Chris Prater
February 24, 1998
The Story of Abraham
Genesis 11:27 - 25:11
Terah took Abram, his son, Lot, his grandson, and Sarai, Abram's wife out of the city Ur. They were supposed to go to the land of Canaan, but they settled in Haran. Terah died, there, in Haran. The Lord spo changed his name to Abraham, and his wife's name to Sarah. He said Sarah will bear a son for him, even though she was very old. The son's name would be Isaac. The sign of the covenant would be that all males would be circumcised, when he is eight days old. Then, all of the males were circumcised, including Ishmael, who was thirteen, and Abraham, who was 99 years old.
Abram lead the people into Egypt. There was a great famine in the land at that time. Abram told Sarai to pretend that she was his sister, because the Egyptians would kill him for Sarai's beauty. When they entered Egypt, Sarai was taken into the palace of the pharaoh, and he married her. Then, the Lord struck the palace with plagues. The pharaoh sent for Abram to question him about why he let him do this. Pharaoh then sent Abram and his people on their way. On their way out of Egypt, Abram and Lot split up because of quarrels among the people. Lot headed east and settled near Sodom. Sodom had many wicked people at the time. Abram stayed in Canaan. The Lord once again reminded Abram that he will give him descendants and much land for them.
The kings of Shinar, Ellasar, Elam, and Goiim united and took over many lands. Five other kings, including the king of Sodom, marched out to defend their lands against the four kings, but they failed. the kings raided the cities, including Sodom and took Lot as a prisoner. When Abram heard the news, he gathered up over 300 people and marched out to save Lot. They defeated them, and Lot was saved. Then they marched back. Melchizedek, the king of Salem, met up with Abram brought him bread and wine, and blessed him. The king of Sodom, who also met up with Abram, offered a great deal of money and possessions, but he refused.
Sometime after these events, Abram had a vision that the Lord was speaking to him. The Lord promised that Abram's reward would be great, but Abram said the reward would be worthless, because he had no offspring. Then the Lord assured him, once again. The Lord told him his descendants would become slaves in a foreign land for 400 years, but He will save them. He told Abram to count the stars, and that would be the number of his descendants.
Sarai, who was now physically incapable of bearing a child, told Abram to have a son through her maid, Hagar. Abraham, seeing no other way, agreed, and Hagar became pregnant by Abram. Sarai and Hagar started to fight constantly, and Sarai began to abuse her, so Hagar ran away. The Lord's messenger found Hagar and told her to return. He told her that she, too will have many descendants, through her son, whom she shall name, Ishmael. Hagar obeyed and returned, and bore Abram a son, whose name was Ishmael. Abram was 86 years old when Ishmael was born.
When Abram was 99 years old, the Lord spoke to him once more. The Lord said, "Between you and Me I will establish my covenant, and I will multiply you exceedingly. "My covenant is this: you are to become the father of a host of nations."
Three men came to visit Abraham, one being God, himself. They ate and drank, and the Lord said that Sarah would bear a son in one year. Sarah, overhearing this, laughed to herself, for she did not believe. Then, the men left for Sodom. The Lord told Abraham that He was going to destroy the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah because of their sins. Abraham tried to plead with Him not to destroy them, if the Lord found ten innocent people. The Lord agreed.
The two angels met Lot in Sodom, and he invited them in. They had dinner with Lot, and soon the townsmen surrounded the house, demanding to see the visitors. Lot refused, but then one of the men came out, and struck the men with a blinding light. The angels sent Lot and his family out of the city before it was destroyed. They were told not to look back. Lot and his family ran away, and God destroyed the two cities, since there were not ten innocent people. Lot's wife looked back, and was turned into a pillar of salt.
Lot and his two daughters settled in a cave. His two daughters came up with a plan that would get them pregnant. So, one night, they got Lot drunk and the older one had sex with him, and Lot was so drunk that he did not notice this. The next night, the younger had sex with him while he was drunk. They became pregnant, and the two sons, Moab and Ammon, would become the ancestors of the Moabites and the Ammonites.
While Abraham was in the city of Gerar, he once again told everyone that Sarah was his sister. The king of Gerar, Ambimelech, took her in as his wife. God came to Ambimelech in a dream one night, and told him he would die, for Sarah already had a husband. Ambimelech argued back, because he was told that Sarah was Abraham's sister. So then God said his life would be spared if he took Sarah back the next day. Ambimelech obeyed, and then went to talk to Abraham. Ambimelech was furious that Abraham got him in that situation. Realizing what God would do to him, Ambimelech gave Abraham many slaves and sheep, and sent him off.
Sarah became pregnant, as God said, and had a son, whom Abraham called Isaac. When Isaac was eight days old, Abraham circumcised him. Abraham was 100 years old at the birth of Isaac. Years later, Sarah noticed that Ishmael and Isaac were playing, and she grew angry. She thought that since Ishmael was the oldest, he would want to take Isaac's place. Sarah told Abraham to send Hagar and Ishmael away. Abraham did not know what to do, but God came to him and said to listen to Sarah. The next morning, Abraham gave Hagar bread and water, and he sent her off with Ishmael. After traveling through the desert, the two ran out of water and grew very fatigue. God's messenger came and said that God will watch over Ishmael, and would make of him a great nation. God was with the boy as he grew up.
God came to Abraham one night and told him to take Isaac to the land of Moriah, and sacrifice him. Abraham was confused; He wondered why God would take away the son that God gave to him. Early the next morning, Abraham set off with Isaac and two servants. When the place of sacrifice was in view, the servants waited while Abraham and Isaac went up the mountain. On the way there, Isaac said, "Father, here are the fire and the wood, but where is the sheep?" Abraham answered, "God will provide the sheep." When they reached the place, Abraham built an alter, and tied Isaac down to it. When Abraham reached for his knife, the Lord's messenger came and said, "Do not lay your hand on the boy." God then knew how devoted Abraham was to Him. Abraham untied Isaac, and found a ram for the sacrifice. Then they went down toward the servants and went homke to Abram for the first time in Haran. The Lord told him to leave Haran and go to place that He would show him. He also said, "I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you." Abram left Haran with Sarai, Lot and many other people. Abram was 75 years old when they left. When they came to the land of Canaan, the Lord once again spoke to Abram, saying, "To your descendants I will give this land."
Sarah died when she was 127 years old, and Abraham bought some land for her burial. Isaac married a beautiful woman named Rebekah. Abraham died when he was 175 years old. God had blessed him in every way.