Wausau Daily Herald Obits Most Recent, Is There A Shortage Of Blackberry Jam, Difference Between Anglican Nuns And Catholic Nuns, Woocommerce Add To Cart Shortcode With Quantity, Articles OTHER

An alternative explanation suggests itself. Abraham is acting as a trailblazer for the Jewish people and pointing out the geo-political and religious significance that Shechem will have in the future. However, in contrast to the covenant with Noah, this particular covenant is not a unilateral one, in that Abraham is expected to be a direct participant by fulfilling the directive of circumcision. . Luzzatto suggests that the name comes from the three-letter root shin daled daled, and notes that the Arabic word shadid means strong. Hence, its meaning would be Omnipotent God. This is similar to the explanation of Nachmanides and Ibn Ezra of Mighty God. 0000025146 00000 n (LogOut/ 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 God gives these sevenfold blessings first to Abraham, we also see these sevenfold blessings given to Israel through Moses in Exodus 6:6-8, Say therefore to the sons of Israel: I am the LORD; I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, I will deliver you from their bondage, and I will also redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great judgments. However, in contrast to the covenant with Noah, this particular covenant is not a unilateral one, in that Abraham is expected to be a direct participant by fulfilling the directive of circumcision. Abraham was blessed because he believed God. 7. Copyright 2002-2023 | When we bless others we can expect it to come back to us. 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. 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. 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, ). Also, when requesting his servant Eliezer to take a wife for his son Isaac, he tells him to go to Haran , Also, in the Covenant between the Pieces, God takes responsibility for taking Abraham from Ur Kasdim: , (Genesis 15:7). . 0000020385 00000 n Who Are You Amir Tsarfati? The tree of life. 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. God who desires to lead us by His Spirit would like to lead us to the place It shall be a holy convocation for you." Leviticus 23: 27 In a follow-up to his blockbuster book, Seven Blessings of the Passover, Steve Munsey explores the significance of the ancient Hebrew commemoration. In this sermon outline we list only seven of the blessings given to or through Abraham. means that only three generations will actually live in Egypt. Thisencompasses 210 years and not 400 years. It may be that the three types of animals cut up and the three-some of each animal brought represent these three generations. During the second covenant that God establishes with Abraham involving circumcision, God introduces Himself with the words: (Genesis 17:1) The Bible is telling us here that Abraham embodies the attributes of God and he is to walk before God as His representative to the world. The blessing of Abraham was a benefit to Abraham himself. (Deuteronomy 18:13). Just as you are to avoid magical practices and retain your trust in Me, so also are you to walk before Me and maintain your belief in Me. 6. He also authors The Father's Menu, a power packed monthly daily devotional book. Jesus is the Davidic Messiah who will not only rule over Israel but over the whole world (Revelation 19:15). , 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. People who wish to bless their son will say: God make you like Abram! because of the . . (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. 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. You have to be born into to it by receiving Jesus. while the other two, and this includes the last, will result from Abrahams involvement as he builds upon the foundations provided by God. Here God promises a revival in the life of every giver. In this sermon outline we list only seven of the blessings given to or through Abraham. I will make your name great. The blessing of Abraham is misunderstood by many Christians and church leaders. Tithing pre-dates the giving of the Law. 0000003413 00000 n (Tenth paragraph, the history of Terah in ACommentary on the Book of Genesis , Part Two, from Noah to Abraham, p273) Both places are the land of his kindred and the contradiction disappears. However, the contradiction also disappears if one assumes that Haran and Ur of the Chaldeans were both in the same geographical area - in Aram. Many commentators assume that Abraham was an outreach worker. It follows, therefore, that urban centers were precisely where he would go, since he could promote there his message of One God and attract followers to his cause. However, while there is midrashic interpretation that Abraham had such groupies, there is no mention in the Torah that this was the case. xuY |I6GIMIzh4zBzJ-m9D ESDn Moreover, given their prophetic nature it is not surprising that many aspects of the Abraham stories reverberate to this day. And I will bring you to the land which I swore to give to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; and I will give it to you for a possession: I am the LORD.. In His covenant with Noah, Elokim promises that He will never again destroy the earth by a flood. The sign of that covenant was a rainbow that appropriately links heaven and earth. Nevertheless, there is a loose end to this. Following the flood, God admits that, (Genesis 8:21). What then has changed and what guarantee is there that another flood will never again be necessary? Sarai means my princess and may have been a form of endearment.51 Her name is now to become Sarah, a princess to everyone. Elohim also promises Abraham that this covenant also will bring beneficence in its wake. First, and God has pointed this out previously within His aspect of YKVK, Abrahams seed will become extremely numerous. However, the reason for this is different than when promised under the aspect of YKVK. For YKVK, Abrahams descendants are to become a large nation so that they can populate the land of Canaan. In this covenant given by Elokim, they are to be fruitful in order to fulfill their universal mission. Blessing number four. The name El Shadai appears again in the Torah in the Jacob story when his father, Isaac, blesses Jacob before he leaves for Padam Aram. Foremost in Isaacs mind is that Jacob be fruitful for Gods covenant to be fulfilled: May Kel Shakai bless you and multiply you and make you numerous, and may you be a congregation of peoples.(Genesis 28:3), Here also, in this 5th blessing, the emphasis is on fertility:. I am El Shaddai; walk before Me, and be wholehearted. I will set My covenant between Me and you, and will multiply you exceedingly. (Genesis 17:1). The Lord promises prosperity to every person who sows in faith into His Kingdom. is the land whose perimeter is the territory of the Canaanites and whose central core is occupied by these other tribes. This entire area is to become the territory of the Israelites and will be apportioned to the Israelite tribes. BELOW ARE NOTES TO SHOW HOW WE ARE THROUGH GOD'S GRACE ABLE TO BE HIGH PRIESTS AND BE EQUIPPED BY BLESSINGS TO CARRY OUT OUR PRIESTLY DUTIES. He promised to make Abraham a blessing. The Blessing. & 6. Just another site. You are a gifted and brilliant young man. 6 In all thy ways (Welfare & community Development) and what he does when he reaches his destinations. 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. "Your name shall be Abraham": This speaks of greatly ENLARGED VISION. 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. This is part of what it means to be bound to God. God doesn't bless us just to make us happy; He blesses us to make us a blessing. 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. There are more than 40 blessings in the Word given to Abraham either for him or )is a keyword in this passage, being repeated ten times. Accordingly, it defines the theme of this paragraph which is about a covenant between Elokim and Abraham. The number 10 may signify the ten generations between Noah and Abraham, since Noah also participated in a covenant with Elokim. thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. Scripture foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, and announced the gospel in advance to Abraham: All nations will be blessed through you. So those who rely on faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith (verses 69, emphasis added). Rashi, on the basis of Bereishis Rabba 39:1 and Sanhedrin 99b comments on the phrase , 18. , The blessings are in a crescendo literary format, with each blessing building on the previous one and revealing ever-increasing beneficence. The third and last part of the Abrahamic covenant is known as the promise of blessing and redemption. God also protected him and kept him safe. All rights reserved. , 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. What was the seven-fold blessing Abraham received from God? 11 34 11 But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith. Post Views: 96. It is better for God to make our name great than for us to seek it out ourselves. Shem was given that power and authority and now Abraham, his descendant, will be chosen as the righteous father of the holy people of God. The land of Canaan is first defined early in Genesis: Canaan begot Zidon, his first born, and Heth; and the Jebusite, the Amorite, the Girgashite, the Hivite, the Arkite, the Sinite, the Arvadite, the Zemarite and the Hamatite. Afterwards, the families of the Canaanites branched out. And the Canaanite border extended from Zidon going towards Gerar as far as Gaza, going towards Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboiim, as far as Lasha. (Genesis 10:15-19), 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. In sum, Abraham was elected because he brought to the world knowledge of Elokim as the Ruler of the universe, and because he discovered the attributes of a personal God YKVK, and demonstrated by personal example how to relate to this aspect of God. This is the heritage he will pass onto his children: However, to promulgate these ideas to the world at large, Abraham will need a team and a forum. His team is to be his offspring and his forum the land of Canaan. How this is to b brought to fruition comprises the rest of this chapter. 40.Nachmanides commentary to the Torah on Genesis 17:1. A midrash, on the other hand, sees circumcision as bringing a repair of a physical perfection (Bereishis Rabba 6:1). Rashi follows up on this. Rashi also brings another explanation that this is a command and that Abraham is to be complete or wholehearted in the trials to which he will be subjected. This could be referring specifically to the command of circumcision (Beer Yitzchak)., 42.This explanation is at variance with that of Rashi (Rashi to Genesis 17:9) who suggests that Elohim is only a God to the Jewish people inside the land of Israel. Otherwise, it is as if they had no God. See also Babylonian Talmud, Kesubos 110b.. 0000000016 00000 n Speaks of territorial base. A crown of life. , 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 . Finally he dies and his bones are taken to be buried in Canaan. 35.Rashi regards Isaac and Jacob as being offspring who will be sojourners in a land not their own. Following Seder Olam, his chronology is Isaac was 60 years old when Jacob was born (Genesis 25:26), and Jacob was 130 years old when he went down to Egypt (Genesis 47:9). The Israelites were therefore in Egypt for 210 years. On the other hand, we have argued that Canaan was already deeded to Abraham. Plus, the Bible itself states that the Israelites were in Egypt for 430 years (Exodus 12:40). These remain difficulties. 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 . III. Get out of your country, from your family and from your fathers house, to a land that I will show you. How by the power in us, which is Copyright 2010 Bible-pedia. B. God through Abraham will redeem a people for Himself. We do not join it. His Leaving started a chain of reactions. King James Bible. It is not material wealth or possessions and we do nothing to earn it. I have replied that In essence, He asserts that He will be their God throughout the entirety of Jewish history. In many ceremonies, the Sheva Brachot prayers are read or chanted in both Hebrew and English. , A convert to Judaism is called a child of Abraham. Islam and Christianity also consider themselves spiritual heirs to Abrahams legacy. The Koran establishes its Abrahamic lineage through Ishmael. Christianity views Abraham as an important exemplar of faith and a spiritual and possibly a physical ancestor of Jesus.45 In the theology of Paul, all who believe in God are spiritual descendants of Abraham. (Genesis 12:8 and 13:4)? Many commentators follow the lead of midrashim and assume this was part of Abrahams outreach program. He was announcing the existence of God and welcoming all to embrace monotheism. Yet in the one instance in which this expression is used in the Torah outside of Genesis it is a scene in which only God and Moses are present. 0000017269 00000 n He who controls the land, controls what's on it and determine what is allowed. In Gen.23 at the burial of Sarah, the Hittites viewed Abraham as a mighty prince and were willing to let him bury his dead without charge. Change), You are commenting using your Twitter account. Contact Us In Genesis we see Abraham gaining a great reputation, and we see how his descendants multiplied, even though, at the time the promise was made, he had no hope of ever having any children. B. As I signed the what are the 7 blessings of abraham. Abraham's seven-fold blessing in Genesis 12:2, 3: - 1. 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. | 1. Anyone, including Gentiles, who comes to Him in repentance and faith is made part of His kingdom, while those Jews who reject Him will be left out. About Us . , Abraham introduces his concerns by pointing out that Eliezer, him. God interrupts him and tells him that this one, him, but only a biological descendant. God's seven promises to Abram when he was still in Ur of the Chaldees; before he left his homeland, his family, his comfort zone and traveled to Canaan by way of Haran: 1) I will make you a great nation 2) I will bless you The Amplified Bible says, "I will bless you with an abundant increase of favors." Abraham was blessed with abundance. Abraham's 7-Fold Blessing Obedience turns into Promises: 1. 37. Invest and expect the hundred-fold blessing. And he blessed him and said: what is an lpa in psychology what is computrace in dell laptop No. Genesis 12:2 And I will make of thee a great nation, A. It also follows that just as the fate of the Amorites in Canaan is to be based on moral grounds, all the more so will the fate of the Jewish people in Canaan. These promises to Abraham are applied directly to the Christian today. The Sevenfold Blessing A man of importance in the world he lived in. Change), You are commenting using your Facebook account. I will make you a great nation; I will bless you and make your name great; and you shall be a blessing. 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. #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. God was not willing, however, to lay such heavy blessings on . The seven-fold sprinkling implies that it was perfectly and spiritually efficacious. 0000000976 00000 n B. admin@tfhconlinesermon.org Copyright (c) 2021 | Walking By Faith | GuCherry Blog by Everestthemes. 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. A. When Balaam wanted to curse the children of Israel, he found out it was an impossible . Round about upon the altar (Leviticus 16:19). And I will bless them that bless thee, 6. Prophets who spoke for God warned the nation that judgment was coming and that they were in danger of losing their land. The Torah itself reveals that Abraham was not the only monotheist in the world at that time. Following Abrahams victory over the forces of King Chedorlaomer and his Mesopotamian coalition and his rescuing of his nephew Lot, Abraham is greeted by Malchizedek, king of Salem, who. . Abrahams role in this covenant is revealed at the very beginning of this passage: God is saying - you, Abraham, are to walk in front of me and be my representative to the world. This should be contrasted with Noah, who walked , What Abraham represents is not delineated in this passage, but is mentioned in the very next section. In brief, Abraham will teach notions of, (Genesis 13:19) to his children and they by their example will instruct the rest of the world. God is the epitome of justice and righteousness and He needs a representative on earth who will embody His attributes and by example bring these ideas to the rest of humanity., A number of interpretations of the phrase , ) have been proposed. Nachmanides relates it to a similar use of this word in Deuteronomy when the Bible discusses forbidden magical practices and which concludes there with the phrase . Eph 3:20 Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly