thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that However, like the Biblical reader, Abraham may have been puzzled by Gods gift. On the one hand, he is assured by God that the land is his. But others have possession of it and he has no means of displacing them. Gods gift seems to fit into no recognizable category. 28. R Joseph Solveichik explains that Abraham was continually performing acts that bound himself eternally to the land such as building sacrificial altars and digging a grave for his wife (Chumash with commentary based on the teachings of Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik. Left after 10 years, nearly 10,000 followers, when new rules blocked my 1st amendment rights of free speech. The two covenants are , as in the previous covenant with YHVH. Nevertheless, in both passages the word to, is still used with reference to humanity in the Noah passage that , (Genesis 9:11) and in this passage that an uncircumcised person will . 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. Unlike the pagan deities, YKVK is not satisfied with occasional homage. He wants a nation that is God-centered and is cognizant of the fact that everything they have is not a natural right but a Divine gift. He grew up in a family that had turned away from the gospel, but Abraham "sought for the blessings of the fathers, and the right whereunto [he] should be ordained to administer the same" ( Abraham 1:2 ). III. The tree of life. 5 As for me, behold, my covenant is with thee, In Canaan Gen. 17: 4-8 ACTION: Circumcision and thou shalt be a father of many nations. , 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. This is not to say that the Egyptian exile is completely unfathomable and in retrospect one may attempt to find reasons. It may be that the Jewish people had to experience the emptiness of servitude to Pharaoh to bind themselves to a new Master. They had to experience being treated harshly as strangers in another land to appreciate how strangers should be treated when in their own promised land. Very likely the Israelites would have assimilated in Egypt in the absence of discrimination and enforced servitude. The exile also had to last hundreds of years since historical circumstances were not yet ripe for them to enter the land of Canaan., even before the contract was sealed. He could have told God that he had had second thoughts about this entire venture. But he did not do so. Nor did the majority of Jews throughout their thousands of years of exile. This is because God will bind Himself to the Jewish people and they will bind themselves to God. How this is so, is detailed in the next blessing. A man of importance in the world he lived in. Galatians 3:29 says, "If ye be Christ's then are you Abraham's seed and heirs according to the promise." That means you are blessed spiritually, physically, and financially. 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). 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. ' Pagans held that the gods controlled different aspects of nature and function within nature. It would have been far from their mindset to imagine that any god would be interested in engaging in a relationship. Yet this is precisely what Abraham proposed. Phone: +234 805 669 9920, Copyright 2022 - www.tfhconlinesermon.org, Powered by The Waymakers Technologies (DWT). . Abraham will also become the progenitor of kings: implies sovereignty and power. Your offspring will not be a small and insignificant people tucked away in a remote corner of the world but a major and powerful actor on the world scene in one of the central locations on the globe, between the two great superpowers of Mesopotamia and Egypt. Rev (Dr.) Richard Udoh is the senior pastor of The Father's house Ministry, a fast growing gospel church. All rights reserved. Tweet Pin It. , 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. , Of course, the very fact that Abraham was able to dialogue with God and question His justice was only possible because of Abrahams appreciation that YKVK is a personal God who listens. | If Abraham would get out of your God would do three (3) things that will make him a blessing and he had to be a blessing so that God will do three (3) more things for him. What Was God's Promise to Abraham? - Christianity.com 0000003188 00000 n Most nations are also endogenous to a land. Their country of birth defines their nationality and that country has been linked to that nationality from time immemorial. But this is not how it is to be for Abraham and his descendants. Everything is to be a gift from God and has to be earned children, land, and even agricultural sustenance on this land. "I will be their God": This speaks of LORDSHIP. The blessing of Abraham is also sometimes misused in prosperity theology to claim that believers today can be just as rich and successful as Abraham was.First, well take a look at the historical context of Abrahams blessing. , Gods solution is to repopulate the world with the offspring of Noah, and His hopes are focused in particular on the descendants of Noahs son Shem. Now, after ten generations, there is a descendent of Shem, Abraham, with whom He can partner to bring the ideas of ethical monotheism to the world., A thematic linkage between this passage and the covenant with Noah is established in a number of ways, in addition to both being established by Elokim. Similar to the covenant with Abraham, the word, is a key word in the covenant with Noah and appears there seven times. 0000018816 00000 n , One opinion in the Talmud has difficulty accepting that walking alone is sufficient to establish ownership, and suggests rather that Abraham walked through the land. When God blesses us, it is not so that we can bask in the accolades of people who come with cap in hand and prostrate. 0000021186 00000 n This may be true, but it is not the primary purpose of this Elokim-directed command. Moreover, it is not coincidence that circumcision of the sex organ is commanded in a passage which gives prominence to the themes of fertility and offspring. The Sevenfold Blessing I will curse those that curse you 7. Remember Gen.11:1-9. (Exodus 18:27). When Joshua instructs the tribes whose home is in Transjordan to take leave of the other tribes and return to their tribal possession he says: and now turn and go on your way (lechu lachem) in the land where your possession lies. ( Joshua 22;4) He also provides other examples. Hirsch and Rabbi Joseph Solveitchik have similar explanations to this. The Blessings of Abraham | Pentecostal Tabernacle Jesus is the Davidic Messiah who will not only rule over Israel but over the whole world (Revelation 19:15). Required fields are marked *. Nachmanides commentary to the Torah on Genesis 12:1. Nachmanides suggests that Abraham wandered from country to country and only when God told him that this was the land intended did he stop his journey., 15.Where was Abraham born? The Bible is very clear on the matter: Haran died in the presence of Terah his father, in his native land, in Ur Kasdim. (Genesis 11:28) From archeological work carried out from the 1800s and onwards, we know that the ancient city of Ur was located in southern Mesopotamia at the convergence of the Euphrates and Tigris. Leader: Come, all who desire blessing! Blessing number three in Genesis 12:2 and I will bless thee, Thus, hard on the heels of the allusions to Eden in 24:5-6, Numbers 24:7-9 unites the blessing of Abraham with the promise of a king from Judah, and Adam's royal status might be a relevant precursor for the model of kingship in view. Rashi/ Commentary on the Torah. Giving releases God's power and abundance. Look at what He told Abraham in Genesis 12:1-:. 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.. I have replied that Now when Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared to Abram and said to him, "I am God Almighty; Walk before Me, and be blameless. Most of your teaching is rock solid. Summary: There are more than 40 blessings in the Word given to Abraham either for him or those who would be through blessings would be blessed. For everyone who keeps on asking receives; and he who keeps on seeking finds; and to him who keeps on knocking, [the door] will be opened." He promised to make Abraham a blessing. It is in this way through Abraham that the entire world would be blessed. But what of the fate of the Israelites in Egypt? Why do they deserve to be oppressed and enslaved? Very soon Abraham will jump to the defense of the inhabitants of Sodom. Why does he not do so for his own descendants? Abraham possesses but a single unilateral covenant with God and has no obligations on his part other than to transverse the land. He is fulfilling his part of the bargain. Why then do the Israelites deserve to be treated so badly in Egypt?. I AM A SON AND HEIR OF GOD THROUGH CHRIST. PDF Claiming The Abrahamic Covenant You will be a blessing 7. Gods blessing to Abraham is recorded in Genesis 12:13: The Lord had said to Abram, Go from your country, your people and your fathers household to the land I will show you.I will make you into a great nation,and I will bless you;I will make your name great,and you will be a blessing.I will bless those who bless you,and whoever curses you I will curse;and all peoples on earthwill be blessed through you.Here, Abraham is blessed, and that blessing includes the promise that he will have a great name (reputation) and that he would become a great nation (have many descendants). In this sermon outline we list only seven of the blessings given to or through Abraham. What Abraham must do now is to point out to future generations the extent of this gift. PDF English Worship Service Memorial Prayer Concerns United Methodist 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. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Copyright 2023 - UCKG HelpCentre is a UK charity (1043985). The Hundred-Fold Blessing - Is There Such a Thing? - Rhema Bible Church We do not join it. In this passage ( Gen. 12:2-3 ), God spoke about two types . hb```f``e`e`Wbf@ a(I Finally he dies and his bones are taken to be buried in Canaan. Thanks a lot for reading. God wants us to be a blessing to all people. Abraham's 7-Fold Blessing Obedience turns into Promises: 1. What was the seven-fold blessing Abraham received from God? , This very much points to the future, since the promulgation of the Jewish people is also destined to be unnatural. Even in situations of physical and/or spiritual bondage, the Jewish people will have children. This is not how the world naturally functions. People who are oppressed become extinct. And they certainly do not flourish. Yet the exact opposite happens to the Jewish people. Even after a catastrophic holocaust they rise again. The world will never run out of Jews. This is part of the Elokim-directed covenant. 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. Luzzatto) translated by Daniel A. Klein, p157. James Aranson Inc. to Genesis 17.9. PDF BLESSING OF ABRAHAM - The Kingdom of Jesus His Leaving started a chain of reactions. A further discovery of Abraham, possibly while still in Mesopotamia, is that God is the absolute measure of justice and righteousness, and as such is the model for all of human ethics. We receive the gift of salvation when we put our faith in the finished work of Jesus and become born again. But this did not limit the possibilities. As the YKVK aspect of God says to Joshua: At long last, Abraham is told by Elokim that he will have a son through Sarah and she also will give rise to. 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. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. correspond, since the time for three generations is a lot less than for 400 years? There is also no indication from the Bible that the Israelites were in slaves the entire time they were in Egypt. So God told Abraham that through him, through His Seed, all the nations of the earth will be blessed. 0000025096 00000 n Closely related to the 3rd. These sources are of interest not necessarily because of their accuracy, but because they all indicate that they were prepared to consider other locations for Ur other than southern Mesopotamia. On the other hand, these commentaries were all written when Ur was no longer inhabited and it is possible that they were unaware of this citys existence. However, there are other good reasons to consider a southern Mesopotamian Ur of the Chaldees as being unlikely. Southern Mesopotamia is the habitation of the descendants of Ham, whereas the descendants of Shem lived in present day Turkey, Iran, and Northern Iraq. According to Genesis 10:22-31, the five sons of Shem were Elam, Asshur, Arphaxad, Lud and Aram. Abraham was one of the descendants of Arphaxad (Genesis 11:12-25) Josephus suggests that these five sons gave rise to the nations of Elam, Assyria, Chaldea, Lydia and Levantine. An Ur of the Chaldeans in southern Mesopotamia also leads to a very obvious contradiction in the Biblical text. While in Haran, Abraham is told to leave your birthplace (moladtecho). Also, when requesting his servant Eliezer to take a wife for his son Isaac, he tells him to go to Haran to my land and my birthplace (moladeti) shall you go and take a wife for my son, for Isaac (Genesis 24:4). But earlier his birthplace (moladato) is referred to as Ur of the Chaldeans.43 Also, in the Covenant between the Pieces, God takes responsibility for taking Abraham from Ur Kasdim: And he said: I am YKVK Who brought you out of Ur Kasdim to give you this land to inherit. (Genesis 15:7). 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. (Genesis 15:8) Following the completion of the covenant, God answers him: (Genesis 15:13). Abraham requests details and these are provided to him, although doubtless the information he receives is far from what he anticipated. Blessing number two of Abraham. So the greatest thing we can do as believers is to live to please Him on a daily basis. The blessing of Abraham begin in, To save items to a SermonFolder, please sign in to your account. The Three-Fold Blessing is Yours - cfaith Abraham tithed to Melchizedek, the high priest; and Abraham was called a man of faith. Through you, all the nations of the earth refer to the Galatians Scripture. News for over 61 years! At least two other important concepts are introduced in this section. One is that the ten nations currently living in Canaan will deserve to be expelled - although not now but at the time of the fourth generation, since. In this sermon outline we list only seven of the blessings given to or through Abraham. We signed our name By changing Abram's name which meant "high, exalted father" to Abraham, meaning "father of a multitude", God greatly enlarged his vision. The Seven Blessings Of Abraham! - Sermon Central , which occurs four times, and this keyword highlights the theme of this passage. Five of these seven benefits reflect Gods involvement alone, as they begin with the words . 7 fold blessing of abraham. and what he does when he reaches his destinations. Since we are Abrahams seed, and heirs according to the promise (Galatians 3:29), then we can have all that Abraham hador so the teaching goes. 4:13,14. What will be your perpetual state of being? He also points out that in Genesis 15:6 Abraham was justified by faith. Faith is not based on feeling- though the emotions are involved. & 6. From whence will these offspring come? It will take much drama before this tension is resolved. It is also available for us today. Gen.15:6 God would shower blessings both spiritual and material blessings on Abraham. Circumcision is to be not only a , but an aspect of the covenant itself. A Jew who is not circumcised denies that he is part of the mission of the Jewish people -. Second, God promised Abram that he would become a great person and great nation. I dont know much about blogging oo.still learning, Your email address will not be published. #6 - I will uphold My covenant between Me and you and your offspring after you, throughout their generations, as an everlasting covenant to be a God to you and to your offspring after you. , The Canaanites will live in the coastal plain of the land of Canaan otherwise not occupied by the Philistines, the lowlands (shfela) of Canaan and its valleys, and the Jordan valley. The other tribes will inhabit the central mountain range. Hence, the . The seven blessings are adapted from ancient rabbinic teachings, beginning with the blessing over the wine and ending with a communal expression of joy. "Growing in God's Grace" Adult Sunday School Today at 11:00 am. Actually it is 6 (number of man) pieces of armor the Saints don in Ephesians 6:10-18. , However, before looking at these seven blessings, a basic question needs to be answered. Why did God choose to engage with Abraham? blessed with faithful Abraham. Bereishis, OU Press). And I will bless thee, 3. 11 34 | 15 Brethren, I speak after the manner of men; Though it be but a man's covenant, yet if it be confirmed, no man disannulleth, or addeth thereto. This is part of what it means to be bound to God. On the horns of the brazen altar (Leviticus 16:18). 7. When we put on the spiritual armor, doesn't the amount of equipment equal seven, too? The Israelites also conquered and settled in Beth El (Joshua 12;9-16, 16:1-2). There is still debate as to the location of Bet El, but it may well be the present Arab villages of Beitin or El Birah. This town is also strategically located on the narrow central mountain range, with a connecting road heading eastwards to Jericho. "The tenth day of this seventh month shall be the Day of Atonement. All these blessings are for the church but they will not fall like ripe berries.It takes deep knowledge,insight and understanding of the scriptures to fully maximise their benefits.And it will take a proactive and responsible approach too.Responsibility is the price for Greatness.Understanding and action is what it takes in Jesus Christ Name. The Blessing. Very blessed message i receive many blessing to this message thank God. However, the blessing Abraham received from God went far beyond those immediate, personal blessings. 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) . Circumcision is to be not only a sign of a covenant between Me and you, but an aspect of the covenant itself. A Jew who is not circumcised denies that he is part of the mission of the Jewish people - .. that soul shall be cut off from its people; he has broken My covenant.(Genesis 17:14). There is discussion among Jewish commentators as to the symbolic meaning of circumcision. Most agree that it is a means of distinguishing the Jewish people from the rest of humanity.46 Clearly, it is not an overt symbol, but every Jew knows that he has the circumcision engraved in his flesh and that his connection to God has been signed in a blood ceremony. He is now marked for the mission statement of the Jewish people to stand before God as His representative to the world to promote justice and righteousness. There he meets and blesses Pharaoh, Joseph's sons Ephraim and Manasseh, and his twelve sons. The details of the covenantal ceremony are translated here as Bring Me three heifers, three she-goats and three rams, and a turtle-dove and a young pigeon (Genesis 15:9) - but this may not be the precise translation. The Bible reads that each animal is to be brought as a heifer meshuleshet (), she-goat meshuleshet () and ram meshulash (). The word meshulash () is related to the word three. Kimchi translates it as a 3-year old animal. One way of looking at this sentence is to consider part of it as being in brackets: In other words, the Israelites will be in servitude and oppression but not for all these 400 years. SMOJ. 5. Change), You are commenting using your Facebook account. , Gods verbal promise is now replaced by a visual covenant, albeit within the context of a vision. This vision will provide the Israelites with something tangible that they can hold onto during their prolonged period of servitude. In this vision, Abraham is informed that only after a period of harsh exile will his, The covenant itself is contracted in a way that contracts were commonly made at that time. An animal was cut up and the parties would pass between the pieces. By doing this they were saying: I should be like these animals if I do not fulfill my word. In fact, the usual Hebrew verb for making a contract is to , a contract. In this instance, God Himself passes between the pieces as a , is clearly symbolic, yet its aspects are puzzling. The. To understand the principles discovered by Abraham, all of which will form the underpinnings of Judaism, a good starting point is an analysis of the seven blessings bestowed upon Abraham by God. Galatians 3:13, Galatians 3:9, Galatians 3:9-13, Genesis 12, Genesis 12:1, Genesis 12:2, Genesis 12:3, John 10:10, Proverbs 3:5, Sermon Topics: families of the earth be blessed.A. D. He will do more than we can think or ask. 4. Scripture: The Sevenfold Abrahamic Covenant blessings Redeemed at the Cross 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. . Have there been circumcised Jews in the world for most of the almost 4,000 years since Abraham came to Canaan? This is undoubtedly the case. Did Abraham did become the spiritual father of a multitude of nations (Genesis 17:5) in effect of a good proportion of the world? It is difficult to argue otherwise. Do the former tribes of Israel currently have jurisdiction over much of the former land of Canaan? This is also incontrovertible.