasure, Lot even attempted an appalling bargain with the offer of his 2 daughters for their will and pleasure. Lot did his own decisions on both of these situations.
-------------------------------------------------------------

#11. What are the lessons we can learn from Lot's wife?

#11. A) She was married to a righteous man.

The power of good association. Paul warned us on this.
1 Cor 15:33 Do not be misled: "Bad company corrupts good character."

None of us is righteous enough.
Isa 59:1-2 Surely the arm of the LORD is not too short to save, nor his ear too dull to hear. 2 But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear.

1 Peter 4:17-18 For it is time for judgment to begin with the family of God; and if it begins with us, what will the outcome be for those who do not obey the gospel of God? 18And, "If it is hard for the righteous to be saved, what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?"

B) She was warned of the danger- a message from God himself to Lot and his wife.
Gen 19:17 As soon as they had brought them out, one of them said, "Flee for your lives! Don't look back, and don't stop anywhere in the plain! Flee to the mountains or you will be swept away!"

Christ also warns us of the danger before us--
(1)Matt 7:21-23 He spoke more about hell than all the apostles.
"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.
(2)Matt 25:46 Jesus tells us of the judgement day--"Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life."

(3)2Thes 1:7-8 Paul foretold-- This will happen when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven in blazing fire with his powerful angels. 8He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus.

(4)Acts 24:25 When Paul preached before Felix, the thought of a judgement day made him fearful-- As Paul discoursed on righteousness, self-control and the judgment to come, Felix was afraid and said, "That's enough for now! You may leave. When I find it convenient, I will send for you."

(5)Acts 2:40 On the day of Pentecost, when the Lord's church was established and the terms of Divine pardon made known unto men, Peter preached the very first sermon ever given in the name of our risen Lord. He told those who believed that they need to repent and be baptized for the remission of sins--
With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, "Save yourselves from this corrupt generation."

C) She made an effort to be saved. She was convinced but not converted and looked unto God(Jesus). She was seeking safety with divided desires and interests. The immediate cause of her fear has faded away and she became lukewarm.

D) In a society like ours, it is rare to find someone who is not attached to creature comforts. It may be worth to test our own level of attachments or rigidity that may have developed so that we can become free and flexible enough to respond quickly to God's direction.

E) We can look into some promises in the Scripture.

(1)Gen 19:16 When he hesitated, the men grasped his hand and the hands of his wife and of his two daughters and led them safely out of the city, for the LORD was merciful to them.

(2)Deut 13:17 he will show you mercy, have compassion on you,

(3)Psalm 25:6 Remember, O LORD, your great mercy and love, for they are from of old.

(4)Jerem 3:12 'I will frown on you no longer, for I am merciful,' declares the LORD,
'I will not be angry forever.
--------------------------------------------------------

Glossary:

Dead Sea: Salt lake on the border between Israel and Jordan, in southwestern Asia. Its surface, at 400 m (1,312 ft) below sea level, marks the lowest point on Earth. Area: 1,020 sq km (394 sq mi).
The utter absence of the slightest trace of animal and vegetable life in its waters are a striking testimony to the catastrophe.

Sod·om:
a) city of depravity: In the Bible, a city full of moral corruption and evil that was destroyed along with Gomorrah by God

b) The historical records of the Canaanites tell us that the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah now lie under the southwest end of the Dead Sea.

c) corrupt place: a place that is regarded as corrupt.