Judaism, Christianity and Islam all honor Abraham as their patriarch of faith. Abraham’s obedience to God’s call to sacrifice his son Isaac is seen by many as foreshadowing Jesus’s suffering on the cross.
Beginning the story, Abram was summoned by God and instructed to leave his home and travel towards a destination He would show him. Unfortunately, both Abram and Sarah couldn’t understand how such an adventure could possibly occur.
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Abraham was born in Ur of the Chaldees
The Bible recounts Abraham’s calling as a father of many nations in Genesis 12:1-3, when God instructed him to leave Ur of the Chaldeans and move to a land He would show him. This event marks an important turning point in Abraham’s life as it marked a journey that changed history forever and gave birth to new nations – faith was key for Abraham as he believed God and trusted in His plan.
Ur kadim (the place where Abraham was born) is mentioned four times in Genesis 11 and 31 as well as 15 and 7 and Nehemiah 9:7 of the Old Testament Bible. Modern scholarship identifies it with Tell el-Muqayyar in southern Iraq on the assumption that Bible translations such as Septuagint and some modern English versions use “moledet” (which translates as birthplace) more specifically than Pentateuchal versions such as Septuagint and others do).
Abraham’s family are thought to have relocated from Ur-Kadim to Haran before moving on to Canaan. According to scripture, their move occurred during a famine in Egypt; therefore their goal would likely have been to escape Pharaoh and his priests’ influence as quickly as possible; hence an approach towards Canaan which does not require too many circuitous detours would likely have been preferred.
Jewish scholarship also supports a location of Abraham and Sarah in southern Mesopotamia. The Talmud quotes Eusebius’ Preparation for the Gospel which quotes an ancient author named Alexander Polyhistor (1st Century BCE), who in turn quotes 2nd Century BCE historian Eupolemus’ work Concerning the Jews of Assyria (2nd Century BCE). Additional support of a southern Mesopotamian setting comes from Acts 7 where Stephen mentioned Abraham coming from “land of Chaldeans” (Acts 7:4) indicating support.
He was 75 years old when God called him
God called Abraham out of his comfort zone when He asked him to go a strange land and trust in Him without question. This test of his faith was difficult for Abraham but he ultimately passed it with flying colors.
God called Abraham out of his home at 75, although it seemed unlikely given he and Sarah hadn’t had children since Ishmael was born with Hagar’s help a decade earlier. Yet He promised a great reward if only they could bear children!
Abraham would likely not be able to have children at his advanced age due to the short lifespans and fertility decline after Babel. Additionally, mutations and genetic drift were both contributing to declining lifespans and fertility levels after flooding had devastated civilizations across the globe.
Sarah had already gone through menopause as stated in Genesis 18:12.
Even though Sarah was barren, God still fulfilled His promise by rejuvenating both her womb and body so she was able to conceive Isaac and carry him to term. Additionally, Abraham received help in fathering other nations God had promised him.
Even in their doubts, Abraham and Sarah still trusted what God had told them was true and obeyed Him without question. Their faith was rewarded when He changed Abram to Abraham and Sarai to Sarah before giving them Canaan as land to inhabit. Abraham obeyed through faith; Hebrews records this fact as evidence of righteousness for him – this serves as an important lesson to all of us that when we trust in God He can accomplish incredible feats for us while when we don’t, disappointment awaits.
He was 86 years old when God gave him a son
God promised Abraham in the Bible that his offspring would outnumber both stars and sand, an astounding promise which He fulfilled over 1000 years later through Jesus Christ. While Abraham didn’t understand how this could happen, he kept trusting in the Lord every day despite not understanding how. Mary responded similarly when Gabriel announced she would become pregnant with Jesus (Luke 1:26-38).
God reiterated and extended His promise to Abraham in Genesis 15. He assured him that Sarah would give birth to a child by Abraham, which would produce nations and kings, blessing the entire world through their offspring – making this everlasting covenant possible.
God promised this promise to Abram due to his unwavering faith and obedience. Abram was a man of deep faith; his struggle in obeying God’s call brought personal growth as it deepened his trust in the Lord.
God showed his immense faithfulness by providing Abraham with Isaac. Although Isaac was born at an extremely old age and through a woman who was barren, His grace overcame all obstacles, fulfilling God’s promise even during a difficult situation.
At 86 years old, Abraham became a father for the first time and must have felt overwhelmed with faith; yet God knew that Abraham could face this challenge with grace.
Bible records tell us that God granted Abraham this son at an unlikely age as a result of Abraham’s faith, saying “Abraham believed the Lord, and it was counted to him as righteousness”. This amazing promise stands as proof that believing in God can do incredible things if only we believe in Him! Furthermore, it’s important to keep in mind that He doesn’t pick us because of any special qualities, talents or actions but because He wants to carry out His plan for our world.
He was 89 years old when God gave him the land of Canaan
Abraham was an extraordinary example of faith and obedience, answering God’s call to leave Ur and head towards a land He would show him without questioning or hesitation. Eventually he received a covenant that his descendants would number as many stars or sand grains – even when Sarah died childless with no children of their own! Regardless, Abraham believed God would fulfill His promise.
Abram began his journey by traveling south with a caravan of people and livestock, which could take anywhere from one to three years by foot. On this arduous trek he was forced to learn how to trust God to provide for himself and his flocks; during this period God communicated to Abram about covenantal promises He had made to him.
Abram arrived at Shechem and built an altar to worship God; upon leaving he continued on to Bethel where he built another altar to make promises of blessing Abraham with an abundance of land and seed such that it outnumbered stars in the sky or ocean waves. Here the Lord appeared again to Abraham reaffirming this promise that his seed would outnumber stars or sea waves!
After this incident, God instructed Abram to offer sacrifice at his spot where he stood and promised he would receive His blessing in return. Additionally, He gave Abram a new name and purpose – Abraham meaning father of many nations!
Abram had become a wealthy man with servants and herds of livestock at his disposal, having fathered a son through Hagar 13 years prior to Sarah. Thinking that perhaps his time with Sarah may soon be over, Abram decided to make one final attempt at having children with Sarah before giving up hope of ever having any more offspring himself.
As soon as he reached the location where he intended to offer his sacrifice, an angel of the Lord intervened and stopped him, explaining that the ram he intended to slaughter was actually God’s Lamb who would pay the ultimate price for all mankind’s sins.
