| |
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
|
|
User Rating: |
|
--
/10 (0 votes) |
|
|
|