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ABRAHAM
Abraham is said to be the father of the Jewish faith
The first to believe in the power of one great god alone.
Instead of the many his forefather's worshiped
In Abraham's heart there was only room for one to be known.
With his wife Sarah and his nephew Lot
At 75 he departed to seek the Promised Land.
With followers he arrived at a place called Canaan
Where he prospered by hard work and God's hand.
Then famine in the land drove him to Egypt
Where Abraham and Lot grew rich in cattle, silver and gold.
They had so many sheep that their shepherds quarreled
Over grazing land, water and jealousies of old.
Abraham and Lot agreed to live separate
Lot chose Sodom and Abraham Hebron.
When the armies of four great kings took Lot captive
Abraham and 318 of his bravest, to the rescue, were gone.
Afterwards, to Sodom and neighboring Gomorrah
Lot was brought back with his worldly goods and treasure.
But soon the inhabitants of both became wicked
Shamming the Lord and shunning his measure.
God told Abraham, I will soon demolish them
For there is not one of righteousness among all.
However, he warned Lot to escape with his wife
And not to look back and ignore His law.
Lot's wife looked back and was transformed to salt
While Lot, through observance of word, was spared.
Abraham, then 99 and Sarah at 90
Were still without child in the life they shared.
Arabs claim they are descended from Ishmael,
At 86 Abraham's son, by Sarah's handmaiden, Hagar.
Sarah believed she was too old to bare a child
So she gave Hagar to Abraham to conceive a star.
God had promised Abraham a son by Sarah
And that his descendents will out number the stars.
In time a boy named Isaac was born
Free of all birth defects, disease and scars.
Later when Isaac was still just a child
God chose to test Abraham again.
Commanding him to take Isaac to the top of a mountain
And there, by sacrifice, put his life to its end.
Abraham built an alter of wood sticks, pilled high
Bound up Isaac and laid him within them.
Just as he was about to put the knife to his son
God stopped him and said: lay not thy hand upon him.
The Lord told Abraham, I know now you fear Me
Seeing that you have not withheld your son.
Then Abraham sacrificed a lamb provided
And God blessed him for what he had done.
The Bible says Abraham died at 175
And that Sarah lived to be 127.
Christians and Muslims both traced their faith
To Abraham's commitment to one god and heaven.
By Tom Zart
Tom Zart
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