Bible Study Topics

Abraham

Abraham is considered the father of three modern monotheistic religions including Judaism, Islam, and Christianity. God placed a special calling into the life of Abraham through a covenant, instructing him to establish a new nation, where God will bless the righteous generations of his people to follow. Abraham having lived in Ur, moved into the land of Canaan, waiting for the blessings of God in this inherited land for his promised future son.

God's Covenant with Abraham [95]

Abraham was instructed by God at the age of 75 that his wife Sarah would bear him a son that would inherent all of the blessings of the lord and fulfill the covenant of creating God's nation. Sarah was age 65 and had not become pregnant during normal child-bearing years creating a sense of frustration for Sarah. She decided to offer up her Egyptian servant Hagar to Abraham. Hagar would eventually become pregnant with Ishmael, Abraham's first son, establishing a biological heir and challenging God's promise. God was then faithful to his word and Sarah became pregnant, at the age of 90, with Abraham's second-born son Isaac. Isaac was the fulfillment of the promise of the lord after the span of 25 years had elapsed. Abraham was at the age of 100 years old.   

Isaac was the fulfillment of God's promise and was chosen to inherent the blessing of God's covenant regardless of the fact that he was second-born. Having a child inherit the blessing and property of his father was traditionally reserved for the first-born son, creating conflict regarding inheritance. As a result, Ishmael was sent away from Canaan to the land of Egypt, as Isaac took his place by his father's side. (Gen. 21:8-20)

Abraham Casting out Hagar and Ishmael [96]

God tests Abrahams faith by calling on him to sacrifice Isaac after all the pain and difficulty in conceaving this son with Sarah. Abraham is of course faithful to God's calling and before sacrificing Isaac, God calls on Abraham to substitute a ram in Isaac's place. A foreshadowing to Jesus being sacrificed, in an effort to safe humanity, from the original sin left in the world.

Judaism and Christianity follow the generational blood line of Isaac. Jesus' genetic lineage is described in the New Testament in the book of Matthew and Luke. His blood line can be traced back through the tribe of Judah, King David, Jacob, Isaac and Abraham. 

Jesus' Family Tree [97]

The followers of Islam believe in the generational blood line of Ishmael and the revelations of their prophet Muhammed. This difference between the generational bloodlines have resulted in conflict between the three monotheistic religions; related to which peoples are deserving of God's promised nation in the land that will eventually become known as Israel and the fulfillment of God's covenant. 

Christianity is the only grace based religion of the three, where Islam and Judaism is based on the works of their respective laws. 

Family Tree of Muhammad According to Islamic Tradition [98]

Abraham is pictured with various characteristics: a righteous man, with wholehearted commitment to God; a man of peace (in settling a boundary dispute with his nephew Lot), compassionate (he argues and bargains with God to spare the people of Sodom and Gomorrah), and hospitable (he welcomes three visiting angels); a quick-acting warrior (he rescues Lot and his family from a raiding party); and an unscrupulous liar to save his own skin (he passes off Sarah as his sister and lets her be picked by the Egyptian pharaoh for his harem). He appears as both a man of great spiritual depth and strength and a person with common human weaknesses and needs. [28] Abraham is a complicated man and is a representative of how God chooses regular people to perform exceptional works if they only have faith in his word. 

Sacrifice of Isaac, Caravaggio 1603 [99]

It is in Hebron where Abraham will purchase a plot of land for his burial site after the loss of his wife Sarah. Abraham is recorded as dying at the age of 175 years old, being buried alongside his wife. 

Tomb of Abraham in Hebron [100]