Stories of the Saints Digging Deeper
Abram/Abraham
Introduction
The story of Abram (whose name was later changed to Abraham ) is one of the most prominent in all of Scripture. In fact, the Bible records all of human history until Abraham in 11 chapters Genesis 1-11. Chapter 12 starts with Abram, and then the historical Biblical record starts to slow down to focus on Abraham and his sons. Abram becomes known as the patriarch the father of the nation of Israel, and ultimately becomes the spiritual father of all Christians. 2 This is a massive story; there is way too much for us to be able to unpack in one week. Unfortunately, thats all we have for now. So we will attempt to summarize as best we can, as well as draw some significant conclusions for our lives today. A very brief overview of Abrahams life:
Abram called by God, departs from Haran, enters Canaan Abram fathers Ishmael with Hagar Abram is re-named Abraham by God Abraham fathers Isaac with Sarah Abrahams wife Sarah dies Abrahams son Isaac marries Rebekah Abraham dies Age of Abram 75 85-86 99 100 137 140 175 Where in Genesis? 12:1-5 16:3-4 17:5 21:5 23:1 25:20 25:7
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the Gospel of Jesus brings all people together under Him, though the nation of Israel started with Abraham.4 The same, then, is true for us as a church today; we exist not for ourselves, but to be a blessing to those around us. And what are we to bless them with? Our selves, time, service, to be sure; but the most important blessing is that of Jesus. 5 What are the implications of us as a church existing not for ourselves, but for others? In addition, Abram was also called to leave everything that was supposed to be earthly security for him: family and country. In fact, God called him to go without even telling him where it was he was going (Gen 12:1 and Heb. 11:8-10)! This truly was a leap of faith; Abram would go with some of his family and possessions, but he was absolutely dependent on God to lead him. Have you ever been in a situation similar to Abrams call?
An Imperfect Saint
Throughout the Biblical story of Abraham, we see his imperfections. His father Terah worshipped other gods.6 In the midst of his journey out of Ur, he tries to save himself by offering up his wife Sarai, trying to pass her off as his sister not once, but twice!7 He tries to take the Lords promise of a child into his own hands, not being patient to wait on God.8 (This is an important account that has many implications still for us today. Take some time to think and talk through what they might be.) Yet God still remains true to His promises to Abram. We also see another major covenant between God and His people in Gen. 15, where God uses a covenant rite
Gods call to Abram: Blessed to be a Blessing
One of the elements that is central to the Biblical story of Abraham is that God said that he would be blessed to be a blessing. 3 The point of Gods call was not that Abraham was special, or that his being chosen by God was an end until himself. The point was that God would use Abraham to bless all the nations of the earth (Gen. 12:2). In the New Testament, the apostle Paul makes the connection that, ultimately,
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The name Abram means exalted father. The name Abraham means father of many. 2 Romans 9:6-8, Galatians 3:5-16 (note especially the reference to a singular offspring in v.16) 3 Genesis 12:2: I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing.
Ephesians 2-3 deal extensively with this: that those who were not in the physical line of Israel also become a part of the church through Jesus, and ultimately all become the body of Christ (which is where Paul is leading through to Eph. 4). 5 Again, Paul in Ephesians 1:3 6 To be sure, we cannot be sure that Abram joined in this worship. At the same time, we do know the influence family has over worship practices. 7 Gen. 12:10-20, Gen. 20:1-18 8 Gen. 16:1-16
Stories of the Saints Digging Deeper
common in that time9 to seal His promise. He continues to be with Abram in spite of Abrams limitations. And the Good News for us is that in Christ, we are blessed in the same way as Abram, also in spite of our limitations. high priest in the order of Melchizedek. (Note that it is not the line of Aaron! Why is this important?) The covenant of circumcision (Genesis 17:1-4), which becomes the visible sign of the covenant, and which is also a pre-cursor to Christian baptism.10 The continued questions of how God manifests himself on earth before the birth of Jesus: the three travelers, the two angels who go to Sodom and Gomorrah). The long-awaited fulfillment of the promise of a son, Isaac (25 years after the promise was made!), and then the subsequent call to sacrifice this son. (We will deal with the sacrifice as we look at Isaac next week, but be sure to notice Abrahams role in this and his faith, especially in light of Hebrews 11:17-119, especially verse 19).
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The Power of Names
Often in Scripture, God changes a persons name after an intimate encounter with Him. Examples are: AbramAbraham, SaraiSarah, JacobIsrael, SaulPaul. Today, there are interesting examples in some cultures where a person is given a Christian name (most often a Biblical one) when they are baptized. A good activity this week in your family or with friends might be to discover and share the meaning and origin of your name with them.
Other Elements
There are so many more elements to this story of Abraham that we just dont have space to deal with here. Take some time in the next few weeks and investigate these accounts further: o o o o Abrahams relationship to his nephew Lot and the events surrounding Lot in Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis 13-14, 18-19) Prayer and Abrahams pleading with God over Sodom and Gomorrah (likely also because of his relationship with Lot [Gen 18-19]) Abraham as the commander of a small army who overthrew a league of kings (Gen 14:1-16) The curious appearance of Melchizedek, who seems to come out of nowhere and disappear into nowhere. He is identified as king of [Jeru]Salem and a priest of God Most High, yet outside the line of Aaron. He also speaks a blessing to Abraham, gives him bread and wine following Abrams military victory, and then receives a tenth of all Abrams plunder. In some ways, Melchizedek fulfills all three offices of Jesus (prophet, priest, and king). There is so much foreshadowing going on here it is dizzying. Then there is also a baffling reference to Melchizedek in Hebrews 7:1-4, where Jesus is identified as a great
The so-called Suzerain treaties between ancient near-east kings took this type of form. The major difference here is that God is the only party who makes a commitment.
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Colossians 2:11-14, Romans 2:25-29, 4:9-13
