Book of Genesis Quiz: Abraham, Father of Faith

1. God's call to Abram in Genesis 12 contained both commands and promises. What were the three main promises God made?

1. A great name, a great land, and protection from all enemies
2. A great nation from his descendants, personal blessing and a great name, and that all peoples on earth would be blessed through him
3. A son in his old age, land from the Nile to the Euphrates, and dominion over surrounding nations
4. Countless descendants, an eternal covenant and the land of Canaan forever

2. Abram's faith was immediately tested when he arrived in Canaan. What happened with Sarai in Egypt that showed his weakness?

1. Abram attempted to make a treaty with Pharaoh using Sarai as a diplomatic gift
2. Abram sold Sarai's jewellery to buy food during the famine, and she was angry with him
3. Abram told Sarai to say she was his sister so that Pharaoh's men would not kill him for her — Pharaoh took her into his palace
4. Abram worshipped at an Egyptian shrine to appease the local gods during the famine

3. When conflict arose between Abram's and Lot's herdsmen over the land, what generous offer did Abram make to Lot?

1. He offered Lot first choice of any land in the whole region — whichever direction Lot chose, Abram would go the opposite way
2. He offered to give Lot all the land east of the Jordan and take only the dry land to the west for himself
3. He proposed they divide their herds and move in separate directions, with Lot taking half of all they owned
4. He suggested they share the land equally and stop quarrelling — he drew a boundary line between their territories

4. In Genesis 14, Abram rescued Lot from a coalition of four kings. Afterward he met a mysterious priest-king who blessed him. Who was this figure, and what was significant about him?

1. Abimelech, king of Gerar, who made a covenant of peace with Abram after the battle
2. Jethro, priest of Midian, who offered bread and wine and taught Abram the ways of God
3. Melchizedek, king of Salem and priest of God Most High, who brought out bread and wine and blessed Abram — Abram gave him a tenth of everything
4. The king of Sodom, who offered Abram the plunder as a reward for rescuing the people

5. In Genesis 15, God made a formal covenant with Abram using a strange ceremony. What was the ceremony, and what is its significance?

1. Abram and God each placed their hands on a stone and swore by the most holy name
2. Abram built an altar and offered a sacrifice; God passed over it as fire from heaven
3. Abram circumcised himself as a sign of the covenant, and God swore on his own name to fulfil his promises
4. Abram cut animals in half and arranged the pieces; a smoking firepot and blazing torch passed between the pieces — God alone passed through, making it an unconditional covenant

6. Sarai's plan to give Abram a son through her servant Hagar is introduced in chapter 16. What was the result, and how did it create conflict?

1. Hagar bore a son but Abram refused to acknowledge him, and Hagar returned to Egypt in shame
2. Hagar conceived and gave birth to Ishmael — but then Hagar despised Sarai, Sarai mistreated her, and Hagar fled into the desert
3. Hagar conceived but lost the child — Sarai saw this as God's judgment on the plan
4. Hagar refused to bear a child for another woman's husband and the plan was abandoned

7. When Abram was 99 years old, God changed his name from Abram to Abraham. What does 'Abraham' mean, and what covenant sign did God institute at this time?

1. Abraham means 'beloved of God' — the sign was anointing with oil on the forehead
2. Abraham means 'father of many nations' — the sign was circumcision for every male in his household
3. Abraham means 'God remembers' — the sign was building an altar at every new home
4. Abraham means 'man of faith' — the sign was offering a sacrifice every year on the same day

8. In Genesis 18, three visitors came to Abraham's tent. When they announced that Sarah would have a son within a year, what was Sarah's reaction?

1. She laughed to herself, saying 'After I am worn out and my lord is old, will I now have this pleasure?'
2. She prayed quietly, not daring to speak, hoping the promise was true
3. She was afraid and said 'We are too old — how can this be possible?'
4. She wept with gratitude and fell on her face before God

9. Before destroying Sodom, God revealed his plan to Abraham. How did Abraham respond, and what does his response reveal?

1. Abraham asked God to at least spare Lot and his family before destroying the city
2. Abraham interceded boldly, asking God to spare the city if 50, 45, 40, 30, 20, or even 10 righteous people could be found there
3. Abraham questioned God's justice and demanded to know why he would destroy the righteous with the wicked
4. Abraham was silent and accepted God's judgment, acknowledging that the people of Sodom deserved their fate

10. How did Lot's wife die as the family fled Sodom?

1. She inhaled the sulphur and fire that rained on the city and fell dead on the plain
2. She looked back at Sodom and became a pillar of salt
3. She was caught in the collapse of the city gates and buried in the rubble
4. She was struck by a bolt of lightning as she tried to run back toward the city

11. God eventually fulfilled his promise and Sarah conceived. What did Abraham name the son born to Sarah, and why?

1. He named him Abraham Jr. — to carry on the family name as the heir of the covenant
2. He named him Isaac (meaning 'he laughs') — because God had brought him laughter and everyone who heard would laugh with her
3. He named him Promised (Yitzhak) — because he was the son of the promise made to Abraham
4. The name was given by God himself — Isaac, meaning 'gift of God'

12. Genesis 22 records the greatest test of Abraham's faith — the Akedah (binding of Isaac). What did God command Abraham to do?

1. Circumcise Isaac publicly before all the people as a sign of total dedication to God
2. Offer Isaac as a burnt offering on a mountain in the region of Moriah
3. Sacrifice everything he owned — his flocks, servants and wealth — and trust God to restore it
4. Send Isaac away as he had sent Ishmael, trusting God to provide for him

13. On the way to Moriah, Isaac asked where the lamb was for the burnt offering. What did Abraham answer?

1. 'God will provide for himself the lamb for the burnt offering, my son'
2. 'I will explain when we arrive — trust your father as your father trusts God'
3. 'We will find a lamb when we get to the mountain — God will show us the way'
4. 'You are the offering, my son — but God will not let you be harmed'

14. What happened when Abraham raised his knife to slay Isaac on the altar?

1. A cloud descended over the mountain and God spoke from within it, stopping Abraham's hand
2. God audibly stopped him and commanded him to lower the knife — then showed him the ram caught in the thicket
3. Isaac told his father to stop — he was willing to die but sensed God had another plan
4. The angel of the Lord called from heaven: 'Do not lay a hand on the boy. Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God' — and Abraham saw a ram caught in a thicket

15. What name did Abraham give to the place where this event occurred, and what does it mean?

1. Bethel — 'house of God'
2. Ebenezer — 'thus far the Lord has helped us'
3. Jehovah Jireh — 'The Lord Will Provide'
4. Moriah — 'the Lord sees'

16. Genesis 24 records Abraham's mission to find a wife for Isaac. Who was chosen as Isaac's wife, and what was the sign that confirmed the choice?

1. Leah, daughter of Laban — she came out first and the servant took it as a sign from God
2. Rachel, daughter of Laban — she was beautiful and the servant prayed she would be Isaac's wife
3. Rebekah, daughter of Bethuel — she was the one who offered water to the servant and his camels before being asked
4. Rebekah, daughter of Nahor — the servant prayed for a sign and she offered him water and his camels before he finished praying

17. Sarah died before Isaac married. How old was Sarah when she died, and where did Abraham bury her?

1. Sarah was 120 years old; she was buried in the land of Canaan, in a tomb Abraham had built during her lifetime
2. Sarah was 127 years old; Abraham bought the cave of Machpelah near Mamre from Ephron the Hittite and buried her there
3. Sarah was 90 years old; Abraham buried her in the valley of the Jordan
4. The text does not record Sarah's age at death; she was buried in the field Abraham had received from God

18. Abraham married again after Sarah's death. What was his second wife's name, and what did he do to ensure Isaac received the full inheritance?

1. He married Hagar again; she bore him no more children and Isaac received the full inheritance by default
2. He married Keturah; he gave all his material wealth to his other sons and gave Isaac only the promises of the covenant
3. He married Keturah; he gave gifts to the sons of his concubines and sent them away, leaving everything to Isaac
4. He married Rebekah's sister; he divided the inheritance equally but gave Isaac the covenant promises

19. How old was Abraham when he died, and where was he buried?

1. 150 years old; he was buried beside Sarah in the field of Machpelah
2. 175 years old; he was buried in Haran, where his father Terah had died, beside his family
3. 175 years old; he was buried in the cave of Machpelah, where Sarah was buried — by his sons Isaac and Ishmael
4. 200 years old; he was buried on the mountain where he had offered Isaac, as he had requested

20. The author of Hebrews (chapter 11) reflects on Abraham's willingness to sacrifice Isaac and says Abraham reasoned something that gave him strength to obey. What was it?

1. That Abraham considered that God could even raise the dead — and he did receive Isaac back as a symbol of resurrection
2. That God had promised Isaac would be the heir of the covenant and therefore could not truly die
3. That God was testing him and would reveal an alternative sacrifice before the final moment came
4. That the love of God was greater than his requirement of obedience and at the last moment God would relent