Abraham
- Thread starter Polly
- Start date
I don't know if you are asking for some opinion on Abraham or you would personally would like to know more about him.. If latter is the case, then the best way would be to read Genesis. And study the life of Abraham.. I think it would not be good to describe the life of Abraham in a simple post 
His story starts in Genesis 11:31 Terah took his son Abram, his grandson Lot son of Haran, and his daughter-in-law Sarai, the wife of his son Abram, and together they set out from Ur of the Chaldeans to go to Canaan. But when they came to Harran, they settled there.
Abraham's name was originally Abram.
12:1 The Lord had said to Abram, “Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you.
2 “I will make you into a great nation,
and I will bless you;
I will make your name great,
and you will be a blessing.
3 I will bless those who bless you,
and whoever curses you I will curse;
and all peoples on earth
will be blessed through you.”
4 So Abram went, as the Lord had told him; and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he set out from Harran. 5 He took his wife Sarai, his nephew Lot, all the possessions they had accumulated and the people they had acquired in Harran, and they set out for the land of Canaan, and they arrived there.
So, God makes a promise to Abram, Abram believes God and sets out with the caravan.
12:
6 Abram traveled through the land as far as the site of the great tree of Moreh at Shechem. At that time the Canaanites were in the land. 7 The Lord appeared to Abram and said, “To your offspring I will give this land.” So he built an altar there to the Lord, who had appeared to him.
8 From there he went on toward the hills east of Bethel and pitched his tent, with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east. There he built an altar to the Lord and called on the name of the Lord.
9 Then Abram set out and continued toward the Negev.
Abram settled in the area and explored.
Abraham's name was originally Abram.
12:1 The Lord had said to Abram, “Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you.
2 “I will make you into a great nation,
and I will bless you;
I will make your name great,
and you will be a blessing.
3 I will bless those who bless you,
and whoever curses you I will curse;
and all peoples on earth
will be blessed through you.”
4 So Abram went, as the Lord had told him; and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he set out from Harran. 5 He took his wife Sarai, his nephew Lot, all the possessions they had accumulated and the people they had acquired in Harran, and they set out for the land of Canaan, and they arrived there.
So, God makes a promise to Abram, Abram believes God and sets out with the caravan.
12:
6 Abram traveled through the land as far as the site of the great tree of Moreh at Shechem. At that time the Canaanites were in the land. 7 The Lord appeared to Abram and said, “To your offspring I will give this land.” So he built an altar there to the Lord, who had appeared to him.
8 From there he went on toward the hills east of Bethel and pitched his tent, with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east. There he built an altar to the Lord and called on the name of the Lord.
9 Then Abram set out and continued toward the Negev.
Abram settled in the area and explored.
Abram tries to save his own skin by telling a half truth.
Genesis 12:
10 Now there was a famine in the land, and Abram went down to Egypt to live there for a while because the famine was severe. 11 As he was about to enter Egypt, he said to his wife Sarai, “I know what a beautiful woman you are. 12 When the Egyptians see you, they will say, ‘This is his wife.’ Then they will kill me but will let you live. 13 Say you are my sister, so that I will be treated well for your sake and my life will be spared because of you.”
14 When Abram came to Egypt, the Egyptians saw that Sarai was a very beautiful woman. 15 And when Pharaoh’s officials saw her, they praised her to Pharaoh, and she was taken into his palace. 16 He treated Abram well for her sake, and Abram acquired sheep and cattle, male and female donkeys, male and female servants, and camels.
17 But the Lord inflicted serious diseases on Pharaoh and his household because of Abram’s wife Sarai. 18 So Pharaoh summoned Abram. “What have you done to me?” he said. “Why didn’t you tell me she was your wife? 19 Why did you say, ‘She is my sister,’ so that I took her to be my wife? Now then, here is your wife. Take her and go!” 20 Then Pharaoh gave orders about Abram to his men, and they sent him on his way, with his wife and everything he had.
Here we see the lie caused Abram to acquire wealth from Pharaoh, because of what Abram knew Pharaoh would do to him if he said she was his wife. Pharaoh was aware of the diseases which came upon them to be a result of wrongly taking Sarai as his wife. We can only imagine what kind of diseases they must have been given. It must have been bad for Pharaoh to just say "Get out of here" without retribution on Abram. I guess Pharaoh must have been scared of Abram, what with ordering his men to let them go with everything they acquired.
Genesis 12:
10 Now there was a famine in the land, and Abram went down to Egypt to live there for a while because the famine was severe. 11 As he was about to enter Egypt, he said to his wife Sarai, “I know what a beautiful woman you are. 12 When the Egyptians see you, they will say, ‘This is his wife.’ Then they will kill me but will let you live. 13 Say you are my sister, so that I will be treated well for your sake and my life will be spared because of you.”
14 When Abram came to Egypt, the Egyptians saw that Sarai was a very beautiful woman. 15 And when Pharaoh’s officials saw her, they praised her to Pharaoh, and she was taken into his palace. 16 He treated Abram well for her sake, and Abram acquired sheep and cattle, male and female donkeys, male and female servants, and camels.
17 But the Lord inflicted serious diseases on Pharaoh and his household because of Abram’s wife Sarai. 18 So Pharaoh summoned Abram. “What have you done to me?” he said. “Why didn’t you tell me she was your wife? 19 Why did you say, ‘She is my sister,’ so that I took her to be my wife? Now then, here is your wife. Take her and go!” 20 Then Pharaoh gave orders about Abram to his men, and they sent him on his way, with his wife and everything he had.
Here we see the lie caused Abram to acquire wealth from Pharaoh, because of what Abram knew Pharaoh would do to him if he said she was his wife. Pharaoh was aware of the diseases which came upon them to be a result of wrongly taking Sarai as his wife. We can only imagine what kind of diseases they must have been given. It must have been bad for Pharaoh to just say "Get out of here" without retribution on Abram. I guess Pharaoh must have been scared of Abram, what with ordering his men to let them go with everything they acquired.
Gen. 13:1 So Abram went up from Egypt to the Negev, with his wife and everything he had, and Lot went with him. 2 Abram had become very wealthy in livestock and in silver and gold.
3 From the Negev he went from place to place until he came to Bethel, to the place between Bethel and Ai where his tent had been earlier 4 and where he had first built an altar. There Abram called on the name of the Lord.
5 Now Lot, who was moving about with Abram, also had flocks and herds and tents. 6 But the land could not support them while they stayed together, for their possessions were so great that they were not able to stay together. 7 And quarreling arose between Abram’s herders and Lot’s. The Canaanites and Perizzites were also living in the land at that time.
Abram heads home with his new wealth, but there is not enough land where they originally set up camp.
13:8 So Abram said to Lot, “Let’s not have any quarreling between you and me, or between your herders and mine, for we are close relatives. 9 Is not the whole land before you? Let’s part company. If you go to the left, I’ll go to the right; if you go to the right, I’ll go to the left.”
10 Lot looked around and saw that the whole plain of the Jordan toward Zoar was well watered, like the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt. (This was before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.) 11 So Lot chose for himself the whole plain of the Jordan and set out toward the east. The two men parted company: 12 Abram lived in the land of Canaan, while Lot lived among the cities of the plain and pitched his tents near Sodom. 13 Now the people of Sodom were wicked and were sinning greatly against the Lord.
Abram give Lot first choice of the land and he chose what he thought would be the best for farming and his animals. Apparently, he chose poorly, moving into a bad neighborhood. A good example of God using other's choices and actions for the believer's good.
3 From the Negev he went from place to place until he came to Bethel, to the place between Bethel and Ai where his tent had been earlier 4 and where he had first built an altar. There Abram called on the name of the Lord.
5 Now Lot, who was moving about with Abram, also had flocks and herds and tents. 6 But the land could not support them while they stayed together, for their possessions were so great that they were not able to stay together. 7 And quarreling arose between Abram’s herders and Lot’s. The Canaanites and Perizzites were also living in the land at that time.
Abram heads home with his new wealth, but there is not enough land where they originally set up camp.
13:8 So Abram said to Lot, “Let’s not have any quarreling between you and me, or between your herders and mine, for we are close relatives. 9 Is not the whole land before you? Let’s part company. If you go to the left, I’ll go to the right; if you go to the right, I’ll go to the left.”
10 Lot looked around and saw that the whole plain of the Jordan toward Zoar was well watered, like the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt. (This was before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.) 11 So Lot chose for himself the whole plain of the Jordan and set out toward the east. The two men parted company: 12 Abram lived in the land of Canaan, while Lot lived among the cities of the plain and pitched his tents near Sodom. 13 Now the people of Sodom were wicked and were sinning greatly against the Lord.
Abram give Lot first choice of the land and he chose what he thought would be the best for farming and his animals. Apparently, he chose poorly, moving into a bad neighborhood. A good example of God using other's choices and actions for the believer's good.
I wanted Polly to start a thread on Abraham so she could understand what faith is, that she might understand how we sometimes have to wait and trust God, even when we don't see things like we think they should be? Abraham is the father of our faith and all sound doctrine and understanding must begin with Abraham. Having said that, maybe folks can help polly understand these things in a simple way, sharing your understanding of faith with her, as with a child who needs to know the basic concepts of things? And thanks Polly for starting the thread, I hope some others can see that your greatest need is to understand what faith really is...
Makes sense..I wanted Polly to start a thread on Abraham so she could understand what faith is, that she might understand how we sometimes have to wait and trust God, even when we don't see things like we think they should be? Abraham is the father of our faith and all sound doctrine and understanding must begin with Abraham. Having said that, maybe folks can help polly understand these things in a simple way, sharing your understanding of faith with her, as with a child who needs to know the basic concepts of things? And thanks Polly for starting the thread, I hope some others can see that your greatest need is to understand what faith really is...
Polly - The pinnacle of Abraham's faith is when God asks him to offer up his son Isaac.. Abraham actually takes the knife and goes for a shot! Then Lord stops him.. Abraham had faith in God that He can bring Isaac back from death since he is the promised son.. I draw lot of encouragement from that scripture.. It shows what kind of faith Abraham had.. remember, he had to wait so many years to get Isaac.. He was so old.. But still he trusted God completely.. We should strive for the same kind of trust..
You should study Abraham because it is the promises that were made to him that is the hope of the Christian.
The story of Abraham is a pitcher of a person who simply believed every Word the Lord said to him. When God made a covenant with Abraham his only responsibility to that covenant was to just believe God. Abraham walked perfectly with God by believing him perfectly. The results of any body who believes like Abraham did will have the Word of God that dwells in them because of their belief that will allow that Word to work through them. There was no way Abraham could have offer his son as an offering without first believing God's Word first. As Jesus said, "without me you can do nothing"
Mt 8:10 When Jesus heard it, he marvelled, and said to them that followed, Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel.
11 And I say unto you, That many shall come from the east and west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven.
I met Abraham once in a dream, I believe it was a real revelation from God. He, Abraham, came beside me and ask me if he could set beside me? His humility was so powerful that it made an impression upon my mind and heart and to this day has an effect on me that causes me to believe that I believe this dream had to be from the Lord. This man I met was such a humble man, that his humility was an actual presence and force that was with him. Amazing dream, that stays in my thoughts!
11 And I say unto you, That many shall come from the east and west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven.
I met Abraham once in a dream, I believe it was a real revelation from God. He, Abraham, came beside me and ask me if he could set beside me? His humility was so powerful that it made an impression upon my mind and heart and to this day has an effect on me that causes me to believe that I believe this dream had to be from the Lord. This man I met was such a humble man, that his humility was an actual presence and force that was with him. Amazing dream, that stays in my thoughts!
I know what kind of faith he had in God. It was not 'there is a God', 'I believe without doubt that there is a God'...
He believed that God was good. He trusted God!!!!! So much that he was willing to sacrifice what was most dear to him.
That is amazing faith! It reminds me of Jonah's faith Jonah 4:2 He prayed to the Lord, “Isn’t this what I said, Lord, when I was still at home? That is what I tried to forestall by fleeing to Tarshish. I knew that you are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity.
Jonah may not be the ambassador of faith in God that Abraham was, but he certainly had a lot of it for this statement.
Jonah, like Abraham knew God was good! He trusted God! Can we say the same?
Miracles went without saying among all the prophets. It was a by product from real faith.
There is no such a thing as faith with out first hearing the Word of God, "faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the Word of God". How Abraham had faith is no different then how we have faith. Believing the Word causes that same Word to implanted in ones hearts which will always produce a crop of works through that person who has it. It was never about you, me, or we, them or us, it has always been about what Jesus has done for us, to us, and what he continually does through us. Since faith works by love, and since God is love, than only God can do the works of faith.
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The rest of chapter 13 : God tells Abram, “Look around from where you are, to the north and south, to the east and west. 15 All the land that you see I will give to you and your offspring forever. 16 I will make your offspring like the dust of the earth, so that if anyone could count the dust, then your offspring could be counted. 17 Go, walk through the length and breadth of the land, for I am giving it to you.”
So the promise was made.
So the promise was made.
Do you know there is a difference between the Word and His word? I know newer versions like to muddle the issue...
Are you referring to the written Word vs the spoken Word?
No! Messiah the Word (John 1:1) versus the written/spoken word...the Capital is used for the Word (God the Son) not for the written or spoken word.
Was not the original Greek text written with all capitals letters?
Yes but there is a distinction made between the person of the Word and the written word...I am Paul but I am not the letters I just typed, so early translators (though the point you make is correct) wanted to make the distinction easy to recognize. The Son is not the spoken words of the Lord He IS the Lord who spoke them.
While I agree with you that Jesus is Lord, and that he speaks, but when does he speak? Jesus him self said that his words were not his but his Fathers, and that he only spoke when he heard the Father speak. In the same way the Holy when he speaks only speaks what he has heard. There can no words spoken unless all three persons of the God head are speaking. Everything originates with the Father, then flows to the Son, and then the Holy Spirit.