For the sake of God, Abraham was prepared to sabotage his inheritance. God will now bless these descendants. They will be fruitful, successful against their enemies, and a source of admiration and emulation from the nations of the world. This will be discussed again in more detail on the chapter about the Binding of Isaac. . Nevertheless, the concept that the deeds of the forefathers are a portend to their children. is philosophically a very difficult one. Does this mean that the Abraham, Isaac and Jacob stories are not authentic stories, but more in the way of symbolic accounts about fictitious people? This is difficult to fit into the Bibles narrative, which repeatedly describes the forefathers as real historical figures. More likely is that Gods intentions for Abraham and Abrahams desire to fulfill Gods will were so completely, that in effect the Biblical stories became expressions of Gods will. The goal of his life was to have a place in what GodContinue, 2023 Created by FAITH. God through Abraham will redeem a people for Himself. Lead us to our job.E. VI. The full implications of the Abraham story are now coming together. Why were Abraham and Sarah told to leave Haran in their old age? Clearly, no age is too late to confront spiritual challenges. Prior to God communicating with him at age 75, Abraham may well have concluded that he had led a meaningful life and little remained for him to accomplish. If he had thought this he was mistaken. The most consequential aspects of his life were yet to come. He was in a faithful and long-lasting marriage with Sarah; he was very rich in livestock, in silver and in gold (Genesis 13:2); through faith, he was given more children than he could have imagined; he lived a long life, free from sicknesses, and had a solid relationship with God. As I signed the And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the beasts and the elders: and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands;Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing. KJV This Blog is written in accordance with 2 Timothy 4:2-3 KJV and 1 Corinthians 5:12-13 KJV Note: I love Israel and the Jews. This is a sure promise but Abraham does not see it in his life time. By contrast, the borders in the previous blessing are geo-political borders. Israel can expand beyond its core territory whenever there is national consensus, and eventually its power and influence will extend from Egypt to Mesopotamia. This is not a directive but permission to do so, and God through His aspect of YKVK will help them achieve this. In fact, the Israelites already began establishing these greater borders early in their history by capturing the east bank of the Jordan at the time of Moses. Considerable expansion of territory was also achieved in the time of King David. 0000002567 00000 n A seat on Christ's throne (see . We do this by letting the Holy Spirit Proverbs 3:5 Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. 27. Ai was the second place attacked by the Israelites after the destruction of Jericho.. England. This is applied creative abilit You shall be the father of many nations : This speaks of CREATIVE ABILITY. . But this so-called duplication can be readily explained. In the first instance, the communication was to Abraham alone and was via Elokim. This is because Isaacs birth has universal implications. Now husband and wife are informed as a couple by the angels of YKVK about this future pregnancy. This communication has personal and tribal implications, but not a universal one, and is part of the two YKVK and Elokim stories winding their way through the book of Genesis. what are the 7 blessings of abraham is the question of many christians in the world today. The 7 blessings of Abraham are the gracious heavenly gift that Abraham received as part of Gods plan to create a new nation on earth. Through you, all the nations of the earth refer to the Galatians Scripture. Please check your browser settings or contact your system administrator. III. 25. These are their religious/international borders, and these are the borders that like a magnet will pull the Jewish people whenever they are in exile. God's seven blessing to Abraham God's masterplan for a utopian society - righteousness, justice, and the way of God "Possessing" the land for the burial of Sarah Isaac and Ishmael - a story yet incomplete The moral and religious conflict between Judaism and Islam THE BINDING OF ISAAC-THE NON-EVENT THAT CHANGED THE WORLD Abraham. . It could be a directive or even a summary of the blessings preceding it, although this is not how most commentators understand it. Nachmanides suggests that Abraham will become the standard by which blessings are bestowed upon others. Circumcision is also performed on the 8th day after birth.48 The number 8 in the Bible has the connotation of being one level above the holy. This is because the act of circumcision binds the Jew in the strongest way possible to a holy purpose. The blessing of Abraham was a benefit to Abraham himself. 12.Midrash Raba 39:11. Examples given by the midrash are a person who wanted to buy a cow from Abraham would be blessed even before the value of the cow had been assessed. Abraham would pray for a barren woman and the woman would conceive. However, there are other suggestions from the commentators. Rashi for example, following a midrash, suggests that Abraham will have the power of blessing in his hands. Jesus is our High Priest under the order ofMelchizedeksits on the blood sprinkled mercy seat. )is a keyword in this passage, being repeated ten times. Accordingly, it defines the theme of this paragraph which is about a covenant between Elokim and Abraham. The number 10 may signify the ten generations between Noah and Abraham, since Noah also participated in a covenant with Elokim. On the horns of the brazen altar (Leviticus 16:18). Copyright 2003-2023 | Outreach, Inc., All rights reserved. The blessing given to Adam and Eve was contaminated by Satan's deception and now again reactivated to Abraham who would become the father of Jews and Gentiles in Christ. Leader: Come, all who long for salvation! Post Reply His walking is not optional but a command, since his ownership needs to be demonstrated. This is why Abraham was, and will continue to be, highly selective in where he goes. Joshua was well aware of these two promises. He entered Canaan with the explicit purpose of capturing the land of Canaan and distributing it to the twelve tribes. 4. Abraham's 7-Fold Blessing Obedience turns into Promises: 1. God will equip us with strength that comes from that which every joint supplies in the community of believers we call the Body of Christ. He wants you to be the blessing, and consequently, your whole life will be blessed. Gen 12:1-7. Just another site In this passage ( Gen. 12:2-3 ), God spoke about two types . The call of Abram (later to be called Abraham) in Genesis Ch. If this is so, then the Jewish people are being marked for a priestly function to the nations of the world. The Bible will be more explicit about this in the Book of Exodus by calling on the Israelites to become a nation of priests. From whence will these offspring come? It will take much drama before this tension is resolved. III. Let us boldly come before the throne of God through our Redeemer Jesus Christ and boldly, by faith receive these blessings in carrying out our roles as God's High Priests. (1) I will make you a great nation (2) I will bless you (3) I will make you name great (4) You will be a blessing (5) I will bless those who bless you (6) I will curse those who curse you (7) In you all the families of the earth shall be blessed. #7foldblessingsofabraham #propheticalconvention #rev.danielmosesSPECIAL PROPHETICAL CONVENTION 2021 || 7 FOLD BLESSINGS OF ABRAHAM || REV. Tweet I am a born-again Christian who truly believes the Jews are God's chosen people and abhor replacement theology. When leaving Haran, Abraham would have needed to know the general direction in which he was heading, and in fact the Bible tells us this was indeed the case. Lead us to our church.C. Abraham has been promised the land and has begun to transverse his property but when can he truly take possession? Moreover, despite the promise that he will have descendants, Abraham still does not know how this will come about. Abraham and Sarah are infertile and Sarah is past the age of having children. Abraham had assumed that his descendants would come through Lot, or now his next-in-line heir, Eliezer, his servant. , 30.This is just one of several interpretations of this phrase but it seems to be the most literal with respect to the text. Midrashic explanations, and this is the direction followed by Rashi, suggest that he was worried that he had already received reward for his righteousness. This means that he could expect no further Divine assistance and would be punished for the lives he had taken or would receive no further assistance from God if there were a reprisal attack. Nachmanides suggests he might die without children. for, The just shall live by faith. This article explains its biblical meaning and how you can freely receive it. Scripture tells us that the blessing Abraham received from God is for you too. Blessing number six of Abraham Genesis 12:3 And I will bless them that bless thee, Scriptures: The seven blessings are adapted from ancient rabbinic teachings, beginning with the blessing over the wine and ending with a communal expression of joy. Nevertheless, the issue is a difficult one. The land of Canaan is the territory in which Canaan, the grandson of Noah, and his descendants lived. Zidon was in the north and encompassed a large area in Lebanon, and Gerar was its southern border. This city is close to Gaza, but further inland and somewhat to the south of Gaza. However, in contrast to the covenant with Noah, this particular covenant is not a unilateral one, in that Abraham is expected to be a direct participant by fulfilling the directive of circumcision. (LogOut/ Nachmanides commentary to the Torah on Genesis 12:2. A covenant is an agreement between two people that involves promises on the part of each to the other. It would seem to have this meaning, for example, in the following passage from the book of Ruth: In this passage, Naomi recognizes that God dispenses the ability to have children but can also take it away. 12 marks the beginning of God's preparation for a people - His people. "Growing in God's Grace" Adult Sunday School Today at 11:00 am. Rev (Dr.) Richard Udoh is the senior pastor of The Father's house Ministry, a fast growing gospel church. The blessing of Abraham begin in 1 2 Next The Seven Blessings of Abraham! A convert to Judaism is called a child of Abraham. Islam and Christianity also consider themselves spiritual heirs to Abrahams legacy. The Koran establishes its Abrahamic lineage through Ishmael. Christianity views Abraham as an important exemplar of faith and a spiritual and possibly a physical ancestor of Jesus. It was mainly so Jesus could be brought forth: http://www.bread4life.eu/gospel/the-blessing-to-abraham/, www.bread4life.eu/gospel/the-blessing-to-abraham/, 52-week preaching calendar to help you plan your sermons, Customizable sermon manuscripts for verse-by-verse preaching, Preach with creativity and impact throughout the year, [NEW YEAR] 4-Week Series to kick off 2023, [PRODUCTIVITY] Fulfill your full potential, [FOUNDATIONS] Getting back to what matters most. 3. 13 Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree: 14 That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith. This promised land is described later in Genesis. and then continues his journeying southward. At this time there is a famine in the land and Abraham elects to go southwards to Egypt. In Egypt, his wife narrowly escapes having relationships with the Pharaoh when she is forcibly taken into his harem.. In terms of the ancient world, he was a success: he was well-respected, he was healthy, and he had many descendants. A crown of life. Take the Gospel to the world.C. When Abram was ninety-nine years old, YKVK appeared to Abram, and said to him: I am El Shedai, walk before me and be perfect. We do not join it. The Seven-fold Promise of God April 11, 2012 God's promise to Abram when he was still in Ur of the Chaldeesbefore he left his homeland, his family, his comfort zone and traveled to Canaan by way of Haran: * The L ORD would make him a great nationIsrael and the Jews are that great nation. And I will bring you to the land which I swore to give to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; and I will give it to you for a possession: I am the LORD.. This will in fact be Abrahams very next question when he speaks again to YKVK. When can I begin establishing my property rights? 0000020385 00000 n At one time, it was the largest city in the ancient world. It also was on the coast and therefore a port; but the coastline has since moved further into the ocean and the ruins of Ur are now inland. The Chaldeans of Ur of the Chaldeans are a Semitic tribe who invaded Ur at the end of the 7th century BCE. , Another promise of God is that you [Abraham] shall be the father of a multitude of nations (Genesis 17:4) , Who are these nations? The answer is by no means clear from the text. Many commentators assume they are to be the descendants of Isaac and that the Bible is talking exclusively about the Jewish people.43 However,these nations could also be the nations that Abraham will father. He has already fathered Ishmael. The reader will learn shortly that he is to father Isaac. When Sarah dies, Abraham will father children from a second wife Katurah. These and the offspring of Ishmael will leave Canaan to go southwards into the Arabian Peninsula. The offspring of Isaac will remain in Canaan, but a branch of this family will go eastwards to form the nation of Edom. Galatians 3:9-13, Galatians 3:13. (Joshua 1:-6) , The sixth blessing is connected to the fifth blessing by its thematic content. Nevertheless, in the Torah scroll it is separated from the previous blessing by a paragraph gap and should therefore be considered a separate blessing., At long last, Abraham is told by Elokim that he will have a son through Sarah and she also will give rise to nations and kings.