The incongruity of God's covenant with Abram in Gen 12:1? Abrams age was not a factor in favor of leaving Ur for some unknown land either. In other cases He revealed Himself merely by calling and speaking from heaven, without those who heard His voice perceiving any form at all; e.g., to Hagar, in Genesis 21:17., and to Abraham, Genesis 22:11. 5.) Judges 2:1). The death of Haran, his oldest son, loosened his attachment to the land of his birth. Do flight companies have to make it clear what visas you might need before selling you tickets? Is this inconsistent with the words of the writer to the Hebrews? Abraham lived as a pilgrim, looking for the city of God: By faith he lived as an alien in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, fellow-heirs of the some promise; for he was looking for the city which has foundations, whose architect and builder is God (Hebrews 11:9-10). ''What detained Terah and his family here, when they intended to go further, is not said. I found your contribution useful +1. Learn more about Stack Overflow the company, and our products. What was Terah's son named? We must remember that Cassuto, as a Jew, did not regard the New Testament to be authoritative. What is the best way to deprotonate a methyl group? are patent descriptions/images in public domain? Then, when Terah returned, saw the mess, and asked Abe what had happened. In the light of all the objections which might be raised by Abram, such an appearance should not be unusual. A look at a map of the ancient world of patriarchal times would indicate that Abram traveled the well-trodden roads of his day.135 This route was that commonly traveled by those who engaged in the commerce of those days. Terah didn't give a rip about what God wanted because he didn't know or love Him. Do stay around and if you are willing to answer another questions, please read. Abram was called, that through him all the families of the earth might be blessed (Genesis 12:1-3). For some reason, Terah and his family stopped short of Canaan, and remained in Haran. While the exact meaning of the expression, called upon the name of the Lord may not be known, worship is surely described. Terah, it seems, decided to stay in the northern Mesopotamian "city of Haran," (no connection with his son Haran) rather than continue the journey to Canaan, which was the family's original intent. Balaam He met in a human or angelic form, with a drawn sword in His hand (Numbers 22:22-23). What are some tools or methods I can purchase to trace a water leak? Hence, it follows that Isaac, his seed, was born thirty years after the call of Abram. Kharan, and was so called in Accadian times, in which language the word means road, being, according to Mr. Sayce, the key of the highway from the east to the west. Twenty years? No stop along the path was irrelevant or without purpose. 24. He quoted the shopworn saying, God said it. The people of Haran served the same moon god as the people in Terah's former location, the southern Mesopotamian "city of Ur". Well, it was written in Genesis that his birth name was Abram, before God changed his name to Abraham, and that he was the son of Terah. Although no direct evidence of Abrahams residence is available, it is significant that the city of Ur reflects a long history preceding Abrahams time, possessing an elaborate system of writing, educational facilities, mathematical calculations, business and religious records, and art. And as all our texts agree in the numbers here involved, it is obvious that the same adjustment of years has in this case to be made, whatever system of chronology is adopted. The form of the Angel of Jehovah, which was discernible by the senses, varied according to the purpose of the appearance; and, apart from Genesis 21:17 and Genesis 22:11, we have a sufficient proof that it was not a real angelic appearance, or the appearance of a created angel, in the fact that in two instances it was not really an angel at all, but a flame of fire and a shining cloud which formed the earthly substratum of the revelation of God in the Angel of Jehovah (Exodus 3:2; Exodus 14:19), unless indeed we are to regard natural phenomena as angels, without any scriptural warrant for doing so. Vos, Genesis and Archaeology, pp. Faith is not developed by living life by some kind of map, but by using Gods Word as a compass, pointing us in the right direction, but challenging us to walk by faith and not by sight. Did Abraham meet Jacob as alluded in Hebrews 11:9? One year? We are, as I said before, never told why he packs it in in Ur and heads for Canaan. (n) Though the oracle of God came to Abram, yet the honour is given to Terah, because he was the father. There are nearly 75 references to him in the New Testament. It is quite possible that God made the three promises to Abraham's father Terah first, but he failed the test by remaining in Haran. c. Terah was an idol worshipper. Consequently such passages as Psalm 34:7; Psalm 35:5-6, etc., where the angel of Jehovah is not more particularly described, or Numbers 20:16, where the general term angel is intentionally employed, or Acts 7:30; Galatians 3:19, and Hebrews 2:2, where the words are general and indefinite, furnish no evidence that the Angel of Jehovah, who proclaimed Himself in His appearances as one with God, was not in reality equal with God, unless we are to adopt as the rule for interpreting Scripture the inverted principle, that clear and definite statements are to be explained by those that are indefinite and obscure. "By faith Abraham, when he was called, obeyed and went out to a place he was going to receive as an inheritance. to Harran, they settled there.(NIV). And if we are honest with ourselves, that is just about where most of us are. Broken down with fatigue, he halts for a season at Haran to recruit his wasted powers. All rights reserved. I hope that's helpful Clive. Why are non-Western countries siding with China in the UN? "They came to Haran and dwelt there." Real blessing does not come from toil and agonizing hours of labor, but from the fruit of intimacy, namely children. Stephen clarifies the time that Abram was first called of God. The foundation for this was laid by God in the call and separation of Abram from his people and his country, to make him, by special guidance, the father of a nation from which the salvation of the world should come. p. 282. The Chaldeans, no longer in existence, predate Israel. - All this occurred as a type for the future, that Israel might know and lay to heart the fact, that bodily descent from Abraham did not make a man a child of God, but that they alone were children of God who laid hold of the divine promise in faith, and walked in the steps of their forefather's faith (cf. version of the Old is used as a proper name; it is a simple appellative, as is apparent from the fact that in every instance, in which further reference is made to an angel who has appeared, he is called , with or without . Having said this, I do not wish to glorify Abrams faith either, for as we shall see, it was initially very weak. Terah was just too old, by that time, to actually make any life in Canaan, and might even have died from the long journey that would have been required to get all the way to Canaan. In the words of Vos, Regardless of when Abraham left Ur, he turned his back on a great metropolis, setting out by faith for a land about which he knew little or nothing and which could probably offer him little from a standpoint of material benefits.132. Since Abram was unwilling or unable to leave his father's house, God took Abram's father in death (11:32). What a thrill that must have been for the people of Moses day to read this promise and realize that the time for possession had come. God had never forbidden anyone from going with Abe. But does such a claim contradict the words of Scripture? The angel of God, who shows the sacred seer the heavenly Jerusalem, and who is supposed to say, "Behold, I come quickly" (Revelation 22:7), and "I am Alpha and Omega" (Revelation 22:13), refuses in the most decided way the worship which John is about to present, and exclaims, "See I am thy fellow-servant: worship God.". d. What we do know, is that Terah NEVER LEFT Haran but died when the blessings were there . He is promised a seed and when that seed is delayed, he must somehow see meaning in that delay and learn faith in God. And later in the story Rachel, Terah's great-great-granddaughter, does seem keen to hold on to the Teraphim (household idols) as if they were a family heirloom (Gen 31:19). - Terah takes the lead in this emigration, as the patriarch of the family. Abraham received only one call (Genesis 12:1). That is what is implied in the Jewish oral tradition about Abe. But as we look back upon it, we can see that God was leading all the way. We reached the conclusion that God called Abram to leave Ur in order to travel to Canaan, and he did that before Terah's death, although he l. 5. c. 18. Ur was in the southern part of Mesopotamia, and was the starting point for Abraham's journey to Canaan. The sovereignty of God in salvation is beautifully illustrated in the call of Abram. On the other hand, He appeared to Moses (Exodus 3:2) in a flame of fire, speaking to him from the burning bush, and to the people of Israel in a pillar of cloud and fire (Exodus 14:19, cf. Ancient Mesopotamia was a region centered upon the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers. Terah's Descendants. Hence, Abram is placed first in the list of Terah's sons, simply on account of his personal pre-eminence as the father of the faithful and the ancestor of the promised seed; he and his brother Nahor are both much younger than Haran, are married only after his death, and one of them to his grown-up daughter Milkah; and he and his nephew Lot are meet companions in age as well as in spirit. Ultimately, the whole world was blessed by the coming of the Messiah, who came to save men of every nation, not just the Jews: Therefore, be sure that it is those who are of faith that are sons of Abraham. 2. The relationship between the command of God to Abram in verse 1 and the incident at Babel in chapter 11 should not be overlooked. It is only when God wishes us to depart from the expected that we should look for guidance that is spectacular or unusual. One purpose of the genealogy of chapter 11 is that it informs us that men were living shorter lives, and having children younger. Why is the article "the" used in "He invented THE slide rule"? Connect and share knowledge within a single location that is structured and easy to search. Paul chose Abraham as the finest example of a man who is justified before God by faith apart from works (Romans 4). Abram came from a pagan home. Why did God punish Pharaoh for Abrams lie (Genesis 12:17)? Terah coordinated the journey, intending to go to this new land, but stopped in the city of Haran along the way, where he died at the age of 205. There are, of course, evidences for the reasonableness of faith, but at the bottom line we simply must believe what God has said to us in His Word. This land never belonged to Abram in his lifetime, even as God had said (15:13-16). Abram told his father that Yahweh had instructed them to leave. At the time of the call, Abram did not know where this land was. Specifically, Stephen's comment, in reply to the high priest (Acts 7:1), is based on Jewish oral tradition, and was recognized by the Jewish High Counsel (called the "Sanhedren"). Moses tells us that Abram was 75 when he entered the land of Canaan. Now the promise to Abram was four hundred and thirty years before the exodus of the children of Israel out of Egypt Exodus 12:40. Terah started out well (11:31), journeyed about four months, probably stopped at Babylon and then did something very strange. Since Abram was unwilling or unable to leave his fathers house, God took Abrams father in death (11:32). And, most important, I can find hope for a person like myself. But we neither regard this rendering of the psalm as in harmony with the context, nor assent to the assertion that with a double accusative, in the sense of making into anything, is ungrammatical.)<. Bob is a pastor/teacher and elder at Community Bible Chapel in Richardson, Texas, and has contributed many of his Bible study series for use by the Foundation. (l) Hist. Why did Lot offer up his daughters to be gang raped? It grows through time and through testing. Abram his son, and Lot the son of Haran his son's son, and Sarai his daughter-in-law, his son Abram's wife. The Chaldeans, no longer in existence,. Can you fathom the fact that after leaving Haran for Canaan, God worked in Abrams life for one hundred years? 58-64. in 1971. Rather than thinking of a new land and a new life, most of us would have been thinking in terms of a rocking chair and a rest home. The other day I heard a preacher put it very pointedly. Terah fathered Abram, Nahor, and Haran; and Haran fathered Lot. This seems to be upheld by Scripture: "This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: 'Long ago your ancestors, including Terah the father of Abraham and Nahor, lived beyond the Euphrates River and served other gods'" (Josh 24:2). There are ample evidences of elaborate wealth, skilled craftsmanship, and advanced technology and science.131 All of this tells us something of the city which Abram was commanded to leave. God providentially led Terah to pull up roots at Ur and to move toward Canaan (11:31). Abrams life is a growth in faith developed under delayed fulfillment of divine promises. The beginning of Genesis 12:1 indicate that the call had already been given and the response was only now being recorded. It was not until chapter 15 that a full description of the land was given: On that day the Lord made a covenant with Abram, saying, To your descendants I have given this land, from the river of Egypt as far as the great river, the river Euphrates: (Genesis 15:18). l. 5. c. 24. As the writer to the Hebrews put it, he went out, not knowing where he was going (Hebrews 11:8). as an appearance of "the angel of Elohim," and of "the God of Bethel" (Genesis 31:11, Genesis 31:13); and in his blessing on the sons of Joseph (Genesis 48:15-16), "The God (Elohim) before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac did walk, the God (Elohim) which fed me all my life long unto this day, the angel which redeemed me from all evil, bless the lads," he places the angel of God on a perfect equality with God, not only regarding Him as the Being to whom he has been indebted for protection all his life long, but entreating from Him a blessing upon his descendants. Ed, Issue 46, Winter 2023. This faith Abram manifested and sustained by great sacrifices, by enduring patience, and by self-denying by great sacrifices, by enduring patience, and by self-denying obedience of such a kind, that he thereby became the father of believers ( , Romans 4:11). Even to Noah He revealed Himself before the flood as one who was present on the earth. Secondly, the Angel of God was recognised as God by those to whom He appeared, on the one hand by their addressing Him as Adonai (i.e., the Lord God; Judges 6:15), declaring that they had seen God, and fearing that they should die (Genesis 16:13; Exodus 3:6; Judges 6:22-23; Judges 13:22), and on the other hand by their paying Him divine honour, offering sacrifices which He accepted, and worshipping Him (Judges 6:20; Judges 13:19-20, cf. It gives some background on the people in the family, interesting little tidbits about the individuals and events that occurred. Terah, Abraham's father, was grieving for his son Haran. Hence, his desire to keep up his connection with Abram, who was called of God. Beside this, we frequently read of appearances of the "angel of Jehovah" (Genesis 16:7; Genesis 22:11, etc. A physical death interpretation would state that Terah had died and his total lifespan is recorded as 205 years. God commanded Terah to leave Ur of Chaldees for the land of Canaan in Genesis 11:31. b. However, Abraham discouraged potential customers from buying the idols, explaining to them the futility of worshipping statues that were only fashioned that very day. Though proceeding by easy stages, the aged patriarch seems to have been exhausted by the length and the difficulty of the way. But even if the address in Genesis 22:16, where the oath of the Angel of Jehovah is accompanied by the words, "saith the Lord," and the words and deeds of the Angel of God in certain other cases, might be explained in this way, a created angel sent by God could never say, "I am the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob," or by the acceptance of sacrifices and adoration, encourage the presentation of divine honours to himself. It is shrouded in mystery to Jewish scholars as to why Terah began the journey and as to why the journey ended prematurely. This remains to be proven. Over 40 Old Testament references are made to Abraham. Rauwolff, who was in this town A. D. 1575, calls it Orpha; his account of it is this (q), that it is a costly city, with a castle situated on the hill very pleasantly; that the town is very pleasant, pretty big, with fortifications well provided; and that some say it was anciently called Haran and Charras: a later traveller (r) says, who also calls it Orpha,"the air of this city is very healthful, and the country fruitful; that it is built four square, the west part standing on the side of a rocky mountain, and the east part tendeth into a spacious valley, replenished with vineyards, orchards, and gardens: the walls are very strong, furnished with great store of artillery, and contain in circuit three English miles, and, for the gallantness of its sight, it was once reckoned the metropolitical seat of Mesopotamia. All that the Septuagint rendering proves, is that the translators supposed "the angel of the Lord" to be a created angel; but it by no means follows that their supposition is correct.). This I believe to be a significant observation, for many Christians seem to feel that Gods way is the way of the bizarre and the unusual. Therefore, the failures are not mentioned. Filial piety, no doubt, kept Abram watching over the last days of his venerable parents, who probably still cling to the fond hope of reaching the land of his adoption. Nahor lived 119 years. Mesopotamia before he dwelt in Charran.(NIV). Terahs migration was partly perhaps a movement of a tribe of the Semites northwards (see Note on Genesis 11:28), made restless by the Elamites, who about this time overran Western Asia; but chiefly it had a religious motive: for Ur was the especial seat of the worship of the moon-god, Sin; and though Terah had not attained to the purity of Abrahams faith, yet neither was he altogether an idolater. How utterly irreconcilable this fact is with the opinion that the Angel of Jehovah was a created angel, is conclusively proved by Revelation 22:9, which is generally regarded as perfectly corresponding to the account of the "Angel of Jehovah" of the Old Testament. (The date that Abram left the city of Ur and other patriarchs' timelines can be read here. So, according to that oral history, Abe one day waited for Terah to go out of Terah's idol-making shop, and then Abe smashed all the idols except the biggest one that stood prominently in the corner of the shop. On the form in which God appeared, in most instances, nothing is related. But as soon as Abram had gone to Canaan, in obedience to the call of God, Jehovah appeared to him there (Genesis 12:7). At least two things must be said in response to this question. 32 Terah lived 205 years, and he died in Haran. 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