ABRAHAMOur Father in Faith

“Look up at the sky and count the stars, if you can…so shall your

descendants be"

Vocabulary Abraham – a descendant of Shem; founder of

Hebrew Nation Abram – original name of Abraham Angel – messenger from God; pure spirits; in

Scripture appearance usually terrifying Isaac – Son of Abraham & Sarah; born when

they were very old; Isaac not first son of Abraham, he was only child of Sarah, Abraham’s wife, making Isaac heir of God’s promise

Ishmael – Abraham’s son by Hagar, Sarah’s servant; founder of Arab tribes

Vocabulary continued Lot – Abraham’s nephew; settled in the prosperous

plains, leaving Abraham in wilderness of hill country

Monotheism – belief in one God Moriah – mountains around Jerusalem; where

Abraham went to offer Isaac as a sacrifice Patriarch – male ruler, elder, or leader Sarah – wife of Abraham & mother of Isaac Sarai – original name of Sarah Sodom & Gomorrah – cities of the plain destroyed

by God because of wickedness; Lot settled there Ur – city in Plain of Shinar; birthplace of Abraham

Key Biblical Figures

Pioneers

Abraham

Sarah

Of Israelite

Isaac

Rebekah

Nation

Jacob

Rachel

God

God delivers from all evilIf humanity tends toward

rebellion God tends toward forgiveness and mercy Spares Adam and Eve, Cain, and NoahGives them a new start

GodGod fulfills promises

NoahAbrahamIsaac God will make themJacob into a great peopleMoses

God is a God of the future who calls forth in Israel a trusting hope that must expect new and greater divine acts still to come

Covenant Covenant binds God to Israel

Covenant is the heart of Biblical Faith because it expresses a unique bond between God and people

God directs all of history Divine providence – divine lordship God blesses and punishes

Sets obstacles and show the way All is in the hands of God

Abraham, Our Father in Faith

First Patriarch of the Jewish Faith

Father in FaithThree Great Religions

Judaism – JewsChristianity – ChristiansIslam – Muslims

Mesopotamia

Ur of the Chaldeans

Ziggurat – 2100 B.C. – Artificial mountain built of mud-brick; temple on top – built during 3rd Dynasty period of Ur – a period of great prosperity for the city

Abraham - born in UrUr-Great port city-Towering ziggurats Polytheismbelief in many gods-Thousands of shops, merchants all over world, many languages

Lifestyle- Herdsmen and Wanderer- Nomadic Lifestyle- Probably traveled with flocks of sheep, herds, goats- Transportation - donkey

- Abram & family semi-nomadic- Easily able to settle in Canaan; urban & agricultural setting-Traveled with extended family & flocks

The Patriarch Abraham

Terah (Gen 11:27-32)

Abram|

Sarai(Barren)

Haran(Dies in Ur)

|Father of Lot

Three Sons

Adam & Eve

• Cain• Abel• Seth

Noah

• Shem• Ham• Japhet

Terah

• Abram• Nahor• Haran

Abram’s Call“Leave your country, your people and your father’s household and go to the land I will show you.” (Gn 12:2-3)

Three Promises1. Land and a Nation2. Kingship and Name3. Blessings for all Nations

Promises Fulfilled

Land and NationCovenant with Moses

Kingship and NameCovenant with David

Blessings for all NationsThrough Jesus Christ

Abram’s Call - 75 years old when heard God’s call while in Haran - Called to a radically different life - Acceptance to God’s call led to great change for

mankind - Chosen to carry out first step of God’s plan for salvation - Faith-filled and humble before God - Open to God’s call - Willing to leave all behind - Man without a country will inherit a whole land

The Beginning of the Journey

“He took his wife Sarai, his nephew Lot, all the possessions they had accumulated and the people they had acquired in Haran, and they set out for the land of Canaan. (Gn 12:5)

From Haran to Canaan – caravan 20 mi per day – 500 mi in about a monthFrom Ur Shechem (Canaanites were in the land)

Impossible TaskNumerous offspring – Sarai barren, no son to

carry on nameCut off from kin will be blessed by all families

of the earthAgainst all odds broke with family and

homeland to start a new family in an undesignated land

* Blessings a typological reversal of primordial curses in Eden directed against earth, human generatively, and human labor

Forced to Egypt

- Severe Famine- Abram surrenders wife to Pharaoh lest he be put to death- Acquires massive estate – animals, slaves- Pharaoh afflicted by plagues – Sarai wife not sister-Orders Abram and Sarai on their way-(Gen 12:10-18)

Abram and Lot Separate- Land could not support both Abram and Lot- Quarrels between herdsmen- Abram – no strife- Land – Lot’s preference- Lot selects cities of the Plain – moves tent as far as Sodom – entire Jordan Plain- Sodom – people wicked, great sinners against Lord- Abram settles in Canaan (Gen 13:1-18)

The Four KingsLot & possessions seizedAbram recovered LotUpon return from victory, greeted by Melchizedek, king of Salem Bread, wine, blessingMelchizedek – priest/king Type of Christ royal priest Bread/wine – ancient symbol - nourishment and celebration Roots of Eucharist in stories like this

Covenant with AbramGod’s Oath: Land & a Nation

•No offspring• Who will my heir be?• “Your own issue shall be your heir”•“Look up at the sky and count the stars, if you can, so shall your descendants be”•God swears covenant oath• Solemn promise land would be Abram’s

Serious Oath Sealed With Sacrifice

Animals in a way represented people swearing oath

If oath broken “May it be my blood spilled on the ground instead of the animals”

By passing through, swearing a covenant Fire symbolizes special presence of God

(Gn15:17) Burning Bush (Ex 3:2) Pillar of fire (Ex 13:21) Fire symbolizes God holiness appearing to purge

& purify those who deviate from God’s way – Sodom and Gomorrah; 7th plague against Egypt (Ex 9:23)

Children Several ways to have a child:

Adopt one of servants Conceive children by wife’s servant

surrogate wife ** Child from wife

** Corrupt institution of polygamy had spread all over world

** Common for patriarch to have children by several wives, slaves, and concubines

Birth of IshmaelAbram & Sarai try to speed up God’s planAbram takes another wife – Hagar, Sarai maidservantSarai would claim child as her own

Hagar – son IshmaelFor Abram’s sake God made

Ishmael great nation – Father of Arabs

Love and Jealousy Relationship between Abram, Sarai and Hagar – tension - abuseConflict fierce - Hagar leaves but must return so that Ishmaelites have clear connection to Abraham, their ancestor

Today – speak out against abuse & harassment

Kingship and a NameCovenant Oath, Name Change, Outward Sign

Abram – 99 years old Lord appears – I will make my covenant

between me and you and make you exceedingly numerous

Name change Abram – Exalter Father Abraham – Father of a Multitude

Covenant Kept by Abraham and offspring throughout

generations Every male circumcised

Kingship and a Name cont.

Circumcision – visible sign of God’s covenant with Abraham Set People of God apart from other nations Practiced by many peoples in ancient world In Israel, performed shortly after birth Symbolized person belonged to God

Required by the covenant that God first made with Abraham then Moses and all of Israel

Today – most Jews continue circumcision as a religious practice

Kingship and a Name cont.

*Son promised to Abraham and Sarah* Sarai – name changed to Sarah – Princess or Queen* Sarah laughs when overhears that Abraham will have a son in a year* Name – Isaac – “he laughs” in Hebrew

Sodom and GomorrahAbraham bargains with God for fate of SodomSodom wicked – only Lot & daughters saved from destructionEverything Lot had destroyedProsperous cities sunken, barren wasteland – poisonous lake in middle – Dead SeaLot cowers with daughters in mountain caveChildren of Lot by his daughters founders of Israel’s worst enemies, Moabites & AmmonitesOlder daughter’s son MoabYounger daughter’s son Benammi, ancestor of Ammonites

Binding of IsaacThe Aquedah

Abraham gains a son in Isaac but loses Ishmael to Sarah jealousy

When God tells him to sacrifice his only remaining son, Abraham obeys

Sacrifice of Isaac as a type of the sacrifice of Christ

Human Sacrifice People who surrounded ancient Israelites

practiced human sacrifice all the time Sacrificed children to their horrible idles For Israel their God never demanded human

sacrifice The Lord’s own hand stayed Abraham’s hand Because of Abraham’s faith, God swears oath

All nations of the world will be blessed through Abraham

God will use Abraham’s descendants to bring salvation to the world

Abraham’s FamilyAbraham, Sarah, and his descendants make up a nation of people from whom God would bring salvation

Humble Obedience to God• Recurring Theme• Abraham’s answer to God’s call• Willingness to offer son as sacrifice

• Trust in God• In spite of Sarah’s age and had no

children, Abraham believed God when he would have numerous descendants

• Father of a multitude of nations