Question:Clive wrote"I really enjoyed your Bible study. Abram was a man like you and me. 5.) As the writer to the Hebrews put it, he went out, not knowing where he was going (Hebrews 11:8). Many reach to Charran, and yet fall short of Canaan; they are not far from the kingdom of God, and yet never come thither. Hence, it follows that Isaac, his seed, was born thirty years after the call of Abram. Additionally, we can conjecture that he was born sometime during the 20th century BCE and dwelt in the land of Ur, commonly referred to as Ur III by historians. By clicking Post Your Answer, you agree to our terms of service, privacy policy and cookie policy. He is removed to the better country, and by his departure contributes no doubt to deepen the faith of his son Abram, of his grandson Lot, and of his daughter-in-law Sarai. Abraham received only one call (Genesis 12:1). Having called Abram, it was God Who providentially brought Abram to the point of leaving home and homeland and entering Canaan. In the final analysis, that is all anyone can have. Moses tells us that Abram was 75 when he entered the land of Canaan. p. 282. Biblical Hermeneutics Stack Exchange is a question and answer site for professors, theologians, and those interested in exegetical analysis of biblical texts. 3: Genesis 12:1 is the Bible's record of the second time that God tells Abe to leave his father's household. Here in chapter 12 the general features of the covenant are introduced. Hist. Get our Question of the Week delivered right to your inbox! Paul chose Abraham as the finest example of a man who is justified before God by faith apart from works (Romans 4). But this exclusiveness contained from the very first the germ of universalism. The relationship between the command of God to Abram in verse 1 and the incident at Babel in chapter 11 should not be overlooked. Terah, their father, coordinated the gathering of his family to journey west to their destination ( Genesis 11:31 ). He obeyed unquestioningly the commands of God, from whom he received repeated promises and a covenant that his "seed" would inherit the land. When he is promised a land, and when that land is not given, he must look beyond the promise to its Maker so that he may understand. Now Abram did leave Ur and go to Haran, but it appears to me that this was only because his pagan father decided to leave Ur. Benjamin of Tudela (p) speaks of it as in being in his time, and as two days journey from the entrance into the land of Shinar or Mesopotamia; and says, that in that place where was the house of Abraham, there is no building on it, but the Ishmaelites (the Mahometans) honour the place, and come thither to pray. It is probable that the revelation Abram had received from heaven was the means of removing this cloud from his mind, and restoring in him the knowledge and worship of the true God. Thus, he seems to have rejected Stephens words flatly. 2. Abram did not even know where he would settle. Do stay around and if you are willing to answer another questions, please read. 32 Terah lived 205 years, and he died in Haran. At least two things must be said in response to this question. "By faith Abraham, when he was called, obeyed and went out to a place he was going to receive as an inheritance. The people of Haran served the same moon god as the people in Terah's former location, the southern Mesopotamian "city of Ur". 31 And Terah took his son Abram, his grandson Lot son of Haran, and his daughter-in-law Sarai the wife of Abram, and they set out from Ur of the Chaldeans for the land of Canaan. 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. Terah is identified as the person who arranged and led the family to embark on a mysterious journey to Canaan. I see Terah took Abram, Lot & Sarai to go to Canaan, & died on route in Haran, seemingly before God spoke to Abram to leave his country. Abram was called, that through him all the families of the earth might be blessed (Genesis 12:1-3). Abram was, in our vernacular, no spring chicken when he left Haran for Canaan. Shem had converted Abe. And the guidance vouchsafed had for its object the calling forth of faith in response to the promise, which should maintain itself amidst all the changes of this earthly life. Five years? Is this inconsistent with the words of the writer to the Hebrews? verse 6). The first eleven chapters have often been called primeval history. The last chapters are known as patriarchal history. While the effect of mans sin has become increasingly widespread, the fulfillment of the promise of God in Genesis 3:15 has become more selective. These two were the pivots, upon which all the divine revelations made to the patriarchs, and all the guidance they received, were made to turn. This would be a slow, arduous and dangerous journey. The Christian life is not knowing exactly what the future holds, but knowing Him Who holds the future. Kharan, and was so called in Accadian times, in which language the word means road, being, according to Mr. Sayce, the key of the highway from the east to the west. This promise demanded faith on the part of Abram, for it was obvious that he was already aged, and that Sarai, his wife, was incapable of having children (11:30). We must remember that Cassuto, as a Jew, did not regard the New Testament to be authoritative. Although no direct evidence of Abrahams residence is available, it is significant that the city of Ur reflects a long history preceding Abrahams time, possessing an elaborate system of writing, educational facilities, mathematical calculations, business and religious records, and art. (Antiqu. This is knowable to us by putting together five sources: 1: The very few Biblical references to the idolatry that Terah's household had practiced (ex: Joshua 24:2; Genesis 31:53b). Abram would have been on social security for over ten years. And in the land of Kenaan was Melkizedec, the king of Salem, and the priest of the Most High God. Some of But the opinion of the early Church has been vindicated most thoroughly by Hengstenberg in his Christology.). This remains to be proven. Thirdly, the Angel of Jehovah is also identified with Jehovah by the sacred writers themselves, who call the Angel Jehovah without the least reserve (cf. But as soon as Abram had gone to Canaan, in obedience to the call of God, Jehovah appeared to him there (Genesis 12:7). Terah and his family had been chosen by God to establish His seed on earth. Think of it. One year? At both Shechem and Bethel he built altars, like Abram, his grandfather (33:20; 35:7). In Genesis chapter 11, we are told that Terah, his son Abram, his grandson Lot and his daughter-in-law Sarai left their hometown called the Ur of the Chaldeans to go to the Land of Canaan. Ancient Mesopotamia was a region centered upon the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers. In Genesis 11, we read that Terah came from Ur of the Chaldeans. The question arises, therefore, whether the angel of Jehovah, or of God, was God Himself in one particular phase of His self-manifestation, or a created angel of whom God made use as the organ of His self-revelation. Abram was secure and comfortable in Ur, a great city. It tells us that verses 27-32 of chapter 11 are parenthetical,133 and not strictly in chronological order. 130 Cf. Thanks for contributing an answer to Biblical Hermeneutics Stack Exchange! It may be supposed at at that time God had then called Abe, and Abe's response to God's call was the dramatic ploy that Jewish oral tradition says that Abe did: Abe was determined to do anything necessary to try to convince his father, Terah, to take Shem's witness to heart. Stephen calls it Charran it is by Herodian (l) called by Ptolemy (m) Carrae, by Pliny (n) Carra, a city famous in Lucan (o) for the slaughter of Crassus, by whom it is called an Assyrian city. Moses account of his initial steps of faith makes it evident that much was to be desired, and to be developed in him. A look at a map of the ancient world of patriarchal times would indicate that Abram traveled the well-trodden roads of his day.135 This route was that commonly traveled by those who engaged in the commerce of those days. Are there conventions to indicate a new item in a list? Terah fathered Abram, Nahor, and Haran; and Haran fathered Lot. More insights from your Bible study - Get Started with Logos Bible Software for Free! Christian faith grows. Abrahams blessing was largely to be seen in his descendants. With the choice of Abram and revelation of God to man assumed a select character, inasmuch as God manifested Himself henceforth to Abram and his posterity alone as the author of salvation and the guide to true life; whilst other nations were left to follow their own course according to the powers conferred upon them, in order that they might learn that in their way, and without fellowship with the living God, it was impossible to find peace to the soul, and the true blessedness of life (cf. John 14:1-3). Abram told his father that Yahweh had instructed them to leave. He had twelve chief gods, one for each month of the year, and other idols. ), without any angelic form being visible in either case. Even if we render this passage, with Delitzsch, "making His messengers of winds, His servants of flaming fire," the allusion, as Delitzsch himself observes, is not to the creation of angels; nor can the meaning be, that God gives wind and fire to His angels as the material of their appearance, and as it were of their self-incorporation. Terah was born when his father was 29 years of age. Much of Abrams blessing was to come in the form of his offspring, but there was also the blessing that would come in the form of the Messiah, who would bring salvation to Gods people. To this hope our Lord, the Messiah, spoke, Your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day; and he saw it, and was glad (John 8:56). "They came to Haran and dwelt there." One purpose of the genealogy of chapter 11 is that it informs us that men were living shorter lives, and having children younger. But it was not the lot of Terah to enter the land, where he would only have been a stranger. Wis. 13-15). At Shechem, God promised to give this land to Abram (12:7). I found your contribution useful +1. So far as we can tell, then, Terah was an idolater, like those of his days. On the form in which God appeared, in most instances, nothing is related. The difference is important. All rights reserved. The tent is thus the symbol of the pilgrim. That settles it. The preacher said it could be said even shorter. Though proceeding by easy stages, the aged patriarch seems to have been exhausted by the length and the difficulty of the way. But here are a few possibilities. The early history consists of three stages, which are indicated by the three patriarchs, peculiarly so called, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; and in the sons of Jacob the unity of the chosen family was expanded into the twelve immediate fathers of the nation. He said in his comments on Genesis 12:7. Why is the article "the" used in "He invented THE slide rule"? Site design / logo 2023 Stack Exchange Inc; user contributions licensed under CC BY-SA. On the other hand, Gods command was deliberately vague. Haran was in the north, where Terah, Abraham's father, had taken him after Terah's father died (Genesis 11:27-32). ). Conclusion For the nation was to grow out of the family, and in the lives of the patriarchs its character was to be determined and its development foreshadowed. (1) Abrams faith was commenced at the initiative of God. I would have assumed that Terah was a God-fearing man, who brought up his son, Abram, to believe in only one God, unlike the people of his day, but this was not so. Once, Terah needed to leave his store, and he appointed Abraham to sell the idols in his stead. God told Abram to leave without knowing where the path of obedience would lead, but believing that God was leading as he went. Bob is a pastor/teacher and elder at Community Bible Chapel in Richardson, Texas, and has contributed many of his Bible study series for use by the Foundation. 135 Haran, for example, in Assyrian (harranu) meant main road. Waltke, class notes, p. 14. Genesis 2:5). This covenant is the thread which ties the rest of the Old Testament together. In addition to this, He performs miracles, consuming with fire the offering placed before Him by Gideon, and the sacrifice prepared by Manoah, and ascending to haven in the flame of the burnt-offering (Judges 6:21; Judges 13:19-20). So Terah was finally convinced to believe that Shem's advice was right. Did Abraham meet Jacob as alluded in Hebrews 11:9? Terah traveled 150 miles out of his way. Terah, Jewish literature records, was a craftsman who made idols. God promised Abram a great name (what the people of Babel sought, 11:4) as a result of leaving Ur, leaving the security of his relatives, and trusting only in God. Do not expect that God will indicate each turn in the road with a clearly marked sign. He does not invest heavily in that which will not last. Hence, his desire to keep up his connection with Abram, who was called of God. The best answers are voted up and rise to the top, Not the answer you're looking for? The force of these facts has been met by the assertion, that the ambassador perfectly represents the person of the sender; and evidence of this is adduced not only from Grecian literature, but from the Old Testament also, where the addresses of the prophets often glide imperceptibly into the words of Jehovah, whose instrument they are. For some reason, Terah and his family stopped short of Canaan, and remained in Haran. (q) Travels, par. (n) Nat. 3, app.). - From these varying forms of appearance it is evident that the opinion that the Angel of the Lord was a real angel, a divine manifestation, "not in the disguise of angel, but through the actual appearance of an angel," is not in harmony with all the statements of the Bible. The name must not be confounded with that of Haran, the father of Lot, as really it is in the Heb. The giants of the faith seem to be sterling characters with no evident flaws, with machine-like discipline, and unfaltering faith. Can patents be featured/explained in a youtube video i.e. He must leave his country, his relatives, and his fathers house. First, the emphasis of Hebrews 11 is on faith. Personally I believe that there is some kind of missionary function being carried out by Abram. For some reason, Terah and his family stopped short of Canaan, and remained in Haran. But it seems in Genesis only the call to leave Haran is recorded. Three major promises are contained in verses 2 and 3: a land; a seed; and a blessing. 129 Cyrus Gordon has suggested that the true Ur of Genesis 11:31 is to be found in northern Mesopotamia, probably northeast of Haran. The form of the Angel of Jehovah, which was discernible by the senses, varied according to the purpose of the appearance; and, apart from Genesis 21:17 and Genesis 22:11, we have a sufficient proof that it was not a real angelic appearance, or the appearance of a created angel, in the fact that in two instances it was not really an angel at all, but a flame of fire and a shining cloud which formed the earthly substratum of the revelation of God in the Angel of Jehovah (Exodus 3:2; Exodus 14:19), unless indeed we are to regard natural phenomena as angels, without any scriptural warrant for doing so. That's why they, including Abe and his wife, settled in Haran: they settled there in order to allow their father to live out the rest of his very old life in peace and ease. Terah wanted to leave Ur because he was afraid a war would start. 137 Now we can understand why the Torah stressed, in all their detail, Abrams journeys on entering the land of Canaan, at first as far as Schechem, and subsequently up to Ai-Bethel. While what was to be left behind was crystal clear, what lay ahead was distressingly devoid of detail: to the land which I will show you.. vol. The writer to the Hebrews pointed to Abraham as an illustration of a man who walked by faith, devoting more space to him than any other individual in chapter eleven (Hebrews 11:8-19). (4) The Christian walk is rooted in the reliability of the Word of God. in 1971. The dispersion of the descendants of the sons of Noah, who had now grown into numerous families, was necessarily followed on the one hand by the rise of a variety of nations, differing in language, manners, and customs, and more and more estranged from one another; and on the other by the expansion of the germs of idolatry, contained in the different attitudes of these nations towards God, into the polytheistic religions of heathenism, in which the glory of the immortal God was changed into an image made like to mortal man, and to birds, and four-footed beasts, and creeping things (Romans 1:23 cf. Terah had himself been betrayed into compliance with this form of impiety. ------------------------------------------------------------. Our permanent home is not to be found in this world, but in the one that is to come, in the presence of our Lord (cf. In fact, there was a workshop in Terah's house, where idols of wood, stone, silver and gold were made. 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