Old Testament patriarch Abraham. Abraham's story

It took four hundred years and ten generations from the time of Noah before the necessary conditions were met to enable God to choose a family that would correct the wrongs committed in the families of Adam and Noah. Abraham became the central figure chosen by God, and Abraham's family was given the task of laying the foundation of faith and substance. Four generations of Abraham's family successfully participated in laying the foundation for the emergence of True Parents and forming a new stage in the dispensation of restoration, which gradually, starting with one person, reached the global level.

Thanks to this success, Abraham became a prophet special significance. His family marked the beginning of a lineage chosen to receive True Parents. Abraham and his descendants received revelations from God, as a result of which three main monotheistic religions arose: Judaism, Christianity and Islam.

However, despite the fact that Abraham was such a great figure in providence, not everything went smoothly in his family. Because the human nature It is common for a fallen world to err, and several mistakes have been made that have caused delays and complications in the dispensation of restoration. Some of these mistakes sowed seeds of discord that resulted in rivalries and conflicts at the level of clans, nations, and the world, thereby seriously thwarting God's providence.

Preparing Abraham for His Mission

The most an important condition, thanks to whom Abraham became a prophet and laid the foundation for the emergence of True Parents, was his family. He was chosen from the descendants of Shem, from a line blessed by God, after Satan laid claim to Ham. To create the foundation for Abraham, the family of Shem had to pay a huge indemnity. Without special training and support, a providential figure of Abraham's stature would not have been able to fulfill his God-given mission.

In restoration history, every person chosen to be the central figure in God's providence must first qualify for that mission by being separated from the fallen world. This process of purification establishes the central personality in her mission and prepares her to participate in God's work. Only after the central personality has fulfilled the conditions for his purification and dedicated his life to God can God use him in providence.

Although Abraham came from a blessed family, his father worshiped idols and created a family environment in which Satan ruled. Abraham had to separate himself from this fallen environment before he could begin his mission for God. In Noah's providential journey, the chosen family was separated from the fallen world by the flood, and in the case of Abraham, God commanded him to leave his home and go in search of a land that would be shown to him as the place where he would settle and lay the foundation for the emergence of a sinless family.

Abraham obeyed God. He rejected his father's idolatry and left his homeland in Chaldea with his wife Sarah and nephew Lot. Sarah, who represented Eve, had no children, so at that moment Lot occupied the position of their child. With God's help, Abraham's family reached Canaan safely, overcoming all the obstacles that stood in their way. Satan's final attack was when the Egyptian Pharaoh tried to seduce Sarah, thus repeating the seduction of Eve by the Servant, but the Pharaoh was warned of the consequences of such an act and, in fear, allowed Abraham's family to leave the country safely. Having successfully separated his family from the internal fallen world of his father and the external fallen world of Egypt, Abraham was ready to fulfill the conditions for creating a foundation of faith.

Foundation of Faith

God told Abraham to make a sacrifice, which would be a condition for restoring the foundation of faith. Abraham had to take a heifer, a ram, a goat, a dove and a turtledove, divide them in half and sacrifice them to God. Abraham cut the animals in half, but did not cut the birds. Abraham's mistake gave Satan, symbolized by the birds of prey, the opportunity to hijack the sacrifice, which had two consequences. First, Abraham was told to fulfill the condition of the atonement to a greater extent - to sacrifice his own son instead of animals and birds, and second, he was told that his descendants would face a 400-year period of slavery as atonement for his mistakes.

By not cutting the birds in half, Abraham failed to create necessary condition to cleanse the sacrifice before offering it to God. Uncut, the entire sacrifice was under the control of Satan, much like Adam after the Fall. Just as Adam had to be divided into Cain and Abel, the sacrifice had to be cut in half, conditionally dividing it into the side of Cain and the side of Abel, removing the “fallen” blood and separating the fallen nature from the original one.

The male and female birds symbolized man and woman in the formative stage of restoration, the ram and goat symbolized man and woman in the growth stage of restoration, and the heifer symbolized the unity of man and woman in the completion stage. By performing the sacrifice, Abraham fulfilled the condition for the restoration of humanity through three stages. When the birds were never cut, Satan hijacked the foundational formation stage in the sacrifice, thus claiming the entire sacrifice as his own.

Abraham was determined to correct his mistake and was willing to sacrifice his own son as God required. Before he could begin the sacrifice, he had to once again go through the process of separation from Satan, who had taken over his family as a result of the botched sacrifice. Abraham's family was again subjected to a test similar to what happened in Egypt, but this time King Abimelech tried to seduce Sarah. As in the case of Pharaoh, God warned the king of the punishments that awaited him if he kept Sarah with him, and in fear Abimelech returned Sarah to Abraham, who then safely left his kingdom. Abraham's family had once again separated from Satan and were ready to establish a foundation of faith.

Abraham sacrifices his son

God told Abraham to sacrifice his son (according to the Bible, he prepared to sacrifice his second son, Isaac, who was Sarah's only child; the Koran does not say which son this was, but in Islamic tradition it is generally accepted that it was the first son , Ishmael, born of the maidservant Hagar; according to the model of restoration, which is revealed in the Principle, it is always the second son who sacrifices himself as Abel to restore Adam's faith). Father and son set out on a three-day journey to reach the top of the mountain, which was indicated to them as the place of sacrifice. Abraham built an altar from wood on which he intended to sacrifice his son. He was about to pierce the boy's body when an angel intervened and stopped him, saying that his faith was strong enough.

Abraham's great faith, expressed in his willingness to sacrifice his own son for God, restored his family to the position of the central family of God's providence. The most important thing here is that his son did not oppose what his father was going to do, believing that this was the will of God. It is difficult to imagine how this young man could be so obedient that he even helped his father in preparations for own death. By demonstrating such amazing faith, he fulfilled the requirement to restore Ham's lost faith in his father Noah and establish a foundation of faith in Abraham's family.

Through this victory Isaac, the second son in Abel's position, was fully united with his father's heart of faith and could take his place in establishing the foundation of the faith. Next, he helped his father sacrifice a ram. Thus, as a result of the two successful foundations of faith created by Abel and Noah and because of Abraham's great faith at the sacrifice of his son, Isaac took over his father's position as the central figure in restoring Adam's faith. This made him, as Noah and Abraham had been before, the father of faith.

Substantial basis

According to the principles of creation, humans occupy a central position in creation, and all other creatures are created as objects for humans. Therefore, the Servant, created before Adam, had to obey Adam and receive God's blessings through Adam. As a result of the Fall, the Servant received unrighteous power over Adam through Eve. Because of this change of position in creation, God could not bless either Adam or the Servant. To bless them when they violated the principles of creation would be to recognize the unprincipled relationship as being in accordance with the Principle and to endow it with eternal value.

According to the principles of restoration, the relationship between Adam and the Servant must be restored to its original state, which is possible if the representative of the Servant voluntarily submits to the representative of Adam. According to the model of restoration established in Adam's family, the eldest son is chosen as the representative of the Servant, and the younger son is chosen as the representative of Adam. Once the relationship between Adam and the Servant is corrected by Cain submitting to Abel's love, a substantial foundation will be created and Cain and Abel will be able to receive God's blessing.

If Abraham himself had created the foundation of faith, then his sons, Ishmael and Isaac, would have been responsible for restoring the relationship between Cain and Abel and would have created the substantial foundation. If successful, both sons would have received God's blessing, but due to the mistake that Abraham made in the first sacrifice, Isaac took over from Abraham the position of the father of faith, and his two sons, Esau and Jacob, took over the position of Ishmael and Isaac (Cain and Abel) .

Ishmael and Isaac

Ishmael, as the eldest son and child of a handmaid, was to restore Cain's position and receive God's blessings through unity with Isaac. However, Abraham's position passed to Isaac, and Ishmael could not participate in the creation of the substantial foundation with his brother and could not receive the blessings that God promised to give to the sons of Abraham. As the Bible and Koran confirm, the story of restoration, which began in the family of Abraham, continued in the family of Isaac. His son Jacob became the father of faith for 12 sons, who became the ancestors of 12 tribes of God's chosen people, the children of Israel. It was not until several centuries later, when the Prophet Muhammad appeared, that the line of Ishmael began to play a central role in the providence of restoration.

Ishmael, through no fault of his own, was excluded from participation in direct providence in Abraham's family. The blessing promised to Ishmael and his descendants was inevitably connected with the providence of Isaac, since God regarded the family of Abraham as one race. Ishmael's plight contributed to his deep-seated resentment at having to wait for God's blessing. The tendency to bear resentment against Isaac and his family was transmitted from Ishmael to his descendants and became one of the providential problems in need of solution. Ishmael had 12 sons, whose descendants formed 12 tribes of the Arab people. It was to fulfill His promise to Ishmael, and to end the historical grievance that arose between the families of Isaac and Ishmael, that God sent Muhammad to the Arabs approximately 2,500 years after Abraham's family moved to spiritual world(See Chapter 19).

Resentment destroys human relationships because it is based on the desire to take for yourself what others have, instead of sacrificing what is own to others. Resentment has a destructive effect on both the object of the insult and the one who harbors it. Resentment was the main motive for the Servant's rebellion against God and his intrusion into the loving relationship between Adam and Eve. It can only be defeated by the power of love, which affirms the original value of its object and frees fallen humanity from grievances, allowing people to realize their potential. Thus, the descendants of Isaac and Ishmael were to love each other in order to remove the resentment planted in Ishmael's heart and to break down the barriers that resulted from the failure of Isaac and Ishmael to unite in the providence of Abraham's family.

Jacob and Esau

Like their father Isaac and uncle Ishmael, Jacob and Esau were particularly important characters in the story of the restoration. For this reason, they are given significant space in the pages of this book. Esau and Jacob were twins, with Esau being the firstborn. Jacob, occupying the position of Abel, had to achieve the voluntary submission of Esau, although Esau, personifying Cain, occupied the privileged position of the eldest son. As a fallen man, Esau was naturally inclined to lord it over Jacob against the will of God, but in the end Jacob was able to persuade his twin brother to accept him as God's representative, and together they succeeded in creating the foundation of substance.

Achieving this victory required taking a number of steps. First, Jacob obtained Esau's birthright by trading it for food at a time when Esau was hungry and valued food more than his position in the family. Esau's attitude towards his position as the eldest son was similar to the attitude of the fallen Adam, for whom personal pleasure became higher than the goal of creating a kind of good, while Jacob understood the highest value of the kind. Forty years later, when Isaac was old and blind and on the verge of death, Jacob managed to obtain his father's blessing intended for Esau. Rebekah, Isaac's wife, helped her son in this, thereby atone for Eve's deception of God and Eve's failure to convey God's blessing to her children.

Esau was furious when he discovered that Jacob had received the blessing intended for him, Esau, as the eldest son. His envy and anger toward Jacob were similar to the feelings the Servant had toward Adam and Eve when he felt he was losing God's love. They were also akin to Cain's envy, which prompted him to kill Abel. Jacob did not want to give his brother such an opportunity and therefore, again with the help of his mother, he fled to the homeland of his uncle Laban, to Harran.

Laban was a person in the position of a Servant whom Jacob had to win to his side through service and love. Jacob served Laban for 7 years to win the hand of his daughter Rachel, but Laban deceived Jacob by replacing Rachel with her sister Leah in the first place. wedding night. He had to work another 7 years to win Rachel, whom he also married.

When Jacob prepared to return home, his uncle did not allow him to take any property with him, although Jacob faithfully served Laban for 14 years and made him rich. Therefore, Jacob had to work 7 years for the third time in order to earn material wealth. By persistently loving Laban and serving him until his victory, Jacob conditionally restored Adam’s subject position over the Servant. Based on this victory, he also gained power over the material world, thus completing the conditions for the realization of the three blessings: restoration of himself, his wife and material possessions.

Based on this victory, Jacob returned to his homeland in Canaan. On his way home, while fording the Jabbok River, he met an angel who fought with him. Although the angel injured Jacob's hip, Jacob persevered and eventually overcame the angel. In this case, Jacob restored the right relationship between the Servant (the angel) and Adam (himself). By not succumbing to the angel, Jacob fulfilled the condition for atonement for the Fall. Having won this struggle, Jacob demanded a blessing from the angel and received it, as well as a new name “Israel”, which means “one who fought with God.” Since then, Jacob has been called Israel, and his descendants - the sons of Israel.

Having defeated Laban and the angel, Jacob continued his journey to Canaan, preparing to meet his older brother Esau, who in turn was preparing to attack Jacob, driven by an insatiable anger over the lost birthright and his father's blessing. Jacob realized that anger and resentment were seething in Esau's heart, and before his meeting with him, he wisely offered Esau his wealth and everything that was valuable to him in life. Esau, who expected his brother to return as a conqueror, was surprised and touched by such generosity and love. When Jacob himself appeared, Esau forgot his anger, and the brothers embraced each other in tears. Jacob completely won the heart of his brother Esau.

The peaceful reunion of Jacob and Esau meant the restoration of the relationship between Cain and Abel, and for the first time in the providence of restoration the providential family successfully laid a substantial foundation.

The Reason for the Emergence of True Parents

Abraham's family was the first family chosen by God to restore Adam's family, successfully laying the foundation of faith (created by Isaac and inherited by Jacob) and the foundation of substance (created by Jacob and Esau). The moment when Esau and Jacob embraced in love was the most hopeful and joyful moment for God since the fall of Adam and Eve. With this great providential victory, the foundation was finally set for the emergence of True Parents, and God could begin to unfold the providence of restoration on the substantial level, expanding His influence among the fallen people of the world.

However, True Parents could not appear at that time because Jacob's family and descendants first had to atone for Abraham's failure to sacrifice animals and birds. The period of indemnity for restoration was the 400 years that the Israelites had to spend as slaves in Egypt. Moreover, during the time of Abraham, Satan gained dominion over entire countries, while only one family was on God's side. How could one family resist entire countries?

Fares and Zara

The reconciliation of Jacob and Esau was a major victory for God. However, complete atonement for the Fall did not occur, since this reconciliation personified only the symbolic purification of the race, while the substantial purification of the race must occur in the womb, where the fallen nature of man arose.

This is precisely what lies behind the paradoxical story of Tamar. Only by understanding that Tamar, like Isaac's wife Rebekah, had to restore the fallen Eve, can we understand why Jesus was born into her family, descended from the tribe of Judah. She risked her life when, obeying God's command, she gave birth to twins with her father-in-law, Judah, one of Jacob's sons.

During childbirth, the position of the twins in the womb changed, and the younger son Perez, personifying Abel, was born before his brother Zara. The change in the order of birth became known due to the fact that first Zara’s hand appeared from Tamar’s womb, to which a red thread was tied, but then it disappeared again into the womb.

The cleansing of Tamar's womb became the basis for the birth of the sinless Jesus, which is the first condition for the appearance of the Messiah. Messiah Jesus was to become the True Parent and establish a purified race, free from satanic domination and returned to the authority of God.

Jacob's chosen race

When Jacob and Esau restored the relationship between Cain and Abel, they laid the foundation for the first True Parents in history. God chose the descendants of Jacob who became the 12 tribes of Israel, a people called to create a country in which the Messiah would appear. When Tamar restored the purity of Eve's womb, God chose the race of Judah to be the birthplace of the Messiah. Thus, the family of Abraham, and the family of Jacob in particular, became Starting point to expand the boundaries of the providence of restoration from the individual to the family, the tribe and, ultimately, a country ready to receive True Parents. Thus the children of Israel became the chosen people.

Foundation of Jacob's family

Jacob's family became the center of God's providence. Jacob had 12 sons, the first ten born from three women - Leah, Leah's maid and Rachel's maid. Two youngest son Benjamin and Joseph were born from Rachel. These 12 sons formed the 12 tribes of Israel - the people chosen by God to become the country that would receive the True Parents.

The spiritual, “Abelian” attitude to life was adopted from Jacob by his penultimate son Joseph. Joseph's brothers were jealous of his position as the favorite son and sold him into slavery in Egypt. There Joseph achieved prosperity and became the chief nobleman of Pharaoh. Having overcome the temptations of the fallen world of Egypt, especially the temptations of women, Joseph established himself as Abel in the second generation of Jacob's family.

When famine began in his homeland, Joseph's brothers arrived in Egypt to buy grain. Joseph recognized them and, despite the cruelty they had shown him earlier, received them with love, gave them grain and returned the money they had paid for that grain. The brothers could not understand such generosity, but when they arrived again in Egypt to buy grain, Joseph revealed himself to them. The brothers, reunited, cried with joy.

Joseph acted wisely to win over his brothers and father, much as his father had done to win the love of Esau. By giving gifts to his brothers, he showed them that he loved them, despite the harm they had caused him in the past. They, for their part, were ready to repent and ask for forgiveness for what they had done. As a result of the restoration of the relationship between Cain and Abel in Jacob's family, the personal basis for the emergence of True Parents created by Jacob reached the family level through his sons.

What can we learn from the example of Abraham's family?

First, when fulfilling the conditions of indemnity, it is important to pay attention to the little things in addition to having an open heart. Fallen humans are unable to fulfill the original responsibility of sinless Adam and Eve because their sinful nature is unable to fully cooperate with God. In order to overcome this limitation, God allowed fallen humans to fulfill their responsibilities conditionally through sacrifices using nature and themselves. Thus, offering to God is a conditional fulfillment of human responsibility, a step toward the substantial fulfillment of responsibility by restored people. The need for sacrifices arose as a result of Adam and Eve's failure to fulfill their responsibility as the son and daughter of God: they did not take God's warning seriously and, as a result, were not diligent in carrying out God's command. Thus, an offering has meaning only if it is done with the right, responsible attitude and in strict compliance with the instructions received.

Abraham was serious about fulfilling his responsibility to God by undertaking to make the animal and bird offerings, but having completed the main part of the sacrifice, which was cutting up the animals, he neglected the smaller task of cutting up the birds. Because of this error, Satan was able to take over the entire sacrifice.

The gravity of the situation resulting from Abraham's failure reflects the fundamental reality of the Fall. At first glance, we can say that the mistakes of Adam and Eve in the Fall are insignificant compared to the atrocities in the fallen world. However, their seemingly minor mistakes became the cause of all human suffering and grief. A small mistake can have serious consequences if the person who made it is a central figure on whom a lot depends. Adam and Eve were the ancestors of humanity, and their actions affected all of humanity. Abraham was given the mission to lay the foundation for the restoration of all mankind, and his mistake had consequences for everyone in his family and for all participants in the providence of restoration, i.e. ultimately for all the people of the world. In both cases, because of the great providential importance of these central figures, the failure to fulfill their God-given responsibility caused the greatest trials for all mankind. If God requires something specific from a person, then the person should consider that it is very important, even if from his position he does not understand why this is so.

Secondly, complete humility and obedience before God is the most powerful weapon against Satan. Abraham's son demonstrated complete humility by agreeing with his father's decision to obey God and sacrifice him. Isaac's unconditional willingness to give his life for God's will completely thwarted Satan's plans to destroy Abraham's family. There was no place for Satan in the relationship between Abraham and his son, as they both faithfully obeyed God even at the cost of their lives. It was easier for Abraham to sacrifice his own life than to kill his beloved son. The exercise of their great faith enabled Abraham's family to retain their central providential position, which had been threatened by the error of the first sacrifice.

Their faith is faith at its highest, reflecting a degree of devotion that atoned for Adam's loss of faith. During the Fall, Adam was spiritually killed when he ignored God's warning about the consequences of eating the fruit. He sought to satisfy his desires even at the cost of his life. He failed to see the absolute value in something that from his limited perspective seemed insignificant. Correction of Adam's erroneous attitude occurs when a person in Adam's position sacrifices his desires for the sake of God's will, even at the cost of his life. It is precisely this willingness to fully follow God that allows God to give a person of such faith everything, even life itself. Therefore, since Abraham's son was willing to die for God, he did not have to die.

Another important lesson from this story is Abel's need to win Cain's heart through service and love. In the history of restoration, Jacob was the first person in Abel's position to successfully lay a substantial foundation as he made great efforts to melt away Esau's resentment and anger by showing love to him even in the most difficult circumstances. Abel's mission is to achieve Cain's voluntary submission. This can only be achieved through love, and service is the practice of love. Jacob's son Joseph learned this well from his father and won the hearts of his brothers by serving them with love even though they had previously treated him harshly. Jacob and Joseph were able to obtain the willing cooperation of Cain (Esau and the eleven brothers, respectively) in creating the substantial foundation, greatly accelerating the progress of the dispensation of restoration.

Abraham is the patriarch after the Flood, a biblical character who was born, according to traditional biblical chronology, in 1812 BC. e. According to the Bible, Abraham lived 175 years and died in 1637 BC. e. Abraham is translated from Hebrew as “father of many.” Abraham is the ancestor of many nations, including the Jewish, and the spiritual ancestor of all Abrahamic religions.

Biblical biography of Abraham.

The story of Abraham is the story of one of the patriarchs after the Flood. Abraham's story- the story of a true monotheist. For the sake of his faith, Abraham is ready to endure any hardship.

The biography of Abraham (Abram) is described in detail in (chapters 11 - 25). From the Book of Genesis it follows that Abraham was born in Ur of the Chaldeans.

Ur of the Chaldeans from the time of Abraham, reconstruction

Here is Terah's genealogy: Terah gave birth to Abram, Nahor and Aran. Haran gave birth to Lot.

And Haran died under Terah his father, in the land of his birth, in Ur of the Chaldeans. ()

Ur or Ur of the Chaldeans- the oldest Sumerian city-state. Today it is the territory of Iran.

It is known that Abraham had two brothers - Haran and Nahor. Aran died early, while his father was still alive. Aran is survived by a son. Abraham took Sarah as his wife, who turned out to be childless. Abraham's father took...

… Abram his son, and Lot the son of Haran, his grandson, and Sarai his daughter-in-law, the wife of his son Abram, and went out with them from Ur of the Chaldeans to go to the land of Canaan; but, having reached Haran, they stopped there... (Genesis, chapter 11).

Terah, the father of Abraham, died in Haran at the age of two hundred and five years. Abraham, his wife Sarah and his nephew Lot spent some time in Haran, until God called him to leave Haran for another Land that God would indicate. God promises Abraham to make from him a great nation and to bless and magnify his name.

Abraham leaves Haran at the age of 75 with his family and goes to the land of Canaan. Upon his arrival in the land of Canaan, the Lord appeared to Abraham and bequeathed these lands to the descendants of Abraham. Abraham built an altar to the Lord here.

Abraham's itinerary

Abraham went east from the land of Canaan and pitched his tent there and built another altar to the Lord. After this, Abraham went south. The lands through which he walked suffered from famine. Abraham reached Egypt and stayed there.

Upon his arrival in Egypt, Abraham asked his wife Sarah, who was very beautiful woman, to call himself his sister, because he was afraid that he would be killed for the sake of Sarah’s beauty. Sarah was taken to Pharaoh's house. Abraham lived in Egypt without poverty. God was angry with Pharaoh because he took Abraham's wife and destroyed his house and himself.

And Pharaoh called Abram and said: Why have you done this to me? Why didn’t you tell me that she is your wife? Why did you say: she is my sister? and I took her as my wife. And now here is your wife; take [it] and go. ().

Abraham and his family leave Egypt and return to the tent that Abraham had built earlier. During the time spent in Egypt, both Abraham and his nephew Lot became rich and they had a lot of livestock and many people. The Bible says that disputes began between the people of Abraham and the people of Lot, as well as between the Canaanites and the Perizzites, who lived in these lands before Abraham came. Then Abraham told Lot to find another land for himself so that there would be no discord between them. Lot went east, and Abraham continued to live in the land of Canaan.

Soon the Lord ordered Abraham to walk through the land that He was giving to Abraham. Abraham went to Mamre and built another altar to the Lord. In the lands bequeathed to Abraham there lived many tribes and there were many kings who fought with each other. During such civil strife, Lot, Abraham's nephew, who settled near Sodom, was captured. Having learned about this, Lot armed the slaves and began to pursue the enemies, and defeated them at night. Abraham saved Lot and returned all his property.

Returning home, Abraham met the king of Salem and the priest of the Most High God. Melchizedek blessed Abram from the Most High God.

Abraham's offspring.

At night Abraham had a vision in which God promised to protect him. Abraham asked God why he had no offspring. God promised...

...the one who comes from your loins will be your heir... ()

The Lord said that Abraham's descendants would be like the stars in the sky. However, Sarah did not have children and she advised her husband to go to her maid from Egypt. The maid's name was Hagar. Abraham took Hagar as his wife. Hagar conceived from Abraham, but began to despise Sarah, Abraham's first wife. Sarah turned to Abraham for help, to which he replied that Hagar was Sarah’s servant and she was free to do as she wished. Sarah began to oppress Hagar and she ran away.

Sarah gives her maidservant to Abraham as a wife

The angel of the Lord found Sarah at a spring in the desert and ordered her to return to her mistress and submit to her, promising to multiply her descendants. The angel ordered to name the firstborn Ishmael. Hagar gave birth to Ishmael when Abraham was 86 years old.

Covenant of the Lord and Abraham.

When Abraham was 99 years old, the Lord appeared to him again and made a Covenant. The Lord promised Abraham to become the father of many nations. And the Lord gave him a name Abraham(before that, according to the Bible, his name was Avram). God commanded Abraham's wife to be called Sarah. The Lord blessed her and said that there would be descendants from her, and nations and kings would come from her. God commanded that Sarah's firstborn be named Isaac. It was to the descendants of Isaac that, according to the Lord, the Covenant should have extended, and not to the descendants of Ishmael, the son of Abraham from the maidservant Hagar.

God promised Abraham:

• Give him and his descendants the land of Canaan as an eternal possession,
• To be God to all nations who will come from Abraham,

In response, Abraham and his descendants should have:

• Circumcise all males on the eighth day from birth, as well as all infants purchased with silver;

That same day Abraham circumcised the foreskins of all the men and boys in his house.

The Lord's Appearances to Abraham

Soon the Lord appeared to Abraham again, and again they talked about how Sarah would bear Abraham a son. And they also talked about Sodom. The Lord said that he is great. And God wanted to destroy Sodom, Abraham asked God if he would destroy the righteous along with the wicked. And then the Lord promised to spare the city if there were at least 50 righteous people in it. Abraham asked, if there are 45 righteous people there, will the Lord really destroy them? The Lord replied that he would spare him. So they talked about 40, 30, 20, 10 righteous people, until finally the Lord promised not to destroy the city even for the sake of 10 righteous people.

However, not a single righteous person was found in Sodom except Lot, Abraham's nephew, whom God spared. Sodom was destroyed by the Lord.

John Martin. Destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. (Lot's flight with his daughters)

Abraham and his family settled between Kadesh and Shur. And again, this time fearing for Sarah’s fate, Abraham called her his sister. The local king Abimelech took Sarah, after which God appeared to him and threatened him with death. God ordered the king to return Abraham's wife. Abimelech returned Sarah to Abraham and with her gave Abraham cattle and slaves and land.

Birth of Isaac and death of Sarah

Soon after these events, as the Lord promised, Sarah conceived from Abraham and bore him a son, Isaac. Abraham, according to the Covenant of the Lord, circumcised Isaac on the eighth day.

One day, Hagar’s son began to mock Sarah’s son, and Sarah kicked out Hagar and her son. Abraham was saddened, but the Lord promised him that he would make a great nation from the son of a slave. Hagar and his son lived in the desert. Ishmael married an Egyptian woman.

Abraham settled in the land of the Philistines and lived here for many days. God began to tempt Abraham, ordering him to sacrifice his son Isaac. Abraham was God-fearing and prepared to sacrifice his son. Then the Angel told Abraham that he now saw that he truly feared God.

Abraham's wife, Sarah, died at 127 years old in the land of Canaan. Abraham asked the sons of Heth for a place to bury Sarah. The sons of Heth promised him the best of burial places. Then Abraham began to ask Ephron for the cave of Machpelah to bury Sarah. The land of Ephron was located between the lands of the sons of Heth. Abraham received this land for four hundred shekels of silver.

The Last Years of Abraham.

Before his death, Abraham ordered his servant to swear by the Lord that he would not allow his son Isaac to marry one of the daughters of the Canaanites. Abraham sent his servant to his homeland to find a bride for his son. Abraham's servant met Rebekah, the great-granddaughter of Abraham's brother. Rebekah became Isaac's wife.

Abraham married again. His last wife's name was Keturah. She bore Abraham six more sons - Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak and Shuach. However, Isaac became Abraham's only heir.

Abraham died at the age of 175 and was buried next to Sarah in the Cave of Machpelah.

As we see, the biography of Abraham is described in great detail in the Bible, and the role of this patriarch in biblical history really great.

Mentions of Abraham in the New Testament.

Abraham is often mentioned in the New Testament; only Moses is mentioned more often among the Old Testament characters. Abraham is also mentioned as the ancestor of Jesus, and it is this fact that emphasizes the divinity of Christ. The birth of Christ is seen as the fulfillment of the Covenant between God and Abraham. Patriarch Abraham in the New Testament- a prototype of the highest piety and righteousness. Abraham is the keeper and teacher of the faith.

Abraham in different cultures.

IN Koran Abraham operates under the name Ibrahim and is revered as one of the greatest prophets. The story of Ibrahim as described in the Koran is very similar to the biblical story of Abraham. IN Jewish midrashim Abraham is the author of the idea of ​​monotheism. Allegedly, he realized that there is one God at the age of three, after which he smashed all his father’s idols and began to pray to one God. In the Jewish tradition, Abraham is also credited with the authorship of the Book of Creation, the most ancient source on Kabbalah.

God of Abraham.

We often hear the expression “B og Abraham" or " Abraham's god", but do we always understand its meaning?

In the time of Abraham, people did not doubt the existence of some supernatural force, or rather forces. Pagan beliefs imply the existence of mysterious and powerful beings. However, the gods of the pagan world are different from the God of Abraham: they are not omnipotent, and need people and sacrifices. Pagans view their gods as more powerful allies with whom relationships can be beneficial.

Pagan gods stand outside the concept of morality. They do not care about how and what their followers live. They are not interested in the moral side, but in the pragmatic side - that is, sacrifices. The faith of the pagans does not require rethinking their behavior and repentance.

The God of Abraham is completely different. It is no longer possible to establish a relationship with Abraham’s God according to the “you tell me - I tell you” scheme. The God of Abraham is omnipotent and demands moral obedience. Abraham's god created the Earth. The God of Abraham is otherworldly, he is not in the realm of Being. The God of Abraham is God Almighty, God Almighty. Abram's faith is not just faith in the existence of God, it is personal trust and hope in the Lord.

Abraham's Sacrifice

Abraham's sacrifice was the offering of his son Isaac as a sacrifice to God. According to the Bible, God called Abraham to sacrifice his son Isaac as a “burnt offering.” Abraham obeyed without hesitation. Abraham built an altar in the land of Moriah, tied up his son, laid him on top of the firewood and raised his hand with a knife over him, when an angel appeared to him and said that this sacrifice was no longer needed, since Abraham had confirmed his faith.

In the Christian tradition, Abraham's sacrifice is regarded both as an act of the highest manifestation of faith and fidelity, and as proof that faith is not self-sufficient and must be supported or justified by works. In , the Apostle Paul gives the example of Abraham's sacrifice as an example of unshakable faith. Abraham believed so much in the Lord and in his Covenant that he knew that one way or another he would have large descendants through Isaac, which means that the Lord would resurrect him.

Abraham's Sacrifice also seen as a prediction of the martyrdom of Jesus. Early Christian theologians draw attention to a similar motive for Isaac's obedience to the will of Abraham and Jesus to the will of God the Father. Isaac carried wood to his own altar, just as Jesus carried the cross on which he was crucified to the mountain.

There are a number of other, no less interesting views on the sacrifice of Abraham. Some biblical scholars believe that the story of the sacrifice of Isaac explains the practice of abandoning human sacrifice. It is also believed that this story has undergone changes over time, in the original version Isaac was sacrificed, but when human sacrifices were abolished, the text about the sacrifice of Abraham was corrected.

Be that as it may, the paradox of the story of Abraham is that where the patriarch was once ready to sacrifice his son, the Temple was built, and not far away the sacrifice was made on Calvary.

Abraham is the father of nations and religions.

It is often said about Abraham that he is the father of three religions - Judaism, Christianity and Islam - and this is true. They also say about Abraham that he is the progenitor of the Jewish and Arab peoples - this is also true. Abraham is the ancestor Abrahamic religions, that is, monotheistic religions originating from the religious tradition going back to Abraham. The Abrahamic religions, in addition to the already mentioned Christianity, Judaism and Islam, also include:

• Karaimism (a religion based on the idea that each believer independently determines the application of the Law of Moses),
• Babism or Vera Babi,
• Baha'i Faith,
• Mandaeism,
• Yezidism,
• Rastafarianism.

Abraham as a historical figure.

Like any story in the Bible, the story of Abraham is taken on faith by some, while others doubt the authenticity of biblical stories and even the very fact of the existence of certain stories.

What can we say about Abraham? Scientists have proven that Abraham is not only a biblical character, but also a very real person.

Archaeological excavations conducted in the city of Ur, which is listed in the Book of Genesis as the birthplace of Abraham, as well as recent discoveries of ancient tablets that contain the names of Abraham, his relatives and even enemies, confirm that Abraham is a real historical figure.

Excavations in the city of Ur

Apparently, Abraham was the leader of the Habiru tribe of nomads (later these tribes became known as the Jews). The Habiru tribes did not have their own land and moved from place to place. This historical fact does not contradict the Bible, because Old Testament we find a description of Abraham's many wanderings.

Abraham stayed in Canaan for several years, calling people to God, until famine forced him and Sarah to go to Egypt. Pharaoh, the despotic ruler of that country, was known for his desire to possess married women. Christian-Jewish sources claim that Abraham married Sarah to his sister in the hope of saving himself from a merciless ruler. For this, Pharaoh honored Abraham, but still took Sarah into the harem. When Pharaoh's house began to suffer one disaster after another, he learned that Sarah was the wife of the prophet Abraham and expelled them from Egypt as punishment.

The Koran tells a different story. Abraham knew that Sarah would attract Pharaoh's attention, so he told her to call herself his sister. As soon as they set foot on the territory of his kingdom, Pharaoh wanted to know about the relationship between Sarah and Abraham. Abraham introduced himself as her brother. The pharaoh, although slightly disappointed, nevertheless took Sarah. But the Lord does not abandon true believers. He stayed with Sarah and saved her from the base desires of the treacherous Pharaoh. When he wanted to get closer, she turned to God with a prayer to protect her, and the Pharaoh’s body froze like stone. Out of surprise and pain, Pharaoh prayed for Sarah to ask God for his salvation and promised to free her. Sarah did so, but Pharaoh did not keep his words and wanted to get closer to her again. Sarah again appealed to the Almighty, and the pharaoh’s body again turned into stone. This was repeated three times until the wicked man gave up and, realizing the special essence of this woman, released her to her imaginary brother.

Sarah brought the great news to Pharaoh and the rest of the pagans of Egypt.

Abraham was praying when his wife returned with gifts from Pharaoh, one of which was his own daughter Hajar (Hagar). Christians and Jews believe that Hagar was a servant.

Abraham, Sarah and Hagar returned to Palestine. The Lord promised to give Abraham a son, but he continued to be childless. Sarah, according to the custom of those times, gave her slave Hajar to her husband to continue the family line. According to one of the Christian scholars, Abraham married Hajar. According to Jewish and Babylonian tradition, the child of a concubine was considered the child of the former mistress of the concubine and received appropriate care, education and inheritance. Be that as it may, Hajar soon gave birth to a son, Ismail.

Abraham in Mecca

Ishmael was still a baby when the Lord wanted to test Abraham's faith again. He ordered his son and Hajar to be taken to the desert valley of Bakka, more than 1000 kilometers southeast of Hebron province. Later this land will be called Mecca.

Such a difficult test befell Abraham at the moment when he finally found the long-awaited heir and enjoyed every moment spent with him. Now he had to leave his son in the merciless desert.

The Bible tells this story somewhat differently. Sarah's anger was the reason for the expulsion of Hajar and Ismail. Abraham held a great feast on the day Sarah weaned Isaac. Then she saw (or it seemed to her) that Ismail was mocking younger brother. Angered by Ishmael's behavior, she asks Abraham to drive out Hagar and Ishmael. According to Jewish traditions, the age of excommunication is 3 years, which means that Ismail was then approximately 17 years old. As Christian legends describe, Hajar carried her son on her shoulders all the long way and lowered her to the ground only after reaching a land called Paran. It is not entirely clear how a woman could carry a 17-year-old boy on her shoulders. The fact is that the Bible verses describing this moment call Ishmael a baby, whereas during the exile he was spoken of as a young man.

So, Abraham took Hajar and Ismail into the desert and left them with a vessel of water and a wineskin filled with dates. Seeing Abraham leaving, Hajar caught up with him and said: : “O Ibrahim, where are you going, leaving us in this valley, where there is no one and nothing?” Abraham silently quickened his pace.

Finally, the woman asked: “Did Allah command you to do this?” Suddenly Abraham stopped, turned around and answered: "Yes".

This answer calmed the worried woman. She asked again: “Who are you leaving us with?”

"I entrust you to the Lord", said Abraham.

“Then He will not leave us!” – said Hajar and returned to Ismail.

“Our Lord, verily, I settled part of my descendants in a valley where nothing grows, near Your reserved house. Our Lord, let them pray, and incline the hearts of (some) people towards them and give them fruits so that they thank (You)!” (Quran 14:37)

Soon the dates ran out and the water container was empty. The Hajar's despair grew. Unable to suppress the feeling of thirst and feed her child, Hadjar rushed to look for water. Leaving Ismail in the shade of a tree, she began to climb the rocky slope of a nearby hill, hoping to see a caravan passing by. She ran seven times between the hills of Safa and Marwa in search of water and help. Subsequently, overcoming these seven paths between the hills will become one of the rituals of Hajj (pilgrimage) among Muslims.

Hajar was exhausted and was ready to lose her mind from grief when she heard a voice, but could not understand where it was coming from. She looked down and saw an angel next to Ismail (angel Gabriel (Gabriel) - in Islamic sources). The angel kicked the ground and water gushed out. A miracle happened! Hajar began to fence off the source, while simultaneously filling her skin. The angel told her: “Do not be afraid of death, for, truly, here will be the House of Allah, which this boy will build with his father, and Allah does not abandon those close to Him!” This spring, called Zamzam, still flows to this day in the city of Mecca on the Arabian Peninsula.

Some time later, the Jurkhum tribe passed by this area. People's attention was attracted by a bird soaring over the valley. This meant there was water there. They subsequently settled in Mecca, and Ismail grew up among them.

The Bible tells a similar story (Genesis:21), although there are a few differences. For example, Hagar distanced herself from the baby so as not to see him die, and not at all in search of help. When the baby began to cry heavily from thirst, she asked God not to let her see the torment and death of her son. The appearance of the source appears not as an answer to Hagar's prayer, but as an answer to Ishmael's cry. The Bible also makes no mention of Hagar's attempts to find help, and states that the source was in the wilderness of Paran, where they later settled. Christian-Jewish scholars believe that Paran is located somewhere in the northern Sinai Peninsula, due to the mention of Mount Sinai in Deuteronomy 33:2. Modern biblical archaeologists, however, say that Mount Sinai is located in modern-day Saudi Arabia, which means Paran is there too.

The earth was repopulated again, and wickedness again spread among people, and they began to forget God, they replaced the veneration of Him first with the veneration of the heavenly bodies, and then, descending lower and lower in spiritual understanding, they fell to gross idolatry.

But the same long-suffering Lord, “who does not want the death of the sinner,” is vigilant over his salvation, never departs from him, always abiding with those who remember Him, did not leave them in communication with them and through them supported faith in His covenant in other people, supported saving the spiritual life of humanity. Abram, the son of Terah, a descendant of Eber from the God-blessed family of Shem, was chosen as such an instrument of God, the greatest and most famous ancestor of the descendants from whom the Savior of the human race was to come. And the descendants of Abram were determined to prepare the ways of Him in Whom all the nations of the earth were to be blessed.

The faith of the Old Testament's chosen one of God, Abram, which by its strength was even credited to him as righteousness, was revealed consistently in the following circumstances of his life: when idolatry and wickedness spread so widely that they threatened to completely drown out faith in the True God and thus interrupt the only connection of humanity with the Divine , then Abram alone retained that faith in the One invisible God, which replaced the Old Testament humanity with faith in God Incarnate, by which alone the New Testament people are saved.

And, seeing Abram’s faith, God chose him, and separated him from the tribe, and commanded him to go to a strange, unknown land, promising him to produce numerous descendants from him and to provide that blessed land as an inheritance to him. And the 75-year-old elder did not doubt what was announced to him, left his fatherland - the city of Ur (in Chaldea or Mesopotamia) and moved to the land of Canaan, indicated to him by God, with his wife Sarah and his nephew Lot. Here, surrounded on all sides by idolaters, he continued to keep his faith in the True God - and he himself was miraculously preserved by God, who “by faith obeyed the calling to go to the country that he had to receive as an inheritance, and went, not knowing where he was going. By faith he dwelt in the promised land as if it were a stranger, and lived in tents... for he looked for a city that has foundations, whose maker and builder is God.”

(Heb. 11:8-10)

From the book of Genesis it is known that when Abram moved to the land of Canaan, “Abram was very rich in cattle, and silver, and gold. And (his nephew) Lot, who walked with Abram, also had a small and cattle and tents. And the land was too big for them to live together, for their property was so great that they could not live together.”

“And there was a dispute between the herdmen of Abram’s cattle and between the herdmen of Lot’s cattle; and the Canaanites and the Perizzites lived then in that land. And Abram said to Lot, Let there be no strife between me and you, and between my herdsmen and your herdsmen, for we are relatives; Is not the whole earth before you? Separate yourself from me: if you go to the left, then I will go to the right; and if you go to the right, then I go to the left. Lot lifted up his eyes and saw the whole region of Jordan, that before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, all the way to Zoar, it was watered with water, like the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt; and Lot chose for himself all the region around the Jordan; and Lot moved towards the east. And they separated from each other.

Abram began to live in the land of Canaan; and Lot began to live in the cities around and pitched tents as far as Sodom.

The inhabitants of Sodom were evil and very sinful before the Lord.

And the Lord said to Abraham, after Lot had separated from him: lift up your eyes, and from the place where you are now, look to the north and to the south, and to the east and to the west; For all the land that you see will I give to you and to your descendants forever, and I will make your descendants like the sand of the earth; if anyone can count the sand of the earth, then your descendants will also be counted; Arise, walk through this land into the length and breadth of it, for I will give it to you (and to your descendants forever).

And Abram pitched his tent, and went and dwelt by the oak grove of Mamre, which is in Hebron; and he built an altar there to the Lord.”

(Genesis 13, 2, 5-18)

At this time, the king of Elam, Chedorlaomer, who had conquered the Jordan Valley and subjugated five local cities to his power, launched a war against the five kings of the regions he conquered, who refused to continue paying tribute to the winner.

Having united with other kings in the Valley of Siddim, the king of Elam put those who rebelled against him to flight. “In the valley of Siddim there were many tar pits. And the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah, taking flight, fell into them, and the rest fled into the mountains.”

“The victors took all the property of Sodom and Gomorrah and all their provisions and left. And they took Abram's nephew Lot, who lived in Sodom, and his property and left.

And one of the survivors came and informed Abram the Jew, who was then living near the oak grove of Mamre, and his allies, with whom Abram had already established friendly relations, since he enjoyed general respect. Abram, hearing that Lot, his kinsman, had been taken captive, “armed his servants who were born in his house, three hundred and eighteen, and pursued the enemies as far as Dan; and, dividing himself, attacked them at night, he and his servants, and struck them down, and pursued them as far as Khoba, which is left side Damascus; and he returned all the property and Lot his kinsman, and he returned his property, also the women and the people. When he was returning from the defeat of Chedorlaomer and the kings who were with him, the king of Sodom came out to meet him, and Melchizedek, king of Salem, brought out bread and wine - he was a priest of the Most High God - and blessed him, and said: Blessed is Abram of the Most High God , Lords of heaven and earth; and blessed be God Most High, who hath delivered thy enemies into thy hand. Abram gave him a tenth of everything.”

“And the king of Sodom said to Abram: Give me the people, and take the property for yourself. But Abram said to the king of Sodom: I lift up my hand to the Lord God Most High, the Lord of heaven and earth, that I will not even take a thread or a shoe strap from all yours, lest you say: I have made Abram rich; besides what the youths ate, and besides the share belonging to the people who walked with me.”

(Gen. 14, 10-24)

“After these things happened, the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision at night, and it said: Do not be afraid, Abram; I am your shield; your reward will be very great. Abram said: Sovereign Lord! what will you give me? I remain childless; this Eliezer from Damascus is the steward of my house. Behold, You have not given me descendants, and behold, the man of my household is my heir.

And the word of the Lord came to him, and said, He shall not be your heir, but he who shall come out of your body shall be your heir. And he brought him out and said, Look at the sky and count the stars, if you can count them. And he said to him: You will have so many descendants. Abram believed the Lord, and He counted it to him as righteousness.

And he said to him: I am the Lord, who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldeans to give you this land for your possession. Know that your descendants will be strangers in a land that is not theirs, and they will enslave them, and they will oppress them for four hundred years, but I will bring judgment on the people to whom they will be enslaved; after this they will come out here with great property, and you will go to your fathers in peace and will be buried in a good old age; in the fourth generation they will return here.

On this day the Lord made a covenant with Abram, saying: To your descendants I give this land, from the river of Egypt to great river, Euphrates River".

(Genesis 15, 1-7, 13-16, 18)

The promise of descendants to Abraham was not fulfilled for a long time; Abraham’s faith was tested for a long time, but he did not waver in it. And so, again the Lord visited Abraham. “And the Lord appeared to him at the oak grove of Mamre, as he sat at the entrance to (his) tent during the heat of the day.”

“He lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, three men stood against him. When he saw it, he ran towards them from the entrance to his tent and bowed to the ground and said: Master! if I have found favor in Your sight, do not pass by Your servant; and they will bring some water and wash your feet; and rest under this tree, and I will bring bread, and you will strengthen your hearts; then go (on your way); as you pass by your servant.

They said: do as you say. And Abraham hurried to Sarah’s tent and said (to her): quickly knead three sati of the best flour and make unleavened bread.

And Abraham ran to the herd, and took a tender and good calf, and gave it to the lad, and he hastened to prepare it.

And he took the butter and the milk and the calf that had been prepared, and set it before them, while he stood beside them under the tree. And they ate. And they said to him, Where is Sarah your wife? He answered: here, in the tent.

And one of them said: I will be with you again at the same time (at next year), and Sarah your wife will have a son. And Sarah listened at the entrance to the tent, behind him. Abraham and Sarah were old and advanced in years. Sarah laughed inwardly, saying: Should I, when I am old, have this consolation? and my lord is old. And the Lord said to Abraham: Why did Sarah laugh (in herself)? Is there anything difficult for the Lord? At the appointed time I will be with you next year, and Sarah will have a son.

And those men arose and went from there to Sodom (and Gomorrah); Abraham went with them to see them off. And the Lord said: Shall I hide from Abraham (My servant) what I want to do?

From Abraham will surely come a great and strong nation, and in him all the nations of the earth will be blessed, for I chose him so that he would command his sons and his household after him to walk in the way of the Lord, doing righteousness and justice; and the Lord will fulfill on Abraham (all) that he spoke about him.

And the Lord said: The cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and their sin is very heavy; I will go down and see whether they are doing exactly what the cry is against them, rising to Me, or not; I'll find out.

And the men turned from there and went to Sodom; Abraham still stood before the Lord. And Abraham came and said: Will You really destroy the righteous with the wicked (and the righteous will be as with the wicked)? maybe there are fifty righteous people in this city? Will You really destroy and not spare this whole place for the sake of the fifty righteous (if they are) in it? It cannot be that You would act in such a way that You would destroy the righteous with the wicked, so that the same thing would happen to the righteous as to the wicked; cannot be from You! Will the judge of all the earth act unjustly?

The Lord said: if I find fifty righteous people in the city of Sodom, then for their sake I will spare (the whole city and) this whole place.

Abraham said in response: Behold, I decided to say to the Master, I, dust and ashes: maybe there will be five missing to fifty righteous people, will you really destroy the whole city for the lack of five? He said: I will not destroy if I find forty-five there.

Abraham continued to talk to Him and said: Perhaps there will be forty there? He said: I will not do this even for the sake of forty.

And Abraham said: Let not the Lord be angry that I say: perhaps there will be thirty there? He said: I won’t do it if there are thirty there. Abraham said: Behold, I decided to tell the Lord: maybe there will be twenty there? He said: I will not destroy for the sake of twenty. Abraham said: May the Lord not be angry, what will I say one more time: maybe there will be ten there? He said: I will not destroy for the sake of ten.

And the Lord went away, ceasing to speak with Abraham; Abraham returned to his place."

(Gen. 18, 1-11, 13-14, 16-33)

Isn’t this amazing and touching conversation between a person and God an example? communication souls with the One who created it? And not only is it accessible to every soul, but it constitutes its inalienable advantage, the highest gift of God. Isn’t this how, from century to century, pure, unspoiled souls talk with their Heavenly Father, calling on Him with the simplicity of children and always receiving a Divine response to their human appeal. If only they called! And the feedback will be heard and felt by the whole being of a sincerely believing soul.

The Lord will not remain silent before those who cry to Him. The evidence of this is countless in all the lives of the saints. And who in his life has not experienced in the most difficult moments how the Lord immediately responds to his prayer with beneficial suggestions, admonition and reassurance.

“And those two angels came to Sodom in the evening, while Lot was sitting at the gate of Sodom. Lot saw and stood up to meet them, and bowed down with his face to the ground and said: My lords! go into your servant's house and spend the night, and wash your feet, and rise in the morning and go on your way. But they said: no, we spend the night on the street.

He strongly begged them; and they went to him and came to his house. He made food for them and baked unleavened bread, and they ate.

(And) those men said to Lot: Who else do you have here? whether your son-in-law, your sons, or your daughters, and whoever you have in the city, bring everyone out of this place, for we will destroy this place, because the cry of its inhabitants to the Lord is great, and the Lord has sent us to destroy it.

When the dawn rose, the Angels began to hurry Lot, saying: Arise, take your wife and your two daughters that are with you, so that you do not perish for the iniquities of the city. And as he hesitated, those men (Angels), by the mercy of the Lord towards him, took him and his wife and his two daughters by the hand, and brought him out and placed him outside the city.

The sun rose over the earth, and Lot came to Zoar.

And Abraham arose early in the morning and went to the place where he stood before the Lord, and looked towards Sodom and Gomorrah and all the surrounding space and saw: behold, smoke rises from the earth like smoke from a furnace.

And it came to pass, when God was destroying (all) the cities around this region, that God remembered Abraham and sent Lot out from the midst of the destruction, when he overthrew the cities in which Lot lived.

And Lot went out from Zoar and began to live in the mountain, and his two daughters with him, for he was afraid to live in Zoar. And he lived in a cave, and with him were his two daughters.”

(Gen. 19, 1-3, 12, 13, 15, 16, 23, 27-30)

“Abraham went up from there to the south and settled between Kadesh and Shur.

And the Lord looked upon Sarah as he said; and the Lord did to Sarah as he had spoken. Sarah bore Abraham a son in his old age at the time about which God spoke to him; And Abraham called the name of his son who was born to him Isaac; And Abraham circumcised Isaac his son on the eighth day, as God commanded him. Abraham was a hundred years old when Isaac his son was born to him.

The child has grown up and is weaned; and Abraham made a great feast on the day that Isaac (his son) was weaned.”

(Gen. 20, 1; 21, 1-5, 8)

Meanwhile, Ishmael, the son of Abraham and Hagar the Egyptian, a former servant in the house, whom Abraham loved and cried out to God for him, so that he might live before the Lord, also grew up.

“God said to Abraham: And concerning Ishmael I have heard thee: behold, I will bless him, and will make him great, and will multiply him greatly, greatly; twelve princes will be born from him; and I will make him into a great nation. But I will establish my covenant with Isaac as an everlasting covenant, that I will be God to him and to his descendants after him.”

(Genesis 17, 18, 20-21, 19)

Meanwhile, the consequences of violating the unity of the marriage union, which had long been a custom in the times when Abraham lived, were revealed in this case also by family disagreement and discord.

“And Sarah saw that the son of Hagar the Egyptian was mocking her son Isaac, and she said to Abraham: Drive out this slave woman and her son, for the son of this slave woman will not inherit with my son Isaac. And this seemed very unpleasant to Abraham for the sake of his son Ishmael.

But God said to Abraham: Do not be upset for the sake of the boy and your handmaid; whatever Sarah says to you, obey her voice, for in Isaac your seed will be called. And from the son of the slave woman I will make a great nation, because he is your seed.

Abraham rose early in the morning, and took bread and a skin of water, and gave it to Hagar, placing it on her shoulders, and to the lad, and sent her away.

She went and got lost in the wilderness of Beersheba; and there was no water in the skin, and she left the boy under one bush and went and sat down at a distance, one shot from a bow. For she said: I don’t want to see the boy die. And she sat down at a distance opposite him, and raised a cry and wept.

And God heard the voice of the lad from where he was; and the Angel of God from heaven called to Hagar, and said to her: What is the matter with you, Hagar? don't be afraid; God heard the voice of the boy from where he is; Arise, lift up the lad and take him by the hand, for I will make him into a great nation. And God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of living water, and she went and filled a bottle with water and gave the boy a drink. And God was with the boy; and he grew up and began to live in the desert, and became an archer.

He lived in the desert of Paran; and his mother took him a wife out of the land of Egypt.”

(Genesis 21:9-21)

The strongest of all people in faith faced the most difficult test, the only one from the beginning to the end of the existence of people on earth...

When Abraham's heir, the son Isaac, was born, and he grew up, and the heart of the father rejoiced, seeing in his son a vessel of promises and Divine blessings from generation to generation, then the Lord tempted the faithfulness of His servant with the last test. God said to Abraham: “Take your son, your only son, whom you love, Isaac; and go to the land of Moriah and there offer him as a burnt offering on one of the mountains about which I will tell you.”

“Abraham rose early in the morning, saddled his donkey, and took with him two of his servants and Isaac his son; He chopped wood for the burnt offering, and got up and went to the place that God had told him about.

On the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes and saw the place from afar. And Abraham said to his youths: Stay here with the donkey, and I and my son will go there and worship, and return to you. And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering, and laid it on Isaac his son; He took the fire and the knife in his hands, and they both went together. And Isaac began to speak to Abraham his father, and said: My father! He answered: Here I am, my son. He said, “Here is the fire and the wood; where is the lamb for the burnt offering?” Abraham said: God will provide for Himself a lamb for a burnt offering, my son. And they both walked on together. And they came to the place that God had told Abraham about; And Abraham built an altar there, laid out the wood, and, having bound his son Isaac, he laid him on the altar on top of the wood. And Abraham stretched out his hand and took a knife to kill his son.

But the Angel of the Lord called to him from heaven and said: Abraham! Abraham! He said: here I am. The angel said: Do not raise your hand against the boy and do not do anything to him, for now I know that you fear God and have not withheld your son, your only son, for Me.

And Abraham lifted up his eyes and saw: and behold, behind him was a ram caught in a thicket by his horns. Abraham went and took the ram and offered it as a burnt offering in place of Isaac his son.

And the Angel of the Lord called to Abraham a second time from heaven and said: I swear by Me, says the Lord, that because you have done this deed, and have not withheld your son, your only son for Me, I will bless you in blessing and multiply I will multiply your seed as the stars of heaven and like sand on the seashore; and your seed shall take possession of the cities of their enemies; and through your seed all the nations of the earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed my voice. And Abraham returned to his servants, and they arose and went together to Beersheba; and Abraham dwelt in Beersheba.”

(Gen. 22, 15-19)

God loved Abraham for love, piety, fear of God and obedience. He chose righteous Abraham to preserve true faith through his posterity for all mankind. “I will make you into a great nation,” God told Abraham. (Genesis 12:2)

In this people, in time, the promised Savior of the world will be born, who will bless all nations. And just as the Old Testament prophets Moses and David called Abraham to intercede before God, so the New Testament Church calls on God for mercy for the sake of His beloved forefather Abraham. Jesus Christ Himself, in His parable of the rich man and Lazarus, points to Abraham as the inhabitant of a blessed dwelling in His Heavenly Kingdom (see Luke 16:19-31).

At the conclusion of His covenant with Abram, the Lord also said to him: “And you will no longer be called Abram, but your name will be Abraham, for I will make you the father of many nations; and do not call Sarah your wife Sarah, but let her name be Sarah; I will bless her and give you a son by her; I will bless her, and nations will come from her, and kings of nations will come from her” (Gen. 17:5, 15-16).

Ancient Mesopotamia was populous country cities. Agriculture it could not flourish here due to the scarcity of soil. There were few trees, but the location turned out to be quite advantageous. Here, in Mesopotamia, the nomadic Sumerians came from the East and built tall towers, on which they “settled” their gods. The most famous city there was the legendary Ur (Ur Kasdim, Ur-Chaldean), which gathered thousands of peoples in its markets. They loaded the goods onto mules and transported them along the Euphrates to nomads, for example, to the area of ​​Canaan. It was here that the future prophet Abraham was born into the family of a wealthy merchant with numerous offspring. Let's figure out whether this person existed in reality or can he be considered a fairy-tale, invented hero who was “promoted” to justify the transition to monotheism.

Who is Patriarch Abraham: the first prophet or fictional character

Today Christianity is called a world religion, which means that its fans can be found in every corner of the globe. However, there were times when no one knew about it, and most peoples had their own gods, idols and graven images. Abraham's merit lies in the fact that it was he who founded the three main world religions of a monotheistic plan.

• Judaism.
• Islam.
• Christianity.

All of them were subsequently called Abrahamic, perpetuating his memory for centuries. It is not known for certain whether the famous patriarch existed in reality: there are many arguments for and against. If you trust the Bible, then the prophet Abraham lived approximately in the eighteenth century BC in Mesopotamia, he was the son of a rich man and manufacturer of Chaldean idols - Terah.

Interesting

There is a story that Abraham once came into the workshop and cut off the hands and feet of all the idols and gods that were ready for sale. Then he also made claims against his father, because they did not resist and could not defend themselves in the face of a mere mortal. This did not end well, and for damaging property, the father punished his son by beating him with whips. But the seed of doubt was sown in the soul of young Abraham.

a brief description of

At first, no one knew such a person as the prophet Abraham, since the family simply called the boy Abram (אַבְרָם ). He helped his parents in everything, and when he grew up, he married his sister Sarah (Saray), which was a completely normal practice at that time. One day, fearing the loss of wealth, the father decided to move the whole family from big city to Canaan. He decided to take his numerous sons and daughters with him. On the way, Farrah unexpectedly dies, and after this the most significant event in Abraham’s life happens - the Lord God himself, “the creator of all things, the heavens and the firmament of the earth,” addresses him for the first time.

Having unquestioningly listened to the creator, Abraham goes where he showed him, because God promised to increase his descendants, turning them into a great and blessed people. Why did the creator choose this particular man, who at that time was already seventy-five and had no children? There is no answer to this question anymore. Nevertheless, the man subsequently had a son, and not even one. At the command of God, Abraham was the first to perform circumcision himself and teach others. He was ready to unquestioningly listen to all the orders of the creator, because of which his only son at that time, Isaac, almost perished.

The first prophet on earth

According to biblical data, as well as earlier materials from the Jewish Torah (midrishah), Abraham was a distant descendant of Eber or Eber, which translated means “he who crossed the river” or simply “wanderer.” It was from this name that the name Ivri (Jew) came, which was first used in relation to Abraham and his descendants. He was the great-great-grandson of Noah himself, whom the great God saved from his wrath for the righteousness of his life and purity of thoughts. Abraham belongs to the branch of the descendants of the son of Noah - Shem (Shem).

The guy's father lived with his family in Sumerian Ur. It was a golden city, on the towers of which “solar” and “lunar” (gold and silver?) idols were installed. According to traditional biblical history, Abram was born around 1812 BC. At the direction of his parents, the guy married his sister Sarah, who would later be renamed Sarah by order of God, but he never had children, although her youth was already declining. Presumably, the girl was infertile.

Should know

The Bible uses I Kings (6:1) to prove the existence of a character like Abraham. It even names the approximate time: exactly four hundred and eighty years passed between the date of construction of Solomon’s temple and the exodus of the Jews from Egypt. Thus, Abraham must have left Ur approximately two thousand ninety-one BC. However, archaeologists know that not a single one is truly large city in those days there was no existence in the vastness of Canaan.

In Islam, which calls Abraham Ibrahim, there is also a reference to the fact that he once destroyed great amount father's works. In order not to lose his wealth (thieves, scarcity of land, insufficient pasture areas), he decides to leave for Canaan, taking his entire family, including his rebellious son and wife, as well as Lot’s grandson. Historians believe that this story directly points to the active migration of the Semitic peoples of the Amorites or Amorites (self-name Suti) from Mesopotamia to Palestine in the 19th-18th centuries BC.

Moreover, historian Igor Dyakonov says that Abraham and his relatives had nothing to do with the Sumerians, Suti, Canaanites or Amorites. They lived separately, did not have their own lands, and did not share the local religion. Therefore, it was difficult for them to find sufficient resources to maintain livestock and store wealth. Apart from references to time periods in the Bible, which can be tied to persons and events arbitrarily, there are no real evidence that Abraham was historical figure, No.

75th Anniversary Special Day

By modern generally accepted standards, Abraham was already in his declining years when the family reached the city of Haran. According to one of the many versions of history, it was here that his first revelation happened. God Himself appeared to the future prophet, giving him direct instructions and promises. Most likely, Abraham saw the light when he saw that idols could not even protect themselves, let alone the people who worshiped them. Having decided that there was a higher deity, the man actually “comprehended” (heard?) a voice ordering him to go to make a sacrifice on Mount Horeb.

First, one had to observe a strict forty-day fast, and then, on the day of one’s seventy-fifth birthday, go through the temptations prepared by the devil Azazil (Azazel). The angel assigned to the man helped him cope with the misfortune and stand in prayer to God until the evening. Immediately after sunset, the seraph and the man ascended to heaven. Having seen heaven and hell with his own eyes, Abraham asks how God could allow the Fall, but in response he receives only a prophecy for himself and all humanity. It is not possible for a mortal to comprehend the entire great plan of the creator, therefore no answers were forthcoming.

Founder of the Israeli people

The sacrifice and journey to heaven were not in vain for Abraham. He became firmly established in his faith and decided to follow the orders of the creator no matter what. After returning, he decides to split his family. Together with his wife and nephew Lot, who would later play a significant role in biblical history, he goes to the South at the behest of God. However, he finds only hunger and deprivation there, so he chooses Egypt as his new goal. Fearing that the unearthly beauty of his wife Sarah will become a reason for envy, Abraham orders her to call herself his sister. The woman obeys because her husband's order was law.

The Egyptians really liked Sarah's angelic face and slender figure. Soon rumors about this reached the pharaoh. He ordered the beauty to be brought and immediately decided to get married. The girl obediently agreed, and the ruler presented her “brother” with all sorts of benefits and riches for the wedding. God did not approve of such behavior and “struck” Pharaoh’s house. He summoned Abraham and demanded an answer. The ruler fell in love so much beautiful woman, that he decided to let her go along with her husband and acquired property when he realized what the secret was.

The travelers had so much wealth that they decided to split up. Lot, taking his goods, went east - to the vicinity of the Jordan. Abraham settled in Canaan, where the Creator appeared to him again. He once again promised the man to increase his descendants and give him ownership of all the surrounding Canaanite lands. However, his wife remained barren, so she “gave” her husband the slave Hagar, who, despite Abraham’s advanced age (86 years), after the due date gave birth to a son named Ishmael (Ishmael). The boy grew up in the desert and married an Egyptian woman. His twelve offspring became the progenitors of the Arabs and Bedouins.

Thirteen more years passed before God appeared to his favorite again. He repeated the words of the covenant, after which he renamed him, calling him Abraham, and ordered all boys to be circumcised. The future prophet and patriarch himself was circumcised at the age of ninety-nine, after which he actually had a son from Sarah. It was decided to name him Isaac (Ichak), which translated means “joy”, “laughter”. The boy was circumcised on the eighth day, but when he grew older, God ordered Abraham to sacrifice him to test his faith.

He, taking the teenager, went to the mountains, built a fire, and only the timely intervention of an angel saved Isaac from inevitable death. His father found him a wife good girl from her native Mesopotamian lands, whose name was Rivka (Rebecca, Rebekah). At one hundred and twenty-seven years old, Sarah died, and Abraham married again, but to a younger woman. She bore him six more sons, who also became the founders of the Arab tribes. Thus, the Lord justified the name given to him, because Abraham is “the father of many nations.” After the patriarch died, Isaac buried him in the same cave as his mother.

Abrahamic religions

Researchers have spent a long time analyzing the life history of Abraham and his children, which is found in ancient texts, including those of an apocryphal (not included in the scriptures) nature, in order to identify the main features of the Abrahamic religions. Even the genealogy of the future prophet Jesus (Yeshua) begins with the fact that he was a descendant of David and Abraham. God did not deceive his faithful servant and fulfilled his own promises, and in return received a clear understanding of the monotheism of creation. It was Abraham who was the first to understand that it is not idols that protect and preserve the people and himself, but the one omnipotent God.

For his help, the creator demanded little: compliance with the principle of a contract consisting of several simple points. As a sign of the eternity and inviolability of the covenant, which was already unchangeable on the part of the deity, it had to be confirmed in some way on the part of people. Therefore, every boy on the eighth day of his life must undergo the ritual of circumcision. It became the same important rule, such as observing the nine commandments brought to people by Moses, or the rules of Sharia later prescribed in the Koran. The apocryphal text of the revelation of Abraham was included in the notorious Sylvester collection, and in this form it reached the Slavic lands. It is also included in the Explanatory Paley (a book - a monument ancient Russian literature), which was a fairly free retelling of the stories of the Old Testament.

Abraham's Jewish Heritage

In the historical context, the memory of the Jewish people preserves the personality of Abraham as the central character. He became the ancestor of all nations, but primarily of the Jews. But he is not just a progenitor, but also a herald of monotheism, which replaced paganism. Jewish tradition holds that the prophet not only proclaimed a new faith. He returned people to their original ancient religion, which was professed by his distant ancestors: Moses, Adam, Noah, Shem and other ancient people.

The main merit of the patriarch is that he returned the correct understanding of worship by concluding his covenant with God. He became the first prophet of the original, ancient, powerful and truthful faith. Abraham's loyalty and devotion to God is limitless. This can be seen in the story of Isaac, which is very popular in the Jewish tradition (Judaism). Despite everything, the man is ready to follow the instructions - to destroy his own son, whose appearance he has been waiting for almost a hundred years. It was this story from the Talmud that was read during fasting, as well as during the celebration of the Jewish New Year (Rosh Hashanah), when it was customary to blow a special horn (shofar) to announce the sacrifice.

Christian belief tradition

Christianity in general and Orthodoxy in particular also recognizes the story of Abraham and his son Isaac as very instructive, and the main character himself is considered the ancestor of all followers of this religion. His name is very often mentioned in Orthodox and Catholic prayers, as a mention of an ancestor: “God our father, Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob...”.

Despite the fact that Abraham was physically the “father” of only the Jewish people, Christian tradition makes him the progenitor through Jesus, who died for the sins of every person on the planet. It is important to highlight one more story - the appearance of three beggars (travelers) to the patriarch, which is considered to be a symbol of the trinity of God (father, son and spirit). Beggars came to him, but the prophet “recognized” them as angels, personifying mercy, glory and firmness of faith.

Muslim tradition

Islam generally has its own view of all ancient texts, although Muslims fully recognize the story of Abraham as authentic and truthful. His direct heir, grandson Ismail, became the progenitor of all Muslim tribes. That is why the story of the expulsion of Hagar and her offspring into the desert is considered the main one. In the Koran it is played out somewhat differently than in the Bible. There the girl herself runs away from Sarah’s wrath, and the patriarch helps her, giving her bread and wine.

Followers of Islam consider the prophet and patriarch to be the builder of the legendary Kaaba. This is a cubic building, located inside the Holy Mosque (Masjid al-Haram), and is a shrine for all Muslims. According to legend, Ibrahim built it exactly where it stood during the existence of the first man. His father allegedly taught Ismail a special ritual of hajj (pilgrimage). Above the cave called Machpelah, in which the prophet rests, Muslims built a mosque, considered one of the greatest shrines.

Understanding the Abrahamic Covenant

Philosophers of modern and contemporary times are constantly struggling with the riddle of correspondence, the correct relationship between morality and religion. The history of revelation and the covenant of Abraham is in this regard extremely difficult to comprehend. After all, in it divine instructions actually conflict with the moral aspects of actions and motives. The German thinker and philosopher Immanuel Kant believed that the prophet acted unethically towards his own son, but also towards God. According to his reasoning, Abraham had to indicate to the “voice from heaven” that he would not take the life of his own son, because there was no certainty that it was God who was telling him, and there could not be.

The Dane Søren Óbut Kierkegaard (a nineteenth-century philosopher) fundamentally disagrees with Kant. He expressed a different view on this instructive and complicated story. Having followed God's instructions and intending to kill his own son, Abraham seems to step over ethics, throwing away moral torment for the sake of a higher absolute goal. He writes that there is a “highest duty to God”, in comparison with which the petty murder of a person plays no role at all. In itself, it does not affect anything, and refusal to perform it becomes disobedience. The French philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre shared and developed Kierkegaard's views.

In memory of Abraham, the father of modern religions

The biblical story of Abraham, as well as his sons, Ishmael and Isaac, is contradictory and multifaceted. However, people’s memory of devotion to God, for which one can receive a reward and become the “father of many nations,” preserves the prophet from ancient texts and makes him a popular character, especially in a religious environment. That’s why people of art often turn to this story, which personifies the difficult choice between one’s own and the common good, between obedience and sin, between God and the devil, fall and exaltation.

Great artists of antiquity depicted the torment of the patriarch. The seventeenth-century painter, Peter Lastman, painted several paintings on this topic: “Abraham on the Road to the Land of Canaan”, “The Expulsion of Hagar”, “Sarah Expecting the Groom”, “Abraham and the Three Angels”. All these works can be seen these days in St. Petersburg: they are exhibited in the Hermitage, and anyone can look at them. The French engraver and artist Paul Gustave Doré also turned to such subjects. His work “Three Angels Visit Abraham” is impressive and even somewhat frightening in its realism. In the ninety-fourth year of the last century, a feature film directed by Joseph Sargent called “Abraham” was released, telling the story of his life.