We're grafted into the seed of Abraham through Jesus Christ. and what he does when he reaches his destinations. When he was younger, the family had already attempted to leave for Canaan from Ur but had not completed the journey. of the land as well as the power and authority over the family. 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. A seat on Christ's throne (see . The blessing of Abraham is three-fold. below the signature of Queen Elizabeth the Queen of England. A man of importance in the world he lived in. It can be found in Genesis 12:1-3, where God promises to bless Abraham and all of his descendants. You shall be a blessing 5. Judaism is often regarded by its followers as a religion only for self-improvement and for achieving the World to Come. This is indeed the case but it has another function too. Through his ideas, the example he projects, and his dealings with others, Abraham is to be the means of bringing spiritual benefit to the rest of mankind and thus the means by which God can bestow His loving kindness and bounty on all of humanity. Jesus is our High Priest under the order ofMelchizedeksits on the blood sprinkled mercy seat. Accordingly its meaning is - there is sufficiency within Me for every creature and I have the wherewithal to care for you.37. A different explanation is provided by Cassuto who proposes that this name is used in the Bible within the context of fertility.38 It would seem to have this meaning, for example, in the following passage from the book of Ruth: Do not call me Naomi (pleasant one), call me Mara (embittered one), for Shakai has dealt very bitterly with me. I was full when I went away, but YKVK has brought me back empty. Why should you call me Naomi; YKVK has testified against me, and Shakai has brought misfortune upon me. Rashi, on the basis of Bereishis Rabba 39:1 and Sanhedrin 99b comments on the phrase , 18. Understanding Our Seven-fold Qualification For Ser You dear Saint are an Ambassador appointed to be a Why does Jesus require "experimental belief". Out of this great nation will be people who will be called the people of God. 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. As our Lord, He requires us to be generous, to give to others, to help widows and orphans, support ministries, etc. D. He will do more than we can think or ask. The major Bible texts of the three promises. Its official, Chrislam has now been codified and ratified, with the approval at the 7th Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions , of the Human Fraternity document created by Pope Francis of the Vatican, and financed and promoted by Mohamed bin Zayed of the UAE. When Lot was captured, 318 men trained soldiers fought the 4 kings The priests of Egypt may also have practiced circumcision. Psalm 41 Blessing #1: God wants to deliver you, even in times of trouble. The background of the blessing of Abraham is really found in the OT in the book of Genesis chapter 14. We were asked to sign the book of special guests. Original post 6/4/2018 These things speak,and exhort, and rebuke with all authority. These blessings we call the sevenfold redemptive package.Notice they are still seven.This is the third time in the bible,God blesses his people with sevenfold blessings.The number seven is highly significant in the bible.The blessings of Abraham are made a reality for believers throughout the world by the cross.All the seven blessings God gave Abraham are made a reality through the sevenfold redemptive package described above. We've already studied how this promise has shaped the Jewish people and the promises included in the covenant that guaranteed them countless descendants and the special Holy Land. Conclusion. Hidden manna, the white stone, and a new name. Bereishis, p84, OU Press). , 29. . There are Jewish commentators who view circumcision in terms of self-improvement. For example, a person will see his circumcision and remember that his sexual organ can be used for both good and evil. , Abrahams siring in his old age is fully elaborated in the Torah and there must be messages here. One is that these tribes have a place in the Near East just as do the offspring of Isaac. Another may be that these nations were once raised in the household of Abraham and would have picked up religious sparks from their upbringing. Some time in the future, they will seek their true roots and by embracing his ideas will once again become part of the extended Abrahamic family. The commonalty of nations rather than their differences also flows from the story of Noah and his forming the common ancestry of man.. He was no saint nor was he perfect. Through Abraham the whole world was blessed because Jesus is a descendant of Abraham. One is that the Bible was redacted during a later period of history and the name Ur of the Chaldeans is an anachronism. This would also date the redaction of the Pentateuch to sometime from the 7th century BCE onwards. Against this it could be argued that the redactors of the Bible must surely have know that the Chaldeans were in Ur for a limited period and they were introducing a very obvious anachronism into the Biblical text with no good reason for doing so. Alternatively, the name Chaldeans could have been a later edition to an earlier written text, although again it is unclear what this addition was adding, since it is likely that Ur was sufficiently well known that it did not require this type of identification. The third possibility, and this is the suggestion favored by this author, is that the Bible was written shortly after the Exodus as the Bible describes and Ur Kasdim is not the ancient southern Mesopotamian city of Ur. This is, in fact, the position of many Jewish commentators. The Talmud, Maimonides, Josephus and the Book of Jubilees, for example, all describe locations in Assyria and south-east Anatolia for Ur of the Chaldeans. The Book of Jubilees writes that: Ur son of Keed built the city of Ara of the Chaldees, and called its name after his own name and the name of his father"(Jubilees 11:3). The blessing of Abraham is misunderstood by many Christians and church leaders. Notice the seven blessings again 1) I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians 2)I will deliver you from their bondage 3)I will also redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great judgments 4)I will take you for My people 5) I will be your God 6)I will bring you to the land which I swore to give to Abraham 7)I will give it to you for a possession. These blessings we call the sevenfold redemptive package.Notice they are still seven.This is the third time in the bible,God blesses his people with sevenfold blessings.The number seven is highly significant in the bible.The blessings of Abraham are made a reality for believers throughout the world by the cross.All the seven blessings God gave This chapter begins with a man by the name of Abram who was living in Ur of the Chaldeans a rocky and an unfruitful place. The 7-Fold Promise in the Abrahamic Covenant - Albert Finch Ministry You shall be the father of many nations : This speaks of CREATIVE ABILITY. , 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. B. 0000025195 00000 n God wants us to be a blessing to all people. Yet there is an additional layer of prophecy contained within the Abraham stories. Everything that Abraham did will have significance in terms of later Jewish history - his travels and religious acts in the land of Canaan, and even his and his wifes laughter on learning about Sarahs future pregnancy. The Egyptian Exodus and Canaanite conquest - facts or fiction? that God will show him. But in what direction is he to go? Nachmanides suggest that Abraham wandered from place to place to find the land chosen for him, but this is a difficult explanation. This promised land is described later in Genesis. Abraham falls on his face in subjugation, and laughs to himself in wonderment (although not in disbelief). Sarah is well passed the age of giving birth to children. Abraham suggests that Ishmael be chosen instead - to which Elokim replies: Indeed Sarah your wife shall bear you a son;and you shall call his name Isaac;and I will establish My covenant with him for an everlasting covenant for his offspring after him. As for Ishmael, I have heard you;behold, I have blessed him, and I will make him fruitful, and I will multiply him exceedingly;he will beget twelve princes, and I will make him into a great nation. But My covenant I will establish with Isaac, whom Sarah will bear to you at this set time the next year. ' He only owned a small parcel of land where he buries Sarah. I will bless you 3. (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. Most of your teaching is rock solid. This would be one explanation for the 400-year delay. MySpace Facebook, John 8:39 - "They answered and said to Him, 'Abraham is our father.' Before we explore these powerful provisions, it is important for you to understand what a covenant is and the terms upon which your inheritance is based. Through Isaac the twins are born D. He will do more than we can think or ask. It is also available for us today. The seven blessings with their accompanying stories concern themselves in the main with matters of faith and history. But what of the values that Abraham practiced? These will be the subject matter of the next essay. By virtue of the covenant between God and Abraham (Genesis 15:1-21), Isaac his son had the mandate to pronounce God's blessings upon his firstborn Esau. See my study: Why Satan hates "only begotten" in John 3:16 KJV. 11 34 The 7 Blessings Of Abraham Abraham was a man who just wanted one son, but of whom God made the father of a great nation. , The land of Canaan was given to Abraham and yet was occupied by other people. Today also Israel has sovereignty over much of Judea and Samaria, but another people occupy the land., The Zionist venture has always required a considerable amount of trust. To think that a people could arise from near annihilation and establish a vibrant state was never an entirely logical proposition. Even today more missiles are aimed at Israel from its borders than anywhere else in the world. Its external problems seem formidable and even insoluble. Yet the message of the Abraham stories is that God, working through history, will resolve these problems provided the Jewish people maintain their trust in Him.. Elokim is forging a special relationship with Abraham and his descendants by promising to be a God to them.41 At first glance these two sentences seem similar to each other, but they do in fact express very different ideas. In the last but one sentence, Elokim promises to be a God to Abraham and his seed forever and this would include periods of exile. In the last sentence, He also promises to be their eternal God but in the land of Canaan.42 In essence, He asserts that He will be their God throughout the entirety of Jewish history. I will bless those who bless you and curse those who curse you. God blessed Abraham financially so that Abraham could be a blessing. 0000031703 00000 n . Lead us in our calling.We do this by letting the Holy Spirit Proverbs 3:5 Trust in the LORD with all And He finished speaking with Him, and Elokim ascended from upon Abraham. (Genesis 17:19-22), Bible critics have noted that the couple are told twice about Sarahs impending pregnancy, once here and again in the very next section. There, Abraham and Sarah are informed by one of the three angels of YKVK that in a years time Sarah will have a son. Sara is listening through the tent wall and the intent is clearly that she should hear this news. This suggests to these scholars that two different textual sources exist regarding Sarahs pregnancy. He knows what we have need of before we know ourselves.C. The following is a list of the seven promises made by Elokim in the order in which they appear in the text: These seven promises are written in a crescendo form, building up to the last two promises which form the apex of the crescendo. The basis of this covenant is for Elokim , Elokim is forging a special relationship with Abraham and his descendants by promising to be a God to them. The blessing of Abraham begin in 1 2 Next The Seven Blessings of Abraham! 4. Nevertheless, the issue is a difficult one. I will curse those that curse you 7. 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. . 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. 14. From this point on, trust in God will become a foundational aspect of the lives of the Biblical forefathers, and will in turn become the model for the Jewish peoples relationship with God. Rashi to Genesis 17:1 as explained by Beer Yitzchak. This is also the explanation of Rav Saadia Gaon. Rabbi Joseph Solveitchik takes a different approach and explains that Gods creation is not fully complete, but God will partner with Abraham and they will both be creators (Chumash with commentary based on the teachings of Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik. 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 promise to Abraham establishes him and his descendants as conduits of God's blessing for the whole world. We rejoice because God has made our names great because of Jesus. in the Middle Bronze Age II period. In other words, there is a discrepancy of about 1,200 years between the Biblical and historical Ur. How then is it possible for Abraham to have left a Chaldean Ur? Three possibilities have been suggested by scholars. 4:21-24. "I will give to you and to your posterity after you, the land": This speaks of OWNERSHIP,WEALTH. There are Jewish commentators who see the Egyptian bondage as a form of punishment that was passed on to Abrahams seed, but this is far from being explicit in the text and seems unlikely. , 17. Especially note how God understands our complete inadequacy to fill the role, but, through His son Jesus Christ, we are in fact worthy to receive the seven-fold blessing of Abraham. I will make you a great nation; I will bless you and make your name great; and you shall be a blessing. LF3 d\++T1Y'{\:X5Y0mWi` `W4~\'vt)~\e^4 L endstream endobj 19 0 obj [/ICCBased 37 0 R] endobj 20 0 obj <> endobj 21 0 obj <>stream , 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. IV. | 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. thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that On the horns of the brazen altar (Leviticus 16:18). GALATIANS 3:14 - THAT THE BLESSING OF ABRAHAM MIGHT COME ON THE GENTILES THROUGH JESUS CHRIST; THAT WE MIGHT RECEIVE THE PROMISE OF THE SPIRIT THROUGH FAITH. Titus 2: 15 . 0000017269 00000 n It would seem from the book of Joshua that the Israelites came to Shechem early in their military campaign soon after capturing Ai and were able to reach it with impunity (Joshua 8:30-35) Strangely, perhaps, the book of Joshua makes no mention of Shechem being captured. The king of Shechem did not participate in any of the alliances against the Israelites and his name is not listed among the 31 kings defeated by Joshuas forces (Joshua:12). Whether the city was unoccupied or whether the king cooperated with the Israelites or perhaps stayed neutral is not mentioned. Shechem is mentioned in the Armana letters written in about 1350 BCE, and these include letters from the king of Shechem to the Pharaoh of Egypt. Shechem was then clearly still a Canaanite city. Interestingly, these letters from the king of Shechem mention rebelling Habiru in the countryside, and another letter mentions that he had recruited Habiru as mercenaries. The identity of these Habiru is a controversial topic. Those scholars who argue for a 12th century Exodus obviously do not accept the Habiru as having any relevance to the Israelites. However, those who accept a much earlier Exodus do see a possible connection and it is very possible that the Habiru were Israelites. The Armana letters do mention a close relationship between the king of Shechem and the Habiru and it is possible that rather than fight them the king of Shechem entered into some sort of alliance with the Israelites, or more likely he had a non-interference policy with respect to Israelites visiting and settling in the vicinity of his city. In a way, the Arnana letters and the vagueness of the Book of Joshua regarding the status of Shechem complement each other and suggest that the situation vis-a-vis Shechem was not the same as for other Canaanite cities - although this may not have been a fact that the Israelites wished to record for posterity. On the other hand, the Book of Joshua does mention that no city made peace with Joshua except for Gibeon and this is hard to square with an alliance (Joshua 11:19)., 19. True faith is based on the word of God. King James Version 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. By a century later, Ur was ruled by Nebuchadnezzar II of Babylon and by about 500 BCE the city had become inhabited. The Chaldean occupation of Ur was therefore of fairly limited duration. If we take the date of the Exodus as 1406 BCE or thereabouts and the Covenant of the Pieces 430 years earlier, then Abraham lived in about the 1800s BCE, i.e. 9.First Paragraph. Abraham's seven-fold blessing in Genesis 12:2, 3: - 1. 33.Rashi to Genesis 15:9, based on Bereishis Rabbah 44:14. Abraham had to relinquish his present for a future he will never live to see. . Maimonides rules in his Mishna Torah (Mishna Torah, Hilchos Terumos chapter 1) that only land captured by the people, as in the days of Joshua, has the agricultural laws of the land of Israel incumbent upon it, such as tithing. Land captured by an individual, even if part of the inheritance of Abraham, would not have these laws. the letter E in atonement is the 5th letter in the word, 5 represents God's perfect grace. whose overriding concern is the general providence of mankind, the imminent aspect of God, who relates to humanity on an individual, family or tribal basis., Yet there is a lot more to the Abraham stories than matters of faith. In a way that defies a completely rational explanation, Abraham acted out the outlines of future Jewish history. Nachmanides was the first to elaborate on this idea with his well-known principle: . Until this time, Lot, Abrahams nephew, had accompanied him on his travels from Ur. However, their newly acquired wealth from Egypt brings conflict into their relationship. Their herdsmen argue and Abraham suggests they separate. He no doubt intended that one of them go northwards and the other to the south. However, Lot rejects altogether the mountain range and chooses instead to go eastwards towards the well-watered plain of the Jordan and the city of Sodom. And I will bless them that bless thee, 6. Following Gods directive to walk through the land. 23. God promised to bless not only Abraham, in Genesis 12:1-3, but to also bless all the families of the earth through him. Lead us to our church.C. In the theology of Paul, all who believe in God are spiritual descendants of Abraham. When we bless others we can expect it to come back to us. We do it when we walk and live in the Word and Spirit.2. And curse him that curseth thee: 7. I don't use Facebook, was basically thrown off about 8 years ago for posting content that spread hate (simply posted photos of Islamic thugs murdering innocent civilians) . On behalf of this generation, Your friends in the service of Christ, #3 Seed. For more details,. 7 fold blessing of abraham. The Sevenfold Blessing Blessing number two of Abraham. The seventh blessing takes place at the end of the Binding of Isaac story and is the crescendo to the previous six blessings. What Abraham must do now is to point out to future generations the extent of this gift. | 6. You will be a blessing . (Genesis 17:13) There will always be circumcised Jews in the world because Gods covenant with Abraham is eternal and His representatives need to be eternally here on earth. God promoted Abraham to a position of great importance not to stroke his ego but so that though Abrams wealth and reputation, he would be a blessing to those around him. 8.Rashi to Genesis 12:1. God doesn't bless us just to make us happy; He blesses us to make us a blessing. Required fields are marked *. 0000001229 00000 n Sefer Bereishis, p72, OU Press). Nachmanides, on the other hand, assigns no particular significance to this form of the verb and assumes it to be common idiomatic Hebrew usage. Please check your browser settings or contact your system administrator. Rashi in his commentary to Genesis 17:15 quotes the Babylonian Talmud, Berochos 13a, that Sarah was a princess not only to Abraham but also to his people. , The Bible is also setting up here the parameters by which the relationship between God and the Jewish people will proceed in the future. For most nations children come naturally. This is how the world works. In the Sodom and Gomorra story, after the three angels have left Abrahams home to destroy these cities to save Lot, God engages in a soliloquy:. Change), You are commenting using your Twitter account. what are the 7 blessings of abraham. And He promised that all peoples on earth would be blessed through Abraham. Tweet Abrahams extended family is much larger though than its biological one, and the next verses have symbolic as well as their literal meaning: .. you shall be the father of a multitude of nations. Your name shall no longer be called Abram, but your name shall be Abraham; for I have made you the father of a multitude of nations. (Genesis 17:4), Previously, Abraham was called Avram, a father of Aram. He is now to be called Abraham - a father of a multitude of nations.44 Not only will he be the biological father to many nations but also a spiritual father to an even greater number of people. God bless. The equivalent name for a God of might in the Bible is El and for the God of fertility Shaddai. The Bible is not separating these two aspects of God but bringing them together as a single Divinity in a way that would be recognizable to people at that time. 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.
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