she judged Him faithful who had promised.Heb. xi. 11. CHAPTER XXIV. Q. Did God continue to favour and to bless Abraham in his old age? A. Abraham was old, and well-stricken in age; and the Lord had blessed-Abraham in all things. —v. 4. Q. What was Abraham's care for Isaac when he came of age ? A. To provide him a virtuous wife, of his own kindred, and not of the daughters of the Canaanites. v. 3, 4. Q. Whom does he employ on this occasion? A. His faithful Servant and Steward.-v. 2. Q. Whom does the Steward choose for Isaac's Wife? A, Rebecca, the daughter of Bethuel, of his own family, being the grand-daughter of Nahor, Abraham's Brother.-v. 15. Q. How did the Steward proceed in making his choice? A. He prayed to God that He would send him good speed, and shew kindness to his master Abraham.-v. 12. Q. Was his Prayer to God heard and accepted? A. It came to pass, before he had done speaking, that behold, Rebekah came out, and drew water for him, and for all his camels.-v. 15, 20. Q. How did he shew his gratitude to God for granting his prayer? A. He bowed down his head, and worshipped the Lord, and he said, Blessed be the Lord God of my master Abraham, (v. 26, 27.) who hath not left destitute my master of his mercy and his truth: I. being in the way, the Lord led me to the house of my master's Brethren.-v. 27. Q. What proofs have we that God hears our prayers in the New Testament? A. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.-James v. 16. Our Saviour says, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, He will give it you.-John xvi. 23. CHAPTER XXV. Q. Did Abraham marry again, after Sarah's death? A. He married Keturah, by whom he had five sons. Q. At what age did Abraham die? A. In his one hundred and ninety-fifth year. A. His sons, Isaac and Ishmael, in the cave of Machpelah, where his wife Sarah lay.-Before Christ, 1822. HISTORY OF ISAAC. Q. How old was Isaac when he married Rebecca? A. Forty years. Q. What remarkable circumstance attended the birth of Rebecca's first children? A. It was foretold concerning Esau and Jacob that the elder should serve the younger.―v. 23. Q. When was this prophecy accomplished? Ă. When David, the King of the Israelites, who were the descendants of Jacob, conquered the Edomites, who were descended from Esau. 4 2 Sam. viii. 14.-"All they of Edom became David's servants." Q. What was the character and manner of Esau's life? A. He was a skilful hunter, a man of the field. -v. 27. Q. What was the great offence which Esau committed? A. He sold his Birth-right to Jacob for a mess of pottage, despising all its privileges. —v. 23. Q. Is Esau condemned for this act in the New Testament? A. St. Paul condemns him, as being a profane person, the slave of the lust of the flesh; who, for one morsel of meat, sold his birth-right.-Heb. xii. 16. Q. Does it appear that he repented of his folly, and desired to be restored to his privileges? A. When he found that his Father had blessed Jacob, he cried with a great and exceeding bitter cry, and said unto his Father, Bless me, even me also, O my Father.-xxvii. 34. Q. Does Isaac restore him to his privileges? A. Isaac said, Behold, I have made him thy Lord, and all his brethren have I given to him for servants.-v. 37. Q. How is Isaac described by St. Paul as having blessed them? A. He says, By Faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau concerning things to come.—Heb. xi. 20. Q. Do we find these circumstances confirmed in the New Testament? A. St. Paul says that, When he would afterward have inherited the blessing, he was rejected; for he found no place of repentance,* * By Repentance is here meant, change of mind and purpose in his Father Isaac, which his tears could not produce. though he sought it carefully with tears.-Heb. xii. 17. Q. What is the next remarkable circumstance recorded in the life of Isaac? A. When he dwelt at Gerar, with Abimelech, King of Philistia, on account of the famine, God repeated to him the same blessing which he had given to Abraham. v. 1, 3. - Q. What did God say to him? A. I will perform the oath which I sware unto Abraham thy Father; and will give unto thy seed all these countries: and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed.—v. 3, 4. Q. To what age did Isaac live? A. One hundred and eighty years, when he died at Hebron, in Mamre, and was buried by his sons, Esau and Jacob.. CHAPTER XXVII. Q. What is the first great circumstance related in the Life of Jacob? A. He obtained his Father's blessing by pretending to be Esau, in obedience to his Mother's command. Q. After this, where did Jacob go? A. He fled, from his Brother's anger, to his uncle Laban, whose daughters, Rachel and Leah, he married.-Chap. xxix. 23, 28. CHAPTER XXVIII. Q. Did God repeat the promise, originally made to Abraham, to Jacob also? A. God appeared to him in a vision in his way to Padan-aram, telling him that he was "the God of Abraham, and of his Father Isaac;" and that He would give him the land whereon he lay, and that, "in his seed should all the nations of the earth be blessed."-v. 13, 14. Q. How many sons had Jacob? A. Twelve; who were called the Patriarchs, because they were the Fathers of the Twelve Tribes of Israel. Q. What were their Names? A. Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Zebulun, Joseph, Benjamin, Dan, Naphthali, Gad, Asher.-Chap. xxix and xxx. Q. Do we find any mention of these in the New Testament? A. St. Stephen says, Jacob begat the Twelve Patriarchs.-Acts vii. 8. CHAPTERS XXIX, XXX, XXXI, XXXII, may be carefully read; particularly that part of the 32nd Chapter which describes Jacob wrestling with God, which is an emblem of fervent and prevailing prayer. Q. What remarkable circumstance happened to Jacob on his return to Canaan ? A. He had a vision of God, who appeared to wrestle with him, in the form of a man.-v. 24. Q. What blessing did he derive from wrestling with God? A. God changed his name from Jacob to Israel, saying, Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel; for, as a prince, hast thou power with God, and hast prevailed; and he blessed him there. v. 28, 29. CHAPTER XXXIV, may be omitted. |