Christians are spiritual
descendants of Abraham. His faith was counted as righteousness. Faith
in Christ is counted as righteousness too; the vicarious
righteousness of Christ given unto Christians through the cross and
atoning sacrifice.
Abraham lived circa 2000 B.C. in
Sumer. Rosenberg in his book 'Abraham; The First Historical
Biography' described an Abraham whose father Terah was employed as an
artisan making statues for the grand Sumerian Universal-life plays
atop ziggurats representing the life activities of pagan gods. They
were something like Hollywood movies in the day taken as reality T.V.
Abraham was apprenticed as a
scribe to write the religious myth/scientific explanation of the day
in cuneiform clay tablets. Apparently there are lots of fragments of
such clay scrivenings remaining from the era. Terah (Terra) left Ur
(Earth) with Avrm and Sarai traveling north in eventually.
Rosenberg's Abraham is written
somewhat poetically and intuitively with creative license. Yet
Rosenberg is a good Jewish scholar. He also co-wrote with Bloomberg
'The J Book' examining the identity of the compiler of the first part
of the Old Testament in the court of Solomon or his son Rehoboam.
There probably were lots of existing written material and oral
traditions then that were correlated at the order of the King of
Israel following the construction of the Temple. When the worship of
God was being firmly established in Zion-Jerusalem in a permanent
location it would have been a rather natural process to unify a
presentation of existing written and oral material in the Pentateuch.
In
a way the story of Abraham and Sarah and their being progenitors of
the people of God reminds me of Adam and Eve as progenitors of the
human race. It is a human race that fell to the temptation of sin.
With free will and the communication dialect with the serpent the
dyad of Adam and Eve did not heed to the word of God well enough.
Adam
and Eve lived in what was a non-thermodynamic Universe set aside from
the created world outside the Garden of Eden. It seems as if they
were cast out into a thermodynamic paradigm to be the means through
which human life on Earth might be saved from the material,
thermodynamic criterion. That is a cultural mandate to make a people
of God-a spiritual being, from the numbers of evolved human beings in
God's creation, was made. Noah's descendants debarked to found
nations within what seems to be an already peopled world (though
there were only 200 million humans on Earth in the year zero. The
chosen people were to become a priesthood of believers bringing as
many as was predetermined by God to a spiritual and holy condition
through the will of God the father, Son and Holy Spirit.
One reads in Genesis of the line
of post-flood descendants of Noah in Mesopotamia.
Genesis 10:32 "These are
the families of the sons of Noah, after their
generations, in their nations:
and by these were the nations divided in
the earth after the flood."
Earth in this context if
referenced phonetically may refer to Ur (th). The plain of Shinar
where the Tower of Babel is built, probably with a pagan play of God
statues on top, must have irritated God quite a bit. Cain and Abel
and so much early history occurs in this area. Yet it might be the
history relevant to the future chosen people and their
ancestor-Abraham.
When the tower of Babel is built
and eventually destroyed generations pass in Mesopotamia. Terah has
three sons, Abraham, Nahor and Haran. They live in Ur or more
accurately perhaps Sumer that preceded Ur at the same location. Haran
dies in Ur before Abraham journeys north. Terah as the family
patriarch takes his family and that of Abraham as well as Haran's son
Lot to the land of Canaan to live in the town named Haran. It is in
Haran that Terah dies and where Abraham encounters the call of God.
'Ha' means 'the' in Hebrew, malek means 'king'. God had broken down
the one-language & people culture of globalists at the Tower of
Babel with their abominable practices and exfiltrated Abraham from
the confusion of the plain of Shinar and its wretched, vainglorious
polytheism over time.
Genesis 11..."24 And Nahor
lived nine and twenty years, and begat Terah:
25 And Nahor lived after he
begat Terah an hundred and nineteen
years, and begat sons and
daughters.
26 And Terah lived seventy
years, and begat Abram, Nahor, and
Haran.
27 ¶ Now these are the
generations of Terah: Terah begat Abram,
Nahor, and Haran; and Haran
begat Lot.
28 And Haran died before his
father Terah in the land of his nativity, in Ur of the Chaldees.
29 And Abram and Nahor took them
wives: the name of Abram's
wife was Sarai; and the name of
Nahor's wife, Milcah, the daughter of
Haran, the father of Milcah, and
the father of Iscah.
30 But Sarai was barren; she had
no child.
31 And Terah took Abram his son,
and Lot the son of Haran his
son's son, and Sarai his
daughter in law, his son Abram's wife; and
they went forth with them from
Ur of the Chaldees, to go into the land of Canaan; and they came unto
Haran, and dwelt there.
32 And the days of Terah were
two hundred and five years: and
Terah died in Haran.
Chapter 12
1
Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country,
and from thy kindred, and from
thy father's house, unto a land that I
will shew thee:
2
And I will make
of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and
make
thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing:
3
And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth
thee:
and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.
4 So Abram departed, as the LORD
had spoken unto him; and Lot
went with him: and Abram was
seventy and five years old when he
departed out of Haran.
5 And Abram took Sarai his wife,
and Lot his brother's son, and all
their substance that they had
gathered, and the souls that they had
gotten in Haran; and they went
forth to go into the land of Canaan;
and into the land of Canaan they
came.
6 ¶ And Abram passed through
the land unto the place of Sichem,
unto the plain of Moreh. And the
Canaanite was then in the land.
7 And the LORD appeared unto
Abram, and said, Unto thy seed will
I give this land: and there
builded he an altar unto the LORD, who
appeared unto him.
8 And he removed from thence
unto a mountain on the east of Beth-
el, and pitched his tent, having
Beth-el on the west, and Hai on the
east: and there he builded an
altar unto the LORD, and called upon
the name of the LORD.
9 And Abram journeyed, going on
still toward the south.
10 ¶ And there was a famine in
the land: and Abram went down into
Egypt to sojourn there; for the
famine was grievous in the land.
11 And it came to pass, when he
was come near to enter into Egypt,
that he said unto Sarai his
wife, Behold now, I know that thou art a fair woman to look upon:
12 Therefore it shall come to
pass, when the Egyptians shall see
thee, that they shall say, This
is his wife: and they will kill me, but they will save thee alive.
13 Say, I pray thee, thou art my
sister: that it may be well with me for thy sake; and my soul shall
live because of thee.
14 ¶ And it came to pass, that,
when Abram was come into Egypt,
the Egyptians beheld the woman
that she was very fair.
15 The princes also of Pharaoh
saw her, and commended her
before Pharaoh: and the woman
was taken into Pharaoh's house.
16 And he entreated Abram well
for her sake: and he had sheep,
and oxen, and he asses, and
menservants, and maidservants, and
she asses, and camels.
17 And the LORD plagued Pharaoh
and his house with great
plagues because of Sarai Abram's
wife."
This incident of a plague
hitting pharaoh because of Pharaoh's treatment of Sarai is something
of a model of the plagues that hit Pharaoh's Egypt when Moses seek
the release of the captive Jews maybe a half millennium later.
Abraham experienced a great test
of faith. It is recorded in Genesis 22: "CHAPTER 22
1 And it came to pass after
these things, that God did tempt
Abraham, and said unto him,
Abraham: and he said, Behold, here I
am.
2 And he said, Take now thy son,
thine only son Isaac, whom thou
lovest, and get thee into the
land of Moriah; and offer him there for a
burnt offering upon one of the
mountains which I will tell thee of.
3 And Abraham rose up early in
the morning, and saddled his ass,
and took two of his young men
with him, and Isaac his son, and clave
the wood for the burnt offering,
and rose up, and went unto the place
of which God had told him.
4 Then on the third day Abraham
lifted up his eyes, and saw the
place afar off.
5 And Abraham said unto his
young men, Abide ye here with the
ass; and I and the lad will go
yonder and worship, and come again to
you.
6 And Abraham took the wood of
the burnt offering, and laid it upon
Isaac his son; and he took the
fire in his hand, and a knife; and they
went both of them together.
7 And Isaac spake unto Abraham
his father, and said, My father: and
he said, Here am I, my son. And
he said, Behold the fire and the
wood: but where is the lamb for
a burnt offering?
8 And Abraham said, My son, God
will provide himself a lamb for a
burnt offering: so they went
both of them together.
9 And they came to the place
which God had told him of; and
Abraham built an altar there,
and laid the wood in order, and bound
Isaac his son, and laid him on
the altar upon the wood.
10 And Abraham stretched forth
his hand, and took the knife to slay
his son.
11 And the angel of the LORD
called unto him out of heaven, and
said, Abraham, Abraham: and he
said, Here am I.
12 And he said, Lay not thine
hand upon the lad, neither do thou any
thing unto him: for now I know
that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast
not withheld thy son, thine only
son from me.
13 And Abraham lifted up his
eyes, and looked, and behold behind
him a ram caught in a thicket by
his horns: and Abraham went and
took the ram, and offered him up
for a burnt offering in the stead of his
son.
14 And Abraham called the name
of that place Jehovah-jireh: as it is
said to this day, In the mount
of the LORD it shall be seen.
15 ¶ And the angel of the LORD
called unto Abraham out of heaven
the second time,
16 And said, By myself have I
sworn, saith the LORD, for because
thou hast done this thing, and
hast not withheld thy son, thine only
son:
17 That in blessing I will bless
thee, and in multiplying I will multiply
thy seed as the stars of the
heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore; and thy seed
shall possess the gate of his enemies;
18 And in thy seed shall all the
nations of the earth be blessed;
because thou hast obeyed my
voice."
This great promise of God to
Abraham occurs in the book of Genesis. It is a remarkable book that
takes one from the creation of the Universe to the development of the
covenant with a people who would serve as a nation of priests. The
next book is that of Exodus.
The Jews or Israel as the people
would be called after Jacob who changed his name per God's decree are
the bride of Christ, or God's chosen people to be a Holy nation and
priests to the world of the word of God.
Isaiah
41-"8 But thou, Israel, art my servant, Jacob whom I have
chosen, the
seed of Abraham my friend."
Due to their inability to comply
with the terms of the Mosaic covenant well enough the priesthood of
believers was expanded through the Lord Jesus Christ to include all
followers of Christ.
It
is useful to keep in mind what Jesus said about being a spiritual
descendant of Abraham (from Matthew 3) "9
And think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our
father: for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise
up children unto Abraham." This is a notice to those believing
in a material, genetic dispensational salvation that it is hearts and
minds following the Lord that brings one to be regarded by God as a
child of Abraham.
Abraham
had many wives. Not only Hagar with the issue of Ishmael (and Hagar
probably married someone after being set adrift by Abraham hence
Ismael's brothers), Abraham had several sons by women other than
Sarah.
Genesis
Chapter 15:
"1
After these things the word of the LORD came unto Abram in a
vision,
saying, Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield, and thy exceeding
great
reward.
2
And Abram said, Lord GOD, what wilt thou give me, seeing I go
childless,
and the steward of my house is this Eliezer of Damascus?
3
And Abram said, Behold, to me thou hast given no seed: and, lo,
one
born in my house is mine heir.
4
And, behold, the word of the LORD came unto him, saying, This
shall
not be thine heir; but he that shall come forth out of thine own
bowels
shall be thine heir.
5
And he brought him forth abroad, and said, Look now toward
heaven,
and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them: and he said
unto
him, So shall thy seed be.
6
And he believed in the LORD; and he counted it to him for
righteousness.
7
And he said unto him, I am the LORD that brought thee out of Ur
of
the Chaldees, to give thee this land to inherit it."
Hagar
was an Egyptian maid of Sarah. God talked with her too. She also was
informed that her 'seed' would be a multitude, yet perhaps not as
great of order of magnitude as that of Abraham via Sarah. Abraham has
those interesting life and times concerns interacting with God and
society in Canaan and Egypt. Abraham's life is a story in-itself.
To
Hagar in Genesis chapter 15:"10 And the angel of the LORD said
unto her, I will multiply thy seed
exceedingly,
that it shall not be numbered for multitude.
11
And the angel of the LORD said unto her, Behold, thou art with
child,
and shalt bear a son, and shalt call his name Ishmael; because
the
LORD hath heard thy affliction.
12
And he will be a wild man; his hand will be against every man,
and
every man's hand against him; and he shall dwell in the presence
of
all his brethren."
In
Romans 15:6-9 the Apostle Paul encapsulates the place of the Lord
within the Abrahamic, line to increase the spiritual heirs of Abraham
that are children of God. "6
That ye may with one mind and
one mouth glorify God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
"7
Wherefore receive ye one another, as Christ also received us to the
glory of God.
8
Now I say that Jesus Christ was a minister of the circumcision for
the truth of God, to confirm the promises made
unto the fathers:
9
And that the Gentiles might glorify God for his
mercy; as it is written, For this cause I will confess to thee among
the Gentiles, and sing unto thy name."
It
may be useful to note that the Davidic promise that an heir of King
David would always be King of Israel-an eternal king, is fulfilled by
the Lord Jesus. Some might argue that as Christians are one with the
Lord through his saving grace that they too share in His Lordship,
yet I think that is incorrect. Christians share in the Abrahamic
promise that his seed would be as numerous as the stars in the sky
(many), yet the eternal Kingship of the line of King David is
fulfilled in just one individual-the Lord Jesus.
Genesis
15-"13 And he said unto Abram, Know of a surety that thy seed
shall be
a
stranger in a land that is not their's, and shall serve them; and
they
shall
afflict them four hundred years;
14
And also that nation, whom they shall serve, will I judge: and
afterward
shall they come out with great substance.
15
And thou shalt go to thy fathers in peace; thou shalt be buried in
a
good old age.
16
But in the fourth generation they shall come hither again: for the
iniquity
of the Amorites is not yet full.
17
And it came to pass, that, when the sun went down, and it was
dark,
behold a smoking furnace, and a burning lamp that passed
between
those pieces.
18
In the same day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying,
Unto
thy seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the
great
river, the river Euphrates"
So
I suppose Abraham qualifies as a prophet since God informed him of
the future captivity of his people in Egypt where they would multiply
in number before being released and returning to the land of Abraham.
Abraham
and Sarah's names were changed by God from AVRM and Sarai to indicate
their future fecundity.
Genesis
Chapter 17
"1
And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the LORD
appeared
to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk
before
me, and be thou perfect.
2
And
I will make my covenant between me and thee, and will multiply thee
exceedingly.
3
And Abram fell on his face: and God talked with him, saying,
4
As for me, behold, my covenant is with thee, and thou shalt be a
father
of many nations.
5
Neither shall thy name any more be called Abram, but thy name
shall
be Abraham; for a father of many nations have I made thee.
6
And I will make thee exceeding fruitful, and I will make nations of
thee,
and kings shall come out of thee.
7
And I
will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy
seed
after thee in their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be
a
God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee.
8
And I will give unto thee, and to thy seed after thee, the land
wherein
thou art a stranger, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting
possession;
and I will be their God.
9
¶ And God said unto Abraham, Thou
shalt keep my covenant
therefore,
thou, and thy seed after thee in their generations.
10
This
is my covenant,
which ye shall keep, between me and you
and
thy seed after thee; Every man child among you shall be
circumcised.
11
And ye shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskin; and it shall be
a
token of the covenant betwixt me and you.
12
And he that is eight days old shall be circumcised among you,
every
man child in your generations, he that is born in the house, or
bought
with money of any stranger, which is not of thy seed.
13
He that is born in thy house, and he that is bought with thy
money,
must needs be circumcised: and my covenant shall be in your
flesh
for an everlasting covenant.
14
And the uncircumcised man child whose flesh of his foreskin is
not
circumcised, that soul shall be cut off from his people; he hath
broken
my covenant."
God
gave Abraham particular terms for the covenant or contract between
them. It had a material and spiritual component. Circumcision was a
notable, irreversible procedure that gave the Jews a particular
identity as children of Abraham that over time were given additional
instructions to comply with. That helped develop the Jewish people as
children of God over the millennia leading eventually to an increase
or transcendence of the covenant with new terms to include those
saved by the Lord Jesus.
Genesis
Chapter 17 "And God said unto Abraham, As for Sarai thy wife,
thou shalt not
call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall her name be.
16
And I will bless her, and give thee a son also of her: yea, I will
bless
her, and she shall be a mother of nations; kings of people shall
be
of her."
This
is consistent with the 'seed of the woman' paradigm of the
protoevangelium. Though Abraham's seed is numerous through other
lines than that of Sarah, it is through Sarah that the seed of the
woman continues from Eve and on to the Davidic dynasty, Mary and the
Lord who is the eternal Shepard King. The Lord's teleology resounds
through history.
