The Lord God appeared to Abram while he was living in an ancient city called ‘Ur’. ‘Leave your country and your people,’ God said, ‘and go to the place I will show you.’ This is how Abram’s journey with God started.

Abram left with his wife, his father, and his brother’s son and they travelled over 600 miles in a north-westerly direction. They travelled mainly along the River Euphrates until they came to Haran where they settled. They stayed there until Abram’s father died. Abram and his wife had no children. This was a real sadness.

Then Abram’s father died. After this they left their father’s house to go to the country which God had told them about. Abram was 75 years old when he and his family began the journey. Abram went with his wife, his brother’s son, and all the servants and possessions they had acquired in Haran. Abram’s brother’s son was called Lot (also known as Lut). Abram was rich and so was his nephew. They owned large flocks. They all went southwards, to the land of Canaan. God appeared to Abram in that place. God promised Abram that his descendants would inherit the land of Canaan. Abram built an altar and then he sacrificed offerings in worship to God.

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Abram’s nephew moved on with his family and settled near Sodom, while Abram stayed in Canaan. After he left, God spoke to Abram about his future. ‘I’m going to give you so many descendants,’ God said, ‘that they will be like the dust of the earth! ‘I want you to travel through all the land of Canaan’, God said, ‘I will give you all of this.’

The Lord God appeared to Abram in a vision. Abram talked with God about the disappointment he felt because he didn’t have a son who would be his heir. God took him outside and showed him the vast array of stars in the night sky. ‘Count the stars if you can,’ God said, ‘because you will have so many descendants – they will be like the vast number of stars in the night sky!’ God was really pleased that Abram believed what he said and God counted Abram as a righteous man.

After Abram had been living in Canaan for 10 years, they decided to try for a family through Sarai’s maid Hagar. This was Sarai’s plan. She was without children and was too elderly to have children. Abram slept with Hagar who became pregnant and gave birth to Ishmael. Abram was 86 years old when Ishmael was born. Even so, God still planned to give him an heir through his wife Sarai.

God spoke to Abram again. He confirmed his plans for them by changing their names to Abraham and Sarah. Abraham means ‘father of many nations’ and Sarah means ‘princess.’ God said kings would be among their descendants. Sarah laughed at the idea, because she and Abraham were both so old. But what God said would happen, did happen. Within 12 months Sarah was a mother! She was 90 years old, and Abraham was 100 years old!! She called her son Isaac. This was the offspring they had waited for, for so long. They were both full of joy.

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After many years, God tested Abraham’s faith. He commanded him to offer Isaac as an offering made with fire. Abraham was all set to carry out God’s instruction, but as he raised the knife to slay his son, God spoke from heaven to stop him. Then Abraham saw an animal caught by its horns in some shrubs. It was a male sheep. He went over and caught it, and he sacrificed it as an offering instead of his son.

Abraham called that place “The Lord Will Provide”. Abraham realised that God didn’t want to hurt the boy – God wanted Isaac to live. There, in that place, Abraham worshipped the Lord.

Later Isaac married Rebekah and they also had sons, Esau and Jacob. Twelve sons were born to Jacob, one called Judah.

Even before Abraham entered the land of Canaan, God promised him that all nations on earth would receive blessing through him. God repeated this promise again, after Abraham was tested.

God said, ‘All nations on earth will receive blessing through your offspring.’

God promised that one of Abraham’s descendants, the Messiah would bless all nations – all people. Abraham’s grandson, Jacob, also prophesied about the Messiah. He is to be a descendant of Abraham’s great-grandson Judah and is called ‘the Lion of the tribe of Judah’. He is a direct descendant of Abraham.

Material sourced from Genesis 11-22, Genesis 49, Romans 4, Galatians 3, Hebrews 11 and Revelation 5.

God made a way of escape so that Abraham did not need to sacrifice his son.  What does this show us?  Click here to receive our study guide.

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