Abraham

God called Abraham in Haran, commanding him to leave his country and his family house and go to a land he would show him. God promised to make Abraham a great nation and a blessing.

At 90 years old, God made a covenant, a promise with Abraham that He would multiply him greatly. According to Genesis 7:4, God would make Abraham a father of many nations. His name was then changed from ‘Abram’ to ‘Abraham’. God also made a covenant with Abraham’s descendants, and promised to give them the promised land, Canaan, the land flowing with honey and milk.

Isaac’s birth was part of God’s promise to Abraham coming true. Isaac later had a son named Jacob (also known as Israel), and a great nation came from Jacob.

God made a covenant with Abraham and his descendants that every male child was to be circumcised as a physical sign on the body. God also made it clear that every male child throughout Abraham’s generation, whether born in his house or slaves brought from foreigners, was to be circumcised once they were eight days old. For it was an everlasting covenant with Him. Every male who was uncircumcised had broken God’s covenant, and they were not His people.

Abraham being an obedient man, did as God told him. He took Ishmael, and other males in his household, including slaves that were bought, and they were circumcised that same day, just as God told him. According to the scripture, Abraham was 90 years old while his son Ishmael was 13 years old.

Sarah had lost all hope of having a child, she was too old to have children. Abraham had welcomed three strangers in his house; he gave them food and brought water to wash their feet. Unknown to Abraham, they were the Lord’s angels. They asked for his wife, and the angel of God told her she would give birth to a boy in a year time. She laughed when she heard this, she believed it was humanly impossible at her age. The angel said, ‘is anything too hard for the Lord? I will return to you at the appointed time next year, and Sarah will have a son.’

As God said, it came true that Sarah became pregnant. She gave birth to a boy and named him Isaac. ‘Sarah said, God has brought me laughter, and everyone who hears about this will laugh with me.’ Sarah was 90 years old while Abraham was 100 years old.

God wanted to test Abraham. He called him and told him to bring Isaac, his son whom he loved the most. Then go to the land of Moriah and offer him as burnt offering on a mountain that He would show him. As hard as that instruction was, Abraham did not disobey God. He took his son, and two of his servants and went to a mountain in Moriah. On getting there, Abraham told his servant to wait with the donkey while himself and Isaac went over one of the mountains and worshipped God. Abraham and Isaac set for the mountain bearing the woods, fire and knife for the burnt offering. Isaac asked his father for the lamb for the sacrifice and Abraham replied to him saying, ‘God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.’ When they got to a place God had shown them, Abraham built an altar, then tied Isaac up and laid him on the woods. As he was about to kill his son, an angel of God stopped him. The angel said Abraham feared God by not hesitating to sacrifice his favorite son to Him, so God provided a ram in place of Isaac. Abraham named that place, ‘The Lord Will Provide’. God blessed Abraham and his descendants, saying they would multiply like sands of the sea.