Chapter 3
A Special Homeland

1.	Much of the Middle East is sandy desert. In the middle of that region, however, is a horseshoe-shaped area extending from the Persian Gulf in the east to the Mediterranean in the west. Since this region, watered by two large river systems, can support agriculture, what name have historians given to it?
They have given it the name “The Fertile Crescent”
2.	Palestine lies at the southwest end of this area. If you had been an Israelite farmer, why would you probably not have picked this land as your home?
Because a lot of its land is desert and littered with rocks.  Rugged mountains run through it.  In general, it was the poorest region of the fertile crescent and didn’t allow for any expansion.

The land given to Abraham’s descendents
1.	The ancient homeland of Abraham’s descendants was very small. Compare its size to a US state.
It’s size can be compared to the state of Vermont.
2.	In spite of the country’s small size, however, why was its location so strategic? 
(2 answers)
a.	It was the crossroads of the ancient Middle East connecting Asia and Africa
b.	It was the trade route

3.	Why do you think the Lord chose to place his people there?
It would have been at the “center” of the major players in world history.  It would have provided excellent access to get the word (message of the Messiah) out.  It also would have been an excellent tool in the hand of our Lord to teach his people trust and to instill in them dependence on God.
4.	Israel’s homeland was located along the major trade routes of that day. What difference did that make in the lives of the Israelites?
It served as a point of contact with many people so they could communicate the message of the Lord, it made Israel and their homeland very important, they were in a position to be able to prosper and profit, they served as a buffer to the world powers, and it also meant they often got caught in the middle.

5.	In time of war, those trade routes became invasion corridors. What difference did that make in the lives of the Israelites?
In a way, their life was one that was always on edge where they needed to constantly depend on God’s promises.

The natural regions of Palestine
1.	List the five natural regions of Palestine, from west to east.
a.	Coastal Plain
b.	Foothills
c.	Mountains
d.	Rift Valley
e.	Desert

2.	Which four bodies of water form the east and west borders of Palestine?
a.	Mediterranean Sea
b.	Sea of Galilee
c.	Dead Sea
d.	Jordan River

3.	When the Israelites entered their new homeland, how was the way they farmed completely different from farming in Egypt?
In Egypt they would have had irrigation systems set up to water and grow their crops
In Palestine they would have had to farm/plant around the rainy seasons
4.	How did Palestine’s rainfall pattern regulate its planting and growing seasons?
Somewhat like ours.  They could do nothing during the dry season, but when the rain started in September they would plow fields and plant crops.
5.	In their new homeland, when did a farmer’s fieldwork begin?
September/October
6.	Distinguish between what the prophets called the early rains and the latter rains.
a.	Early – these were the rains that broke the summer drought and enabled plowing and planting (Sept/Oct)
b.	Latter – These rains brought the field crops to ripeness (April/May)
7.	What may be one reason why God gave his people a homeland with this unusual rainfall pattern?
To teach them dependence upon him
8.	How did God sometimes alter this rainfall pattern to discipline his forgetful or backsliding people (Amos 4:7,8)?
Drought

Israel’s neighbors
1.	What two factors made the Promised Land less than a farmer’s dream?
a.	Poor soil, poor land with hills, valleys, rocks and sand
b.	No natural defenses

2.	Why did God settle his people in a land with next-door neighbors who hated them?
a.	Training his people to trust him – for daily bread and existence as a nation
b.	Let us not forget too, what we know from the New Testament – God wants all people to be saved and come to a knowledge of the truth.  By putting them where people were (who didn’t know the message of the promised Savior) God was putting them on prime real estate to share that message

Land use
1.	How did the Sabbath year fit into God’s training program for his people?
To lead them to trust God that he would provide them enough in the crop before the Sabbath year and enough volunteer grain during the Sabbath year
Imagine what the people must have thought when they looked out on a Sabbath year and saw that it was an “ideal” year for raising crops.  But the Lord was teaching them in this not only to trust him, but also to realize that this wasn’t what their life was to be all about.  What good is it to gain the whole world yet forfeit one’s soul?

2.	In what way is God’s promise to provide us with daily bread similar to the promise he made to the Israelites? (Compare Leviticus 26:3,4 with Matthew 6:33.)
The Matthew 6:33 passage is so valuable to commit to memory.  Seek first his kingdom.  When our Savior speaks about his kingdom there, he is talking about all those things that have to do with faith.  Seek first those things that have to do with faith and the rest will be given to you as well.  This, of course, is not a promise that we will have everything we want as long as we put God first, but when he increases our faith through his Word, we become content with what he has given us.
3.	Which of God’s earthly blessings that you have enjoyed since you got up this morning might you be taking for granted?
Answers will vary…but in reality we can probably say all of them.

4.	Which of God’s spiritual blessings that you enjoy might easily be taken for granted?
Answers will vary.  Here might be a few: forgiveness of sins, a heavenly home, the Word at my fingertips, freedom to worship God when and where I want.

5.	How might we guard against taking God’s precious gifts for granted?
Answers will vary.  Once again, here might be a few ways: 
-	Setting aside each day for devotion and prayer 
-	Making that prayer life one that is balanced.  By that I mean prayers that aren’t just “gimme” prayers, but ones that touch on all the aspects of prayer life our Lord wants us to include.  Here is an acronym to help in balanced prayers - ACTS
o	Adoration – praise God for all his goodness to us (spiritual and earthly)
o	Confession – open our hearts to the Lord in sincere repentance
o	Thanksgiving – thank God for all his goodness to us (spiritual and earthly)
o	Supplication – here we pray for ourselves and our needs as well as the needs of others
-	Giving firstfruit, proportionate, and planned offerings to the Lord help us not take things for granted
-	Expressing our love for our neighbor in helping them in needs can also help