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Blessings of Abraham (Part 1 of 4) By William Miller Abraham came from "Rrr" of the Chaldees -- this is how my grandson likes to say it, but there is much more to learn about Abraham than from where he came.
r was Abram's native city in the country of Babylon, far southern Babylon, near where the two rivers become one before they enter the sea. Abram was told to go to Canaan. When Abram left Ur he went north, following the rivers toward their source. Haran, the city where his dad first set up a permanent campsite, was almost at the top of the Fertile Crescent. "Of the Chaldees" may have been a scribal gloss, according to Unger's Bible Dictionary, to better show readers of God's Word exactly from where Abram came. The first readers/hearers of God's Word did not know about Babylon in its glory days but rather after it had become Chaldean -- as it is today. In Acts 7:2, Stephen, as recorded by Luke, explains clearly that the Eternal spoke to Abram in Mesopotamia before he left for Canaan. The details of that meeting are not recorded, but the details of the message given him are: "Get out of your country and from your relatives, and come to a land that I will show you" (Acts 7:3). This command meant Abram would be asked to leave the country he knew well. It also meant that he would eventually leave his extended family. And down the road it would mean much more.
Continuing my thought that Terah had some sort of business, he moves north to Haran and finds enough success there to settle down. But Abram has been given a further goal -- Canaan -- and that semi-final objective never really leaves his mind. Leaving Ur to go to Haran with his father actually makes it easier for Abram to leave Haran later. Did God control Terah's life so that Abram could more easily accept his destiny? Probably. You must begin a journey before you can continue it. Another possible explanation is that when Abram was first called he didn't yet have the faith to say no or goodbye to a strong-willed father. Abram did not immediately fully obey God's command to, "Get out of your country and from your relatives..." (emphasis added). Genesis 11:31 does not say that Abram took Terah with him. It says, "Terah took his son Abram..." -- it seems that Terah was still in charge. So it seems that Abram may have had an overly subservient attitude toward his father and got sidetracked for a few years from going all the way to the destination that God had commanded. In Genesis 12:1, it says, "The LORD had said to Abram..." This may mean even though Terah may have been the initiator of the move out of Ur, Abram willingly went because of his earlier communication with the Eternal. In Genesis 11:31, it appears Terah had planned to go all the way to Canaan. But death (God?) stopped him. The Eternal's directive
Moving from Genesis 12 to Hebrews 11, we learn that Abram may not have known much about Canaan (Hebrews 11:8), but it didn't matter because he was already on a journey beyond the physical. Hebrews 11:10 indicates Abram would never be totally satisfied with the physical, although physical rewards were part of the Eternal's promises to him (and to us as well).
Living by faith, not by sight Hebrews 11:13 is therefore very encouraging! "All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance. And they admitted that they were aliens and strangers on earth" (New International Version). How can death be encouraging? In this way, we who are also heirs of salvation (Heb. 1:14) can expect no more and no less than the heroes of faith expected, foresaw, or received. None of them or us has received the reward yet. But we who are still alive must continue faithfully to our end. What more will God ask of us? What more did he ask of Abram? Much more, and there is much more of this story to be told. Look for more in the next issue of Virtual Christian Magazine. Copyright 2011 by United Church of God, an International Association All rights reserved. |
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Origin of article "Blessings of Abraham (Part 1 of 4)"
Keywords: Ur Abraham Canaan
Abraham: